Tom R.

i think i am going to step back on this 83. looking closer at the picture of the hood it looks like someone sat on it. look just above the porsche crest at the tree reflection towards the drivers side.

if i knew it only needed a radiator i would buy it and run it. i dont care about the rip on the passenger seat, or the mold on the leather.

i do care about a potentially cracked block, head gasket, etc.

maybe i will visit a friend that lives near her this weekend or next and see what it is.

i am leaning towards a base (yes a/c, no electrics, cruise, alloys) 96 miata with 31k miles. the guy is asking 7k, i am thinking about 5500.

ERAU-944

sounds like a smart move, tom. you can find a REALLY good early n/a for 5500. mine was 5 before belt job and thats all it needed. have nearly driven it 20k with no problems at all - a testament to good maint.

-Michael-

Tom R.

my brother bought his mint, very mint 84 with 34k two years ago for 7500. now it has 100k.

i just want a station car i can clean up and unload in a few years without getting slaughtered like gieco is about to do to me.

for 1500 i would buy it for the wheels. for 3000 i would buy it if i knew it only needed a radiator and belts. what is in between?

should i risk it at 2k? risk it at 2500?

ERAU-944

i'd say still a safe bet at 2000, but if they ask more walk. not worth the work to try and sell at that point. for 2000 you can buy it put a radiator in, do belts, and drive for a couple years with only liability relatively cheap. you can find a better one for 3k, just do your homework.

-Michael-

Dmitry S.

Looks like the interior could use a little sprucing up. New shift boot, dye the carpets back to original color, and so something about that steering wheel and you should be set cosmetically.

AndyK

Not a fan of the Miata Tom...that thing is TINY! My head would hit the roof when closed! You a tall guy?? It's a teen ager's car, IMHO. Way too "cute".

The hood does look like it has some dents. Like you said, if it was sweet but just needing some TLC and a radiator, fine. But with all the dents, scrapes, rips, and fading carpet, putting money into the mechanicals would be tough for me!

Marc Gelefsky

I agree, I get really claustrophobic in a Miata with the roof up. I have driven my mechanics Turbo Miata and it is a SERIOUS car but I could not see myself owning one.

Tom R.

I looked at the 83 today. made the description Julie gave of the salvage car she got sound like a concours winner.

Here is the good, bad, and ugly

First the good:

the car has 16 in fuchs

The car is one of the first 944s made. it was made 23 june 1982

Now the bad:

a branch fell on the roof and cracked the windshield. there is a new windshield, and a dent on the roof along with a few on the hood.

the passenger floor is wet because of the cracked windshield. i didnt fish around under the battery to prove where the water is really coming from.

the sellers mom backed into the porsche in the driveway. there are runs in the header panel under the headlight covers.

the seats are vinyl, and torn on all four seams

the dash is cracked, the carpet by the shifter is peeling up

the carpet in the hatch of this garaged car is faded from brown to off white.

there is rust on one of the tools in the toolkit stored in the well on the passenger side, and the box from the compressor is covered/soaked in mold.

the gas cap on this 28k mile car has black in the plastic.



I didnt get around to the drivers side.

the motor had less lustre than my brother's 84 with close to 100k miles.

there was grease on the underside of the transmission.

Now the ugly:
The seller told me someone offered her $2500. I almost peed myself when i was looking under the hood and my buddy politely says to her "you are asking 3000, and turned down an offer of 2500 for this. I have a 928, my dad had a brand new 944, he and his brother both have 944s. do you know how much money it will take to make this car right."

he then explained that the word "poor" is in "Porsche" for a reason, and went into the spiel of how the buyer has to assume the whole drivetrain is shot since the car cant be started, and I pulled out my folder with 14k of receipts for work done to my car over the last three years.

Now the REALLY UGLY

This poor car was a stripper. thee options on this poor car are fuchs, a cassete holder, the fancy steering wheel, and one other small item. and C63, C36 is canada, but C63 wasnt listed.

hi ho hi ho its off to the classifieds I go.

ERAU-944

good call tom. i almost want that car now, born the day before i was. a highschool buddy of mine was born that day too, 23 june. oh well, thats the way it goes.

good luck finding a nice one!

-Michael-

Tom R.

dont get too excited. it may have been he 26th. i got the date from inside the rear bumper cap.

ERAU-944

lol, thats prolly when the cap was made. the month and year are on the sticker under the hood. nothing of the day though. just a coincidence, strange but cool

-Michael-

Tom R.

how about this insead of another 944?

http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=...25e455&notag=1

base model, yes air, no other options. only 31k miles.

every member of my family separately told me it would not be in my best interest to deal with my uncles PITA wife and her 91 automatic MR2

Operator

get the miata
i know you want it. it sounds like you do.
not only can you drive it to the train but you can autocross that little sucker you dont need space for a commuter car.. you have an oldsmobile for that right? looks good...

Tom R.

the olds is my wifes daily driver, and the one with the baby seat. i just need wheels to drive three miles to the train, run a few errands, and autocross every so often.

you just want me to get the miata so you can get my rims (JK!).

i bought the porsche right after i got married, and at that time i had a client i went to after work a few nights a week. dating ang my client put mileage on a car. now that i stay home on rennlist most nights because i lost my client (i actually helped them grow too big for a part time office manager) and have a baby i dont need the fancy porsche to drive to the train, only to get stolen

AndyK

I can't believe how crappy that '83 sounds! If you lit a burning rag and tossed it into the car, you would be doing the owner a favor! Waste of thought that was!

The Miata is cool looking in that dark blue, and the cheapo rims make it look like a rally car. Will you fit into it?? I guess it's almost the same size as your RX-7?

Wishing you kept that one now?