porsche 944 s2 cabrio
Discussion
chesterboy001 said:
Has anyone got any info on what I should be looking for when buying one of these.
ta
Yep, get on to the PCGB forum, there's a specific 944 forum there with over 1000 owners able to advise, and often the best cars are sold there without being advertised. It's open to non-members, of course.ta
Basically buy the best, try several, go with someone who knows the cars, ask loads of questions. Weak areas are corrosion in the sills, timing chain needs to be checked as well as the usual belt intervals on the S2 engine, brake calipers corrode, fuel and brake lines should be replaced or will need changing. The usual stuff that can go wrong on any 20-year-old car is obviously worth checking. Recent history is all that matters, who cares if there's a receipt for wiper blades from 1994? Mileage is pretty irrelevant as well, buy on current condition and what work has been done in the last few years.
All 944s are suffering from low values, leading people to buy a shiny Porsche for a few £k and then get a shock when it needs work. They are probably the best-built car of their type and age, and parts are no problem, but you need to remember it's a £30K car and can throw quite big bills. I've spent, on average,just over £1K per year over 7 years of ownership, but this year cost c. £3.5K for servicing and repairs, and I will spend the same on bodywork alone next year. A very good long-term car, that way you can justify the money spent, so buy one where the current owner has paid out for a lot of work recently and get the benefit!
Thanks for the info. I am looking at buying a 92 with 76k on the clock>the owner had the belts changed at 57k and the clutch at 45k so to me all sounds good. The bodywork is in near pristine condition but i am paying £6k for the car. I am using the car as a thrid car so should only do about 3k miles per year. I am just worried if i am paying too much and if i do get a suprise with repairs etc it will not make the car look attractive.
I've had my S2 cab for just over a year now, I had to replace the belts and clutch in the first few months. Since then I have taken it to the nurburgring on one road trip followed by another trip to the Porsche museum via Reims. It also goes to most of the Sunday service meets and a few breakfast club mornings too.I've covered over 6k in it
The car has behaved faultlessly since and has needed very little spent on it. I've continued to spend money on it though just to update a few bits.
I can only echo what's been said buy on condition and not mileage.
The car has behaved faultlessly since and has needed very little spent on it. I've continued to spend money on it though just to update a few bits.
I can only echo what's been said buy on condition and not mileage.
chesterboy001 said:
Thanks for the info. I am looking at buying a 92 with 76k on the clock>the owner had the belts changed at 57k and the clutch at 45k so to me all sounds good. The bodywork is in near pristine condition but i am paying £6k for the car. I am using the car as a thrid car so should only do about 3k miles per year. I am just worried if i am paying too much and if i do get a suprise with repairs etc it will not make the car look attractive.
Sounds like a very good example and will be worth that sort of money if its kept nice.chesterboy001 said:
Thanks for the info. I am looking at buying a 92 with 76k on the clock>the owner had the belts changed at 57k and the clutch at 45k so to me all sounds good. The bodywork is in near pristine condition but i am paying £6k for the car. I am using the car as a thrid car so should only do about 3k miles per year. I am just worried if i am paying too much and if i do get a suprise with repairs etc it will not make the car look attractive.
How many years between the belt change though ? Should be four max and to be on the safe side, three. Other thing to note is that the cills if they go do so from the inside out so they can look fine on the outside while being well on their way out. Best thing to do is remove the little plastic grill in each door frame and shine/lower a torch down inside as part of any inspection. Once the cills start showing even slight blistering on the outside then its too late . Edited by Jon951 on Friday 23 September 13:45
I have driven my 944 Turbo tin-top as a daily for 2.5 years and 24,000 miles. It has cost me £3,800 in servicing/parts in that time, £0 depreciation and has given me a huge amount of driving satisfaction.
The cars are simple enough to work on yourself, brakes and tyres are cheap and they are much, much more exclusive than Boxsters!
The cars are simple enough to work on yourself, brakes and tyres are cheap and they are much, much more exclusive than Boxsters!
Just picked the car up yesterday from Swindon which is approx 150 miles for me. Started the car this morning and can not get it into gear. Must say when I drove it yesterday the clutch pedal was very low. Does this mean the clutch has gone and anyone any idea what sort of cost I might be looking at?
chesterboy001 said:
Just picked the car up yesterday from Swindon which is approx 150 miles for me. Started the car this morning and can not get it into gear. Must say when I drove it yesterday the clutch pedal was very low. Does this mean the clutch has gone and anyone any idea what sort of cost I might be looking at?
Sounds like clutch hydraulics to me & if it hasn't locked down more likely the master. Not difficult to do although access for bleeding is a pain. Come over to www.tipec.net as we've just done the subject to death & I have a good master & slave for sale.Second for the slave, this usually seems to go first as it's the more awkward one to change. If there's fluid leaking around the master, or in the footwell, then that's the culprit. Check the connecting pipe as well whilst you're at it.
Has the car been standing? This is often when the seals seem to give up. As previously mentioned check the belt was changed within the last four years regardless of mileage.
Has the car been standing? This is often when the seals seem to give up. As previously mentioned check the belt was changed within the last four years regardless of mileage.
chesterboy001 said:
Great news if it is the slave cylinder and a £70 bill only that I thought the clutch would be around £1k. The belts were changed 20k ago but that was 2002 so I think I will need to do this. Any idea on cost of changing belts?
Blimey. Not are you terrifying me with the idea you'd possibly change a clutch at around £1K rather than ask on a 944 forum like the free PCGB one, but you've bought a car that has a belt life of 4 years maximum when they were last changed in 2002? You might have a great bargain there, but please get some more advice before starting the car until you've changed that belt. I'm only trying to help, and I just hate getting calls from people who've had a belt fail at low miles but over four years old.
blade7 said:
Fat Albert said:
The cars are simple enough to work on yourself
Says the guy who has spent £1000s at TWG 
.I recently transformed my gear change with a £40/25min job to swap the gear lever out (adjusting the new lever to sit at 85 degrees)
My son did all the under-car stuff on the ARB bush and drop link change:
chesterboy001 said:
The belts were changed 20k ago but that was 2002 so I think I will need to do this. Any idea on cost of changing belts?
They do need changing urgently and ideally without starting the engine again before you do so...£350 as others have said. You may well find you will need to change the water pump at the same time.
Jon951 said:
chesterboy001 said:
The belts were changed 20k ago but that was 2002 so I think I will need to do this. Any idea on cost of changing belts?
They do need changing urgently and ideally without starting the engine again before you do so...£350 as others have said. You may well find you will need to change the water pump at the same time.
MTR
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