leedog

Nice

Reimu

Amen.

Yabo

yeah, 13,000 for a car that is 20 years old with 20 year old technology.. when you can get a miata for 20 that is newer with better technology/performance, why would you go higher for the old porsche?

cie_lab

It WOULD be possible to buy a 951 as an investment (like it WOULD be possible to buy an AMC Pacer).

Find one with low mileage (<20k) and bone stock. Stick it in a garage and do what you need to keep it pristine (done properly, this could cost you the same amount as maintaining a DD). 10 years from now you would be able to ask a little more than you paid for it. 20 years from now after all the DDs are over 200+, dead, or converted to LS1s, your 951 would be a hot item.

But what a friggin waste! These cars were made to be driven. That's why most of the Turbo S's are on the track. This isn't some poseur muscle car that's destined for Jay Leno's garage. This is an 'enthusiasts' car priced (now) in the realm of those who want that sensation. It was built to be driven, uhhh, 'briskly'. I love the lines of the car, but truth is they are seriously understated. Sure, it's wide on the corners and pinched in the middle, nice sloping hood, etc. But it's not bristling like the Hulk about to break out of his shirt. In particular, that rear quarter window torpedoes any 'bad boy' look to the profile. And, fer cryin' out loud, it's a HATCHBACK (just like the Pacer ).

Get in yer car, drive it, quit bitchin. That's what Dr. Porsche wanted. Unless your car is under 50k miles, forget the market value. And, TBH, I think it's pretty low that you would list your car without actually intending to sell it. A lot of guys here scan E-bay on a regular basis and it's not because they're cheap. There are 951s on there all the time that are overpriced. Not because they're not worth it, but anyone who's really looking on e-bay for a 951, knows EXACTLY what they're looking for. If you really want top dollar, you'll need to polish that baby up and stick it on a lot somewhere where some rich kid can see it. It would have to be someone who knows nothing about these cars and just gets a boner imagining it with a fart can sticking out the back.

I paid $7k for my 951 w/87k miles on e-bay. The thing was (is) in better condition than most cars with that kind of mileage. Still, it has a cracked dash and some other minor things but, I probably could have turned it around right there for $3k more. That's not why I bought the car.

I use the car as a semi daily driver. When winter finally hits, it will stay in the garage. I have no problem thinking I will put over 200k on this car, smiling ear-to-ear every mile.

xsboost90

i guess that is why 356's are virtually worthless.... I'd join in the discussion but im too busy driving my awsome turbo and crushing 911's like beer cans on my forehead.

ClassJ

In truth, except for the very special versions. Most porsches simply do not hold there values as well as one would think. They really depreciate just like any other car.

Look at the new caymans. They are already dropping in price on the used market. Partially due to porsche selling them at deep discounts at the dealers already.

Boxters (8-10 years old) with lowish mileage are dipping into the teens.

Late eighties 911's are not exactly fetching big dollars either.

All I know is that when I drive the 944, I don't feel as if I am driving any less of a porsche as some other guy. The car turns heads everywhere. I always get asked questions about it. Most people think it is a 90's car.

Regarding the 944 vs new cars. I have driven a bunch of new stuff. And if it came down to driving the 944, or most new cars out there for under 20-25K dollars. I would take the 944 hands down.

yellowline

The 356 was never "the base car" in the Porsche lineup, with the exception of something like a year's overlap with the 911...and even then, there was a 2L model with performance similar to the 944 NA 20 years down the road.

They're also the first real Porsche model, will rust out on you (makes finding a solid one that much more of a price booster) , and there were never as many 356s as 944s.

I have never driven an air-cooled 911, but I buy their argument that a rear engine setup is favorable for an experienced race car driver. This "they spin in corners" nonsense is what Jeremy Clarkson says as the camera shows him try a little lift-throttle oversteer on purpose.

Jaay87S

I've just read through this thread, and I'm not sure which 'side' to take here.

Regardless, I think many of you will find this story entertaining... I'm a student at a small business school (3,500 undergrads). It's a small enough school to actually become familiar with the all the cars on campus. I've had my 944 since the middle of my first year, and at that time I had the only one around. Now in my third year all of the sudden there's four other 944's on campus. **Let it be known that my 944 is an 87 S, pretty badly cracked dash, very chipped front end, faded paint everywhere, plain old phone dials...can't really tell the condition from that little picture-- what I'm saying is that it's not flashy, and I don't show off cruising around campus with 'that' group of kids. Anyways, I've met three out of the four guys that own them; two of them admit that they didn't really know much about them, until seeing mine. (The other owner is a freshman and one I haven’t talked to). Apparently each of them had been in the market for a new car, and after seeing mine around, did some research and wound up buying a 944.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but is there another car that you can imagine getting that kind of a response out of? Not only is it satisfying to own a car with that can generate such a response, but it may also be evidence that part of the reason the 944 doesn't have the value one might expect is due to the lack of exposure people have had. Obviously, this case is just kind of a funny sequence of events/coincidences, but I found it interesting nonetheless.

In the end, I really don't know or care if the future value of my car ends up being more or less than what I paid for it. (Although I will soon find out as I look to upgrade to an S2 in the very near future). I simply happened to test drive one and loved it right off the bat.

I am, however, curious as to what will cause the change in price (or lack thereof)...
...sorry for the big ramble, great thread.

944J

there are 2 groups of people - porsche enthusiasts/experts and the rest of the world

the rest of the world just buys the porsche for the prestige to say "I own a porsche", to impress friends and women, and they mostly only recognize the roundness of the 911 body, be it 356, 911, 912, boxster, 928, 968(round headlights). they could care less that the comparable year 911 spins out and cant keep up with the 944 on the corners, or performance in general.

now, the porsche enthusiasts like us have different motives, we go for it because we like the look, or the performance for dollar spent.

when my dad got an average looking 944na for $4500 about 7 years ago my friends were all over it and my friends dad asked if it was a new car... just shows you most people are clueless and buy a porsche just to impress friends/women. (edit: it even took me a long while to really recognize the difference between the 944 and 951 and I had been into 914's since I was in high school.)

so if some famous actor was constantly seen driving a 944 or it somehow got a lot of hype then the prices would go up because people would think they are special. we are also in a phase of car design where round shapes are "in style" and the square modern shapes are not. even the corvette has been rounded out and doesnt have pop up headlights anymore, maybe when everyone starts liking square, wedge shaped cars then the prices of our cars will go up, but until then just enjoy your car.

if you dont like it, get a car you like

DarylJ

And this is especially true of cars.

I can't agree with you more.

DarylJ

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this and had a problem with it.

DarylJ

For people like me (who just want to DRIVE and not worry about making "investments"), this is a great thing. I'd love to get my hands on a Cayman. Could I go out and buy one new? Sure. Would it hurt more than it's worth to me? Yep. So I'll wait.

Dropping prices on these cars are a double edged sword. Yes, we end up with the 944 semi-mess we have now - too many good cars being driven into the ground. But either pay the premium/keep scrounging to keep yours on the road, or move on to the next car that you enjoy driving.

DarylJ

I have, and they do - at least much more easily than the 944. That was one of the things that led me to the 944.

I bet if I were a better driver, I'd enjoy a 911 just as much. But I'm not, and I know that. I can do fairly stupid things in my 944 and am forgiven. When I used to do those things in my (albeit 11 year older) 911, it would try to hurt me.

Yabo

Dan,

My comment is just saying why 944's aren't worth a lot of money. I'm not arguing whether they perform better than 911's. The 944 ain't a "classic", in the normal sense of the word, yet. the 356 is. The OP called the 944 a 'classic' which I already poked fun at, and that was what my comment was based on. I'm willing ot guess that the 944 wasn't really the FIRST real produced porsche, nor is there as few left as the 356. A lot less esteem in the 944 world.

tifosiman

All we need is someone to whine about the fact that someone else in a 911/986/996/997/etc didn't wave at them and this thread will be complete.