Baldkingpin

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1983-Porsche...53.m1438.l2649

I know most sources (Haggerty, '17 Excellence Mag. article posted here recently, review of 'Bay and BAT sales) peg the value of a very early model base 944 at far below the current bidding ($11k) but I wonder what people think about this one. I'm a 911 guy, but this one caught my interest given its' true showroom condition.

Say it goes for $13k. Add a grand for shipping, a few grand for maintenance (tires, timing belt, hoses, whatever pops up) and you're at or slightly above 15k. Seems like a fun driver and even if it doesn't mimic the air-cooled appreciation curve in any way in the next few years, seems likely it'll be north of $20k in not too long based upon rising prices for virtually all vintage Porsches. Hell, good 914's and 924's are breaking five figures where I live (CA).

I know, that $15k in the market at even a 4-5% return is probably a better play from a purely financial perspective, but this'd be fun without a lot of downside.

What say you?

mrgreenjeans

I think it will be gone before it runs the auction out ......


this car is far undervalued for what it seems to be. M456 sport Suspension car, Limited slip, alarm, great color combo, ORIGINAL paint and interior, no accident damage, complete right down to the correct tool bag and air compressor.

the only thing it needs to have addressed is the incorrect for this series, phone dial wheels which only came on the '85.2 and later 8 valves. It needs to have it's original Cookie cutter wheels OR if the code shows it, the 7 by 16 inch Forged Light Alloy FUCHS which would be designated code 395 if memory serves me correctly.

I will be surprised if it doesn't get snapped up in the next few hours.

BARGAIN of the year ....... if it sells at 15,000 or less.

Cars this great with far fewer miles have sold for double this value, but, WHERE are you going to find another this cherry ?

( and, NO affiliation ) just my 2 cents



Bill, are you seeing what I see ?

MAGK944

+1, agree with mrgreenjeans, I'm surprised bidding wasn't bypassed with a buy-it-now already. Where else can you get a (new) car for that money...well maybe a Kia, and where else will the value go up the moment you drive it away...it will.

iirc the 83 wheel options were 15in cookie cutters or 7&8x15 Fuchs (not 16in).

jhowell371

I sure would like to have that air compressor box Sweet car, makes mine look high mileage @25K. Not a phone dial fan but those Phonies painted white don't look too bad. MRG is right, 16x7 Fuchs were an option for 1983 MY according to my brochures. Since I've retired 7 years ago I've had 944's for just running around in. Why run errands in an ECONOBOX when you can drive a Porsche I'll be keeping an eye on this one for final selling price. I'm surprised no one has snagged it at 15 grand.

V2Rocket

one thing to consider - the ad says it was purchased originally in oregon which makes it a 49-state emissions car.

i am not certain but you may need to tweak a few things to make it smog legal in California that would affect perfect originality (add a heated oxygen sensor).

mrgreenjeans

The 15 inch FUCHS may have been an option later in '83 as they were on '84 and '85.1, but on my July of 1982 built 944 with Sport Seats, LSD, and quite a number of other options, the label on the door jamb corresponds with the info in the original Owner's Manual and Warranty book showing the car coming with black centered FUCHS in 16 inches

mrgreenjeans

And, those 16 inch FUCHS were also 7 inches wide, unlike the later cars coming with 7 and 8 by 15 FUCHS as in the '84 and 85.1 cars.

Curious how the Germans thought thru this whole process and later introduced even wider options and staggers, offsets on the later and more powerful cars. They surely must have thought this early iteration of the slant four from Porsche heritage, only needed those 7 inchers to do the job required for the power and torque applied to the road.

Far cry from what modern thought is in strapping on those 'rubber bands' on 18s and wedging as wide a wheel as possible under a lower powered car.

IN my mind: overkill. And ruining the aesthetic of a vintage sports car in the process

mrgreenjeans

OH,

AND that unbelievable tool ROLL !!!

you know how many of those reddish/brown bags I have seen in any early 944s ???

Well, besides the one in my own '82, exactly 4. ALL at National PCA Concours events...... most have been lost to time and replaced already by the later seen bag in '83--- a BLACK tool roll. The brown bags were a carryover from the 924 and 931 Porsches along with the little prop rod slot on the driver's side ( North American spec ) front fender well.

Take a look at any early '82 - '83 car and just note the differences. They are myriad. From differences in the brake light indicator on center console, to red release valve on top radiator hose, to metal door flap on fuel filler, to grain and texture of door cards and interior vinyl; it goes on and on. I have counted over 50 differences from my original '82 built car to that on my earliest built '84 and nothing, NOTHING has been changed on them from factory new. Different suppliers, different running changes in product, etc., Porsche refined our cars thru all those early developmental years to what we finally saw produced as the last 944.

A design so good, yet made better thru continual progression to meet or beat the competition

MAGK944

Never knew that, the only wheel upgrade options on my car when I bought it new was 15in staggered Fuchs or 16in non-staggered Phonedials. Never seen a 16in Fuch on a 944 before the 86 951.

mrgreenjeans

They weren't all that common with FUCHS wheels on the '82 thru '83 cars, but there seemed to be a few more of the '84 and '85.1 models with the 7 and 8 by 15.

If you can lay your hands on the early series dealer brochures handed out when new, there is a wealth of info regarding paint and interior options, as well as the aforementioned wheel fitments. And the whole host of options one could own when ordering one out new.


W0W !!!
An hour and a half left to the bidding process and it's at 12.5 and no one has gotten it at the buy it now price....
Do the bidders know something about this astounding car, which is holding them back ?

( if I didn't have every garage space already filled and could convince the spousling of the need and desire to own another, it would have been gone several days ago and on a transport headed east ! ) My lust for early series 944s is real... and unabated. 5 - ones and counting ! ) and don't get me aroused on the others which include series 2, the turbo, a few aircooled teeners and 911s. Sickness, I know. hahahaha

KoB

Closed at $12,800. That surprised me, also ... I think this car would've done better outside eBay, maybe on Bring A Trailer or even in the PCA classifieds. I'm no expert, but it seems like I see lesser cars go for more money, at least if this car is as advertised.

BTW, I enjoyed reading the comments from you all who actually knew what the car is ... I definitely learned a few things.

lfisher

A couple of things didn't look quite correct to me about the car. Maybe I'm wrong but the plug wires did not look original. Maybe the early 944's had different wires than the later years??? I would be surprised if the plug wires needed to be replaced with only 11k miles

The other thing is the zip ties holding the wire harness to the firewall. I know that the later cars had brown zip ties at this location. This car had black, but then again maybe the early cars used black instead of brown???

Regardless this car looked very nice from the photos. Hope it goes to a good home.

lfisher

It's already been discussed that this year did not have phone dial wheels, but it also looks as if the phone dials are late offset. They should be early offset for this year 944.

Am I seeing them wrong because of the white painted accents? Are they early? I can't tell for sure.

mrgreenjeans

Interesting note on the zip ties.....

I have both colors on my first series cars. My first car I bought new in '84 still has the originals for sure, and I will check on them tomorrow. I believe they are brown.

I spoke with a friend who got info from the original owner of this white car selling it on ebay and he mentioned there was some things that may need to be gone thru after some time sitting. Maybe that process had already started with trying to make it run well enough for the sale process, and included new wiring.

( which more than a few of my cars still have: their original Porsche wires. AND injectors.

The fuel lines are another story and have all been updated, some several times.)

And, I would certainly hope for the health of this white '83 they have been OR will be shortly.

mrgreenjeans

The phone dials actually should NOT be on this car at all, as only the ATS Cookie Cutter (cast alloy and the standard rim at no extra cost) and the upmarket 7 by 16 inch Forged FUCHS light alloy wheel were all that were offered from Porsche. Many did after market upgrades tho as soon as they could and some were even fitted right at the dealership for sale. RONAL and BBS were popular wheels.

But, the Phone dial wheel did not make it's debut on any 944 until the second series car came out around December of '84 as the model '85.2 - 944. The most commonly seen and no cost option wheel was then the Phonedial in 7 by 15 sizing. A pressure cast wheel.

The were previously seen in another variation on the 928 and were somewhat different in appearance with a rather flat look to the facing. Maybe that is what you are referencing ?