Living with a Porsche 944

The other mute point on the MOT test was the small amount of rust that needed repairing on the nearside sill. It was within 12" of the seatbelt mount and therefore an immediate failure - despite the fact that the seatbelt mount is not on the sill but on the chassis! In fact the rust spot was not even noticeable and well covered by the white rubber sill paint. Nevertheless it needed taking care of as this is what it looked like with the paint removed: Two days in the body shop and I must admit I'm very happy with the result. The whole left side was repaired and repainted. My wallet is much lighter but this is a great long term fix. Contrary to the fact that these 944s boast a galvanised body they do rust after twenty years.

I wish these MOT tests were consistent. After sorting all the bits that needed doing from the failed MOT test when I bought the car at the beginning of October, it turns out at the retest that I now need to replace the offside front wishbone due to "excessive wear". What I'd like to know is why this didn't come up in the test earlier in the month? The car has hardly been driven over the last couple weeks while I've attended to the repairs - which have included stripping and refreshing all four disc brakes. Because of the low mileage whilst in the care of the previous owner the brakes had become semi seized and that was effected the brake balance test. They're confirmed working perfectly as is the handbrake after a simple adjustment inside the left rear wheel. But now I need a new front right wishbone as the ball joint is not replaceable by itself. This is the darkside of german engineering. Earlier 944 models featured a steel wishbone much like the Golf Mk1, b...

One of the MOT failing points was the badly leaking power steering pump. It was seeping on the primary machine face, which meant that the main seal was knackered. Removing it from the lower right side of the engine bay was a bit fiddly as I couldn't find any clear instructions on the internet from Clarks Garage or in the downloadable Porsche workshop manuals from Cannell's . Despite the wealth of information available there was one minor yet significant thing that no-one was telling me: the spacer in the top mounting bolt is removable! Had I not had to spend most of the morning figuring that out this job would have been a doodle. With it removed I set about stripping the pump and sure enough the main seal was at fault. Rather than heading off to OPC Guildford, I googled a local industrial seal supplier and headed over there with pump in hand. They had a perfect fit seal for 70pence. After reassembly and a nice clean refitting the pump was rather easy. I topped up the level wit...

First things first. My 944 needed a thorough clean and polish. It wasn't filthy mind you, but with green mould in all the nooks and crannies it didn't matter that she looked good from across the street. The interior was great though so no need to go there. This is always a great way to get to know your car intimately and I was looking forward to it. After a good Zipwax wash with the help of my kids - who were strangely excited about cleaning daddies new Porsche - I set about the 944 with a toothbrush, a model paint brush and a bottle of spray on mould cleaner. I wanted to get to all of it and could not believe how much of the stuff there was growing around the car, even inside the bonnet and recesses of the tail gate and sometimes lurking under the rubber seals. But, was it satisfying seeing the cleaner body emerge! Four hours later it was time for some Autoglym Resin Polish - the results were fantastic. With it being such a beautiful & warm autumn day I was keen to catch t...

It's always nice to have a friend in the same street - they could almost be Lightning McQueen and Sally. A new 911 snuggles up to the 944 - which doesn't look anything near its age. This model has really stood the test of time despite the demeaning by some as not being a real Porsche with engine up front and gearbox out back.

How do I put into words the exhilaration of driving your own Porsche for the first time? Besides the obvious excitement, I was tentative - and attentive. Every creak, squeek and silence was noted. Trying to familiarize myself with the new environment was like walking into a new house - where was everything? What's the view like out of the windows? I was fairly nervous too - it was a long way home and I certainly didn't want to break down or get stopped by the Blue & Whites for over enthusiastic driving. I wanted to soak it all in. Immerse myself in the thrill of my first joy ride in my 944. I wasn't disappointed. The feedback through the steering wheel, the precise turn in, and the subtle rumble of the exhaust at idle, not to mention the roar when the accelerator was pressed hard. This was more than I expected it to be. It was brilliant fun to drive and the grin factor was massive. I gave myself a bit of a surprise on a sharp left hander. The road carved left as it dipp...

Well, well. The seller collected me from the station, he seemed a nice enough chap, and then we headed off to his place for a cuppa as the 944 wasn't ready to be collected yet. It turns out he lives in a small village and the chap whose doing the MOT has absconded with my Porsche - which meant a bit of sitting around and waiting before I could hit the open road. At this point I hadn't even laid eyes on my new baby. In the meantime I had a chance to view the extensive history, original owners manual and other sundry documents. It was certainly reasurring to see all those invoices and it was clear that each owner had taken good car of this car. In amongst all the bits was the actual pre-delivery invoice for this car from December 1985! The first owner kept this car for almost fifteen years, and it had done less than 1000 miles in the last couple years. I handed over the cash before heading off to the garage. After what felt like another eternity waiting for the garage-owner-come-...