Body work in process. The nose sustained a fair amount of damage (part of the reason this car was so easy to afford). Additionally the right turn signal assembly was gone and the side marker light was pushed in.

This 1985 1/2 Porsche 944 was purchased early in 2000. The price was too good to pass up. The plan is to make this the new daily transport. Though it has a lot of miles on it, the car is still in good shape. There are a number of cosmetic issues with the car, but most of the mechanical problems have been corrected.

New parts - Konis shocks (and strut inserts in front), new rotors and new brake linings.

A complete rebuild or replacement of the suspension and brakes was the first step in the "restoration" process. Then the timing belt, the belt rollers, and the water pump were replaced. The steering rack was replaced because of a serious leak. The brake master, the clutch slave and master cylinders were all replaced. Then, when I felt the car was ready for some use, I took it for a test drive. I proceeded to strip 6 teeth off the pinion gear! Now, after a transaxle rebuild and clutch/pressure plate/release bearing replacement, I was able to put some miles on the car (late 2001). The car ran well and handled superbly. However, I am now experiencing an engine surge problem. The suspected culprit is the DME (Digital Motor Electronics), or engine control module.

(Right rear corner) Rebuilt calipers, new rotors, wheel spacers, new Konis, new fuel filter - all visible in this view. (Right front corner) Same as rear though Koni strut inserts are not visible (and there's no fuel filter).

This is what the inside of a Porsche transaxle looks like. A new ring and pinion set was installed and everything was reassembled and installed back in "Herbie". Lee Kesh (of the Lawrence Tech fabrication lab) deserves a good bit of the credit for helping with the rebuild. More bondo, sanding and paint. A new Porsche crest is ready to go on after the top coat goes on.