PAUL MADE ME DO IT, HONEST!

[924nutter]

It has been suggested that, as the right-hand-drive Turbo Cabriolet is so rare I should set up an online diary for it, to which I should make regular additions so that everyone who is interested in the ongoing history of AFL can drop in and read about the latest events. I guess every diary starts with a background of the diarist, so I will begin with my own potted history, and how I became a Porsche owner in the firstplace.
Now the tricky bit, writing about one's self and not sounding pompous.
Let's get informal straight away, my name is John , but someone once called me JB at work, and it stuck. I have been JB to my many colleagues for a good twenty years now.

First Porsche: 1983 "A" plate Porsche 924 lux. ????NFX. Bronze metallic, LeMans wheels, electric tilt roof, electric windows, mirrors. Manual locking. No immobiliser was required back then, but it was 1987. It had covered 68,869 when I bought it. After my Audi 80 GLE (1.6 gti) I was quite taken by its low down torque during the test drive. I rebuilt the 2.0 lump at 110,000 miles, and by the time I had had my money's worth out of it and switched the engine off for the final time, in 2003, it had been round the clock twice and was up to 47,000 for the third time. (247,000 miles) but it was on its second transaxle. I could blather on in more detail, but I'm going to leave 924s there for the time being.

Next up, but overlapping NFX was a 944S. Now there was a peaky motor, if you like. Good usable torque OVER 3800 r.p.m., but a 924 could keep up if you didn't rev it properly. I think the rev limit was 6,800 for the "S"

NFX, which had been in a year-long hibernation was draughted in to be a daily driver as the 944S was too lovely to ruin using it for work. It proved to be a useful tactic, as 5 years later I sold the 944 on, and lost only £500 on it partly because I had only added 20,000 miles, taking its overall milage to 75,000.

Some may deride my next choice, a 928 S4, but until the cab, the 928 was by far the loveliest car I had ever owned. Traffic parted like the Red Sea when the white shark appeared in their mirror. Fantastic mile eater, and had it not been Category "C" damaged I would still have it in my posession, and would not have bought AFL
In between times I bought a Cracking 59,000 mile 924 turbo, now destined to become my daily driver, as my wife's little Citroen AX GT depesses me when I drive it these days, and another, Cat C, 924 turbo from Ebay which I repaired and put back on the road. This car is now hibernating and is on offer to the 924 register for use as a track day car, as unfortunately, the turbo charger needs attention.

Funny how I could't find the money for a recon turbo charger but I could find
nearly £ 13,000 for a new car. You could quite legitimately say that I did infact buy another secondhand turbocharger, and you wouldn't be lying; unfortunately there was a whopping great red 944 still attached to it.

I have skipped over a lot of the incidental detail to arrive at AFL in one longish post

In the JB stable there are:

RED 924 lux. "the phoenix" A £230 fire damaged vehicle. Rose from the metaphorical ashes of NFX, becoming one goodish car made from two.
YLB, Red 924 turbo.
"Elsie" LCW, red 924 turbo on offer to the 924 register.
AFL Red 944 turbo cabriolet

Me? I hate red cars.

 

[924nutter]

PURCHASE OF AFL. (Resolution of the internet mystery.)

Knowing I was going to be getting about £6,000 for my 928 eventually, I began trawling the usual internet suspects looking for something to replace the 928. Those intending to convert their 911s to a hearse for my benfit needn't bother as I wont be seen dead in one, well not in any one that my finances could stretch to. I narrowed my choices really down to three 944 variants. It was going to be either the 3.0 S2 the 220 or the 250 bhp turbo. Always start with a plan even if you don't finish with one.

I did some thumbnail calculations and knew that my upper limit was going to have to be £13,000, and started looking. I unearthed a couple of cracking looking red 944 S2s but didn't take the plunge as I didn't have my germans on the cash, so there was no point in getting too excited about anything yet. One 944 did catch my eye, a stunning ultra-low mileage cabriolet, but I immediately ruled it out because the dealer wanted £16,995 for it. There was another particulary nice S2 cab, under 11 thousand with a bearable 89,000 miles or so on the clock. The cabriolets seemed to becoming out of the woodwork now.
Out of curiousity, I kept checking the dearler's 944, and it resolutely remained unusold. It was as if it was waiting for me to buy it. What sentimental claptrap!
The underwriters cheque dropped through the letter box and my search began in earnest.
"Bl***y 'ell, there all over the place now" I thought, as I spotted another red turbo cab on Ebay, still too much money to "BUY IT NOW" at £14,500. In the small print was written serious offers over £12,500 considered. Dare I? Cluck, cluck, Mr chicken! The following week the ebay page read "BUY IT NOW" £12,500. It was then that I took a serious interest in the pictured vehicle, and something about the registration mark looked familiar to me, too familiar. I checked the dealer's site again and sure enough, as bold as brass was the same car, or a similar car with an identical registration mark, still on offer for £16,995. My curiosity was aroused, so the phone call had to be made. It was a Sunday afternon, and the dealer sounded somewhat panicked when I explained the presence of AFL on ebay for £12,500. I left my number and he said he would ring me back. Fifteen minutes later he rang back and said that it was as much of a surprise to him as anybody, but yes it was the same vehicle, the owner had got his son to put it on ebay for the price shown, and I could have it at that price if I was really serious. He couldn't understand why he, the dealer, hadn't been informed. (Later, in the documnetation presented to me with the car, I discovered a letter of intent from the dealership agreeing to pay the owner £17,000 odd upon the sale of AFL.) why the price drop? I dont know. What I do know is that I hurriedly arranged finance befor anyone could change their minds and by the Tuesday of the following week I was on the train to Havant, comlpete with insurance cover-note bound for all points east, to collect, what is rapidly becoming my pride and joy.

NEXT, the first 1,000 miles.

 

[nickgardner]

how many 944 turbo cabriolets are there on the forum?

I have one (also red) as well as a 993

I understood total build was 500 worldwide of which less than 100 were RHD - anyone know for sure

 

[944turboS]

That is the generally accepted figure 100 UK market RHD

 

[Diver944]

I think I've only seen about 5 in the 8 years since I became a 944 anorak [8|]

It's nice to hear about Johns on the forum, now we just need a few more pics to go with it. John did you actually buy it without seeing it (or have I misread your words above?)

 

[924nutter]

ORIGINAL: Diver944

I think I've only seen about 5 in the 8 years since I became a 944 anorak [8|]

It's nice to hear about Johns on the forum, now we just need a few more pics to go with it. John did you actually buy it without seeing it (or have I misread your words above?)

The First 1,000 miles.
To answer Paul, I didn't hit BUY IT NOW until I got back home with it, so with very bullish description, and after exchanging more details over the phone, I went to the dealrership where AFL was being 'stored' for want of a better word, fully intending to walk away if the car, in anyway failed to match any of the important points, or some of my own criteria. The car was stone cold when they brought it out of their storage, I stuck my head in and had a loook at the temperature gauge. No smoke or rattles. I looked all round. I had already been told that there were a few stone chips on it, and there are. Nothing that can't be almost hidden with T cut red polish, or similar. I could see that it had been hurriedly polished as there were a couple of thin, white, wax smears on the base of the hood, which I am glad to say I have now cleaned off with nothing more than a little soap powder and the cold water hose. Jeez I have washed it five times already.
It was evident that the hydraulic tappets were in good order, my old 944S used to click a bit for about 30 seconds till they all pumped up. A blip of the throttle revealed no valve guide smoke, so I was feeling more and more comfortable by the minute. I am handy with a spanner, and I was satisfied that the engine was in good order. The Turbo doesn't even have the integral oil-cooler on the block, so I was even less concerned, as I had to replace the seals on my 944S. Effectively I was buying a car that a dealer in prestige vehicles had been willing to, lets be realistc, sell from his showroom for £17000 or more, and you kind of expect to get a lot of 944 for that kind of money. What's more you don't go in with the attitude that everyone is trying to rip you off and insult the dealer insisting on every stupid little check be complied with. The folding hood mechanism was demonstrated to me. I didn't even road test it. What are you going to find wrong in a 27,000 mile 944? I parted with the bankers draft.
Actually my unfamiliarity with the cabriolet did result in one surprise. I had been a little baffled by the minute size of the rear view mirror, but just took it to be standard for the cab, but no. A couple of weeks ago I found the standard mirror intact under the driver's seat. Bas****s. They had ripped me off for a tube of loctite mirror fix.[]
You do this to yourself don't you though? You get an absolute cracker of a bargain, then go looking for trouble. Time and time again I went through the service history looking for a stitch up, refusing to believe in my good fortune. No, it's all Kosher.
I checked it again last night just to be sure, and the book has been stamped for 3 changes of brake fluid and coolant, by OPCs, which is what I thought I had seen in the service history. Included in the wad of history, and it is quite a wad for a 28,000 mile car, it had a bill for a new waterpump, inlet manifold gaskets, tightneing of the middle exhaust clamp as it could be heard to rattle with the roof down. Charles Ivey rebuilt the limited slip diff due to the onset of a judder on take up, which turned out to be the incorrect fitment of a cup washer inside the transaxle from new, but despite the seriously low milage Porsche themselves wouldn't entertain critcism as the problem was not investigated by one of their official service centres. The incumbent owner was relieved of something a little over £2,200 on that anual service.
Now at 28,000 miles the first page of the service book is full, and five spaces on the second page have been stamped. It should be six but one service for which I have the reciept wasn't enterd in the service book for some reason. I really must go back and complain. I can see Mr Northway getting some business soon as "hells-teeth" this lot of coolant and brake fluid is getting on a bit. It's done about 9,000 miles. Bu***r.
Later on, when I get home I will document the milages recorded for every service. The current interval is one of the longest recorded. It hasn't been near new oil for 4,500 miles. I can almost feel the panic rising.

 

[Guest]

Congrats on the purchase of the cab

Lovely car. A friend of mine was watching that car on ebay also, price seemed to drop every time he logged on to it! He has a black turbo cab with 32k on the clock and would have sold her on for the lower mileage one ( he has a mileage phobia

)He was all set to make inquiries when next thing he knew it was sold. Congrats again... Enjoy!

John Daly.

 

[924nutter]

Thanks mate!

 

[924nutter]

AS PROMISED, THE SERVICE HISTORY.

Milage only no dates

First service, 2,789

Oil change and service, 7,491
Ditto 11,977. Brake fluid and coolant change.
Oil change 16,442
Oil change and service, 17,645. Brake fluid and coolant change.
Oil change 18,590
Oil change not in book 18,624 Reciept corresponds with chassis number.
New cat. 18,624
Oil change and service, 19,292. Brake fluid and coolant change.
Oil change and service, 19,968
Oil change and service, 21,430
Oil change 21,624
Oil change and service, 23,366. rebuild juddering LSD
Replace cam belt 25,501
Retension belts 26,382. change replace brake pads
Current mileage 28, 017

There are numerous other bit and pieces, like a spring check for £57,(as you do) but this is the meat of the sandwich.

 

[cuffn]

Just so you know there are others around, I saw a black 944 Turbo cab reg G543 TTV parked up in the M&S car park in Wokingham, Berks on 30/11/06.

 

[924nutter]

Thanks mate! 3 accounted for only another 97 to go.

 

[chrisdenton]

96

 

[mooren]

A friend of mine was watching that car on ebay also, price seemed to drop every time he logged on to it!

You're right it did, it was mine !! I spent nearly £6000 on the car between October 2004 and when John picked it up before Christmas but then found that I had a 996 itch that needed to be scratched..... How could I resist !

 

[924nutter]

Hi Nick. Have you scratched that itch yet? She's a beaut. I am awaiting confirmation to put it on display at HQ from Feb to April. I wasn't really serious about the loctite.

 

[944turboS]

95 Turbo Cabs to go, Tracey's ex boss has a metalic black one with classic grey leather.

 

[mooren]

Hi Nick. Have you scratched that itch yet? She's a beaut. I am awaiting confirmation to put it on display at HQ from Feb to April. I wasn't really serious about the loctite.

Yes, itch scratched ! I've bought a 15k mile, 2001 Carrera 4 which couldn't be more different to the 944 but I absolutely love it and I can drive it everyday !

 

[924nutter]

JAN 19th 2007
3rd coat of wax on
Cleaned the overmats
For the princely sum of £3.99 I have now got the proper rear view mirror attached to the windscreen.

 

[924nutter]

A quick squirt up the M4 the Reading OPC on Saturdy made me appreciate the extra width of the standad mirror, but for a car as quick and as darty as the 944T there is a horrendous blind spot over the right shoulder, with the roof up. I was develping RSI from keep jiggling my head aoround to try and check it. Enter the suction mirror. I have refitted it to the top of the windscreen on the passenger's side of the car and I get a really good oblique view out of the rear window. Just as a passing vehicle disappears from view in the door mirror it appears in the new mirror, just for a second or two, but long enough to avoid a nasty moment.

 

[924nutter]

I have emailed a fairly local company with a view to removing some self inflicted kerbing before I got used to the extra track width.
The turn around time is 3 to 5 days, about the same as OPC Reading, but for 17" cup wheels the charge is £29.50 plus v.a.t. per rim for a painted finish, whereas OPC wants £90 plus vat. I really hope this is not a classic case of getting what you pay for. If the tyre is still on the rim the charge is £39.50 plus v.a.t. At that sort of price you can afford to take a chance. I'll keep you posted.

 

[mooren]

That sound about right John - I got all 4 wheels re-finished when I bought the car and Spit & Polish charged me £40 a wheel plus VAT with the trye on.

By the way, whilst Porsche produced 100 Turbo Cabs in RHD only 47 of those came to the UK !