I had virtually given up on the idea of owning a 944 as my next car, being in college and having a limited budget. I was looking around at some other models and trying to get over the 944 thing. Just last weekend, however, a good friend informed me that his dad is selling his '87 944. The car is silver, phone dials, moon roof, 5 spd, cold AC, decent body, fair interior, recent clutch, recent alternator, and 130k miles. The only thing that concerned me was the mileage. Asking price is $4000. Does this seem reasonable? It's an attractice prospect because I know the previous owner and the history of the car. He's had it for 7 years and stored it winters since moving to minnesota. Opinions? Does this price sound ok? Kelley Blue Book lists the mileage and condition at about $3500, but I know supply and demand are what really control prices. I'll try to get the VIN number soon, as well.

 

i was gonna say 3500 would be a fair price. have a new clutch thats a huge bonus, what about timing belt? if the Timing belt has been done as well then offer 3500, if he doesn't bite, then i wouldn't feel ashamed to pay 4k if its in great condish

 

As long as you are on the topic of belts, has the waterpump been changed lately? Might be a good investment as long as you already have the belts off. Other than the clutch, timing belt, and water pump, how is the power stearing? Its a minor problem and a cheap fix but they tend to get leaky on these cars.

P.S. I'm also a college student on a budget. It is relitivley easy to maintain as long as you dont mind doing a good portion your self and stay on top of things so you can spot them before they get out of hand.

_________________
-Scott
85.5 944 (mine)
96 Miata (family go-kart)

 

If above work is done (or recent receipts) 4 grand sounds like a deal.
KBB is not a truly accurate source for resale value- but offer 3500 and see if he bites.

Negotiate from there. If it's a 944S there are other considerations as well.

 

It's not an S, just a standard 944. I'll be seeing him tomorrow and I'll be sure to ask about the belts and the water pump. I'll keep you guys updated. Thanks for the help so far. The clutch is my biggest concern because I just replaced one on my honda (and a transmission) and it was a huge pain. Granted, the honda is front wheel drive so its a different story, but the idea of working on another clutch anytime soon rubs me the wrong way. In any case, I'll offer him $3500. Updates, maybe pictures to follow soon.

 

i bought my 89' 944 for $4,000. all i had to do was replace the cap and rotor. the water pump and timing belt had been done 1000 miles ago. clutch is 4K old and it had 75% left on tires. body is good condish for a maine car. and paint is ok. but it had no inspection sticker. i dont know if u guys need them. but it was a pain in the ***** woth 5% tint and a loud *** exhauste. i'd pay $3750 for the one u described. unless the water pump, timing belt etc. had been changed recently. then id give him $4000


good luck champ, hope everything goes well.



-Spec4Racing

 

As you will discover there is no such thing as a cheap Porsche and while the purchase price is obviously important the condition of the car is of greater import. The fact that you have a good history of the car is helpful and the mileage is not bad at 130k. I suggest that you get a prepurchase inspection done though as a condition of the sale.

 

Start low and work your way up. You could just mention to your friend that you have $3500 to pay for a car. Have him mention it to his dad. He may just bite.

 

When you get a 20 year old car, things fail due to age, not mileage. Your radiator hoses will need to be replaced even if the car has 20k. If he maintained it well, most crucial parts will be new anyways, so I wouldn't be concerned there. My car just turned 130k yesterday and it's fine.

 

I spoke with him again, and he said $4000 was probably as low as he was willing to go and he would even prefer more. All my dealings so far have been with my friend, but his dad owns the car. I'm going to speak with his dad soon, who knows a lot more about the car and can give me straight answers. Would $4500 be too much in most circumstances?

 

The price of any car is what someone is willing to pay for it. I paid $6,000 for my 85.5 na. Many people might think I paid too much. I considered all the variables of the purchase and decided I would pay the $6,000. The PO had over $5,000 in receipts from the local Porsche dealer. Every one of the typical 944 issues had been dealt with within the last 24 months/ 3,000 miles and the car only had 58,000 on the clock. I knew I could find a "cheaper" 944 that would probably cost me more in the long run. So far (knock wood) after over 11,000k the car has required nothing but routine maintainance. I am sure that if I bought a $3,500, 944 and I had driven it over 11,000k I would most likely have experienced numerous repair i$$ues.

 

Jim, I see you're a triumph guy as well. Have any pics of your triumphs? My father has a'58 TR3 that I just love. This 944 has an extensive list of Porsche-mechanic performed repairs, which is the only reason I might be willing to pay a little above 4k.

 

more than 4k is too much

 

Bottom line is any car is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. What else can you get for $4k? Not much. A 944 is a good car if maintained. Sounds like this one is. Probably the best out of the box DE and AutoX car available below $10k at this point.

If he still has it for sale in a couple of months he'll lower the price. Compare it to other makes and models in the same price range. If you know what has been done to it and what you want to do to it after you get it and it seems "worth it" to you... get it!

 

Spoke with the actual owner (friend's dad) on the phone today for about 25 minutes about the car. It's had clutch, water pump, thermostat, belts all done within the last year or two. Interior is in better shape than I realized, only real wear being on the drivers seat. No cracks in dash, nothing wrong with the interior. He said he was probably looking for closer to $5000 based on similar vehicles for sale in the area. For this price tag though, he is doing new breaks all around. He said without the breaks, he could be talked down. I think i'll say $4500 as is. It's a bit more than i'd like to spend, but I know if I find a cheaper 944 it's gonna cost me bigger in immediate repairs. This car is really solid and has a good maintanence history. I'm going over with my dad to test it out tommorow and maybe take some pictures. I've driven it before, but not for very long. Is 4.5k too much? Is 5k?