grgallo

Gents and Ladies, i'm thinking of getting into the market for a 951S, either a 1988 or 1989. i won't go into all the specs,engineering, features on these cars as the majority of you already know this info. i am impressed with the specs, etc. i believe theses cars are rare. i've read recent posts on this forum and see that a number of people posting here have a ton of knowledge. i've been looking on eBay (cautiously), Excellence and Pano... i see a wide range of prices, $15-18K; $25K and higher. Then i checked Hagerty and saw the excellent condition examples in Q4 2015 were priced at $22K and THEN in January 2016, $33K! Great news for current owners but potentially more of hurdle for some to get in. So, as a hypothetical would you pay $33K for a excellent condition 1989, all the big ticket items check out on a valid PPI... paint, body, interior, electrical, motor mounts, suspension bits, valves, turbo, oil cooler, clutch, no leaks, etc. Thank you.

grenadiers

Not so rare at the moment, there are three '89 cars for sale on Ebay. Just looked at the Zermatt Silver car at 28,500. I wouldn't pay that much for that car, after looking at pictures of the underside. Like, what happened there? Too much Virginia moisture? The underside of my '89 (CA/AZ car) looks brand new, no leaks in the tranny, etc.

A fellow in Phoenix is selling a red '88 Turbo S, can't get the price he wanted, still for sale on Craigslist.

Guess it depends on badly you want one of these.

lart951

It all depends of the purpose, if you are looking for a car to modified, race and enjoy you can always find high miles examples between the 8-12k bracket, as the purpose switches from a toy to a concourse or collector level, i have seen Turbo S sold as high a 84K, low miles, with plenty of records , 1 owner in excellent condition have been sold from high 20's to mid 40's and yes low miles in this condition are getting rare. I don't have all my data at this moment but I had collected examples and other articles to support my assessment, I am not a investor but my business of 951 parts carries the duty of constantly search for 951's for sale.

Humboldtgrin

Luis you should be an appraiser and insuance claim adjuster that specializes in 951's.

lart951

I don't have a legal status in the U.S.A. and my English vocabulary is quite inadequate and lacks the requirements to hold such a unique position as a Porsche appraiser or connoisseur of the marque.

333pg333

lol...

EVOMMM

I think the car you want is the 1988 Turbo S its recognized as a separate model designation then the the 1989 even though they are the same
Also as rare model the 1988 T/S is only going to keep climbing plus it's really a great car to own definitely

Matt O.

Please realize "excellent" condition on Hagerty is not "excellent" condition on Kelly or NADA. Excellent on Hagerty for a collector car is what's called "Condition 1" which, in effect, is something that would be at home in a factory museum.

So, that said, the fairly high prices for Condition 1 951s shown on Hagerty are well worth it from a collector standpoint. If you are purchasing one to own and drive, then recommend you don't spend the kind of money you would need to spend for a Condition 1 car. Look for 2-3.

If you are purchasing for a collection or to have as a Garage Queen, then spring for the absolute lowest miles with the finest options that you can afford. And enjoy the appreciation over the next 5, 10, 15 years.

Really, it boils down to what you want to get out of the car. Then start your search that way.

Be careful though, given the ridiculous prices some used Porsches are fetching, the evil in people is coming out to play. The odometer is incredibly easy to roll back on 944s, and as such you need to be careful. When someone is demanding Condition 1 (or even 2) prices, do your homework on the car. With such a price demand, the seller should have all records/receipts, it really should be a 1-2 owner vehicle, zero body work, zero accidents of any kind, little to no rust, no damage to interior (stains, tears in seats, bolster, etc), with ideally an all-original interior (i.e., original carpet, seats, dash with no cracks, etc).

Anything more than the above, while still might be a GREAT car and you'd love to own, is not a condition 1/2 car.

Just my two cents.

M

grgallo

Matt O., thank you for your post, excellent advice, the car i'm looking for will be driven, not daily, not track;; but driven... my question on Hagerty is they also have a "Concours" category and it is definitely more $$$ than their "Excellent" category. And as noted their "Excellent" for these cars is $33K.. I was tending toward this category because i am not a wrencher and don't want to spend boatloads on repairs. On the other hand my budget says no to $33K. what would a category 2-3 car cost and what would be it's issues? that i would have to deal with?

KVDR

You should be able to pick-up a clean 944 turbo (86-89) with less than 100k miles in Hagerty Category 3 or maybe an almost 2 that you can drive and enjoy for $12-$18k.

Ideally a car that has had the clutch replaced at some point and one that has had the water-pump and timing & balance belt service completed prior to sale.

...and even then you should budget another ~$2500+ for whatever maintenance has been overlooked for a 30 year old car, such as:
Motor mounts
Vacuum hoses
Engine seals
Oil pan gasket
Steering rack rebuild
Suspension and bushings
Air conditioning