Elderly 944. Worth buying?

Question

I'm thinking of getting a 944, around 10-12 years old, as a second car (fairly low annual mileage). At the price I can afford, it will have a lot of miles on the clock. Is it likely to be worthwhile, or a dog? What should I look for when I take a test drive?

Answer 1

Check the clutch.Its a big job to replace it.On 1985 cars onwards check the front balljoints carefully.You usually have to replace the whole front wishbone to replace the balljoints! There is however a company in scotland who can machine out the wishbones and insert larger balljoints,as an alternative.If the car has larger than standard alloy wheels,expect the rear wheel bearings to wear out more quickly.Euro car parts are competitive on parts prices. Good luck, i miss my 944 turbo

Answer 2

It's risky, but mechanically the 944 wasn't that bad. The electrics need careful checking though and check carefully for any evidence of water leaks into the cockpit or near any of the electrics/fuse boxes. These leaks are the cause of no end of electrical problems.

Also make sure you see it from cold, not taken anywhere or started. Check for smoke when it's like this, and when the engine is warm check it again for smoke. German cars have weak piston rings. You can also check this by removing the oil filler cap on the top of the engine. If there is pressure coming out of there they are getting weak but shouldn't get any worse as long as your not going to cane it, if smoke is coming out of there it's not long for this world.

Answer 3

friend has one and he loves it, classic car insurance and cheap to run. he paid £3000, T cutted the red paint and it looks like new but he knows that parts prices are high so if the gearbox goes then its bye bye Porsche.

everything on the car feels very well made, built to last. The only problem he has heard of is the shaft from the engine to the rear gearbox, have that checked out on a ramp. Still a good looking car, as is the 928.

Answer 4

Being a Porsche it’s likely to have been driven fairly hard. Check how clean the oil is. Rub some between your fingers, check for a gritty sensation. Wind the revs up and check for any black smoke. Slightly feed the clutch in with the handbrake on, confirm the car wants to stall, i.e. the clutch isn't slipping.
Great motor, if you can get a good one go for it.....

Answer 5

Expensive on spares and servicing unless you have time to source and do your own. On a test drive... theusual things you'd look for on any car, but maybe worth looking at a few porche enthusiast web pages first.

Great lil' car though, bag's of fun.

If the price is right and it's T and T.... why not ?

Answer 6

No