Car search:

We were debating on what type of car to race for the LeMons.  Should we go with armor (an old school Detroit station wagon or sedan) or go with agility?  We decided that a big heavy car would not be that fun to drive around the track.  If we go for agility, then why not run with a 944 that we're all familiar with?

We searched craigslist and sent out feelers through our 944 network for sub $500 cars.  We found three potential 944 candidates listed for $500 or best offer.  None of these cars were running and all of them required work.  One needed a clutch and another needed a transmission.  The owners of these two cars could demonstrate the engine ran and seemed like they might be willing to let their cars go for $400 but not less than that.  If I was building up another 944-Spec car, the one with the bad clutch would be my first choice because it had a straight frame and decent body panels.  The problem with this car though for the LeMons race was that we wouldn’t be able to buy a new clutch for less than $100.  It takes some work to change a 944 clutch and if we make the effort to change it, we would want to put in a new one.

The car with the bad transmission was another possibility.  I had a spare tranny from a parts car that we could use.  We ended up settling for a car that its owner was willing to let go for $300.  Of the three candidates, this was the only car that would not start.  The car was involved in an accident and suffered a dent in the rear.  It was hit hard enough to crack the spare tire well.  It looked like it got sandwiched because the front bumper shocks were pushed in.  The right fender was replaced and painted.  Both doors were hard to open but it seemed to roll straight.  The engine was the cleanest of the three cars even though it didn't run.

The price was right but it was a gamble to get the car running for the $200 we have left from our $500 budget.  Our worst case scenario was we end up with another parts car if we couldn't get it running for under $200.  We still have the 944 with the broken transmission we can get for $400 as a fallback.  The owner said he replaced the starter.  The engine would crank with the ignition key engaged but it would not start.  We figured it had to be the fuel or electrical system.

We towed the car to Autopoint Motors to have them debug the problem.  AutoPoint Motors handles almost all of our NorCal 944-Spec cars and they are very familiar with these cars.

We left for an errand to pick up more 944 parts and when we came back, it was already running.

Long story short, the problem ended up being the wiring to the speed reference sensor and thankfully, was a cheap fix!