944 resale value question

farmrmk · 01-07-2005, 02:19 PM

I am a new porsche owner who recently bought a project car. I plan to sell it after I fix it up (that's what I told the wife), but is so much fun to drive! It has 107K miles of wear on the seats and the dash is cracked about 5 places from the sun. Should I spend the $ to recover the seat & get a dash or dash cover? Or will my $5000 car always be a $5000 car? The car is stock & paint is perfect, just oxidized on upper surfaces. I have just got it running after sitting for 4 years (the last owner bought a sailboat) & had new belts installed at state inspection. Everything else is cosmetic & a little electrical, like window motor, shifter switch, etc... It is a 1985.5 944 automatic.

Harpman2 · 01-07-2005, 02:35 PM

Money you spend on the seats will not be recouped.

Replacing whole dash also not worth doing if you plan to sell.

A cheap dash cover will look cheap and warp with heat from sun.

Fix little inexpensive things then sell it ASAP before the wife cuts you off.

If you actually plan to keep it, then you can start to consider gradually more expensive improvements which you'll enjoy for years, and so recouping the $ is not as much of an issue. Gradually remember, or again the wife will cut you off.

farmrmk · 01-07-2005, 02:48 PM

Thanks! That's what I sort of thought. I'm a nuts & bolts man. My vehicles always run but the finish is not always the best. I have to thin the herd out:

I'm the only one going to work as of 1/1/05 & daughter in college. My plan is to keep the 1998 900 for work & sell everything else to buy an airplane engine & a 2000 or so BMW K1200 for when the wife wants to leave the house. I'll still have the '76 Power Wagon for when it rains. I'm hoping to have enough $ and keep the 944.

I've got 3 other SAABs on the homestead that will leave via towtruck & a couple of 1970' Triumphs to fix up besides my 1941 Aeronca airplane. So it is a veru fluid plan!

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

If you're planning on keeping and restoring the car, then do it once and do it right. I am from this school of thought and do not dick around with cheapass dash covers and knock-off aftermarket junk. You'll end up replacing it and "upgrading" two or three times (taking a hit each time) by the time you end up with what you wanted or could have had in the first place. I'm not saying to throw money at it (there are more than enough people that'll rip you off blind for these cars if you let them) but don't be afraid to spend it if you plan on keeping it in order to get quality.

Bottom line with these (or any "older" car) is don't plan on getting back what you put into it (other than the satisfaction, the enjoyment, and the experience - which I consider priceless). If you consider this or any other car to be an "investment" you're (1) delusional and (2) wrong. Put in what you think your enjoyment of it is worth, don't skimp, and enjoy it.

Panzer909 · Panzer909's Garage

I agree. If you're tight on cash with the kid in school, seel it fast - 944s have a nasty habit of getting expensive FAST after the purchase. Ask most of us how we know

A 1941 Aeronca? Triumphs? Now you're talking my language - we want pics!!!

Dantilla · 01-07-2005, 06:21 PM

It's easy to find used seats in good condition. Four little bolts and you're done. Lots cheaper than recovering.

Most dash pads have cracked by now. I got lucky and got a good one when I bought a parts car.

The car will never be a collectable, and I have no desire for a museum piece, so it's not worth spending too much. Good used parts are the way to go. Especially for a nuts & bolts man.

scottmandue · 01-08-2005, 10:45 AM

944 as an investment...

Stop it your killing me!

But seriously, they are great fun to drive and look pretty darn nice. More than worth the price to keep it running if your a car nut (like me) IMHO.

Much more reliable than a Triumph!

Certain old models of 911's have been going up in value thus possibly giving the impression that Porsche's can be an investment but I don't see that ever happening to the 944... again just my opinion.

I have been wanting to upgrade to a 944S2/951/968 for years and I have kept an eye on prices and they are definetly NOT going up.

farmrmk · 01-08-2005, 12:06 PM

I'm not looking at the 944 as an investment, I got it really cheap so if I sell it soon at high retail, I should do alright. This is my first sports car & I appreciate good German engineering (I is one) so it gets harder to part with it each time I drive it. The advice about getting expensive real quick is appreciated and probably the reason why it will go!

the Triumphs are: 1976 Tiger basketcase but all there & 1979 Bonneville ran when I parked it

bryanthompson · bryanthompson's Garage

I just talked to my insurance guy last month, and the value of our cars is going up. According to him, it went from $5,700 value in Nov of 2003 to $6,125 Dec of 04.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

I also believe the values are going up. It seems someone's crashing one every week. . . As numbers go down, price / value goes up. Supply & demand. . .

btsave · btsave's Garage

I know what you're saying,,, imho, do the minimum you can to the car, drive the ***** out of it and then sell it when the urge passes... front engine, water cooled, 4cycl Porsches just are not collector items...

Granted, they are fun to drive and, in my opinion, have a hard masculine look to them, but you'd have to wait a decade to recoup your investment as they are at the bottom of their depreciation curve, and, based upon what I've heard here on the boards., have been there awhile..

That all being said, you can spent twice what a 944 can sell for &, when done correctly, will give you a car to be proud of. Reliable, quick and sleek looking.

but that takes EXCESSIVE amount of pocket change &/or mechanical ability.... with a kid in school, you will not easily be able to do it, been there (3 times, 1 to go) done that....

BTW, a professionally done dash cover CAN look very good & the oxidized paint is probably cracked clear coat... requires full removal of clear coat and repaint (just completed that on my '83 944).... also, if the leather is not in horrible shape on the seats, try multiple applications of baby oil, yes baby oil, after a few times it brings back the leather... (have used this for years on rubbers and leathers with great results... basically a mild form of mineral oil)... good for your hands as well...