Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Greetings, well having chased around 944 Turbos and 959's in my old RAM SC cobra replica years ago, I finally have got my own Porsche today.

I saw a lovely black 944 s2 in Cornwall and brought it all the way back here to sunny Fife where its life has started today with me on my 40+ birthday.

What a present, feeling dead chuffed. I will post pictures when I get a chance with some sun after I clean all the muck off it from its 700 mile drive.

on the to do list

get rid of titchy Momo steering wheel and put back original Porsche steering wheel - offers?.
fix LED clock on dash
Get oil pressure gauge working, intermittent at the moment.

A question are the dashboard lights meant to be that dim, far dimmer than any other car I have owned and not good in twilight but ok in darkness.

Here's to a happy ownership.

Fife

Hi and welcome.

Glad you like your purchase, and a lot to b said for it making such a long journey. Always worrying in a new car.

Enjoy the ride

Well done. Bought my first Porsche for my 40th birthday last century. When I bought the S2 five years ago the clock needed 'fixing' - well just a light bulb anyway. If the oil pressure gauge is intermittent I'd start by cleaning connectors - after that I'm stuck.

Dashboard lights are always like that. I think it's great because when you switch the lights on at dusk you don't even notice they are on but you can still see the display all the way through to darkness. You'll get used to it. White on black is the best contrast as well as one ages and the eyes get worse! I used to think dashboard displays went out of focus with the car's age, until the lady in Boot's Opticians told me different. The red on black BMW is the hardest contrast to see clearly. I'm just guessing how fast I'm going in the 525i.... well that's my excuse anyway m'Lord.

Enjoy it, they're a great car, but like mine, yours won't be as fast as others because apparently it's not the fastest colour..... somebody will tell you which is soon.

Lets see some pictures of it, and the Cobra copy too.

There's plently off 2nd wheels avabile on eBay, iv recently changed mine 4 a Rs club sport style. Would swap my oem wheel with u.

Dash lights are dim due to the reflection tunnel under the instrument cluster which the light travels though. There's a few things you can do, stronger bulbs, but they do burn out the sockets! Some other bulbs like LEDs. But what your relise when u got it apart is that light is not aimed directly at the clocks, and are relation on the relfextion.

I removed the old mirror backing with astone and gule the inside off chirps packets 2 replace the relfextive coating. Has worked well, also changed my bulbs 2 blue LEDs but think White would be make visablety even better. It's a good chance 2 check all the warning light bulbs as well.

Clock! Just leave it unless u like buy LCD rolex! There about 50 2nd hand and 100+ new

I'm going 2 try and replace mine with a cheapo slim line replacement. Of eBay 4 about 4 pounds!

Well done on your new purchase - I've had my 944S since July and have been very impressed by it and will certainly be looking to get an S2 myself at some point in the future.

If it hasn't been done very recently, perhaps you should get the cam chain tensioner and slippers inspected - should only be an hour's job at your local specialist. Any signs of excessive wear here should be dealt with immediately.

Presumably, you have a record of when the cam belt was last changed? Even if it's been replaced in the last few thousand miles you may as well get the tension of the cam belt checked at the same time as the cam chain tensioner inspection.

Keep on top of the general maintenance and I hope you enjoy your 944 as much as I do.

Cheers

Mark

Pictures will be in the next week of both no problem

I had the cam belt and tensioner all changed before buying as it was a personal car of garage owner, it was 10,000 short but I thought may as well.

I have brought a 2nd hand LCD off ebay that works, so fun coming up fitting it.

Bits arrived this morning, oil pressure sender, middle baggage hinge replacement, as well as spare belts, DME relay etc,

it will be back home tomorrow, and then straight to local garage monday for a once over and then into the body shop, so with a quick clean i'll get some before and after shots. Interior is nearly new, but body 22yrs old, so a few chips and scratches to sort.

Many thanks for the comments, i'm just looking forward to having a car to work on and enjoy with my wife and daughter for trips around.

More in due course.

Hi Fife and welcome , where are you? It's a big Kingdom. Plenty of people travel down to our TIPEC monthly get together in Bo'ness on the first Wednesday of the month if you fancy a blether. I'm sure you will find someone there who has already done the jobs you want to do, and give some advice.
http://tipec.net/region_scotland.php
Pictures would be good, can't wait to see them or the car in the flesh/metal.

Hi and welcome

Was that the black one on PH/Ebay recently for around 2750?. I was tempted to look at that myself.

Evening all.

the car was this one seen on ebay along with a load of others on Piston Heads, fleabay and elsewhere. Nice bunch out there as well as some real dogs.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320607387143&ssPageName=STRK:MEDWX:IT#ht_1974wt_1139

I met the former owner in Carlisle last weekend to collect the car.

The drive back, I had the 1st 80 or so miles in the 944, then back in the Aero, then back in the Porsche, all very enjoyable.

I drove back having not studied controls or manual. My immediate points, Mirrors too far in on drivers side, I spent the first part of the journey adjusting myself to 80's interior on the motorway and wondering if the speedo was accurate. Nice gearing. hmm i think i could get to like this car. So long as my daughter can fit in the back hhmmm????

JJ enjoyed driving the Aero as I drove back in the 944.

The car felt tight and the engine pulled very nicely and strongly with smooth torque. None of the urgency of the Aero with its Turbo, too be fair though the Porsche was over 100bhp down even if 200kg lighter. Road noise more obvious, as was passing traffic noise. Handling, superb; stearing very sharp but too touchy with momo steering wheel that obscured the top of the instruments.

Back in the Aero, yup more power, more body roll, and under steer when pushing on. Quieter and as sharp on turn in, but more movement through the corner. Its tyres are much smaller, the Aero 215/16 vs 235/17 and 255/17 on the Porsche so not surprising.

Swap back into the Porsche, very nearly slip into car ahead, pulling out with a degree of arrogance with respect to the car parked in front. Phew, I had escaped being stuck behind a big camper van and 15+ cars following. No such luck for JJ in the Aero he fell miles behind.

30 or so very enjoyable minor A road miles later through the borders, feeling much more at home, seat position better (no seat memory sadly) and getting the feel for the balance and poise. JJ was now only 1 car behind, good driving by him in strange car, he liked the ease in how you could just overtake in the Aero.

The Purchase,

Just as James said, whom i brought it from. Very tight mechanically superb, good tyres and smooth flexible engine. He had spent money on the mechanicals and got most of it working properly and the interior is superb (a couple of carpet issues aside) Just the body needs a little work.

On the final stretch, on roads JJ knew, I couldn't keep with him. The Aero was pullling away on the straights and I could just about hold it in the corners. Hmmm, I gave the Porsche some beans and started heeling and toeing. The position was not too bad, 'mental note' try different footwear next time.

I'll see it briefly tomorrow, before the match at Murrayfield, then drive it back to the North Fife coast Sunday.

photos maybe Monday.

Might be the same MisterGT, I got it with new belts and renewed the road tax. Went with usual Adrian Flux for classic car insurance.

Now for the good bit, I need to start bonding with it on roads I know.

Sleep well

Fife is the Life

Looks like your enjoying it! Lets hope it doesn't snow all Winter like it did last year!

I have a very nice standard black wheel up for grabs. Your oil pressure problem will be the terminals on the back of the gauge need cleaning, you'll probably find all of the will need done, the voltmeter is usually the first one to need cleaned as well. Alasdair in not so sunny Bonnybridge.

I did a 'repair' on my dash lights today they were so dim I had trouble telling if they were on unless it was completely dark outside.

There is a good guide on instrument cluster removal here:

http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/elect-07.htm

and also check this one for replacing the reflective backing:

http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/elect-08.htm

Mine looked particularly bad when I got the cluster out of the car





I stripped the silver off with nail varnish remover,covered the reflectors with tin foil and taped it on.I also cleaned all the bulbs, they had a bit of a greasy/dusty film on them which no doubt dimmed them a bit.

Whole process took about an hour from start to finish and I am much happier with the brightness at dusk.Definitely a job worth doing especially if you are taking the steering wheel off to change.

The result

What you get up to at the weekend is really none of our business

Each to his own I say, but if you want a tip - my daughter keeps a pair of 'flatties' in the car so that she can change into them from her 'heels' when she's driving. Hope it's of use to you.

Aero? Is that the one that melts in your mouth?

Hello and welcome, I hope 944 ownership is enjoyable for you, I can't comment on the fastest colour anymore, but I'm sure someone will soon

Usefull pics.

May i just add. I found crisp packet 2 be much more refelextive then tin fold and chrome paint.