83 944 value

[Christien]

I'm thinking of selling my 83 944, and would appreciate opinions on the value of it. It has its strong and weak points, and I'll do my best to describe them accurately.

Basics: 1983 base 944, 120K miles on odometer, but stopped working maybe 2 years ago (as per PO), true mileage is probably 4 or 5000 above that.

Imported to Canada from Baltimore 2 years ago (by me), paint stripped, body repaired (lots of little dings) and completely repainted last year. Dec/04 had full service.

The good:
-very recent body work and repaint
-New timing belt, balance shaft belt, alt/ac belt, new water pump, new cap/rotor/plugs/wires, new front brake pads, new air filter, thermostat kit, rad hose, antifreeze and a new windshield.
Engine runs very well, pulls strong, no problems
-All the electricals work, except the clock.
-New stereo head unit and speakers last year
-4 Brand new tires last years (Widetrack SR (Bridgestone?) - not high performance, just regular all seasons)

The bad:
-Starter needs rebuilding or replacing (frequently doesn't turn over when you turn the key, but usually will start after several key turns - never left me stranded yet, but I usually find a hill to park on!)
-Interior is showing its age. Original seats are cracked and torn badly. I found a cheap driver's chair from a 911 and put that in, even though it doesn't match (still have the original in the garage). I have seat covers, but they bug me so I don't use them.
-Painters didn't put some trim pieces back on properly, so occasionally one or another needs to be reinstalled (i.e. if I catch my sleeve on it or something). I think a couple may be missing entirely.
-Sunroof leaks. Not a big deal in light rain or if you're driving, but I can't park it outside if it's raining. After a while the water comes in fast. I've cleaned the drains but that didn't fix it. Headliner has water damage because of this.
-Paint is chipped on the front valence, indicative of mediocre paint job.
-I thought I was having some clutch problems a couple years ago, it seemed to be slipping, but it hasn't been a problem at all recently
-AC blows warm, needs recharging

I may be making the car out to be worse than it is - this is still a perfectly capable daily driver. The pictures definitely show the interior at its worst. It's been sitting for a couple months (though started up on the first try when I went to take the pics yesterday) and could really use a good cleaning, so it'll show a bit better than this "in the flesh". The only real issues dogging it are the leaky sunroof and the starter, and because of its intermittent aspect, it might just be a bad ground, so I might be able to fix it by just getting at the ground and cleaning it. Otherwise I'll just replace it.

Below are pics. Let me have your thoughts!

Thanks,
Chris

[the]

People ask all sorts of prices, but to sell: Around $1500 to $1800.

[Christien]

Do you think I could sell at over $2000, or even closer to $2500 if I dealt with some of the issues first? (starter, sunroof, respray front valence)

[racer]

early 944s are just not an appreciating asset. What did you pay for it? That's likely all you can get for it, assuming the condition is no worse. The clutch alone on these cars, for a shop to replace, is like $2,000. Deferred maintenance and low entry price have made the "bad" ones look even worse.

[the]

I hadn't seen the interior pictures before.

I'd change my estimate to $750 to $1200 (on a very good day). You'd never, ever get close to $2500 for that car, even if dealt with some of those issues first.

That's US dollars for one like that being sold in the US. Not sure what they get in Canada.

You could clean it up and that would help, but I wouldn't dump any significant money in to that car (I wouldn't spend any more than $100 cleaning/fixing it up). That car is very close to being a parts car.