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UPDATE: A BF reader has already picked these up!
At first we thought this might have been a scam, but the listing does appear to be legit. Supposedly, the seller has a 924 (above) and a 944 that both belonged to their father. They are having an estate sale though and are just trying to get rid of everything. The cars are not currently running, but may be worth a look. Find them here on craigslist in Oakland Hills, California. The first person to bring $1k gets them. Thanks goes to Robert J. for the tip!
Here is the 944. It is hard to determine the condition of these cars from the photos, but we are sure someone in the area may want them.
Heck, they might be worth picking up just for the rims…
Finally somebody actually washed the cars before taking pictures !
I’m not too far from these actually. I don’t know a lot about these cars. Is this a good enough price that it’s worth just taking a flyer on them?
Worth more then that in parts by a long shot.
yes, i see more than the asking price in parts in just the few pictures, i think. and they are not sold yet!
If I were close I would do do one of these:
1) Go to the cars and see if they have decent oil in the sumps and coolant in the rads. Can also pull the plugs, if the owner will let you, to see whether there are signs of oiling or coolant.
2) Bring a fully charged battery and jumper cables and see whether they turn over. If yes, then an even better bet. Can also bring a jerry can of gas and try to start them. But if they turn over and especially if they start you might get unlucky—-the seller might decide they are worth more than $500 each and hold out for more, like that Volvo seller did to Jesse.
It would be worth bringing a water-cooled Porsche man with you.
Just look at the big picture.
Dad owns these cars for decades, drives them less and less, then not at all, then passes away.
The kids :
A. were so concerned about him, when he was alive, that they visited weekly to help around the house and see how he is doing.
or B. were to busy with their own lives and really don’t care about any of his belongings and just want to get rid of everything.
With a little effort and know how these cars will run again. 99% sure.
No battery brought, no plugs pulled.
You get under the hood with a huge wrench or some leather gloves and move the crankshaft to check if the motor is frozen, not because of weather but possible mechanical failure before they were parked.
Or if they’re stick shift put it in second gear and push the car a bit and see if the belt moves…..
don’t even give those kids any kind of far fetched ideas.
If they haven’t thought of it by now, they really don’t care.
As a member of the Porsche Club of America for over 30 years now I can say that 924’s are by far the most unpopular Porsches ever. They sell for almost nothing on the used car market, IF they sell at all. At National PCA meets we are surprised if any 924’s show up. It is not a good car. When new was sold as an Audi in Europe.
Not sold as Audis in Europe.
BUT the difference between the 2 markets IS that buyers in Europe were mostly aware and in US UNaware that there were Audi motors under the hood.
IT WAS/is the 914 that was Actually termed/named .VW-Porsche as far as I remember living in Europe in the 70ties and beyond…..
@Horse Radish:
You are absolutely correct at this one, the 914 are gaining popularity here in europe right now.
If you’re intent on buying them, DO NOT even try to start them on the owner’s property! Pay for them, get title and bill of sale in hand, and at least tow them down the road before trying to start them. Most ANY car is worth $500 in scrap value and/or parts these days, and the purchase price is only going to go UP if their status goes from “unknown” to “running” or even “almost running.” Been there, done that! I wouldn’t even try to turn them over with a fresh battery unless they were absolutely mine first.
356s were just old worn out cars at one time too. Seems to me there was a lot of WV DNA there too if want to be picky. The 924 was never sold as an Audi. I actually liked the looks of the un-Porsche-like 944 better then the 911 back then. I still do.
The Fuchs on the 944, if all in the same condition as the one shown, are probably worth about $1,000.
The 924 isn’t going to be worth much…nobody seems to want those, which is too bad, really because take away the fact that they are badged as Porsches, with all the expectation that entails, and they are really good little cars. But they aren’t any faster than a comparable VW GTI. If they had originally sold for GTI prices, they would likely have been much revered. But being sold with Porsche badges and Porsche prices didn’t help. All that said, they have a better reputation in Germany, where they were sold much longer than they were here in the US.
The 944 might hold some value still, though it too is mostly just a used car at this point.
The cost to repair either, but particularly the 944’s motor, will easily exceed either cars’ value.
The problem you face with these is deferred maintenance. As “baby” Porsches they tended to be bought by people who wanted the image but who weren’t prepared to pay the costs of ownership. So, caveat emptor!
I would re-sell the 924 to hopefully make $500 back. The 944 looks much better than average from this angle and is probably worth fooling with Although they are actually a dime a dozen here in Northern California, they usually don’t look this nice.
I am committed to getting the two projects stuck in my carport running over the winter. As therapy, I immediately forward any great deals I find online so I can just imagine that someone else snapped them up
On the 944 check for service records of timing belt change. Sometimes a sticker can be found on the air cleaner housing. If the belt snaps while engine turning then bent valves result. If the rest of the 944 looks as good as the front then might be worth saving. Fuchs wheels alone worth close to a grand. The problem with the 944 could be as simple as a $20.00 relay or as bad as a wrecked head due to belt breakage. A new water pump (recommended while you’re in there), balance shaft belts, timing belts and rollers will set you back $1500-$2000 if done by an independent garage. $500-600 if you do it. If it’s been sitting for a while then fuel system probably needs service too. The 944 is no newer then an 86 because of the Fuchs wheels. Also the 924 is not an interference engine so no timing belt worries.
I can’t add much more except I’m glad this is so far away it’s not worth even thinking about! The wife would find two more cars in the driveway tomorrow evening and then the feces would hit the fan… >_<
I bagged ’em.
They have been sitting for a long time. Dad actually died in 2005, and nobody seems to know anything at all about them. And I couldn’t see them very well, because it was dark by the time I got there. But they both look complete and in decent shape. So I figured, just do it.
When I get back up there with my sister’s trailer, I’ll find out what I’ve actually bought. Stay tuned…
That Guy, please keep us posted here on them, congrats!
yes, please keep us updated.
Good luck, guy. If they don’t need much work, you’ve scored well. Whilst they cop a bit of bagging, it’s not like they’re actually crap vehicles. My vote goes to keeping the 924 just because of its evocative period colour.
Good for you That Guy. Too bad they were on the wrong coast for me. Friend had the same color 924 in 1982. I drove it then and liked it. I currently have a Guards Red 1984 944 with 24K & 1989 Stone Gray 944S2 coupe with 81K.
Awesome. Keep us posted. If you want to pass that 944 along on the cheap, let me know. :)
After you get it home, please take a few photos and send in an update. Everyone loves to hear what ultimately happens to the cars we feature. Good luck!
Either would have made a heck of a Lemons racer/
Good move That Guy. At least you can get your money back with the wheels and spares even if both engines are blown. Good thing the sellers don’t follow Barn Finds. After what happened with Jesse, good to see a rescue sale go through without hassles or grief. I hope this works out well for you. I too like the 944 series.