944 Dilema

[steves944]

Been doing some thinking and wondered what thoughts other members have.

My 1986 944 Oval Dash seems to be deteriorating mechanically. The body is superb in Alpine White, interior very nice with grey leather and grey carpets. Previous owner has put S2 wheels with the correct spacers and added body kit from the S2. Revised engine mounts fitted, the usual sunroof repair carried out, stainless steel exhaust fitted.

I was chuffed when I collected it and considering I only paid under £1500 thought it was a bargain.

But it is developing a noisy axle or possibly gearbox, the engine is starting to vibrate a lot, and the brakes shudder.

I normally get really attached to my cars and spend loony money on them but having owned this only 5 months am wondering if its worth starting the 'spend' or given the price of really good ones, would you chop it in and get a fully sorted one.

Decisions, decisions!?!

pic below
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs072.snc3/13936_101348106558529_100000500213089_35641_25390_n.jpg

 

[sulzeruk]

Where are you in the country Steve?
Alasdair

 

[steves944]

Cambridge

 

[DivineE]

A hard choice. The vibration will most likely be an engine mount on the exhaust side (£100 plus £100 fitting) the brake judder front disks which are cheap and the whining sound will probably be the diff but that's not as bad as it sounds because a.they tend to last a while so no hurry and b. you can get and fit a gearbox from a scrap dealer for £500ish on a lux.

Your car looks a real nice example and I'd be tempted to hang on to it but I of all people can sympathise with the desire to upgrade it to a higher model. Hmm tough one.

I don't think you should panic yourself into a buy. I think sort the brakes and the mount because that's not too expensive and then decide whether you need anything more than the car you have. Bear in mind nice examples may not fetch big money any more but they are hard to come by! Very hard.

 

[944 man]

£500 for a transaxle? Only if you go to DVB! []

 

[homesea]

And it be from an Astra not a 944!

But back to the point, I say if the cills, wings and underside are 100% then spend the time/money on it.

 

[ukmastiff]

I agree with above but would add , what is a sorted exmple. My Clutch Master cylinder went the other week on my 'sorted car' and it needs a small weep on one of the fuel lines sorting so thats new Master and slave cylinders ( to be safe) and new fuel lines to do as 23 years on they need changing really. Things go on these older Porsche but if you deal with them you get the great car you deserve (usually) . If you like your car as much as it sounds I can understand you doing the work but wouldnt blame you if you didnt either. It's an own mind / choice thing for sure. I was on the park and ride in Cambridge last week , couldnt believe how civilised the queueing was ! refreshing.

Best of Luck

Mas

 

[steves944]

Thanks for some useful tips.

I will get quotes for the work and maybe just spread it over a few months. As you say even if I change you can bet I will still have jobs to do on a newer one.

The body is good, interior very nice (well actually the under dash needs a retrim and the rear hatch is a sod to open).

Actually it reminds me of a statement in Practical Classics a few episodes ago, 'if you buy a classic car be prepared to spend the same again as you paid just to keep it on the road'.

Never a truer word!

Note to ukmastiff - I forgot but we should have the Guided Bus soon, only £100 million over budget and a year late!!

 

[Diver944]

The be all and end all with these cars is bodywork (and to a certain extent trim). It sounds like yours needs no attention in these areas [] and what you describe as deterioration is just general wear and tear that needs maintaining.

If you did it yourself then new pads and disks all round would cost around £200 in parts and whilst they are apart a quick check/unseize/lube of the callipers would probably get rid of any judder. The noise at the back could be worn CV joints at best and maybe gearbox at worst, but get it to a mechanic to diagnose and at least you know what the score is there. I would agree that a vibrating engine is probably engine mounts (or maybe the balance shaft belt has been fitted a tooth out - when was it last changed?).

You could spend twice what you have already spent on a 'good' car and then have the same things wear out in a year or so time and then find some rust bubbles on the sill. If yours is as good as you say I would stick with it but budget to fix the annoyances.

The pic certainly looks lovely glinting in the sun [8D]

 

[robwright]

ORIGINAL: steves944

Cambridge

Lol if you do scrap it let me know mate always on the look out for trinkets. So close too []

Seriously though try changing the gearbox oil. Can make a big difference for as little as 20 quid for some fully synthetic.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

I couldn't agree more with the others. I'm the sort who treats cars as long-term items, so I know I'll need a few belt changes in my peroid of owning the current one, for instance. Brakes are a consumeable, even the caliper fe-furb that rears it's ugly head every 20 years or so. Whatever car you have, you'll wear out the consumeables. Sure, an old Fiesta might have cheaper prices for things like tyres, exhausts, brake discs etc. but I doubt if many modern cars would be significantly cheaper. Factor in the lack of depreciation on your car and it's a lot cheaper to fix yours than it is to buy a new Corsa and watch it burning £20 notes every minute it sits on your drive. []

The engine vibration, engine mounts are the first thing to check but you've had them changed, you say? Balance belt is a possibility, but could it be related to rear noise? Possibly clutch or torque tube? If the back is just whining, change the gearbox oil (take the filler out before you try the drain plug []) and enjoy the sound of a racing gearbox. They go on forever.

 

[Elliot]

ORIGINAL: steves944

Been doing some thinking and wondered what thoughts other members have.

My 1986 944 Oval Dash seems to be deteriorating mechanically. The body is superb in Alpine White, interior very nice with grey leather and grey carpets. Previous owner has put S2 wheels with the correct spacers and added body kit from the S2. Revised engine mounts fitted, the usual sunroof repair carried out, stainless steel exhaust fitted.

I was chuffed when I collected it and considering I only paid under £1500 thought it was a bargain.

But it is developing a noisy axle or possibly gearbox, the engine is starting to vibrate a lot, and the brakes shudder.

I normally get really attached to my cars and spend loony money on them but having owned this only 5 months am wondering if its worth starting the 'spend' or given the price of really good ones, would you chop it in and get a fully sorted one.

Decisions, decisions!?!

pic below
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs072.snc3/13936_101348106558529_100000500213089_35641_25390_n.jpg

If you decide not to go ahead with the work i am looking for a restoration car in white for my impending business - just north of peterborough so i could collect and pay in cash.

cheers Elliot

07971 477065

 

[sawood12]

Might be worth putting the noisy transmission into perspective as these cars do have noisy transmissions and can rattle a bit. I've read reports from people who have their transaxels refurbished but the rattly transmission noise returns after a few thousand mile, albeit improved from before. However this is not necessarily a sign that the tranny is knackered. These things seem to run on for hundreds of thousands of miles without causing any problems. I find once i've got some confidence that a noise is not terminal or the sign of big bills on the horizon then I can usually tune that noise out.

As others have suggested vibrating engine is probably engine mounts and the brake juddering could be fixed by new discs and pads. You still may yet have bagged the bargain of the century!! Assuming the bodywork is sound of course. Good luck.

 

[944 man]

ORIGINAL: sawood12

Might be worth putting the noisy transmission into perspective as these cars do have noisy transmissions and can rattle a bit. I've read reports from people who have their transaxels refurbished but the rattly transmission noise returns after a few thousand mile, albeit improved from before. However this is not necessarily a sign that the tranny is knackered.

Exactly! My 2.7's (aka Banshee) transaxle screams in comparison to most other cars Ive owned, but some do and they go on forever. The only car that Ive been in that was louder was a 15,000 mile Turbo Cabriolet; which Porsche seemed perfectly happy with...