Saw this ad for a Porsche 944 nearby which reads:
Selling my 1984 Porsche 944 currently does not run but can run with a slave cylinder install. For the price will include master cylinder, slave cylinder, new ignition coil, 5qt of synthetic oil unopened, and a brand new dme computer.
Do not have the time to complete the build.
Willing to negotiate and open to trades
https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/d/1984-porsche-944/6666398996.html
The pics show it on a Uhaul trailer so I am guessing he towed it home, realize there are bigger issues at hand and trying to recoup funds.
Thoughts?
Stated issues wouldn't prevent it from running. I'd be worried about timing belt personally.
Probably a bit high priced, IMO.
No mention of a recent timing belt change, so expect another $600 in parts for belts/water pump/hoses and other tune up parts.
The firewall could be cracked, but Clutch master/slave failures can and do happen and they can be a bit fiddly to change, but not the end of the world.
I'd show up with $800 in cash and if you want to go forward, start laying $100's on the hood one at a time until they bite.
If they don't bite, then walk away. I wouldn't offer that over email though, actually seeing the money in person tends to help.
has E36 M3ty steel wheels on it?
If it runs but can't be driven, that would narrow down the number of problems you would be buying into.
It's not much money, but don't know how much you might spend in the first year. If your going to do all the work yourself, could be a great project.....
Yeah the not running part is kinda odd if it is just the slave. I texted the guy and apparently the PO did the timing belt/water pump because it wouldn't start. This guy bought it, swapped the DME and got it running. Then the slave went...
Probably not a terrible deal, though the steelie wheels suck (but 944/911 wheels aren't very expensive, really). I would check for wetness inside though....battery tray is the only place that rusts on a 944, but when it rusts throgh ALL the rain goes into the passenger footwell. Also the sunroof and rear hatch can leak.
Not the end of teh world since 944s are galvanized, so it could be wet and still wont be rusty.....but the carpeting and soundproofing will ALL have to go.....ask me how I know :)
If you can fire it up and the engine sounds ok, $1k probably isn't a bad deal. Body looks to be in decent shape and the interior looks ok other than the seats. Clearly has a dash overlay, but all old 944s get dash cracks. A good overlay looks fine.
I'd second the previous post....offer $800. That said if the car runs and he's set on $1k, still probably worth it.
"PO did timing stuff" isn't worth anything unless it's documented. If it isn't, that will be your top priority. It's actually not all that hard, and I don't recall my timing/water pump stuff costing $600.....
In reply to irish44j :
When you add in all of the coolant hoses and a new radiator (because they are plastic end tanks and fail due to age) along with all of the while you're in there stuff like vacuum lines, power steering parts, etc, you can easily hit $600 in parts. Luckily that will be it, much like on a BMW with the plastic coolant parts, for quite a while.
In reply to Stefan :
yeah, on my list to find an aluminum radiator myself, but in the meantime I have a newish OEM-style one. I was just referring to the timng stuff itself. You don't have to remind me how much that stuff costs, I had to buy most of it in the last couple years lol...!
Thanks guys for the input. I am going to go check it out this weekend and make him an offer. I think it's more than the slave issue why it won't start but if the body is clean it should be a good project.
In reply to Kingkong :
A slave failure won't stop it from starting. From easily being driven? Sure, but you can still start it in gear if you need to move it.
Without more information on symptoms, I'd guess that it could be reference sensors, DME relay or a snapped timing belt
Well ended up picking up a cheap miata yesterday so my Porsche days will have to wait. I appreciate the help though guys.
Honestly? Unless you need the extra space, the Miata is a better sportscar by at least a generation. The 944 is a decent GT car though.
So when's the build thread coming? :)
