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944 project (non-runner)

Just to update this, the 944 has had new oil, oil filter, air filter, spark plugs, coolant. Managed to get the starter motor working also which was the reason it wasn't starting previously. The front and rear discs are to be replaced as they looked a bit worse for wear and might as well do the pads at the same time. Then its going in for its MOT this week.

Can anyone recommend a specialist or someone competent at carrying out a cambelt change (possibly water pump as well), local to me (east midlands/ Leicestershire) and at a reasonable rate? Ideally don't want to risk having to drive it somewhere. Have heard good things about PH Sportscars in Shardlow, Derbyshire but this will probably mean paying to have the car transported here.

Josh
 
Id use PH and he will probably be able to get it collected too and still better others prices. He can also MOT it afterwards.

If it needs transporting only because of its legal status then being an MOT stattion covers you to drive it, too.
 

ORIGINAL: 944 man

Id use PH and he will probably be able to get it collected too and still better others prices. He can also MOT it afterwards.

If it needs transporting only because of its legal status then being an MOT stattion covers you to drive it, too.
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Simon's right on many points. However being cautious about driving it with a very old cambelt is a wise precaution and I'd get it changed before trying to start it.

If getting it trailered there isn't expensive then go for that option. If it is expensive, then ask whether PH would come and change the belt where it is now. It's not a difficult job, nor does it take lots of tools, so they may be happy to send a technician over and just charge for his travel time as well.


Oli.
 
If its been repeatedly started when the starter motor was fitted then one further start and a gentle drive wont hurt it. PH owns the firm but he isnt a mechanic, so its workshop or nowt.
 
I was (stupidly, perhaps!) hoping that it hadn't been started as part of fitting the starter motor! [:mad:]

If it has, then drive it to PH. The biggest danger would have been the first start from cold after umpteen years. If you are beyond that then Simon is quite right - you are probably OK for a short tootle down the road.


Oli.
 
Oli and I dont disagree: I have presumed that it has been started repeatedly and that the recovery is required due to not having an MOT whereas Oli has hoped that it hasnt been started and possibly presumed that it being transported due to the fragility of the cam belt.

You can kill two birds with one stone at PHS and whether you recover it depends on what has actually been done to it.
 
Guys thanks for your responses. To answer you're questions, yes its been started hence the starter motor working and it now running. I hope to have a fresh MOT on it by the end of the week, so was just contemplating transporting it to PH as a precaution against any a cambelt failure. But having listened to you guys it'll probably be fine driving it (its only around 10 miles from where it is currently anyway).
 
I took mine for a cambelt & Pulley change at Dash Cars in Loughborough.
Quite reasonable price and they gave me a courtesy car whilst they had mine.
 
Hi Paul, that white 944 that I bought recently and had been stood for over ten years in dry storage , was purchased by a man from Newcastle .
he came down on the train to Manchester and drove the 944 all the way back to Newcastle without the belts failing !
Previously the car had covered over 120miles on the over ten year old belts ?
How is this possible ?
I think it is more oil contamination rather than age ?

Josh my advise is sell it for 1500 and let it some one else's money pit !
 
Previously the car had covered over 120miles on the over ten year old belts ?
How is this possible ?
I think it is more oil contamination rather than age ?
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I guess it's more about risk, and percentages. Like having very old, perished tyres, or a tyre with a nail in it. It might not blow out on the motorway today, tomorrow, or next month, but it could well do. It'll certainly be more likely to burst than a new tyre, you will have to buy new tyres soon, so why risk driving with old, perished tyres?

There's no statistical evidence about how many belts actually fail within the service life, just outside it, or decades down the line. I'd guess that contamination is a key issue, but hardening from being laid-up could also affect the materials. Belts might also have sat on the shelf for far longer than when they were a more regular service part, so it could be years old when it's fitted.

As we've discussed before, I suspect that a significant number of the stories of cars that are sold with overdue belts, bought by the sort of people who'd ignore it and drive them anyway, then see the car written off by a massive failure, never make the forums! We are a self-selecting group, and I think we're owners who wouldn't risk it, so we rarely see the horror stories.

Over my ten years or so in the 944 online community, I can't remember a failure of a belt that's massively overdue: probably because the people on this forum would have been screaming "don't turn the key" at the new owner, and they'd have been too embarassed to admit it if the belt let go on the way home. There have, however, been a number of failures amongst otherwise good cars, and the 4-5 year age has been a common factor in a significant number of them.

The advice is stick to the service schedule, don't try to be a cheapskate and stretch the belt change out a year or two, and check it in between for contamination. If you buy one with belts out of date, then it's like tossing a coin if you decide to drive it home. Personally, as any work on my car is specialist-prices, I would rather a tow home than a broken engine. [&:]
 
See before he knows it , He will be sorting out the brakes , m.o.t new belts , maybe pulleys , water pump , full service oil filters and fuel filter .Tyres ? Tax insurance .
Before he knows it he will be into the 944 for £500-£1000
If Josh has paid nothing for the 944 ? Then it is still a cheap car ?
He could sell it as a barn find for £1000-£1500 and make money ?

Up to you Josh ? Your money pit or profit ?

Paul I have dealt with a lot of snapped cam belts in my time and what I have come across, Are over due belts in modern cars ? Say by 12-18K over due . Also tensioners failing and taking out the belts , bearings in the idle tensioners failing and taking them out .Engine overheating and the belts end up getting way to hot .New modern cars now allow for 80K belt intervals ? I would not trust a belt to cover 80K ? You can buy a new car these days and as long as you keep the service book up to date ? And then the belt fails at 75K within the warranty period ? The dealership will have to cover all repairs ? Again I do believe they say 80K intervals or X amount of years .
What would be interesting ? If anyone knows some one who works at a facility where they store classic cars long term ? And to ask them how often do they turn the engines over ? Some people have cars stored for over 20 years covering no miles ? So does this mean that these cars have had 4 Cam belt changes in this time ??? I very much doubt this .
Once again if a vehicle has been dry stored and is oil free ? The belt does not tend to perish as much as tyres ? Different compound ?The cambelts have strands in them ?The S2 I purchased recently has covered about 8K since last cam belt change and just over 5 years now , yet I have been driving it and covered over 200miles , some say it is a gamble ? But I do not believe the belts will fail me .
I have recently purchased some new Conti belts to fit just out of precaution and to avoid any dramas .
You are right in what you say , to stick to service schedules , just if you only cover 1000miles a year and every five years you have to pay some one to replace good belts ? It becomes costly and a little obsessive .
 
Just received the car back yesterday from Cavendish Porsche in Long Eaton, Nottingham. Very good service, kept me well informed of the progress throughout... they also arranged for it to be collected by a recovery vehicle and did the belts all in for £220+ VAT. Water pump and rollers/ idlers inspected and in their opinion did not need to be changed.

Whilst it was with them I decided to have the brake, clutch and coolant fluids changed, also a new slave cylinder as the clutch seems to be sticking down on occassion. This however doesn't seem to have solved the problem so maybe its the master cylinder at fault. Either way neither were showing signs of any leaks?

Also just to clarify, the previous owner gave it to me on premiss that I would get it road worthy and return to him his private plate (probably worth more than the car). I have now been able to do as the vehicle is mot'd and insured thus allowing the transfer of the plate onto retention.

A few photos after a clean up. Next things to sort are the interior seats (retrim or repair) and alloys (refurb or new set of teledials needed).

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Looks mint Joshe and one of the best colours .
You can pick up a lower rear diffuser for little money these days and changes the look of the rear end .
Front end looks dead straight and clean.
I had a 86 LUX till recently and I tried some 30mm spacers on the rears , pumped out the back wheels to fill the arches .
I did a slave cylinder on my 944 Turbo and nearly lost the will to live trying to bleed it !
It did that , kept dropping to the floor , so frustrating . Ends up that you have to reverse bleed them , pain in the back end .
Bet they have not bled it correctly ??

Best of luck and have fun :)
 

ORIGINAL: J.C944TurboMan

Looks mint Joshe and one of the best colours .
You can pick up a lower rear diffuser for little money these days and changes the look of the rear end .
Front end looks dead straight and clean.
I had a 86 LUX till recently and I tried some 30mm spacers on the rears , pumped out the back wheels to fill the arches .
I did a slave cylinder on my 944 Turbo and nearly lost the will to live trying to bleed it !
It did that , kept dropping to the floor , so frustrating . Ends up that you have to reverse bleed them , pain in the back end .
Bet they have not bled it correctly ??

Best of luck and have fun :)
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Not sure to be honest, I would have thought the guys at Cavendish Porsche bled the system correctly, they seem to know what they're doing on these cars. The clutch is working ok at the moment, just seems to spring back in two stages rather than one straight swing, is this normal?

Also the brake pad light came on last night, not sure whats caused this as its had new discs and pads all round, could it be a case of the sensors becoming dislodged or similar?
 
The car looks very nice (don't spoil it with a rear valance [:)])

My money would be on the master cylinder now - I wouldn't have thought they could mess up the bleeding as it's a common job. I had both my master & slave done last year at the same time as it wasn't obvious which one was the problem.

Try vaughan green in loughborough for the seat repairs - 07950 331759. He does a great job. Sourcing the fabric might be a challenge? there are some links in the FAQs for Porsche fabrics http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=405337
 
Finally refurbed the alloys now so it looks a lot tidier. Just the retrim to sort, debating whether to have the front and rear seats done or just the fronts for now. Also at around £55/m the original Porsche material works out at around twice the cost of an alternative non-Porsche fabric. Had quotes of £250-£350 labour for the retrim (excluding material costs)

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Great thread. The car looks great, can't believe you got it for free! A bit shocked at people trying to get you to sell. Not sure if it was sarcasm? Keep up the good work. You haven't mentioned how the car drives? Are you impressed with it. Does it seem like a sports car?
 
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