Red1

If something like that is happening, I would suspect it would be cars imported for domestic consumption. There is a demonstrated demand in the Chinese market for indicators of wealth (see: Swiss watches, for ex.), so a Porsche, any Porsche, would make some sense. We may just be seeing the beginnings of such a market. It's plausible. More plausible than cars going to China for reconditioning and resale back overseas. Likewise it's too much of a niche market on cars too old to bother setting up production of knock-off parts.

I knew a guy that used to export motorcycles to a South American market. He made a nice living doing that. I've also seen an exporter that was shipping large domestic sedans to SW Asia, so it wouldn't be without precedent.

The motorcycle exporter lost his market when the laws regarding licensing his goods were changed. The sedan exporter has also ceased operating out of the Port of Houston, but I don't know why. In any case, nature abhors a vacuum, and the growing demand for prestige consumer goods in China would make for a market to exploit via importation of premium-branded cars. Even models that don't carry much cachet in more mature markets.

All depends on the viability of registering the cars at the destination, I suppose. No idea what China's laws regarding that would be.

KuHL 951

I remember Jim well and saw the Cooper Cup on his coffee table while he was nursing a bunch of motherless kittens...no kidding! He was having some early health issues making it impossible to work on his car so I replaced his rear main seal and pilot bearing in his yard, dead lizards everywhere. I would have installed the clutch but he misplaced many of the flywheel bolts. He was a true 944 character.

Mangonesailor

When my dad and I used to be into the Chevy LUVs and Isuzu PUPs we came across several guys on the forum that were "collectors" looking for spare parts and trucks to keep up their collection. They initially were seen as just one of us and people would sell them their spare Turbos, heads, transmission rebuild kits, etc.. for these "collectors." After the sales these people would just disappear as quickly as they showed up. They didn't even post public "Thank yous" or anything. We thought that was pretty strange.

One day while at a local junk yard we saw a freshly laid LUV with a near-perfect interior and alerted the forums about it and that we were going to strip whatever was requested. The following day it was gone and when we inquired as to why he said "There's this african dude that I call whenever I get a LUV or PUP. Apparently he ships them off to Egypt so they can use them there." (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

We told the forums about this, just as you did, and people quickly started having MAJOR pucker-factor about who they were selling parts to. More reports came in about foreigners buying up LUVs and PUPs from junk yards and finally, via the grape-vine, someone found out that what they were doing was chopping the trucks right behind the cab, stuffing them in containers along with every transmission, rear axle, seat, belt buckle, etc... that they could find and shipped them to Egypt. There, the trucks were either welded back together and the engine rebuilt to be sold as a "NEW" (not rebuilt) vehicle to make a pretty sizable profit.

Admin on the Forums got involved and what eventually occurred was an instant ban of new users that met specific criteria and users were very skeptical of new people on the forum instantly requesting parts/cars for peanuts.

So guys, if this is just a localized thing, I'm guessing its not really going to be a big deal or affect the parts-pool for our 924s/44s/68s. However, this could spread, and I hope it doesn't, because this could cause hard-to-find rolling chassis-es (chassi?) or transmissions to start disappearing. Our cars could become an "Endangered Species."

Also, all this stuff about LUVs being bought up started in 2005. If you see a LUV now a days it's like spotting a Unicorn.

Carrera51

Top Gear did an episode where they were in China and the drove Chinese copies of a Mini and what looked like a BMW X5, plus a few others if I remember correctly.

Maybe they are going to copy and then start producing a 21st Century 944.

odurandina

weren't they bad enough when Audi bullt them?

xschop

Get with reality. The continual replacement of 944 parts dictates that you currently own a Chinese-built Porsche.

Look at the slew of 928 owners that thought they were getting factory waterpumps. Alot of ruined blocks when the cheap impeller decides to part ways with it's prop shaft.

Dino V

Or it could be like in many places in Europe, where the cars are cheaper in the US and makes more sense to buy and ship there.

944Ross

A similar thing happened in the '90's with British motorcycles going to Japan. Lots of middle-aged Japanese with lots of money, who always wanted a Brit bike when they were young, could own one for not much yen. I still see ads from the guys who arrange for export of these, also MGB's and Triumphs.

OnlineAlias

I guess I'm the only one who is glad this is happening. If the Chinese suddenly get a fetish for the 944, the prices for examples like mine are going to go to the moon. I got news for everyone, it aint just China, it is demographics in general. 944's are going up in price, son.

Do not sell.

ried

xschop is right. I bought a set of Meyle engine mounts this summer, from the Porsche dealer, only to find out that they had a "Made in China" sticker on them. I returned them and insisted on the Porsche original part (for about $250 more).

The bottom line is that many of the formerly German products are now being made in China, even while they maintain the German brand name.

xschop

Soon you can order yours in Melamine White or Lead Paint Grey.

Dash01

Every single time I've bought a car part made in China, it has turned out to be absolute crap. Looks OK out of the box, but then does not quite fit and/or is inferior materials.

They steal the designs and make counterfeit parts.

Do not buy from them. They use the money to prepare for "the inevitable war with the Americans" in the words of one of their generals.

jcb928

I have had my 944S for sale in Vancouver @$5900 and not one Chinese guy or even Asian has called about it.

Butters944

karlfrevans

Totally agree. About 2008, Chinese baby formula was killing Chinese infants. If they don't care about quality baby formula, what standard do you think is applied to replica parts?