PCA SDR

Hello, My name is Terry Horvath. As you can tell by my user name I own a 1987 Porsche 944s. well actually this is my second 1987 944s (I just bought one this evening...) and it was also my very firstc ar in 1988 when i graduated high school.
In any event, tonight I purchased the 944s with 180k miles on it. It is a second owner car (I was told it was originally owned by a member here (Bruce N. Colby). If anyone should know this gentleman, or if he happens to be here, I had a couple questions for him...
I received a file of every piece of work done on the car since the day it was purchased new (about 300 pages) and it seems to hve been veyr well taken care of.
It runs great, the tranny seems really tight and the clutch is like new.
From what I can read of the records, the clutch, all seals, all belts, water pump, and exhaust was replaced at 140k...
With 40k miles added since then, what should I be looking for? Brakes are brand new, tires are brand new and every electrical part on the car is working...
Thanks for any suggestions...
T. A Horvath

my87944s wrote:From what I can read of the records, the clutch, all seals, all belts, water pump, and exhaust was replaced at 140k...
With 40k miles added since then, what should I be looking for? Brakes are brand new, tires are brand new and every electrical part on the car is working...
Thanks for any suggestions...
T. A Horvath

T.A. Horvath:

If the car was driven competitively (autocross/time Trial/DE) I'd be slightly concerned about the timing/Balance Shaft belts and water pump. If the car was strictly street driven, you've got roughly another 20K on pump and belts before you need servicing/replacing ... and that's an estimate.

When I bought my 944, I had an inspection done of the belts. From what the Tech could tell, they were fine for about 30K .... which is what I got out of them.

If you have the time, take it to someone like Dieter's or Black Forest and have them look at the belts, and listen to the water pump for clicking/whirring of the bearings. Don't take risks with the timing belt. If unsure, replace it (along with the B/S belt and water pump, since your in there). Bent valves are costly!

All othe parts should be great.

Good luck!

And of course, welcome to PCASDR. We're happy to have you join our region!

Hi Terry,

Welcome to the Club! I think you'll find that this is the friendliest and most helpful group of Porsche people around.

Two other items of concern on your 944S:

1) The cam chain tensioner. Not to be confused with the cam timing belt, this tensioner is unique to the 16-valve 944's and is beneath the small roller chain that connects the intake and exhaust camshafts (the sprockets are actually in the middle of the camshafts). A good replacement interval for this part is about 100,000 miles, and although a bit pricey ($250-$300), it's cheap insurance because its failure can wipe out the entire valvetrain. A pretty easy do-it-yourself job, if you're so inclined, because replacement doesn't require removing the cams or chain.

2) Front suspension balljoints. Later 944's have aluminum lower control arms with integral balljoints, so if they're loose you pretty much have to replace the entire assembly. I am very satisfied with rebuilt arms ($149 a side, plus your worn-out cores) from Vertex in Florida. New Porsche factory arms are in the $450-$500 range, per side!!!

Good luck!

--Doug Kott

Please allow myself to introduce...myself. My name is Richie Cunningham.

Welcome to the club. The water-pumper contingent will be pleased.

First I want you go out to the car and remove the interior, next you need to install a cage and then you are ready for the 944-spec calss (or no class depending on how you look at it):wink:.

Just do the major maintenance items listed above (and over fill the oil about 1/8th above full), and you should have a reliable fun car .

Bill Addy wrote:First I want you go out to the car and remove the interior, next you need to install a cage and then you are ready for the 944-spec class

No, Bill, didn't you read this thread? First he needs to take a driving school and get some seat time. Unless, of course, he is actually Kimi Raikonnen slumming in San Diego under an assumed name.

Although my previous 944 was never taken to the track, I had a Ford Focus SVT that had been completely gutted, caged, a complete Eibach kit, several bolt ons and exhaust...
That was taken to ButtonWillow a couple times before I sold it.
I have taken the car to Pioneer Porsche (I have a very good friend who works there) and it has been given a good bill of health. there are a couple suspension bushings, a door hunge, power steering res. hose and a couple switches that need to be replaced. But the belts, water pump and engine are strong.
I will keep up with the site and try to make it out to meet some fo you...
Thanks,
Terry

The latest edition of European Car, the magazine, is almost all about 944's this month. Upgrades, maintenence,etc...