What distinguishes a "good" 951?

[CHP-POR]

Hi All,
Hoping to gather some wisdom from people most likely to know ...
There seems to be about a $15,000 spread in asking prices for 951's as I've been scanning eBay and Craigslist. Low 7's to low 20's. (never mind the $$$ collector pieces)
Leaving aside those that just seem to be trashed or amateurishly modified, what features & options distinguish low from high asking prices?

I've noticed that a great many, if not most, listings say the odometer doesn't work so the car is not actual mileage. This would seem to be a detriment to a high price.
Of course major maintenance records (belts, tensioners, w/pump etc) should add something.

Do turbo chargers have a life span of X miles, +/-?

I'd like to hear from experienced 951 owners if good cars can be had for $8-12k.
Or is it impractical to expect anything other than a project car for that price, and realistically the good cars are ~$15k+?

[DannoXYZ]

Depends upon what's "good" for you? Each buyer will have a different criteria with different weighting on various factors.

For a street car/daily-driver, you may want:
- up-to-date maintenance
- mostly stock condition if you plan on mods.
- low miles

For a race-car, you may want these, which can add $10k to car:
- body-reinforcements
- adjustable suspension
- aftermarket standalone EFI system
- track history log with placings/victories at major events

With stock config and no mods, factory turbo can easily last +200K-miles with proper maintenance (cooling pump in order, water-pump & radiator maintained).

Yes, you can get good car for $8-12k. Key is to get PPI from shop familiar with this model (so they don't waste time and know what to look for exactly). Basic maintenance such as ball-joints, water-pump/FOES can add $2k if haven't been done recently. Same thing with clutch, add $4k to replace. Of course, if you can yank engine , rebuild and put it all back together in a weekend, maintenance items won't be too much of concern and you can negotiate lower-pricing.

[commdiver]

Also a big factor is rust on the body and on all the hardware that holds car together. If the nice gold zinc coating on all those factory bolts and heat shields is missing and rust/corrosion exists stay away that means trouble.

Factory options are also big factors like 220 lsd option code, sport seats, premium speaker option, heated seats, sports suspension, then of course the late ‘88 and ‘89 turbo S which is newest model 951 is the best car for money as is most of the time the case get the newest most expensive model you can afford this saves headaches and gives you a pleasurable experience because $5-$7k can mean the difference between a hidden cancerous beater 944 under the skin that barely runs and a well maintained clean CA car that looks amazing underneath and drives excellent with nothing needed!

[CHP-POR]

Thanks for the insights.
$4k clutch job?
I'm gazing at one from afar (though near by) with 126k miles reporting clutch replaced at 87,000 in 2007.
What's the life expectancy of a clutch in a 951?
I can do the clutch job, just wondering if that's a negotiating point.

[911tracker85]

$4k clutch job?

for a 951 without a sectioned cross over exhaust pipe sounds a bit high, but this ain't gonna be cheap from a 'full service shop'.

just finished replacing the clutch fork on my 951, glad I had Lindsey Racing section my crossover when building this car. this was my 2nd time in on this one.

if I recall the 'book hours' suggested for doing a clutch job on a 951 is 20-24hrs. not fun, just hard wrenching.

[CHP-POR]

Daughters wedding and couple too many "almost" finished projects prevent me from acting on anything now, but this local C-L add caught my attention, and I'd be interested in opinions about it to add to my education as I push out the eventual dive in.
https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/cto/d/leesburg-1986-porsche-944-turbo/6841553886.html

[nize]

looks like a good price for an 86 in good shape. will need a PPI from a reputable porsche shop and carfax/clean title.

[grendiers]

PPI on a 7200 dollar car? I doubt that will happen.