1990 Porsche 944

S2 Convertible

3 liter, inline 4 cyl

Manual

WP0CB294XLN480838

Clear

Gasoline

1990 Porsche 944 S2 Convertible The vehicle is one of 2400 944 convertibles total that were sold in the U.S., it originally listed for $50,300 in 1990. I have always garaged the vehicle and did not drive it during the winter, or in bad weather. The only time the car ever got wet was when I washed it. If you're shopping for a high performance sports car you are obviously aware of the importance of completing scheduled maintenance work, such as replacing the timing belt and water pump at scheduled intervals. During the previous 5000 miles (between 95,000-100,000 miles) this work, as well as normal wear and tear items such as a new clutch, have all been completed. The total amount spent on this work, all done by a Porsche specialty mechanic, was $8,400 dollars. All receipts are included. The specific work performed is as follows: -New Timing Belt-New Water Pump-Front and Rear Rotors-Front and Rear Brakes-New Clutch-New Radiator-New Cam Balance Shaft-New Crank Position Sensor-Balance Shaft Belt and Tension Roller-Crank Seal-Crank Position Sensor-Oil Pressure Relief O-Ring-Cooling System Service-New Spark Plugs-Air Filter-Oil Filter and Lube-Parking Brake Adjustment As far as the convertible top is concerned, since the vehicle is a 1990 it is probably something you would be concerned about. The top itself is in excellent condition, it is taught and tight, and retains its original dark black color. I have no firsthand knowledge, but it is obvious the original top was probably replaced at some point in the not to distant past. Also, as I said, I garaged the car and never drove it in bad weather, so I have no first hand knowledge as to whether or not it has any leak issues. I will say that most convertible owners are unaware that the seals at the top of the windshield and around the window tops are supposed to be conditioned with convertible top seal conditioner twice a year. The conditioner moistens the seals bringing them back to their original full shape, allowing them to prevent water ingress between the top and the windshield frame and windows. I can tell that the seals on the car have not been conditioned in a while, and I never conditioned them because I didn't drive the car in the rain. If you are the winning bidder I would highly recommend conditioning all of the seals before driving the car in bad weather. The good thing about conditioning the seals is that, even if they haven't been conditioned for a long time, they can still be returned to their original condition with the use of seal conditioner (It is available at online retailers such as Pelican Auto) Oh, one more thing about the convertible top I should tell you. As I've said, I owned four other convertibles before this one, and based on an abundant amount of first hand experience, I consider power tops to be the bane of my existence. If I told you all of the problems I've experienced with them you honestly wouldn't believe me. From arriving at a bed and breakfast with my girlfriend 100 miles from home and my tools when the top of the car I was driving at the time decided not to close just as it was beginning to rain, to 30+ hours of diagnostic work required to troubleshoot the power top of my BMW because it relied on a series of I believe 12 different micro switches that had to activate in a specific series or the top wouldn't open or close. So, because of my previous experience, I have no use for power tops. (To be fair, I never had a problem with the automatic top of my 1986 Mustang GT convertible) When I bought the Porsche, the first thing I did, before I even tried to operate it, was learn what I needed to do to convert it to a manual top. As soon as I figured out how to do it I converted it. I swear, I am not exaggerating this at all when I say that, to operate the top in manual mode, from the time you release the two latches that connect the top to the windshield frame (which you have to do regardless of whether its automatic or manual) it takes no more than 5 seconds to lower the top, and you can do it while sitting in the drivers seat. Closing the top also takes no more than 5 seconds, but you have to stand outside the drivers door to do it. So the car was manufactured with a power top but it is now a manual top. Not because the power top is broken but because I changed it. The interior of the vehicle is in excellent-plus condition. The carpet and seats show no sign of wear or weathering, as you can see in the pictures. The seats in particular, for a 1990 vehicle, are in mint condition. They show virtually no sign of wear or weathering, and the leather is still as supple as what you would expect to find a new vehicle. As I noted, the clutch is new and the transmission shifts very smoothly. The steering is still extremely tight, and you are even able to feel changes in road surface conditions through the steering wheel. The cars cornering ability is beyond superb. One of the things I truly love about the car is that it is a high performance sports car in the purist form. It is not loaded with computer-assisted driving devices that take pure vehicle control from the hands of the driver. When you drive the car, you actually drive the car, it doesn't drive you. And as should be the case in any true sports car, it has no cup holders! Some technical and other information: The inline four cylinder engine is three liters and I believe, at least at the time it was manufactured, was the largest four cylinder engine ever made. The engine construction is literally one-half of the eight cylinder engine that powers the Porsche 928. It has a 95" wheelbase, is 169" long, 68" wide, and 50" high. It also has 16" rims. My insurance premium (with speciality auto insurer Haggerty Insurance) was a little over $500 dollars a year. During the time I've owned the car I have averaged 21 MPG. Also included with the car is a custom-fit all weather cover (I covered it in the garage) and the six volume Porsche shop manuals seen in the pictures. Negatives: Since you're bidding on a car in an auction I think its only fair that I provide you with all negatives about the vehicle. They are: Recently, the quality of radio reception dropped off significantly. I'm almost certain the cause is that the antenna lead that plugs into the rear of the radio came loose and is affecting reception. I haven't had a chance to remove the radio and reconnect it. When I was starting the car during the winter (to keep internal engine condensation at a minimum while it sits idle during the winter) I noticed the controls for the drivers power seat weren't working. This is a common issue with 944 seat controllers. They utilize ball bearing like balls to make contact between the switch and the electronics of the the seat controller. Because they are round, the area of contact between the switch and the controller is minimized, causing them to fail easily when they get dirty, or through humidity. The actual motors and wiring are fine, the contacts just need to be removed and cleaned. The starter began to occasionally make a whining like sound during starting shortly before I took it off the road for the winter. I bought a new starter but, due to the starters location in the center of the car, I was unable to get the car high enough off the ground with ramps and jacks to get underneath and loosen the two bolts to remove and replace the starter. The new starter is included with the car. The cars hood could stand to be realigned. Its not something most people would even notice, but I used to work at a body shop so it caught my eye. There is also a small crack on the top of the dashboard pad This one is really not a negative but I've included it here. The previous owner had a minor front end accident that caused minor damage to the cosmetic plastic covering of the bumper which he had replaced by a body shop, and some damage to the front end sheet metal (there is a picture of the damage in the pictures section that was provided to me by the previous owner.) The issue is, if you run a Carfax on the vehicle, as I did before I purchased it, the report incorrectly lists that, as a result of the minor front end damage, that the car was listed as a total loss by the insurance company. The only proof needed to show the car was never reported as a total loss is that, thanks to all the unscrupulous actions of people who, in the past, bought totaled or salvaged vehicles, repaired them, and sold them without disclosing to the buyer that the car was salvaged or had been a total loss. Because of this, any activity such as a car being considered a total loss by an insurance company, or a salvaged/repaired vehicle, it is now required by law to list on the vehicles title that the car was a total loss, or salvaged vehicle. This is not something that is the responsibility of the vehicles owner to report, it is reported by the insurance company to the DMV in the state where the vehicle is titled. In other words, there's no way for the owner of a vehicle listed as totaled to hold a clean, clear title. The 944 currently has a clean, clear title, and I received a clean, clear title from the previous owner. I know this listing is long, but I wanted to provide as much information as possible to help you determine if or how much you want to bid. If you do have any questions though, feel free to contact me.