While there are plenty of 951's on the market with asking prices of over $20K, very few are actually selling for (or even worth) that. Take a look at the sold listings on ebay to see what people are actually paying for 951's. Most are in the $6-10K range.

I bet that slant 6 is still running in the Valiant

Not saying all of them, but the nice ones are in the $20k ballpark. Yes you can find them for less, but they all have needs or stories.

I've sold a lot of specialty cars through Ebay (used to be a dealer), but never actually sold one on Ebay. As in, I've never had someone click buy it now or win an auction. So don't put too much stock in the sold listings. Here are some data points from BaT:

968:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1992-porsche-968-coupe-7/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1993-porsche-968-9/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-porsche-968-5/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1995-porsche-968-4/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1992-porsche-968-coupe-4/

951:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-porsche-944-turbo-s-10/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1987-porsche-944-turbo-33/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-porsche-944-turbo-13/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1986-porsche-944-turbo-62/
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1986-porsche-944-turbo-50/

In the early 80s, a friend and I both owned early 911s. We both sold them in 1984. He decided to buy a new 1985 944, despite my advice to spend the extra 5 or 6 thousand (as I recall) and buy the new 911 Carrera (he had the money to do it). He still has the 944. 19,000 miles. It's a time capsule car. And he kicks himself every single day for not buying the Carrera. Imagine the value of a 19,000 mile like-new Carrera today.

Probably yes. :D

Ls V8 would be a sound choice. No extra weight and 2xs the power.

I was on the road to a Porsche Club Race Liciense with a 911. Never could figure out how to make the thing corner as I was trying to keep the $9 K 915 gearbox in the right gear and keep the ass of the car behind the front. a good friend put me on to the 944. Best car to learn race craft with. Oh yah the $200 dollar transmissions shift like butter

This would be ideal, however the key is to find one that has already been done by someone who has spent all the time and money to do the conversion.

As far as being under powered, there is a long history on small sports cars with equally small engines, Miata comes to mind and Mazda has sold boatloads of them. My 944 was fast enough to break loose (and easily recover) when driving the SoCal canyon roads.

Then there is the rumor among the 944 crowd that Porsche held back the HP on the 951 so it wouldn't be faster than the 911 (a 951 can do 300HP with just bolt on's).
Reaching for my aluminum foil hat.

PS Sure you can find a $6000 944 but it will soon need $6000 of work.

Gosh darn you Matt!!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1992-porsche-968-coupe-4/

My problem is that I would be hard pressed to spend $19k on a 968. I'd much rather have a 996, way more car for the same money.

Same goes for an LS swapped 944, if you started with a decent donor and bought a crate engine (and did it right), you'd be in it for at least $15k. I can think of a lot of cars I'd rather have for $15k than a Frankenstein 944.

That is why you buy one that someone else has spent all the work and $$$ on doing a conversion... then find they can't sell it so dump it for cheap.

But true, if you have 10-15K to spend there are a lot of interesting options.

True for you, but different strokes as they say, would you pay $25K for a V8 Miata? I'm guessing not, but they fly off their website like hotcakes.

Having been a 944 owner I know they are the red haired stepchild of Porsche's. Yes a 996 is way more of a car, but for those of us who follow the cult of 944's the 968 is the ultimate evolution of that model and thus desirable (to us).

My 83 944 was my first Porsche and I loved it!

Cornered like it was on rails. Did all the work myself and took good care of it. Had it for 4 years and sold it for the same price I bought it at. Guy that bought it couldn’t drive a stick, so I took him on the test drive :)

Part of my Porsche ownership history included a white 1987 944S . That 16 valve engine had decent power and overall was a good car . Unfortunately aprox. 2,000 miles after a timing belt replacement the belt decided to snap :( and the valves and pistons made sweet music together :D . That soured me on the 944 experience and I sold it as is because I didn't want to sink a bunch of money into her . Porsche really should have come up with a timing chain setup or all gears ............. or they should have figured out how to make a timing belt last like everyone else :rolleyes:

Timely, I drove my '87 951 into work yesterday a car I really enjoy driving. It is a very engaging experience and reminds me a Datsun Z with 100hp extra power, in terms of balance and overall size. My car has 285hp so makes enough power to get up to 100mp/h very quickly.

The build quality on these cars are 2nd to none, the plastic and the interior has aged extremely well and so much better than other cars I've owned and seen from the '80s.

I am a competent wrench and have to say that doing a Timing Belt and Water Pump (throw in the balance shaft belt in there and the front end seals too) is extremely difficult compared to the many other timing belt and water pumps I've replaced on other cars I've owned over the past few decades.

The 944 following is actually huge, if you join one of the Rennlist or Facebook groups, the number of owners and overall level of camaraderie is excellent with a huge number of owners.

It is an attractive car, one of my co-workers who is the furthest from a car guy commented on the car's lines:
https://scontent.fhou1-2.fna.fbcdn.n...e7&oe=5C0502CA

Or the REAL question is .............why doesn't a 944 come already well set-up?

I like this comment,

As soon as an LS1 comes up in the conversation , I initially think COOL!
then I think, wait a minute, why buy a 944 at all??

I now hav a 928;)

The 924/44 I need Europe was prized as a car that corner well and cruise on autobahns at high speeds; acceleration was adequate for the time but is not the be all and end all that it seems to be for Americans. I knew that in my 924S I could lose following cars by out braking and out cornering them at a bend or going round a roundabout.120 mph cruising on the Autobahn in the 1980s meant passing most other cars.
Today they are one of few 1980s cars that at car shows that haven't needed to be restored, even mine which has a competition history.