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Login to post Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Resuscitating a 944

Dec. 11, 2011 8:50 a.m. CamaroKeith Reader

I picked up this 944 that hasn't run in 3 years. Yes I am taking a gamble but the guy seemed like a straight shooter, the car is clean, it was cheap, and it is a sunroof delete car. Obviously a front engine service is in order (timing belt, water pump, tensioners, etc), as is oil, brake fluid, fuel filter, and fresh gas. Anything specific to this car that's outside the norm for other cars?

The story that I got from the guy was he bought the car and had another 944. He was working on the other one and got busy at his job so this one sat. He sold the other 944 about a year and a half ago and hasn't been able to touch this one. The car wasn't a pig so that's why I decided to take a gamble on it.

Thanks
Dec. 11, 2011 9:18 a.m. dean1484 SuperDork

Disconnect the ignition and the fuel pump. Pull the plugs and crank it till you see oil pressure (after you change the oil) I would use regular dino juice for the oil for a while as the seals are probably dry. Regular oil will "hydrate" the seals better than Synthetic. The cam tower to head gasket and the gasket at the back of the cam tower are prone to leak.

Crank till you see OP.

Reconnect the ignition and crank it to see if you have spark.(FP still not powered) If no spark follow the diagnosis procedures in clarks garage.

Install plugs fresh gas and add power to the FP and see if it runs.

The whole replacement of the TB is a sketchy thing. You need to do it BUT I would inspect it very carefully and consider starting it with out changing it. No sense in changing it if there is some other major malfunction. BUT this would be predicated on my inspection of the current belts.

Plug wires for these things are crazy expensive as are a cap and rotor. I changed my car to an EDIS based system, from an 93 escort wagon, for about the cost of replacement wires, cap and rotate. This does however required some custom fab work.

When was the last WP?

Has the clutch been changed? OE clutches have rubber center that will fail. Not catastrophic but when it goes it adds a huge amount of lash to the driveline that will eventually cause damage to other things.

What year is it? (pre or post 85.5?)

Ohya Either;

a. get another DME relay to keep in the glove box

b. make up a dme relay jumper and keep in the glove box.

I would consider replacement of the Speed and reference senders. The new replacement ones are plastic so they don't weld themselves to the alu bracket. Getting OE ones out can be a PITA and don't brake the bracket as they are expensive (even used)

I would also take the time to re solder all the connections in the DME. (I can do it if you don't want to do it just pay for shipping)

If you need parts I have several good sources for used parts.

Clarks garage will be your new friend. He as a very good set of instructional / procedures on line.

http://www.clarks-garage.com/index.htm Home page

http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/repair-procedure-index3.htm Shop manual

http://clarks-garage.com/phpBB2/index.php Forum's
Dec. 11, 2011 2:45 p.m. CamaroKeith Reader

Awesome! This is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.

THANKS!
Dec. 11, 2011 3:00 p.m. Woody SuperDork

Photos?
Dec. 11, 2011 6:59 p.m. CamaroKeith Reader
Dec. 11, 2011 10:14 p.m. a401cj Reader

dean1484 wrote:

Crank till you see OP.

he IS the OP
Dec. 11, 2011 10:34 p.m. mad_machine SuperDork

if I had not decided to keep driving a Ti.. a 944 would be in my garage right now.. such a sexy car
Dec. 11, 2011 10:55 p.m. friedgreencorrado SuperDork

In reply to CamaroKeith:

Looks pretty good!
Dec. 11, 2011 11:19 p.m. mistanfo SuperDork

Looks made to fly under the radar. I like.
Dec. 12, 2011 11:34 a.m. belteshazzar SuperDork

that's pretty
Dec. 12, 2011 9:12 p.m. CamaroKeith Reader

I really like the color of it. Its just a shame the color happens to be "25 year old grey that hasn't been waxed in 8 years"

The car was also sitting under a pine tree for the last......well long enough for the Michelin Pilot A/S to sink into the asphalt. And when I say sink into the asphalt I mean the tread pattern was actually in the asphalt similar to a dog paw in wet concrete.

Anyway, it has a ton of tree sap on it that needs to be cleaned off and when I do, that grey will be a more normal Porsche hue. Its going to need to be repainted eventually. The paint job is a 20 footer and paint is flaking a little. As odd as this may sound, I'm kinda thinking that shade with a flattener to restore it to its current nature-modified look.

I really dig the car though.
Dec. 12, 2011 10:14 p.m. DoctorBlade Dork

OTOH: Pine tree sap is a great sealant. Sure to keep most anything away.
Dec. 13, 2011 6:46 a.m. dean1484 SuperDork

86?? It looks like it has the early ofset fuch wheels. And no airbag.
Dec. 13, 2011 8:00 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

it's funny.. looking at the cookiecutters (one of my favourite rims) I am reminded of the time I parked my Ti next to a pretty 944 and was amazed at the amount of sidewall the stock car has.

it's amazing how skewed our feelings on what looks "good" gets as things changed
Dec. 13, 2011 8:38 a.m. Tom_Spangler Reader

dean1484 wrote:

86?? It looks like it has the early ofset fuch wheels. And no airbag.

It does have the new interior. And my 86 951 didn't have an airbag, either.
Dec. 13, 2011 8:47 a.m. Javelin SuperDork

dean1484 wrote:

86?? It looks like it has the early ofset fuch wheels. And no airbag.

Them are cookie-cutters, not Fuchs. And 86 is early-offset (I should know, I'm staring at my 86 in the driveway). 87 was the changeover year for the ABS brakes and late offset as well as the airbag.

To the OP: Paint that baby gloss! It's such a pretty color when all done up right. Nice car!
Dec. 13, 2011 9:13 a.m. AngryCorvair SuperDork

I'd hit it... with megiuars paint cleaner on a rotary buffer, then a clay bar and soapy water, then bug / sap / tar remover on the tough spots, then a polish, then i'd see if i could sand a nice feathered transition in the chipped areas and touch them up with something that's a close color match, then i'd wax it after the touch-up was done.

i had a white '86 944 that hadn't seen a decent cleaning in several years before i bought it. clay plus 3 steps of meguiars (cleaner, polish, wax) and the paint looked great for the next 6 months until i sold it. i miss that car and will get another one someday.
Dec. 13, 2011 10:08 a.m. 44Dwarf Dork

My -85 944 came from Florida where it sat most of its life outside. It was pinker then a 90's escort.... Old #7 polish then two coats of Maguires high tech #27 wax made it shine fire engine red again. Once a month it go washed then hit with Ne-Finish. Man that thing looked great. I miss that car. Apply polish and wax with orbital buffer but remove haze by hand never a swirl mark left behind
Dec. 13, 2011 10:17 a.m. Tom_Spangler Reader

Just be careful. 944s have more sharp edges than most cars, especially modern ones. It's very easy to burn through the paint, especially at the top of the door sills, if you get too aggressive with a buffer. Ask me how I know....
Dec. 13, 2011 12:21 p.m. dean1484 SuperDork

Didn't they make an early Fuch wheel that was similar. For lack of a better description they were kind of chunky / darth vader styling. Where as the later (post 86) had the ones like the 911's? Or am I compleetly out to lunch on this?
Dec. 13, 2011 12:45 p.m. CamaroKeith Reader

It is a 1986.

Thanks for the kind words about the car. Pretty stoked to get wrenching on it after the semester is over.
Dec. 13, 2011 12:59 p.m. Javelin SuperDork

dean1484 wrote:

Didn't they make an early Fuch wheel that was similar. For lack of a better description they were kind of chunky / darth vader styling. Where as the later (post 86) had the ones like the 911's? Or am I compleetly out to lunch on this?

Totally out to lunch. Grab me a burrito while you're there!
Dec. 13, 2011 2:10 p.m. 16vCorey SuperDork

dean1484 wrote:

Didn't they make an early Fuch wheel that was similar. For lack of a better description they were kind of chunky / darth vader styling. Where as the later (post 86) had the ones like the 911's? Or am I compleetly out to lunch on this?

It sounds like you're describing the cookie cutters, which is what's on the car pictured above. They were pretty much all available with the cookie cutters or the Fuchs, although most of the '83-early'85 cars had cookie cutter and most of the late '85-up cars had phone dials. The Fuchs were an option that most of them didn't get. '87 up were a different offset so they're different altogether.
Dec. 13, 2011 3:51 p.m. Alfa_Sam

Very timely! My GF is trying to get the paper work sorted out on her Mom's 1988 944, it has about 80k miles and has been sitting covered on the carport for 8 years. Her Dad bought it new. Once the paper work is sorted out I will be doing the same thing as you as far as mechanics, but the cosmetics on the car are wonderful, so it is just a matter of getting it back on the road.
Dec. 13, 2011 5:04 p.m. turboswede SuperDork

Make sure the fuel lines have been replaced recently:

http://pnwriders.com/corvallis-albany/163154-so-my-car-just-burnt-down.html

Ouch.

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