DatBassTho

Obviously, reading through the forums I am learning a ton but I have a question I can't quite answer yet. Looking at 944 Turbos, I see some for $6,000 all the way 20k+. What is the biggest difference between a 944 at 10k and 20k? Because the mileage doesn't seem to be the driving factor here. Mileage is all over the place for values.

Also if you could point me to a thread of things to look for when buying that would be VERY helpful. Trying to be as informed as possible for my upcoming purchase.

Thanks guys!!!!

michaelo

The 20K car should have all the maintenance done. Tires, Belts, gaskets, hoses, pumps, shocks, springs....all add up. It should have no leaks and feel almost new when you drive it. No cracks in the dash! You should be able to jump in the car and enjoy it without having to spend a nickle for a long while.
On the cosmetic side, the paint, glass and interior should be excellent for a 20K car as well. The difference between a garaged car vs. a car parked outside is amazing.

The 6K car will look old and tired. The paint will be faded, the drivers seat ripped and the dash cracked. It will need maintenance done and lots of things won't work right. If you are looking for a beautiful car that you can just get in and enjoy from day one, then do not buy a 6k car. Save up and spend more money. Spend at least 12-15K and get a very good one.
When you see a car that you are serious about buying, make sure that you leave the car on for at least a half hour or more and spend time looking for leaks. Make sure every single options works. Drive it and see if it goes straight or does it pull to one side. Verify that the transmission works in drive and reverse. Listen for strange noises or clunks from the suspension. Open and close the windows, sunroof and rear hatch. Look for rust. On a 20K car there should be zero issues, but on a 12-15K car there might be some cosmetic issues that you can live with and fix later on down the road, but it should be mechanically sound.

marc abrams

About $10,000. But seriously in one word: CONDITION.

V2Rocket

could be the same car.

it's the clown blowing an extra $10k for no reason that makes it a $20k car.

Tom R.

No real difference. If you buy the $20,000 car you shouldn't have to do anything to it. If you buy the $10,000 car you will have about $20,000 or more into it when you are done. So I correct myself. Often the $20,000 car is the less expensive car. It is usually less expensive aka cheaper to buy the car already restored.

Do an internet search for 944 FAQ you will find plenty of threads listing what to look for.

Swenny

I wouldn't spend $20K or even $10K on a used Porsche 944 turbo. You'll spend that kind of money as you own it. You can bet at some time in the past 30 years someone ran the crap out of it. I see these as hobby cars and weekend drivers. Daily drivers they are not. There is a reason Porsche installed a tow hook up front on these models. I do love these beasts and most likely will the rest of my life. Just spend the least amount for the most Porsche. Assess your mechanical skills and do your research on what wears out and the cost/availability of repairing it. If you buy one of these cars-You most likely won't come out ahead financially but maybe ahead emotionally.

JustinL

You know what other Porsche models you can thread a front tow hook into from the factory? All of them.

BoulderGeek

Not a 951 Turbo, but my $6400 944 NA cost me several thousand more, and many weekends to replace just about everything that was any form of a tube. If it was non-metallic and tube shaped, it needed to be replaced. This definition includes O-rings.

By the time I sold it, I had learned a lot. My one-year ownership tenure cost me $2000-2500. But, like driver's education, the ownership experience paid dividends. It was my first Porsche, and ticked many dream boxes for me. By the time I was ready to graduate from the 944, I knew more about the Porsche engineering paradigm, what I wanted and valued from a sports car, and developed much better wrenching skills. I then got a low-mile Cayman, which I am glad was not my first Porsche.

I frequently miss my 944. There were lots of good things about it, and I hope that the new owners have had a good experience with it, as well. If you haven't owned a 944 before, I might suggest an NA before a Turbo, to learn what you can and see if it is for you. My situation turned out to be ,"I love the handling, build quality, ergonomics, aesthetics. I just want it to be modern with respect to maintenance, reliability and power." The answer was Cayman or BRZ. Cayman won, by a long margin.

Brockoli

False. This isnt possible on the 924

Swenny

I think that's what's going to be on my headstone after I die- "He sure spent a lot of time working on his Porsche"

royalschwarz

$20K 951's were built to someone else's standards and what they wanted as far as options and upgrades. They are mainly being bought by investors and collectors who want the work already done so they can brag about it while it sits in a garage 363 days out of the year in hopes they become 'worth' $30K in the future.

If you want one to drive, buy a $6K 951 and make it your own car. Put $10K worth of upgrades that YOU want into it. Either way, they are both worthless 30 year old cars to about 99.9% of the rest of the population including insurance companies.

DatBassTho

Thanks for the advice man. Buying a 6-10k car I'm going to have to put money into up front is much easier to stomach knowing I can build it however I want. Also haven't even looked into insurance yet. I probably should do that lol

DatBassTho

Thanks man!!! I think you're right. I'm basically wanting minor suspension upgrades a bit more pep. Nothing too crazy.

DatBassTho

That's not a bad idea but I'm fairly handy when it comes to this as well as have two fantastic shops near by that specialize in European sports cars, one strictly dealing in vintage. I don't want to spend the money twice so I think I'll just got for the 951. I can stomach 2500 or more the first year it making sure it's getting to a state that consistently runs.

Swenny

"I think I'll just got for the 951"
HA! Bitten by the Porsche bug! I hope that you find one that was well taken care of.