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Front Engined, 2-door Porsches
Now that the unthinkable has happened and both four door sedan and SUV Porsche models exist, where do the older, front engined Porsches stand in the eyes of collectors these days? Here’s two clean examples of two vastly different Porsches from the same era.
1987 Porsche 924 S
The 1987 Porsche 924 S represents the zenith of 924 development, as 1988 was the last year for the sports car originally designed to be Volkswagen’s flagship. The 924 S does away with that one important piece that had purists refusing to consider it as a real Porsche: the engine. VW stopped supplying Porsche engines for the 924 in 1984, and thus the 924 S with it’s detuned 944 engine was introduced. This engine is good for 160 horsepower and is sure to be a great handler, as these front engined/rear drive four cylinders were renowned for their road manners.
The seller states:
PROS: A/C, Power steering, Power windows, Four-wheel disc brakes, Manual transmission, Alloy wheels, CD/MP3 Premium sound system, Leather seats, Tilt/removable sunroof, New Battery/New wipers, and Pirelli tires. All the manuals, service records, and a full color dealer brochure on the model 924 are included.
CONS: There are two blemishes in paint: front right fender and rear left quarter panel, The plastic gear for sunroof needs replacement (20.00 part) still works though, Minor cracks in dash which are covered by premium dash cover, and the tires are in less than perfect condition. Other than that car is showroom quality.
While Boxsters can be had all day for well under $20,000, at $6,500, this 924 S is a tasty, low cost means of entry in what could be one of Stuttgart’s most underrated models. The fact that it is well documented, has a manual transmission and is a desirable color adds to the want factor.
1994 Porsche 928 GTS
The 928 GTS, much like the 924 S highlighted above, represents the end of the line for 928 production. The GTS models were also rather rare, with only 645 produced in 1994, according to the 928 Registry. This particular one presents well in white with the more common automatic transmission.
Level of equipment as detailed by the seller:
Power sunroof, full power seats left & right, AM/FM Radio w/ Cassette, 6 Disc CD Changer, Supple Leather, 10 Speaker HiFi Sound Package, Rear A/C. Just passed 100 point inspection.
While close to $40,000 may seem high for an obscure, used Porsche, one should remember that these cars new cost around $80,000 before options and now, for less than half of that, you can own a clean mileage grand tourer for pre owned Boxter money. It also pays to get the nicest 928 you can buy, as these neither cheap nor easy to repair.
-Paul
Found: A Clean and Relatively Low Mile 944 Turbo
It is becoming increasingly difficult to find a low mile Porsche 944, especially a turbo. Sure they may exist in theory, an object of desire by many makes actually locating one quite difficult. The most common examples are often well worn or modified by a less than careful owner. That is what makes this Porsche 944 Turbo in Las Vegas such a find.
Porsche 944 Turbo for sale on Craigslist
From the sellers Craigslist ad:
1987 Porsche 944 turbo, very rare and great sports car. Only 60000 original miles, burgundy interior, leather, power seats. 5 speed 2.5l 4 cyl turbo engine , gets around 28 miles/ gallon. Everything is original, no mods fresh tune up, cold ac, new limo tint, in collectors shape. Power windows removable moon roof, cruise, Alpine stereo with ipod connection and two Polk subs, no scratches or rips, looks and runs great, two previous owners. You won’t find a cleaner looking 944 for this price! Clean Carfax and title in hand $11500.
These cars are known for excellent performance, timeless styling, and are surprisingly easy to live with on a daily basis. A 1987 951 is not rare, per se, approximately 3,210 were sent to the US market that year. However, this color combination, the low miles, and stock condition make this car highly desirable. Assuming the active link means that the car is still available I think that $11.5k is more than fair. It is not as though there are other like vehicles in the marketplace to use as a point of comparison.
~Aaron.
Clean, Low Mileage Mercedes W126 S Classes on eBay
Paul is another new author on the site and as you can tell his taste matches ours perfectly. Welcome aboard Paul!
All of a sudden, a glut of mint condition W126 have cropped up on eBay. Spanning a production run from 1979 through 1992, these cars have attained a cult like status and clean examples are becoming more difficult to find as years pass. Here are two different models, each with around 60,000 miles on the clock. This equates to barely run in when it comes to what could be considered the most revered of all S Classes.
1989 Mercedes-Benz 300SE
Introduced in 1985, the 300SE offered the smooth, venerable M103 single cam inline-six in the short wheelbase package. While this could be considered the entry level point of the S class range at the time, it is an optimal choice for those wanting a somewhat smaller, more efficient package while still offering all the bells and whistles that big Benzes are known for. This particular example comes with a bevy of receipts, key for anyone considering one of these young classics.
The seller states:
The car has 60,000 miles and looks and drives like it has 10,000 miles. The paint is stunning. The interior leather is soft and supple. Smells rich and new.
The ivory over parchment leather color combination may not be optimal, there is no denying that this is a car that could last someone well into the next decade.
1987 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL
This particular S class represents the last year for the W126 sedan. This 420SEL is the long wheelbase model with the 4.2 liter V8, pumping out 221 horsepower in US catalyst guise. The navy over blue leather is a more conservative color choice, however, the V8 engine will undoubtedly cost more to run in the long-term. This can be attributed to not only fuel economy but maintenance items such as the timing chains. If these are not looked after as needed they can prove to be a headache, both mechanically and financially.
The seller has this to say:
This Magnificent Low Mileage 420 SEL Is Simply Stunning In Every Detail. An Immaculate One Owner Vehicle That Is Sure To Please. This Beautiful Collector’s Dream Car Has Been Driven Only 2,000 Miles Per Year Since Purchased New! A Local New Car Trade In That Comes Fully Equipped With All Power Including 4.2 Liter Fuel Injected V-8 Engine, 4-Speed Automatic Transmission, Four Wheel Disc-Brakes, Anti-Locking Braking System, Fully Independent Suspension, Power Sliding Sunroof, Wood Interior Trim, Leather Seating, Dual Power Seats With Drivers & Passengers Seat Memory, Electronically Ajustable Front Seat Headrest, Climate Controlled Air Conditioning, High Performance Sound System AM/FM/Cassette Audio System With Power Antenna Mast, Power Telescopic Steering Wheel, Cruise Control, Power Windows And Locks, Power Passenger Side Mirror, Visor Vanity Mirrors, Fog Lamps, Anti-Theft Alarm System, And 15″ Forged Alloy Wheels.
These are both very splendid W126 sedans. The vast amount of chrome, wood and leather in these cars takes a beating over the years and these two examples seem to have been well cared for. On the other hand, they are not garage queens which is a good thing, as they have gotten the regular exercise they have needed. Of the two, I am particularly fond of the short wheelbase SE model, as they are rarer in the US and a bit easier to handle around town due to the shorter length. You don’t give up much in space and the bulletproof Mercedes inline six is guaranteed to crest a quarter of a million miles if cared for properly.
- Paul
Charlie Sheen’s old 928 GTS for sale
As you’ve probably noticed by now, we’re making changes around here! Aaron is another one of our new authors. Please say hi in the comments section!
The Porsche 928 is a feat of engineering genius and one of the best touring cars ever created. The 1994 GTS boasts a 5.4 liter 32 valve power plant that produces a robust 345 horsepower. The later 928’s in particular have aged particularly well, both in styling and value as prices have proven to be recession proof. The combination of limited production and overall vehicle quality has created quite a demand for these cars. The below car posted in the Pelican Parts classifieds is an excellent example with an added bit of panache.
A rare loaded and meticulously cared for 1994 928 GTS is for sale from a collection as more space is needed. It was formerly the actor Charlie Sheen’s who spared no expense. It has ALL updated services and brand new Porsche carpet and factory leather ‘ just because’ the owner could. Driven only 3k miles per year.
Along with the low miles and impeccable condition this car comes with meticulous records from the prior owners, a must for any 928. A car in this condition should fetch the asking price of $36.5k. Do you think Mr. Sheen’s ownership adds any value to this 928? While that may debatable it looks like Chaz took better care of this GTS than his wives. Just think of the stories the lucky owner will have to share at their next PCA event.
~Aaron
2001 Audi S4 Avant 6-Speed
Nate is one of our new authors on the website and this is his first post. Please welcome him and leave a comment! -dc
All-wheel drive. Twin-turbo V6. Six-speed. Wagon.
The B5 S4 Avant holds a special place in my dream stable. Understated sexiness and a wide range of capabilities make other dream cars seem unnecessary. A grocery getter? Sure. A backroad blaster? Definitely. Mountain monster? Born for it. The twin-turbo V6 means it’s lighter, more efficient, and more easily tuned than the B6/7 V8 or the newborn B8 with its supercharged 3.0. Add in a rare 6-speed, and this 2001 S4 for sale on eBay is what dreams are made of.
This example looks clean and well-loved. It’s no spring chicken; these cars are coming up on being a decade old and it has the miles to prove it, but it should still have plenty of love left to give. Upgraded brakes and suspension are intelligent and prudent modifications.
There isn’t much else to say other than I wish this had been under the Christmas tree this year!
-Nate
1967 Porsche 911S: Guest Post from Dallas
Note: Dallas is a fan of our site and wanted to contribute on occasion. Here is his first guest post. Please say hi in the comments! -dc
This one is described as a ““. For people that know even a little about vintage Porsches, this is like describing a vintage watch as a “Rolex Submariner 5513 5517″ – it’s sort of like nonsense. Just as there are “Submariner 5513s” (cool vintage Rolex watches) and “Submariner 5517s” (very cool incredibly valuable only-issued-to-the-Royal-Navy vintage Rolex watches), there is the “1967 Porsche 911 Coupe” (cool vintage car) and “1967 Porsche 911S” (very cool quite rare vintage car). Let me elaborate…
By 1967, Porsche was into the third model year of its seminal 901/911 series of rear-engined sports cars. For model year 1967 the factory introduced the “S” model as the range-topping version, featuring a hotted-up engine boasting 160bhp – 30 more than the base Coupe and Targa. The factory produced just 1,823 “S” coupes and 483 “S” Targas that year. Despite the power boost, some considered that the S models made inferior street drivers as the increased power was made partly at the expense of low-end torque. However, nowadays, S cars are highly sought after, and an original S can bring serious money. Which brings us to the car on auction…
First off, the car looks fantastic. I’d have left off the racing numbers as a matter of taste, but I think the white stripes and “Porsche” script look great against the dark green paintwork. The cosmetics of this car just look super, with nice Fuchs wheels (introduced on the ’67 S) presenting the classic, iconic short-wheelbase 911 look.
Where things get a bit chancy with this example is in the description, and the question of whether the car is a real “S”. With collector Porsches, much of the price premium is based on originality – original engine and equipment in particular, and whether the car was originally built as the variant it is billed as, or converted later as a “clone”. Porsche will even issue, for a fee, a “Certificate of Authenticity” that confirms the original trim level, equipment, and paint colour of a vintage 911. The seller states:
“this car was born as a straight 911 homologated to an “S” back in the 70′s.”
When I queried the seller as to what this actually means (I asked point-blank “does the CoA issued by Porsche list it as an “S”?), the reply was rather unclear. The seller stated in an email that an S engine was installed in 1984 but the auction description states that the “homologation” occurred in the ’70s. It was apparently “born a 911″ (i.e. not an “S”) so I would place a caveat on the description accordingly. The fact that an incorrect VIN was quoted in the auction (and not yet corrected) doesn’t help the comfort level. Once the correct VIN is posted, all questions will be answered… a real factory 1967 “S” has an “S” suffix to the VIN.
A hallmark of this seller’s auctions appears to be extensive quotation of “factory history” information on the marque, but it’s unclear how this relates to the car in question. In particular, the seller quotes extensively regarding the special equipment supplied with the “S”, but doesn’t actually confirm that the car for sale (“born a 911 [non-S]“, remember) comes with the special parts.
I give the seller kudos for listing a telephone number for inquiries, and I hope that a prospective buyer will avail himself of the opportunity of speaking to the seller and clarifying these issues. While a minty real “S” might now bring ~$40K+ (notwithstanding the dreamers asking $100K or more), this car should be considered accordingly. I think an enthusiast would do well to acquire a totally-sorted turn-key (and beautiful) ’67 911 Coupe with non-matching engine like this one for ~$20-25K.
**Note that this car is listed for sale at the seller’s website www.myclassiccargarage.com for $42,500.
- Dallas
Happy Holidays 2009
Evan’s 250C in fresh snow.
All the best for 2010.
~Evan and Dan
Custom 1972 Porsche 911T/E/S/RS/SC/ETC.?
This Porsche falls into a similar category as the last Porsche that made it here, uber clean, somewhat modded, and well documented.
The listing provides good information, (some a bit over the top description), a little history, and plenty of photos. Because of the modifications, this 911 can’t quite figure out whether it is a E, T, S, RS, or SC, the VIN shows it started life as a US model E series 911T. An easy identifying feature on this car is the ölklappe, oil filler flap, mounted behind the passenger door on the rear fender. This feature only appeared for this one year after too many Porsche drivers were finding their service attendants filling the oil tank with gasoline.
This car was updated in 1989 with a 3.0 180 horsepower SC engine. Presumably the other mods and restoration work like the repaint occurred at the same time.
The car comes with a set of deep lipped Fuchs 6Jx15 alloy rims and European H4 headlights. It also has a nice combination or original and custom interior bits.
The seller is a bit shady on the actual mileage, only listing that it has covered 5,300 miles since the modifications. Someone who is good enough to write such an elaborate description, really should know better and should have included the actual chassis mileage in the space eBay provides.
The seller does have a binder full of receipts documenting the car’s service history, which is always a nice bonus.
If one was looking for an original 1972 911T, this is not the car, but if you were looking for a vintage 911 that is partially original with a well cared for history and tasteful restoration and modification, this could be the one.
It is listed on a British site for £21,950 or about $35,400.
~Evan
1990 E36 powered E30 BMW M3
This is a really clean looking custom M3. The work looks well done. The tri-color stitched interior shows hardly any wear in the pictures. The bright red paint is gleaming off the widened fenders.
The owner who commissioned the custom work clearly had a good vision. The conversion and modifications appear well done and not hap-hazard at all.
125k on the chassis, 8k on the rebuilt engine, and 1k since completion, it would seem that the owner didn’t get a real chance to enjoy the fruits of their labor or their cash.
One thing I don’t particularly think was necessary, even though it is clear they were going for an Evo, DTM look, is the big Evo II Motorsport deck spoiler. I also could’ve done without the carbon hood, but the stock hood is included. I’m not saying it looks bad, but it kind of puts the car in that half street look half track look and I’d rather see full fledged one or the other. Another example is it has a full roll cage (track look), but also has a lighted gear knob (street look).
As long as I am being picky, and I am, really I think the car looks pretty sweet, but I have a pet peeve about the folks who go to so much trouble to make a great looking car and then hang their custom exhaust crooked. I’ve seen far worse, but this one is off a touch. Not a big deal, but this is something I’ve always been particular about on my rides.
Buy-It Now at $30,000.
The long list of specs from the listing:
- Power train:
- 1995 E36 M3 S50 Motor
- 1995 E36 M3 5-Speed Transmission
- Polished & Ported Head
- Value Cover Painted White With ///M Strips
- EDVA Motorsports Harness
- DME – Turner Motorsports
- Euro HFM
- 24 lbs. Injectors
- Schrick Intake & Exhaust Camshafts
- JR Racing Light Aluminum Flywheel (Brand new)- Clutch (Brand new)
- Group A Replica Exhaust and Connecting Pipes (Brand new)
- 3.46:1 Differential- Exterior:
- Carbon Fiber Hood (Factory hood comes with the car) (Brand new)
- EVO II Front Spoiler (Brand new)
- EVO Sport Carbon Fiber Front Splitter (Brand new)
- EVO II Rear Wing
- DTM Carbon Fiber Gurnie [sic] Flap (Brand new)
- Front S50-EVOM3 German License Plate (Brand new)
- Dunlop 225/35ZR18 & 245/30ZR18 Tires (Brand new)
- Gunmetal BMW M3 CSL Style (Velocity Motoring) Rims F: 18×8.5 & R: 18×9.5 (Brand new)
- H&R Front 15MM Wheel Spacers
- Front Brembo BBK Cross Drilled Rotors/Red Calipers (Brand new)
- Rear TMS Cross Drilled Rotors/Red Calipers (Brand new)
- Front & Rear Stainless Steel Brake Lines (Brand new)
- Ground Control Adjustable Suspension
- Suspension Techniques Front & Rear Sway Bars
- Euro Tow Hooks (Brand new)
- Blackout Kidney Grills (Brand new)
- Smoked Front Indicators (Brand new)- Interior:
- Complete EVO interior including:
- Recaro SRD Front Seats – Black Leather/EVO Fabric Inserts (Brand new)
- Rear Seats Leather/EVO Fabric Inserts (Brand new)
- Doors EVO Fabric Inserts (Brand new)
- Red EVO Seat Belts Front/Rear (Brand new)
- EVO II Leather Steering Wheel (Small) (Brand new)- ///M3 Door Sills
- Lighted ///M Shift Knob
- UUC Short Shift Kit
- Suede Shift Boot & Hand Brake Boot With ///M Strips
- Carbon Fiber Instrument Cluster Bazal (Brand new)
~Evan
Well Cared for 2001 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG For Sale
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Randy emailed me recently with details of his low mileage E55 AMG that he’s listing for sale. What a great looking car! While we usually go with more classic and rare listings to feature on the site, I was compelled by the honesty of his email and history of ownership.
On to the pictures and details!
quote from Randy’s email to me:
I have my father’s 2001 e55 for sale. He bought the car new and drove it sparingly until he died in 2004. (His other cars were a 1995 993 – which we still have with 32,000 miles on it – and a Subaru Turbo Wagon!) I got it after he died and drove it until late 2007. At that point, I got a new 2006 e55 and my Dad’s car was put in the garage. It has been driven occasionally since then.
It has approximately 49,900 miles on it. I have all service records; mine and my Dad’s.
There have been no modifications to the car. No air dams, spoilers, extra AMG badges, blue lights or huge wheels with ridiculously low profile tires, etc. It’s just as Mercedes intended it to be: subtle, yet extremely powerful.
The car runs strong; it accelerates powerfully, it stops straight. The air blows cold. The radio & trunk-mounted CD work as they are supposed to. In fact, everything (to the best of my knowledge) works, with the exception of the air bladders in the front passenger seat.
It is classic silver with two tone silver.
Defects:
1) There is a tiny scratch (not through the paint) on the right rear bumper skin.
2) Very slight “curb rash” on the right front wheel.
3) Two years ago, my wife was involved in a minor accident with the car. She pulled into an intersection and hit another car. The bumper skin was replaced and the right front fender was repainted. There was, to my knowledge, no mechanical or suspension involvement. In fact, the accident did not even break the headlights. The car was repaired and there have been no subsequent issues.The interior is an attractive (but not pimpy) two tone black & light gray. It looks and smells new. The seats show no wear, the carpets are in great shape, the headliner is clean, the sunshades work well, etc. Neither my Dad nor I smoked in the car.
Asking $19000
Please contact Randy at this email address for further inquiry: randy@wileinterests.com
I hope this car finds a home that will care for it as well as Randy’s family has. Good luck with the sale!
dc
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