1985 Porsche 944 2.5 Lux

[NickR]

Will this one be a keeper with the effort you are going to?

 

[IL]

Nasty, but its taking shape!

 

[Woodcutter]

Will this one be a keeper with the effort you are going to?

Im hoping so. But sure who knows what’s down the line.

Nasty, but its taking shape!

Worse than I expected, laying in that damp garage for so long made it so much worse. But it doesn’t phase Jonny who’s welding at it whatsoever! Mad man!

 

[Woodcutter]

Stripped the back axle out, got it blasted and painted. While it was off I sourced new rear axle mounts and bushes, and replaced a couple of rubber fuel hoses with braided stainless.

OE hoses were a complete fortune, as were the rear axle mounts and bushes, so I ordered the mounts from PorschesparesUK (previously Woolies Workshop), and Powerflex poly bushes from Amazon, and got Pirtek in Belfast to make the braided hoses for a fraction of the price of OE rubber.

A few pics below.

Old hoses:

New hoses from Pirtek

 

[KevM]

When you are in that far, you may as well change the bearings in the torque tube. The rear one in my 924 was starting to get a bit grumbly, but not enough to annoy me.

 

[Woodcutter]

That’s the main welding finished on the 944 project, took a lot longer than planned because the chap doing it was under serious pressure with other work, but we still met the deadline to get it to the Bodyshop.

Dropped off with DK Customs last Wednesday who’s now getting stuck in. He expects it to be a 6 week turnaround.

Hopefully see lots of progress over the coming few weeks!

Keeping it white, just need to decide whether to use De Beer or Glasurit on it, thinking Glasurit 2k direct gloss though.

 

[NickR]

You keeping it white?

 

[Woodcutter]

You keeping it white?

Yes, I think it’s the best colour for them and is very much in keeping with a 1980’s car.

I had toyed with the idea of cream or Irish Green, but I decided to stick with white.

 

[NickR]

Will look well!

 

[Lyons]

I’m sure you can’t wait to have it on the road!

I assumed it would be going to AG given the work you’ve had done before. Are DK local too?

 

[Woodcutter]

I’m sure you can’t wait to have it on the road!

I assumed it would be going to AG given the work you’ve had done before. Are DK local too?

Yea DK is just outside Ballymoney, he went out on his own about 18 months ago after many years working for Wright Bus, but prior to Wrights he was very well known round our parts for his work.

 

[richie_mck]

Awesome, don’t forget to budget some money for that leaky garage roof

 

[Woodcutter]

Some areas of filler removed during paint removal but strangely no damage underneath, happy days.

Stripping is coming along nicely, ordered a few bits and bobs from Porsche Belfast today, seals, new side repeaters, rear Porsche script decal etc.

I had initially intended to just paint in direct gloss Glasurit, but I’m thinking of clear coat on top for durability.

 

[Woodcutter]

Back to the tin, all welding completed and ready for epoxy primer and a few areas done with Raptor.

 

[KevM]

Just etch-lacquer it

 

[davyk31]

Looks like you have gone for the Delorean look

 

[Woodcutter]

Epoxy primer on.

 

[Big Pimp]

Holy frig G that’s a bit of awesome there

 

[davyk31]

This is going to look great. Hard to beat a classic with a perfect fresh paint job.

 

[Woodcutter]

Epoxy primed, rubbed down, raptor applied to arches and some of the underside areas, then proper primer applied.

It’ll be left for a few days to make sure nothing sinks, then it’s being painted early next week.

Doing it with Glasurit 22 Line direct gloss.

 

[Mont]

Stunning amount of work being done to that.

I know you've had a few now - what's typical ownership like these days?

My dad had a 1984 944 lux back in the 1980s in black with those wheels, but it was stolen in the early 90s and burnt out up in West Belfast. He has that 3.0 S2 now but I keep getting nostalgic notions for one of the earlier ones exactly like the one he had. Every time I see one I get memories of sunny Sunday afternoon drives, jammed in the back seats having to listen to country music on Downtown radio lol Prices haven't seemed to have gone too crazy on them for some reason.

 

[Woodcutter]

Stunning amount of work being done to that.

I know you've had a few now - what's typical ownership like these days?

My dad had a 1984 944 lux back in the 1980s in black with those wheels, but it was stolen in the early 90s and burnt out up in West Belfast. He has that 3.0 S2 now but I keep getting nostalgic notions for one of the earlier ones exactly like the one he had. Every time I see one I get memories of sunny Sunday afternoon drives, jammed in the back seats having to listen to country music on Downtown radio lol Prices haven't seemed to have gone too crazy on them for some reason.

They're simple cars, reliable, cheap to insure and run and pretty much all parts are available new, and anything that is NLA can be sourced from one of many good breakers around the UK & ROI.

I would highly recommend one, especially an early pre '85 'square dash' car. Good ones are few and far between though, and the country is full of badly restored cars that have only really been patched up. I would suggest buying a project car and oversee the resto yourself, at least then you know it's done right.

 

[Mont]

Thanks Graeme. Good to know parts can still be got.

 

[southsky sunrise]

Coming together well now bud

 

[Woodcutter]

Ordered some houndstooth fabric, I’m just doing the front seats for now, rears are perfect anyway so they’ll do for a while.

Will drop the front seats up to Arek when the fabric arrives.

I have a charity cars & coffee meet organised in our company car park for 18th September; so that’s the deadline for the car being finished.