'86 951: Needs minor body work and just passes emissions in NY, is it worth spending?

[Vroom]

I own a 1986 Turbo. About 148K miles on it. The body was in excellent condition until someone backed into the hood. Approximate cost to repair: $800.

Also, the car still has the same catalytic convertor from when I bought it with 138K miles on it. I have found that is just passes the New York emissions test. NY has lowered the Nox limits to 2.00.

Should I spend money to repair the body? And, will a new catalytic convertor enable the car to pass emissions easily? Also, how expensive is a new cat? And , where do you recommend getting the best value on a cat?

What are you all doing to get your cars through emissions?

Thanks to all, I really appreciate your feedback.
Vroom

[nize]

i thought you couldn't repair automobile hoods if they become damaged due to safety regulations, are you talking about the front nose valance or the hood? someone once backed into my parked car and dented/scratched the front nose valance and it cost around $1200 to repair so i think $800 is pretty cheap.

i've heard that properly running 951's will pass emissions without the catalytic converter. when was the last time you changed the spark plugs?

[Vroom]

Nize, Thanks for your response. It wasn't the hood, my mistake, it was the nose area in front of the hood.

The plugs were changed recently. So, should I concentrate on tune up work? Are the emissions limits higher in other states? Anybody from NY have suggestions?

Vroom

[Porsche944]

To get a better idea of where to start looking we need to know what the emissions test numbers were/are.

For example, high NOx can be caused by running lean, while high CO and HC can be caused by running rich.

I will agree with NIZE that a properly running Porsche engine will pass emissions (at least here in Norht Carolina) without a CAT. However, some states also require a visual inspection to insure that emissions hardware has not been removed/disabled or modified.

[Vroom]

OK, here's the emissions history:

4/15/04 HC 0.68 (Limit .80) CO 10.7 (Limit 15.0) NOx 1.54 (Limit 2.00)
(Mileage 148,502)

4/30/03 HC 0.49 (Limit 1.20) CO 7.3 (Limit 15.0) NOx 1.83 (Limit 2.50)
(Mileage 142,014)

9/6/02 HC 1.23 (Limit 2.00) CO 23.3 (Limit 30.0) NOx 2.83 (Limit 4.0)


4/2/04--(148,424) NEW PLUGS, Bosch standard copper. Old plugs looked funky, they were Bosch platinum with fatter electrode/base. #2 wire spun at pivot near plug, but car seems to run smooth.


The mechanic may have adjusted "mix" in 2003 to get passing result. Plugs were changed for the first time prior to 4/15/04 test.

Summary: The car is in good overall condition. No rust. Needs some body work on valance up front and some small touch ups on back end. Vinyl is loose near sunroof.
I am willing to put money into the car as long as I can feel confident of continuing to pass emissions in NY in the coming years. I had an 84 Volvo DL wagon with 280K miles on it and this past year had great difficulty getting it to pass emissions. NY keeps lowering all the limits.

Comment: It is so great to be able to find this kind of advice on line with you guys. Thanks very much and I look forward to your additional comments.
Vroom

[Porsche944]

OK, from the looks of things the engine is running rich, and a little better description of what the plugs look like may help.

"Normal" plugs will have dark yellow to orange-brown deposits. Lean plugs will be bright yellow to white, and rich plugs will be dark gray to black and may have loose carbon buildup.

I would start with the O2 sensor. You can get a "universal" single wire, or a heated "3-wire" sensor. The Ford 13913 heated 3-wire sensor runs about $40.00 at Pep Boys. If you go this way you will need a two wire male/female "bullet connector" to match up to the heater supply. Look for a male/female bullet with one black and one brown wire near the center line of the fire wall. Should be very close to the O2 sensor connector.

Which ever way you go, use a butt splice for the O2 sensor signal (black) lead. Soldering the wires prevents the sensor for getting a reference from the atmosphere, rendering the sensor useless.

Next, check your fuel pressure and manifold vacuum. A bad Fuel Pressure Regulator and/or low or no vacuum to the FPR will cause the fuel pressure to be too high and the engine will run rich.

Third, find out EXACTLY what your "mechanic" has done to get the car to pass emissions. This is necessary so you can un-do his "fix".

Fourth, get your hands on a Digital Volt Meter(DVM), a dwell/tach, and a vacuum gage. These three items can track down a whole host of problems and are well worth the expense.

Fifth, don't use platinum plugs. Stick with "normal" single electrode plugs.

Sixth, verify that ALL vacuum hoses and fittings are tight and the hoses are not leaking. To get the smaller fittings (like at the FPR and Damper)tight, I use small nylon cable ties.

[mambodave]

Hey cliff!!!!!!!!! I had no idea anyone elese on here was from charlotte!

[Porsche944]

Dave:

There are quite a few of "us" in Charlotte. Some contribute to "The Other List," and some just lurk.

I'm over on the East side near Albermarl and Harrisburg roads. Where are you?

[mambodave]

Im in Ballantyne (south charlotte). We should all get together for lunch or something, or does everyone do PCA?

[nize]

i was curious, so i went to have my car tested today and it passed without a cat. results here;
http://gallery.silentmedia.com/album124/abf

[Dougster]

Vrooom, I think its worth it (your fix) if not, I wish you were close to Indy, I have been looking for a decent 951 for awhile...
Good luck/skill.

[Cory9584]

You can usually get nox to go down by retarding the timing before the test also

[944 Ecology]

Originally posted by Cory9584
You can usually get nox to go down by retarding the timing before the test also

So, of course, the question is, how do you accomplish that on a 944 or 944 turbo???

gb

[nize]

http://members.rennlist.org/951_racerx/FQS-adjust.html

[944 Ecology]

Originally posted by nize
http://members.rennlist.org/951_racerx/FQS-adjust.html

Of course, I just developed a blind spot in thinking and forgot about the FQS switch...

Ah, the joys of intermittent alzheimers...

gb