There was a time when we wouldn’t have ever considering buying a front engined Porsche, but now that even 914s are fetching decent money, 924s and 944s are seeming like the most affordable way into the Porsche Club. That being said, you still have to be careful purchasing one of these and it often pays to spend a little more to get a well cared for example. The example you see here looks to be in good shape and while it does have nearly 92k miles, it is a two owner car that has been serviced and cared for since new! And with 911,912 and 914 prices climbing, it’s only a matter of time before these cars go up in value as well.
While you can still get into a 924 or 944 for considerably less than a 911, they aren’t necessarily any cheaper to repair. While some parts are taken directly from the VW parts bin, there are lots of Porsche specific parts that can quickly turn that cheap front engined Porsche into an expensive piece of driveway art. And that’s why it’s important to buy one that has been properly maintained. The seller has a file full of documents going back to when it was sold new in Hawaii. It spent a few years living the island life, then was shipped to Portland, Oregon in 1994 with 35k miles and from their ended up in Vancouver, Washington. They sent us photos of the CarFax as well as a copy of a major service that was done in 2011, both of which can be seen in the gallery below.
During the service, it received a number of new parts, including a timing belt, crank seal, cam seal, power steering hose and a new fuel gauge sender unit. The shop that did the work noted that the car had been parked for about 3 years, but that it would be ready to go once they finished all the work. A considerable amount was spent to get it back into tip top shape, but the fact that the owner spent the money to have the work done, rather than just driving it as it was is a good sign that they actually cared about the car. It’s looking a little dusty at this point, but we don’t see any signs of fluid leaks or damaged rubber bits.
As we looked this Porsche over, we found a few imperfections that could be addressed, but certainly don’t have to be for it to be a nice driver. There is one chip in the original paint that has been repaired, but doesn’t look great, and there is a tear in the driver’s seat that was taped to keep it from growing. We would leave the paint chip alone, but it would be worth having an upholstery shop repair the leather seat cover before the tear expands. The rest of the interior looks to be in good shape though, just throw a set of rubber floor mats in it and you will be ready for daily use! It even has had a CD changer installed, so you can enjoy your favorite tunes.
Having spent a few years in Hawaii and the rest of it’s life parked in a garage in Vancouver, Washington creates a little concern about rust and corrosion, but the seller was kind enough to take and send us lots of photos of the underside. While the exhaust system has some surface rust, overall, everything looks to be in great shape. The transaxle isn’t covered in oily grime and the axle boots look to be in decent shape. Michael states that the car runs and drives great, so hopefully that means the transaxle shifts smoothly.
This 944 won’t likely ever be as valuable as a 911, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. These are fun cars to drive with a well balanced chassis and superb handling. It might not beat a similar year 911 in a race, but it also won’t snap around on you and it will still get you into the club! Speaking of the Porsche Club, there aren’t many car clubs we would want to be in, but the Porsche Club here in Boise is one of the most active clubs in the area with frequent driving events. We would love to show up for one of their events in this 944!
Our thanks to Michael for listing this Porsche with us! So let’s see if we can find a good home for it with someone who will drive and enjoy it. And if you happen to have a survivor that is taking up space in your garage, please consider auctioning it here on Barn Finds!
Location: Anderson, California
Mileage: 91,917
Title Status: Clean
VIN: WP0AA0941KN450625
Bid On This Auction
Ricardo bid $4,500.00 2017-08-31 16:17:32
matthew bid $3,500.00 2017-08-31 06:57:35
Mike bid $2,800.00 2017-08-28 11:43:46- Ricardo bid $2,500.00 2017-08-26 13:37:44
Chris bid $200.00 2017-08-25 18:56:21
Gerardo bid $100.00 2017-08-25 10:38:00
I considered buying a rear engined Porsche, but after test driving a bunch of vintage 911s I decided that I would never buy one. After buying a terrific front-mid engined car I decided that I was right.
Although I haven’t owned a 944, I would definitely consider buying one. Some people really like vintage 911s, but I think 944s, especially the later ones like this car, are great handlers. They sound a lot better too.
This car looks to be in very good condition. And with only 92K miles on an ’89 car that seems to be in excellent condition, I’m guessing that this 944 will likely make someone who wants a Porsche but prefers front mounted engines happy.
that’s jake ryans car from 16 candles.
I had an 86 NA and absolutely loved the handling. Very torguey in first and second but wow what a lack of power beyond. Am on the lookout for a Turbo but pricing seems to be heading into crazy-town on those now as well.
I’ve always wanted one as they were a big part of my formative years.
About 7 years ago, there was a dealership closing down near where I lived. They had a red 112k miles 944 2.7 with service history and recent work for just £1750.
I tried – and failed – to convince my wife (very pregnant) that it was spectacular value and would never lose money as I’d care for it the same way I’d care for our baby 😁
Anyway, it sold quickly and I saw it in eBay a year later for almost £5k. Grrr!
Ya know, I asked the girl for only the winning powerball numbers, which she assured me she had given me, and as a result will never visit her establishment again. This.
I predict these are going to be a good investment right now, they are becoming very sheik in Germany and that is what drove the 911 prices. This one was parked in a prominent place in front of a high end hotel.
Fun to drive, cheap to buy (right now), 911’s are priced way high, speculators, sort of like buying gold at this point – will probably be worth a lot until they don’t let us drive anything but self drivers anymore – but like some stocks, and gold, the market will move around a lot. So these are cheap, easier to handle, not as fast, but where can you use the power? I have had my supercharged 2014 Audi for 3 years and never had occasion to floor it, except going from 70 to 105 to pass a tractor trailer in an unnamed western state. (it took off!)
These are almost perfect first sports cars for almost anybody. They have better handling, and brakes than they have power unless they have had serious modification. Rust is not generally a problem. Most of the engine bits are easy to maintain if not cheap to purchase.
Get a good one and take care of it. These are truly classics in the making and do not forget the 924S which is faster and lighter than the 944 of the same year but without the better dash and wider tires which is not such a bad thing if you know what you are doing. This Porsche will help you learn if you do not yet know. I already have a 928S so I am not in the market but very good cars and they are at their low point right now.
I have had two of these and would have another. Fantastic cars to drive .. lovely driving position.
Sills can rot, rest should be fine.
A car I always look back fondly at.
Invest in a 924 Turbo, clean low miles. Magnus Walker is snatching them up by the handful, currently owns 12 of them. Grab an 88 924S or better yet the 88 924S Special Edition (SE). Only 500 made for the U.S. market yet some beleive not all made it here since that factory closed early. Better than the base 88 924S and with 160hp. No ac,radio, light weight fabric, manual seats, no power options like mirrors, or windows, coil over suspension in the front with koni shocks in the rear, thicker sway bars/MO30 package, etc,etc,etc. A club sport if you will, the 1988 924S SE, rare and hard to find is very desirable. Porsche allowed customers, in my opinion ruined the actual intent and design by Porsche, to add options like ac, sunroof, radio, rear windshield wiper, etc, which pretty much weighed the car down. Those who still remain in America with the least to bare bones options are the ones to hunt for and purchase. Most are abandoned rusting and rotting away in backyards or junkyards or turned into boy racer, boom box, ragged out and barely running examples. Some SE’S came with an LSD, and no power steering. Less than half are believed to still exist in the U.S. if not a handful. The Spirit as it was called in Spain was rumored to put out 170hp stock with no cat, least emissions restrictions on premium 93 or higher pump gas. It was called The Le Mans in Europe/Germany and not many were built either. Only those who know about these cars and appreciate them, pay top dollar for clean ones. Might sell mine for the right price! No sunroof car, only driver’s side manual factory mirror, no center console/armrest glove box, no radio, no cracks on dash, seats mint, $2500 recent Porsche brand parts, like new timing belt, all tensioners, rollers,seals,updated power steering hose, new updated Turbo Porsche brand water Pump,starter,Zimmerman rotors, Pagid pads,etc,etc,etc. You can eat off this engine!!! Good luck in your search!
Check this $20k 924S:
https://www.pca.org/news/2017-08-29/five-interesting-porsche-results-monterey-auctions