Looking at a 84 944 with no records. Medium skills - a normal clutch and a Miata timing belt are within my skills. How bad is a 944? Should I take a pass if the price is good not great? 105k, 1 owner, pretty good shape, somewhere in the $4k's?
Looking at a 84 944 with no records. Medium skills - a normal clutch and a Miata timing belt are within my skills. How bad is a 944? Should I take a pass if the price is good not great? 105k, 1 owner, pretty good shape, somewhere in the $4k's?
So deduct about $3k from the price for the clutch and timing belt and you're in the right neighborhood 
I agree. $4k for an early car that is in need of such things is a bit much. If the body and interior are good though I'd go for it.
Timing belt: There are some special "tools" you need, but its really not that bad of a job. Those tools are a flywheel lock and a sprocket tool. I'll let you decide how you want to tension the belt and what tool to use.
Clutch: This is an awful job. There aren't any real special tools, other than patience and a 17mm low profile swivel head socket.
oldtin wrote: So deduct about $3k from the price for the clutch and timing belt and you're in the right neighborhood
I know, right? Classic problem with 944's. Updating the service makes the base value basically zero. Last one I bought a number of years ago the car was on the lift at a Porsche Indy having the service work done by the po when I bought it, and basically the selling price covered the service plus a grand. I'll take a closer look and also assess the clutch, but with no records I think I have to plan for a timing belt.
Honestly, the clutch has most likely been done at some point. IIRC the early cars had rubber centered clutches in place of springs. They dry up and usually go with a bang well before the friction surface has worn down.
Since we're on the subject, the spring clutches with 2 different sized springs, like in the turbo S, were also problematic in that the smaller springs would break and get stuck. This meant you couldn't get into gear.
Timing belt is easy. The only tools that make it easier are the thin wrenches for setting tge belt tension. That is an early car so no auto tensioner. The flywheel is locked with a big screwdriver wedged in to the gear teeth against the bell housing. Belt tension I set by the twist method. I have done many many of these with out issue. Tge only tip I can give is mark the balance shafts once you lock the fly wheel at tdc. The factory marks are confusing.
BUT now the while you are there lust can get large in a hurry. Idlers water pump thermostat. All add up to another 300-500 in parts. If you are game you can gi deeper and do the seals on the cam balance shafts an a crank seal. These cars can "while you are there" you to death.
That is a 1k car with out service records as you can easily spend 3 to make it a 4k car. That being said if you do the work your self plan on 1k in parts. But use the 3k number as a bargaining chip when purchasing.
Its not super hard, there are just more parts and tighter workspace than say a Japanese car. My dad and I rebuilt his 944 front to back maintenance wise and it was the first one we worked on. We did pretty much everything to it, timing belt, water pump, acc belts, alternator, later radiator/fans, new clutch, new seats/interior and a full paint job.
Actually you can buy it....he was asking $5500 but it might be less now....probably $4800-5000...
Come on Dean1484, you can't just use the twist method for belt tension! you need the special tool! Honestly, the twist method works pretty well, just make sure you turn the motor over a few times and re-check it.
Just to open the can... I'm not totally sold on the fancy Gates blue belt for this car. My worry is that as the engine expands, the belt gets too tight and you wear out rollers and the water pump and end up in there again before or at the same time you would otherwise be in there to change the rubber belt. I know lots of people swear by it, just my $0.02.
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