non-running 944 question
 

I am interested in buying a 944 that has not been driven for 3 years, and will only start with starting fluid. Before that it was running fine, and had all its servicing done up-to-date. I am hoping it basically needs a new battery and spark plugs, but can anyone suggest anything else likely to need doing (e.g. the seller mentioned the injectors may be blocked), so I can go prepared?!

Cheers
Ness

after it starts with starter fluid, will it stay running?

broken record: belts

A car that has not been driven for that long of a period will need a new timing belt and balance belt at the least. The service interval for these is about 3-4 years depending who you ask. How much are you looking to get the car for? A car that has been sitting that long can have alot of problems with leaks, dried out rubber parts, tires which may not be good anymore...etc.

Thanks for the comments. Timing belt was replaced shortly before seller stopped driving it - would it still need replacing? Seller is only asking $1000...

Yep, replace it anyway. It's age, not wear at this point.

Yes replace the belts, They have since dryrotted and will need to be replaced... unless you want to risk it and have to get a new head/rebuilt head if it breaks. its 60k miles, or 3 years, whichever comes first. Trust me, the last thing you want to take a chance on with this engine is the timing belt.

As far as not running it's probably a bad DME relay or fuel pump.

What is the mileage on the car? $1000 seems alright, but like many others have said before me "There are not many things more expensive than a cheap Porsche". Just be very wary of this car.

168k. Anything else visible to look out for when checking it over?

Cheers
Ness

tires.. if it hasn't moved - they could be warped and could potentially blow when they get hot.

was the gas drained? or did it sit for that time with a full tank of gas?

The gas was not drained - is that likely to cause problems?

it could...
corrosion in your gas tank.... that might actually be why the car isn't starting...

were any of the other liquids drained out? oil? coolant? obviously all of that would need to be flushed before you drove it...

Go out there with the troubleshooting guide from Clark's garage.
$1000 sounds alright if it's mechanically sound(ish). For that price, I'd take a pretty rough example :)