Newbie saying Hi!

[sweetpea]

Hi All,

Just registered on the forum as it has a plethora of interesting and informative articles!

I have been lurking in the background for a while and decided to take the plunge! []

I am seriously considering buying a 944 and have viewed a few recently around the £2k - £3 mark.... although i think i may be setting my sights a little high, i have been dissapointed with the general condition of them.

I have viewed one today - a 944 Lux in silver with 141k on the clock, quite tidy with the odd mark here and there, but with the all important full history and paperwork to support.

The owner, (a mechanic himself) has recently changed the belts etc and mechanically appeared and sounded great.

The drive was a pleasure and it pulled, stopped and sounded nice with no nasty surprises otherthan a very faint whine from the gearbox which i understand is reasonably common. I am being picky though i really had to listen hard.

What do you guys think? a viable option give a few marks and blemishes about the car, original paintwork and interior unmarked.

The seller also had a second 944 lux in red with 85k on the clock... very tidy and original with small amounts of paintwork but no service history, again recently serviced by the seller with belts and water pump etc and drove very well.... should i be interested or avoid like the plague due to its none verified history?

Any views tips or opionions greatly appreciated.

Regards

Sweetpea []

 

[Peter Empson]

Welcome Mike,
It's so difficult to comment on a car without seeing it, but the price sounds about right to me for a nice one. Personaly I'd recommend getting an inspection done by a local Porsche indie just to be on the safe side which could be a couple of hours of labour well spent.

The car with no history is difficult to call, I wouldn't worry about the lack of long term history, but would want to know a bit more about the last couple of years/20K miles. If it's cheap enough then it could be a good gamble, but treat it as a project car and it's even more important to get that inspection done.

One thing to be aware of with these cars is that non specialists can miss things when working on them, my red car has a couple of minor irritations that would not have occured if it'd been looked after by a specialist, but then I bought that at a price where it doens't worry me (and despite enjoying it immensly it's not my pride and joy so I'm a little more tolerant of it's foibles!).

Whichever car you go for, please do look inside the vents beneath the B pillars with a torch or take a photo with a camera and flash, ensuring there's no rust in there will save you a lot of money in the long term.

 

[sweetpea]

Hi Peter,

Many thanks for the quick response... forgive my ignorance but the B pillars, whereabouts are they located? are they the ones to the rear ie where the battery is located?... if so they appeared very clear and dry with no obvious signs of rust... also it was good to see the original paper sticker on both cars on the rear panel near the spare tyre.

I agree about the independent inspection, can you recommend anybody that would do this or perhaps a likely cost?

As cheap as both cars appear, it still is a fair chunk of money for me to spend. I don't have a lot of pennies to spend and don't want to end up buying something which in the long run will cost me more to maintain than the value of the car! So choosing wisely at this stage is important for me. Both cars are located North Wales if that helps.

Regards

SP.

 

[Peter Empson]

The vents I was referring to are black plastic ovals that you see when you open the door, just underneath the door latch (if that makes sense), when these are removed (they just unclip) you can look down and see inside the rear of the sill and the outside of the rear wheel arch. This is the most likely place for rust on these cars (apart from the leading edges of the wheel arches, but they're not such a major problem).

I don't know who to recommend for the inspection in N Wales, but I'm sure someone will be along to recommend a local garage soon.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

I'd agree with Peter. The only really important history is recent, although it's always nice to see that a car has been looked after throughout it's life and you always have to wonder why someone would "lose" the car's history.

Expensive things on a Lux are rust, as Peter mentioned check the cills internally, clutch is expensive, so a recent one is nice, and a head gasket will not be cheap. If the belts are recent it's worth asking if water pump and oil seals were done at the same time. They might be ok, but at least it shows the mechanic knows what he's doing as they should be checked at least. If you had to listen hard to hear gearbox whine then the car's worth buying for that alone!

Remember that these are a lot of car for the money and a good one will be way better than many other cars from the same period, but they are now cheap enough to be neglected and can soon turn in to bottomless money-pits.

I'd suggest skimming back through the last year or so of posts on this forum. We've covered pretty much every topic possible, in great depth and often repeatedly! [&:] You'll soon know every potential problem to look for.

 

[stevespic]

Hi Mike. Good luck with your quest finding a 944....theres plenty of nice ones around so if the above one dosnt fit the bill im sure it wont be long before you find what your after...[]

 

[sweetpea]

Thanks guys for all your input..... it has certainly helped to hopefully make a more informed decision.

Think i will go and have another look and see what happens.

Regards

Mike []

 

[zcacogp]

... if you ask around nicely on here (and other similar forums), you may find a friendly knowledgeable member local to you (or to the car in question) who would be willing to accompany you to look at the car, for a few beers.

Not quite an indie inspection, but a lot better than nothing (and a fair bit cheaper.)

Just an idea. And no, I am no-where near N Wales!


Oli.

 

[sweetpea]

Hi Oli,

Yes thanks.. that had crossed my mind but did not want to be too cheeky and presume so soon after joining the forum... []

However, now you mention it..... lol []

If anyone was available perhaps either tomorrow (sat) or sun in the anglesey north wales area... i could meet up and i am sure that beers.. could be arranged []

Anybody?

Thanks

Mike []

 

[sweetpea]

Well guys!.... took the plunge and bought the silver one.

It is a 944 Lux 88 on an F plate.... 141 k but runs great with no obvious issues... recent belts and full service history.

When i started to check the option codes (757) on the sticker in the boot and the sticker in the service manual.... is that it is a celebration model special edition in Zermatt Silver.

At first this meant little or nothing to me.... seems they are a little rare... can anyone expand?.... i have checked the forum which stated that only 30 exist in the UK.. is this correct??

I understand the only differences were things such as bigger wheels 16" as opposed to 15".... split rear seats, special colour trim and auto heating control.

Anyway.... here are some pics ... more to follow when my camera is returned from Canon (long story)

Regards

Mike []

 

[pauljmcnulty]

But the bonus was when i started to check the option codes on the sticker in the boot and the sticker in the service manual.... is that it is a celebration model special edition in Zermatt Silver.

At first this meant little or nothing to me.... seems they are a little rare... can anyone expand?.... i have checked the forum which stated that only 30 exist in the UK.. is this correct??

I understand the only differences were things such as bigger wheels 16" as opposed to 15".... split rear seats, special colour trim and auto heating control.

Could be the "studio" limited edition, as owned be Andy Lane who is on this forum so he knows the full spec. Should have body-coloured wheels and a unique sort of grey tartan interior cloth. (Impossible to find, BTW, so could have ben changed for the "logo" interior in yours.)

 

[sweetpea]

Cheers Paul... thanks for the update.

I think it maybe highly likely that the interior may have been recovered in the past... as it is in very good nick apart from some very slight wear to the drivers seat bolster.

Any other info from forum members appreciated.

Thanks

Mike []

 

[ashley]

How do you post several photos in the same post as Sweetpea has, certain its been explained on here before but damned if I can find it

and sorry forgot to say car looks great too

 

[sweetpea]

Hi Ashley,

Took me a while to figure out... was easy after all!

Just create your topic then took in the top rh corner of your message box, and you will see a yellow icon with a small picture on saying 'add image' (its level with the font options, colours etc etc)

Click on it... and then paste in the http location of your hosted pictures.

I use photobucket... they are very good and provide lots of storage space for free

Just upload your pics to photobucket and then direct your link to them

Hope this helps

Mike []

 

[zcacogp]

Mike,

That looks like a tidy machine ... well done!

Hope you enjoy driving it. 141k miles is a pretty normal milage for a prestige car of that sort of age - my S2 of the same year has also just passed the 141k mark, and it's running better than ever.

Keep up the maintenance, watch for rust, and make damn sure you drive it nice and hard on a regular basis. That way it'll stay in good nick.


Oli.

 

[sweetpea]

Cheers Oli,

Thanks for the comments.... still driving like a nancy at the moment in case something breaks! []

but seriously.. how solid are these engines... do they like to be pushed hard ie revved high occasionally?

I know they are not particularly fast.... by modern standards, that really isn't why i bought it, but would be interested to know from fellow owners just what they are capable of in standard form, and although it is not a very tuneable engine... are there any minor mods that people would recommend?

Regards

Mike []

 

[zcacogp]

Mike,

Ahhhhh .... it says 'Porsche' on the bonnet, therefore it must be fast, eh?

Fen (noted guru on all things 944-esque) says that you never buy a 944 for the engine. He's right. They aren't that fast (apart from the S2's, they really fly), but they do handle very very sweetly. What they lack in outright oomph they more than make up for in speed into and out of a corner. They are also extremely communicative to drive - you'll have noticed the steering feel; it's delicious.

Tuning? Certainly for the S2's, there isn't a fat lot you can do - not without spending a load of money (step forward Mr Empson.) Although I don't know much about the Lux's, I suspect they are in the same category - normally aspirated, hence tuning options are very limited. A chip may help a little, as might a free-er flowing exhaust, but don't expect huge gains (and you may decide it's not worth it for the money.) What you can do is improve the handling with some better bushes and perhaps some better shock absorbers, and you can certainly learn to drive it; money spent on driver training is never, ever wasted, will return more difference than most car mods, and can be taken with you to any car you drive.

(The whole tuning thing is turned on it's head with the turbos; the tuning potential of them is massive, as is the potential expense, and you'll find quite a lot of chat on this forum about boost and wastegates and enhancers and whatnot. I'm told that, with enough money spent on them, they can almost rival an S2 - which is an impressive claim indeed.)

In terms of how tough the cars are, the answer is 'Very'. Porsche really, really built things to last, with 'enthusiastic driving' in mind. Look after it, and the car (and engine) will more than stand up to anything you throw at it. They didn't get their racing pedigree for building Seat-alikes.

(You will also find that there are a few in-jokes on this forum. You'll probably get to know them all in the next 10 minutes or so; we're a simple bunch and they aren't very sophisticated!)


Oli.

 

[sweetpea]

[][] Cheers Oli,

I totally agree.. the handling and the looks are the reason i bought the car... certainly not for performance or else i would have chosen something a bit tastier!

However, that said, i would still be interested in knowing a bit more about minor tuning, just to help things along.

I notice that i have three silencer boxes on the stainless exhaust.... is there a recommended system with a nice sound without being LOUD?

Also you mention chips..... seen and heard quite a bit about these from different sources, can they really add a few HP when matched to a decent Air filter etc?

Gosh... i'm beginning to sound like a boy racer []

Thanks

Mike []

 

[Peter Empson]

Lovely looking car Mike [8D]

There have been a few threads about modding the Lux so it's worth a search, but Oli is right, there's not much you can do to increase power easily or cheaply, but you should be able to make the car nicer to drive.

A round throttle response cam is worth having as it gets rid of the overly long throttle pedal travel of the original, although most 944's now seem to have had this done already anyway.

A good chip will improve throttle response and smoothness when going onto and off part throttle. Can knock years off the feel of the 944.

A cone air filter or similar will probably not give you any HP gains as such, but will make a great noise, so well worth considering and I always felt it rev'd more cleanly. The same with the exhaust, we removed the middle silencer on mine and it seemed to improve throttle response. I can't comment on any of the off the shelf systems, I always fancied replacing it all including the headers but never got around to it.

I would recomend getting some of the larger turbo arb's, as well as fitting the KLA braces whilst you're in there, these are some of the cheapest but best gains you can make in my experience.

 

[appletonn]

Lovely looking car Mike - welcome to the fun of the fair![]

Just in case you hadn't noticed, I think it is only fair to warn you that Oli has spent a little too much time smoking 'herbal' cigarettes, hence his slightly deluded perspective on S2 vs Turbos....[]

His psychiatrist does tell us, however, that they expect him to make a full recovery from the recent deep trauma brought on by a melted welly boot.....Allegedly[][]

Runs for cover.........[]