944 Newbie :)

Tee · Jan 28, 2010

Hi chaps and chapettes.. I'm a 23 y/o student and recently my eye has been drawn to the 944. Gotta long car history featuring mainly Japanese sports cars and a few classic. I've got my FTO on ebay at the moment so I think it's time for a classic again! Quick few questions..

Firstly are there any young 944 owners out there and what kind of insurance would I be expecting to pay on a 2.5? I've got 5 years no claims.
What's the mpg like?
And what are the common problems I should look out for when purchasing?

Any help mucho appreciated. Bless

Mike_Pollock · Jan 28, 2010

Hi Tee

Good Idea - and welcome

Cant help on the insurance front - I'm 50 in a couple of weeks ! -but it is available, and I'm sure someone will be along in a bit.

As for buying, there is a guide near the top of this page, but if there is something specific, we can help!

Mike

Peter Empson · Jan 28, 2010

I was 23 when I first got a 944, sadly that was a long time ago [

] I don't think I've ever paid much more than a grand, maybe £1,200 tops, but that's probably as relevant today as greenshield stamps and ration books are...

Porka944s · Jan 28, 2010

Im 26 now, i got my 944s insured when i was 24, i went with haggerty insurance on limited milage and it was only £200 odd quid, i'd try them if i was you. They didnt need my no claims as they knew it was a second car.

As for faults mines had a few general age showing with mounts and bushes ect. but as everyone says put aside 1-1.5 k if you want it ship shape in the first year, its true, thats how much i spent with RPM in bucks.

billus99 · Jan 28, 2010

Hi, Tee - mpg can be quite reasonable if driven "carefully" (i can get 30+ mpg), obviously the more spirited driving, the quicker it drops!
where abouts are you? if anywhere in stiking distance of rutland water, several of us are heading there to meet this sunday lunchtime - see "New Year Gathering" item at top of page. come along for a look / poke / sit / ride, whatever.
Andy

ChasR · Jan 29, 2010

ORIGINAL: Tee

Hi chaps and chapettes.. I'm a 23 y/o student and recently my eye has been drawn to the 944. Gotta long car history featuring mainly Japanese sports cars and a few classic. I've got my FTO on ebay at the moment so I think it's time for a classic again! Quick few questions..

Firstly are there any young 944 owners out there and what kind of insurance would I be expecting to pay on a 2.5? I've got 5 years no claims.
When I did a quote via Elephant over a year ago on an Square Dash, they were going to charge me £950 Fully Comp with 2 years NCB. I was 23 then. I got my S2 when 24 and via a specialist it is insured for £600 Fully Comp (was initially limited, now it's on for 12,000 miles a year). That was back in June last year.

What's the mpg like?
IMO it's OK. 2.5s are meant to get slightly better MPG. I used to average around 25-30MPG, but on this last tank it seems that I am averaging 17MPG! However on the last time I have driven enthusiastically for about 50-70 of those miles, with it being a mixture of driving with the ignition system being a little worse for wear (atm, my leads are arcing, and I have cap/rotor arm issues (see my thread (you'll see my rotor arm is not in great shape)) so I am expecting this figure to improve once I sort that issue out.

And what are the common problems I should look out for when purchasing?
Check the buyer's guides. These are covered quite well by them (Canell.co.uk covers this very well)
Clocks don't work in a few of them but that's not necessarily a cause for concern.
Check out for knocking from the front (could be worn balljoints). On a Oval dash car these cost around £200 for a refurb from Hartech on an exhange basis
Sloppyness in the gearchange. This will generally be down to a worn gear selector bush/worn shifter lever. The latter costs £40 new from an OPC and will tighten up the shifting no end.
That's all I can think of for now, will add more at a later date.

Any help mucho appreciated. Bless

Suffolk944 · Jan 29, 2010

Also look out for corrosion in the cills (they rot from the inside out so if you can see blistering on the surface chances are they are pretty well gone). There are small black vents in the door fames that you can pop out and shine a torch down to have a check inside the cills. Bottoms of wings can also get a bit scabby. Check that the belts have been changed certainly within the last four years and ideally within the last three, regardless of mileage covered in that time. Any longer than that is risking catastrophe.