need help with buying a 944!

[jindogeh]

im lookin into buying a 1986 944 for about 1200. it has 79000 miles on it and is in pretty good condition. However, it has been sitting for about 4 years and hasn't been started in about just as long. How much would it cost me to get a full tune-up with timing belt, water pump, spark plugs, etc. etc? I just need an estimate, any help as soon as possible would be greatly appreciated.

[AaronM]

Full?

At a good mechanic $2,000-$3,000. Much is labor. If you have facilities, experience, and time, you can do the work yourself and save some money, but be aware that it's a large amount of labor and that setting the belt tension "properly" requires a $600 tool that you can only get from Porsche. There are cheaper alternatives to the tool that may work, but I've never used them so I cannot say.

Do NOT start the engine. A timing belt that has been sitting for 4 years is a disaster waiting to happen.

A car that hasn't moved in 4 years will need other things as well though.

- Full brake system flush
- Full coolant flush
- Very probably needs at least one caliper rebuilt
- I'd bet on the rubber brake lines as well
- Vacuum lines
- Coolant hoses
- Will probably need a new clutch soon from the rubber center degrading over time.

[jindogeh]

thanks much for the reply, helped me out a lot. but one more thing if i may ask, how much would it be for the full brake system/coolant flush, brake lines, etc etc?

[AaronM]

Flush/fill and replacing the soft lines on my 951's brakes was $253.70 in parts and totaled $405.70 when labor was included.

Coolant flush/fill was about $60 total.

Honestly, unless the car was prepped for storage and otherwise maintained while stored (in which case it would not be a $1,200 car), I'd guess $2,000 to $4,000 in expenses if you were to buy it, then take it to a mechanic and say "Fix what needs to be fixed."

[924Sman]

If you are near Des Moines Iowa I will flush/bleed it for a popsicle! Give me 500 and I will do the belts too. Parts not included!
Dal

[1988_944]

I did all the needed things on my 88 when i bought it. belts, rollers, seals, water pump, plugs, All fulids, for around $600 in Parts. I did the labor myself, took my time and all is well.

[SoCal Driver]

Even if you finally have a four or five thousand dollar car sitting there when you have replaced all the old fluids and parts, you can NOT buy the same performance car for less than $20,000 on the used or new market.

Think about it.

Should I ever win a big lottery it's going to be 944's and 951's that fill my garages rather than Ferrari's and Lamborghini's.

[Eldorado]

agreed..

imagine... winning the lottery, picking up a pristine to begin with 944/51... dropping it off at the best porsche shop, and say "i dont care the cost. make it new."

ahhhh... i can dream...

[SoCal Driver]

Having been a dealer mechanic in my college days I absolutely do not trust them.

[mambodave]

no such thing as a cheap porsche. Be prepared to drop $3k in it.

[AaronM]

Originally posted by 1988_944
I did all the needed things on my 88 when i bought it. belts, rollers, seals, water pump, plugs, All fulids, for around $600 in Parts. I did the labor myself, took my time and all is well.

Agreed. But he seems to be talking about having someone else do the work rather than doing it himself. And that's just a basic freshening, a car that has been sitting for 4+ years will need more than just belts and fluids.

That said, even if it does cost $2,000 to $4,000 to have a mechanic fix up the car that's not a bad amount of money for what the 944 is.

[Panzer909]

Originally posted by SoCal Driver
Having been a dealer mechanic in my college days I absolutely do not trust them.

Sorry to hijack this thread, but can you tell us a story or two SoCal?

[Blondie]

Originally posted by Panzer909
Sorry to hijack this thread, but can you tell us a story or two SoCal?

*Sits down with other members and listens intently*

Ya..c'mon tell us a story

[SoCal Driver]

I worked at an independent VW shop in a small town south east of Riverside, California. About 24 miles as the crow flies. The owner decided to sell the shop and move out of state. So I made the move to the local VW dealer. Most of the wrenches were pretty honest but every once in a while they would hire a shyster. They didn't last very long.

I decided to move to Colorado where the owner of the VW shop had moved. Went to work for the VW dealer there and most of the mech's were shysters! Found out it was the only way to make money on the hours you actually put in as the management were bigger shysters. This was the VW dealer in downtown Colorado Springs and not the one up on the side of the hill toward the Broadmore.

Came back to SoCal and worked a few dealers in the Riverside area. More shysters than honest mech's. Found a drafting-engineering job at Fleetwood and have not looked back.

[Razorback1980]

jindogeh,

My advice to you is that if you do not know how to work on cars or unless you have a lot of money, this is probably not the right car for you. They are very nice cars and more fun than any other car you could possibly own, but they are also 20+ years old and there are going to be many things that go wrong with them. Not bad to fix if you know how, but if you don't, that 1200 dollar car will be incredibly expensive after a while. I'm not trying to steer you away, just trying to set your expectations to a realistic level. If you have the cash to put into them though, there is no way on this earth you could ever be disappointed. The 944 is just incredible. I have owned one since 1986 and to this day, I just never get tired of it.

[jindogeh]

wow. thanks everyone so much for the replies. at other car forums i haven't got a single response yet. i've taken all of your comments into consideration and everyone seems to think its worth it. i believe so too. i know itll cost a lot of money but ill scrape it up somehow. also, would it be impossible to try and learn how to service it myself or is that just out of the question? thanks again

[pokey]

Not at all, a lot of board members had never really turned a wrench before getting a '44.

[Dave L]

it wouldn't be impossible, but keep in mind that as a newbie everything will take 3 or 4 times longer than it should. I am fairly new to DIY and have successfully just done my brakes and also just replaced my drive axels. Both of these are fairly easy jobs.

What could be very frustrating is having a huge list of jobs that just never seem to get done.

[callmethewander]

not only is it possible to learn, but we will help you, (there are several members here that are amazing) and it is a rewarding endeavor. you will become familiar with this car, save tons of money, gain valuable experience, fall in love, and live happily ever after. that being said, if you decide not to buy it please give me the seller's #. good luck

[mlue]

jindogeh, welcome to the Pelican Forum.

You should post you location so if someone is near by they could possibly have a look see. No garantees but a better acessment you could have.