Do I Buy a 944?? Advise Please.

[reesestewww]

I’ve been thinking about replacing my 2006 325i with a less expensive monthly payment car. Just not in the mood right now for a hefty car payment and poor money into what I call a deprecating liability. I’ve been listening to too much Rich Dad Poor Dad, I feel guilty now for driving a BWM. Lol. I found a 944 with 52,000 mls in town. It has just been sold from the original owner to the second owner about 3 months ago and he wasn’t sure if he was going to keep it or not. (he’s a car salesman and I think he was wanting to flip it…imo) He has now decided to sell it. The car is in Great shape inside and out! It was purchased here locally in 1987 and has never left this town. It has every record ever performed on the car dating back to 1987. The original window sticker, PLUS a log book of every time fuel was put in the car, from 1987-2006. The book includes date, mileage and how many gallons of fuel were put in. All the concerned parts of the 944 have been addressed in previous services. The car is N/A and it’s an Automatic Transmission (which doesn’t really bother me as I’ll be driving it in the city). The seller is down to $8,500…....but …….it’s still a 944. Please help me decide if this is the right car to spend 8500 on. I’ve offered 7500, he originally want 10K. The most recent market update place the car at $7,100, but Bruce usually allows for an additional %10 for low mileage, records, ect.


Just don’t know if I should sell the BMW and dive into this 944. Putting $3,000 of service and maintenance into a $7,000 944 still makes it a $7,000 944. Putting $3,000 of service and maintenance into a $15,000 911 can make it worth $18,000. I’ve never ventured outside the air cooled Porsche Market. Advice would be helpful.
Thanks All,
Reese

[VincentVega]

7k for a 944? spendy

[reesestewww]

Thats what i am/was thinking.... but they are out there
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=012&sspagename=STRK%3AME WA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=220127959806&rd=1,1

[GothingNC]

Originally posted by reesestewww
Just don’t know if I should sell the BMW and dive into this 944. Putting $3,000 of service and maintenance into a $7,000 944 still makes it a $7,000 944. Putting $3,000 of service and maintenance into a $15,000 911 can make it worth $18,000. I’ve never ventured outside the air cooled Porsche Market. Advice would be helpful.
Thanks All,
Reese

Putting $3,000 of service into a post 1974 $15,000 911 will still leave you with a $15,000 911 or less depending on conditon, color, location etc.

[natey]

Well, the low miles means the hard parts of the drivetrain are probably in good shape, but they also mean that the rubber bits may be dry / cracked / degraded. It sounds like it's been cared for, which means it's less likely to be one nasty little surprise after another (944's are often neglected). Still, you'll want to make sure the timing belt has been replaced recently...conventional wisdom here says change the belt every 30k miles or 2 years.

$7.5k is toward the top end of the 944N/A market. The condition sounds like it may deserve the price. However, the market for automatic transmission cars is very small, very little demand. The low mileage might make it a bit of an unknown, "worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it" sort of thing.

Short answer / opinion: if you like it, $7.5 is probably reasonable, IF there is nothing (like the timing belt) that you will have to fix as soon as you take it home.

[reesestewww]

Originally posted by GothingNC
Putting $3,000 of service into a post 1974 $15,000 911 will still leave you with a $15,000 911 or less depending on conditon, color, location etc.

My point was there's not much you can do to a 944 to increase the value of it like you can a 911.

[reesestewww]

Originally posted by natey
Well, the low miles means the hard parts of the drivetrain are probably in good shape, but they also mean that the rubber bits may be dry / cracked / degraded. It sounds like it's been cared for, which means it's less likely to be one nasty little surprise after another (944's are often neglected). Still, you'll want to make sure the timing belt has been replaced recently...conventional wisdom here says change the belt every 30k miles or 2 years.

$7.5k is toward the top end of the 944N/A market. The condition sounds like it may deserve the price. However, the market for automatic transmission cars is very small, very little demand. The low mileage might make it a bit of an unknown, "worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it" sort of thing.

Short answer / opinion: if you like it, $7.5 is probably reasonable, IF there is nothing (like the timing belt) that you will have to fix as soon as you take it home.

The timing belt, motor mounts ect. A LOT of things have been done to the car. Ive spoke the the gentleman who has maintained for years as well. Its mechanically sound. I agree about the auto tranny as well. I'm passing @ $8,500. Look at the 944 on ebay i posted above....WOW. That car doesn't even have the records that this one does.

[Sunroof]

Reset..
I owned a 1985.5 944 for 12 years and beleive it or not put 345,000 miles on it before I sold it to my mechanic for $1,500. The only engine work was a head gasket and no tranny problems.

The 944 with good care can go the distance, but the automatic does have an achilles heel and thats the rubber portion of the drive train that with age will dry, crack and go to pieces heading down the road. Its a very expensive fix! I do not know if their is an inspection plate for a looksee, but be aware they are weak.

As a 911 owner (3rd one) pound for pound dollar for dollar the 944 will cost you more to maintain then a 911 and AutoZone does not sell 944 parts!! Its comparable to a BMW as well. Ordinarily the first to go are the hydraulic motor mounts, followed by the oil cooler (seal gives way and the oil mixes with the antifreeze to make "chocolate milk" which scores the main bearing and requires an engine bottom teardown). Unless of course you catch it in time. Key here.....NEVER BUY A 944 with this crap showing on the dipstick!

Bottom line........automatic's were placed on the market to cater to the female execs in the 80's and were never really popular cars. They do perform well however, and considering the records with the car, the price is fair. Stay on top of maintenance, don't beat the thing up you will get years of driving pleasure from it. As a highway cruiser nothing beat the 944 for smoothness and comfort.

Good luck
Bob
73.5T

[goat]

Sunroof aka Bob. Is right.
currently a good 944 can still be had. But look at what a shop will charge to replace a clutch on a 944, A friend got charged 15 hours labor alone!!
And I heard standard for some models is 23 hours for the job.
But on an upside I always thought the balance on the 944 was great and having only driven one I really enjoyed the drive.

[Sunroof]

In this months Excellence magazine, their is an article on "How to Buy a 944". If your still interested in pursuing this model its a decent article that pretty much rehashs what I mentioned earlier with some emphasis on the timing belt, which I failed to include is an issue with the car.

I thoroughly enjoyed my 944 and found it a very comfortable daily driver. I got the 335K out of t he engine by using Chevron Techron on a regular basis and ensuring the tranny always has SWEPCO.

I have seen dozens of well cared for examples still on the road and for sale. Many are low mileage garage queens or weekend drivers, but the prices for a well sorted 944 1985.5 or newer will be less than 10K and thats a decent price for a great car.

What I do see alot of are young kids buying these models with high miles for a few grand and realizing too late that Autozone does not carry that water pump, brake calipers, timing belt and everything else! A Porsche parts house is where to find everything. Owning any Porsche requires a pocket full of cash! The price of repair and maintenance ain't cheap and the 944 is no exception.

If you want one, buy the best with the most money and get it to a shop before you slap down any $$$$ for a pre-purchase inspection. That 100 bucks for the PPI will be the best money you ever invested.

Good luck

1973.5T Sepia of course

[the]

an automatic 944 would be teh suk at any price.

[reesestewww]

Originally posted by the
teh suk

uh?

[Sunroof]

I believe he meant "suck".

I do not think you would enjoy the driving experience in an automatic myself. Going thru the gears on a 944 is what makes the car so great. The rear mounted transmission makes it one of the best balanced cars in the world and you feel much more confident in the twisties in a 944 then 911 as strange as that may sound! With good tires and a sound suspension the 944 is superb.

Bob