Josh B

I was in Jacksonville last week and stopped by to see the Pearl 944 that Broadfoot had on ebay. I took some interesting pics of the damage to the front rails. It looks like the front seats, steering wheel, and shifter are worn out. There are no brakes on the car. Paint is cracking on the sunroof and the driver's side was repainted at some time. Both front fenders are dented up but I couldn't find any damage past them. Windshield is cracked and the exhaust is gone. Options sticker in the rear definetly has the pearl code on it- LOA9.




How would damage like that be repaired anyways?

Danno

Well, you can straighten out the body and weld up plates over the cracked rails. If all the damage is ahead of the strut-towers, it could would be OK with some assurance that the suspension pick-up points are in alignment and all four wheels are in the correct place. But I would bet that crashworthiness is severely compromized. The next time this car is crashed, the crumpled areas would give a lot easier, so I'd be a little scared of that. I would probably use it only as a race car and cut off everything in front of the strut-towers and weld in a tube-frame.

89magic98

Ouch.

Mike Murcia

It's sad to see a rare beauty in that condition.

DDP

I had my rail cut out and a new one rewelded back in. Just look for a parts car that was in a rear end accident or has good rails in it. Take them to a bodyshop and have them reweld them in...should be fine. If the pieces are rewelded back into place, the car should be near original. I dont think it will ever be perfect again....time will tell with my car. Good luck.

DHC8FO

Man that looks like alot of work and $$$. Hope you have a buddy with a body shop!

MM951

Yeah, I was really into that car. I posted hte link on rennlist when it was on..hoping someone would restore it. Why not just get a new front clip and find a DAMN good body man and ...make it happen!

Josh B

Sounds like a good way to spend a lot of money in a hurry only to end up with a pieced together car. I bet after putting a hood, front clip, front bumper, two front fenders, motor, trans, brakes, wheels, exhuast, and a final paint job on that car I would have a good bit more in it than it is worth. That is with getting it for free and Broadfoot is firm on the $1250 price.

Matt H

Cut ahead of the shock towers, weld in a tubular front and get going on a track car...it would cost 100X what the car is worth to make that pile a good street car.
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slowazzporsche

I say it's worth doing, I've heard something like 19 of them were produced that year for North America (might be an absurdly low # and I can't recall where I heard it from. It might've been 19 with that interior but in any event it's worth fixing!

Matt H

There were 6 of them but they dont sell for appreciably more than any other color 951. The car has no brakes, no motor, tore up interior, tore up exterior, would have to be repainted (good luck matching that), needs frame repair etc. You would spend 20k+ to have a 7K dollar car (if you were really lucky and someone wanted a previously damaged car). There is no way it is worth repairing unless you agre George B and have so many spares you dont know what to do with them and can do the frame and paint work yourself.
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AndyK

I don't care if it was the only pearl white car in the world! It's a former-car! An X-car!

Porsche-O-Phile

Exactly. The PO should be pummeled senseless for letting it get that way, but I wouldn't touch it. Best to bury it.

Rich Sandor

I'll chop off the front end, weld in a tube frame, and drop a cayenne v8TT in there - if you guys will give me the funding!

Tom R.

I didn't want to believe the old saying that you buy a car from someone that restored it until i added the receipts on my Firebird! Being a smarty like some of you guys on the board, I added the receipts on my red S2.

There is a reason old sayings become old sayings.

Basket case, junkyard dog, X-car.

I turned down a 1969 camaro indy pace car twenty five years ago in similar condition to that 944. Don't regret it, and wouldnt regret it if it was a 69 Trans Am convertible with a VIN that said it once had the RAIV motor.