Back to Life: Resurrecting a Neglected Car
Evaluate the car’s overall mechanical condition. Look past the cosmetics and get into the question of “Does it start, run, drive, turn and stop?”
Door Handles…
Once the two connectors are loose, carefully manipulate the handle to remove it from the door. This is best achieved by rotating the handle carefully DOWN so that the forward end of the handle is facing the ground, then carefully manipulating the inside mechanisms through the hole in the door skin. Slowly remove the handle without using a lot of force.
Mission Creep
Those of us who work with Porsches know all about Mission Creep. You start a repair, upgrade or other job and before you know it, you are attempting a lot more than you originally thought.
924 vs. 924S vs. 944: What’s the Difference?
The first major redesign in 1985 – designated as “Series II” cars – are typically called “eighty-five-and-a-half” cars. These are easily identified by the new dashboard and console featuring an oval gauge cluster.
Strange Alternator Failure…
When I got in the car, I had the key in hand but not in the ignition, and the battery light was on. Key in the ignition, turn it on, and the battery light went off. Crank up the car, and no battery light. The car started fine, light was out, all is good.
Buying a Used 924S
Acquiring 924S and 944 cars is a disease for which there is no known cure. We find parts cars, neglected cars and even good cars, but it seems that all of them have something that needs to be fixed or improved – thus the symptoms of the disease.
Mechanical Myths
“I will put some of this in it, and it will be fine.” If it is leaking, it will continue to leak. Magic fluids may help in an emergency, but eventually the leak will come back and it will need to be fixed properly. Magic leak-stopping fluids may get you home, but they are not a permanent fix.
“The Theory of Last Touched…”
If applying the “theory of last touched,” the first place to start is to review whatever I did before – whatever I last touched on the car.
The Answer is Always 944
“But I want to do all of it.”
This is where the 944 shines. This is why the 944 is the perfect enthusiast’s car.
On Saturday you can go to the PCA autocross, and embarrass a Boxster or two. Sunday morning, you can go to Cars and Coffee, and park your classic Porsche up front.
On Monday, you can drive your 944 to and from work, read some forums when you get home, and order that coil-over kit you’ve been looking at. Next weekend you’ll embarrass three Boxsters.
When – especially when – you want to do all of it, the 944 has you covered.
The Mystery of the Sunroof
One of the most common 944 sunroof failures occurs in the latches in the roof. The cable engages a nylon gear in each latch, spinning it and driving the latch up and down. When something goes wrong, this $10 gear is the failure point – nylon vs. metal.
Making the Hatch Work
A few weeks ago we had a 944S come into the shop with a leaky hatch – not at the top, but the owner complained about exhaust smell into the cockpit.
Clutches and Reference Sensors…
In the past year or so I have come across an interesting situation regarding failed reference sensors that involve the clutch – something to put in your mechanical head and use when the time is right…
Brakes…There’s a Problem…
Here at 924S944.com, we have a theory – there are no cores, so therefore no rebuilt calipers. Unfortunately, you cannot print out calipers on your 3-D printer – at least, not yet. Until that happens, there will be few calipers at the auto supply store.
Porsche 944 Redux: Update
So let’s look at this in a more realistic light. Porsche is definitely NOT bringing back the 944, and I cannot find anything definitive on a Panamera Coupe.
I Decided to Save My 944…
The sad fact is that our 924S and 944 cars are NOT Tri-Five Chevys or fifties Morgans. They will never attain “classic” levels, and we won’t see an ’84 944 with 320K on the odometer bring 2.1 Million at Barrett-Jackson. But these cars were made to be loved and driven, driven hard, driven at autocrosses and track days, and even in club racing. So make a list, prepare a budget and get to work.
924S/944 and Advanced Electronics
I read an article recently about the changing purchasing habits of Americans, specifically the argument of “Purchase vs. Lease.” Even Clark Howard, the “helping you save your money” guru has … Continue Reading 924S/944 and Advanced Electronics