thinking about buying a 85 944, opinions?

[echocanyons]

Hello board,
I dont know too much about the 944's or 924's but I am thinking about buying a 85 944 with about 100000 miles.
what should I look for, what are the common problems with this year model? Are there any upgrades that should be in place?
what type of performance upgrades are there for this year?
What are the most common mechanical failures with this car?
What should I expect to pay for a 85 in good to excellent condition with about 100,000?
I will be using this car for a daily driver how reliable is the modle/year.
Is there any problems with rust associated with this car?
I own a 356 and a 914 so I am familiar with Those models but the 944 is a breed of its own.

Thanks for any and all helpin this matter.

Kelly

[thamlin000]

I dont know too much about the 944's or 924's but I am thinking about buying a 85 944 with about 100000 miles.

-If it was well maintained, it is halfway through its life.

what should I look for, what are the common problems with this year model?

-Get a well-maintained car with records. Timing belts should be changed every 50k mi, also a good time to change H20 pump to be safe. Rubber centered clutches fail without warning sometimes. Check battery area for rust. No major problem area that I'm aware of.

Are there any upgrades that should be in place?

-Other that a spring-centered clutch after the original one fails, I don't know.

what type of performance upgrades are there for this year?

-Unless it is a turbo, don't waste your $$$ on hp upgrades. Plenty of big sway bar, stiff spring/torsion bar and shock upgrades for handling.

What are the most common mechanical failures with this car?

-Rubber-center clutches, H20 pumps, neglected timing belts.

What should I expect to pay for a 85 in good to excellent condition with about 100,000?

-$4000-5000

I will be using this car for a daily driver how reliable is the modle/year.

-A daily driver in my 944 experiences require one visit to the Porsche doctor a year. Two on a bad year.

Is there any problems with rust associated with this car?

-No, the galvinized bodies hold up well. I've never seen rust on any 944s, but I also live in the South. Still, check the battery area.

I own a 356 and a 914 so I am familiar with Those models but the 944 is a breed of its own.

Thanks for any and all helpin this matter.

Kelly [/b][/QUOTE]

-Good luck with your 944 search. Overall the 944 is a very good, comfortable and fun daily driver if the correct 944 is chosen. They handle very well but 150 HP on the N/A models is on the weak side. Good enough for me though. It sounds like you are starting a nice little Porsche collection. I think my next addition will be a 914.

[This message has been edited by thamlin000 (edited 08-11-2001).]

[timsirk]

Hey,
I just bought an 85 944 with 106K about 3 months ago. I haven't had any serious trouble yet...but:

1)According to the records w/ the car, the battery box rusted out and it had to go to a body shop at one time. I still have a leak in the passenger floor...there was no way to see this leak before I bought it.

2)Also the brakes are chronic sqeelers, since around 60K. The PO took it to a couple different shops, and none could fix.

3)an aftermarket throttle cam did not work well w/ my car. I had to sell it and return to stock.

4)Look around this site for a buyers guide for 944, its pretty good. I paid $4700, which seems to be a little on the high side.

A few other problems are:
the DME letting the rpm drop too far after you give it gas (not fixable w/o replacing DME)
the door handles are stiff, and they have been replaced once. I think they should be lubed but I'm not sure exactly how yet

clutch, timing belt (every 30K) are the big ones, but you probably already knew that

good luck