Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

So my 944 sold on eBay but despite initial contact the buyer didn't bother to respond with a collection date.

Then Pistonheads - some potentials who 'then found alternative cars' or low-ball offers.

Sadly no views or even drives, frustratingly as I think it would have sold easily if someone had seen and driven it as I detailed every little imperfection in the advert which made it sound really quite bad an in my opinion, worse than it is.

So options in my mind are:

1) Accept the circa £800 being offered

2) Fix it up doing all the bits I can do myself and then professional help on the body and mechanicals I cannot do

It has 11.5 months tax now and it's insured until end of the year so is effectively costing me nothing.

I'd love to fix it up and keep it (or sell I guess) but I am unlikely to recoup any investment probably the contrary in all honesty as I can't do any bodywork myself and this will be the biggest investment.

If it were nice and tidy I'd then want to keep it!

Finally - I have always loved the S2 look, so am tempted to put the front bumper and rear diffuser on from one being broken for spares. Or should I cut my losses and just get an S2!

Enough inane ramble - what should I do?

I had a similar situation last year when I was running an early car and an S2, if you've not driven an S2 grab a drive of one the difference between them is like night and day but the S2 is an awesome car once you get over the feeling of a safer more cossetted drive.

I went through every option of trying to hang on to the early car because I'd grown attached to it which can be disastrous with an old car, for the money I've put into the S2 now I would have had a very sorted early car but the S2 has the right mix of grunt and comfort for me.

Get an S2

I'd be very very surprised if it doesn't end up being broken judging by some of the comedy parts prices on ebay . Cash in the tax, keep the engine/wheels/DME and anything else you can sell easily and move on to an S2.

Is it just the looks of the S2 & are you really hooked on the 944 model if so Only you can decide BUT FWIW

These cars can be expensive to get into tip top condition, not likely to get your money back when sold; so are you looking to upgrade to one you intend to keep for a long while?
I started looking into my Porsche ownership in 2004 and had books out of the library and test rides/drives in numerous models eg 911 968 928 944 but started with a reasonably priced 2.7 944 to see if I liked the Marque and Model. (That car is the ONLY car I actually sold for more than I paid for it - apart from Belts/rollers for peace of mind!)

Within a few months I hankered after more Power/Torque & purchased an S2 (Cab).
The difference in all the 944 models needs to be tried as the Cab road handling was not so good as the 2.7 Coupe (naturally!) but great for wind in the hair motoring if you like that sort of thing.
As mentioned in previous post it would make sense for you to get drives/rides in the other models, via your local Tipec Club meet or perhaps a local independent who has 944's for sale, that way you will get a better idea of what you want to do and might even get a decent p/ex deal.
My progression of 3 x 944's is shown in my signature resulting in the last 8 years enjoying a tastefully tweaked 199MY Turbo.
Good luck with your ramblings, spent Months rambling myself during the 1st 2 years (2004 to 2006), still rambling on.......
Clive

Hi

I have owned my s2 for nearly 3 years it is not perfect, and there is always another job in the pipe line.
I have many moments thinking of other cars including some less expensive modern boxes, Every time this happens I get into the s2 and I realise it's going nowhere its far too good to let go of.

Buy an s2

I understand your dilemma, i have two S2's, one a cab. i want a 911 4S, but i can't let the cab go, its so much fun and still shows 150 on private roads . The wife will divorce me if another porsche just appears on the drive
get a S2, decat pipe K&N and chip. great fun!

Thanks all.

My issue is that this one has proven itself to be reliable and at least I know the issues.

The S2 is the 944 I really love.

I have a company car so the decision is t desperate and I do love the odd weekend blast.

Been taking it to the odd car show with my daughter which is good fun too.

We will see!

What's your budget? (S2's are more expensive than early 944's, so you need to take that into consideration, which I'm sure you already have!).

Coupe or Cabby? (I know where there's a nice Cabby!)

Any colour preferences? (as colour does actually have a slight effect on price)

I'd go for an S2 personally, as I prefer the looks, the interior and the larger engine with a bit more grunt. I looked at plenty of S1's, but couldn't shake the pull of an S2.

G.

Coupé really for me although I love your cab.

I really like white, grey or metallic blue.

Yep I understand the price difference.

Still torn. May take mine up to my bodyshop man to get an idea of cost to do the sills and other touch ups.

If you can get a reasonable quote, I would get the sills repaired, and put up for sale again at a higher price.

Even though the car is cheap because it needs work, you'd still get more interest for one that has just been repaired.

I have also felt I am too honest when selling cars, listing minor issues (which may make a car sound worse than it is), but I just feel better knowing that the buyer will be clear on any issues before travelling. I have travelled many a time to view mis-described cars, I almost lost the plot when trying to buy our S2000!!

I may get the sills and some of the easy other stuff done and then have a re-think

Just no time with a 3 year old and a 2 week old now!

Join the club! lol

After going down this road with other cars I would cut your losses and take the £800. With that I would put it towards an S2 (should you like the drive of one) or a better 944 in all honesty.

Yes you can get the sills done cheap, but IME bodywork is one area where it takes time to get it done right, and time as they say is money. A cheap car will almost always cost more than a pricier one! Christ, I have done most of the work myself on two of my other classics, and for the cash I have spent on them I could have got a better running car from the off. I could still keep one of them and 'get it mint' but I also know that it will ruin me (from a financial and sanity perspective).

I say the above (as blunt as it is) as the last bunch of classics I bought were good from the off. Whilst they are the most I ever spent on them they were better than the old 'fixer uppers' I put my cash towards, they were far easier to sell with less of the loss (sometimes not one ) and ultimately I enjoyed them more since I got to do what I wish with them initially - Drive them!

I sound like an old record, but my last S2 was 'tidy' according to many. The fact is my pricier Turbo (which required minor work in places, but nothing compared to the S2) has covered way more miles than the S2 did, I have worked on it less and ultimately I have also saved a packet in addition to me taking a hit on the S2 when I came to sell it! Yes the work on my S2 helped it to sell, but the next owner got to enjoy the fruits of my labour and saved a packet (I sold the car at the going rate for the time)!

Others may disagree and say that I have become a square or don't enjoy the hobby but I have wasted far too much time and money on 'almost finished' projects. I guess I did learn a fair few skills though!

Maybe a friend's Citroen DS has swayed the above opinion (For what I have thown at the Stag (with me working on it myself) I could have bought a tidyish DS21 for not much more and I know what my Stag is ultimately worth (i.e less than what it owes me)). Or it maybe it has simply been the worry of owning cars that need plenty of love.

I generally agree with what you're saying there Chas - I have often bought a car that had a few issues, and I would sort them myself to save a few quid - although, usually it paid dividends when I sold them on. But with a 944 you can see that buying an expensive sorted one, can save money over a cheap neglected one.

At times it gets you down fiddling around with old cars every weekend, but on the flipside at least you know what has been done, and (hopefully), that it has been done well. As you say, how many cars out there are as described as mint/well maintained, yet when you start to scratch the surface, you can find a multitude of bodges!!

Still, I'm digressing, in Dave's instance, I do think that £800 is quite a hit to take, depending on what a reasonably priced bodyshop would quote for the sills to be tidied up, I'd bet you would get most of your money back, if not more and an easier sale.

Isn't the car a 2.7? If so, a little rarer than the usual 2.5 8v's, so could stand to make better money.

Unless the rusty sills are only half the story?