Daily Driving a 944 - Page 2

HondaDustR · 11-17-2010, 12:19 PM

Yeah, they're awesome for daily driving as long as you take care of it. An old car will need a good going through to get any potential problems fixed before they break and/or (usually "and") cause other problems. You do have to be a bit anal, but that will help you keep any car on the road. Investigate any weird noises or behavior sooner rather than later. Stuff like loose cam belts, failing alternator or water pump bearings, hard starting, rough idling, etc can turn into much more serious problems. It's always better to fix small problems on your own time than be down with a catastrophic failure. Parts more complicated than light bulbs, battery, accessory belts are nearly impossible to find locally, which is a big part of why you need to be proactive with maintenance. The used parts classifieds here on Pelican also see alot of action and is a great place to get many hard to find or expensive parts (where a good used one would do nearly as well) much easier/cheaper. Plus, the 944's have become a rare sight on the road and people will comment on it.
...oh, and the older Hondas are pretty fun cars, too...but in a slightly more pedestrian sort of way. They are alot more interesting when you start building and swapping motors. The one plus for them is the aftermarket is much bigger. The new ones are stupid heavy and stupid looking...

spaguy007 · spaguy007's Garage

i have drove mine as a daily driver for years and has only left me dead 1 time that was yesterday when the alternator stopped working but a phone call later and i was back in business by today, the one i have i have around 241,000 and still going strong, just keep up with all the maintenance issues and it's one of the funnest cars to drive and i have driven lots, so turn a wrench and enjoy

89-944NA · 89-944NA's Garage

Been using 944's as a daily driver for 10-12 years now, not an issue, as long as you keep the maintenance up. Parts availability can be an issue in some parts of the country, but around here, if I need a part, I can order it in the morning and have it a couple of hours later, there are so many distributors for Porsche parts around here

Slam · 12-06-2010, 09:23 AM

Been using mine as a DD for years. Sometimes the '44 is the only car that starts at -40C.

Not kidding...

89-944NA · 89-944NA's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slam

Been using mine as a DD for years. Sometimes the '44 is the only car that starts at -40C.

Not kidding...

Damn, -40C...and I thought it got cold in Southern California when the temp got to 55F. lol

89-944NA · 89-944NA's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Coates

How often does the water pump have to be changed? Also I had a 96 Honda Civic as a Daily Driver and you can boo me all you want but it was a fun little car. This car would be my daily driver for a little over 6 months really.

I have always changed my water pump every OTHER belt change or every 4 years, as belt changes are done every 2 years (regardless of miles, though the belts rarely exceed 30,000 miles in 2 years).

ernie9944 · ernie9944's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slam

Been using mine as a DD for years. Sometimes the '44 is the only car that starts at -40C.

Not kidding...

Quote:

Originally Posted by 89-944NA

Damn, -40C...and I thought it got cold in Southern California when the temp got to 55F. lol

LOL

that why they got those giant hamsters out west ,tuff cookies them Westener

pjs77 · pjs77's Garage

My 85.5 NA with 156K on the clock does just fine as a DD and my buddy has an S2 with 185k and its his DD as well. Don't be scared if you know your way around the tool box

89-944NA · 89-944NA's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjs77

My 85.5 NA with 156K on the clock does just fine as a DD and my buddy has an S2 with 185k and its his DD as well. Don't be scared if you know your way around the tool box

Sold my 89NA, with just short of 300,000 on the clock, and only did the bottom end once. It was a great DD.

CorsePerVita · CorsePerVita's Garage

No idea how many miles on my 944 N/A (odometer broke) but have been driving it daily now for around 3 years or so. Loving it!

Jrboulder · 12-06-2010, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CorsePerVita

You could say I'm addicted

Fixed it for you

The 944 series cars make great daily drivers. my car is in duty 24/7/365 so I try to keep it to a pretty high standard. They are not that hard to work on and even I managed to do the clutch and I'm seventeen with limited experience working on cars. the best part, besides for all the fun you will have, is that if you really screw it up an entire car replacement is only 3-4k

Aufgeladen944 · 12-06-2010, 09:37 PM

As much as I truly love my car (and it's love if you're willing to still deal with the bull***** everyday), I would not want it if it was my only car. They're just too much work, and the parts aren't always around the corner. It's not the cost, it's the aggravation that comes with owning any car that's 25 years old.

The biggest part is maintenance, which is fine, except that even that still takes up a lot of time. I work on my own car to a certain extent, but I don't do anything major (timing belt/clutch and all that), but I'll do the more basic stuff (brakes, axles, interior, tune ups), and I've been ok with mine.

This year it left me stranded three times (two of which were with girls...NOT GOOD!!!) I think it might have been jealous?

I like what AKCJ said about the difference between a daily and an only driver. My Porsche does the driving 5 days a week in the spring/summer/fall. My Honda sits a lot. But if my Honda wasn't around there would be many days that I would have to call for a ride to work or whatever.

I wouldn't want it as my only car.

89-944NA · 89-944NA's Garage

In 10+ years of 944 ownership, I have only been left stranded once...a radiator hose popped about 100 miles from home. A quick call to the Auto Club, and a flatbed took me home....car was running again the next day. With the exception of one point where I had two 944's, they have always been my only car.

Aufgeladen944 · 12-07-2010, 06:08 AM

I think the regular 944 is cheaper to maintain, easier to work on, and more reliable than the Turbo models.

But the Turbo models are more fun

89-944NA · 89-944NA's Garage

I would have to disagree on that point, a well maintained Turbo is no more expensive for routine maintenance than a turbo. The cam/balance shaft kits are within a few dollars of each other on cost, the clutch kit is less than $100 more for a turbo, and when all is said and done, the engines are the same with the exception of the induction system. I have not found my Turbo to be more expensive to maintain than my S2 or the 89NA. And I have found that the turbo is just as reialble as the other two were. And yes, the turbo is my daily driver, and has been for almost three years.

Sure, the NA cars may be a bit easier to work on, but that is because they have the benefit of not having the turbo ducting and turbo related systems, but they are still great daily drivers. Some of you may call me a glutton for punishment, but I am actively looking for yet another S2 and another NA, simply because I want one of each. Oh, and a 928S4

billy mild · 12-07-2010, 11:17 AM

I used to have a 1987 924S that was pretty much dead realible. It had a lot of miles on it. Smoked when you got on it and the whole bit. Leaked a lot of oil, but as long as it hadn't been sitting too long it would start up no problem. Sometimes it wouldn't start because the battery was weak, but I brought that back to life about 7 times. If it was driven at least once a week the battery was fine. It worked like a charm.

I have since upgraded to a 951. I love it. Always have a backup plan with these cars.

Davie Boy · Davie Boy's Garage

I owned an '88 924S about 6 or 7 years ago that I used as a daily driver. I bought if from the original owner who had taken great care of the car. It had more than 200K on it, but it really didn't have any problems. It did have a small leak when I first purchased it that cost me big time, but that was primarily due to a mechanic that didn't know what he was doing. After that, it had the usual gas tank filler hose leak, but it wasn't all that costly to fix. And that was about it.

I've since purchased another '88 924S (back in May) as my daily driver. It has only 90K on it, but it burns a lot of oil (without leaking or smoking.) I've had the compression checked and had a leak-down performed, but all turned out fine. I did spend some dough fixing both a gas and coolant leak, but I bought the car on the cheap. I don't regret it for a moment. It's a lot of fun to drive, is really comfortable (I'm 6' 1"), and has a good amount of luggage space. For all of that, I'll put-up with a few repairs here and there and quart of oil every now and them. I think it's the perfect Porsche daily driver.

John_AZ · 12-07-2010, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davie Boy

It has only 90K on it, but it burns a lot of oil (without leaking or smoking.) I've had the compression checked and had a leak-down performed, but all turned out fine.

Pull the big rubber air intake and if you have an oil deposit on the throttle body, it could be the AOS seals.

John

Jrboulder · 12-08-2010, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Quote de Davie Boy

It has only 90K on it, but it burns a lot of oil (without leaking or smoking.) I've had the compression checked and had a leak-down performed, but all turned out fine.

Pull the big rubber air intake and if you have an oil deposit on the throttle body, it could be the AOS seals.

John

OT here but I had my intake boot off today and the throttle body vas covered in oil. The car still idles rough and dies. Think this could be the culprit?

Davie Boy · Davie Boy's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by John_AZ

Pull the big rubber air intake and if you have an oil deposit on the throttle body, it could be the AOS seals.

John

Thanks for the tip.