All locked up

Time to tackle the lock. Drivers side doesn't lock at all and the handle on the outside is loose. I tried the key in the lock and it pulled the barrel out which I'm guessing isn't a good sign.

First job was to take the door card off so I could get access to the locking mechanism. Following the Haynes guide it came off fairly easily, apart from the speaker.

Half the screws were missing when I started which shows somebody else has been in to have a go. On getting inside it was nice to see that the galvanised steel has held up well, no rust at all inside the door.

While in there I had a good look over the door card. Its fairly knackered and doesn't look like the covering will easily come off, so suspect that will get added into the list of new things to buy. I've kept it for now and taken the drivers arm rest off as that was in good condition.

So now to the door itself. A few more screws undone and the handle came off fairly easily. Its not looking good. Using my newly purchased inspection light I can see that the arm connecting the central locking motor is disconnected, so it was a quick job to reattach that. Similarly with the arm reaching up for the lock indicator (the one you cash push up and down) was reconnected and is now working.

So the car will now lock using the key in the passenger side so at least I can make it secure, not that it will be going on the road.

I compared the handle and associated bits to the Haynes manual and it seems all the linkage behind the barrel is missing, this is the part that connects to the lock and drivers the motor (to lock the other side). I'm going to have to order a new one (or a 2nd hand one).

Finally I removed the barrel which was covered in crap and wasn't spinning easily. A quick clean with some wd40 and it works perfectly now - if I do end up with a new handle at least I can put this in so that I don't have to have multiple keys.

A frustrating bit of work and there were pieces missing so I couldn't fix it there and then, but in searching for the parts on eBay I've come across a garage nearby who is breaking up two '89 2.7l 944's so I should be able to get loads of spare parts. He even looks to sell the parts pretty cheap.

Textbook

3 inches makes all the difference

So today it was time to fix the electric sunroof mechanism.

I had the new gears from Porsche, a few hours to kill with no distractions. Removing the trim inside went OK, one screw was a bit tough but came out in the end. I pulled apart the sections where the sunroof arms come out from and removed the old gears.

As suspected they had stripped fairly badly and were past their best. While they were off I had a look further in and was slightly concerned. The geared wire which runs from the motor to the gears wasn't there.

I stripped down the boot to get at the motor. Porsche in their wisdom decided to make this face the rear panel so more nuts had to be removed to reveal the motor. Here I found approximately 5 feet of the wire where the motor had pushed it all out. A quick wipe down and grease and I tried to push it back in, no joy.

As the motor wasn't running it would feed through, but luckily 2 small nuts held the cable sheath in place, so with them off I could push the cable through. A quick check to ensure that it had gone all the way through, and move the trailing arm so hat the required 30cm of wire was free and I was good to put it all back together.

This took about another 30 minutes but went smoothly. Now for the big test, would the arms raise?

I pressed the button and....nothing. I couldn't see a switch but suspected that those craft Germans had put something in so that it won't work without the sunroof back in. So I put it back in.

This time it worked a treat, and nice smooth motion with no grinding and the motor itself was quieter than I thought. The only disappointment was that the rear of the roof only lifts about 3 inches, though this does seem to be as designed, I guess that is why it comes out fully.

I started looking at the doors then, but I'll save that for a different post.

With the three inch gap I can now open on demand, and the ability to remove the whole sunroof I'm ready for summer (and the trip to Le Mans that is going to be my reward for finishing all this).

All in all I'm pleased with today's work, and who would have thought you could be proud of 3 inches :-)

Textbook

A New Home

The rain is here, and it looks like there are a few leaks so clearly the garage was required. Only problem is it is full of shit.

Luckily I had some good music so was able to get it done in a mere three hours. The car now has a nic new (cleanish) home. See pics for details.

Dave (Dads mate) came round and took the 944 for a spin. He knows more about cars than I thought was possible, and has owned more cars than anybody I know. The clutch was sticking down with only about 1" of travel, though it was still working. Within 5 minutes not only was the clutch fixed but I was given a rudimentary lesson in how a spring assited hydrallic clucth works. Bonus.

With the car in the garage the heaters went on, sunroof removed and windows down to let it fully dry out, unfortunetely under the powerful light I can also see how bad the paintwork is, oh and if I run the car then the kitchen stinks of petrol (I actually like it, other family members are less enthused).

The sunroof isn't opening electrically, from reading around on the interwebs it seems that there are to sacrificial nylon gears inside which transfer the back and forwards motion of the cable into driving the arms which raise the back of the sunroof. I'm hoping it is just these that have gone as they should be fairly simply to fix.

A quick call to Porsche Centre Bolton and not only can they get them, but they have two in stock! Will be going on Saturday to collect them for the bargin price of £9.70.

Textbook

The First Bill

So the car is now on the drive, and it looks awesome.

Looking a little closer though and the problems start to stand out. Try using it and these become even more apparent. For example it won't start - I've even remembered to use the immobiliser this time.

Looking a the battery and its clearly undersized and the contacts are a bit rusty. Trip to the car shop is in order.

At this point I'm going to plug Taymac in Middleton, friendly shop and good prices, like £58 for a nice new battery for the 944. Let the spending begin.

Battery fitted and its time to fix another job. Water is collecting on the spoiler at the back - drain hole must be blocked.

The high tech fix I employ is to straighten out a paper clip and wiggle it around (its a technical process). This makes a load of gunk fall out and then I throw a bucket of water over it. More gunk but it is draining now (which is a good thing as there is a bucket on water now sitting on the spoiler).

The car is misting up when started up so water must be getting inside somewhere. Back seats prove to have a damp spot and there are a few bits in the rear under the boot lining and in the wells. Far from ideal.

This puppy needs to get out the rain and into a nice cosy garage, only problem is it is full of shit. Mainly my shit so I can't blame anybody else. How annoying.

Tomorrow my Dad's mate Dave is coming round to have a look. He's mad on cars and actually knows how to fix them, I'm positive he will like mine (and tell me what I need to fix first). He won't even charge me.

Textbook.

More photos are taken.

The Purchase

Being a big fan of the 80's I decided that I needed a bit more of it in my life, simply listening to Phil Collins Greatest Hits wasn't doing it for me. So I began looking for something that captured the 80's and leaned towards one of my passions - cars.

The natural choice was an 80's classic car, good looking so it can garner looks on todays roads but also fun to drive.

The Porsche 944 ticked all the boxes.

An ebay search began and turned up a surprising amount of cars for sale. Given I would have a modest budget (read under £1k) it was never going to be a showroom model right out the box. The first auction I entered was for a white 944S2. It had accident damage to the bottom left corner but other than that looked good. It was listed at £800 but bidding soon went up. I backed out at my max and the car eventually sold for £1.3k. Nightmare.

A couple of days passed and another 944 came up, this time correctly paintedin Guards Red. It was also listed at £800 but had no bids. It looked in fairly good condition though some of the paintwork was a bit suspect. I waitd till there was only 2 hours to go and stuck in the required £800. A few nervous hours (including me raising the maximum I wold pay to £900) and the car was mine (in principle anyway).

Friday came along and I set off for the big smoke with the old man in tow. A fairly cursory inspection of the car yielded no major problems, no rust, mechanically ok at first glance and dodgy paintwork.

Sod it, might as well go for it.

£800 later and she's mine and I've now got to try anddrive it 230 miles home. Tried to leave but the battery had gone flat (not the best of starts) but with a jump and a quick application of £85 worth of petrol she was away.

Radio doesn't work. I have no idea how to pop up the lights. I can't turn the heater off full. The sunroof is open and I can't close it. It is rush hour. I have no sat nav with me. my phone has run out of batery (as I was using it to play music).

All the above were conquered and the 944 arrived back in Manchester in one piece, no issues other than those above and I've got a big smile on my face.

Textbook.