Chris_924s

Well - I'm blowing the lid right off of the secret.. <img border="0" alt="[icon501]" title="" src="graemlins/icon501.gif" />
I'm looking very seriously at a 86 944 NA, Zermatt/ Black. There are some pro's and cons to consider. Should I run or ****** and grab??

Pros-- straight body, no signs of rust (Louisiana vehicle). Starts fine, Idles dead on at 1000, Oil pressure at 5 when cold, 3 when warm. Exhaust is quieter than mine (no comments please on THAT one!). Suspension seems Ok, No slop in shifter. Front valance has scuff, but straight. Starts right up, burns no oil. AC blows cold. No leaks- PS, Trans, Oil, Coolant that I could see.

Cons-- Rear wiper shot, Drivers seat shot MUST be replaced. Cracked Windshield. Interior electrical gremlins have run amuck- Not 1 switch works on the console. No sunroof (Been sitting for months with no roof- Exterior/ Interior is a PIG!)PO cut up rear panels for speakers - badly! Doors wont open from outside. Needs tires.
NO receipts of service work!

I figger I could cut 400$ right off of the asking price for WP belts.
Is there anything I'm missing?

The suspension, a-arms, CV's, seem OK.. at least no cracking/ rubber rot I could see.

I'm going back for another look this week, and a longer test drive. and cut a check..

I thought Guards was the only color I could ever stand- but as dirty as it is she's still beautiful..
<img src="http://boards.rennlist.com/upload/Chrisproject.JPG" alt=" - " />
What do YOU think would be a fair purchase price??

GOBOGIE

Wow sounds like you would definately have to spend some time in getting her up to snuff. I would almost think you would be better off saving you $$$ and waiting for one in better shape, that is unless you have the time and effort and desire to do all the fixun' up yourself.

As far as dollar amount $2-3K on the high side would be my initial guess, but I'll be the first to admit that I'm not familiar with this year and condition so I may be off.

Let's see what everybody else thinks!

T. Bjerk

It sounds like you are buying a clone of my car! On my 87na, all of the expensive stuff had been done (seals, w/pump, timing belt, clutch, radiator,Cv jionts etc..)but the interior has been neglected and it needs new paint. I paid 2500 for mine and have thus far spent about 500 bucks for interior parts to make it presentable. I have sourced a lot of my parts from Partsheaven.com and saved a ton of cash. That said. If it is mechanically sound,offer him two grand.
good luck
Tom

MM951

Damn for 2K I'd def. pick that up! Right now I'm looking at a rennlisters Guards 84 944...I want blk or silver tho...

Chris_924s

Mike- Guards red is a privilege.. Before this I wouldnt even THINK of another color besides Guards or black.. but black gets so dirty so fast.. and shows EVERY flaw..

bluesy1968

hey chris.....hope the car works out for u

Jonas Goldsmith

Is it Diamond Blue Metallic??? Is it??? Thats my color, and as nice as Gaurds is, I like mine better (not that i am biased), but its just different.... Looks like a nice car though...

SidViscous

You sure you can handle a 944 chris <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

Having said that. $2,500 I would think would be a fair price. and if you get her I can give you as much help as possible on the lectrics if I make it to the 944 gathering.

Having said that. Try an early 944 before you go for that. I'm amazed at the diffrerence between the two. And how much better an early 944 feels, even if it isn't faster.

You are aware the Black ones are faster right?

Luis de Prat

I agree with T. Bjerk in that you should offer $2,500 tops. What's the mileage BTW? Personally, I would pass, though. Too many of these NA cars on the market to not be a little choosy. 951s are a little more rare, and S2s even more, but not NAs.

You might want to put together a "grocery list" of the parts you would need and call a good dismantler to get some idea of what you'll really be spending in the end. The sunroof and the windshield alone, for example, are pretty expensive to replace. I only know this because a tree destroyed mine a few years ago

As for the color, silver and metallics in general really are the best colors for Porsches. That would be a great choice. Silver is the traditional German racing livery. Red is Italy's racing color and best for Italian exotics IMHO <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

AndyK

Yikes! Seems like a huge project at best!

I would rather spend the add'l $2k-$3k up front and get a car that is ready to go.

TMH

Chris,

NO RECEIPTS OF SERVICE WORK!? Although you have checked and found no leaks, etc., what might be waiting to happen which is just not showing up at the moment? Also, did you check the oil for the "chocolate milk" syndrome (water in the oil)? You talk about deducting $400 for the WP belts, and you might as well add a $300 deduction for a new windshield. I am assuming that in its "no roof" condition it has at least been stored inside a garage? Any evidence of "critter infestation"? If there have been rats/mice chewing on the wiring under the dash, that could just be too much fun to replace.

I don't know. I am old and cranky, but when I began looking for my 944 I made the decision to spend the extra cash up front for a lower mile vehicle in seemingly better shape. I found such a vehicle fairly quickly, and had only $1400 in surprise maintainance needs when I got it home <img border="0" alt="[oops]" title="" src="graemlins/oops.gif" /> I am still happy about the purchase, however. I feel that I can get into that car and take off whenever I want, and that it will get me where I am going (and back home again).

I don't know about this one, but then again I don't know how much of a project you really want to take on. Sometimes the "means to an end" are more important/fun than the end itself...

One last thing. I am only a newbie and would never think of contradicting SidVicious, but I personally think that you are doing the right thing looking at an 85.5 or newer.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and keep us posted.

Tom

Dan in Pasadena

I think you should walk away. At VERY most, I would give $2000. There is just too much potetial for surprises.

I paid too much for mine ($5500) because it was low miles, stored for 6 years, straight, clean, etc. and owned by a family member. I immediately spent $1850 on all belts, hose, fluids, filters, battey, tuneup, some vacuum lines, etc. Later I bought tires, repaired AC, replaced clutch, motor mounts, brakes, fixed sunroof balh, blah, blah. I've got probably $10K in her. You'll have to do all these things too, plus deal with the electricla problems I never had and the windshield replacement I never had and more. Look for a better car upfront is my opinion.

HY M8NC

I agree, there are a lot of NA's out there, including mine. The trick is finding THE ONE. The two extremes are either a very nice car ($$$), or a rough car that costs significantly less. Some would argue that when you start with a rough car, you know everything that has been done. Personally, I would rather spend extra money upfront so I can try to avoid getting hurt. If you are on a budget-look for a "middle ground" car. Definately get a Pre Purchase Inspection-that's the best $100 you can spend.

It's a gamble...

Red1

The windshield alone is $450, since it has the radio antenna in it. Add $32 for the new seal, since they always crack when you pull them off. The seats and interior bits you can probably get pretty easily. The door handles not working is iffy. Sometimes that's an easy fix, sometimes not. The gremlins add up to a major PITA. $1700 tops.

Tremelune

I'd offer $1500 or walk away, provided the thing drives like a champ. I mean, who doesn't keep records on their car?? Not the people I'm looking to buy from. What kind of wheels does this thing have? Was the clutch replaced? By who?

At $140k miles and a few nagging gremlins (sunroof has no power but it comes out, side view mirrors won't move, cracked front valence, other minor dings), my car's in the 2-3k range, and the interior is very clean, drives perfectly, great shocks, has good paint, and I'd gladly tell you everything wrong with the car.

Sorry, I'm not selling but they're out there.