The downside of using a classic regularly
If you use a classic regularly, then in general terms that is good for it, but inevitably things are going to happen to it. Like the scratch on the 944 that I recently had to get repaired. Then there’s the small damage I recently inflicted on the bonnet. This came about due to the new power steering reservoir accidentally being fitted a smidge higher than its predecessor, which meant that when the bonnet was shut (gently, thankfully) the reservoir made its presence felt... and seen! The resultant slight crease in the bonnet was not too noticeable, but I decided that it had to be attended to.
Repositioning the reservoir slightly lower moved it out of harm’s way, but removing the crease in the bonnet required far more skilled hands than mine. Fortunately, a good friend pointed me in the direction of Tallon at Green PDR, Paintless Dent Removal. Watching Tallon work was mesmerising. The way he massaged the metal into shape was truly a work of art. He also spotted a few other very minor imperfections on the bonnet, which he made disappear. Awesome!
It addition to having the bonnet’s cosmetics expertly attended to, I decided to do something about the central locking, as it had stopped working some time ago. I’d noticed that the rocker switch on the centre console, the one which enables both doors to be locked from inside the car, had failed, so this was replaced. I’d hoped that this would fix the problem. Sadly it didn’t, and so some further investigation was clearly required.
Having replaced the rocker switch, and having checked that the plastic rods (the ones triggered by the electric motors thereby operating the locks) were intact, I checked to see if both doors would lock if powered from a separate source. They did, which brought me to the conclusion that the problem had to be an issue with the central locking module.
The module, which is clipped to the steering column, is easily accessed and easily detached. I removed the module’s cover and immediately spotted that a part of the circuit board had burnt out, probably due to the faulty rocker switch. New
modules are available, albeit at a cost of £500 plus! So, I searched online and found a secondhand one for £80. Fitting it took less than a minute, and using the key or the rocker switch, the doors now lock and unlock as Porsche intended. Happy days!
The other 944 job I’ve tackled is an oil and filter change. I must admit I’ve been tempted to fill the sump with Porsche’s recently-introduced Classic Motoroil 10W-50 fully synthetic, an oil that has been specially developed for the ‘transaxle’ cars (924, 944, 928 and 968, which all have water- cooled engines), but at over £120 for the seven pints the 944 requires, it’s rather pricey. And anyway, I need to get some more technical information on the product before I commit. I’ve contacted Porsche, but all I’ve got thus far are generic responses. So, I opted to use a very highquality 10/40 semi-synthetic, one that has a high ZDDP (Zinc Dithiophosphate) content. ZDDP is required to protect high load contact points such as camshaft lobes and followers. I also fitted a genuine Porsche oil filter (made by MAHLE to Porsche’s specification) and for the foreseeable future I’ll continue to change the oil and filter every 3000 miles, or thereabouts.
Whilst I’ve been working on the 944, my son David has been really busy sorting the Jeep. Incredibly, he managed to source an unmarked secondhand front wing, in exactly the right shade of silver, to replace the Jeep’s very rusty one. What’s more, the donor vehicle kept on giving as it was fitted with four brand new shock absorbers. David also relieved it of its driver’s door mirror, side repeater and a plethora of other smaller items. His Jeep is now looking rather smart. It’s also been treated to a new front propshaft (the original was well worn), a new throttle position sensor, a new lambda sensor, and David also repaired the exhaust and welded a few (non-structural) areas on the underside, before applying a coat of rust preventative. Next for the Jeep, is a pre- MoT check and then an MoT, so keep your fingers crossed! The 944 is also due an MoT – more on this soon.