Man, my 944 needs an owner like you lol. Haven't had time, money, or motivation to do much to mine this year. I've just mainly been trying to do things to prep it for sale. Hopefully it finds a good home like yours
This video is valuable at many levels. Few people are willing to state down to the last dime the cost of restoring a vintage car to this level. The sticker price on this car in 1988 was close to what you have in it now. You turned back the clock and have a fabulous car to enjoy. I have an 85.5 and an ‘89 both projects. Just bought a track day car also. These cars can be enjoyed in many ways based on how you want to spend your money. You are always my go to for 944 content.
@@donlemme898 Yeah, for sure! Part of my intent with the sharing of costs was also to illustrate that you really can’t pick up a 944 for $5,000 and drive the heck out of it without some additional expenses like you could 20 years ago, it’s a never ending series of chasing down problems just to keep it on the road. And hopefully a realistic expectation of the true ownership experience will allow people to make better decisions to proceed or back off as needed. Otherwise it’s just another 944 that ends up sitting and wasting away.
Just found your videos after purchasing a 944 last week! Fantastic content, explanations, and work. Can't wait to watch and learn more, thanks for posting all of this!
Love the videos, helpful beyond words. Fellow NC resident that just picked up an '83 NA 944 not too long ago. The learning curve has been greatly reduced solely from your videos alone. Really appreciate it!
After mechanically restoring my 944, I spent a year driving it through all weather conditions (including blizzards thank god for WS90 tires) in the tri-state and had the gentleman who picked up the car (sight unseen) drive it back 3500mi across the US without any hiccups. These vehicles are remarkable and you truly capture the joy I felt after working on mine. You deserve mountains of attention are have some of the best content I've watched on RU-vid. The videos you make bring back memories which I cherish deerly, thank you so much for all the effort you put into these videos!
That’s awesome! I agree that 944s can be very reliable cars, they just get a bad reputation as most of them have been neglected for 20 years. Like the work you did on yours, I was determined to achieve that level, hopefully it’s there now. The memories we make around cars are pretty powerful. I’ll be out with my kids and we’ll happen upon a random old, rundown car from the ‘80s and I’ll start freaking out like, “This car was everything to me!” And my kids go, “Dad, this is an old, dirty piece of junk, why do you like this??” 🤣
Best videos ever. Wish I had the skill. If you’re ever driving through Columbia, SC let’s do a walk around! So amazed at what you did. I use mine daily with fingers crossed.
I don't know why those Porsche center cap crests pointing down to the valve stem make me smile. Hardly anyone does that and that is the Porsche approved mounting procedure.
Nice! I did take my restoration quite a bit further than was probably necessary, and a lot of it can be spaced out over time, but there is truth to the saying, “944s are cheap to own and expensive to drive.” The more miles you put on them, the more things begin to break down, unless the car came from a prior owner who was very dedicated to proper maintenance.
Great job. I have an '87 S sitting in my garage that I've ignored for 5 years - your series is inspiring me to get it back up and running. Thanks to your vlog I can now see where to source the components I need. 😊
Thanks for mentioning fixing that crack in the door skin from the failed weld inside the door. Tim Comeau at CRE mentioned that in a short video about a year ago but I had forgotten about it. I don't see it on my 84 but a small crack is there on a new-to-me 87. I haven't opened the door panel to look at the issue but guessing it's pretty easy to see the failed weld. I'm not going to buy a welder to do this myself. If I take it to someone to fix, just tell them to repair the weld?
Yeah, it’ll be very obvious to see once you’re in there and the guide rail will push in and out when raising and lowering the window. I actually picked up a $200 flux core welding rig just for this job. 😂 It’s such a small, 10-minute job that I couldn’t find any local metal workers to take it on, just wasn’t worth their time. You may be able to get an auto body repair shop to do it, they might bill an hour of labor or something in that area.
Gosh, nice work on this thing and thanks for the videos. I've done a few of these same procedures on my '86 turbo this year (sport DME, rear main seal, manual steering rack, etc, etc) and they do indeed make a pretty big difference in the regular usability of the car.
Excellent! It sounds like you’ve done some pretty extensive maintenance and repair on your car, it definitely makes a difference. I was surprised by the improvement of the refreshed Sport DME. If these weren’t Porsches, I don’t think we’d be so lucky as to have aftermarket options like those provided by companies like Focus 9.
Thanks for the cost break down. I have owned a 944 and a 924S in the past and had thought of getting another one to refurbish, but at $34K I'll probably just get a new GR86. good channel and great content, thanks again.
You’re welcome! I will say that I took my restoration quite a bit further than would be needed to simply keep one running/driving. You could get a fairly clean 944 for $10-$15k and spend around $5k to sort out any backlog of maintenance. The GR86 would provide similar driving enjoyment without the stress of future mechanical failures. The 944 would win the day if you’re looking for the vintage factor and a project to occasionally wrench on. I haven’t driven the new 86 yet, but the increased power output makes it a pretty attractive option.
Yet another amazing video. I'm currently using your head gasket videos as I replace the head gasket in my 87 Nautic Blue 951. I have an 87 944S in Nautic Blue as well. We've actually met briefly at Porsche of Southpoint (I'm in Raleigh) back in 2022. You were quick to point out my updated 968 blower motor cover. I would be happy to connect at some point if you want to view/learn more about the 16V and turbo cars, or just want to go for a cruise here in central NC. I've been toying with starting a FB group for 944 owners in central NC (Triangle and Triad) in the hopes of creating some meet and greets, cruises and tech sessions. We'll see what time allows.
Yeah man, I remember! I was really impressed with all the work you had done on your car. You don’t see those Nautic Blue cars out and about very often, a pretty rare color. I’m not on FB, but definitely let me know if you get a group together. My email is listed in the “About” section of the channel.
Great video, and very clean car, I’m almost done rebuilding mine, but for some parts you were an inspiration. I changed my camshaftgear to the adjustable from De Loods, hope it runs better 😊. Like to see more videos and keep up the nice works 👍🏻
Thanks man! That’s great to hear about your progress. I will say that most of the channel content has been motivated by simply helping others, as there is little value outside our niche 944 community, so I’m happy to hear it’s helping out. 👍🏼
@@NC944er well,I have taking everything from below, to powdercoat myself and do the bottom in new paint, 2 months idea is now 2 years, but starting to look great
I just did the same swap to the De Loods adjustable camshaft sprocket on my turbo, which was needed - it's a nice unit. The head on my car had been decked enough that the timing was off by about 4 degrees when all the marks were lined up. Made a noticeable difference when aligning the balance shaft belts and I find it runs a bit smoother.
thanks for all the content. Just did a 2.7 swap on my 86 after spinning a rod bearing on track and your videos were super helpful! How are you liking the manual steering rack after using it for a little while? I'm considering going the same route some day given how my 944 is gradually seeing more and more track-day duty
That’s awesome! The 2.7L cars are pretty rare to see… While I don’t have any real track experience, here’s what I can share after driving with the new steering setup for a little over a year. In short, the manual steering conversion has been a vast improvement in all areas except for in ease of turning at low speeds. I found the side-to-side movement on the new setup to be a little tight at first, I’m guessing because all the parts were brand new, where after turning the wheel halfway in either direction it would firm up and the wheels wouldn’t quickly self-center after turning. But, after driving the car a couple hundred miles, it broke in nicely and is now a lot easier to turn. The “on center” position is just a little vague, but that’s true for most manual steering systems. Not in a sense where there is lag or play in the wheel, the response is very sharp, just that it requires more micro-adjustments when cruising in the straights. Feedback from the road is really clear and the steering feel lightens up nicely when accelerating through turns. Overall, it’s ultra-smooth when you’re up and rolling and I haven’t detected any irregular shakes or vibrations, if anything I’d say it feels tighter than the power rack I had on the car. I hope that helps! 👍🏼
@@NC944er yeah that's great info thanks. Really tempted to go that route especially as I run out of things to do to the car LOL. Would certainly be nice to not have to squeeze the oil filter past the power steering reservoir lines too...
Your attention to detail is top notch and admirable. Im determined to restore my 944. Just curious, do you have plans for another project? Id love to see the channel grow some more and help restore some cars. (Please restore an acura integra)
Hey man! I wouldn’t mind having something else to work on, but there’s no immediate plan to start another project at the moment as I’d have to sell the 944 to finance it. I actually had a 1994 Integra GS-R back in the day, fun car! Most of the ones I’ve seen lately are in pretty rough condition. 😂
Hope this isn’t the last we see of you and your care. When I first got my ‘87 I referenced your oil change video and jack point video day one. Question - did you replace your stereo / speakers at any point? Would be interested in hearing your opinions on them
Nice! Glad to have helped you out a bit. The head unit on mine is OEM, but the speaker cones were crumbling to dust. I replaced them with a set of Kicker DSC46 units front and rear. They sound ok, as far as 80’s sound systems go, decent mids and highs, but not much in the low range. Here’s an overview of the repair - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nlLpbw9eB90.htmlfeature=shared&t=8m25s
My '87 oil dipstick only has a wire loop at the top without the plastic overmold, so I put about 4 coats of PlastiDip Yellow over it. The color actually matches quite well with the fill cap.
Interesting! I believe Porsche introduced the yellow plastic version in mid-1987, as I’ve seen some 87s with the wire loop like yours and other 87s with the yellow one. It sounds like your solution worked out well. 👍🏼
Excellent video. I do disagree with your RMS advice though. Never use a VR RMS. I have done a lot of testing of the different RMS and methods of installing and highly recommend to stay away from the VR version.
Interesting! I love data… do you happen to have a breakdown of the number of seals tested by manufacturer with observed failure rates, failure points by miles driven, etc? Did you use one car as a controlled condition or was the testing done across multiple vehicles using the same seal brands? I’m also curious how the Hamburg-Technic and Corteco seals would fair under those tests, any details on those brands? Thanks in advance!
@@NC944er During my rebuild I tested installing frozen/room temp - pounding in/install with crank to see which caused the least damage to the seal. I did not take 12 engines and run them till they leaked and repeated 10 times. I tested Corteco, Ehlring and VR seals. The problem with VR seals is they only have a rubber seal for the last 30% of the seal. The cutout to pry the old seal out is 30% of the depth of the seal (starting to see the issue here). On RL there are many threads about sinking the seal in a little past flush otherwise it will leak. If a VR seal is driven in flush the rubber barley touches the cutout - that one or two mm past flush that you drive the seal in is the depth of the sealing area in the cutout. No official data but having 70% of the seal sealing seems to be better then 1% of the seal sealing. That cutout by the way is a machined surface and sharp as a razor. When you pound the seal in it just slices the rubber in that area. If rebuilding I would pick frozen/install with crank. Second choice would be frozen/pounding in - even though it slices the seal at the cutout it is a very tight slice and is the factory method I believe.
@@davidkaehele8910 Ahhh, installation tests… that’s a pretty cool idea. I’ve seen the threads you mentioned and agree that a recessed install is the way to go, regardless of seal choice. It seems there is a chance for leaks when installed only flush, perhaps more so with a VR seal based upon your observations. I do see what you’re saying about the outer sealing surface coverage. I suppose if anything, using a seal that has the full rubber coverage would at least provide small peace of mind in not having to repeat 12 hours of labor due to a failed seal installation. Thanks for sharing your insights!
Hey man, I used the Santech kit from Pelican Parts as it was reasonably priced, part number: 559807901. Keep in mind for your ‘84 that you may also need one of those elbow adapters for the connection at the compressor. Here’s a link to the kit I used: www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/559807901.htm?pn=55-9807-901-M325
@@NC944er If you live just an hour away, it would be a good idea to talk to him and film a video about his shop. I'm sure the 944 community would learn many things. Thanks for all the work and enjoy your car. Greetings from Spain
an other amazing video. a year ago, me and a friend of mine bought one too for 13k with new oem paint (champaign gold) and full service all around. we recently ran into an oil leak and it looks like its comming from the front of the engine near the downpipe. while driving the car you can clearly smell oil burning up and smoke comming from the left pop-up. any suggestions?
Thanks! From your description, it sounds like the oil is coming from the camshaft assembly, which sits right over the exhaust manifolds. The assembly has seals at the front and rear, as well as a main housing seal below, all of which can develop leaks over time. I’d pull the assembly and replace all the seals, timing belt will need to come off, but it’s not too bad of a job.
@@fancybrent3648 Timing belt replacement is always important to keep up with. I follow a 5-year/45k-mile guideline. If the car has sat for a while, replacing all the fluids is a good idea as well, especially engine oil and gear oil in the transaxle. Fuel system maintenance is another good one to keep on the radar - replace fuel tank strainer, fuel filter, clean injectors, etc.
Thanks for sharing! I have done a lot to my 924s in my 6 months of ownership. It has been a rewarding experience. I have to ask, is this your only project car? My time is split between mine and my motorcycles. It can be hard to keep up
Hey man! Yeah, this is my only project at the moment… aside from raising kids and keeping up with home improvement stuff. Progress would be much slower with other builds in the garage. 😂
Hey! It looks like we have a family vacation booked around that time that will take us in a different direction. Never been though, does it have a good turnout?
@@NC944er Hey, This will actually be my first! 😎 From what I've heard, should be worth the trip. I'm sure you and your '88 would be popular with the transaxle crowd.
Hey man, nope… the 944 does not use a PCV valve like those seen in most modern cars. The AOS on the 944 engine acts as a PCV of sorts, and the crankcase is always under slight vacuum while running, which allows any blow-by gases to recirculate back through the intake manifold.
@@NC944er Got it thank you for the information! You think that’s something I should change out? I got my 84’ 944 a month ago and I just been doing maintenance on it since I got it before I start using it daily. I drove it from Oregon to California with no issues! (Besides needing to stop by a AutoZone for windshield wipers 😂) So far we changed the oil, oil filter, air filter, transmission fluid, spark plugs, spark plug wires, distributor cap, and in a week or changing the timing belt and water pump. And want to also change the fuel lines. You have any recommendations of things that I should change for a smoother ride or just in general? I feel like the car has a rough idle below 1200rpm, or maybe I’m just used to how newer cars are so calm.
@@gawsies It seems like you’ve had pretty good luck so far. I wouldn’t proactively replace the AOS unit as a preventative maintenance item, but it’s something to watch out for in terms future oil leaks. The ignition system components are worth refreshing, so it sounds like you’re on the right track there. The fuel lines should be replaced if they are showing signs of cracks and aging, from a safety perspective.
@@NC944er Thank you for the help, your videos are helping me out so much. I been wanting to change the ignition coil because sometimes I have a hard start so I believe it’s starting to fail but they’re out of stock everywhere unfortunately
@@gawsies Yeah, the ignition coils have been on back-order for a bit now, the last update I heard was we’d see some in September of this year, but that came and went. Bosch only does something like one production run per year on certain older parts like that, but luckily they’re not fully discontinued yet.
Hi Do you think I need to change the valve seals? I'm in the process of changing the cylinder head gasket and several other seals, but I don't have the tools to change the valve seals. Porsche 944 na 1983
A common symptom of failing valve stem seals is the presence of blue smoke from the exhaust at idle. Its quite bit work to remove the cylinder head, so if you have the budget for it, it’s generally a good idea to have it refreshed while it’s off the engine. You’d be looking at $300-$400 in machine shop costs to deck the surface, cut the valve seats, and lap the valves, and replacing the stem seals makes sense at that time. Compression or leak-down tests will help determine if the valve seats need attention.
sir i need to pick your brain please....i have a 1988 944 N/A and both my windows will not work...no power to the switch either!! checked ALL fuses in box and replaced all switches and new relay....I'm lost now...any help/suggestions will be helpful
Hey man! It sounds like you're on the right track so far. There are a few other hidden issues that can arise, for example the terminal contacts below the fuse panel can get pushed out where they won't make contact with the fuse and/or relay. There can also be issues with severed or oxidized wiring below the plastic panel. Another issue is the wiring that runs through the door jamb between the door and the chassis can crack and break because of the flex point from opening and closing the door. With that in mind, here are a couple ways to dig a little deeper... Pull the window winder fuse at position #4 and test for battery voltage by applying a lead to the fuse terminal closest to the front of the car (positive) and the other lead to a known good ground on the chassis. Pull the window winder relay at position G7 and test for battery voltage by applying a lead to terminal 30 (positive) and the other lead to a known good ground on the chassis. If you don't get battery voltage with these tests, there's a problem with the wiring that you'll need to address. Unscrew and pull the plastic fuse panel up and out of its metal enclosure to inspect for issues below. If these tests are good, you can try to bypass the relay just to make sure that's not the issue by applying a jumper wire to pins 30 and 87 for the window winder relay at position G7, then operate the window switches. The ignition does not need to be on for this, they should just start to move. If not, there is likely an issue with the wiring leading to the door panel and switches. Make sure the wiring harnesses are fully seated on both switch panels, and try again, otherwise you may have to really look into the wiring. Here's the troubleshooting steps from Clark's Garage that can provide some tips as well - www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/elect-20.htm
Porsche introduced a smaller reservoir in 1988 for cars without the headlight washer system, which is a much more reasonably priced unit, around $96 before tax. The larger reservoir is in the $250-$270 area from Pelican Parts and 944Store. Check out part number: 944-628-061-01
@@danf321 Ahhh, gotcha! So your early version will be the “larger” size tank, but with the secondary hole plugged for the headlight washer motor. It might be more cost effective for you to convert to the later, smaller reservoir design, which is more compact and doesn’t suffer from the “priming” issues like the early pumps. There is just a slight modification needed, where you would have to drill a hole in the power steering reservoir bracket to accommodate an M6x15mm bolt and add in the L-shaped support, part number: 944-628-066-00. You’ll also need an extra body screw N-090-172-1, a new lid 911-626-077-01, sealing ring 431-955-465-B, drain plug 999-063-015-40, o-ring 999-707-171-40, and the updated pump 928-628-172-01. The bracket is $60 and the pump is $45, so it could probably be done for under $250 and would make for a fun little conversion… something to consider.
I restored mine by doing the "retrobright" technique. Basically a concentrated peroxide that is sold at beauty salon supply stores. "Salon Care #40" that I got at Sally Beauty Supply. I walked around the store and couldn't find it. Finally asked an employee and she said, "Let me guess...whitening an animal skull?" I said, "Nope, a wiper fluid reservoir on a Porsche." She laughed and said that's a new one on me. Anywho, you use a paintbrush and liberally coat the object then wrap it with plastic wrap. Throw it in the sun and wait for days for the yellow discoloration to fade away. May want to reapply several times. The idea is to not let it dry out while soaking in the UV rays from the sun. Mine came out great. Not quite paper white but 1,000 percent better than before. Just google "retrobright" and you'll get thousands of DIY sites.
She's just leaking oil to let you know she has oil! Worry when that stops, lol. Man, I really need to replace my coolant expansion tank; your non-yellowed one looks great. I've always run gold G05 coolant. Is that G48 (which I run in my BMWs) or Pentosin NF?
I’m determined to make a leak-free Porsche… but it has been a battle for sure! 😂 The coolant reservoir really does get the worst of it, as far as aging goes. I’ve been using Peak Blue 50/50 for “European Vehicles,” which is locally available at AutoZone for $19/gallon, and it seems to be working out well.
@@NC944er Yep, that one is within spec. I was asking because you seem to be a stickler for originality, and I have no idea what was the OEM coolant. Thanks for another great video!
Unfortunately the 944 that year is reliable. The turbo is a problem i had both and when I got my in the 80s there were no ebay youtube to make it easier
😂 To be fair, I took my restoration a lot farther than was really needed to keep it on the road. If you can afford to buy a decently maintained example, you can factor in an additional $5k-$6k for unknown repairs, and that will get you pretty far.
Please stop mentioning the prices you pay for your parts. In Australia these numbers are a small fraction of what we pay down under. Our exchange rate really hurts, shipping costs are astronomical, then we are then hit with GST*at this end. Keeping older cars working is not for the feint hearted. Keeping even the cheap P car working is definitely a cause of concern of our well being. GST* on total values over $1000 Aus.
Oh man! Yeah, I’ve heard stories about some of the taxes out your way, they don’t sound fun. Although, I now have a great business idea for a side hustle - smuggling car parts into Australia to sell on the black market! 😂
