Looking at High Mileage car

[sleg]

Hi All, I am new here and very new to Porsches, I would really like a Porsche 944, having found a cheap 1986 example at a local garage with 179,000 miles on it, I immediately went to see it and take it for a test drive.

Well it started from cold (supposedly sat for nearly two weeks on their forecourt) first time, pulled ok, but it blew a little smoke whilst still cold when changing gears up (I know nothing about cars!!)

Brake light warning was on and brakes were poor!, i never really pushed the car but felt OK in general, need to take it out again, so a couple of things to look for would be great!

Is the 179,000 miles a problem for this type of car, as i intend to take it over to the Nurburgring in July?

It has a service history up to 112,000 and I have seen the last 3 years MOT's and it has only covered 5000 miles in that time.

Cheers

Sleg

 

[Guest]

you forgot to tell us how much it is if its cheap enough then you got nothing to loose

Paul

 

[sleg]

sorry for that, It is up for £1300, but I will haggle that down!!!!!

Sleg

 

[Guest]

ull need to ask if the belts have been done or it wont be cheap for long

the advise i was given was buy the best car u can afford

or in my case girlfriend will buy u [][][][][][][][]

 

[Peter Empson]

Ignore the mileage, it's really irrelevant on these cars. The price sounds a bit too good to be true from a garage forecourt so make sure you get it thoroughly checked over by someone that knows these cars before purchasing. Also worth bearing in mind that if the brakes have been neglected there could be quite a big bill straight away (hopefully it's just pads but dont bank on it). I wouldn't say it's normal to notice much smoke on non-turbos, so another good reason to have it thoroughly checked.
Good luck []

 

[Diver944]

High mileage is not a problem at all if the car has been looked after properly (full service EVERY year, oil change EVERY 6 months). However your's has no recent history and it's beng sold by a garage (not the last owner) at the absolute bottom end of the market. I would budget over a £1000 straight away to get it serviced/inspected, new belts and water pump and sort out those brakes. 944 brakes should be pretty awesome when they are in good condition, you may have to stamp on them harder than a modern over assisted car but they should stop you very quickly time and time again with no fade.

If you are planning track use then it would make sense to have a working suspension system to make use of one of the best handling 2+2 coupes EVER. If the shocks are over 10 years old they are probably very, very substandard and there is a whole different car lurking underneath. They will pass an MOT easily but will be handling like blancmage in comparison to a decent car

Very rough guide - a perfect oval dash Lux will be circa £4000, a good one circa £3000 a poor one under £2000

 

[cococola]

Its always a gamble buying 944s with the age of the vehicles,however there are plenty out there for the right money...and possibly lower mileage.
A big bonus would be to buy one with plenty of good history.

 

[Fred Hindle]

The best money you will spend is having a pre purchase inspection by someone who knows Porsches.
Even if car needs new discs and pads all round it is not mega expensive and they are not beyond a competant DIYer.

Cheers,

 

[sleg]

Thanks for the responses!! Car was advertised in the window for £2100, but it is now a "managers special"!?

Is is possible to do the belts myself, how much?? I am fairly practical and have a few very competent mates to rope in.

I am listening to all your advice but the little Devil inside, says "take a risk!"

 

[Peter Empson]

ORIGINAL: sleg

I am listening to all your advice but the little Devil inside, says "take a risk!"

If the car isn't a complete wreck then I'd say it's worth the £1K as spares alone, so in that respect it's maybe worth a punt. Just make sure you go into it with your eyes open that it could cost you a lot of time or money to get it sorted.

 

[sleg]

Thanks Peter, The car is in very good condition. it was a little tarted up, in the first pictures that I saw. But they have removed some of the stickers.

It has electric seats all working, in good condition generally

I have started to make a website (Only 1 day old, lots of mistakes, rubbish logo!!) but I have posted some pics in the blog section. if anyone cares to take a look. http://racecarbackwards.co.uk/blog.aspx

thanks again for all the advice, this forum really helps

 

[morris944s2john]

Taken from your website.

"Nothing to write home about so a little disappointed. It started first time from cold having been sat their for a week? a little smoke to start under acceleration, but I don't know if that's a good sign or bad? no real power, sat nicely at 70mph, very comfortable with electric seats and sunroof, but we need a little more poke for those legal toll booth takeaways!!"

Thats worrying. A 944, even a 2.5L 8 valve Lux should have decent power delivery. If the car smokes when cold and has poor power delivery then thats suggests the engine is knackered. Worn rings and bores. Possibly, as there is no record, the car has not been services much since 112,000 miles. Bring one of your "knowledgable mates" along and do a compression test.

 

[John Sims]

It could well be a little smokey if it hasn't been run for a while. Oil gets everywhere.

As for power a lot depends on what you are used to. 20 years ago the 944 Lux provided reasonable excitement, these days there are quicker hot hatches and rep mobiles. The Lux is all about balance and delicate handling not grunt.