57charley

Traded my 88 944 plus $1,000 for a 194k mile Chrysler Crossfire, interesting car to drive while I fix a few things and flip it, ran across another 88 944 of all things, about 80k miles, only talked to owner and no pics, he gave $4k a few years ago, it developed a ticking that became a knock, his mechanic (Porsche experienced) said it had a knocking rod, so been parked a while until he decided he wants to sell it. Says paint and interior are very nice, I may check it out this weekend, assuming it is how much is it worth needing engine pulled and rebuilt? How common is a rod knock and could it be something else? I am planning on pulling-reinstalling the engine myself, may have a shop do the rebuild, I did an engine long ago so know how but prefer a pro with more experience.

thomasmryan

Changing out the rod bearings is just a couple hundred bucks if your feeling lucky.

bonus12

I bet your 944 feels like a favorite old dream in memory compared to that chrysler

fiily

Keep the crossfire, cheap car to maintain and has all the modern goodies. 944's are money pits, and especially 944's you will never see your invested money back anytime soon.

odurandina

shush with that!

if you liked your 944, and want to stay in,

how about one that is less old, can boast a solid electrical system, and very low miles on the updated, powerful engine.....

https://rennlist.com/forums/968-foru...p-9-000-a.html

fiily

I listened to the voice of reason named odurandina. Now I get spoke to about it..

I have liked the akward look of the crossfire's, sometime's when mine gets in a funk, I do think about selling it and getting a newer toy. But yet, in my garage it sits, waiting its turn to stretch its legs.

MAGK944

[RANT]Who buys a car as an investment? Who ever gets their money back on a car?

Sorry but I've never thought of a car as an investment and never bought a car with the intention of getting what I paid back. I think most people buy them to drive/enjoy and place their investments elsewhere.[/RANT]

Eric_Oz_S2

Anyone that bought an air cooled 911 in the last few years would get their money back and a lot more.

Dan87951

Lots of people are flipping cars now. Just take a look at the rennlist classifieds or send an email on just about any Porsche for sale on craigslist. I found it extremely difficult to buy both my Cayenne and 944 from a person who wasn't flipping.

fiily

Cars are investments if bought properly, eric's right. 944's are not investments, we are all waiting for the price to rise, and unfortunately, they have not.

Don't get me wrong, I have a blast driving my 951, and enjoy working on it and it makes driving the car even more enjoyable knowing I did the work.

MAGK944

Yep, I don't consider Flipping as an "investment" it's just guys trying to make a quick buck. If you are hoping your 944 will be worth anything close to the money you have in it, in the near future, you are in la la land. Just drive it and enjoy it!

Edit: Well, I suppose if you are lucky to have a low milage Silver Rose or a 968CS, TS or RS, you might have an "investment".

bonus12

It depends what kind of intellect you have. I know some people who have the mind of the businessman who can pretty much profit on any transaction they are involved in, and their cars are no exception.

Some people will wait until they find an underpriced 944 -- and by underpriced I mean a STEAL -- just so that they can have insurance in their purchase.

For most people, cars are no investments. However, cars are valuable + exciting creations that go up and down in value.... Some people see opportunity rather than an open road and throttle, if ya know what I mean.

One reason I do all my own work on my car is to save money (but also make sure it's done 100% correctly with the right parts). This can increase the car's value for more than I spent on parts...Does this sound like an investment to anybody? Then again, why does it matter? I love to "wrench" and then I love to drive her... yes, that is worth more than money. Unless of course I run out of money

edit: let's all take a moment to remember that this is not a honda we are talking about, it's a 944. Not just a basic car -- it's a highly engineered car, and ones that have been taken care of for the 25-30 years of their existence reek 0f quality. The 944 Turbo was Porsche's flagship vehicle at the time. When the Turbo debuted in 1986, it featured more horsepower and a faster 0-60 time that the 911 Carerra. Mr. Ferdinand only did that to his best cars. I do think investment is a pertinent idea around here...one thing i know is that these cars are getting rarer and the market has already hit rock bottom. Values are bound to go up, especially for 951s.

MAGK944

Curiously I searched this forum for "rock bottom" and found a post over 10 years ago that said the same thing:

"it's not surprising that the values on the low $$ porsches appear to be rock bottom."

...and surprisingly prices then are about where prices are now.

bonus12

that's a nice peice of archival research

however it's quite indicative that the reference post is referring to parts cars, whereas I am referring to the 944 market as a whole.

but seriously, our ideas of rcok bottom might vary. prices seem a little higher (1-3k) since a years ago, but how can these cars get any cheaper? you can already get a nice na for $2500 or a turbo for twice that

57charley

OK, here is the car in question, tempting but wife has taken a liking to the Crossfire, as have I so definitely no need for another project. It's funny looking, a reflection on the door makes it look like a big dent. Asking price was $1800, now down to $1700.
http://pensacola.craigslist.org/cto/5137072184.html
Oh, I didn't buy the 944 to make a quick buck, I knew it had a lot of work needed, and in the end I made out ok, what with the fun of driving it while working on it, I paid $950, put $1100 in it, so adding $1,000 to the trade was about right for the high miles of the Crossfire. New parts installed on 944: ball joints, battery, leather steering wheel cover, seat covers, leather shift boot/frame, turn signal relay, gas cap, hood supports, wiper blades, air filter Used parts installed: Windshield, power window motor, visors , sunroof trim, rear hatch seal , struts, steering rack