Hello! First time 944 owner here.

[Monkeythree]

Morning all,
I have just bought my first 944, indeed my first Porsche. Have been hankering after one for a while but for various reasons, haven't been able to take the plunge until now.
The bad news is that I've gone against all conventional wisdom and advice and have bought one unseen off ebay. The good news (for my preference at least) is that it is an S2 on a 92 J plate and I only paid 1750 quid for it. I'm picking it up on Monday, so here's hoping it turns out to be a gem.
I'm sure I will be back on here next week with a list of all the things I've found that need fixing!
Cheers,
M3

 

[Cater_Racer]

Well Done!

You've just won the "Bravest Member on the Forum" medal.

I hope it works out ok. Good Luck.

 

[Ex Skyline]

Welcome mate! Hope your car turns out to be a good un' []. Look forward to seeing you at our Brighton meet on the 9th June [].

 

[Hairyarse]

Welcome Monkey!

Any link/pics so we can have a look at what you've bought?

Hope you enjoy it and hope it doesn't need anything serious doing. Money to spend on it will be the question but there's no question that driving it will put a smile on your face [8D]

Where in the UK are you? Before the Brighton meet in June we have the Rutland meet next Sunday - bring you S2 along []

 

[andy watson]

Hi, is it Good morning or just morning? []

The white one?

Hope it works out ok good luck on Monday, keep us updated

 

[MartinRS2K]

Good luck with your new car, I hope it's a good one.

Post up some pics when you get it as we like pictures []

 

[pauljmcnulty]

At that price you have a bargain unless it's a complete shed, and even then the bridge spoiler and a few other parts would nearly get your money back! Can't wait to see it. [8D]

 

[GlennS]

The fatalistic Scot in me says "shed", but I hope you've found one of those elusive "bargains". Good luck! []

 

[PAUL RUDDY]

There was a white J plate on Ebay last week, buy it now of £1750, sure the ad' said same owner for 15 years, there weren't many photos or much detail but as Paul says it would probably break for more if it turns out to be trouble.

All the best with your purchase and I hope it proves to be a bargain buy.

Cheer, Paul

 

[Monkeythree]

That's the one! The chap sounded pretty decent on the phone. He bought it in 1997 with 80k on the clock and full OPC SH. Ran it as his weekender for 14 years but then took it off the road in 2011. He told me it definitely needs 2 rear tyres and the brake pipes were an advisory on the last MOT. I am assuming there will be plenty of other things that need doing after being laid up for 18 months but I'm pretty comfortable with tackling most jobs myself.
Will make an assessment of it next week once I have it home and will update and try to figure out how to pics up here.
Thanks to all for the nice welcome to the forum!

Cheers,
M3

 

[George Elliott]

Based on that full OPc history to 1997, and one owner since I'm expecting you bought £3200 worth of S2. So congratulations m3.

There's a list of points to check on all these 944 models, and you have a good head start if there is any spend required.

The Cam drive chain assembly is an important one on the S2
Cam Belt
Sills
Lower rear edge - front wings
Wheel bearings after 120k miles

red is the fastest colour on here it seems, but white is perhaps the coolest....[8D]

good luck
George
944t

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Based on that full OPc history to 1997, and one owner since I'm expecting you bought £3200 worth of S2.

Indeed!

Based on the time off road I'd want to change the belts and service it before using it to be safe; cambelt needs changing at 4 years maximum and they have been known to fail soon after that. Rarely, but it's happened, and it'll be due at some point so might as well be done immediately. It should have had a water pump, and the timing chain etc. replaced, but worth checking whilst you're at it.

 

[Diver944]

Hi Monkey and congrats on the purchase, you are a braver man than I and I really hope you've landed yourself a bargain.

Keep us updated and don't forget the obligatory pics when you get it []

 

[Mike_Pollock]

Hi and welcome, especially to the "Bought off Ebay unseen Club" , I got my 2.7 for £860, 250K + miles, hadn't moved for 6 months, 190 miles away, paid the man, fuel and air, 190 miles home!

Not the tidiest but ok.

Where are you based? We have a few 944 based meets coming up, Rutland 24th, Bedford March and Brighton June.

Did anybody mention we like pics?

Any excuse - me and mine -

 

[ChasR]

Those wheels suit it A9 XXC.

Welcome to the forum . Here's to hoping you have a good 'un. Either way, it should at least break for what you bought the car for if the worst happens.

 

[Monkeythree]

Well, it's back at my house now and after a 5 minute walkaround I can report the following:
Sills - rusty
Front wings - rusty
Roof (trailing edge of windscreen) - rusty
Clock - broken
Rear screen surround - broken/part missing
Bridge spoiler - loose
Interior - loosely attached
Engine - running on 2 cylinders

Worst problem of all though is that the service book is not for my car! So what I thought was a half decent history is actually no history at all. I presume I can get my local OPC to look up the VIN and tell me the history though?

I've checked the options and I have:
M288 - Head light washers
M490 - Hifi Sound system (long since replaced)
M526 - Cloth door panels
M605 - Head light aim control
M650 - Removable sun roof

Had a quick look in the boot and the spare, alloy jack and compressor are all there along with an aftermarket amplifier and some speakers. Hopefully I can pull the stereo bits out and get a bit back on ebay for them to further lower the net cost of the car.

So, a few things to think about and it certainly won't be at the Rutland meet I'm afraid.

If there is anyone in the South Manchester area who wants to pop round for a cup of coffee next weekend and give me a bit of guidance on it, that would be most welcome.

Cheers,

M3

 

[PAUL RUDDY]

Sounds like the initial walk round is indicative of the price, gather your thoughts, investigate further. If it was me I'd forget about the body faults for now and concentrate on the engine as this could be the make or break issue.

Best of luck.

Cheers, Paul

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Ouch, sadly that's probably not the bargain of the century! [&o]

I'd agree with Paul that checking out the engine is a place to start, but I'd also take a good look at the bodywork. Pictures are probably enough to give an opinion, but let's be honest here; even a bit of work to the sills, wings and other odd bits of rust, plus a total respray, is going to be in the thousands if it's not a bodge job. Not necessarily a bad thing, if it's a keeper then sorting a tatty, but sound, 944 is just part of the ownership experience and they aren't as bad as any car I know of from that era. When mine was done the guy had a partially-stripped XJS in, and that was not a pleasant sight compared to mine!

I'm assuming getting all the work done at a specialist, paying VAT, and using decent parts here. If you can do all the work yourself then it's a different thing.

How much do you want to put in to it? A clutch will be a grand, brake overhaul the same, is the head gasket recent? Even a belt service (probably a safe bet even if it's not due to be honest) could involve a water pump, all the seals and tensioners, the chain etc., and again will be the thick end of a grand. When was the suspension refreshed, the PAS overhauled? Even a set of new tyres and a wheel refurb is a big outlay, you can almost count on wheel bearings and engine mounts being shot.

Personally, I'd want to see a good solid shell needing only minor metalwork and a respray, and at least a few of the major mechanical jobs being done recently. Then, perhaps, it's a project? Otherwise I'd have to say it's worth paying £7 or £8K for the best S2, not ploughing many thousands in to a car that isn't a great starting point.

I hope that doesn't come across as negative, it's meant to be a brutaly honest outsider's opinion based on the worst example. The fact is, old cars cost more to restore than to buy in good condition, so you have to be sure before you start on what could be an expensive process. Get some pics up, including inside the sills and underneath, as they can look a bit scabby but be surpsisingly solid?

 

[pauljmcnulty]

I presume I can get my local OPC to look up the VIN and tell me the history though?

Possibly; they might well charge though. It's very unlikely that you would find a 944 that has a full PC history now, so it might only give you the early years' records, which is largely irrelevant. New tyres, oil or wiper blades, in 1994, don't really mean much now.

A full history and all the MOTs are nice, and point to a reasonable chance that the mileage is genuine ( many were clocked for obvious reasons when nearly new). In the real world, the mileage is meaningless unless it's a museum-piece, and the history over the last few years is all that you really need to see.

The only important one is when the belts were done. If there's no record that they were changed in the last four years as an ABSOLUTE maximum then I'd not even turn the key. It's rare that they fail, but there are enough cases of terminal failure at between 4 and 5 years to make me a bit paranoid. Other than that, an inspection on a ramp by someone who knows the cars will tell you far more about it's condition, and what needs attention, than a pile of receipts IMO.

 

[Monkeythree]

Thankfully I can do most things myself. I have the tools, space and knowledge to manage most jobs on a car and I have done a couple of restorations so I'm fairly confident. My biggest problem these days is finding the time to work on my cars but I reckon this one can be significantly improved quite quickly.
I'm comfortable with the price I paid for the car and I knew I was taking a bit of a punt when I BIN'd it. I'm sure it will work out fine in the end!
Next weekend I should get a chance to figure out why it isn't running right and then once I have all 4 firing then I might get a better idea of the condition of the engine and running gear. I noticed when I rolled it off the trailer and into my driveway that the front end felt very soft. A quick bounce on the front panel confirms the front dampers to be totally ineffective so they will have to be changed.
My biggest concern right now is where to find the black trim that goes round the rear screen. It has snapped off on the NS. Also on the OS of the rear screen, the seal is not located properly and is flapping around. PLenty to do!

Cheers,
M3