'84 944.... Good Deal?

joesplace62 · 12-19-2001, 09:32 AM

Hi Folks,

Sliding over from the 911 board with a question re. 1984 944 for sale here in town. It's solid looking with just a spot of rust behind the right rear tire, mediocre paint, fair interior with the usual cracked dash and worn drivers seat.
Going to test drive it soon and wondered what I should be on the lookout for. It has 126k on the clock and absolutely no documentation regarding maintenance. The guy is asking $1600 for the thing, says he's had a number of them over the last few years but is getting out of Porsches for a while.
He claims it needs an O2 sensor. Does that mean anything scary or potentially mask any other possible problems? What effect should I expect that sensor to have when driving it?
For those dollars I figure I can't really haggle him down on price, but if it drives good, it would make a good winter beater while the 911 is in hibernation.
Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all, Marty

Rollins · 12-19-2001, 09:37 AM

I would suggest that you take it for a pre purchase inspection. There are a lot of things that can be wrong with the car that would take a well trained and knowledgeable eye to see. This is how I figure it, you spend 60 bucks before you buy it and see how much money it's gonna cost on top of just the 1600. O2 sensor isn't a big deal at all, but still get a PPI done.
-Tim

scottmandue · 12-19-2001, 11:20 AM

I would be very carefull with buying a 944 at a very low price with no records. Bottom line is you may rack up several thousand dollars in mechanic bills in a short time! And when you figue in the time wasted in breakdowns and trips to the mechanic and/or doing repairs.
If you are looking for a bargain IMHO it is a better investment to find a 944 in excellent running condition with records that has a low price due to cosmetic problems, if your looking for a beater.

Good luck

divezic · divezic's Garage

Sounds to me like you should take a pass on this one. No records means to me that this guy is not religious about maintenence, which the 944 requires, especially 17 years old with 126k. Rust on the body is no good. These cars are made with galvanized steel...they shouldn't rust with proper maintenance.

You will probably put more money and time into this car than you will want. I tried this approach with a 914 once and I ended up frustrated. I then bought a 944 in great condition and am still happy with it 3 years later.

A good winter beater is an older Subaru wagon or an older Jeep. They are cheap to buy and cheap and easy to work on.

robertinla · 12-25-2001, 03:35 PM

The no-documentation thing would scare me off.

jsb944 · jsb944's Garage

Purchased mine thru a PCA friend....was his friend's beater....84 NA with 79,000 miles....needs a nose panel ( dented) and has a dent in the rear driver's quarter panel...( can't pull it out but it's too small to warant getting done the right way so bondo here I come!)...then it's going to get a mid-priced paint job....I paid $1200 for the car ( site un-seen!) then took it to my mechanic where I spent another $1k on timing belt,starter, waterpump and some other misc stuff....It runs like a top and in another few months it will look pretty good too! Being my first porsche I think it's a good place to start....but If I did not trust my PCA friend who told me about the car I NEVER would have gone for it!!!

Good luck!

joesplace62 · 12-26-2001, 05:36 AM

Thanks Guys, Got to drive the car and it ran really well. Better than my '71 911T. The suspension bushing were shot though, so she rode like a tank (and sounded like one too). Got a call from the owner saying he had an offer, so I let it go. Kinda wish I had picked it up. The lack of records scared me off.

Regards, Marty

perfectchoicemotorsports · 12-26-2001, 08:00 AM

Case in point!

We bought our car off of E-bay, site unseen for $960. The belts are practically new so was the waterpump. It had a new fuel pump, Battery, and tires. Head Gasket was in terrible shape, and had to be replaced. Other than the problem with the headgasket and motormount ($125 to fix), the car runs great.

The best thing for mechanically challenged people, is to take it for a preinspection.

Kevin
PCM
www.perfectchoicemotorsports.com

jsb944 · jsb944's Garage

Kevin

Can't agree with you more! While I know many people who couldn't put up with a car like mine ( requires "tweeking often"), for what I paid there's a lot of fun here!!!

I know what I was missing with all the 280zx's and MR2's ( don't get me wrong...they were fun too....just not like my 944!)!

This car is a perfect stepping stone to maybe a 951 or someday a 968!

Joe

OlGoat · 12-26-2001, 07:52 PM

A good PPI would have made my first Porsche exhilarating instead of excruciating....

Sunroof · 12-27-2001, 12:43 PM

I had my 1985.5 944 for 345,000 miles. Luckily routine maintenance kept me from paying for high priced transmission and engine overhauls. But, the 944 was a costly headache as far as the routine maintenance goes. Water pumps fail, belts MUST be replaced every 30K+ miles, motor mounts weaken and as the miles go up so do the problems (axles, CVs, radiators, power steering racks, power steering pumps, shocks, and on it goes).

I have met many younger people who are so proud to buy a used Porsche (944) for about the price you got that they think any Pep Boys or Midas Muffler shop is going to repair these things for cheap. Forget it!!!! They are pure Porsche and parts cost and if you have no mechanical aptitude, a good set of tools and repair manuals you will wind up paying for your first repair more then you paid for the car (head gasket replacement - $1,500, water pump - $500, brakes- $400 for example).

If you going to get a Porsche at least consider a model that hold its value and pound for pound is cheaper to repair then a 944....
Consider a 911.................................

Good Luck

BR

robertinla · 12-27-2001, 02:48 PM

It's always a good idea to get a pre-purchase inspection, regardless of situation. It's worth the hundred or couple hundred bucks or so.

jsb944 · jsb944's Garage

Sunroof

Not sure if that was for my benefit or the originator of this topic...

As for me...I'm a 34 year old Mechanical Engineer and the 944 is therapy/fun/third car in between working 70hr weeks.....I look forward to getting something else ( 951, 968, etc)...participating in some of the local PCA events etc.....the idea here was fun for cheap and an intro into what Porsches were like......I could not have gotten into anything in the 911 family for the roughly $2500 I have into this car ( and had something that I could actually drive)!

As far as the Midas/pep-boys comment....just because I was not ( with this car) prepared to spend big bucks does not warrant the implication that a 944 owner is satisfied with the likes of a midas or a pep-boys! As a matter of interest...the person who takes car of my car also maintains my dads 356, his 944 and the same mechanic's father used to maintain my father's first porsche 356C in the 60's!

Maybe I am taking this a bit too seriously, but I am disgusted by the notion that anyone who does not own a 911 is not a Porsche owner and that is what I read from your post!

regards,

Joe