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It really doesn't look that much like either steering box so I don't know. Maybe someone converted it and added the manual tube/tierod to the passenger side?
That looks like a factory manual rack to me, probably retrofitted by a po.
it’s also not unusual for the state of registration to put the wrong number (chassis# instead of actual vin) on the title
That would explain a lot. Thank you.
That looks like a factory manual rack to me, probably retrofitted by a po.
I know the steering feels very tight with no slack. It doesn't feel like PS with the belt removed, if you know what Im saying. So what Im asking then, is the car worth replacing the wet DME and carpet or just part it out?
My opinion may not be the popular one here, but.....given that its not in very good shape, has been modified, has a salvage title, doesn't run, may take more than just a DME to get running, and probably has a host of other issues that you don't know about ----- I would sell it outright or part it, but I wouldn't put my time into trying to fix it. If it were me I would sell it as a complete car because parting is a pain in the butt, and requires a lot of time and attention to details.
You'll get more money for it if you part it out but it's not an easy feat. It takes hours and weeks to remove everything, list it all, ship the stuff out and inevitably you will have a cache of parts that you can't get rid of. Add to that fees, trying to find boxes for weirdly shaped things, buyers that hound you for stuff but won't pay for them, buyers that want premium parts for less than scrap prices, the mail or shipping company damaging or losing parts, etc. But you can get $4K-$5K for it in parts. If you put money into fixing it it could end up costing you more than you can sell it for. Realistically, an NA with a salvage title won't ever be worth more than $1500 even in running condition. The choice is up to you and if you have the space and time, I would part it. It's a fun learning experience to see how these cars are put together by taking them apart bolt by bolt. But don't take any advice from me since I'm wanting parts off it and my opinion is a conflict of interest.
...So what Im asking then, is the car worth replacing the wet DME and carpet or just part it out?
Does it have a salvage title after the insurance flood claim? If it does it’s not worth fixing as it will never be worth market value. You’ll get nothing selling it as a non runner, Ive bought two in the last year for under $1k each ($650 & $875) and although they were non runners, they both had clean titles. Parting it takes lots of time, effort and patience, but you’ll get the most $’s.
I looked more closely at steering box. It is a factory manual for sure. There is no bulky box on top of gear case and it has extra long steering shafts to the top. Then theres this. Front fenders have the small Euro lights behind tire. Someone has added a surface light to rear fender. There is no recess. The German warning lights in dash. My guess is someone tried to convert a ROW car to US by adding the USA under bumper valance, side lights, etc. All glass is great condition. Dash, door panels, seats have no tears or cracks. Trans shifts in all gears with no slop. So what I really have is a semi converted ROW car, right?
I looked more closely at steering box. It is a factory manual for sure. There is no bulky box on top of gear case and it has extra long steering shafts to the top. Then theres this. Front fenders have the small Euro lights behind tire. Someone has added a surface light to rear fender. There is no recess. The German warning lights in dash. My guess is someone tried to convert a ROW car to US by adding the USA under bumper valance, side lights, etc. All glass is great condition. Dash, door panels, seats have no tears or cracks. Trans shifts in all gears with no slop. So what I really have is a semi converted ROW car, right?
What is the real VIN#? The one that is on the dash under the window. That will end all of this speculation and trying to figure something out with bad images.
The first option, C01, denotes it as a German-market vehicle.
Yes, it says West Germany as the country was still divided at that time.
As he said, it appears the rear reflector is simply the lens glued onto the body, and not the entire assembly. Perhaps to fool DOT into thinking the lighting was properly updated. Nevertheless, it is not hard to install the US side marker if that is the case.
Originally Posted by V2Rocket
every 944 tag in that location i've ever seen looks like
Each market has its own tag, as dictated by the country's transportation authority. Sometimes they are similar within a continent, but they usually vary by country.
The first option, C01, denotes it as a German-market vehicle...
You are assuming that the options decal is the one that came with the car when it looks like it has been removed and re-applied. It also doesn’t show option code M656 for the manual rack which a German market car in 1985 would certainly list as an option as ps was standard at that time. Also why is there German language on one gauge and mph on the other when mph was not German market. Lots of questions that would be cleared up if the actual vin was posted instead of the chassis number. However I think I have figured it out with the drip, drip of info and pictures provided by the op.
Like you I now think this was probably a grey import with items added to federalize the car and pass dot. That would explain the stick on rear fender lights with the addition of a US front under valance and US rear bumper, however that still doesnt explain why it still has a Euro front bumper which wouldn’t pass dot requirements in the US. Maybe it was changed to US spec for inspection then swapped back later.. At the same time I would think the speedo was changed to US mph spec but the other instruments stayed the same. Plus at some time someone put in a manual rack. There you go...
You are assuming that the options decal is the one that came with the car when it looks like it has been removed and re-applied. It also doesn’t show option code M656 for the manual rack which a German market car in 1985 would certainly list as an option as ps was standard at that time. Also why is there German language on one gauge and mph on the other when mph was not German market. Lots of questions that would be cleared up if the actual vin was posted instead of the chassis number. However I think I have figured it out with the drip, drip of info and pictures provided by the op.
The VIN on the options decal matches the VIN on the production tag, so there is no reason to assume that the sticker is faked. It could have been removed and reapplied, but that doesn't mean it is incorrect.
The VIN has been clearly posted. It is on the production plate, sticker, and in the (blurry, yes) photo of cruise control. Remember in most markets, the VIN and chassis number are the same thing. (North America is an exception).
The speedometer faceplate is not US. It looks Canadian. The original KMH-only faceplate could have been swapped out. This is not difficult, especially relative to the other modifications on the car. Speedometer changes are common on grey-market cars.
I doubt the front bumper raised much of a flag. The company that imported probably did not know, or care for, the difference. There was no enforced standard for modifications grey-market cars received, each one is often different. The modifications were based on what the individual company or representative would decide to pass.
As for 656, I can't say. I would have imagined in Europe a manual rack was standard with power being the option, but could be wrong. Nevertheless, I don't think the steering rack can be used as evidence for either argument as it is easily replaced.
Last edited by FrenchToast; 01-09-2018 at 10:21 PM.
Like you I now think this was probably a grey import
That makes the most sense.
I would have imagined in Europe a manual rack was standard with power being the option, but could be wrong.
Exactly. Thats why there is a vapor canister where the PS tank would normaly be. Also there is no indication of any PS parts being removed. It had to have come with manual steering. So I guess my only option is to start the part out on it with some regret. Maybe a track car for someone?
01-09-2018, 01:39 PM
