Porsche 944 Online Buyer's Guide - Common Issues & Vehicle Inspection Tips

This video provides an overview of the online car shopping experience faced by many potential Porsche 944 owners in today's market, including a detailed overview of common issues/problems, vehicle inspection tips, and pricing/value recommendations.
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00:00 Introduction
01:01 Auction Listing Overview
04:04 Carfax Review
05:47 Exterior Inspection & Issues
14:14 Interior Inspection & Issues
18:42 Engine/Mechanical Inspection & Issues
42:37 Service Receipts Overview
48:14 Initial Inspection Summary
51:14 Auction Close & Final Summary

[@stephencampbell6338]

Thanks for the video! I was actually the high bidder on this and the seller and I worked out a reasonable deal on this car. My plan is to remedy the issues you addressed and hang onto this car for a long time

[@maxwell431]

what'd you pay?

[@NC944er]

That's awesome! I'm really glad you guys arrived at a deal, it's such a nice car that it would have been a shame for it to go back to sitting around and not being used. This one should be a perfect car that you can actually drive and not worry about added miles bringing the value down and I think holding onto it for the long term seems the best way to get maximum enjoyment out of it. Best of luck! 👍

[@stephencampbell6338]

@@NC944er Maybe we can get together in North Carolina for a year one follow-up video to gauge the progress!

[@brandonbarstow1762]

Awesome idea ☝️great video btw! Love your stuff, it’s like my visual 944 encyclopedia hahaha

[@NC944er]

@@stephencampbell6338 Man, that would be so epic! Let me know if there’s anything I can do help as you get started.

[@guerillagorilla4423]

Definitely watching this when it's time to get my own

[@TakeFlightGarage]

I still have such a hard time trying to value these cars. The price gap between conditions is so huge it can be a challenge to determine fair market value. Another great resource for those who may be interested in purchasing a 944. 👍🏻

[@NC944er]

The gap is pretty wild for sure... I don't think the Hagerty values even factor in parts cars or non-running examples. 😂 I like to take the estimated parts cost it would take to get it well sorted and subtract that from the value of a recently-sold clean example with similar condition/mileage. That way you're not underwater in value after bringing the car up to speed, but it's a fine line to walk and often difficult not to exceed it with all the various surprises that can pop up. There are also things like proximity to a car that can factor in and allow people to bid higher if shipping/acquisition costs are lower based on their location, so yeah, it's all over the map.

[@tims_4x4_garage]

Big part is you gotta find the right buyer at the right time (luck, lol) Looking at current values I can’t believe how much I got for my car but the dude was stoked about it. I spent hours with him going over everything and he was happy to drive it home and that’s what matters in the end.

[@TakeFlightGarage]

I couldn’t agree more with both of you. I myself am actually a prime example for both cases. I bought my first car in 2015, it was a very very early model (October 1982 build date) with very high mileage. I paid $4,000 for that car. Over the next 6 years I spent in the neighborhood of $7,000 in parts alone not including my time or anyone else’s time in labor. To me it didn’t matter because I had no intention of selling that car. Values were rising anyways. I didn’t really pay attention to numbers besides for my own personal account until it was hit and suddenly I was faced with now being paid a very low sum for all the work I had into it. After a long fight with the insurance the highest offer I got was about what I had into the car. It still didn’t cover buying a replacement but at least it helped. After doing all that work, I couldn’t find a single 944 on the market be it from BAT or dealers or anywhere that hadn’t already had all the work done that I had just spent 6 years doing, and I didn’t want to redo. The car that I ended up buying actually wasn’t even a formal listing it was offered to me by pure chance. I paid a lot more money for car number 2 than I did for car number 1, but car number 2 I saw as worth it being as it was in much better condition. Still though it’s a 40 year old car and I find myself still doing a similar amount of work even though this car is in much better shape with less miles. I do however daily drive it (for a short commute) when it’s not down for repairs so it certainly sees more use than a pure weekend driver. I average about 6,000 miles a year. I think what’s happening within the market is that a few years ago these cars were those prices, $4,000-$7,000 for a decently clean car, and say $15,000 for a car in similar condition to yours NC. 2015 for all of us feels like last week, but now that pricing is about 8 years behind us, and Covid or no Covid, it is going to start costing a lot of money to find a car in extraordinary condition. I wouldn’t be surprised if the market moves to a place where $25,000 is the average price for a clean well sorted 944 where that price used to be $15k. Turbos are in a class of their own some low mileage cars having sold well into the 6 figure range. Now things will probably diverge between the purists and people like me who like to slightly modify their cars to their own personal taste. I try to do modifications that will improve the longevity and usability of my car, while not trying to take away too much from its originality. For example every modification I’ve done and plan to do is entirely reversible. But it makes it difficult trying to value it for say insurance purposes. Because I know what I paid, and I know what I have paid, but I have no idea what someone else is willing to pay. Tim I think your car was in amazing shape it was very clean and if I remember correctly it had the two tone black/ tan interior right? I’d certainly pay a little more for that interior combo alone.

[@NC944er]

@@TakeFlightGarage That reminds me, I need to increase the “estimated” value of mine with Hagerty insurance before something crazy happens. 😂 Accident losses are tough and losing all the invested time is a heavy hit, but no one can take away the knowledge you picked up along the way, and that probably makes subsequent repairs on your new car all the easier.

[@AlanShirtsink]

For people thinking about taking the jump into 944 ownership. I just drove my S2 Cab across the US for the 5 th time at195k miles. Cruising at 80-85 most of the way and covering 1000 miles a day. Averaged 25-28 mpg and the car performed flawlessly. If you do the maintenance they are bulletproof. Still tight as a frogs backside and a rush to drive. As a side note I drove west to east in mid March with the top down all the way. Windows up, heat blasting and a hoodie and beanie. Great fun

[@NC944er]

These cars do eat up the miles and ride a lot more comfortably than people may think. My ‘88 has the shorter 5th gear, which is better for acceleration and spirited driving, but at the cruising speeds you mentioned, the engine speed sits around 4k, so not the best for fuel economy. I’d love to have a 6-speed box from a 968.

[@kennethrichardson1654]

Another great video. Watched every minute of it and learned a lot. Thanks!

[@NC944er]

Glad to hear it man, thank you! It turned out quite a bit longer than I intended, but still thought the info would be useful to share. Cheers!

[@lukashruza8570]

Great video, i watched so many different buyers guide videos before buying my 87 NA 944 and it helped me catch the issues with the car early.

[@NC944er]

Thanks! Yeah, the number of different issues that can pop up seem almost endless. 😂 Great to have a number of perspectives and resources out there.

[@Cad1900]

These cars are forty years old so in my opinion the mileage means almost nothing. More important to me is current condition; mechanical maintenance history; and originality. These cars are good for 300k easy with a decent maintenance. I like your video it’s good and helpful. Thank you!!

[@JT-or6sg]

These cars definitely have surprises. When I bought my 84 944 I found out that I had a cracked oil cooler and started mixing up some chocolate milk for me

[@NC944er]

@@JT-or6sg Surprise! That one is never a fun discovery…

[@SpringVinMoto]

I really enjoyed this market update style video.

[@NC944er]

Thanks! It ended up being quite a bit longer than I intended, but it also seemed like useful information to share.

[@SpringVinMoto]

@@NC944er Long, yes. But I still watched the whole thing

[@RShanMann]

Looking into buying my first 944. THANK YOU SO MUCH for these videos - incredibly helpful as a I search for my 944.

[@NC944er]

That’s great to hear! Best of luck!

[@davidbutler8096]

Great walk through...you know your stuff.

[@davidbutler8096]

That car would be a bargain at 11K. Did you find out his reserve?

[@NC944er]

@@davidbutler8096 The high bidder ended up making a deal with the seller after the auction’s close, probably within $2,000 to $3,000 of the end price I would guess.

[@quincylongman7469]

A link to This needs to go into the subreddit side bar

[@NC944er]

I'm not a big "redditor," but if you think that would be helpful to people, hopefully someone takes action to do that! 😁

[@tims_4x4_garage]

Great video for anyone interested in picking up a 944.

[@NC944er]

Thanks brother! You hear back on your wild card entry yet?

[@tims_4x4_garage]

@@NC944er not yet I’m sure they have a bunch of entries of awesome people and rigs. In other news, I’ve almost got my other jeep project finished which I picked up the same day I sold my 944.

[@NC944er]

@@tims_4x4_garage Yeah, that makes sense. Great to hear the Jeep project is coming along well, glad you’re staying busy and having some fun. 👍🏼

[@ashtonmartin5650]

What a beautiful sports car!

[@hampsonlaboratory1363]

Great video! The rear window metal trim you mention at minute 57 can be easily popped out and resprayed with SEM trim black. I did mine today after removing the rear window. Lots of other worthwhile places to spend $ on the car so it's nice to savor the low cost fixes.

[@NC944er]

Thanks! Yeah, I sanded mine and then sprayed them in satin black, seems to be holding up ok. Price on the replacements feels high for what they are. 😂

[@shift-lightneil7283]

That was a good watch. Nice to hear as I’ve spent nearly a year with mine in the U.K. that I’m aware of a bunch of stuff but in a good way am still learning. I did the odometer gear on mine, and it really isn’t as intimidating as it might seem. The dash pod removes easily as does do the harnesses , then careful disassembly keeping everything clean and reassemble with some new grease is all quite a satisfying job. Gives an opportunity to rejuvenate the dash light reflective surfaces and renew the bulbs too!

[@NC944er]

Nice! Yeah, I performed the reflective coating refresh and replaced the dash builds as well, although I don’t feel like it made a huge difference, seems to be a bit of a poor design in that respect. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@ja4476]

Really informative video... !! I just bought (yesterday !) a 1986 Porsche 944 coupe, 200k km. Really exciting about it. The car is pretty clean. The previous owner really took care of the car and knew it well. The only thing that make me a little nervous about old car is the timing belt(as it could crush the engine)..... It was easy to see it and replace it on my sidekick 94(many years ago), not sure it's as easy on this 944... I can find out how you proceed with the timing belt when making your purchases.... replace it or not....

[@NC944er]

Congratulations on your purchase, very exciting! The timing belt should definitely be checked out if you have no service history. The recommended maintenance interval is every 4 years or 45k miles. I have a couple videos here on the channel related to timing belt replacement, it does require some specialty tools to do the job, but it is possible to do it yourself.

[@NiguelXzechro8398]

I plan on getting my 944 from Ohio this fall, I’m super excited as thus will be my dream first car

[@NC944er]

That’s awesome! Best of luck with the acquisition and getting to know the car. Lots of fun to be had. 👍🏼

[@NiguelXzechro8398]

@@NC944er I’m actually in Virginia and grew up in North Carolina so hope to meet you one day!

[@NC944er]

@@NiguelXzechro8398 Very cool! I lived Wilmington for about 12 years, but now out in the Greensboro area. Virginia has better peanuts than NC, crunchy as heck! 😂

[@NiguelXzechro8398]

@@NC944er I lived in Enfield NC for most my years, eating Aunt Ruby Peanuts, super sweet!

[@schildi4226]

yes yes yes yes👌👌👌

[@monkie-centurie4986]

I’ma tell u rn, I did not do any of this when I bought mine I just saw it and pulled up and fell in love with it at sight and was like ye I want it and took it home🕺

[@NC944er]

That can work too! 😂 Sometimes it’s hard to resist a spur of the moment purchase. I’ll say that I have seen a number of new 944 ownership situations where people’s expectations of what the car needs doesn’t end up aligning with either their time, budget, knowledge, etc, and they quickly get discouraged to the point where the car just ends up sitting and wasting away even further. So that was the intent of the video… if people are more comfortable with what to expect during 944 ownership, they can make more informed decisions and increase the likelihood of successfully restoring the car.

[@stephencampbell6338]

@@NC944er This is my 3rd 944 so I had a fairly good idea about what I was getting into with this purchase. I previously owned an NA 1987 and an 87 944S and really just love the design and relative simplicity. The styling is timeless in my opinion. I didn't know you sold your car. I think I would have been a high bidder on that one now that I have seen all your videos!. I would still like your input on the car I purchased. I can send you my info. Would love to get your input on what the car really needs and what I should tackle first

[@NC944er]

@@stephencampbell6338Oh man, yeah they are great cars and really enjoyable to work on. I haven’t sold mine yet, but I may see how the market is trending next year, since things have dropped a bit this year. I’d probably get after the drive belts and the oil leaks first thing. The belts had no receipt and are pushing 4 years by the prior owner’s recollection, so I’d just replace them for piece of mind and check the front oil seals off at the same time. Digging into the wearable fuel system components is something I like to do early as well. Feel free to email me and we can bounce some ideas if you’re interested, my email address is listed in the About section of my channel.

[@elitezruleSupaSid]

watching this makes me think about all the stuff wrong with my 944 lol

[@NC944er]

They do tend to suffer many of the same ailments. 😂