Need Advice!

[jonjon5000]

A friend is offering me an '86 944 turbo with 70,000 miles on it, pearl white with burgundy interior which he says Pearl is very rare. He told me it has Fuchs with brand new Yokohama tires. New clutch pressure plate & TO bearing, under hood insulation, fender rock chip guards, Kokelen air filter system (somebody tell me what this is), Lindsey boost enhancer and miscellaneous rubber and trim pieces. He also has some parts not installed yet that come with car like front cross-drilled rotors, PBR brake pads and motor mounts and factory leather sport seats. The car is in good shape, with minor work. I haven't seen it but he says no cracks in dash, clean etc.... New Base Coat Clear Coat paint.

I need to know if this is worth the $10,000 he wants, or if I should offer lower. Or should I just forget it and save up for a 911? I'd also like to hear from someone that has had both 70s-80s 911's and 944's car, cause I am planning on keeping a Porsche for a while and modifying it. Which car is less painful time and money-wise?

[Lawrence Coppari]

I would try and find another for less. If you offer him less, he could be offended.

[jonjon5000]

For some reason, the picture isn't working. I'll get some this weekend to post up.

He won't be offended, I know him. He's trying to make some money, and is in no hurry to sell the car, but he told me he can go lower.

[md951]

I know that it cost less to make make more power in the 944 turbo than in a 911. As for the 10 grand this would have to be a perfect car and still most repaint are not always up to par. This being a pearl white that means there is an extra step involved in the paint process, I.E tricoat. This process always cost more and can be difficult to match, if damaged. I not sure pearl white was a factory color. good way to check is look under the hood, the engine bay should match the exterior. If not walk away or offer a much lower amount.
good luck let us know

[SD Porsche Fan]

There were only 6 factory pearl white 944s IIRC. Check the option codes on the sticker in the spare tire well to be sure. $10k it a bit pricy unless it is in pristine condition with all maintaince records. Even if it is factory pearl white I don't know if that adds a lot of value.

If your goal is to go fast a 951 is hard to beat IMO. $10k gets you a 911 that needs a lot of work and will probably not exceed a 951 in performance without laying out a lot of cash.

[hawksterone]

when you are buying any car you always try to get the best deal for you. so dont fell bad if you give him a lower price. if he is smart he is tell you 10,000 and he is realy planing on lower that way he has room to move and make what he wants out of it. i dunno any one that goes to a car dealer and just says what the price, i will take it with out trying to talk them down. just remember allthe aftermarket parts in the would doesnt make the blue book value go up.

[ae1969]

If you can get it for 7.5-8K from what I read........... pick it up.

[jonjon5000]

I'm still not sure as to which car to look into, the 944 or the 911. Which one would handle better (i.e. closer to neutral) with around 350 hp? I see a lot of tail-happy 911's out there, and it's fun but can be costly. I'm guessing the 944 with what looks like a longer wheelbase is more neutral, but then again it doesn't have the 911 suspension setup.

[josephsc]

I've heard the 'only 6' story before, but I've been keeping track of VIN numbers and I believe there are more than 6 around. I would venture to guess that there probably were the original promotional 6 that circulated and additional custom paint work was done at the factory to produce more than 6.

What's the last 4 digits of your friends VIN? I'd like to add it to this thread: Rennlist thread

Regardless, Pearl White is a gorgeous color and you have to see it in person to appreciate it. But Pearl Metallic colors have a reputation for being difficult to work with even for paint shops -- I've met a 911 owner who kept a jar of pearl (cheap ones) in case he ever needed to repaint a part.

As for the 911 vs 951 debate -- I go through it in my head occasionally -- but consider this: $20k will get you in a good mid 80's stock 911 (which is highly elegant and refined) whereas $20k will get you in an excellent highly modded 951 (powerful and raw). Pick your poison.

[Rob 3]

The 944 should be more forgiving and neutral than a similarly aged 911. The 993 which started in 85 addressed a lot of the rear engine dynamic issues, but the prices start about 32K and go up from there. You can get a lot of power from the 951 and probably for less $ than the 911. Turbo's are a bit different to drive than an NA car, so it kind of depends on what type of driving you intend to do and what your habits are as well as the driving enviroment in which you live. Each is good for different reasons, it all depends on what you are looking for.

[jonjon5000]

Thanks Rob, some good info in there. What about the build quality between the 951 and 911? I know they're both Porsches but are there noticable differences?

[Rob 3]

I can't really address the build quality between the two although I suspect they are similar, but I have no data to really prove one way or another. All cars have come a long way since 89. Look at an interior of an 89 and look at a 2006. The 89 will have exposed fasteners, generally larger seams, and a less sophisticated solutions to issues. Newer cars have paid much more attention to details. Newer chassis will also be stronger and generally lighter. Each generaltional change should show an improvement.
One thing you will see on the 951 boards and in the adds, cars with well over 100K mileage, they are still running strong. The engines seem to have been built rather conservatively (low boost, slow boost increase, nothing radical) and they seem understressed, so thay really last. But the cost to properly maintain is the same as the 911, or so I've read.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

What Joe said - there HAVE TO be more than six original Pearl White Metallic 951s. $10k is a little high, but not unreasonable if it's a good specimen with an honest 70k on the odometer. $10k can get you an extremely nice 951, a decent 968 or a marginal 911. Take your pick.

[Britwrench]

Pearl White was an option, Porsche dropped it in, I think, 1987. It is a problem to match the paint for accident repairs or minor paintwork.

Value of the car is what you think it's worth. Make sure you have a PPI done by someone who knows 944s of that era and trace all the documentation. If everything ties up and the car is what it's presented as, then you have to decide whether it's worth the money.

Most used cars need a $1000 put into them right away.

(That would be at the repair shops prices, which I understand from sources on here..actually directly above this post, are unjustifiable)