87 924s - is this a good deal?
 

I have been mostly looking at 911's but I read somewhere
the 924S is on the rare side -- is this a good deal? If it is,
I'm toast because I just called it to everyone's attention :(

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1987 Porsche 924S **RED** - $3000
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http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/car/207026994.html
(click for pics)
Reply to: see below
Date: 2006-09-14, 5:03AM PDT
1 owner since new
Only made 1986-1988, collector car
Well maintained and serviced regularly
All major services performed
All original equipment:
Factory Sport Suspension
2.5L In-line 4 Cylinder (944)
5 Speed Manual Transmission
Original Blaupunkt radio
165K miles (90% Freeway)
All tires have good tread left
Interior is in great condition, no rips in any of the seats
Exterior has some minor wear and tear
Headlights pop up
Sunroof raises or can be removed
Drives like a champ and handles great
This item has been posted by-owner.

That's about average price they go for in my area.

I don't think that's a great deal, I'd pass on it. Too many miles.

For $3000-$3500, you can easily get a great condition 944 with 165K miles on it. Or, an 87/88 924S with a lot less miles on it. Those cars are worth almost nothing these days.

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, you're user id says it all. You don't know what you are talking about, 924Ss in this condition are worth more than a 944 in the same condition. Why I don't know but that is the way it is.

If you like the car , buy it.

Miles are too high for it to be a "good" deal.... However, one could argue that for $3K, you get a fun driver for very little $$. There are a lot fewer 924S's around than 944's, but they are hardly "collector cars." They are about 250 lbs. lighter than a 944 and have 944 running gear, so they are marginally faster and have more autocross potential. Cosmetically, they have the "early" 944 interior's and dash, and I've never seen one that did not have a cracked dash. All that said, I think you could find one with fewer miles for the same or a little more money. My .02.

Not a great deal. Not the worst deal. When you realize that 924/944's of that vintage (nearly 20 years ago) are well beyond being owned by the original owners, you will realize why they are offered for such lettle money. They tend not to be the best maintained cars.

While not produced and available in the States in the same quantity as 944's it will be another 10-15 years before they start to gain any sort of collector status. Heck, 15 year OLDER 914's can be bought for the same money as the car listed here!

I bought one for my 16 year old son a year ago for about that money with less miles and quite a few enhancements (Konies, strut bar, adjustable struts, exhaust, chip etc.) My son ran it out of oil and we are attempting to fix it ourselves. Miserable to work on, leaks three types of precious fluids and generally a POS. I need it out of my garage now! Give these cars a wide berth and throw it away for sign of problems. YMMV

Wow !!

It seems like the 924's are unloved as much as the Type IV VW's.

I had *two* Type IV's back in the day...a 411 and a 412 ;-). Nice cars.

The whole 944 line suffers from the fact that Porsche 911 fans never really took to them, so they depreciated rapidly and often ended up in the hands of younger buyers who could not really afford to maintain them. The did keep Porsche alive during the mid-to-late '80's as there were a ton of them sold to the yuppies of that era. And they were, and still are, very nice cars, IMHO. and are still one of the best bang for the buck propositions in entire automotive world.

I'm seriously considering buying a 924S SE (1988 special model with M030 suspension) to use as an AX "learner" car.

If you want a starter 911, try this one:

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/car/212653097.html

I've owned both a 924 and a 944. My advice...skip them.

Jay -thanks for the tip. Unfortunately I've heard horror stories about 77's and so if they didn't do any engine work I'd not want that car. I
am also not a fan of that color (exterior or interior) but it does otherwise
look like a good deal.

OK -- I am going to skip the 924/944 and just go for what I want the 911 (still waiting for the right one, preferably red/black).

Yes, the horror stories are true, but the good news is that the mid-year ('74-77) cars are so old that most of those engines have been rebuilt and taken care of by now. Otherwise they wouldn't still be on the road! People also swap in 1978 or later engines into them, so be sure to ask.

Best of luck in your search.