Dad wants a Porsche

**4cylfun** · 6-15-09, 12:46

I think the one he picked is a piece.

It looks nice on the outside but i happen to know it was in the same lawn last year when i was driving the company's semi. Well here's what he knows about it as of now.

Owned by an 18yr that wants 5000 for it.

Its an 87 Porsche 944 with 125xxx and a "new transmission"

We dont 'know if its a turbo or what tranny it is. So far i can't see this thing being worth 5K. It looks nice but according to KBB its a 3700 dollar car without a turbo and a 52K with one. Evidentally it needs a new alternator and he's owned it for 7 months but is driving a truck now. He claims all his money went to it last year and that he wants money for college.

So far this sounds like a stupid deal, so when dad goes to look at it i'm coming with to make sure its actually worth something and not something an 18yr old has tried to fix himself. The way it sounds so far is he has no clue how to do anything on the car so maybe we're lucky enough that he hasn't buggered with it by putting in stupid neons and playing with wires.

What do you guys think.
And what should i look for that is problematic from that year. Cause i swear there's something icky with 944's

**concealer404** · 6-15-09, 12:50

944s are fantastic cars. I would gladly pay $5k for a nice turbo example.

I probably wouldn't pay $5k for a non turbo though, unless it was an S2.

**d0sitmatr** · 6-15-09, 13:10

the 944's are very prone to electrical problems, many times needing a full re-wiring done to solve them.
trans are also pretty weak if auto, manual works pretty good and lasts a decent time as long as its taken care of.
the engines themselves are beasts and hard to kill, but as with any car if they arent taken care of properly, then your father could be looking at a very costly full engine rebuild.
on the upside, i've seen 944's that have 500k miles on them still running strong.

**4cylfun** · 6-15-09, 13:35

wow, i thought 944's where hunks of crap.

**bmxfuel007** · 6-15-09, 15:54

i would not spend that much money on a 944 unless it was in pristine shape and turbo. seriously. porsche or not, still an 88. maintenance will be a lot on that gen

**dustbin** · 6-15-09, 18:40

Could you persuade him to a newer porsche? or is he stuck on the older models? The new Boxters are REALLY nice and very affordable too.

Just an idea...

**Fitzyb** · 6-15-09, 19:35

Boxers are for people who cant afford a 911

944 is a great bit of kit, turbo models need a bit of encouragement to get on boost (turbos bigger than most stockers, but just throw it back a few gears and she will move), id be happy with one

**dustbin** · 6-15-09, 21:58

how about a new caymen then?

**d0sitmatr** · 6-15-09, 23:35

I like the boxsters, and trust me, Ive been a 911 fan since I was 7

something about the boxsters styling, how it shows some of the old 550 spyder in its form.

**MazdaMan88** · 6-15-09, 23:58

I've seen a handful of junk 944s, but I've also seen a lot of nice ones. If the car is in rough shape and he plans on keeping it for a while, it'd be worth it to fix. I went to college with a guy who drove a regular 944 that he had worked on. After a fresh coat of paint, some interior work, and a few mechanical bits, you couldn't have found a classier (in an 80's sort of way) car for the amount he put into it. I also knew a guy who had a mint '87 944 auto for a long time and he didn't have any problems out of it until his son raced it with a pinhole in the oil pan and killed the motor.

I wouldn't pay 5k for it if you're not sure if it's mechanically sound, though. Maybe 3,500 to 4,000 if the body and interior are straight, but other than that, you could pick up a more dependable 944 for a little over 5k.

**4cylfun** · 6-16-09, 0:07

He doesn't really WANT a porsche, he just wants that one since its in great shape and he just wants a cheap sports car. He also mentoined that he hopes its an automatic so my mother would be able to drive it.

I can't believe my own father actually admitted wanting a porsche on shear looks over performance.

I guess thats where we differ, i would only buy it if its a manual. Turbo or not would be fun but would be MUCH happier if it had a turbo. He said he looked inside and non of the seats are worn/torn, the dash was clean. From what he said it sounds like its in great shape inside. The outside still has pretty nice paint and the wheels that have like......i dunno, almost like lambo diablo wheels. 5 holes in a disc, if anybody knows what wheels i'm referring to. Neat lookin car, depressing to know he wants it to be an automatic lol.

**MazdaMan88** · 6-16-09, 0:53

Hmmm...if I remember correctly, the Diablo'esque wheels came on the Turbo. I could be wrong, though.

**d0sitmatr** · 6-16-09, 9:24

those rims are called "dialer" rims, they are stock porsche rims for that car, they are 15" if memory serves.
while they usually came stock on the turbo, they also came on the base model, it was just a dealer upgrade option.

I agree with the others, if the ext/int is in excellent condition, but the engine needs work, then you should let him know not to go over $3.5-4k

BTW, I saw on cglst a couple months ago someone had a 00 boxster S for sale for $6k, I really wish I had the money for that.

**ls six** · 6-16-09, 11:08

The motors are especialy difficult to rebuild (no iron liner just alloy) and the transmissions on the non turbo cars are rather weak. My friend blew his just after instaling a new clutch because he was used to the slipping old clutch and was a little to agressive with it.

He said the clutch alone (stock replacement) was $1000 and the trans (used) was about 2G.

Buy the best one possible because replacement parts will cost a real dime when you start shopping. (an oil cooler goes for about $800 and is internal to the engine)

An N/A car is about as quick as a 2.5L MX6 but I cant say they sound all that nice. The noises made by the motor remind me of a 240SX I drove once. Very truck like and it sounds like it's in pain when you take it near redline.

They dont usualy rust though, being galvanized. Early cars were not treated and began to rot on the showroom floor.

The interior plastic atleast in the early cars is really very crappy. Think early Kia or hyundai.

They are put together very well though and my friends car has a good sized system in it ant has never rattled despite being a hatch.

**4cylfun** · 6-16-09, 12:33

I read like a 15 page report of 944's last night in dad's office. Pretty much read ^--- and then some. Even for a slow ass car they sound like they were built for years and years of service.

Hell i'm almost tempted to go look at it now if they dont' decide on it. I have heard a few on youtube and it almost sounds like a honda at 6K and they really don't look like they are flying down the road lol. Still a nice lookin car though.