Living with a Porsche 944

The one common issue with the Porsche 944 is a leaking sunroof, so much so that many seek out a rare model without a sunroof. This is due primarily to the obvious fact that seals don't last forever, therefore water ingress into the cabin is a common complaint. What's more alarming than damp footwell carpets is the cost of a new sunroof seal from some suppliers. However, solving this issue may not be as expensive as replacing all the seals in every aperture! When I collected my Porsche on that sunny autumn day back in October, I was surprised that there was some condensation gathering on the windows - which is also how I found out that my heater wasn't working correctly (see my other post in that regard). I remember back to my university days and a friends Mark I Golf that leaked into the passenger footwell from the wind screen causing the windows to mist up terribly. A very common issue with that particular car in the eighties. My 944 had a mildly damp passenger footwell c...

The first Saturday of the month is breakfast morning with a few mates. It's always a good laugh and we move it around. Of course I was taking the 944 to Chichester on this trip. I was expecting a good fry up but I wasn't expecting two full size passengers to join me on a back road jaunt to work up an appetite. They parked the Lexus and announced they were going to squeeze in - well one of them at least - the crazy canuck who volunteered for the back seat! If you've seen the back seat in any Porsche coupe you'll know that it's really only suited to kids or bottles of NOS. Mine look mint for sure but I wouldn't want to travel back there. The things people do to drive in a Porsche eh?

I say the first real drive, because today was the first time I drove the 944 with all the jobs done. There was no nagging thought about what needed to be fixed next to get her running just right. Today it was pure joy to go driving. The back roads of West Sussex hide some real gems. Tiny villages. Stunning countryside vistas. I relished the solitude and thrived on the prowess of this now 24 year old car. This was our delayed birthday drive together and it was a celebration of sorts. It was almost as if she was loving this as much as I having been brought back from the beginnings of near neglect to something of her former glory. This 944 was built to be driven. And I'm loving it more and more. This is why I've forgone a newer, warrantied heap of tin & plastic with "sculptured lines" and marketing hype. I don't want to settle for blandness. Life's too short for miles per gallon and NCAP ratings. I want to drive something iconic, that puts a smile on my face ...