billthe3

Oh yeah, I have nothing against parting them when they're wrecked or whatever. There were just some posts that make it sound like people expect to make money on owning a porsche or something, when the simple fact of the matter is that no car is a profitable venture (if you're using it as a car).

If you buy it to part it, yeah, it can be profitable. I personally don't see why they don't just spend the time doing something else that would make more money though.

ksucat90

There was a time when the Harley Davidson motorcycle wasn't worth its weight in salvage. I asked a friend one time why anybody would want a Harley (before the great Harley revival) ? He's reply "You ain't **** unless you own one".

That attitude, re engineering and great marketing from HD changed the landscape for both the new and old bikes.

So I ask you "Why would anybody want a Porsche / 944?"......

potent951turbo

+1

Perfectly said pcarfan944!

Tom R.- No disrespect but I don't agree with you at all. I think 944's are great cars, and are timeless in their looks. Sure they may not be classics in your eyes or many other peoples for that matter, but to some of us they are. How many 80's car still look as good as a 944 does today. I think a car should be parted if its beyond repair. However to take a car that can be saved for someone who can enjoy it for what it is and part it out to make a few bucks and justify it by saying that it is making the rest of our cars worth more is pointless. 944's may not be breaking records on the value charts, but I enjoy seeing them on the road and being used by new owners who appreciate them. I like getting together with other 944 owners and sharing experiences, not priding myself on my car being one of the few ones left. So save the breed for the enthusiasts.

500

Interesting take. I am one of those who has no qualms about people parting out what you call "perfectly good" 944s. (And you may want to check out my blog - link in signature - to determine if I fit the 944 enthusiast mold or not).

The reality is that there is an oversupply of 944s and unless it is really nice, they trade very cheap, and many of them will get further run-down by cheap owners. That is reality.

I have a VERY clear idea of what it takes to make a "perfectly good" 944 actually "perfectly good". It is only worth it to a relatively small number of enthusiasts. There are more than enough of these cars to go around. When a car is parted, it lives on in other's cars. It's really not that bad.

Peckster

The words "great engineering" and Harley should never be used in the same sentence. People buy them for the image. They're big fat bikes for big fat poseurs. No serious enthusiast woudl be caught dead on a Harley.

Marketing, yes. Engineering, no. Not blowing up doesn't make them good.

ClassJ

I dont know. We are the original owners of an 85.5 NA. It has 30K original miles.

While there are faster cars in the world. The 944 always looks great, turns heads WHEREVER it goes. Is about as comfortable as a sports car can get. Practical. Handles well for its vintage (and pretty well by todays vintage).

If I feel the dying need to **** all over a honda, I have a couple other toys that fill the bill, one is my daily, an 06 mustang GT.

All I know is that it puts a smile on my face whenever I drive it. That is good enough for me.

As far as restoring one. With prices of low mileage nice cars what they are. Why restore? Eventually the tired runners will get used up and scrapped.

Very few musclecars that are restored had 200K miles racked up on them before they were restored. Most were taken out of daily service by the time they were 10 years old or so.

Dan87951

Some of you guys care to much about what the market value is on these cars.. These cars are NOT an investment! I've been lusting after a 951 since I was a little guy and knew I was going to own one. What ever happened to owning a 944 because you liked driving it or like the looks of them?

njwilser

This is no different than nature itself. The older, tired members of the herd are always left behind. While cutting up restorable cars is not my thing of choice, I sure was glad I was able to buy a used replacement DME for $130. How many save the breed types would be willing to shell out the $1800 Porsche wanted for a DME while they were available.

potent951turbo

For us "save the breed types", we aren't saying to save every 944 out there. We are simply stating that we would prefer to see the cars that are straight, driveable, or can be brought back to driving condition saved so other people can enjoy them. For the cars that have been wrecked etc., sure part them out all day long, we need those hard to find parts. We just don't like seeing people tear apart cars just to say they made more parting it. I don't think any of us would pay $1800 for a DME, there are plenty of used ones from wrecked cars, and a number of companys offer rebuilt units for far less then what you stated.

As a 968 poster I have on my wall says: "THERE ARE NO OLD PORSCHES. ONLY NEW OWNERS."

ClassJ

What are we considering high value at this point??? If a car that was 27K dollars new in 1986 now is worth 10k in perfect shape with low mileage. I would say that we are doing pretty well compared to your average car.

On the other side of the wall, E30 M3's are not exactly demaning a kings ransom.

Maybe I am the exception. But regardless of what the car's value is, I get all parts I need right from Porsche. With the exception of the service stuff that is identical german stuff through worldpac, etc. If it is availible new from porsche, and within the line of what that part would cost for a new boxter/bmw, and matches my original perfectly, I buy new.

With old musclecars, most of the time you HAVE to scour to find used parts. With porsche you can walk in and order fenders, hood, nose, bumpers, wheels, doors. And the prices are not totally out of line IMO.

And yes, if my DME failed, and there were no other used/rebuilt units availible, I would go to porsche and buy their rebuilt. Which was availible last I checked.

I am thrilled to death that porsche still supports parts for these cars. There is really not much that they do not still produce. Try to go parts for a 1985 GM anything from a dealer.

apierce918

true, but compare numbers on how many vehicles GM makes every year, and compare it to how many cars Porsche makes every year, and then you can see exactly why they cant keep making parts for prior models

Tom R.

JUNK! Let me define junk. IMHO a car is junk if the cost to bring it into number 1 condition is more than the car is worth in number 1 condition. Take my 67k mile S2. All original paint, one dent on the bottom of a fender, rust on the front fenders in back of the wheel. maybe 2 square inches on the drivers side and 1 square inch on the passenger side. Lets not forget the areas where the paint is worn from polishing.

To make the exterior a number 1 car the front fenders have to be replaced with new ones and the car has to be repainted.

Then take the interior. No major wear on the drivers bolster but still some. Fix that, and fix the inch in the front where it is coming apart.

What is your tally to have the work done?

In its current condition the car is worth about 9k. Add the work I described and what do you have into the car? Is it near the 16,500 the 32k mile award winning S2 recently went for? Even after that work it will still be a number 2 car.

Bottom line, it is junk. Good transportation, a nice hobby car, but not an investment grade car. The only investment grade 944s are the time capsules.

If it is not an investment grade car, and nobody wants to buy the car for what the parts are worth, then it is junk.

You all know a new car is worth more in parts than as a whole. Why dont salvage yards take brand new cars and part them? Because they can get a car that was hit and say 1/4 of the car is junk for a lot less than 3/4 the price of a new one.

I sold my 68 Firebird Convertible a year ago. got near 20 grand. If it was a number 1 car it may be worth 40k or even more. The paint was presentable but 20 years old with maybe 5k miles on it. the interior was ...... what about my time to get it to 40k status? it was junk and I sold it to someone to use as a summer driver. it was not investment grade.

ksucat90

Peckster - did you realize that Porsche helped design the engine for the Harley Davidson V-Rod? Probably not, bc you are too busy being a proud Canadian, to appreciate a fine American Company such as Harley Davidson.

So I guess great engineering cannot be used in the same line as Porsche?

fpena944

Your use of the word "junk" has be LOL'ing!!!

Can't believe you called your Firebird junk - that car looked sweet in pictures!!!

Tom R.

economically it was junk. economically the porsches we own are junk. the ones the collectors will go for will be the virign time capsules or the ones that are restored to number 1 condition.

Right now i bet it will probably cost about 35k to restore any nice driver 944. So if anyoe wants, i know of a few nice drivers just waiting for the restoration to begin.