944 sills

[simdel1]

I can echo these comments about this forum being very supportive and welcoming. I'm almost in a position to buy, but while I was sorting stuff out, these guys have been very welcoming and have given me a pretty good idea of what it is I actually want from a 944. To be honest, the strength of support here really cemented my decision to get a 944 (I'm known for changing my mind []) if only so I could be part of the camaraderie that exisits amongst the front-engined-porsche owners.

 

[huw]

Thanks for your post. Much appreciated. Huw.

 

[huw]

Yeah, great support and advice. Like you, I'm still a bit confused, but think I am ready to rule out a 924, unless it's aCGT rep. Huw

 

[Joss Walker]

ORIGINAL: huw rule out a 924, unless it's aCGT rep.

One of my favourite views of the 944 is looking in the door mirror and seeing the curve of the rear wheel arches, they are just so cool! I never get tired of it

 

[loc944]

Hi Huw, if you are looking at cars that have been well maintained ie belts done, recently motd, with clean interior, nice bodywork, but some blistering or peeling of stonechip on sills, then work may be required, though it can be difficult to tell without stripping the stonechip back to investigate, which no seller will allow. But! if it has a recent mot then it could be said no structural problems. That is not to say work is not required. If you are willing to accept this and everything else checks out then don't dismiss the car as although others say good rust free cars are out there they will eventually need work also and will be more expensive to buy. Remember also if you can see the beginnings of corrosion you are aware, whereas some could be painted over and not visible. I bought my car 3 1/2 years ago without this knowledge, and had small area of peeling and one area where someone had missplaced a jack at rear end of drivers sill. After 3 years I stripped sills back to metal, passenger side had some surface rust with a few peppered areas which were cut out and new metal welded in. Drivers side had corroded round previous filler job and had also affected intermediate panel,cut back to good metal and new metal shaped and welded in. All weld ground down, skimmed, stonechip reapplied, primed and painted. Then applied Dynax to sill cavity to protect. Cost £350 for paint, £140 for labour(welder freind) £50 for metal sheet, grinder blades etc. £30 for dynax. PS. Sills from Porsche are £156 each. Hope this helps, Alan.

 

[huw]

yes it does. thanks very much. worth bearing in mind.

 

[Outrun944]

Argh... bloody sills and rust. My least favourite topic, but my biggest worry and most talked about (by myself, and generally on the forum it seems) [:'(][] It's been on my mind recently as I can now start to see a little bubbling occurring on the rear wheel arches, and at the bottom edge of the outer sills some black marks that could either be rust starting to come through or possibly where paint is coming away from a respray job not properly finished by the last owner. I've put off looking at it in more detail the last few weeks due to over more pressing commitments, but it is something that's made me step back and go 'oh not again' and get me down and depressed a bit, as I thought I had got a real beaut in great condition having inspected as much as I can myself and taken it to a garage before buying. But then you have to say to yourself 'well what do you expect from a 25 year old car?' ... so I must get my mind away from immediately going 'OMG where do I get £1000 at least from all of a sudden' to 'well it may be a small repair in the affected areas - don't work yourself up and panic just yet'. People are right in saying 'budget for £1k in the first year of ownership', especially if you're after keeping it mid-long term. On both 944's I've owned I spent nearly a grand within the first 8 months, and done lots of small little jobs myself. It's best to think of the buying price of say £3500 rather than the sellers prices of £2500, that's what I did in my mind and made sure I had that cash and budget. I have to be honest and say though that after spending so much money on new suspension, top mounts, steering rack and UJs, gearbox linkage, cables, boot seals and pins, power steering pump, wheel bearings, hoses, cam belts, thermo fan switch, etc etc (I must be forgetting a load more things here) and knowing I still have to replace the entire exhaust system (£300-400) and put on a new set of tyres (again probably £300ish) ... seeing first signs of rust bummed me out and for the first time I've started considering maybe it's best to sell now before doing all this work and finding the clutch goes and the engine blows up! But then I think whoever gets the car will be a lucky bugger as nearly everything's been replaced over time with an immaculate interior, etc! Hmm! The dilemas of Porsche ownership, I just wish I was more rich!! Cheers, Al

 

[steves944]

Slightly off topic , but its one of the ways I come to terms with the crazy money we put into keeping 'classic cars' on the road. Neighbour, slightly older than me (pompous git who thinks his opinion is right about everything - and who wouldn't be caught dead reading this forum!)just rolled up with a '11 reg Alfa Romeo eurobox which his company pay running costs on , and which i have to say looks pretty darned smooth and goes like sh***. He swaps his cars every 3 years. He has just paid nearly £27k for the newby having traded in the older ('08!!) model which he lost £13000 on. In 3 years. Made me feel quite smug!

 

[Fat Albert]

Now for some Man-maths! When I was doing huge mileages in my old SAABs I worked to a formula of £1000 depreciation every year and £1,000 per 10,000 Miles, then add running costs of £750 per 10,000 mile. over 6 years, around 200,000miles and 5 SAABs (3 x 9000, 2 x 9 5) this would have been exactly correct, if my first 9 5 hadn't completely lunched its V6....[] Using thise figures for my 2.25 years and 20,000 miles it works out at £4,000 depreciation and £1500 running costs, so £5,500 in total. I paid £2,600 for mine, spent £750 in the first year, £2,200 in the second and £400 so far this year, so £3,350. I reckon it is worth about what I paid for it, so in total I am £2,000 up on where I would have been if I had continued with the SAABs, oh and insurance is £2-300 a year cheaper too and so is Road tax, so in reality I am around £2,500 ahead (roughly the value of my car...)

 

[loc944]

If it is only the sills that are letting an otherwise good car down, then after having a good look over them by lying on floor and also remove small vent in door shut, shine a small torch in or stick your phone in and take pictures . After that if there is evidence that work will be required, decide if you're prepared to have work done in coming months or years if you treat them with waxoil or dynax, and use them as a bargaining tool on price. Alan.

 

[huw]

Thanks. Good advice. Huw

 

[Joss Walker]

ORIGINAL: steves944 one of the ways I come to terms with the crazy money we put into keeping 'classic cars' on the road.

I’m with you on the logic of these cars, I think that we have to realise that whichever vehicle you own there will be an expense, with modern cars this is primarily depreciation, or the monthly lease payment (I’m amazed what some people shell out for what I think are quite ordinary cars) For a fair comparison of running costs between old and new I think that we have to discount considering brakes, tyres, oil etc as these are consumables and will need to be replaced on any car that you own. Therefore it brings me to think that the only costs associated with our cars are the big age related items that are starting to fail. I bought my car thinking that the value of the vehicle wouldn’t change over the next few years and so my principle ‘investment’ was protected. In reality I have seen it increase, but this isn’t a way that I am going to make a fortune, however it does bring some consolation when I consider how much I have lost in depreciation in my more modern cars. In my opinion, the winning point is the enjoyment from driving these cars. I have spent a few years in the wilderness of modern efficient machinery and didn’t realise that was why I had fallen out of love with driving; I simply thought that I had grown up! It was only when I bought the 944 that it dawned on me what I had been missing, it never fails to put a smile on my face. The older car feels more connected to the road, the gearbox is a much more mechanical experience and the way the car behaves just feels as if it has its own character. Many modern cars may be faster, but these only become exciting and rewarding once you approach silly (and illegal) speeds. However there is a downside to my experience, at the moment I am looking to replace my daily driver car and know that I should go for something sensible but I am really struggling. The Porsche has spoilt me; I want something that I will look forward to driving, even if it is only to collect the curry.