1987 944T - what is it worth?

[dmw319]

Hey! My name is Dave and I am a prospective new porsche owner.

I went and checked out a 944 Turbo out last night. Red. Manual. Black leather interior. 90k miles. Tinted windows, magnaflow 3" exhaust, 40hp chip.. More info...

It is in really good condition. Not perfect, but very well maintained and with receipts to prove it. From 2006-2008 when the car was at 70k (its at 90k now) the car went through a lot of overhauls: turbo rebuilt, A/C rebuilt, timing belt changed, cv boots, steering rack rebuilt, etc. Not to mention a lot of little stuff like hoses, belts, interior pieces, etc. From what I can tell the suspension is still stock but sits and rides very well for being 24 years old. I could not find any paperwork showing the clutch had been replaced and I bet that is pretty pricey... Leather seats feel brand new. The odometer stopped working roughly 2-3,000 miles ago so it shows 88k. It happened on the owner's watch when it stopped so he bought a new gear for it, it just hasn't been installed yet. The rotors need to be turned but he said he would do that (he works at a dealership and they could do it for free). Sunroof works. The paint is "good" but if you look carefully you can tell where it has been repainted in some spots (aka different parts painted at different times). The top is a little faded as well but overall you wouldn't notice it if you stood 10 ft away. There is a bottom "turbo" decal along the bottom rocker panels on either side that look like crap, I would have to remove those. Spark plug wires are starting to look like they need to be replaced sometime soon.. Glass is all perfect, weatherstripping all perfect. Exhaust is all new (2 years old). The AC blew nice and cold. Engine bay is clean. Transmission looked like it had a very small leak. I really like it. But still not sure if I want to make it "my car". Most of the larger repair bill she showed me were from a shop in Myrtle Beach and ran around 350-1,000. Those were kinda scary.

Anyways, what do you think its worth? I know its hard over the internet , Just trying to get a rough estimate so I know if his asking price is accurate. Thanks!

[racer]

If the list of expenses the current owner spent is scary to you, then it might not be the right car for you.. My outside experience of Turbo owners is that the "low spending times" are more rare. Porsches are not, generally, cheap to maintain and given their age some parts are likely going to either get harder to find, more expensive or both.

As mentioned, CLUTCH concerns should be addressed or budgeted for. Clutch kits are mabe $500-700 and if you have a shop do it, figure 12hrs at shop rates, etc.. so maybe $2500?

Many suggest a 3-4 year TIME limit for timing belt/waterpump replacements, so it sounds like that service could be coming due again. (I would guess $400 for parts.. and if a shop does it, figure $1,000-1500? )

If interested, be sure to spend the $200+ for a Pre Purchase Inspection.

[dmw319]

I do most (90%) of car work myself unless I don't have the time or tool, so I don't mind a little work, just not loads of money.

Thanks for the tips! Any idea on what a good price for this type of car would usually go for, or what its worth?

[Bamf3000]

If you haven't owned a 944 or a porsche before, you will want to look into what tools you probably DON'T have. A good 944T should be anywhere between 6-9k I would think. That's how much they are here anyway.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by racer

If the list of expenses the current owner spent is scary to you, then it might not be the right car for you..

+10 - good advice.

944's are comfortable, civilised and well-mannered/nice to drive, but 911's are simpler/cheaper to maintain. For either, a certain depth of wallet is required to cover stuff you weren't planning for.

Originally Posted by racer

As mentioned, CLUTCH concerns should be addressed or budgeted for.

Any actual concerns should - but my original rubber-centered 944 clutch lasted 150,000 miles before it self-destructed with no warning on the freeway (bought the car with no docs and drove it for ~4 years...)

Originally Posted by racer

Clutch kits are mabe $500-700 and if you have a shop do it, figure 12hrs at shop rates, etc..

Ha! No.

Pretty sure that's the shop time for a N/A clutch job. Turbos are quite different. From the 924/944 FAQ : Clutch Replacement Procedure

Porsche sets the shop time at

23 hours (single-piece cross-pipe) @ $55.00 = $1265.00 ~
16 hours (two-piece cross-pipe) @ $55.00 = $880.00 ~

That's an old quote. Good luck finding anyone you want working on your car who bills $55 an hour in 2011..

Originally Posted by racer

Many suggest a 3-4 year TIME limit for timing belt/waterpump replacements, so it sounds like that service could be coming due again. (I would guess $400 for parts.. and if a shop does it, figure $1,000-1500? )

Waterpumps last ~120,000 miles (mine did anyway), cost about $800. They can shred the belt when they go - mine was hanging by a thread...

Belts rollers etc. are cheap enough - it's just the time to get to them/time & tension them that costs.

I tensioned belts every 15,000 and replaced at 30,000 - they're supposed to last 45,000 but enough folks have had them break before that that it's clear that's a silly gamble, as the motor rebuild if you get it wrong costs about as much (or more, in the case of an N/A) as the car is worth.

[GothingNC]

Any rust under the car from exposure to the salty air?

I just got back from Myrtle beach and the 2007 Mazda Miata parked next to me already had rust bubbles at the edge the hood.

Rennlist has an active 944 forum.

Good luck with your quest

[dmw319]

thanks everyone for your advice! I plan to pick up the car on Wednesday this week. Youll see more of me around here if so

Gothing NC - nice to see another Raleigh member here!

[GothingNC]

Congrats !

Hope to see your new ride in the area.

Don't forget to bring it to the monthly C&C at Brier Creek, 1st Saturday of each month.

[dmw319]

yea most definitely!