NeedAJoker

I posted this in the 924/944 forum but realized it should probably have gone here:

So after purchasing my first Porsche 5 months ago(1986 911) I have been bitten even harder by the Porsche Bug and am looking to possibly pick up another member for the family, this time a 944 Turbo. Admittedly I don't know too much about them besides the bit of research I have been doing, but I found one that looks potentially appealing and wanted to know your estimates of a range of what it might be worth. Quite a few red flags.

1988 Porsche 944 Turbo-Guards Red-126k Miles

What I know so far(and a lot I don't):
-Option Codes from owner which some look wrong to me: C42, 383, 387, 418, 454, 650, 946
-Paint needs to be touched up, from looking at the pictures, the front bumper on the right and left have some scuffs/marks on the bumper, like you would get from not quite making a turn into a parking spot, etc.
-Owner says he has receipts, just not sure how detailed they are, or what has been done. When I talk to him, I will check for Timing Belt, Clutch to see if they have ever been addressed, if not, I will likely pass.

Car Fax:
-1988-First Owner:Car originally Titled in New Jersey in 1988
-1994-Second Owner- Sold at auction to California with 73k miles.
-1996-Emissions Passed-85k
-1998- Emission Passed- 96k
-2000- CA Emissions Failed, Designated Gross Polluter-112k
-2002- Third Owner-121k- Failed Emissions
-2002- Passed Emissions
-2004- Failed Emissions twice
-2011-Failed Emissions
-2012- Passed Emissions
-2012- Fourth Owner(Current Owner Assumed)

My Questions:
-Is 126k too many miles for a Turbo 944?(Huge generalization I know, but do they usually last 200k if well maintained?)
-Do these cars typically fail emissions over and over, or is that more of a sign of bad maintenance? Failed in 3 States( WA, OR, CA) so not just CA being strict.
-Car has only seen 5k miles in last decade, am I likely to run into problems due to such low use?(major seals, gaskets, etc)

-If he can provide receipts showing some of the big items have been addressed and maintained properly, and considering it did pass emissions within the last 2 years, what would you pay for this car?

Thanks in advance,

Kevin

jmj951

Nice looking car. When I look at the pics, especially the last one, it seems to have been hit in the rear, because the bumper seems to be pushed down a bit. Shows more on the driver's side view than the passenger side view. Could just be the angle of the picture though.

There are several threads on emissions failures. Some people have had a lot of trouble with it.

Generally, the mileage is not bad (I was still tracking my car at 155k miles with no changes to the internals other than a head gasket failure). Any car this age will need to have all of the rubber and plastic in the engine compartment and suspension replaced, but also, at this age it's going to have some internal issues too - the head gasket is probably rusting away inside if it's never been replaced, the oil filter housing seals definitely need to be replaced if not already done, and the main seals and oil pan gasket will need to be replaced sooner or later.

Generally, to own one of these cars you need a lot of DIY capability (or the time and patience to learn) or else a lot of money to pay for repairs. The good thing is that there is so much information available on the Internet, especially via the forums, that you can diagnose and repair just about anything.

mdj577

Good looking car. I would offer 5K max. Then get ready to put 3-5K into it at a good Porsche shop (or about 2-3K if you are a handy mechanic yourself). This should give you enough insurance that you are going to have a positive experience. Change those fuel lines before doing anything else. These are extremely fun cars when properly sorted. But they all need to be properly sorted.

Then enjoy!!!

Rob 3

I'd second everything jmj951 said regarding what to expect. If this is close and cheap, I'd understand, but don't rush. Nothing quite so expensive as a cheap Porsche....and it might all depend on what you plan to do with your 911.

NeedAJoker

Thanks for the responses. I think I am going to pass on it at this time. He is asking $5.5k for it, so it isn't a bad price but too much risk for me being not very DIY yet. It is in Portland, OR Craigslist if anyone is looking for it.

Thanks.

User 52121

5.5 doesn't seem to be that far off. Late offset car, factory sport seats, looks like big reds. Depending on the maintenance history and what it needs it could be a great deal IMO.

These cars are approaching 30 years old. They are ALL going to have problems, just due to age. Wiring degrades. Seals degrade. Bushings and rubber degrades. And with the age, it's getting tough to find one that's NEVER been in some sort of accident.

Honestly unless you're a DIY'er or have an interest and willingness to become one, then you'd better have a big wallet and local Porsche Indy nearby. These are not "put oil and gas in it and drive it" cars. Even the low mileage cream puffs.

Ronin-951

All is not lost, ... this is probably the best way to realize YOUR dream with a one-time cost.
http://maniacracing.net/

alxdgr8

Price is reasonable. There's also a black one that popped up for $5k on the PDX CL, mildy overpriced. Probably any car listed under $10k is going to need some work to be perfect, especially ones less than $6k. As long as you don't get bit by the mod bug, they aren't that bad to maintain.

catamount

It's hard to tell but are the stone guards on the car? If not, it's a respray for sure. Definitely find out when the timing belt and water pump were last replaced. At $5.5K that seems to assume the TB and WP have not been done.

It does have sport seats and cruise control. Does the CC work? If not, chances are it's an easy fix for even a novice. The emissions failure could easily be a cat that has gone bad.

As for mileage, if properly maintained, these cars will last a long, long time. Mine has well over 200K and I still take her to several DEs each year where she's plenty fast and keeps up with much newer cars.

alxdgr8

It's down to $5k now so they sound flexible...