User 41221

Okay, here's the score...

I bought my '87 951 a while back from a guy in CA, and had it destroyed while it was being transported. After settling with the insurance company over the deal, I was in a favorable position with the car financially. I have since spent the last year and a half putting it back together and upgrading this and that on it, and have a lot of nice parts on it. Unfortunately, the was some hidden electrical damage on the car that resulted in some pretty widespread wiring damage to the lighting and dash harnesses. I have spent the last couple of days digging into the depths of the issues with the car, and am feeling like I am at a crossroads, hence this post.

My options:

I can part this car out, take a lot of the goodies that I have picked up for it, and roll them over to a newer 951. This would be the "logical" thing to do, in my opinion, and I am convinced I would be money ahead taking this route.

I can keep plugging away at the car, but I am going to do the car "right" if I do, which will mean spending way more money than this car is worth in the process, and I will likely not have the car on the road for a long time if I do so. I would want to replace most of the wiring in the car, and I have a fair bit of body work to get the car straight again, and then a paint job to get it looking good. All this would have to take place around my running a telecom business, and keeping a fleet of other Porsches on the road (see my signature), plus trying to keep my wife happy and all the other domestic tasks and obligations that are required of me.

I could keep typing here, but this should give a general idea of the situation. Comments?

Regards,

Porsche-O-Phile

Give it here.

Or (sadly) part it. Sounds like more trouble than it's worth. I hate seeing a running car parted out though, but I just don't see it making sense to pour money into a sinking ship.

lrpman

As a collector I have had the misfortune of parting a car and then finding a better example that need just the parts I just sold. Hence I have a 90 day rule I look for 90 days for a better example that my domor can save if not found I have a clear feeling and it goes on the parts block. Just my $.02.

Legoland951

Race cars do not require much wiring and do not have to be pretty. They also require "goodies" which you already have on the car.

Tom R.

put your head first and do what is financially the best. part and roll. isnt that how to get out when things get hot. part and roll.

Now as to keeping your wife happy and all the other domestic tasks, I would volunteer to help "keep her happy", but I haven't figured out how to keep mine "happy". When you figure that one out, please share the secret!

Ken D

Seems like you already know what to do.

Bolt-ons come off just as easy as they went on. Take back what you want then sell as a fixer-upper, track car shell, or for parts. A good track car won't need the clean title.

944Fest (aka Dan P)

Maybe in the spirit of keeping another one on the road, off the project to another lister for a fair price that keeps your head above water. While the temptation is always there to fix, polish, and pack it in the garage with the rest of them, I'd say your fleet is more than large enough. Pass it on and free up some time for more important things, like work, wife, and driving the other toys!

RedlineMan

I'm with Dan;

If it is too much bother, pass it on to someone for whom it is not. I think there must be something in the KCWS Constitution about that, eh?

By the way Scott... do you know someone looking for a 944T race car?

User 41221

lol... Well, I already have a 944 track car and the 951 is an ongoing project. I am pretty well decided on keeping going on it, and will probably look for a 968 coupe to assume daily driver duties once my '84 goes to my daughter. To answer your question, John, nope, hadn't even considered it

Regards,

icat

Well, every one that's parted out or crushed just makes the remainder more rare... (insert evil grin here)

tod84944

The wiring harness under the dash is not that bad to replace. When I part out the cars, I get most of the wiring out of them. I always end up needing a plug or someone needs parts of the light harness.

Legoland951

Are you kidding? ALL the wires go under the dash by the fuse block!

tod84944

you only have to unplug the runs you want to replace. If you notice, once they come together just before the fuse box, they will have a wire tie around them. Each run will have a wire tie holding it in place before they come together. To unplug one of the runs, you have to pull the panel up some. There is a bar that slides out, that unlocks one side. The onther side of the plug is snapped in. Just unplug the run that you are replacing, and follow it back.

PorscheDoc

A wise man once told me if you take all the women in the world, put them all in a great big bushel basket....and i forget the rest. Anyways, if you need help you know where to find me. I wonder how hard it would be to swap that body on to my frame....hmmmmm, lol. Too nice of a car to part, I will take away all your tools if you try it.

StupEd05

My suggestion would be replace what runs are bad, and hope those were all the bad ones... Or find a nice guy like Tom who will send you whole wiring harness. If you do a mass transplant of wiring all at once I cant imagine it being TOO bad. When you say "fair bit of body work to get the car straight again" you dont mean the frame isnt straight do you??? I didnt think it was, what else is there? The paint looked fairly decent... Do you know the extent of the wiring damage?

If it were me, a person with an exceptionally tight budget, I would take all the aftermarket parts I added, and throw them on a different 951. You got the car for basically free, so the money you are out is all in those parts that would be transplanted (or atleast a fair share of it is). Then again you have put a lot of labor into it, which you can never get back. Tough choice, but then again i'm not sure what all was wrong with the wiring. And then again you have to way whether or not it is worth your time (err, yours and karls...) and effort, plus the eventual loss of domestic credits and high blood pressure.

(p.s. I like the 968 coupe idea )