Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Totally agree. Not long since a guy came on here after buying a low mileage (80K I think) show car for 5K. Had a good time for 3 weeks then the water pump died & he fried it. Bill for 5K to fix. He disappeared soon after. Forget low Mileage. Concentrate on recent (last 4 years.) service record. You may find a much loved one with 200K & a recent rebuild!

So did you buy it then?

So did you buy it then?[/quote]

Hope to see it this weekend. Rolly was away last weekend.

In the year or so I was looking for a turbo I saw 3 that had a believable 80k or so on them and they were the best preserved of all the cars I looked at, obviously the way they've been treated over the past 20 years is important, but I don't agree low mileage properly serviced cars are in some way less reliable than big mileage cars with lots of invoices.

I think what people are saying about low mileage cars being unreliable is quite realistic, a car serviced every year and never used is going to suffer from some sort of mechanical and electrical issues. When things do not get used regularly they tend to either stop working or work badly, take a search on this forum and the PCGB one they are littered with tales of woe from people who only use their cars on the one sunny weekend of the year and then wonder why suspension bushes creak or fail, windows don't work or it drives like a pig.

Getting a regular service is obviously a good and essential thing but getting used is similarly important, I am not saying I would rather have a high mileage car than lower one but I would definately think twice about buying some Garage Queen which has hardly been used even if it had a great service history.

At the end of the day it's up to you and it does depend on what you want it for, regular driver, show car or weekend toy and this is the requirement I would use to help me choose the right car.

I can see the argument between high and low mileage cars and wish I had more knowledge when I bought mine.

As a 2.5NA built in 1982, I thought it was a good deal with only 96K in 2008. However, because it wasn't used enough there was a whole host of issues hiding. Congealed oil in the filler/breather pipes. oil leaks and electrical faults that appeared after frequent use and servicing, Old tyres that were perished.

Despite having a reasonable service history and good mechanic looking after the car, It has still taken quite a lot of time and effort to sort out.

I would probably look for a car that may have been a garage queen but then taken on by an owner who has been driving the car and sorted many of these issues.

Good luck on the search

The car I bought had 79k on it backed up as far as possible by it's history, I've spoken to the last 4 owners and in each case, like me, it was a 2nd or 3rd car they used for fun rather than everyday, while I understand garage queens can have issues I think there's also a few worn out turbo's out there that are the next big bill away from being scrapped. I wouldn't rule out a leggy car but I'd want to see plenty of money spent and not just on MAF kits and big turbos.

A low mileage car, may sirguesst love and care or just not used due 2 not liked. But a low mileage car may have a tidy interour, but will be hungry mercanicly. Everyone wants 2 save you money. A car not reagualy used won't be ready 4 trouble free use. SE and S are the same, SE is just a uk spec. Turbo cabs are the most highest valued 944. Can't wait 2 see your results.

My old 944S was a bit of a garage queen doing about 2k miles a year and without fail after the winter lay up there would always be issues to attend to, some more expensive to remedy than others

Hi guys, thanks for all the advice. Hope to see a car at the weekend. Will let you know how i get on. Please let me know if hear of, or spot anything in the mean time.
Cheers
Craig.

Budget ?.

I'll keep my cards close to my chest on that one.

Judging by your first post 8-10k would be a reasonable starting point, as it happens my 91 car is white, I thought about selling recently but I couldn't think of anything I'd rather have at the price so I decided to keep it.

I do get quite irritated when folk go on about their super high mileage examples
( of any car) being worth top money and saying how mileage doesnt effect the value of a car when every one in the world knows it does. Have you noticed sellers always say high mileage but "mainly motorway miles" as if to justify the asking price yet buyers usually look for lower mileage.
HOWEVER on the other hand I totally agree with what's being said here. There is high mileage as in 'super high' and then there is average for a car of that year and maybe a bit more because its been enjoyed.
My example would be an 87 944 turbo with 120,000 on it may have only done 5,000 per year but 5,000 per year is plenty to keep a car ticking over. My wife's Volvo only does 5,000 per year and is her daily drive.

An 87 944 turbo with say 250,000 on it yes the engine may go on to 350,000 miles but all the ancileries etc will still have done a lot of work so I'd have to value the car lower than a 120 to 180,000 example ( if both were looked after equally well ! ).
Of course 80,000 on a 22 year old car is as mentioned just too low and it may have been stored for years or never seen a motorway for a blast etc so for me ( and I know its just my opinion) a sensible in the middle mileage of 110 to 180 would be my own target and as mentioned regular quality servicing and replacement work having been done.

Always a great debate this one and it comes up time and time again !

Very best of luck whatever one you buy, I hope you find a gem.

Mas

I took the 944 out to keep it fresh, it had sat for 3 months. A friend was following me and once we were on the straight I opened her up. I couldn't see him for smoke! That was only after 3 months sitting in the drive. I think anything that has been laid up for years would need a fair bit of work before it was fit to run in anger.

Or I might be looking for a 944 engine soon??