Porsche 944

[RyanE]

Replace the timing belt (it's a plastic belt just like the ones used on e30 chassis BMWs and on Subies) as soon as you buy the damn thing. You'll want to do the water pump and the rest of the belts at the same time. Every 30k miles, you will replace the timing belt if you don't want to have to buy a new head and perhaps new pistons. Water pumps should be done every 60-90k while you're doing the timing belt. If you've ever owned a DSM or a M20 motored BMW, you'll already have the requisite fear of a timing belt failure ingrained in you

 

Here's some more info:

 

http://www.pelicanparts.com/944/944tech_articles.htm

 

944s are awesome cars - we've had a couple, and even the NA ones are a hoot. They are Porsches, however, and they do cost.

 

-Ryan

[KartRacerBoy]

ARe you sure it's a 1988? I thought the front end of the post 1986 944s of all types was much more integrated. The bumper didn't stick out. But it might've been after 88.

[CasopoliS]

This guy has built 2 amazing cars.... the 944 being one of them.

 

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116463

 

I would read up on everything you can. I know him from that forum from a long time ago.

[IwannaSportSedan]

That is either not a turbo or not an 88. Or it has been changed.

 

This is an 89, but all 87-89 turbos, and later 944-S2 cars had this bumper.

http://www.944central.com/photos/rslna5.jpg

 

Pre 87 Turbos, and all non-turbos until the S2 had the front bumper as shown in the first post.

 

IF it has the newwer style dash, it is at least newer than 1984.5. They changed the interior with a new dashboard and guages on ALL 944s, and other small details before they adopted the flush front end for the turbo models for 87.

[antny]

Nice find I love porsches in any configuration and year

[psi365]

The car in the pics the op has is definately not a 951 (Turbo, Turbo S, or S2). The front lower air damn is the give away. Also 951's had a rear "air splitter". By the Fuch's (the black wheels) I would guess its a 86-87 if it has the newer style dash. Most 87< had the phone dial wheels or the Turbo S's had special wheels. I had a 89 Turbo S and it was definately fun for the $3500 I paid for it. I even resold it and made money. 86-88 turbo's were 220hp, open diffs, and are fun cars. Now 88 turbo S's I think only came in the silver rose edition, and in 89 you could get what ever color. Mine was zermat silver with maroon interior (definately not my first color choice on the interior). Turbo S's had the M030 suspension which means it was fully adjustable, the had limited slip rear diffs, 247hp, and 928 brakes (they work extremely well on it).

 

Problems

exhaust manifold cracks. This is a costly repair due to having to take the exhaust manifold off and you either have to get it welded up or replaced which the manifold isn't cheap.

 

sunroof. If your sunroof doesn't work you probably have a bad micro switch some where. When the micro switch goes bad it usually causes the sunroof gears to strip their teeth off. Luckily they are plastic, still available and only cost about $20 for the gears. Cool thing about 944, 968's is that you can take the sunroof panel out. You roll down the windows and its like you have a convertable.

 

temperature flap arm. The car has an automatic climate control system. Basically you turn the knob to were you want it and leave it alone. On mine when I bought it, the heater sucked. I got poor heat. I replaced the thermostat and not any better. Found out that I had a broken temp flap arm (about $6). Replaced it and that car had the best heater in any car I have ever driven or been in. It could be -20 out and with in 10 mins I woulc almost be in a short sleeve shirt.

 

Oil leaks. Turbo's are bad for oil leaks. When you do the timing belt more then likely you will need to replace some seals like the cam seal, intermidiate shaft seal, and a few others. Due to its age I would almost bet that they are leaking if they haven't been replaced yet.

 

Headlights. Not that it is a real problem, but the sealed beam headlights on a 944 sucked. The foglights are almost as bright if not brighter then the low beams. I had to drive mine around with the high beams on cause both low beams were burned out. I never got flashed for having them on cause they were as bright as a normal cars low beams. The fix is getting a set of the euro sealed beams.

 

One of the outside vendors that comes into my work, has a 87 turbo that someone had a 944 S double cam head put on with the turbo. It has a custom intake, and exhaust manifold. Its pretty fast.

 

I want to say the place to get a chip for a 944 turbo is a place called Powerhaus..........not 100% sure on that.

[Garandman]

So, what has transpired?

 

If I was young and had $9,000, I'd find a Miata. Working on cars, like sleeping on boats, is a highly overrated activity.

[2005garnetGT]

if it is a 944, it has a water cooled inline four. Only the porsche 912 and 914 had flat fours, behind the cabin.

 

I've wanted to build a custom hybrid of a 944 turbo (951) and a 968, with a 3 liter DOHC turbo engine. 450+ hp four-cylinder sportscar coupe FTW!!!

 

B-pillar backward 944 angular windows, tail lights, underspoiler, etc... and from the A-pillar forward 968 sleek with 928-like round pop-up headlights...

porsche made those in 1993, the 968 Club Sport.

 

305hp and similiar torque.

[IwannaSportSedan]

The club sport was a lightened 968, and did have the 968's amorphous rear end. A let down from the 944's lines.

 

The Club Sport was also not turbocharged. It was lightened, and had the M030 suspension package, and big brakes, and a few other nice goodies.

 

The 968 Turbo S was offered. I believe there were about 5 Turbo RS tube-re-inforced chassis, and a few hundred Turbo S cars sold in europe and abroad. They had and the 944 Turbo's (951) SOHC 8-valve heads, exhaust and turbocharger, intercooler, intake, etc... but the 968's 3.0 liter short-block. It made about 380-400 horsepower, and looked "the biz"

 

Neither the Club Sport, nor the Turbo S were offered for sale in North America by Porsche.

 

http://vista.pca.org/stl/968t.htm

http://vista.pca.org/stl/968turbo.jpghttp://vista.pca.org/stl/968trear.jpg

 

Powerhaus in Arizona has actually developed a way to turbocharge the DOHC 16-valve Variocam 3.0 Liter that was in the non-turbo 968. Changing the pistons, cams, optional new valves, reflashing the variocam profile, a custom intake, and the 951's exhaust, turbo, and intercooler, or improved aftermarket versions of those 951 parts.

 

The result is north of 460 horsepower with basic 951 parts. Modified further can go higher.

 

http://www.powerhaus.com/968t.htm#968%20Turbo%20Conversion%20-%2016V%20Performance%20Comparison

[beatadrum]

The Porsche we were looking at is not the one posted in the link, that was just for reference. We stoped looking after my surgery since I can't drive for awhile now anyway.... , but closer to summer we will be looking again. I'm hoping we look at a 69 Camaro SS. Thats my dream car.

[BoxerGT2.5]

Isn't that the Porsche Gary was driving in Weird Science?

 

 

http://datacore.sciflicks.com/weird_science/images/weird_science_large_03.jpg

[IwannaSportSedan]

968 and 928 look similar due to the headlights...

 

the 968 came out in 1993, (long after weird science...) as the 928 was being discontinued after more than a decade. The 928 had a V8, and was a bigger car, and looked like a much sleeker version of the AMC pacer from the rear. big curved windows on the back, with a hatchback between them.

 

 

"A MISSLE!!!! A MISSLE IN MY HOUSE, GARY!!! MY PARENTS ARE COMING HOME, CHET IS COMING HOME, THEY ARE GOING TO FREAK OUT!"

"-They are going to shit eggrolls."

 

"YER STEWED, Buttwad!"

 

"DO YOU REALIZE IT IS SNOWING IN MY ROOM GODDAMNIT??!!"

 

"You die. She walks out of here with a severe limp."

 

There are SOOO many good quotes from that movie.

 

"Chips, dips, chains, whips... I am not talking about candlewax on the nipples or anything, Just a couple hundred teenagers acting like complete animals."

 

"Hi, nanny, Hi grampy." [realizes it] "Are those my grandparents?"

-yes

"What are they doing in here?"

-look on the bright side, they aren't aging anymore... frankly, they weren't having much fun at the party.

"and you think they are having fun being catatonic in a closet?"

 

Man, now I am going to have to watch that movie again... It is like cartman with "Come Sail Away". Every few months, someone mentions a John Hughes movie, and I have to watch it again, and laugh.

 

At least I am not trying to go there, and find out that there is no shermer in illinois, like Jay and Silent Bob in Dogma.

 

Hughes must have liked cars, though... 944 and Rolls in Sixteen Candles. 928 and Mondial in Weird Science. Ferrari 250GT California replica in Ferris Bueller... The Star Wars fanfare score, as the car goes over the camera angle in slow motion... fantastic film making.

 

I can tell that Boxer is a fan...

You are Abe Froman??? The Sausage king of chicago???

 

Ferris Bueller's Day Off. another classic. I would almost argue that Bill paxton (chet from weird science), Matthew Broderick (ferris bueller) and Alan Ruck (Cameron, ferris bueller's freind) haven't surpassed those comedic performances since.

[psi365]

968 and 928 look similar due to the headlights...

 

the 968 came out in 1993, (long after weird science...) as the 928 was being discontinued after more than a decade. The 928 had a V8, and was a bigger car, and looked like a much sleeker version of the AMC pacer from the rear. big curved windows on the back, with a hatchback between them.

 

928's were actually built until 95. The 928 GTS was the last version made (93-95). Not at all many every made it stateside. They had 345hp V8's. The 968 was just the evolution of the 944 considering it has a lot of the same lines as a 944/951.

 

http://www.edmunds.com/used/1995/porsche/928/1294/specs.html