Finally bought a 944

[Geoff 944]

I have always wanted a 944, I think they are a real style classic, I promised myself I would buy one when my daughters grew up and did not need a taxi, and thats exactly what I have done, I have restored a few classic cars and motorcycles in the past so decided to find one that needed a bit of work and start from there.

After a bit of searching I found one that had 72000 miles, full MOT and a few months tax, I got fully comp insurance for £125 and set of on the 140 mile trip to pick her up, everything went well, I checked the "history" all ok, had a short test drive, had a couple of minor niggles but generally seemed pretty much ok, so I paid the man and set off on the M1 home to West Yorkshire, everything fine.

Needed a pee, so called in at Leicester Forest for a quick break and duly walked back over to my Porsche, head high and looking forward to the rest of the journey, jumped in, started her up, depressed the clutch and...... it stayed on the floor! tried to pump it and eventually got a slight pedal of about half an inch. I set off and had no real problem changing gear and at 70mph in 5th, flooring the gas did not cause the clutch to slip so thought nothing major.

About 20 miles or so further up the M1 it started to rain heavily so put the wipers on, no problem... until 5 minutes later, the wipers packed up!

I finally reached home 4 hours later and pulled into my drive, wife and daughters came for a look, I jumped in and started her up dead proud, oil light on!

All this would normally make me hate a car and probably even take it to the nearest scap yard, but I am really looking forward to returning her to her former glory and with things I have found wrong with her since getting home, it looks like a long hard slog..... but I'm sure it will be a labour of love.

Geoff []

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Welcome to the family!

Chances are you'll spend £40 on a new slave cylinder and £9 on a wiper ball joint. Don't forget that you have a car that cost a rather large amount of money when new, but parts are readily available and often surprisingly cheap from a Porsche Centre, with Club discount, or Bert Gear with technical assistance. []

 

[Suffolk944]

Welcome aboard Geoff ! Sorry to hear of the various problems you have encountered already. What model '44 have you got hold of - oh and post some pics of her when you get the chance! []

 

[Geoff 944]

She is a 1983 944, 2.5 8v, I am new to forums and contrary to the info at the side of this, I am actually a member, allbeit recent. Even with all the cars problems, I am very proud of the car and I can't believe the attention it draws from people. I drive a brand new car (company) which is top of the range executive, but the Porsche is the one that gives me a real buzz when I am behind the wheel, I feel like a teenager again!

I have been trying for about half an hour to put a photo on, don't seem to be getting it right, will try again.


PS thanks for the warm welcome..

Regards

Geoff

 

[swright]

Hello and welcome Geoff.

I have recently bought a 44 turbo with, 'issues'[]££££ But like you i will thoroughly enjoy getting it up to a good standard again[8D]

Keep us informed with the progress of your resto as am going to with mine[8D]

I think you need to enter your member number into your profile to show you are a member.


Stu

 

[944Turbo]

Welcome, hope things impove. Was parked outside some posh offices yesterday and caught a 'suit' looking over my car, he was very complementary and said he would rather have one than the boxster over there (08 S) as it had far more style. I thanked him and congratulated him on his taste []

 

[Geoff 944]

I think I'm getting this forum thing sussed!

 

[Robbo149]

Welcome Geoff. Where abouts in the West Riding are you?

Cheers,
Robbo

 

[Peter Empson]

Congratulations on the new car []

The oil light coming on often happened to me, my car would be showing 1/2 to 2/3 on the dipstick, I'd drive it around the corner to the petrol station giving enough time for the oil to circulate and on restarting the low oil light would come on. They do use a bit of oil so that's often nothing to worry about, but some do seem to have rather pessimistic low oil gauges (but better safe than sorry I suppose).

 

[Diver944]

Welcome Geoff, congrats on the purchase []

It does sound like a hydraulic problem with the clutch and the common wiper problem where the arm pops off the balljoint. Was the oil light for low pressure or low oil, the latter is obviously much easier to rectify.

Can't wait to see pictures of it [8D]

 

[Geoff 944]

I have now managed to put a photo on the profile!! not sure how to add them to this section, it asks me for a web address, anyway, I live in Bradford, drove the car from Northhampton area as I said earlier, even with the problems it was a pleasure to be seen in.

I have since found a few other problems, not bad to say I have'nt even started the resto job yet! went out to move her to a position to have a closer inspection... flat battery, charged it up overnight, started up first time, a bit smokey, but nothing too serious.. mover her into my drive and had a look around, clutch slave, underbody etc, tried to reverse out of drive, could not select reverse, think this must be a combination of the clutch and linkages? anyway by the next morning the battery was flat again so bought a new one, now ok.

Sun visor dropped down, broken retainer, bidding on a pair on ebay, radio does not work, couple of switches dont seem to do anything and worst of all.. the heater is stuck on in the hot setting, wife likes that but I have air-con on in my work car even in the winter!

All this considered, I am still not put off.

Both my wife and I are really looking forward to attending a few of the club get-togethers, once I have sorted the major issues of reliability.

I will post some more photos (when I learn how).

Cheers

 

[DavidL]

Geoff,
The heater will almost certainly be an easy fix. There is a small plastic bit which is part of the mechanism to control the temperature under the dash on the passenger side. This breaks - its about 50p!
Do a search and I'm sure you will find more detailed instructions.

 

[Geoff 944]

Thanks for that info, I won't tell the missus.

Just looking through some of the other posts, the one about the fumes, guess what, same problem.

 

[Fen]

ORIGINAL: DavidL

Geoff,
The heater will almost certainly be an easy fix. There is a small plastic bit which is part of the mechanism to control the temperature under the dash on the passenger side. This breaks - its about 50p!
Do a search and I'm sure you will find more detailed instructions.

Not necessarily. Geoff has an '83 car with the 924 dash. I don't know how the heater works in them, but I'd bet it's probably through traditional cables pushed and pulled directly by the knobs...

 

[944Turbo]

yes different on 83, but someone once told me the heater bits are very similar to VW Passats of similar vintage, opening up the possibility of cheap bits from a breakers,
Tony

 

[bigkeeko]

All the best with your new purchase. Hats off to you, that list would have cracked me up! []

 

[barks944]

Hi Geoff, Congrats on the new car. I too have just purchased a 1984 944. Ive done quite a bit of work on mine already. This includes taking the centre console out. Its not too hard to do and I can confirm all the heating controls are just wires which are moved by the leavers on the heater panel. The leavers pull out of a housing which holds the cables behind the panel.

 

[Geoff 944]

According to the Haynes Manual, the problem causing the clutch pedal to stay on the floor, is a bent clutch arm, and not as I thought and some of you guys, the slave cylender. Is this correct do you think? [] []

 

[swright]

Id certainly make the slave cylinder your first port of call. A lot easier and cheaper than a clutch fork to replace

Id also rather trust the knowledge of people /owners on this and other sites over a Haynes any day.[]

edit, sorry i didn't mean to sound condescending in that last comment. I just mean that personally, the views of people who have experience of these cars over a number of years and who have also shared and gained knowledge on this and other sites hold more credit to me than a Haynes manual which will only give you very general over view of what the problems could be.


Stu

 

[Fen]

ORIGINAL: Geoff 944

According to the Haynes Manual, the problem causing the clutch pedal to stay on the floor, is a bent clutch arm, and not as I thought and some of you guys, the slave cylender. Is this correct do you think? [] []

Put it this way; it was the slave cylinder when it happened to me.

Take the Haynes manual and burn it. It's worth more as kindling than telling you how to fix anything on a 944. Download the workshop pdf files for free from www.cannell.co.uk instead.