944S for sale as parts or project

[Peter Empson]

I realise this possibly isn't the right place to list this, but I'm a bit against it for time and do not know how much traffic the sub forums get - so I hope this is ok.

Basically I need to get rid of my 944S before the end of the month. It's a runner but the tax expires then and the MOT about 12 days afterwards. The car is my every day transport (as it has been for the last few years) and has been great, both reliable and fun.

Sadly the rust has got to the point that it will no longer get through an MOT, it will need both sills doing and the areas around the rear suspension too. Other than that it will need the drivers side wiper linkage sorting and some new front tyres very soon. I don't think anything else major is likely - but I have not tried to put it through an MOT.

Naturally I expect it will be of more interest for its spares, so here's a quick summary:

1987 944S, 129k miles. I have a lot of paperwork with the car (it was purchased from another forum member).

Drive train, engine is great, good oil pressure and feels fit. Needs belts doing. Gearbox great (although linkage needs replacing as there's a bit of slop at the moment).

Body: Faded red, needs a good machine polish but looks very presentable when done (though some paint is non original and it shows). Some rust on rear arches, rear panel above number plate and the bits mentioned above.

Interior: Wear to drivers seat bolster, wire loom in passenger door needs replacing to get electric window to work, sunroof opens but not correctly. No stereo included and speakers need replacing.

Exterior: 15" teledials (bit tatty but otherwise fine, no centre caps but I might have them somwhere).

There are probably quite a few more niggly things that I have been putting up with but need doing, but that's about all I can think of at the moment. [edited to add - just remembered the thermo switch needs replacing]

I am open to offers, however as stated above the car absolutely must be gone before the end of the month. I might consider a swap (+ or - a little cash) for something solid with an MOT, although I do have a possible replacement lined up (about the only good thing going for it is it's rear wheel drive...).

I will put it on ebay if I don't get any interest, but I'd rather it went on here.
For more info either reply here or send me an email via the website in my signature below or phone me during working hours on 01296 422 224.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Shame to see it go, that's been a great little car. I loved the drive I had to Cornbury House in it. []

This is probably the best place for the ad, but feel free to copy it to the "for sale" forum as well.

 

[Peter Empson]

Thanks Paul, it's a bit gutting to be honest as it's been such a good companion. The 16v engine is much maligned, but on the right road it's a complete blast and very rewarding.

As an aside it took me to and from a brilliant Patti Smith gig last night, on the way back the M4 junction I wanted was closed so I ended up coming back via the back roads and it reminded me that I'm not going to be a very happy bunny in a car with half the power and more ordinary handling.

If I had the money I wouldn't hesitate to have the bodywork sorted and carry on enjoying it for a few more years.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

If I had the money I wouldn't hesitate to have the bodywork sorted and carry on enjoying it for a few more years.

Bit of a welding job, and some cheap paint,? I know you've seen what can be hiding underneath from the white beast, but is it not possible to have a decent job done to the rotten areas, and protect them well, but not worry too much about the cosmetics? The car needs a full respray at some time, as they all do, but that doesn't mean you can't drive around in it for a while with it having visible repairs, as long as the repairs are good.

I don't know, perhaps a grand at a bodyshop might be as well-spent as a grand on a new car.....[8|]

 

[944 man]

Spam it up Pete! Maybe not as extensive and high quality a repair as your white car, but enough to get it MOTd for another year.

 

[Peter Empson]

Well I've done the deed, the car is now on ebay...
944S ebay
Yes I know the formatting is wrong now its been published, but I can't edit it as someone bid straight away.

I'm picking its replacement up on Sunday, I've managed to get a BMW E36 320i SE Touring which should be perfect for me for a short while. It has rust too, but hopefully just on the upper bodywork (what I could see of the underside looked pretty solid, so fingers crossed nothing that should be an issue at MOT time). For £250 beggars can't be choosers!

 

[J4CKO]

Stick it in the sales section on Retro Rides, the lads over there thing nothing of rebuilding suspension mounts and other seemingly impossible tasks, usually in the car park of their flat, in deepest winter.

 

[Peter Empson]

Car went off to new owner this morning, very sad to see it go, but it's gone to someone in Manchester who says he is going to try to get it back on the road. In summing up it has been excellent, I got a reasonable chunk of my purchase price back and maintenance costs (excluding consumables) came to about £1,000 a year (as seems to be typical). I even got 400 miles from a tank of fuel on a long run (a first for me in a 944), I'm more used to nearly half that.

I can't help thinking the 944S is a terribly underrated car, it may take a little time to get used to the engines power delivery and bond with the car, but once you're used to it it actually becomes its strongest point, and little is as enjoyable on flowing B roads - the longish gearing means you get to savour it's various steps through the power band, and it sounded rather nice doing so (with a cone filter).

 

[andy watson]

ORIGINAL: Peter Empson

I can't help thinking the 944S is a terribly underrated car, it may take a little time to get used to the engines power delivery and bond with the car, but once you're used to it it actually becomes its strongest point, and little is as enjoyable on flowing B roads - the longish gearing means you get to savour it's various steps through the power band, and it sounded rather nice doing so (with a cone filter).

Peter +1 to that

And with a H&S exhaust sounds fantastic, plus ask the S2 & Turbo boys from the last 2 944 meets how the S is not left standing! []

 

[Peter Empson]

I grew to really like the Jekyll and Hyde transition at 4k, it's much more dramatic in delivery than an S2 engine (for example) which is so linear that it could be accused of almost feeling flat in comparison.

 

[Mikie_gb]

So anyway... (to resurrect a long dead thread)

Just before this thread started I was looking for another car to use for work... Almost looked Peter up to see if he would sell the 944S back to me 5 years on but didn't due to an insane workload. In October I purchased a basket case 928 S4 and started to set fire to big piles of cash getting it up to scratch (but that is another story, for another time).

Roll forward to last week when I thought again, I wonder what happened to the 944S? Saw this post, thought DAMN... and promptly got locked out of the forum by changing from my old email address to my current email address. So without any way of contacting Peter, to see if the current owner had fixed it, I turned CSI and discovered it was SORNed and probably somewhere in Manchester. On trawling the internet and finally Ebay, I spotted a 944S engine for sale, recognised it immediately (don't ask) , and low and behold the car has ended up at a breakers yard in Wigan. About to be stripped and sold off...

So against my better judgement I am now negotiating to buy it back, with a few bits missing and probably well and truly knackered sills. My logic being that I looked after it (except the sills), Peter looked after it I am sure, and save for a few niggles, probably good as a daily drive again. My partner was distraught enough at the prospect of it going to the great Nurburg Ring in the sky, that the fact I already have a 1985 Motorhome, 1981 Fiat X1/9, and 1988 Porsche 928 S4 was only momentarily dwelled upon.


And that is the rescue story so far and is a testament to what a great little car it is...

 

[944 man]

Breakers yard or one fellow on his drive?

 

[Mikie_gb]

Don`t know but my first thoughts were that it was DV as they have several aliases on Ebay. I am hoping the one man and driveway option.

 

[944 man]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/mcporsche-9s

If its this fellow then its a man with a car on his drive. He is in Wigan.

 

[Mikie_gb]

I would guess that is the one. Different ebay profile but the floor in the photo is the same as same as some other items on the mister.porsche profile.