924Board.org

[bradc121]

i'm looking at buying an '87 924(s obviously) and would like some advice about the value of the car.

it has 79k original miles (CarFAX certified) it's black with decent paint, there is some fairly minor body damage on the edge of the passenger side door where the metal is bent in and there's a bit of paint scraped off.

It is an automatic which kinda sucks in my opinion, it would still be better than my 5spd Sentra.

It does have a 6 disc changer, but that's the only addition to the car. Is it worth $3500 assuming the tranny is in good shape and he has NOT done a recent front engine service? (I'm just assuming he hasn't. . .)

Thanks - and hopefully this will only be the first of many posts - I really want one.

Brad

[924guy]

the autos arent too bad, i had one and it was great for commuting in heavy traffic..however, id find out if the auto trans dampner has been replaced yet, its a fairly expensive part ($400+ for the part alone, then theres labor, allot of it if your paying someone to do it.) The other down side is that if you plan on autocrossing it, forget it..itll tear that dampner up in no time flat..

autos also have less value in "porsche people" circles, contradictory to most cars where autos are more in demand..

im not up on current prices, but consider that youll have to go for a full front engine service(definatley) , and possibly a dampner and your already probably well over the 5k mark..seems to me you might be better finding one that has a proven and current service record for a bit more..or maybe have them come down on the price a bit..
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[gohim]

Eric has brought up some good points.

Incase you aren't familar with the dampener, it is located in the transmission bellhousing and works as an adapter to connect the flywheel to the "driveshaft" and the transmission in the rear of the car.

The dampener has a rubber core that dampens driveline vibration. Unfortunately, with age, and jackrabbit starts, they fall apart, and when that happens, you get stranded.

The Porsche Dealer price for a new one is around $750-$800 list price. The used ones you find are always no good. Aftermarket suppliers are cheaper, as Eric has commented. The labor is 10-12 hours, which translates to $800-$1500, depending on the hourly labor rate of the shop that you use.

So depending on how much life is in the dampener, and how many miles and/or months are on the "front of engine service", you could be looking at $4000+ in repairs and deferred maintenance, before you even begin to consider the cost of the body work to make the car a daily driver. That would make the Seller's $3500 asking price way too high in my opinion.

Now the car is not worthless, even though the cost of repair is higher than the market value of the car. After all, you can't put a price on the enjoyment you get from owning and driving the car. But it is certainly not worth $3500 without documentation. It is also worth more than a car that has already suffered from a belt failure ($300-$750). More like $1500-$2000, depending on the cost of bring the scheduled maintenance up to date.

All 944, 951, 944S, and 924S cars are like 911 series cars (and airplanes) in that the value of the car is directly tied to the number of hours and months of engine run time, since engine maintenance costs more than the car can be sold for, without a running engine.

Don't consider buying one of these cars unless you are willing to accept the fact that to have a nice running car after you buy it you are going to have to immediately dump $2000-$3000 into repairs, and maintenance. And that after you spend the money, the car will not be worth in dollars, what you have sunk into it.

[Eturbo924]

Pass on it.
Automatics can be a real headache and also.... very hard to sell. I have seen auto 924S and 944 sit for months and months and months with no bites.

Most people looking at these cars want a 5 speed.

Pass and find a good 5 speed for that kind of money.

Eric
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[bradc121]

The seller mentioned he had recently paid $1300 to have some work done on the transmission, sounds like that might have been the dampener right? I'm going to test drive tomorrow I'll ask him if he has records. From your responses I'm getting that it's only worth the asking price if the dampener is new and there HAS been a recent front of engine service.

There's no way to look at the timing belt or anything superficial and see anything to indicate how long it's been since it was switched out is there?

[gohim]

$1300 would be at the low end for having the dampener replaced. Could actually be transmission repair work he had done, since the dampener and the transmission are on opposite ends of the torque tube.

There is no way that you can accurately determine the condition of the belts, oil seals, water pump, pulleys and rollers without removing them. And the "front of engine service" is supposed to be the PM (preventative replacement) of those highly stressed and prone to failure parts. You can't wait for any of those parts to die, because when any of them do, you get the engine damage without any warning period.

[jaxrepo]

Hi Bradc121: I had a 1987 924S auto, gold color, which was in super condition, except the tranny began to whine when reaching 25 MPH & continued thereafter. I sold it on EBAY for $960.00 just to get it out of my life & will never buy another automatic. Any good Porsche tech will tell you that these are bad tranny's. If the foregoing comments have convinced you, I have a 1987 924S, 5 speed, black with a nice, clean black velour interior, new paint & 97K miles. Has A/C & everything works. It is the most solid, strong running 924 I have had. Currently registered, insured & driven daily by me. Will sell for $2,800.00. You can see pictures of this car & the 1987, that I sold, with full desciptions of both at my web site at www.jaxrepo.com. Good luck, Dick Price.
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83/86 944 Parts cars (2)
78 924 Parts car
84 944
88 924S Parts car

Web site at www.jaxrepo.com - 944/924 parts.

[Lizard]

hey guys, there is a GOOD reason why Porsche outsourced to Merc for there auto trannies in the 928
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3 928s,

[bradc121]

[jaxrepo]

Hi Brad: Shipping to Salt Lake from Jax would run between $700.00 & $900.00 I think. Go to www.movecars.com where you can get quotes from several nationwide shippers. Get several because the vary substantially. I have the original phone dial rims which I can swap out. Keep me posted. My email is jaxrepo@bellsouth.net, that way we dont have to clog this forum. Dick.
_________________
83/86 944 Parts cars (2)
78 924 Parts car
84 944
88 924S Parts car

Web site at www.jaxrepo.com - 944/924 parts.

[kye]

looks like we probably have another convert! excellent..

welcome aboard brad!
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