opinions please

[944 lux]

I've been looking out for a 944 and found this one locally. It drove very well, but I have a couple of questions I'm hoping you guys can help with;

1 - one headlamp was nice and bright, the other was extremely dull - bit like it was just a sidelight bulb. Is this a big job to fix, or simply a new bulb? The actual headlight unit on the dull side felt a bit loose in the housing - again, is this easily sorted?
2 - when going to full beam the headlamp got no brighter, but the rectangular lamps in the bumper came on - is this correct?
3 - the car had passed its MOT yesterday, but the ABS lamp was on. The owner told me he disconnected the ABS because he prefers the car without it, and that the car passed its MOT like this. I was under the impresson that a car fitted with ABS had to have working ABS to pass an MOT - comments please.
4 - there is bubbling under the paint at the base of the windscreen pillar, and just above the windscreen. It felt solid when I pressed against it. Is this just cosmetic or something to worry about?
5 - passenger electric window doesn't work, but spare regulator is provided - is it a big job to swap this over?

There is paperwork covering the last few years, some back to 1997 but it is not complete. The owner tells me he did the belts whe he got the car three years ago, but there is no paperwork to support it. He is into classic cars and got this one to replace a Lotus Excel. He told me he prefers to work on teh mechanical side of things, and that he wants to move onto another project now that this one is done. As I said, it drove very well and looks presentable. I'd be grateful to hear from you regarding the points I have raised, and on the car in general.

Thanks for reading

 

[homesea]

My main point is why has a S2/turbo front end been fitted??

 

[robwright]

OK dull headlamps are a trate of the 944 they aren't great but an exceptionally dull one is usually down to rubbish 20 year old wiring. On main beam the pop ups should go to main beam as well as the bumper lights. Not sure it should have passed MOT like that. It certainly shouldn't pass with ABS lamp on. May have been disabled for the MOT. The pop ups can be a bit fiddly to sort but is doable. I see it is a Lux so if I am not worng it has been fitted with a Turbo/S2 body kit. Maybe worth looking to see how well it has been done. The corrosion could be cosmetic hard to say without seeing it. I would be more interested in checking the condition of the sills. Window regulator is fiddly but doable again. I would say £2750 is maybe a bit high for a Lux that clearly needs some work doing. For instance I would want evidence of the belts being done as they need doing every 40,000 miles or 4 years so you may need to do them also, which may also mean a water pump etc. If it is as OK as you say I would bid him at £1500 and see how you go on. That is just my opinion of course. Good luck fella []

 

[944 lux]

Thanks for your reply - I think I'll pass on this one.

 

[alwigley]

I can echo Rob's comments on the headlights - they are notoriously dull after 20+ years, perhaps even down to the reflectors corroding/dulling over the years. Hard to comment on how bad they are without seeing them, but I wonder if one of the units has been completely replaced at some point in the past few years, which perhaps begs the question as to whether it has been in a front end collision ? Might be worth looking a little closer to see if this is the case - not necessarily a problem if its been properly repaired. For reference, the lights on my '83 are in decent condition, with Xenon bulbs fitted, and are terrible in comparison with the family Galaxy - I drive small country roads home in the dark and am occasionally terrified by the fact I can't see much without high beam on ! Checking sills by looking down the access hole in the door shuts is pretty near essential, especially if you are looking at corrosion elsewhere, and it sound like getting the belts done will be a priority. Price seems a bit high bearing in mind the current climate, particularly without the service history, so worth negotiating if you like the car. Beware, 944 ownership is addictive ! See how many people on this forum own more than one......... Happy hunting []

 

[robwright]

If the ABS light is on then it can't pass MOT. It is not hard to disable it though just disconnect the fuse. Then the light won't be on. They don't test ABS on MOT. ABS itself has no effect on braking efficiency it just helps you out in a skid to allow you to steer. Wait for a couple of more replies before you make your mind up mate. What I said is just my opinion and like they say opinions are like a***holes - everyone's got one. But I do think this car needs some work.

 

[homesea]

The standard brakes are good on all 944's, but I'm sure if a car has ABS it needs to work for an MOT. The lights could be just a blown bulb. The bubbling is odd because they dont rust around the window. Window motor/reg is a pain in the backside to change. How many have you looked at?

 

[944 lux]

Looked at one in the summer, but the steering was impossibly heavy on it and it needed a couple of niggly jobs and the belts done so I passed on it. I've seen another advertised about eighty miles away and waiting for the seller to get back to me, and there's this one. What I'm looking for is something that doesn't need any immediate expense, and that looks presentable - I'm not desperately after a concours car, which is just as well as my budget is around £2k. I'm in no rush either, I don't need one, I just want one!

 

[homesea]

I've just had a look on the normal sites, but I cant see one nice lux for sale. Whats happened to them all? Well I do like this: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2366276.htm It would make me smile every time I got in it [] Why didnt the turbo ever come with those seats.

 

[Lowtimer]

ORIGINAL: homesea I've just had a look on the normal sites, but I cant see one nice lux for sale. Whats happened to them all?

As far as I can tell, over the last 18 months or so they have been getting scrapped at a very high rate. I think quite a few went under the scrappage scheme and more have probably gone to the scrapper because of needing work doing that the owners decide not to pay for on the basis that it is not worth spending money on a car with a low market value (or they can't afford to spend the money, having budgeted to run a £2,000 car on peanuts).

ORIGINAL: 944 lux Thanks for your reply - I think I'll pass on this one.

I would pass on it. Partly because the advert says "This is an excellent example of a 944 which I have kept original" when it is anything but original with that front end. And partly because it should have working ABS. It is all very well for the vendor to say he's disconnected it because he prefers it without, but that doesn't really hold water. If all it needs is reconnecting, why did he not reconnect it to sell the car? After all he's the one boasting about how original it is.

 

[robwright]

ORIGINAL: homesea Why didnt the turbo ever come with those seats.

I am glad the turbos never ever came with those seats!! I'll stick with my black leather interior thanks []

 

[gordon0310]

Hi mate if you would consider a 924 there is this one http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/4650008366_5e554884ff_b.jpg if you like the look of it, i believe its going for 2k if you contact Helen Goff through the members section. I'm picking up a 944 S2 of of her this weekend.

 

[blease]

I would agree that the presentation of this vehicle rings alarm bells. Read the buyers guides. There is lots of advice here and also a nice guide on the TIPEC forum. Compare this car with several others. If you can exclude any further major body rot and the car stands up to comparison with others then I would agree with the suggested bid of £1500. You have to factor in £700 for belts and idlers which need doing because of age not mileage in this instance.

 

[MarkK]

So many nice cars out there if you look,dont buy a hodge podge,i would pass as it sounds expensive aswell[:-]

 

[944 lux]

Thanks for the advice guys. The seller wasn't up for haggling - his view was that's the price, take it or leave it. Having thought about it overnight I'm going to take the latter option. Bit disappointing reeally - it looked far better in the pictures than it did in the metal. The search contuinues... For my budget I think a 2.5 or 2.7 lux, or a nice 924 are the ones to look for. I'd rather have a tidy looked after 924 than a rough 944. I also think it will need to be fairly local to me unless I can be 99% sure it is the car I want - if I had travelled any great distance to see that car last night I would have been pretty annoyed!

 

[Fat Albert]

I drove all over the place looking for mine and then found one 8 miles from my house....

 

[ukmastiff]

I have looked at and bought better for 1,000 less and I personally wouldn't consider that car at anywhere near that price. As for he likes to do mechanical things to cars ? but it's being sold with a non working weindow and ABS that confuses me ? ( and yes its an MOT failure) Be patient ( says mr non patient) and it will pay off in the end. I was being offered quite nice ones needing minor work for 1,000 6 months ago but I agree there seem to be far less for sale in the last 3 months or so in particular. Best of luck Mas

 

[944 lux]

OK, I've prety much decided that the black one isn't for me. Heres another car I've found. Bit of a drive away, but possibly worth it. I've spoken briefly with the seller who tells me the bonnet struts are weak and could do with replacing, the sunroof leaks and the passenger door pull is missing. He also said there is evidience of paintwork over the years, and evidence of the sills being repaired but to a good standard. Other than that everything works as it should. The tyres are a matching set of budget tyres (I think he said CEAT) that he says are OK for grip in the wet. What are peoples opinions on this one?

 

[MRGT]

Looks quite nice, it has the leather sport seats and D90 alloys which are a plus and the price is better, usual checks still apply though . Do I spy a working clock as well .Also I have never understood why folk fit the cheapest tyres possible on these cars given that a set of Kumho's of Falkens will only set you back around £10 more per tyre if you shop around.

 

[ukmastiff]

For me it is worth 500 pounds over the other car just for being one of the great and most classic Porsche colours. I'm serious too , Zermatt looks so much better in the flesh than it usually does on your computer screen too I dont know why. And its not just my personal taste , its a very popular colour and I would jump at an S2 in it. I dont believe for a minute someone bought that car with that colour interior , it really does not go at all IMHO and I think the wheels are too modern a look for a lux but thats just me. I do think the interior has been sourced post manufacturing , but either way for me it's wrong. That said , it looks to have much more potential than the other car for being 'possibly' a decent one at reasonable money and I would over time sell the interior and change it, and get a set of older wheels on the car. Zermatt car with classic wheels , you'd have a real looker ! It clearly only has a little bit of history so will never ever be worth top money but he's not asking fortunes for it. It can't be far off the money 'if' its straight surely ( just a bit lol) My Zermatt car below , tel me she wasn't beautiful !

Regards Mas