F18Rep

Ken... I've thought about buying your car, hell you're in my part of the country and I know could get it home for a couple hundred. It does look like a good deal but... my garage is full (which means the wife parks outside) - strike one. I have a long list of stuff todo in front of any new projects, like the 944 in the back of my garage torn down for paint and slowly becoming a parts car for my 951 - strike 2. The neighbors and family would for sure know I was a kook, if I were to drag home ANOTHER one - Strike 3. And besides I think I'd be taking advantage of your bad situation - I could maybe get over that one though...;]

I'm dangerously close to making an offer, please someone, slap me....Bruce

Tom R.

After I had 26k total into a super clean red S2 I bought with 56k on the clock for 11.5k I thought I was done for a while.

When the car was stolen a month later (sept '03) I was upset my car was stolen, upset I was taking a financial beating from the insurance company and upset that my Aerosmith and Dire Straits CDs were in the car.

I was relieved that nothing else could be repaired on the car that would cost me money.

I am very pleased with the Z28 I replaced the red S2 with. I am also pleased with the gray S2 i got with the leftover $ I got from the insurance co (added a few of my own $ too).

I was so pleased with the Z28 and the feel of the V8 mated to the six speed that I just got a GTO to replace it as a daily driver..

The difference is other than shocks, stereo and wheels, the red S2 was stock. Other than a chip, airbox and igniton the Z28 drivetrain is stock (the suspension is not stock, but not much different than the later year SS option.). The ignition decreased the life of the $4 platinum plugs in the Z28. The bigger sways and urethane bushings on the Z28 snapped an end link that wasnt upgraded with the rest. I wonder how much your modifications affected reliability? Why do so many of us think we know more than the bozo engineers that designed the car in the first place?

I replaced worn tires with new 17" rims on the red S2, I then replaced the 68k mile shocks with Konis. What was touched when the Spec Dual Friction Clutch, Stage II + Additional Lightening Fridanza Alluminum Flywheel was done on your car?

If you sell the 944 and want a quick great handling firm riding car, check out my 1993 Z28 with 42k miles.

tifosiman

If that is different I don't want to be normal .

BigRed

:slaps Bruce: "Buy it now!!!"

...was that the wrong slap????


Whew. That's what I'm talking about...

dme

So just how much of that $9K was essential maintenance and how much was discretionary? Looking at your signature, I see:

86 944 N/A Alpine White / Maroon Leather Int.
17" Cup Turbo 2's
Spec Dual Friction Clutch, Stage II + Additional Lightening
Fridanza Alluminum Flywheel

What else did you put on it? Maybe I'm off base, but maybe the basics need to be taken care of before the unnecesarry modifications. And like most people have said, if you can't do your own work then you will end up paying about 4 times as much in maintenance.

Sasquatch

My 87 944na is a gorgeous show car now. Have gotten as high as 2nd in local concours competitions. It is spotless. Spent lots of $$ upgrading the suspension for auto cross. What is the car worth to sell? Not much. Do I care? Nope. Well, I care a little, but not much. I love working on it, driving it etc., just as others have said so well.

If I was looking for reliability and holding resale value I would be driving a Honda and giving up my soul to be "just another one of the drones" on the freeway of life. I refuse to do that. I fight it so much that just last weekend I bought a used V-12 powered BMW as a daily driver. I refuse to give up my passion for cars/driving and life, just to have absolute reliability and save a few bucks on repairs.

500

I brought a 944 because it was a very cheap way to get into a Porsche that I could enjoy fixing up.

I firmly believe that the 944 is generally a very reliable car. If you think that other 20 year old cars are more reliable, you may wish to critically analyze this. (There is a 944 near my work location that is daily driven every day... I cannot remember a day that it was not in its usual parking spot in the five years I've been here, and that includes our great Canadian winters) If the $3 a mile value includes the total costs that you've invested in this car, then it should be remembered that your list of work done on the car (in the previous thread) includes a lot of significant upgrades and cosmetic improvements (cup wheels I think, new leather seats, etc.). I would not factor these into the true running costs. Someone also said in the earlier thread something I strongly agree with... it is much better to invest in thoroughly sorting your old car first before upgrading.

I brought my '87 S from a gentleman who has used it as a reliable daily driver for years. He kept up with the basic maintenance well and it shows, the car is in nice shape. BUT, at 147K and 18 years (Sept. '86 build date) I fully expect that EVERYTHING in the car, from all the coolant hoses to the CV joints to the engine bearings/seals/valves etc. should be done (thoroughly) IF I want to bring the car to near-new reliability. Essentially I'm restoring it. It will take me well over a year at the rate I work, but that is what I like to do (hobby). The alternative, is to do the normal maintenance on it and continue to use it as a driver, BUT, expect that from time to time, things are going to go wrong/wear out. Nothing wrong with that approach either. Bottom line in either case is, it's better to sort the car first and THEN upgrade etc. As for the sorting part, you're already well on your way.

I think you should put some $$ towards diagnosing the problem before you decide anything further (unless you sell it first).

GOSANE

"356 Replica with a VW engine here we come!"

And you think that will be a good investment? I've seen too many 85% done kit cars for sale for pennies on the dollar. It sounds like you are jumping from the frying pan into the fire. I honestly wish you good luck with your next car

Luis de Prat

This spirit is exactly what makes the Rennlist 944 forum what it is. Otherwise, we'd be logging into some other car forum, probably just as good, but not Rennlist.

Porsche-O-Phile

I believe a lot of this is the demographic of 944 owners. They (IMO) tend to typically be (1) enthusiasts, (2) people that like to tinker / modify / tune, (3) NOT wealthy (i.e. people that actually work for their money). Given this, the 944 is an excellent car for the personality of someone that wants a fun car and doesn't want to pay a fortune up front on it or to become a slave to bank payments. If you're someone that's living off a trust fund, doesn't like to do your own maintenance and would prefer a warranty, etc then it seems like the 944 ain't the car for you. Personally I don't give a flying crap what some self-serving insurance agency says my car is worth - it ain't about the money honey. The "values" of cars are a joke anyway - they're set by and for insurers in order to pad their bottom lines and encourage delusional fools that actually think cars are an "investment" into buying new cars every several years.

I get far more compliments on my 20-year-old 951 than my co-worker gets on his brand new BMW. What does that say? I also actually OWN mine, pay far cheaper insurance, etc. Even with the expensive parts, reliability problems, etc. that "come with the territory" on these cars, I bet a dollar-for-dollar comparison against a new car would still put us ahead considering ALL vehicle costs (gas, insurance, vehicle costs, maintenance, etc.) I'm sorry you feel your car is not worth it and you've lost the love for it. Sell it to someone that will appreciate it and frankly, don't let the door hit you on the *** on the way out. Anyone that isn't at least a mild enthusiast doesn't deserve one of these cars, IMO. Certainly someone that doesn't respect them doesn't. Also, you're not exactly looking to sell a car at a tremendously smart time - we just went through the holidays, a lot of people are broke or damn near close to it, a lot of people have gotten their "fix" in terms of parts for their rides to occupy their attention, etc. Also, FWIW you CAN get a pretty damn good deal on a CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) or new car right now because dealers are desparate to move them out to fill their lots with the '05 shipments - just starting to arrive. I'm not saying that this represents direct competition against an 18-year-old "fun" car, but for some it might.

Sorry it didn't work out or that more specifically you weren't willing to make it work out. I hope that car finds a better home.

tifosiman

Whew, and I was worried that I came acrossed too harsh. LOL.

Porsche-O-Phile

Wrenching on these absolutely is a prerequesite for ownership. It's the "barrier to entry" that makes them a little bit exclusive. For some cars (Mercedes, Rolls-Royce, etc.) it's the price tag. For others (Honda, Toyota, etc.) it's the willingness to be "conventional" - you can't drive a car like that and be bothered by "looking like everyone else", etc. Our cars by default MUST be owned by people willing to do their own work or they gripe and whine and throw their hands in the air and give up. Fine, let them. I appreciate that and respect it more as a "prerequesite for entry" in our little club far more than I do just having a fat wallet. This is why I have more respect for most 924/944/968/928 owners than I do most newer 911, Cayenne or Boxster owners! In order to own the latter you only need (in most cases) a fat wallet. To own one of these you actually have to be willing to get your hands dirty, learn, interact, and research. Those are traits I respect more than just someone with big money.

Porsche-O-Phile

LOL! Don't mean to be "harsh", but I believe in just shooting straight, not BS-ing, and not beating around the bush. If my comments are percieved as harsh, that's not my intent - I only mean to be blunt and direct. Sorry if they offend anyone.

austin944

You are never going to get back the money you put into mods after selling your car. A lot of potential buyers are not necessarily going to care for your mods, and may well see them as being tacky or unnecessary. What are the chances that potential buyers would want all the same mods that you performed -- it's virtually zero.

Porsche-O-Phile

Bingo. That's precisely why I retain all my stock components rather than selling them. I'm not really planning on selling the cars, but in case I ever do or ever want to convert it to a "show" or concours car I can do so with the original components. This is probably good advice for any car that might have collectable value someday, as is sticking with OE parts wherever possible. Slapping a bunch of aftermarket junk onto a car is a surefire way to reduce its value, other than to you. Possible exceptions include paint, tires, and a few minor things.