Hey Guys,
I sold my last 944 and have regretted it the moment I saw the tail lights drive away. With moving to Ann Arbor, I was worried about space; stupid of me. I'm finally back with a new 944 project but this one is going to be even more of a challenge. I bought a non-starting 1985.5 944 NA. The car turns over fine, but has possibly 20 year old gas in it. Apparently the car hadn't been started in years and has only 55k miles. It's extremely rough though because it sat outside in storage for years. The car has maintenance records to match too.
Here is a video of buying it and the initial diagnosis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2bF3pGfx6o&feature=youtu.be
You're pretty brave. Good deal on that car, even if it needs a lot of work to run. The interior doesn't look that bad, which is usually a good sign of the previous owner's respect for the car.
Looking forward to it getting saved.
Your buddy has a sweet Volvo too.
Painting the under-door panel black on the red 944 in your avatar looks really good! Is that the one you sold?
In reply to GameboyRMH:
Yep. That was a plasti dip, vinyl job. The red is Vvivid XPO vinyl I bought off eBay for $150 the black is plasti dip. The car was orginally silver. I paid $850 for that one.
What's more Grassroots than this? I'm jealous of the purchase (if not the work it may need). Good luck!
In reply to ssswitch:
Yep we got parts coming today so we're hoping for the best. That Volvo is super smooth though, I'll let him know. lol
Good luck! You really can't lose for $400. If you find something catastrophic, you have more $$ there just in parts. I've always loved the looks of those cars.
When I was a kid, one of my very first favorite cars was a Porsche 924 Turbo. Of course my first favorite car (when I was like 4) was a Ford Granada.....so there's that......
Congrats, you bought a Porsche for 400 either way it's a solid deal. And I thought my '96 Ford Ranger 2.3 w/ a broken timing belt I bought for 400 this past October was a steal
.
I've always been a fan of the 944, and they are supposedly one of the most well balanced cars out there. Just not a fan of some of the mechanicals and extra precautionary maintenance from what I've read.
Joe Gearin wrote:
Good luck! You really can't lose for $400. If you find something catastrophic, you have more $$ there just in parts. I've always loved the looks of those cars.
When I was a kid, one of my very first favorite cars was a Porsche 924 Turbo. Of course my first favorite car (when I was like 4) was a Ford Granada.....so there's that......
My thoughts exactly and the 924 turbo is oh my gracious spicy! I must look into this Granada.
Stanger2000 wrote:
Congrats, you bought a Porsche for 400 either way it's a solid deal. And I thought my '96 Ford Ranger 2.3 w/ a broken timing belt I bought for 400 this past October was a steal.
I've always been a fan of the 944, and they are supposedly one of the most well balanced cars out there. Just not a fan of some of the mechanicals and extra precautionary maintenance from what I've read.
Soooo many things are a "why, why, why" when work on them, you ain't tellin no lie! Yes the belt is scary on an interference engine. But the drive gets into your blood. Ranger to me is one of the toughest trucks ever. I'm not a truck man but if I obsolutely needed one, I'm going Ranger 1st ...... .... Tacoma 2nd. 
BTW: GO BLUE!
Good luck with the project, I think you're gonna learn a whole bunch of stuff....most of it good.
Rog
Change the timing belt before first startup - cracked rubber may let go immediately.
chaparral wrote:
Change the timing belt before first startup - cracked rubber may let go immediately.
got one coming today. Good thinking
boulder_dweeb wrote:
BTW: GO BLUE!
Good luck with the project, I think you're gonna learn a whole bunch of stuff....most of it good.
Rog
hopefully not how to replace a clutch immediately. LOL
Welcome to Ann Arbor! I live in town too. Please consider me a resource if you ever need a hand. I'm not a Porsche expert, but can be a second set of hands if you need one.
I had to chuckle too- I was going to recommend you watch a YouTube video from a guy who wrapped his own Porsche with good results. Come to find out it was you!
Edit: I almost forgot, irish44j has a build thread going here.
paranoid_android74 wrote:
Welcome to Ann Arbor! I live in town too. Please consider me a resource if you ever need a hand. I'm not a Porsche expert, but can be a second set of hands if you need one.
I had to chuckle too- I was going to recommend you watch a YouTube video from a guy who wrapped his own Porsche with good results. Come to find out it was you!
Edit: I almost forgot, irish44j has a build thread going here.
ahahahahah thanks man. I'll hit you up if I need it!
Congratulations on the 944! And if you are not already a member of PCA, go to pca.org and join now. They have a couple of sharp 944 tech reps that will cheerfully help you with any 944 issues.
I sometimes ponder selling the 944S2 in my avatar, but I am afraid I would end up wanting another and I would never find one that I liked as much.
^^^ Danny, if you ever do sell---- let me know. I'm not in the market for one, but I know how well loved your car has been! That would be the 944s to have! 
If the motor pukes, may I suggest an sr20det swap? I just think that would get Internet attention.
I can see the click bait now- "he bought a Porsche, but you won't believe what he did to it!"
In reply to Trackmouse:
$400 for a car sounds like great engine swap material to me!
You're enabling me and inspiring me again.
I always had a dream of owning a Ferrari, but on $36k/year I would have to settle for the Matchbox version.
Years ago I was trolling ebay. I like to select the boxes for exotic brands (Ferrari, Lotus, Lambo) and then list them by lowest price for kicks. I found a 67 275 GTB/4 for sale. It was just a rusty, wasted body. No rolling gear or drivetrain, and it was in terrible shape for $6000 but it had a title. I had dreams of fixing it up, dropping in a BMW straight six with a straight exhaust and cobble together some suspension just so I could drive a Ferrari around like it was no big deal.
jr10cross wrote:
boulder_dweeb wrote:
BTW: GO BLUE!
Good luck with the project, I think you're gonna learn a whole bunch of stuff....most of it good.
Rog
hopefully not how to replace a clutch immediately. LOL
There are certainly enough here to make another run at the challenge, that's for sure.
If the car has sat for tgat long the maintenance records are all but worthless. About the only thing that would be nice is if it had the rubber center clutch replaced. If not plan on doing it very soon.
Otherwise belts needvto be changed before even trying to start it. Then get it running and start going after things. You should look at the battery box and see if I had rusted through. Also clean out the drain tubes that drain the cowel area to the engine compartment.
I don't know where you are but I have two complete 944 motors in storage. Both verified good runners be for being pulled. Both are complete with all accessories. I would not mind selling one.
What's that Chryslerish thing at 3:46 in the video? Want to say it's a Plymouth Fury, but I don't know my Chryslers.
