Repairs since the purchase >

One of the important things to know about Porsche 944s is to be prepared to spend for the maintenance. With a car in such good condition, I didn't foresee needing to fix anything. But alas, I was glad to have some reserve in the bank. A critical element to happy Porsche driving is finding a solid Porsche mechanic- much of the cost is in the labor, as you'll see! Overwhelmingly, the research says be careful when purchasing equipment or getting serviced at Porsche dealers- they can be a "tad" expensive. (I've never dealt with a dealer.) My mechanic has a factory supplier or will order parts from Performance Products, which specializes in Porsche products.

As of July 2002, the following are the things I've spent money on for the 944 since the day of purchase (5/01/02 or roughly three months). Some things were needed, some were not:

(5/10/02) The first trip to the mechanic: 1- pre-sale inspection ($75.), 2- Oil/filter change ($16.), 3- Door lock knob ($3.50- The car came with a cracked driver's door lock button. The diode for the alarm worked, though.), 4- Front wheel bearings adjustment ($34.); TOTAL- $160.00 (labor- 125.00, materials- 35.00)

(5/31/02) 1- New washer nozzle (The passenger side windshield washer nozzle didn't work well- $27.20), 2- Remounting the rear view mirror. Oddly, it came loose from the windshield mount and putting the screw back in was a bugger ($13.60), 3- Air conditioning system (check/test/recharge)- the air wasn't cold ($68.00); TOTAL- $325.00 (labor- 142.80, materials- 161.59)

(6/01/02) From Pep Boys, I bought Zymol car polish (good stuff), Lexol leather conditioner (for the seats), Rain-X (exterior windows) and towels for polish/buffing/washing; TOTAL- $34.00

(6/13/02) 1- A new driver's side view mirror- after turning it in when parked so not to get hit, the spring that allows it to snap into place broke. The catch is, I needed a whole new mirror housing, which had to be sent out to be painted to match the car ($83.00), 2- OEM floor mats ($129.00); TOTAL- $355.00 (labor- 68.00, materials- 215.00)

(6/15/02) 4 new speakers (from the audio specialist, not the mechanic)- I thought the radio sound was weaker than my family's Honda Accord, but the 944's speakers are smaller at 4"x6". I decided to change them with something new and basic- Clarions. Good idea, too, since the original 1989 speakers were warped ($300.00 installed)

That's it- three trips in the first three months, but only one reason was for the engine- the oil/filter change. The car is smooth and loves to be driven. Total spent on the car the first three months (not including gas)- $1174.00. But...minus the new speakers ($300.), the random and goofy mirror thing ($225., excluding labor), the pre-sale inspection ($75., excluding labor), the once-in-a-few-years A/C recharge ($68., excluding labor), the once-in-a-few-years mat replacements ($129.) and the once-in-a-few-years interior and exterior polish ($34.), the readjusted total spent on the first three months of ownership of this 1989 944 n/a in excellent condition is $343.00 (excluding deduction of labor, which would drop it lower). Much better. The car sure makes up for it on the road! And considering the alternatives for the same price (but with higher insurance costs for newer models)...the Porsche wins hands down in my opinion! It's classy, competitive, distinctive and a heckuva lot of fun!

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