Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hello,

I am fully in the market for a 944 - probably a normally aspirated lux. I have zeroed in on one, it has just under 100,000 miles, owned carefully for 10 years over which it travelled a modest 10,000 miles, has been serviced and MOT'd thoroughly.

Also, speaking to the owner - call me a snob - just reassured me, a pleasant older gentleman and his wife in their early 70's who have treated it tenderly.

That said, the sills have been replaced and the bonnet resprayed.

This means (a) the car has had rust and (b) there has been welding. Should I be afraid?

Secondly, are there any other obvious issues to look out for in the world of 1987ish 944's?

Thirdly, the car looks spotless in the photos and unmodified. Not a desirable colour or interior but I prioritise general condition with a date of birth of 1987. Any comments of support or warning greatly appreciated,

Cheers,

Dan

Hi Dan

Don't be afraid of having the sill replaced....most would have had this work done by now and those that haven't are probably close to needing it done soon. However what's important is who did the work and how well did they do it? Assuming that it's a good job don't take the rest of the body for granted, give it a good going over. The sills on 944's rust from the inside out so you need to look inside to be sure that all is ok. If you open the door you'll see a plastic vent in the pillar, this just clips out, remove it and take a look inside, an endscope would be best here as you'll be able to get the camera deep inside to check. Lower wing panels can also rust although these are usually more obvious. One point on what you have said, 10k over 10 years, do make sure that the car has new belts, 10k is only a quarter of their service duration but the belts also deteriorate over time, over those 10 years the car should have had it's belts changed at least twice, more like 3.

Where are you located? it's always a good idea to take someone along with you who's owned these cars for some years, they should be able to spot the bad points...

Good luck on your purchase, the 944 (all models) is a very special car, one of a kind...

regards

Pete

Thanks Pete,

noted, it was serviced in August so the key point is to check when the belts were last changed.

As I understand it, the main expensive issues are the belts breaking and damaging the engine and the clutch. So I will need to check to see if these have been done.

if the clutch hasn't been replaced at all, I suspect 98,000 is around the time one would expect it to need replacing, and that's I gather a £1500 job.

Thanks again,

Dan

As long as the sill has been done properly, I should think it's a plus.

Having bought a 944 S2 for decent money, I found a small amount of filler in the bottom of the drivers wing. £4,500 later, sills - both inner & outer, replaced/fabricated, wing bottoms rebuilt & paint, all with photographic evidence, I'd hope that the value of the car has been increased.

As the numbers on the road reduce, and 911 prices sky rocket, 924/944 prices will continue to rise for well sorted & maintained cars. If you maintain the car properly, you may get near to want you've spent on one if you hang on to it for long enough.

Luckily, it's a stunning car to drive which lessens the pain slightly!

No need for fear. You'd be lucky to find one that hasn't had the sills done and if you do find one it will probably need them doing soon. As long as they have been competently done using the correct replacement panel from Porsche (look for the indented diamond halfway along the sill that identifies the jacking point) it shouldn't be a cause for concern.