Alright, I'm about to buy an '83 944.

It's been sitting for about a year and I'm planning to do some maintenance before starting it up again.

I want to know what kinds of stuff you guys think I should do before trying to turn it over.

So far I've figured to change all the oils, change the coolant and change the brake fluid. I'm also planning on changing the timing belt.

Before you mash the keyboards with replies, keep in mind I have a VERY limited budget, so try to suggest VERY low-cost maintenance *as in under $100 unless a replacement part*

 

Don't take this as discouragement, but you are in for a hard row if your budget for parts is not very healthy. These cars run very well and are reliable when the maintenance is up to date, but it takes a bit of money to get them there under the best of circumstances, let alone when its been sitting for a while. If this is going to be your only mode of transportation, this will be pretty trying for you, imo.

Regards,

 

Plan on $1k in parts a year for maintenance for at least the first year. If you find a good car, it should go down after the first year. If $100 is a big chunk of change for you right now, i would HIGHLY advise against getting a 944. They are cheap to buy and very expensive to maintain and own. The timing belt change includes water pump, balance shaft belts, rollers, etc is $450-500 in parts alone.

 

Actually, PorscheDoc, I really just meant the $13 piece of rubber. I've checked the car out and nothing seems to be broken or in an unusable state :-/

Of course, I'll have to take the car apart to be sure.

Anyways, the purpose of this post was to see what else you might recommend.

Doc, you suggested replacing the rollers and stuff, so thanks for that. I'll look into those parts and how much that'll run me for.

Any more maintenance suggestions?

 

Definitely start with making sure the timing belt/front of the engine is up to snuff. After that, normal "grease the wheelbearings/CV's, change the fluids" will go a long way towards keeping your car on the road. Replace normal wear items as you need to (brakes/clutch) and attend to any sign of overheating in a hurry. I usually replace the radiator, all coolant hoses and the cooling fan switch on any new 944 I bring home right from the start, but thats going to blow your budget by a wide margin. By the way, on a properly running early 944, "normal" is to run between 1/2 and 3/4 on the temp gauge, if its running below or above that range once the car is heated up, you want to check it out right away.

Stuff breaks on 20+ year old cars. Be prepared and just deal with it as it happens, and you'll do fine.

Regards,

 

oh. just a few steps deeper than the waterpump, is to replace all the front oil seals that are prone to leaking, i think zims has the front seal kit for about 39 bucks. Sucks to do all the waterpump work, then start the car and find lots of oil drips on your driveway, because then you have to pull all that crap back off again to get in there. The site that will help you out a lot is clarks shop manual at www.clarks-garage.com

 

Sweet, thanks, guys.

I'll look into those repairs and stuff and see how much this'll cost me /

 

1. Unless you know about adjusitng the front belts then don't mess with them. That is a Aulumium[hr] motor is swells and the belts have to be adjusted right (perferct) or it shreds and good by Mr Head! Really!

2. Coolant must be for Auluminum no etlyl glycol crap.

3. Ball joints, repack the CV's New tranny fluid (Swepco201). Check for exhust & Intake leaks. Noramlly the Aux Air sensor goes bad! New Fuel filter New Rotor, cap, plugs and wires (use anti seize in the Plugs)

I have a 1983 944 I am telling you that it cost to keep that car on the road!



A metaphor:
Think of a really hot 22 year old girl that you love to ride(), but she is a drama queen that is totally nuts. Unless you take care of that that Porsche she will all that and a bag of chips.[:-]
Really, you take her to the rev limiter and she shudders and makes sounds like you have never heard before, sounds like "...don't stop, shift, and do me again". Oh yea, brah you just did someting with her that she will never forget, and now you have an emotional connectionn to her that you both felt; Right! You find that she really likes it when your rough and ride hard infact she ove's that kind of stuff her brain is programed for that. However, the stuff that she needs is performance and cost a lot and nothing elses will do. So to keep her going and you feeling that orgamic high of doing 140MPH like it is a joke you buy it for her. Then all her issues show, issues that you had nothing to do with, but now your held accountable to fix (codependence). Right, like her tranny fluid should have been changed a long time ago but the guy before you did not take care of her and now the syncros and gears are bad (Big money brah). Like her calipers should have been flushed but the guy prior to you just used her and now the calipers are bad(Big money Brah). Right Brah! Or he made her stay out side all the time, and her inside is all in a shambles. Right brah, nothing you say can change her it is your responsibility to fixer her if you plan on her staying with you. You finally come to a point like the last guy that you cannot afford her, but you still lover her to bad brah. She moves on to a new guy a guy who will take care of her and fullfill her needs.

Like a said brah she is like a 22 year old Hottie that would love to ride. If all you want to so is use her don't buy her, but if you love her and want to take care of her buy her ,rider her!!!!

I love my 1983 I have her running like I like new and now I am giveing her away to my 4 sisters that go to University of Missouri!

I let my Mechnic "Peter" and Father and Sons Porsche in Springfield, MA work on my 951 but I still work on her too!