911 owner ignorant on 944's

[SoCal911SC]

Hello fellow Pelicans! I've always had a place in my heart for the 944's, and hate seeing so many of them in a sad state. I recently saw an '86 944 Turbo listed for sale but have to say I know NOTHING abou them mechanically (known issues, etc.)

I'm very familiar with the flat-6 911 motors, but would love a quick crash course on what I'd be getting into with a 944 Turbo (things to look out for, common problems, cost of rebuild, etc.). I know pound-for-pound they provide excellent performance, but have heard the maintenance can be a draw-back.

Thanks all in advance.

[SoCal911SC]

Sorry, just noticed the Sticky thread on FAQ's. I'll give that a look.

[TrailRider]

Hey SoCal911SC,

I grew up in the "909" / Redlands but now out in OC.

If you like (and have the ability and time) to wrench on cars yourself I would recommend it. The alternative is big money spent at a repair shop as things break (and they do break as these cars are getting up in age).

Many of these cars are neglected and have lots of deferred maintenance. And, bringing them back can be very expensive if one can't work on it themselves. Unfortunately, the ones that are not maintained are worth more in parts then they are as a whole.

Look for receipts for things such as clutch and timing belt. The clutch is a labor intensive job. The timing belt is easy and parts are about $250 for DIY. Check for oil and power steering leaks which are very common issues. Some are worse than others...

Mike

[911tracker85]

The clutch is a labor intensive job.

tell me about it.

I bought my 85 911 in 1989. sold in 1997 and bought back in 1999. then started morphing into a DE/street car. but after almost putting it into a wall at MidOhio decided to retire from track.

I have had a 84 928 for several years as a driver as the 911 became harsh on the street. cut my teeth wrenching on water cooled Porsche on refreshing everything on it.

well... to get to the point.

picked up a non-running 87 944S, resurrected and refreshed for my Bro-in-law. all up to date now, but time for TB/WP this winter.

then picked up an 86 944 turbo project car to be my new DE/street car.

compared to older 911s, 944/928s are way more complicated and need more maintenance. as I have been doing all my own wrenching on them, still piled up a lot of $$ in parts on the 951. got it running and putting break-in miles on the rebuilt engine, only to start hearing/feeling some clutch issue. so now a SPEC stage III clutch kit and alum flywheel on the shelf. from researching the process to replace the clutch, will pull the transaxle and torque tube. glad I had Lindsey Racing split my exh crossover pipe during the build, that will take about 4 hrs off the job. but still it is estimated at 20+ hrs.

got it with the rebuilt engine in the bay and everything in boxes. the 951 is a maze of vac lines, intake/turbo lines, etc, etc.

what you will find is they are great cars. totally different driving experience from the 911. either pay the $$ for one in great condition or pay the $$ to refresh. in my case, when I get one of these old Porsches, I dont just fix broken stuff. but fully refresh everything.

not clear from your comments about how DYI you are. if so, with all the knowledge on this forum, the 944 vendors, WSM, and PET you can prevail.

good luck on deciding whether to dive into one.



oh, and waiting patiently in the garage is a 78 930 clone I plan to fully restore/refresh.



what I got

[dos531]

Originally Posted by SoCal911SC

Hello fellow Pelicans! I've always had a place in my heart for the 944's, and hate seeing so many of them in a sad state. I recently saw an '86 944 Turbo listed for sale but have to say I know NOTHING abou them mechanically (known issues, etc.)

I'm very familiar with the flat-6 911 motors, but would love a quick crash course on what I'd be getting into with a 944 Turbo (things to look out for, common problems, cost of rebuild, etc.). I know pound-for-pound they provide excellent performance, but have heard the maintenance can be a draw-back.

Thanks all in advance.

Hey is this Matt? I think we met a couple weeks ago when I was in my 930. It just so happens I just bought a 944 turbo. It should be back from the paint shop in a couple days and you can take a look at it if you want.