Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

hey everyone,

we are going for a test drive on sunday in a 1987 944, any advice on what to look out for?

thanks

Join the club & go out in loads or you won't have a reference point. Jims done a good buyers guide here. http://forums.tipec.net/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=5183 Cheapest cars in the long run will probably come from a club member thats spent more than the cars worth in the last 3 years. Like mine If your anywhere near me you can go out in it.

Edit Worcester. Maybe not.

Whereabouts are you test driving the '44 out? If near Warwick I could give you a hand.

Check the sills out carefully. They should have some factory looking underseal under them, in addition to a divot in the middle of the sill telling you where to jack the car up from. If it's not there the sill has seen paint and possibly bodged. Also feel for rot around the back of the wheelarch inside. Any step there or crumbling, walk away from the car. You can also check the sills by looking into them via an aperture in the B post where you can shine a light down it (plastic piece is easily removed).

Feel for backlash in the car. A little can be ok, but it's a fair bit it could be CV joints which aren't too tricky to change or it could be the clutch where you are looking at big money for putting it right.

Rust around the wheelarches on the wings is normal to a degree, just make sure it is barely surface and that's it (later cars had shields put in which promoted rust there).

Besides that, check out for the usual (play in the steering wheel etc.).

But as said the best thing to do is to come along to a club night. I think it's held on the Second Tuesday or Wednesday of every month at the Red Lion.

BTW you may end up preferring driving your 924... .

Thanks for that, another quick question, when we had a look at this '44 yesterday we noticed that there wasnt cover in the boot, i assumed like the '24 that there was one, is it jus missing maybe?

Both mine had one and standard as far as I know. But others have far more knowledge than me!

Bingo. It is indeed missing, just like the sunroof bags have gone for walkies in most.

Good point on the sun roof bag. They sell for a lot of money most of the time on Ebay so if missing it helps you get the price down a bit as I would think you would spend £100 to replace the bag and cover for the boot unless you are lucky.
Jacks are expensive as well.
Digital clocks are often damaged. Kiddies stick their fingers in on it and break them!

This one still has the sun roof bag, no boot cover
heres a couple of pics ...

Not sure if it is camera angle but the gaps in the NS headlamp pod look a bit squiffey, is it HPI clear, any sign of it having been thumped?

Sun roof bags can cost more dependant on colour, Burgundy ones are like rocking 'orse poo

yeh i noticed that wen i loaded the pics up on the comp, will av a closer look at it 2moro

Ohhh I have one of those. I guess that, along with the working clock and the sliding luggage cover, is probably worth more than the rest of the car !

Do they go faster with a sunroof bag or a working clock? When buying 20+ year old cars there are far more important things to look for. My clock doesn't work & theres no sunroof bag. But a trimmer would soon make a bag & the radio has a clock in it anyway!

i think it looks lyk we hav gt ourselves a '44

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