1989 Porsche 944 S2 project

[darek_u]

I was away from the board for some time, your progress is impressive! Keep up with good work and feed us with pictures...

@darek_u @dionphaneuf - Getting ready to tackle the leaky whiny power steering pump. Fluid? I know the original manual calls for Dex II ATF no longer available. There really is no more non-synthetic Dex III ATF to my knowledge. and some comments on the web say that "if you use the synthetic it will ruin the system"

I know I'm late but to answer your question - on this side of the pond Mobil ATF 220 Dexron II is commonly used in power steering system for these cars.

 

[Duh_Vinci]

C

I was away from the board for some time, your progress is impressive! Keep up with good work and feed us with pictures...


I know I'm late but to answer your question - on this side of the pond Mobil ATF 220 Dexron II is commonly used in power steering system for these cars.

Cheers! Yeah, a work progress, steady "marching on"...

In the last 2 days I've spent quite bit of time searching for the possible answer to my heat/ac control unit in 1989 S2 that never worked since I purchased the car as a resto project. Symptoms exactly as described in this very very informative thread Heater control panel repair with schematics - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums "there was no change when i turned the temperature dial.. The mixing flap never opened"

The only difference, that my unit is late model, Siemens and has no LM2902N, which was from what I understand responsible for the troubles. I do have LM2904N in it, (8 pin vs 14 pin chip). Is this the one may be the cause? Hoping to find someone with the late climate control unit that had a chance to repair it or replace any components that fixed the issue similar to mine

This is what mine looks like





I have tried to inspect all the connectors and look for leaky capacitors with magnifying glass, but unable to see anything obvious





I visually inspected all of the solder points and connections to look for any obvious issues and/or leaky caps, but I don't seem to find anything visually.

All of my servos are operational if I run direct current to them as outlined in this brilliant thread, HVAC Climate Control Testing - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums and I did replace the white plastic clips on arms under the dash.



My fan is also working on all 4 speeds now after going through the components as outlined in this thread Blower motor : high speed only - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums and the bulbs work, but again, non of the servos are activated by the temp control knob of the the defrost sliders...

At least, I now can manually switch from heat to cold, but still, I would like to take a stab at this unit and have it repaired somehow...

Regards,
D

 

[darek_u]

Sounds like a control unit malfunction... I'll PM you with diagrams and schematics of control unit.

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Sounds like a control unit malfunction... I'll PM you with diagrams and schematics of control unit.

Thank you Darek, got em! Will do some digging to see if I can repair it myself.

...You will find 993-361-303-11-9A1 will fit a little better. They are plastic, but are convex and are made to fit the curvature of those wheels.

@Jlaa You were absolutely right



Plastic fantastic, but I do prefer the concave looks of these, just arrived, happy!

 

[Jlaa]

C


Cheers! Yeah, a work progress, steady "marching on"...

In the last 2 days I've spent quite bit of time searching for the possible answer to my heat/ac control unit in 1989 S2 that never worked since I purchased the car as a resto project. Symptoms exactly as described in this very very informative thread Heater control panel repair with schematics - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums "there was no change when i turned the temperature dial.. The mixing flap never opened"

The only difference, that my unit is late model, Siemens and has no LM2902N, which was from what I understand responsible for the troubles. I do have LM2904N in it, (8 pin vs 14 pin chip). Is this the one may be the cause? Hoping to find someone with the late climate control unit that had a chance to repair it or replace any components that fixed the issue similar to mine

This is what mine looks like

View attachment 143622

View attachment 143623

I have tried to inspect all the connectors and look for leaky capacitors with magnifying glass, but unable to see anything obvious

View attachment 143624

View attachment 143625

I visually inspected all of the solder points and connections to look for any obvious issues and/or leaky caps, but I don't seem to find anything visually.

All of my servos are operational if I run direct current to them as outlined in this brilliant thread, HVAC Climate Control Testing - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums and I did replace the white plastic clips on arms under the dash.

View attachment 143626

My fan is also working on all 4 speeds now after going through the components as outlined in this thread Blower motor : high speed only - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums and the bulbs work, but again, non of the servos are activated by the temp control knob of the the defrost sliders...

At least, I now can manually switch from heat to cold, but still, I would like to take a stab at this unit and have it repaired somehow...

Regards,
D

Worst case, you can send your HVAC unit to the one guy in the world who specializes in 90s Porsche HVAC unit repair. Tore Bergvill (in Norway): Control units - BERGVILL F/X

 

[darek_u]

Plastic fantastic, but I do prefer the concave looks of these, just arrived, happy!

I have these on my 993 Targa rims made by Speedline, in fact they look better than the original flat metal caps.

 

[Duh_Vinci]

I have these on my 993 Targa rims made by Speedline, in fact they look better than the original flat metal caps.

View attachment 143630

Great look, and your car looks absolutely mint!!!

 

[darek_u]

Show off time Little outdated pics as I have historical plates now.

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Show off time Little outdated pics as I have historical plates now.

View attachment 143631View attachment 143632View attachment 143633

Absolutely fabulous! And sport seats!

 

[Duh_Vinci]

A little more progress... When I changed the battery few weeks ago, noticed some acid in the forward section of battery tray. Attended to that today... Underneath of the spilled acid - a bit of a surface rust, apparently very common...



Cleaned it all up, rinsed off per instructions, metal prep...



On the second layer of POR-15 now:



Will do 3rd layer tomorrow and will get a pint of matching red paint mixed next week at the local shop. Thinking maybe a battery mat to go under for a good measure?

Regards,
D

 

[darek_u]

Thank you for your kind words sir. And here comes the candy Apologies, I couldn't resist

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Thank you for your kind words sir. And here comes the candy Apologies, I couldn't resist

View attachment 143637View attachment 143638View attachment 143639

Man, what an eye candy!!! This is the Porsche version of @JC220 work on MB engine compartment, freaking spectacular you guys!!!

 

[RicardoD]

This is great, thanks for sharing.

 

[Duh_Vinci]

I tell you, you get spoiled by using the top extractor as in Mercedes cars, no climbing under the car, no spills, no mess, no jacking up the car... That said... FIrst oil change in 944:

I know the owner said it was done about 2K miles ago, but considering that the car has not been driven but 1-2K miles per year in the last 10 years, I wanted to change and do the flush for a good measure



Interesting enough, the MB filter tool also works fantastic on 944 filter too! Used Liqui Moli engine flush...



And a very very last 1 full and 1 almost full of old school Delo, not enough to do an oil change in any Mercedes, but just enough for 944, 6.5 liters. Only need this for a 1k miles, just to final clean/drain.



Regards,
D

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Got the itch up my ass... browsing internet for car parts never "ends well" for the wallet...

Dansk stainless exhaust being shipped, got a very very good deal on it...





And DP Motorsport springs



Does it ever stop?



Regards,
D

 

[dionphaneuf]

I mean, given the deal you got and how scrappy you are with your work I doubt you've even half spent your way back to fair market price for the car - not even close. So you have a lot of margin to work with here, most of which is being wisely re-invested into the car that will help with resale should you ever choose, but more importantly your enjoyment of it. I've yet to spend $$$ on my 500E and thought 'that was a total and complete waste'

 

[Duh_Vinci]

I mean, given the deal you got and how scrappy you are with your work I doubt you've even half spent your way back to fair market price for the car - not even close. So you have a lot of margin to work with here, most of which is being wisely re-invested into the car that will help with resale should you ever choose, but more importantly your enjoyment of it. I've yet to spend $$$ on my 500E and thought 'that was a total and complete waste'

Cheers!

Agree 100% Never once I thought that money spend were a complete waste, not on R129 project, not on this 944 Particularly, as I'm learning with 944, as long as the parts (aftermarket) are quality parts, owners and enthusiasts seem to appreciate the upgrades, without taking down the value of these cars. Still, as you said, in the unlikely event that I would consider selling the car, I will retain all of the factory components to go with it. For now, however, I will make it "mine"...

The intermittent tachometer is now fixed (compliments of the spare cluster), along with white face gauges I wanted for this car:





Couldn't be happier with results.

It did take few hours (more like 4), but that includes a full refurbishment of the cluster, with taking the needles out, cleaning the contracts, replacing the odometer gear, replacing the bulbs and polishing out the lens. Very helpful having a spare cluster in terms of "confidence level" of making things work and taking things apart...

And so it began



Count the teeth they say, can be 20-21 or 20-22, and no VIN will help... Count this, huh? Very common, and only 1 gear...



So I promptly ordered both, 21 and 22 (ended up being 21 in my case, the other one is going back to FCP)





My fancy needle removing tool. These needles have the smallest shaft I've ever seen, and metal spline inserted into the plastic needle housing, so I had to make this thing



No needle removing needed they say in the ad for the gauges, yeah, right... To do it accurately, needle do need to come off...



Polished out 30 years off the lens of the cluster



Very very happy how it runed out



Assembled



New "bulbs" for illumination, opted for red color (as my old Audi was)



The car came with no cupholder, but for convenience sake, I wanted one... after few days of thinking, looking and contemplating, I found a perfect solution for my needs... Minimalistic, not intrusive, and no modifications or drilling needed.





It is wedged between transmission tunnel and the center console, and pressure fitted via the ashtray insert. Sturdy, compact, convenient.



The only thing I will do is have it powder coated black some time soon.

Fixed the cracked slider button, as long as the inner pieces are not missing, non-running epoxy works really well.



And replaced the cracked trim piece around the climate control. This $100 package was worth every penny for restoration!!!







All in all, a very productive and satisfying day!

Regards,
D

 

[darek_u]

The car came with no cupholder, but for convenience sake, I wanted one... after few days of thinking, looking and contemplating, I found a perfect solution for my needs... Minimalistic, not intrusive, and no modifications or drilling needed.

Would you mind sharing some more info about this cup holder? It looks really cool and it would be even better when powder coated black.

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Would you mind sharing some more info about this cup holder? It looks really cool and it would be even better when powder coated black.

Absolutely, I will take few pics with the details tomorrow. No modifications to the car, will leave no marks or traces if needs to be removed.

Regards,
D

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Factory dash lighting at night was very very disappointing. Never seen anything this dull. After searching the web, it is the common complaint on these cars.

So the following steps I took to improve:

Removed the "focal lenses", stripped them, polished and re-coated in "chrome" from the rattle can, you can see the difference, the bottom one is what it looked like when came out, the other two already cleaned up, old coating removed and polished out



Re-coated



These are the LED "bulb" inserts I purchased



And this is the final result



This is truly "day and night" difference"!

Now, I need to de-solder the bulbs from the climate control unit, dull yellow and will replace them with the matching red 3mm leds instead, same for the defrost button light and the ashtray light, that would complete the red transformation.

Regards,
D

 

[darek_u]

I followed the same route but I opted for white neutral light. Don't forget that you will loose the rheostat function - LED lights will not dim, unless you use something like this , made by fellow Rennlister. AC unit buttons are quite challenging to do, especially re-circulation and front windshield defrost. Large mechanical buttons (rear window defrost, fogs etc.) are easy. Tip - for some reason Porsche used in large buttons resistors that reduce current too much, I replaced them all with 1 kohm ones to get brighter LED light.

 

[a777fan]

Excellent work D!

Yes, VW/Audi/Porsche cluster lighting in the 80s/90s was abysmal. I once took possesion of a ‘99 mkiii golf, and could not believe what the factory expected the customer to accept as far as illumination. Quite embarrassing, really!

Glad u got it sorted.

I LOVE the white gauge faces, but the visible warning lamp writing kills it for me a bit, if I am honest. Otherwise

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Excellent work D!

Yes, VW/Audi/Porsche cluster lighting in the 80s/90s was abysmal. I once took possesion of a ‘99 mkiii golf, and could not believe what the factory expected the customer to accept as far as illumination. Quite embarrassing, really!

Glad u got it sorted.

I LOVE the white gauge faces, but the visible warning lamp writing kills it for me a bit, if I am honest. Otherwise

I know, right? Same illumination goes for all the Toyotas and Nissan of the 80's and early 90's though... Just "faint green". We once purchased brand new Jetta MK IV, 99.5 - boy oh boy what a difference in illumination it was! All back lit, vivid blue and red, so vibrant, I couldn't believe the improvement!

As for these white face, warning writing, agree with you indeed! Frankly, these were not my first choice, I really wanted a backlit red on white dials set from MOMAN Porsche 928 i 944 design 1 PLASMA TACHO GLOW GAUGES TACHOSCHEIBEN DIALS

Theirs are just like stock, writing is blind, backlit by the factory bulbs, just like stock. Unfortunately after 2 emails with enquiries, I got no response from them. And since I had to take the cluster apart to fix the intermittent tachometer, I figured mind as well do it all at the same time. $20 conversion of basic white faces is not bad at all. Besides, I did this on the spare cluster, my stock is still 100% stock... Who knows, MOMAN may eventually respond, then I will get their gauges, I've seen their quality, it is nice for sure!

Regards,
D

 

[a777fan]

I know, right? Same illumination goes for all the Toyotas and Nissan of the 80's and early 90's though... Just "faint green". We once purchased brand new Jetta MK IV, 99.5 - boy oh boy what a difference in illumination it was! All back lit, vivid blue and red, so vibrant, I couldn't believe the improvement!

As for these white face, warning writing, agree with you indeed! Frankly, these were not my first choice, I really wanted a backlit red on white dials set from MOMAN Porsche 928 i 944 design 1 PLASMA TACHO GLOW GAUGES TACHOSCHEIBEN DIALS

Theirs are just like stock, writing is blind, backlit by the factory bulbs, just like stock. Unfortunately after 2 emails with enquiries, I got no response from them. And since I had to take the cluster apart to fix the intermittent tachometer, I figured mind as well do it all at the same time. $20 conversion of basic white faces is not bad at all. Besides, I did this on the spare cluster, my stock is still 100% stock... Who knows, MOMAN may eventually respond, then I will get their gauges, I've seen their quality, it is nice for sure!

Regards,
D

Excellent! Yes. Its like there was a jump to ludicrous speed between mkiii and mkiv. They finally ‘got it’.

And to clarify, I didn’t mean to dump on your work or choice with my opinion. They still look excellent!

 

[dionphaneuf]

Love these mods! My odo gear replacement was a fun one, I remember even touching it would cause the gears to crumble, and counting the gears was fun. To make matters worse I triggered my airbag light which was a bear to reset. That cupholder looks great too. Careful with the AC buttons, the stickers aren't robust. Don't ask me how I know - something about yet another delicate San Francisco snowflake...

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Excellent! Yes. Its like there was a jump to ludicrous speed between mkiii and mkiv. They finally ‘got it’.

And to clarify, I didn’t mean to dump on your work or choice with my opinion. They still look excellent!

They sure did get, "finally" lol in contrast, my late "special built" Audi Coupe GT (white with white leather) had a beautiful, futuristic all digital dash cluster, bright orange (earlier few had red digital, and in Europe, some are bright green digital). Then you get into MK III and whaaaaaat???

Love these mods! My odo gear replacement was a fun one, I remember even touching it would cause the gears to crumble, and counting the gears was fun. To make matters worse I triggered my airbag light which was a bear to reset. That cupholder looks great too. Careful with the AC buttons, the stickers aren't robust. Don't ask me how I know - something about yet another delicate San Francisco snowflake...

I ran across this article, "If you cannot count the teeth on the main gear then count the teeth of the next gear that it meshes with. If your tooth count is 49: 20x21, 48: 20x22" still, unless the one takes it all apart, that would be the only sure way to count, then, one would have to wait for the gears to arrive...

Thanks for heads up on the buttons! My climate control unit unfortunately not functioning (only the fan control, all servos work, but not controlled by the unit, like it is half dead). So I'm almost thinking I will be forced purchase a new one or send mine to get it rebuild.

Regards,
D

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Going to revert back to single din, really not liking the double din prior owner installed. Too big for this car, too bulky, too bright... So I've obtained the the factory pocket and the center console trim to replace the modified one currently in the car.



I've also found the "spare" head unit from 2-3 years ago, has DTA, x-over, EQ, 4V and 6-ch output along with unlimited illumination options (so I can match the red of the dash), it would all look better esthetically imo...

Regards,
D

P.S. Dansk stainless exhaust came in today and DP Motorsport springs are on their way, were shipped today directly from Germany

 

[dionphaneuf]

I totally agree, double DINs look so clunky in these cars and kinda Euro trashy. They also don't fall to hand at all. Mine had the BEA80 deleted and while I loved the cubby that replaced it, if I could go back I'd add another. Would you? They look sooooooo coool. I'm sure you can get just the amp for <$100, and maybe even change the LEDs to be orange and not green.

Classic Vintage 1980's Blaupunkt Set: Memphis SQR 04 Top Condition & BEA 80 | eBay

The front face is almost perfect. You are looking at this beautiful and very rare, classic 1980's car audio set. Perfect for your classic car restoration project! BOA 80 is the famous graphic equalizer/booster, used mostly in luxury or sports cars.

www.ebay.com

 

[Duh_Vinci]

I totally agree, double DINs look so clunky in these cars and kinda Euro trashy. They also don't fall to hand at all. Mine had the BEA80 deleted and while I loved the cubby that replaced it, if I could go back I'd add another. Would you? They look sooooooo coool. I'm sure you can get just the amp for <$100, and maybe even change the LEDs to be orange and not green.

Classic Vintage 1980's Blaupunkt Set: Memphis SQR 04 Top Condition & BEA 80 | eBay

The front face is almost perfect. You are looking at this beautiful and very rare, classic 1980's car audio set. Perfect for your classic car restoration project! BOA 80 is the famous graphic equalizer/booster, used mostly in luxury or sports cars.

www.ebay.com

I love those old school units! And I do miss changing the sound/adjusting EQ on the fly, so this combo does look tempting... But my brain is wired for to have some of the modern tech "needs", particularly DTA for me is kinda a "must" for fine tuning imaging and staging. For EQ, I would consider getting one, need to look around...

I did remove the double din today, soooooo glad to see that big bright blue thing gone! This old Kenwood would do for now.







Regards,
D

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Finally decided to tackle the motor mounts and put Mercedes half overall bib my brother got me for Christmas to a good use.



I was going to show this car that Mercedes and Porsche have some history, and we will work together well... lol

"It will be easy..." they said, or did they??? This very informative video is under 18min, how difficult can it be?

SEVEN hours... Every bolt and nut was fighting me. Sway bar had to be removed, steering rack had to be disconnected from the cross member. Cross member had to be dropped. These were the old, original motor mounts, with the bolt and nut system, if you can imaging how "not easy" it was after all the years!






At the end, sooooooooooooo much smoother at idle! Before, it kinda felt like MK I GTI or Sirocco at idle, not anymore! The shifting appears to be a bit smoother too

Regards,
D

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Noticed my hatch popped the other day while taking twisty back roads...

That was kind of odd, but I figured I had to adjust the locking pins and receiving locks on both sides. That took 35-40 min to adjust the trunk pins and receiving lock to work properly. Kind of fine balance of depth and alignment. All good now, and releases 100% easily now from the cabin too.

Used this video

and this article to get it right Hatch Pin Seats - Only944.com

Regards,
D

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Learned something new about these cars every day... "Caster Block" - apparently it is a weak spot if updated wheels to a larger size, and these would have to be upgraded to a 968 units of an aftermarket improved part. Basically too much of a rubber compound in the 944 factory part, too much flex. Upgrades and 968 pieces stiffer, more metal and less rubber. So I ended up getting a set from elephantracing.com



Basic instructions with the torque specs at Control Arm Replacement 46Nm bolts to body, and 100Nm for eccentric nut. Ok, so more to do this weekend. Will also try to take a whack at installing cat-back stainless Dansk exhaust.

Regards,
D

 

[Duh_Vinci]

What do you do at 6am on your day off (after a full long week)? I figured why not to add a subwoofer

I'm not saying I'm getting lazy with time, but somehow I want to spend more time driving and listening then building the systems. And don't judge for selecting this thing Rockville WHEEL OF BASS 8" Slim Under-Seat Powered Truck/Car Audio Subwoofer Sub

It is tiny 8" tat fits into this small spare tire





Has built amp, built in subsonic filter, phase selector, x-over, remote, all in one. Will see how long will it last, but quite amazing how much bass they managed to extract out of this tiny tiny enclosure. The car, surprisingly enough came pre-wired for the amp, with decent fuse holder, 10awg wire, wasn't done terribly at all, but you can tell, this was done at least 10 years ago judging by all of the cables. Nevertheless, works, saved bunch of time.

The only thing is not permanently installed is the remote, want to drive around for a day to figure out the best accessible and inconspicuous place for it. But all in all, very happy with no trunk space loss and the sound out of this little enclosure so far.

Regards,
D

 

[Duh_Vinci]

A little more progress today...

Caster Blocks replaced



There is definitely a difference between the 30+ years old stock and the upgraded pieces, a lot less rubber



Removed stock and replaced with cat-back Dansk stainless system



Does not stick out far, kinda factory look

Not loud, not obnoxious, just right I think...

I'm not good at these video clips, so here is one from S2 with Dansk, driving... (wish they'd tone down the music though)

Regards,
D

 

[Duh_Vinci]

After close inspection, while for the first time under the rear of the car, both inner CV boots are ripped. Not certain how long have these been ripped and how much dirt got in the actual joints, will replace the inners and will re-boot/repack the outer while there... Lobro here we go



Going to clean up the factory bolt head really good, want to make sure no "strippiage" of these 8mm 12 point heads will occur and the head of the triple square tool will sit in really really well. I had my brother order a tool from Matco, can't find anything of good quality locally.

I have a feeling, by the time I'm done with this car, it will be as new mechanically! Good thing that the parts are affordable and DIY is a must for the upkeep (unless funds are not an issue at all)

Regards.
D

BTW, loving the exhaust, and this little 8" bass driver is amazing for what I need it for!

EDIT: Regarding RM European. Sometimes, their price is exceptional, sometimes just an average, but so far, all of their orders shipped next business day (as long as inventory said in stock, ships tomorrow, East Coast), and I usually get it with just a few days... As I've ran with some delayed shipping issues with FCP and Autohauz within the last year... I tell you, I miss the importec very much!

 

[Duh_Vinci]

A little more progress. First, my brother stumbled onto 87 944 at the pick-a-part, this car been there for a while, and not listed in the inventory! I do check daily on the web



Not much left, but one thing I wanted to do is re-wrap the dash, and (I know not for everyone), but I wanted to go back in time and use 1985.5-1987 dash with no passenger side airbag. It is a beautiful, clean, streamline design. I'm keeping all the factory S2 parts (just in case, for originality sake). Unfortunately, the flawed design plagues all of facelift 944 and 968 dashes, these all crack and split. Not the matter of "if", more like "when"

The solution is to peel off the factory vinyl, fix the foam cracks and re-wrap in vinyl or leather, and at a whopping $22.82 for complete dash (with some extras attached still)





This is quite a bargain project starter! Having my brother do what he does best



Years of dust and dirt... Look forward to this project later this spring! And btw, removed from the car in less than 45min!

Onto the CV units... GKN, all made in Germany, couldn't be happier with the quality, at least based on appearance, feel and fit. Both inners were definitely split



Out with the old,



In with the new





So both inners replaced, and re-booted and re-packed both outers.



Very happy with how simple and straight forward this was to do. And new hardware too



Should have back in the car tomorrow.

EDIT: Couldn't wait, all back in the car, torqued down to 42Nm, all new hardware, went for 30 min test drive, all fine! I've conquered my demons! I've always had a fear of CV joints for some reason, particularly afraid that one of those 24 cheese bolts would just trip the head and a headache that comes with what's next...

So I took my time, cleaned up thoroughly every head of those bolts and blew them out again and again, so that 8mm triple square sits in perfectly. Excellent write up on http://www.clarks-garage.com/

Regards,
D

 

[a777fan]

D,

Where did you source the new hardware? Porsche? Or did you find another source for OE grade bolts?

 

[Duh_Vinci]

D,

Where did you source the new hardware? Porsche? Or did you find another source for OE grade bolts?

Cheers!

GKN/Lobro CV kits actually come with the new bolts, their boot kit does not, but lindsayracing and pelican have these bolts. These are M8 x 48mm. 893.407.237 superseded to N.911.082.01 superseded to PAF.911.082 I believe these fit a lot of other VAG cars too...

Regards,
D

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Removed all of the cracked vinyl from the project dash





The lower portions on these cars usually never a problem, but the top - will need some serious work on the foam pad before re-covering, time has not be kind to it for sure...

Regards,
D

 

[a777fan]

Wow! Really looking forward to seeing how this turns out.

 

[dionphaneuf]

Nice! Yeah the triple square/XZN bolts are actually really good once cleaned out IMO. I used to think they were dumb but you can get a lot of purchase on even crusty ones - I had these on the rusty diff I bought and on my half shafts and they were great.

Your project inspired me to poke my head at this one but the price was far too dear for what it is.

1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S 5-Speed Project

Bid for the chance to own a 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S 5-Speed Project at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #69,372.

bringatrailer.com

 

[TerryA]

Nice! Yeah the triple square/XZN bolts are actually really good once cleaned out IMO. I used to think they were dumb but you can get a lot of purchase on even crusty ones - I had these on the rusty diff I bought and on my half shafts and they were great.

Your project inspired me to poke my head at this one but the price was far too dear for what it is.

1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S 5-Speed Project

Bid for the chance to own a 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S 5-Speed Project at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #69,372.

bringatrailer.com

@dionphaneuf, Did you notice it had D’s famous cracked dash? Saw It in only one pic showing the dash. I wonder if the buyer caught it. Per D it a big project to fix.

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Nice! Yeah the triple square/XZN bolts are actually really good once cleaned out IMO. I used to think they were dumb but you can get a lot of purchase on even crusty ones - I had these on the rusty diff I bought and on my half shafts and they were great.

Your project inspired me to poke my head at this one but the price was far too dear for what it is.

1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S 5-Speed Project

Bid for the chance to own a 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S 5-Speed Project at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #69,372.

bringatrailer.com

I think the key is indeed to get them clean clean! Even on pelican tech articles, one head was stripped



So you can imagine my "slight apprehension" toward the subject, but all went smooth and despite the greasy mess, really really enjoyed rebuilding the axles, and absolutely happy with the decision on spending few extra dollars on all new bolts.

That Turbo S - these fetching some really good money, even in less than desired condition. That particular one, for the life on me, at 70K miles, how can one get the leather to such shit condition??? Would have been a great project car at the right price.

@dionphaneuf, Did you notice it had D’s famous cracked dash? Saw It in only one pic showing the dash. I wonder if the buyer caught it. Per D it a big project to fix.

Yes, that! All crack! Even the "perfect" ones, with lower miles, that are for sale, I can pretty much guarantee: will find at least one that starting to split. There are abs dash covers, I've seen them in person, I do not find them to be the most appealing. Carpeted dash pads, however, I can't stand them personally, these detract from the fine esthetics of any car.

It is quite bit of work to make it nice again, with fine details to the corners and shapes, but I believe I can do this, with a bit of time and patients.

Regards,
D

 

[Duh_Vinci]

So I've been trying to get source a set of Bilstein b8 for over a month, n/a...

Somehow, this artificial intelligence has a tendency to "reach out" to you, and "present the opportunity"... Listening to soothing music on youtube at work this morning, in the right corner, bright yellow add of Koni at 20% off with free shipping through Tire Rack.

I so somehow, I happen to see that, click on that, look at that and purchase that



I know opinions split, some people love them, some don't, but considering the non-availability of Bilstein units, and having DP motorsport springs just sitting in the box - will give Koni a try

Regards,
D

 

[TerryA]

So I've been trying to get source a set of Bilstein b8 for over a month, n/a...

Somehow, this artificial intelligence has a tendency to "reach out" to you, and "present the opportunity"... Listening to soothing music on youtube at work this morning, in the right corner, bright yellow add of Koni at 20% off with free shipping through Tire Rack.

I so somehow, I happen to see that, click on that, look at that and purchase that

View attachment 144992

I know opinions split, some people love them, some don't, but considering the non-availability of Bilstein units, and having DP motorsport springs just sitting in the box - will give Koni a try

Regards,
D

I used Koni Reds on my old 300E. They worked best with the Eibach lowering springs I had installed. At the time I was told by a Koni shock rebuilder that the Yellows would be to harsh for my 300E. He said that Koni built the Yellows to Helmut Feyel of Rentech’s specs for High Performance Mercedes cars.

I was pretty happy with the Reds. At first you’ll play w/ the front adjusters for a while until you hit the sweet spot. After that it just enjoy

 

[gsxr]

I miss the Reds. Those have been NLA for years. KONI only offers the Yellows now. They are quite firm though.

 

[TerryA]

I miss the Reds. Those have been NLA for years. KONI only offers the Yellows now. They are quite firm though.

It’s been a long time since I had the 300E. To bad they provided a pretty good ride Anyway, No more lowering for me my stock 500E is as low as I want and rides pretty decent on 18” Michelin Super Stocks

 

[dionphaneuf]

@TerryA - I know. I thought that 951 S (952 for Porsche nerds) was quite rich, but I've totally lost the market. As said, the interior was trashed to an extent that didn't jive at all with the mileage, which leads me to believe that (surprise) perhaps the odo was broken for some time. You could easily see even a competent DIY'er putting $10k into that thing to get it looking right. It used to feel like deals on BaT still existed but that doesn't seem to be the case as much anymore....

 

[Duh_Vinci]

I used Koni Reds on my old 300E. They worked best with the Eibach lowering springs I had installed. At the time I was told by a Koni shock rebuilder that the Yellows would be to harsh for my 300E. He said that Koni built the Yellows to Helmut Feyel of Rentech’s specs for High Performance Mercedes cars.

I was pretty happy with the Reds. At first you’ll play w/ the front adjusters for a while until you hit the sweet spot. After that it just enjoy

Reds were indeed a great option! It's been at least 17-18 years since I've had a set, back in my 2.6L W201, bought them as new old stock for next to nothing.

I miss the Reds. Those have been NLA for years. KONI only offers the Yellows now. They are quite firm though.

My brother has a set of fairly recently upgrade of orange/red Koni on his Volvo, along with IPD springs, non-adjustable though. He loves them, then again, as far as I recall, he always opted for Koni

@TerryA - I know. I thought that 951 S (952 for Porsche nerds) was quite rich, but I've totally lost the market. As said, the interior was trashed to an extent that didn't jive at all with the mileage, which leads me to believe that (surprise) perhaps the odo was broken for some time. You could easily see even a competent DIY'er putting $10k into that thing to get it looking right. It used to feel like deals on BaT still existed but that doesn't seem to be the case as much anymore....

Yes to all! The odometer gears are known issue, I was happy to see that mine was still working when I got the car, but that didn't last long, one day as I was driving, literally pulling into the driveway, heard the "grinding" from the dash after re-setting the trip to zero a minute earlier. Easy enough to replace, a bit time consuming though.

And indeed, to do these cars right, can add $$$ very quickly Few years back, one can get into a very nice 951 for under $15k, 968 with low miles were under $10k, now...

Regards,
D

 

[Duh_Vinci]

Shocks and inserts arrived yesterday, and this is the first for me: one of the rear shocks (internally adjustable), as you depress the piston rod to adjust - grinds and feels like metal on metal friction/sand/metal inside the tube! I've never had a bad shock right out of the box.





I guess no one is perfect at the end, not even a Holland made Koni TIrerack was very quick to accommodate, replacement unit arrived already, less than 24 hours since the "claim"

Regards,
D