firemn131

Hi All.
I am new to the 968 world.
I have had 87 924S and now drive a 87 928 S4.

I came across a 92 968. I first noticed it about 4 years ago. At that time it was very sharp. Well, the mechanic aparently took apart the cam an saw that the variable cam timing mechanism failed. So bent valves. he said he had the head reworked. But, never put it back together, and left it out in the elements uncovered. The engine compartment was never put back together either. The front of the engine is apart and all components are there, but rusty...gears and pullies..
fast forward to now. The owner of the car has since died and the car is up for sale. He told me 3500.00.

96,000 miles
Paint is in bad shape, clear coat peeling.
Hood is dented from somone closing it on top of the cam cover.
Seats are in good condition.
wheels are cup II look great, tires still have air.
6 speed tranny.
Carpets and rest of interior are surprisingly in good shape.
There are a few new parts but nothing fantastic. Belts possibly a W/P.

Here is the VIN
WPOAA2969NS820321

I am pretty well versed in the 2.5 that was in the 924S that I had, and also know the V8 in the 928 really well.
I have no idea about the VariCam 3.0 tho.

So, I think i can get this car for 1500. and bring it back to life for my Son..he is 13 now..hahha it will take that long to get it finished probably But it would be a good project for us.

My questions..
How does this car rate. Was the first year of the 968 a good one or not?
Are parts available?
What is a fair price for this basket case?
If i write the engine off, how hard and expensive is it to rebuild or find another?
If it is not worth trying to bring it back to life, what is it worth for parts?
seats and interior, tranny wheels, striaght body panels engine, suspension.

Thanks, trying to feel this out before i go to Hershey on Sat.

Dougs951

The black car on Rt4?

If you pick it up shoot me a PM and I can give you a full walkthrough on everything I know about the 3l cars.

951and944S

Sounds like a good plan....I parked an '87 944s daily driver and began a restore on it with him at around 14 yrs. old.....body, engine, the whole 9 yards.

My concerns would be weather the open engine was sealed from the elements for that long a period of time with the head off. If water (from rain etc.) infiltrated the cylinders and sat until evaporated again and again, the cylinders would more than likely be corroded or pitted and the rings stuck.

Early cars are ok other than some differential problems with the early manuals.

At $1500, a steal.
At $2500, a great deal.
At $3500, personally, I'd still take it.

As a a matter of fact, if you bought it tomorrow and decided 6 mo. from now that it was more than you could handle, I'd extend a standing offer to give you $3k for it.

I already have a later 6 speed trans, a block, 2 cranks, a cylinder head, the engine harness and DME....

T

951and944S

BTW, if you jump, ask to see the cams, the sprocket teeth are likely damaged and the pair can be pricey....IIRC, $6-$800 ea. new, so just that could equal the total price you paid for the car.

T

firemn131

Cool thanx guys.
Doug, the black car on rt4 was my 924S.
It was a great car.
I bought it for 3k 5 years ago, and sold it for 2500.00
I still have the phone dial wheels and tires if anyone is interested.

firemn131

i forgot, he did put the head back on. Just left the cam cover and timing belt covers off.

BikePilot

I believe that all years of 968s are largely the same. It rates very well, arguably the last and best model of the 924/944 line of cars (definitely best interior and chassis; the 944 Turbo makes more power). It's based off the 944 S2, but with obvious changes to styling, updated interior, improved suspension, 6spd transaxle, and a little more punch from the engine. If water has gotten into the engine and sat for years it may be quite costly to get it going again. If the engine can't be fixed up for reasonable cost I'd explore an LSx swap. I saw an LSx car at the 944 meet last week and was amazed just how well the small block fits in that engine bay.

The engine is basically a 944 S2 with variable valve timing and a bunch of tuning updates. Generally reliable and well built. The timing chain, sprockets, and pads can wear and if neglected long enough can fail. My 968 has 143k miles and I inspected the setup a couple of weeks ago and everything looked great. Not sure if the ones that fail fail due to neglect or some mfg'ing defect. Definitely wouldn't let that keep me away from a 968. Specs are 3.0l, 16 valves and 236hp.

jeff968

Here's some good news for you. Based on the VIN, that car was factory equipped with option 220, limited slip differential. This is a desired option.

firemn131

Thanks for all the info! It really helps.

BikePilot

heck, just that gearbox if in good shape is probably worth $2k+

FRporscheman

Go for it! 968s are solid cars. Even the 3.0 with variocam is still quite similar to the 2.5. Chassis-wise, it's similar to your 924 as well. If you had a late 944 I'd say it's almost identical.

It's worth it. If the cam cover has been off with no cams in it, I bet the aluminum has corroded. I might not trust it to work right - the surfaces where the cams sit might be F'ed up. You can either look for an engine, or just a new head. Even a bare head. GL!

MAGK944

"Paint is in bad shape, clear coat peeling.
Hood is dented from somone closing it on top of the cam cover."

At that price the mechanical faults shouldn't bother you. Could get all that fixed without spending a lot, especially if you wrench and buy used parts. That is, it's cost effective to fix considering the purchase price. I would be more concerned about the paint and bodywork. A ratty looking 968 is not a good thing and you can spend a fair deal of $'s getting dings & dents out and a decent paint job, probably more than the mechanicals will cost you to fix.

firemn131

Well, I got it. He had all the parts. I got the receipts for the reconditioning of the heads. This included all custom made valve guides and new valves. Found more paperwork. One owner, he documented mileage and maintenance on a monthly basis. Interior is perfect except for 2 small dash cracks and faded rear carpets, intact and good backing will definitely dye up nicely. Found Porsche air compressor, complete tool kit, 2 metric craftsmen tool kits, a new craftsmen torque wrench. Car was put on blocks and cover on ground to keep moisture down. No undercarriage rust. Also found an Alpine CD changer in Glove box. No keys so far.

Dougs951

The dealership can cut you a new key

CoreySmith

I bet that turns out to be a great life-long car. You did the right thing...