Servicing Costs

[Guest]

Hi guys I'm new here and I'm looking for some advice please []

I'm seriously considering purchasing a 944 in my area. My first question is, if the purchase goes ahead I'd be looking to change the timing belt, other belts, oil etc straight away. Roughly how costly is this going to be?

Thanks,
Sara

 

[andymorris]

Sara
I am just doing all of this myself and more !!!!
Full 12k Service £211
Timing and balance belts £270 It is advisable to get the pulleys done at the same time.
If the deal hasnt been done yet check the history and find out when the belts were last done preferably with an invoice to prove it. They should be done every 48K miles or 4 years but for piece of mind earlier.
Happy hunting.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply Andy. The timing belt was replaced 33,000 miles ago by Hartech Automotive Porsche Specialista, with receipt to prove. So for peace of mind I think I'd get that done straight away. I guess I was just trying to weigh up how expensive it's going to be to run and maintain a 944 compared to my existing weekend car.

Sara

 

[Diver944]

Hartech is a very well known and respected Specialist that knows the front engined Porsched very well, so you could surmise the car has been looked after very well. Whoever does the belts for you should also check the condition of the waterpump whilst they have the belts off. The pump itself is £150-£200 but you have to go all through the labour of a belt change again if it needs replacing anytime soon.

What model 944 are you considering and are you getting a pre-purchase inspection by someone who knows these cars?

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Hi Sara,

I follow the advice from others on this forum. Allow £1000 for the first service to include all the things you didn't know were wrong with the car you bought. []

I work on the £1000 per year basis to service and maintain my Lux, doing up to 5k mile as a weekend toy. I'd probably consider upping that a bit with the current "rust" thread making me think that I could well be investing some long-term money in the bodywork....

All in all, I reckon that's not far off the cost of running an average family car, but not including thousands in depreciation! And, you are driving a Porsche.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Paul and Paul []

I'm considering a 1986 944, I assume that makes it a Lux?! It had a lot of work done for the last MOT; welding on floor and sills, brake pipes and pads, new power sterring pump, track rod end, new windscreen, new stainless steel exhaust. It has a full service history and has only done 1800 miles in the last year and a half. Total mileage is 176k however.

I would definitely be looking to have a Pre-Purcahse inspection. I have a mechanic friend, not a Porsche specialist however. Or would an AA Inspection be worth while?

 

[pauljmcnulty]

1986 could be a Lux, the basic model and the best drive []

It could also be a turbo, or a 16 valve "s".

There is a huge amount of specialised information on these cars. Never forget that you might only be paying a few thousand £s, but you are buying a £30k car when new. (generalising!!) A good mechanic will know the basics, but a Porsche specialist will know the quirks to look for. Some bad, but also some things that an AA inspection would try and put you off. For example, the 944 gearbox is noisy. Whether the noise is normal, or terminal, is better left to an expert.....

I would go for the opinion of the person who will be looking after your car, not a guy with a fancy hi-viz vest with his company name on, to advise you on the condition of a car.

Where are you based? I'm sure that someone on this forum would be willing to have a look at a car for you and give an "outsider's" view?

 

[Guest]

It's not a Turbo model so it must be a 16 valve "S" or a Lux.

I'm based in Fife, Scotland!

 

[wibble]

Hi Sara

I recommend getting an inspection by a Porsche technician - no disrespect to the 5th emergency service. These are specialist cars and require relevant skills to inspect them. An indepenent will charge from £100 to be inspected at their premises. I recently used Peter Morgan who specialises in Porsche inspections for a thorough check with a printed report, photos and hpi check. Good luck

 

[burrow01]

Hi,

I used these people to do an inspection on my car:

http://www.sportscarguides.com/pre_purchase.html

They have a number of engineers that they use around the country, and so may be able to assist in Fife

The guy that inspected my car was very throrough, and picked up all the potential issues on the car at the time

Pete

 

[andymorris]

Sara, Just out of curiousity what is your current weekend car that you would be comparing it to ?

 

[Paul Fraser]

ORIGINAL: SaraLeven
I'm considering a 1986 944, I assume that makes it a Lux?!  It had a lot of work done for the last MOT; welding on floor and sills, brake pipes and pads, new power sterring pump, track rod end, new windscreen, new stainless steel exhaust.  It has a full service history and has only done 1800 miles in the last year and a half.  Total mileage is 176k however.

The welding would put me off a car, but only because I am not knowledgeable about what the implications of this might be -- I have heard mention on other threads about weld repairs rusting through in 18 months so you would need to have the quality of the work checked.
Also, the mileage is very high, not that this will necessarily be a problem, but it depends on the maintainance history of the car and what has been replaced.
If you don't mind me asking what is the price? There are a large number of 944s for sale if this one isn't particualry competitive...
Finally, there are several 944 owners in the Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth triangle who I am sure will be willing to help.
Good luck.

 

[Fen]

The welding would put me off too - I'd want to know who did it and if they know what they are doing. We have one of our number who bought an S2 that had had welding for the last MoT and he ended up breaking the car and buying another because it was in such a mess.

I know you're in Scotland (and I'm from there originally), but I wouldn't buy a car that has lived there for any significant period. I say that based on the experience of several Scottish cars and how I know they compare to equivalents from the south - all the Scottish cars were simply rotten when looked at closely. Given the 944 has a reputation for rusting these days and that the one you're after has already had welding you can guarantee it has tin-worm and it's extremely difficult to tell if it's been dealt with properly unless there is photographic evidence of the repair work before and during. Of course you could easily buy a car that looks rust-free and claims to have had no work done only to find it's also rusting, but to my mind your odds are better with the second option than the first.

 

[Guest]

Look for a water pump bill...£200-250 may be optimistic...by the time you have pump, belts, rollers, seals, maybe a thermostat and a couple of pipes, and a nice wedge of VAT... £1100+ at OPC, just had it done so I knows!;-)

 

[gemmerson]

Now, I cant live in Glasgow and not make some stance for us Scottish 944's........surely its how its looked after rather than when it lives. I know it rains up here a fair old bit but not that much to render our porsche's all rotten.
New to this 944 ownership myself, coming up for 1st weeks anniversary already and loving every minute of it !!. As long as any welding has been done by a reputable garage who know what their talking about that should provide some comfort. After all restoration cars get a heap of welding done which makes them brand new when finished.

G

 

[Guest]

This is my current weekend car, an Escort RS Turbo. Not exactly cheap to run, but probably not as pricey as a 944:

Welding wouldn't usually put me off but it seems to scare you guys lol! I have an old Mini also, so I'm definitely acustomed to rust as I've had it restored!

Here is the car in question:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=008&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=180088680633&rd=1&rd=1

As far as the Scotland thing is concerned I don't think it has always lived here going by the receipt for Hartech Automotive.

Thanks,
Sara

 

[carlmthompson]

I think the clues are in the questions asked - he says he's spent £1000 on it, but that's a fair list of repairs for £1k.

The crunch for me is that the cills haven't been repainted after the repairs, and there's snow in the pics.

I would stay clear if I was you - £1500 will never by you a minter, but it'll buy better than this!