Granite 944

Strange things do happen sometimes. Theres this guy I met at my local gas station over a year ago. I chatted with him about his 85/1 944, gave him a Rennlist card with my name and phone number on it. A few months ago, he called me, asking if I might have a DME for sale. Come to find out, his car won't start, so I offered a list of things to check out, referred him to clark's garage, and Rennlist again, and even offered to get together with him, bring some spare parts, in an effort to help him get it sorted out. He said he'd look into those things. A week ago last saturday, he called me and said he was outta time and didn't want to mess with this car ANY more. I offered help again, he said he just wasn't interested in dinking with it any more. He then told me, "if you want this car, come and get it!....all I want is the stereo, all four speakers, and the battery out of it, you can HAVE the rest of it.

Well, I was out there the next day with a trailer. I felt kinda guilty, feeling I had to give him something, so I gave him $200.00 for the car (so I guess it wasn't really "free")

I got it home, looked it over, see all kinds of nickel-dime small stuff wrong and not working (mostly electrical stuff). Last sunday, I checked the resistance on the speed sensor, and it showed an open condition on both check points. I replaced both sensors, and car fired right up, but, no oil pressure to be seen, and it was verified by the dry/noisy sound of the engine. Removed the OPRV, (it was stuck), cleaned and replaced it, started engine, and it sounds great, and oil pressure is good and quick to come up.

I currently have the dashboard out of car. The wiring under the dash has been hacked into in several places with Scotch connectors (I hate those things!).

Sunroof does not work, headlight buckets won't operate right, blower motor won't work, lights everywhere are iffy, or not working. I removed a patch wire from the green wire on the back of the Tach, to the neg. side of coil. Tach won't work now. I removed a wire that ran from the drivers side headlight to the other headlight (all scabbed in wiring from a PO's work around crappy fix).

Car runs pretty good (for what I can tell right now). I have a ton of little electrical gremlins to set straight and fix. I just love some of these crappy, work around fixes that some PO's come up with. I'm sure no one here at Rennlist would butcher a car like I've been seeing on this one, and others I've been into. Check out this pic of the headlight switch harness. Its got a spliced in wire going around the relay box, spliced back in with scotch connector, and there are about four different connector plug points going into the single spliced in red wire. I've got to come up with a connector plug with the harness pigtails, and splice it back into this cars harness to rectify, then start diagnosing whats going on. I wonder if the tach may be partially affected by this.

I still LOVE it though! With some patience, and your guys help, maybe I can get this car back to the road in a respectable manner again. I've rambled enough. Thanks for your ear, and any input/thoughts.

89magic98

Don't tell the guy you got it from that you got it started in one day. No matter how nice a person he seems to be, I'm sure anyone would be a little sore that you got the big problem sorted out that easily.

Probably you need to look for a break in the one of the leadlight wires inside the loom in the passenger's side headlight bucket.

will951

Too bad for him

But good for you!!

Stuttgart 944

Congrats on the new "free" car!!! Hope you get everything straightened out and drivable again.

AndyK

Good that you can figure out what's what with that car. Add up all the problems, and how much it would cost if you took it to a mechanic. Bet that's why your guy GAVE you the car!

What does the engine look like??

Macfreak007

I bought a 944 once for really really cheap, only problem was a bad fuel pump! amazing! so this is becomign to be a pretty common thing as these cars age, people just want to be rid of them...

Techno Duck

Thats heck of a deal!

I guess i got a little lucky with my car. Although there was a mess of wires (nothing cut into the main harness, just a ton of random wires which seemingly serve no purpose) everything on my car works correctly with the exception of the 'gong' going off when i open the drivers door all the time. Head lights off, turn signals off...etc. Cant figure that out. I have since removed an old alarm system control box and a slew of wires. Its funny however, every time i stick my head under the dash i find more wires from this defunct alarm. They seem to be regenerating as i cut them out!

jaycm

good job!!!

Gear Dog

How about looking for a used harness? You can always find someone parting a car here.

theedge

Vampire Taps are what youre referring to? I despise those things. OK in a few situations maybe... But other than that, evil!

I had to redo a pile of work on my buddies MR2 Turbo. PO had taken it to a ""professional"" shop in Richmond BC (meaning it was a hole in the wall with a pack of Asian teens who thought they were hot stuff with a wrench and some pliers) for some stuff... I get in there and find an ugly hacked up harness with at least 6 vampire taps into various critical wires (RPM, etc). Even worse, they didnt bother using the correct size taps.

Took me a few hours, but I had that harness looking nice and clean, even after adding MORE aftermarket stuff to it.

AznDrgn

VERY NICE!!

Danno

Good job Ken! Saved another one from the crushers! I ran across a car that had SAE bolts crammed in all over. Just forced in with torque and impact-wrenches I guess..

Granite 944

Over the last couple of years, I've been learning a lot about these cars, and still continue to learn here daily. This place is the greatest to "figure out what's what with these cars"

I'd hate to guess what it would cost, if I had a shop do all this kinda of stuff, instead of the DIY route. It makes it much more fun and enjoyable, and MUCH more affordable, at least for me.

The engine looks like it leaks oil everywhere! hehe.......what a shock. I need to get a look at the belts and do front seals, plug wires and well.........all the normal kinda stuff. Power steering leaks, so that needs a kit installed, the L/F fender needs repair/replacing, six out of 8 seat anchors are in need of rework, some window seals here and there. Car was repainted about 3-4 years ago, so thats pretty good, and interrior is in pretty good shape. All in all, its a project car, with lots of good potential. Like I need more 944 projects right now.

michaelathome

Funny Ken,

Well I guess all of those parts for sale aren't for sale just yet are they.

Michael

Granite 944

Its kinda funny, outta the 3 other parts cars I have, I won't need to rob much in the way of parts for this car I'm working on. As a matter of fact, some of the parts I could've used on this car, I've already sold off from the parts car, and need to go after them somewhere else. No, I've got plenty of parts to sell yet. I think we got ya covered.

You wouldn't want to sell that engine harness back to me would ya.....just kidding, I think I can fix this one with what I still have left.