Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Have you found the  upkeep costs off your poor mans Porsche, cheap? I brought a 103000 mile motor from a mercainc, and with my only knowage off the 944 brand sourced off the Internet. I went 2 look at a White s2 with blue leather interour car dealer ship in tonbrige, priced at 3000 down from 3900. Stright away I learnt how disciving pictures can be. The paint was so so 4 a White car but there was rust and damp moister under the windscreen and rear hacth. I didn't drive it, but I got 2 sit in it and get fermiler with the controls and dash. Bearing in mind this was the 1st 944 I had seen in the flesh. Spent a good 15-20 mins. Rember sitting in the drivers seat turning around 2 see what the viewing was like out the rear glass hacth, and be surprised at how close the rear seats were! Also the hacth released would open the boot everything I shut the door! I thought this was normal operation and quite cool( really it was just the vibration of the door shutting ) I was quite happy with the look off the car but this one was no were near a condition I would be happy with. 

Next I kept looking, and more in 2 sercive history and condition I didn't even realise the S modle I had brought on eBay wasn't a turbo style front end. The car didn't reach the reserve price. I phoned the seller and asked if he still had the car, talked a bit and he informed me he had brought the reseve down and it fell short off it's asking price by 5 pounds! So I offered him 2400 and said r come up that weekend 2 collect.  

Still not owning a licesnce at that time, I took my dad on the train from herne bay 2 Cornwall. After 9 hour train journey. I think my dad had decide he wernt coming back on the train!  The owner wasn't there, his wife was in labour and a child was the reson 4 sale. The car seems sound, checked all the panel gaps rev it 2 4000 checked 4 blue smoke, followed the buys guild. Check the dash 4 cracks. I didn't relise there would be a rip in the drivers bolster or the LCD clock would be broken. ( comman find ) but the owner wasn't about 2 price talk with. Got the car  up on the ramps checked about underneath. My dad. Pretty clued up on cars but not 944. But all seemed well. Wacth it go though it's mot. Checked the sercive history last belt change was ten years ago at 65000 it now sat on 103000. New pads and tires. Oil seemed well. So dad gave it a test drive and opened it up, with a smile. So we brought it, and he drove it 360 miles home. Car was fualtless. It even went though a 20 min heavy down pour with no leaks. 

So 4 2400 I was the owner off a red and cream leather 944 S

Next few days I had my test but failed due 2 not pulling my hand brake up at a stop sign. And the car sat there! I got a few friends over 21 with 3 years driving experience, so I could take it out with L plates. 

A month later I had my lincense and had all the belts rollers and water pump replaced, full service, new bonnet badge. ( the belts that were removed along with rollers were like new ) still peace off mind!

The first thing that broke was the rear wiper blade, droping off the side off the  glass, then the pansangers door lock broke ( still is ) un open able from out side the car.   Iv got Porsche script handles which are still expensive 2 replace 2nd hand. And prob wouldn't be same colour as the other side. 

Then from there a fluat each week! But the car has allways started and been driveable. 

Iv covered 140000 miles in it, been as far as southhapton, been 2 lakeside a few nights, giving it some beans. !

There's the story, here's the list off replaced parts. Most small things iv done my self. Oil ( castrol magnetic 10/40 )changed every 3000 ish miles with filter every 2nd. 

Belt kit, rollers, water pump. The garage lost my positive crank shaft ventaion tube. And was replaced with rubber bungs.

Pro max chip

Gear box oil changed with speco

Power steering pump and belt. Stainless life time exhaust. ( de cat )Lower rad hose, head gastic and valve stems reseated. Sunroof gears twice. 

18" wheels with new pirlles all round, just changed rears 4 new michalin poilte sports.

Wheel locking bolts. 

New windscreen and drivers side window. 

Rear hoop spoiler from eBay. 

Wiper linkage repaired with a shoe lace and cable ties ( just passed mot like this ) about 5 new wiper blades. Rear wiper delet bung.

Engine reseal new belts again and chain and tensor replaced. New dissy cap ignition leads. 

Cam cover repainted.

New coolant fan relay and sensor. 

2 oil senders

All grounds cleaned. 

Body wise

Turbo front end, bumper badge panel, headlight lids and front surround. 

Turbo under trim

968 wing mirrors

Door guards removed

Cut n/a fenders 2 fit turbo shape

Clean lesnse front , side and rear. 

Replaced eBay hoop
Spoiler with 968

Front chin spoiler pro 9( £350 is brought from Porsche shop)

Full respary in black, 
Respary window wipers and window surrounds 

Rear bumper de rubbered 

Front fenders re plated, one rear wheel arch sill re plated. 

Plastic wheel arch liners painted. 

Wheel arch lips rollered. 

Wheels refurbed ( twice )
Coulored centre caps

New window scrappers 

Rubber boot lock 

De stickered and rear badge


Inteour 

Replaced instrument cluster and renew light channels. Turned ash tray in 2 I phone holder

Fitted 996 front seats. 

New leather gear gatiour

Floor mats. 

The usual cleaning routin. 

Think that's about it. 

Next plans, are interour re dye. New club sport wheel. New brakes ( boxster S ) new suppsenstion. Silcone hoses and vacuume lines.

Needs new rack and roll bar.

( also replace all the interiors screws

Errrrrrr I could tell you but I don't think theres enough ink in this thing..... Not there yet.

Hey T3rra,

Nice clean ride! Few questions;

How did you turn your ash tray into the iphone holder? Did you just cut the plastic?

Did your 996 seats fit in ok?

If you don't mind me asking how much did u pay for your full respray?

I just changed my 5th sunroof gear today!

Rich

T3rra, just seen your seat fitting post.

Looks like you used the plastic box mount iphone came with?

Car looks really good, but I have too say that those wheels dont look quite right. sorry.

Rich, 2nd time round I did, and used a dermail 2 cut the the fold back lid out. The I phone is a close fit so, it looks clean. Still got 2 fill and smooth the egaes and paint. But now iv got a g4 so are have 2 change it again.

1st time I used a plastic protection backing case and filed the ash tray it bolster wood ( light and packed it out ) then gule, like no nails 2 stick the case in place, was going 2 spary the whole thing after, but it was hard 2 get back out at times.

The packing works well as there's some flex in it and this make it much easyer 2 put out. I had a blue thoot head unit, and used my phone 2 play music from. But the blue thoot stop working. So now I use an aux cable. And feed it under the centre console and out the hole. The phone don't sit flush now. ;(

I also removed the tray and now there's no weight or anchor and it can come out round hard conners.