Intruder196

What would you offer for a '88 n/a project car with the following:

1. not running, will start with starting fluid but needs fuel pump.

2. has been sitting for about 5-6 years.

3. has 71,000 on the odometer and the title reads 65k last time it was tranferred about 7 yrs ago.

4. has a broken muffler. muffler tip is broken off and needs to be replaced

5. interior is good, rear carpet badly faded but the rest looks good. Cargo cover is not torn and the sunroof bag is good.

6. needs clutch slave and possibly master cylinder.

7. probably still has the rubber center clutch disk.

8. has original paint, looks like it will buff out but there are some scratches and the stone guards need to be removed/replaced.

9. has the typical dents on the lower part of both fenders aft of the front tires.

10. has 4 new tires

11. has a power steering leak at the hose.

12. has the orignal spare tire, complete tool kit AND the original Porsche air pump.

13. has alot of dry rotted weatherstripping around the windows.

14. needs new ignition lock. one is included with the car but it needs to be installed.

15.will need new fuel and vacuum lines throughout.

16. does not appear to have milkshake in the oil or coolant.

17. needs both hood and rear hatch struts

18. needs hood release mount bracket.

19. unknown mileage on timing belts/water pump.

20. needs the wiring to the ABS replaced as it looks like mice have been chewing on the wires.

21. has phone dial rims that need to be repainted.

I know some of you would pass on a car in this condition. So for those of you who wouldnt, what would you offer the seller?

admiralkhole

1k.

Dougs951S

Dont take this the wrong way.

N/A cars are a dime a dozen and when you can get an extremely clean example that needs nothing for 3-4k, I'd offer you 800 cash for it and not a penny more. The car is probably worth more in pieces. Where are you located? If you truly want to part with it, we could maybe work something out. I'm in the market for a beater n/a but again, 800 is absolute top dollar.

admiralkhole

I think he is buying.

I may have the line on a cheap car though....want to build something crazy?

Intruder196

Not looking for crazy. I just want to find something my son can eventually drive.

Jamesr6967

I agree with others, around $1k. Otherwise pass and find another in good running order for $3-5k.

Dougs951S

a 944 is a great first car for a young guy who can spin a wrench well. is this your son, or yourself? otherwise, I'd pass. especially a super cheap example, you'd be amazed how much time you will spend underneath it. Anyone here can attest to that. If you are dead set on getting an N/A I would suggest an early car, pre 85. They are subjectively "better" for a lot of reasons.

deathdealerdelta

That sounds like a lot of work for something that might get abused in the end. I mean if you want to instill a sense of accomplishment and craftsmanship buy the car and make it a project for the 2 of you so that he can appreciate what he is driving and so that he knows that whatever goes wrong he will have to fix.

deathdealerdelta

I agree with Doug, a 944 is a great starter car but understand that the 944 is a very finicky car and if you skimp on the small details like making sure your timing belt has kept its tension, they can turn into big problems.

admiralkhole

I was referring to Doug...but the car in question sounds like it will need a fair bit of work. Anything can be made reliable, but it's dependant on budget. Would this be a long or short term project? What is the overall budget like? This car sounds like it would need at least another 2k minimum to be properly road worthy, and that's doing all the work yourself. If you're set on the car, give yourself a max price and shoot the person a lowball offer and go from there. A car sitting for that long will have more issues than what appear to the eye...trust me. I'd shop around, there are a ton of 944 cars out there.

william_b_noble

I've brought several in worse condition back to life -you will spend around a $900 to $1500 by the time you are done with making it a nice reliable car if you do the work yourself (fuel pump, plug wires/cap/rotor, timing belts, hoses, rebuild brakes, new master cylinders, slave) but you will have an excellent car - I'd pay around 1500 to 2 grand for it

deathdealerdelta

Just so you understand what we are talking about lets break it down by known issues.

1. not running, will start with starting fluid but needs fuel pump.
Ok you've narrowed that down to the pump. $40 Ebay
2. has been sitting for about 5-6 years.
Unknown damage to engine internals and drivetrain. $ Who knows.
3. Miles don't matter if you are willing to put the time in.
4. has a broken muffler. muffler tip is broken off and needs to be replaced
Under $300
5. interior is good, rear carpet badly faded but the rest looks good. Cargo cover is not torn and the sunroof bag is good.
Full Carpet Set <$150 Ebay
6. needs clutch slave and possibly master cylinder.
Slave <$90 MC <$300

So I've only gone through 6 of the items you listed. Now these are great cars to work on and I love it, and they aren't too expensive, but they're not cheap either.

These numbers were just from a quick search so I'm sure the items can be found cheaper.

odonnell

Just for reference, I got my N/A car in great condition for $3400 before taxes et al. The paint is great, interior is really great, Fuchs, new clutch, very recent full engine rebuild, new timing belt, lightened crank, nice exhaust setup, throttle cam, Bilstein all around, front coilovers, turbo sways, LSD, I could go on.

95% of 944s for sale still have a "project" aspect to them. Before I even got mine back home, I was already over $1000 in repairs (a lot of that is avoided if you work on it yourself, but my excuse was that I was 1800 miles away from my home and in transit).

Moral of the story: no matter what 944 you buy, expect to be under it and working on it. You might as well spend $4k on a well maintained car. You'll still be working on with your son, but it won't be such a pain.

ESPECIALLY that clutch job. Eh.

Dougs951S

Als judging from the fact that this car was clearly not well maintained, expect to do the clutch in short order, and address the brakes, rear shocks, front struts, and belts(!!!!!!!!) at a minimum. It could have cooling issues, or electrical issues. This sounds like a car for someone who already is familiar with the 944 series, to be honest.


Edit: Michael, the clutch really isnt that bad. If I ever get an n/a beater or have to do the clutch in the turbo, you and I could literally have it done in a weekend, maybe even a day. Its not as scary as people make it out to be. I've done it 3 times now to various 944 cars.

odonnell

That's definitely comforting.... my rubber centered clutch is going to be replaced eventually. (you're also talking to the bafoon who overtensioned a belt by a factor of 3)

Sorry for threadjacking, back on to topic we go!