What creds do you have to make it "Official"?

 

Doug and Ice,

Thanks for your comments. I'll check the LA zip code. There are a handful of 944s in Calgary I found through Autotrader.ca, and I had a nice long test drive of a turbo yesterday. 245000 Kilometres, with a rebuild 100,000 ago.

It was exciting to drive, but had some issues with the body. Few spots of rust on the otherwise pretty good surface, and a gash on the passenger side, apparently from contact with a curb. Asking price was $14, 500. With only about a nickels difference between the values of our dollar, I think that a bit high, and I agree I should be looking in the US.

(Here's where this becomes a 911 related post)

So, despite my admiration for the 944, I recognize they are not that valuable. Were I to buy and fix up that 944's body, I suspect I'd be approaching the outlay for a decent 911. Indeed, Autotrader.ca lists an 86 911 carrera 3.2 targa top at $25.9. Owner claims it's babied, never raced or driven in the snow.

So I'm thinking I might be better off with a 911, but haven't read much on the worries/problems with the breed. This valve guide matter sounds like quite an issue.

Brent

 

If you are in Calgary check out the Canadiam Forum, lots of knowledable guys in Calgary including a guy who sells them , he may not have what you want but will be an asset to know none the less.
Go to the Jump to section and pull up regions, you will find Canada the most active by far of the diffeent regions listed there.

 

I have been a Porsche (and performace car) owner since I bought my 1968 911L in 1969...

During the intervening 38 years, I have owned 15 Porsches, and a multitude of other performance vehicles (Corvettes, T/A's, Z/28's, Grand Nationals, Shelby Mustang's, Alfa's, AMX's, etc.)...

Having inspected and researched more performance vehicles than most folks have ever seen, I feel comfortable in stating that this is my "OFFICIAL" position! ;>))

Doesn't mean you have to agree with me, but it would be nice!

The point I am making here is that low mileage cars should not be labled as "less valuable" than high mileage cars of the same year. Most "low mileage" cars that show serious problems, in my experience, prove to be in reality, high mileage cars that have been tampered with...

Properly cared for and serviced "low mileage" mileage cars should command a higher price in the market than any car of the same year with higher miles... And always do, if you refer to any "Book" of pricing...

Back to the example of engine wear and tear... to the comment that "most wear is inflicted when a car is started and driven the first few miles"... My point exactly! A 150K miles car has been started and driven, ON AVERAGE, 3 times more than a car with 50K on the Odo... Are there exceptions? Absolutely, but in the overall scheme of things, 3 times the miles means 3 times the starts, gear changes, and stops...

Yes, a wear part, such as a "Guibo", or a rubber clutch hub, can and will deteriorate on a low mileage car, but when you replace it with a like part, it will continue to deteriorate on a higher mieage vehicle as well! So what is your point?

Yes, I "Get It"... folks with 150K mile vehicles (especially those that have dumped a fair amount of moeny into the high mileage cars) would like to think that their "Beauties" are still worth what a 50K car is worth, and in fact, those cars may be worth the same to their owners, but not to a potential buyer, and wishing and hoping and saying it is just not going to make it so!!!

'Nuff Said... I believe this thread can now go into the 'beating a dead horse" category... ;>))

 

Iceman, thanks much for the tip on the Canadian forum.

Brent

 

I just replaced the original clutch on my 88 Targa, and it was because of the rubber center depredation. Because a clutch can last 10 miles or 200,000 miles (depending on how you drive it), it didn't make any difference if my car had 50,000 miles or 124,000 miles - the disc still needed to be replaced.

Now, with the proper driver behind the wheel, the disc will last at least another 100,000 miles, and there is no rubber to degrade (I installed a 993TT disc).

 

Back to the pricing discussion. This car may be a bit high if mechanically perfect, but it is not too far off.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/car/391119740.html

 

this is what I consider low mileage if the car is to be considered a collectible.

Fiat X-19
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/car/388384760.html

944 with 34,000 miles

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/car/390351264.html

81 911SC Coupe 57,000 miles $15,000

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...eadExists=true

Now here is a nice 83 911 Coupe with under 50,000 miles

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...eadExists=true

Once you start driving the value will drop about 30-40%

John

 

The $15K '81 is a gray-market car, so that certainly opens a big can of worms, including not having a way to know the car's real mileage. Also, if that car spent time in Europe before coming to the U.S. the chance of one or more broken head studs goes up significantly.

The '83, I wonder why it has a front cooler air duct, and no pics of the engine compartment - hmmmm...

 

Peter, you beat me to the observations on the SC's, and I will add that over $10K for ANY plain vanilla 944 with 34K on the clock is a bit of a stretch!

I did view the rather nice 83SC on Craigslist from near San Fran, with 70K+ on it, but looked very well cared for, and the going rate was $24,000.00... Now you are seeing what a nice low miles SC is really worth...

 

Wow, thanks guys.

Was a slow week for looking

How do you guys like this one, especially the color combo?

http://www.motoringinvestments.com/WC170_911SC.htm

My friends wife saw the interior and I'll keep it at that, my wife said it would do, but only at night......... Yikes!!

I kinda think it's cool, does it look over exposed in the pics or better in real life?

 

It looks much better in "Real Life"... the camera tends to play havoc with the YG Tobacco Brown / Chocolate Brown. It looks very "Rich" and inviting, and not just after dark!

Here is the same interior, shot in different lighting conditions...

BTW, that Chiffon White SC referenced above is a very sweet car with a nice provenance... $35K might be the top of the market, but prolly worth it just for the history lesson!

 

I believe the air cooled Porsche's market is based in the seller's lack of patience or financial distress and the buyer's desire...ask your heart...prices for SCs range from $10 to $25K....

 

I think the biggest reason that low mileage SCs are worth so much is that virgin 50K mile examples still "feel" new. It's like they got caught in some weird time warp and didn't age. This is true for coupes, and especially so for Targas; when you drive a Targa with 150K + miles on it, it no longer, except in very rare cases, feels like a 50K mile car. Coupes, on the other hand, can retain the solid, almost new feel almost indefinitely, but need to have tires, shocks, and rubber pieces replaced when necessary. I've been following this thread, and I feel that 1986951's analysis is correct, but to play with the numbers a little, please permit me to change the 50K/150K benchmarks to 75K/125K. Now you have the possibility of the higher mileage car being the better of the two. This is because the typical SC, between 75-100K miles, will need new Bilsteins, a clutch, synchro work, brake hoses, caliper reseals, master cylinder, possibly rotors, CV joint/boot repack/replacement, front wheel bearings, oil lines that connect the cooler thermostat to the engine/reservoir, etc. At 125K miles, a well-maintained car would probably have had all that work done, as well as an airbox replacement and quite possibly a chain tensioner update. In a case where the paint and interior (I know that the seats will have more of a wear patina on the higher mileage car) are comparable, the better choice might be the car with the fully-documented repair history, even at a slightly higher price. I'm sorry if I've resuscitated that dead horse, or hijacked the thread, but I think all of this does tie in to the valuation discussion. One thing that we can't forget is that 1986951's ideal, well-maintained 50K mile car is probably even better than a 5K mile PCA show car, one that does not have sufficient miles to keep everything working properly. We must also not forget that there are probably more than a few high-mileage cars out there that are still simply brilliant, and probably a few 50K mile cars that are simply dogs. Each car should be treated as an individual, and priced based on its merits.

 

Well said!