Trash or treasure?

[macsheadroom]

Greetings fellow Porsche owners and experts.
I recently acquired a 1987 (late?) 944s with a blown (2.5 DOHC?) motor for $200.
I thought I could easily find another motor, yes easy on ebay but not cheap.
While waiting my 48 hr. quarantine/approval here I read as much as I could and found that My 944s is junk and only worth scrap metal price but I am a glutton for punishment so I will proceed with this father and son project. Rust is minimal and interior is in good shape.

My main concerns are,
will a cheaper 2.5 SOHC engine drop in and plug in and run.
is ebay the cheapest solution for engines?
Rebuilding doesn't seem to be an option, internal damage is extreme.
Are the parts worth selling online?
Is this a special club car or anything?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

[yundar]

Treasure! If it's not rusty or wrecked it's worth it. I would search Craigslist for an S motor. You may have to wait a little bit but one will pop up. Or search a little further from home and pay for shipping. Seems like you could find one in the 500 dollar range.

Andy.

[yundar]

There is a 944S motor for sale on Portland (OR) CL for $800.

[v2rocket_aka944]

Aside from the hole in the oil pan what else is wrong with the motor?

[dgcantrell]

Considering you can see all the way down through the the piston and see daylight. A LOT!!! LOL NO.. It's not trash. It's never trash unless it's wadded up and unfixable. I can see at least $500 worth of spare parts in one picture alone. I'd keep everything off the engine that isn't broken and cracked.

I'm kind of in the same situation with the 87 S I just picked up. The engine was taken out for rebuild but was stolen along with some other items not attached to the car. I'm going to put my '87 8 valve NA engine in it and drive it while I work on the '87 NA body and restore it. I would like to find another S engine but if finances allow, I will put an S2 engine it.

[macsheadroom]

Thanks. you guys are giving me renewed hope.
The piston. pin and rod were on the road in pieces. She blew up around 6-7k RPM with a bang so I am told.
Ill share more pics as I progress. Again Thank You for all the advice, and keep it coming. I am a real noob when it comes to Porsche, Ford or Chevy no problem I think I know what I'm doing. this really is a different beast.

[Fast Freddy 944]

It looks like a money pit, Try DC automotive in North Carolina, they have everything you need, you might have to be firm with the parts guys, but you will succeed in getting what you want. Oklahoma forigen also has parts for 944's. I'll be honest, I would never purchase a vehicle with out test driving it and having a mechanic check it out. The dough you spend on just getting it running you could find a nice good running boxter or 944 that's in good shape........

[OPRN]

You have a treasure in my opinion. Even if you and your son take it apart just to see how it ticks and haul it to the dump it's a cheap education for him!
$200 bucks? Man, lots of guys spend more than that on a night out!
Take your time, watch for bargains and enjoy the quality time with your son. I envy you!

[peteb]

Is the head damaged? Sometimes you can find these motors with broken head from a failure of the timing belt or chain pads with a good bottom end. Then you could mix and match the good parts and have a motor.

A good look at the rest of the car would be smart. I'd go for fixing the motor if the body is good.....

Peter

[Jreyes94]

Definitely treasure. I don't know how you got it for so cheap...and it's an S!
I'm thinking the previous owner didn't value it enough.

A year ago I bought a complete 85/1 not in the greatest shape, and I think it had failed oil cooler seals due to the chocolate milk oil, but ran just fine even after sitting a year...anyways, I paid 750$ for that.

For 200$, it's investment worthy I think..

[Alexb944]

Im pretty sure I seen a 3.0 engine on plyhammers site for around 400? but $200 was a steal, i bought a near mint condit 85.5 944 for 2800.

[djnolan]

The S is a very peppy car at 190hp so I would try to repair it rather than change the engine. Also changing the engine will present wiring harness and DME issues. The S head is worth quite a bit if undamaged. They frequently get damaged by broken timing belt or bad chain tensioner. If you find a complete engine as suggested, sell the head or mix and match.

[911tracker85]

Pricing Parts

guy parting out a 944S

check it out.

[Rasta Monsta]

3,0 swap!

[v2rocket_aka944]

+1 for fix it...

but re:value of the head...i've had 2 good, complete 944S heads for sale in the last year or so and neither one brought more than $500 including shipping..so I wouldn't say they are all that valuable/in demand. one of them even had the cams and exhaust manifolds included.

i've seen lots of other folks try to sell for more than that as well and no one bites until the first number gets to a "4"...

to the OP - i paid $300 for a blown-bottom end 944S engine to salvage the head, so paying $200 for the whole car is a smokin deal.

Originally Posted by djnolan

The S is a very peppy car at 190hp so I would try to repair it rather than change the engine. Also changing the engine will present wiring harness and DME issues. The S head is worth quite a bit if undamaged. They frequently get damaged by broken timing belt or bad chain tensioner. If you find a complete engine as suggested, sell the head or mix and match.

[zrxz1dave]

there was an s motor on Houston craigslist

[Mike_944]

Originally Posted by 911tracker85

Pricing Parts

guy parting out a 944S

check it out.

I've actually decided to fix her but thanks for the referral!