What is a 1989 Turbo S worth?

[Hcarraro]

A friend of mine has asked me to help him sell his guards red with white interior 1989 944 Turbo S car. The car is located in Little Rock, AR. The car was said to have ran great and appears to have been well maintained until it was parked a year ago. The current owner had goals of doing a complete restoration on the car but recently decided he wanted to go a different direction.

Here's what I know about the car. It has 110,000 miles on the odometer and the body is straight and clean. However, the guards red paint is badly faded and I expect the driver side fender and front bumper has been replaced. I haven't had a chance to speak to the owner about previous body work nor have I had a chance to get details on the maintenance records and current condition of the engine and drive train.

As you can see in the photographs, the paint on the fender and bumper are bright red whereas the rest of the car is faded. Secondly, the hood gap is bad on the side of the new fender indicating a poor adjustment when the fender was installed.

Thanks in advance for your assistance. I would appreciate any help provided. Please contact me directly at hcarraro@hughes.net rather than PMs.


Henry Carraro
501.261.1854

[pozican]

Strange.

These cars NEVER need a repaint, but this one does...

What happened to it?


A good clean turbo S will bring 13k-15k

However everyone that knows these cars will throw a red flag when the paint has been repainted or when the paint looks like that.

Hope you have a good explanation.

[CJFusco]

After years of declining prices, the entire 944 range has finally begun to start increasing in value. Even within the last 6 months, the prices of the high-end 944 models (Turbo, Turbo S, S2) have gone up $1000 or more, according to Excellence. Sometimes the Excellence market reports seem a little optimistic, but, sure enough, I've seen prices going up in the real world.

For a 89 Turbo S, which is (IIRC) the most powerful and fastest car in the 944 line, I have seen $14K examples. Since the paint is faded I would estimate $6 or $7K, assuming the car is mechanically perfect. Give it a good paint job and clean it up, and the car could get $10K+. If you have all service records and get a repaint, I wouldn't doubt $12K.

[ERAU944]

there is no 1989 951 S, there was only ever a turbo S in 88. all 89 cars were S spec. that said, it still has the m44/52 engine, and the chassis, and all the accoutraments of a 951S. as said before, mechanically perfect the car is probably worth $6-7... but that is a rough body and will take a lot to make 'right'. looks like it would be a great project if you can pick it up cheap.

also, the 89 cars were not any faster than the 88S cars... they are the same.

for me, the car would have to be damned near free for me to buy a guards red car. i HATE guards red.

[CJFusco]

Originally posted by ERAU944

also, the 89 cars were not any faster than the 88S cars... they are the same.

Yeah, maybe my post was a little misleading... I probably should have written "the 951S and 88-89 951 are the most powerful and fastest of the 944 line, and as 89 represents the final 951 model year, it is the newest model, is the rarest 951, and is therefore worth a little more."

[AaronM]

Originally posted by ERAU944
for me, the car would have to be damned near free for me to buy a guards red car. i HATE guards red.

I'll admit that I would prefer a different color, but hey, as long as it drives the way it does, I don't care about the color.

[ERAU944]

AaronM - i'm with you there, although it would have to be a darned cheap or NICE looking guards car to get me to buy it. (my former roommate's '87 would have been acceptable. mmm... AIR splitter, 996 twists, and 968 mirrors

CJ - the 89 isn't the last year of the 951 either (it is in the US... i have NO idea what porsche was thinking with all the different crap that was going on). the 951 continued ROW until 1991 along with the S2 until the 968

the 88 951 has the same performance as the 87... the difference was there was the 'S' option available (although very limitedly). the '89 was "all S" as in, every model made in the US (and i believe ROW in the years thereafter) was an 'S' spec 951

so i believe what you really meant to say was that - the 951S spec cars are the pinnacle of the 951 line in the US, and are rarer than the regular 951 (esp in the US). thus, they are more desirable and worth more than a regular 951.

[CJFusco]

Geez, you and your semantics.

Originally posted by ERAU944
CJ - the 89 isn't the last year of the 951 either (it is in the US... i have NO idea what porsche was thinking with all the different crap that was going on). the 951 continued ROW until 1991 along with the S2 until the 968

We are in the U.S., are we not?

Sorry if my posts over the last few days have been scrambled - I have been finishing up my Master's Thesis and my brain is simply fried right now.

[murn]

The April 2007 edition of Excellence Market update estimates
a 1989 944 Turbo at:

$9708 - so so condition
$11037 - good condition
$14775 - excellent condition