User 52121

Looking for a solid '88-89 944 Turbo 'S' (yes I know the '89s weren't called 'S' anymore.)

Looking for a solid car, mechanicals up to date, service history, etc. Doesn't need to be a concours car, I'm looking for a solid driver to have fun with on the weekends, run PCA events with, etc. Stock or modified, doesn't really matter, though I'd be more interested in a stock car than one with a 95mm turbo bolted on (I'm more interested in the 'balance' of the 951 than how fast it is in a straight line.) Mileage isn't so much of a concern so long as the car is in good mechanical and has been truly maintained (in other words, if you've got a 200k mile car that just had the timing belt done, but the shocks and rubber suspension bushings are all original and the car rides like it's on jello... I am not your buyer.) If it's got some dings, chips, scratches, doesn't have that "new car smell", I could still be your guy. Like I said, I want a driver... not a basket case, not a project, and not a show car. A driver.

Have cash in hand, ready to go. Located in Chicago area, but I'll travel for the right car. Prefer to find something in the $9k range. TheRealLefty's '89 was pretty much exactly what I was looking for, but alas, someone else here beat me to it!

Van

Look in Pano. I think there are a few advertised (but probably for more than $9k.)

User 52121

Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately I'm not a PCA member yet (no Porsche!) so I don't have access to their monthly newsletter.

If anybody here has access and can post up the listings, I'd greatly appreciate it

Oh and FYI - I can go over $9k, it's just the ballpark I'm trying to be in. The $14-15k cars are outside my reach right now.

TheRealLefty

Put out the word and keep your eyes peeled for this fellow lister, guys. Omni has his hat on straight, is clearly an experienced wrench and is a good buyer for the right car.

I had a thoroughly enjoyable discussion with him about the history of my car, the current fitment, receipts, upgrades and its six year ownership experience in my family. It would have been a pleasure to sell it to him, but another savvy Rennlister with similar interests was the first to reply and all three of us wanted to do what was fair.

Buying and selling can be fun when everybody involved is in the up and up. I offered the 89 for sale with intent of selling it with no excuses for a fair and attractive price and that it did. Good luck, Omni, you know what you're looking for in good focus. Please share when you score the right ride!

Rennlist's 944 forums rule. This place is a gem of a resource for people "who really get it" about these cars.

Lefty

Van

Omni, there's only 1 Turbo S in this month's Pano - a 22k mile specimin in WA with a price tag of $22k.

DanR

I have one although it is a little bent rigt now

944Fest (aka Dan P)

Black 89 951 near me, under 10K. Try this guy, no affiliation- Ed S. [zedsn @ hotmail . com]

(take out the spaces)

User 52121

Thanks for the kind words, Lefty! Definitely been a pleasure talking to ya, will stay in touch.

Dan P - thanks for the tip. I shot him an email late last night, and he got back to me this morning already. Sounds like it could be a decent deal, except he mentioned it's got a rust spot on it "this size of a quarter on the drivers rocker rear." From what I've read, these cars shouldn't rust at all, so this worries me a little. He asked me to call him Saturday so I'll give him a buzz and see what's up.

Just to confirm I'm not crazy - it is NOT normal for these cars to rust, anywhere, unless there is generally bad collision repair, right?

TheRealLefty

I'm in the zero rust camp. Only rust I've ever seen on an intact 944 is surface oxidation on the lower rear edges of the wheel arches if enough road fod thins the paint...or in the battery box. The battery boxes can be double trouble...easy for vegetable matter to collect in the low points and there's that acid thing, ya know. Leaky hatches can sometimes allow water in the rear cubbies, but they have good drip holes with rubber fixtures.

Penetrating rust anywhere else is rare.

brrgrr

There is a red one on EBAY right now that looks like a possible candidate - buy it now is 9995 and it is located in new york. Sport seats, fairly unmolested engine bay, 112k miles. Has some cosmetic add ons that are kinda cheesy, but are easily removed. I'm not a big fan of ebay, but there are some good cars that end up there due to the lack of local interest.....

Van

The sheet metal on these cars is galvanized - that means a layer of zinc is put over the steel to help prevent it from rusting.

This zinc coating can come off in 3 primary ways: abrasion from road debris; the steel bending (collision); or from excessive sanding (body shop).

Because it's on the lower rocker, it sounds like #1. While not "good news" - it's probably not "bad news"... It doesn't mean the car was in a collision or anything - and it can be repaired.

Luis de Prat

I find prices tend to be on the high side in Pano.

The U.S. market is huge, so it's usually just as effective to do basic searches in the regular car sales sites, boards, etc. and there are some great deals to be had where you'd never expect.

The 944 Turbo S is a great Porsche. Happy car hunting!

Van

Don't forget, selling price and asking price usually are not the same.

FWIW, I bought my Turbo S and my 996 from Panorama. Both were 1 owner cars with every stitch of paper work and maintenance documentation. Both sellers were real Porsche enthusiasts who were upgrading to newer models. The condition of both cars exceeded my expectations, and both were purchased for less than the asking price. YMMV.

User 52121

It's sold. I found that car on Autotrader yesterday and called the dealership as soon as I found it, and they told me it was gone already. Later in the day, I found the eBay ad, called them back ("WTF??? You told me it was sold!") and they confirmed it was, indeed, sold, they just hadn't taken the auction down yet. Apparently the buyer left a deposit on it and was supposed to come back later, and they didn't want to take the auction down until it was gone for sure. (I know that someone could be REALLY disappointed if they hit "buy it now" and then find out later it's gone...)

User 52121

Well... I can't believe the response my thread got. Thanks everyone for the tips and pointers. I think I found my car.

It's *not* an S... but I'm willing to settle. It's also local. He's had it for sale for a long time, just priced too high. Found it on a cork board at a local Porsche specialty shop (Midwest Eurosport.) I stopped in there to see if they had any leads and this one popped up. It's an '86, black on black/tan. Fresh motor (less than 1k miles on fresh bottom and top end, work done by Midwest), fresh trans rebuild (1500 miles), Bilstein cup kit, nice wheels with fresh Pilot Cups, solid body. Factory sport seats, harness bar, extra set of wheels, some other extras. It really was higher than I wanted to spend, but it's clean and mechanically solid. Guy told me he's been trying to sell it for months and was just about to give up... he'd been looking into what it would take to just put the car in semi-permanent storage. So I low-balled him to see if he'd bite, and he did. Went and drove it this afternoon (tornado ripped through here about ~150yds from my house this morning, knocking out electricity and internet so I had nothing better to do) and it's in great shape. Drives tight and solid. VERY tight, actually. Solid, direct, exactly what I'm looking for and expect. Not full, but "ok" documentation (full docs for all the recent stuff, like motor work, suspension, trans, pretty much all docs back to ~2001.) Original owners manual, etc. too. Guy bought it 3.5 years ago, planning to make a DE car out of it, so he had all the mechanicals gone through, then decided it was too clean to cut up and put a cage in. So he kept it as a weekend driver and bought an ex-Bondurant Mustang to track instead.

A little elbow grease, carpet shampoo, some work with a buffing pad, and I think it'll be stellar. I'm happy. Pick the car up middle of next week.