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Month: February 2015

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Coupe Week: 1989 Porsche 944

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The 944 is one of those sports cars that is prime for engine swaps, as Carter exhibited yesterday with the 944 he found with an LS3 slotted under the hood. With one of the best balanced chassis to come out of the eighties, the 944 has become a darling of the track day set and of spirited motorists alike. With exception of the Turbo models, most of the range has stayed relatively affordable, even if it is a low mileage minter that you might stumble upon. This 1989 944 for sale in Pennsylvania has covered just over 50,000 miles. There’s not much of a description from the seller, but it appears there are some records accompanying it and it looks like a minter from the pictures.

Click for details: 1989 Porsche 944 on Cars.com

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Tuner Tuesday: 1989 Mercedes-Benz 300TE Brabus

Last week around this time, I wrote up a 850 horsepower Brabus-modified E63 Estate. In the realm of nutty cars, it would be certainly barred from coming near any schools for fear of anaphylaxis of the entire student body. It was also the best part of a third of a million dollars, more money than most of America will ever dream of having at one time and even in New England, an amount that would get you a nice home. But in that post, our reader Craig posted a link to a much more affordable option; a W124 300TE Estate modified by Brabus for sale in Germany. Does it scratch the itch or do you need an EpiPen?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1989 Mercedes-Benz 300TE Brabus on eBay.de

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Coupe Week: 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera

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As we begin our coupe week here at GCFSB we’ll start on the Porsche side with one of the examples that still falls into a spot on the market that is accessible to a wide range of buyers. The 3.2 Carrera isn’t the exceptional value it once was, but typically an earlier model, i.e. pre-G50 transmission, like this Indischrot 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera, located in Arizona, will still provide good bang for your buck and can serve as an excellent introduction to the 911 in general. With more than 163K miles this 911 certainly appears to have lead a full life, but if the mechanicals have been shown proper care during that time then it should still be capable of providing many more miles of excellent motoring.

Click for details: 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera on eBay

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Motorsports Monday: Ex-Joest 1978 Porsche 935

Even though they don’t generally get the big headlines, arguably the Porsche 934 and 935 were the most important car in developing the racing history and reputation of Porsche. While the 356 and early 911s were certainly notable, it was in the mid-1970s with the introduction of turbocharged 911 in 935 form that Porsche developed a sizable following of independents who raced the all-conquering Turbos. In turn, it was these race successes that convinced enthusiasts that the Porsche 930 was THE car to have. The 935 was, in many ways, a development of the earlier 934. Wide flares coupled with wheels and brakes from the prototype category 917 and 936 gave a purposeful and classic look. While the roofline and doors remained effectively the same as the production cars, few other details matched what you could buy at the dealer. One of the biggest developments was the aerodynamic “Slantnose” developed with help from Kremer; it would become the signature look for not only the 935s but also the most expensive versions of the 930 in the 1980s. The 935 also helped breach the gap in between the 917 program and the start of the 956/962; while the 936s were the direct transference between the two, it would be the 935 that would carry the Porsche flag around the world. Amongst the notable wins for the 935 were around 150 international victories including all-out victory at Le Mans in 1979 and multiple wins at both Sebring and Daytona. All of the top-tier racers of the day drove them, and top teams that still race today cut their teeth on the 935, such as todays example run by Reinhold Joest:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1978 Porsche 935 Kremer K1 on racecarsdirect

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Coupe Week Motorsports Monday: 1987 Porsche 944 LS3

There’s something that is inherently appealing to me about the idea of a aluminum V8 engine swapped into a Porsche 944. Sure, you could argue that just buying a 928 would scratch that particular itch, and in many ways you’d be right. But say you want extra power and cheaper operating costs? These are things that the Porsche 928 doesn’t particularly excel at, coupled with the more complicated and fragile electronics of the 944’s big brother. The smaller, lighter 944 then seems to be a natural choice; with near perfect weight distribution and bits that swap in easily from the higher-horsepower Turbo model, you can have a track-ready sleeper for about the same price as a decently sorted 928 – but choose the right engine, and you’ll have much more motivation at your call. In the case of this 1987 944, that choice would be the all-aluminum 6.2 liter V8 from the new Corvette – the LS3, rated at 430 horsepower and 424 lb.ft. of torque right out of the box:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Porsche 944 LS3 on eBay

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