mr_hahns808

thanks for the replies buys. i think im gonna take another look at the car in a couple of days when its all done but from what i seen today im gonna most likely purchase the ride. i checked out everything in this car inside and out underneath it and whatever u can think of and its all good. guy has his records and i will get a ppi done still just incase. just needed to ask some people if they would buy it, i know once again it seems like a lot for a old car, but how many 85 porsches are u gonna find thats in mint conidtion? peace

pete944

Here are some pics of the car I sold for $4K. I was going to replace the clutch and sell for $6500. In this area I would have got it. I needed to move it fast and sold it in 3 days pricing it at $4K.
Even adding $1500 to have a clutch put in, I think the car would be a steal at $5500.

tifosiman

Man, things must be awfully cheap where you live. I need to move there. A nice, well-maintained below-average-mile, 85.5-on N/A will bring $6K or more around here. If you find an ad for one for less money, chances are it will not be as nice as represented in the ad when you see it in person and drive it.

Pete's car was a steal for the money around this area. But, he was a "motivated seller" (for a very good reason).


Tifo

Manning

OK, just nit-picking, but in collectors terms "mint" means flawless, unmolested or as-left-the-dealer condition. Between 9.8 and 10 on a 10-point scale. A car that has had a repaint and has had the transmission replaced may be in very good or excellent condition, but not "mint"

Chris_924s

Julie and Tifo- the swing in pricing on a used watercooler is amazing. I can get a decent 944 for about 3 grand here- similar would go for 4 on the east coast and 6 on the west coast.

usually on the American Pony cars the differential is justified.. rust, wear and tear etc- but the Porsches out here are generally garage kept and not run in winters- (Well NOT mine!!) then again there are a lot of "garage queens" here too- an 84 944 went for 15K locally- no rain, snow ever. always garaged, no dash cracks, 13,000 miles original all receipts, ALL maintenance up to date. Seems rather high- but there still is a market for them.

Its a mystery to me, but I'm not complaining!

MAS

If the car has had the belts done... plus a new tranny + clutch... I'd suggest that it may well be worth $6500 (assuming the car is what it seems and the seller has all receipts)

Stop and think about it for a second... sure, there are lots of older 944's on the market in the mid 3-4K range... most of them probably without new clutches, and probably none with new trannys.

A new clutch, rad and paint job is worth at least 2k (probably a lot more). Now we're down to $4,500. Now add the price of the new belts and we're down in the low 4k range... for a car with some major issues dealt with.

The interior in good to excellent shape is a likely indicator of careful ownership. Lack of cracks in the dash may mean that the car was often garaged... since it's usually sun and heat (plus time, of course) that crack the dashes on these cars.

The bottom line is... yes, you can spend way less on a 944, but the majority of them will need work. If this car is what is seems, then I think that the price is reasonable.

-MAS

pete944

Here's my thoughts on a cheap 944 if you have the work done by a mech.

A $3K 944 on average will need:
1. Belts/seals/waterpump-$600 parts/$600 labor
2. Clutch-$600 parts/$900 labor
3.Tires-$400 mounted and balanced
4. Motor mounts-$200 parts/$150 labor
5. Oil cooler seals-$40 parts/$300 labor
6. Paint if you want to for around $3500 for a decent job.

Your $3K 944 will cost you $7740.00 if you do all the work yourself, or $9690.00 if you pay for labor. I didn't even include the very likely prospect of a leaky power steering rack or non-functional AC.
A $6500 944 with all the above done and a perfect interior to boot could be considered a very good deal.

Tom R.

two years ago my brother bought a "mint" (fits mannings definition) 84 944 with 34k miles, no paintwork, in a dry garage for most of its life etc. for $7500.

the car now has about 100k on it (thats over 30k a year of highway driving for the mathematicly challenged), had the nose painted (stone chips in hood, and a small fender bender (young driver backed into the front corner)) still has clutch he bought it with. Now two tune ups later I know it is worth more than the car described, but not worth as much as he originally paid for it 70k miles ago.

someone else can do the math.

HY M8NC

I'll say it a billion times-there are few things more expensive than a cheap Porsche (credit to Peckster)-

I wan't 6500 for my car, and have had some interested parties-but no one has stepped up. I am the second owner from new-with all major records from new-including the window sticker. My car has been painted (done well) due to fading-I've just had the airdam painted again due to a slight driveway scuff.

The reason I think my car is worth $6500 is hinted at in this thread. I can tell you the history of the car from the time it was delivered to the dealer. You can talk to both previous owners (me and original). The car has been meticulously maintained since new by the same shop. It has 100k miles, but has had no major issues since I bought it-just little things that only I really notice. It has some nice upgrades (see the p-car profile), and ALWAYS gets attention and the "what year is that".

Yes, you can buy an early car for far cheaper. But you can't buy this quality of a car for much less than what I am asking. If you want a project/gamble, spend $3000-if you want something that has been cherished, and will give you nothing but smiles-it'll cost a bit more.

mr_hahns808

good advice from all of yall but when its all said and done i think ill go with the car. hopefully my next post will be of me and my car. aight peace

tifosiman

Way to go! Good luck!

Tifo

RSflared72e

That's too much for any 8V NA 944 in today's market.

tifosiman

Didn't you read any of the above posts? I think that the word "any" paints a mighty wide brushstroke.

Tifo

pete944

You'll pay more than that sooner or later with a cheaper car. I bought mine for $4500 in 1998 and when I sold it all the reciepts (including the price of the car) totalled $8005.72. I sold it for $4000. These cars aint investments.
You pay your money and you take your chances.
Good luck with the car mr. hahns, it sounds like a nice one.

Peckster

How many others have you seen? It's usually not a good idea to buy the first one.

But if you do, make damn sure you get it inspected by an independent mechanic (not the owner's). The purchase price is less important than what you'll have to spend on it in the first year or two.

If the owner balks, that's a sign you should walk away.