Project Car Blues: 1979 Porsche 924

I've been a fan of the transaxle equipped front-engine Porsches before someone gave me a derelict 928 for free...but that was a long time ago and you shouldn't consider that an example of where values for these cars are headed. The 924 was certainly a cheaper car when new compared to a 928, but today I have to think that a cheap project 924 is a better bet than a cheap project 928...mostly because the 924 will likely have a manual gearbox and it has half as many cylinders to chernobyl into a costly puddle of aluminum alloy in your driveway.  Find this 1979 Porsche 924 offered for $2400 in Westchester, CA via craigslist.

Old Enough To Drink: 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera 4

This next car is tempting.  Really tempting.  It looks the part of the $100k sports car, but costs less than a used Kia from your local dealer...what gives?  Two things -- first it IS a 996 with 147k miles on the clock and second it is a 996.  However, it has de-fried egg headlights, updated IMS, clear corners, a GT3ish wing, and newer 991 wheels that makes it look newer than a 21 year old car...which makes it almost a classic.  Find this 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 offered for $13,000 in San Diego, CA via craigslist.

How'd You Lose That? 2000 Porsche Boxster 986 "S"

You don't have to be an expert in the automotive market to see how cheap used Boxsters have become -- it probably has something to do with Porsche stamped them out like boxes of number 2 pencils headed to your local dollar mart.  Various interweb sources claim something like 160,000 of the 986 designated convertibles left the factory, but you'll have to search harder and pay more for the 3.2 liter S version...or you could buy this next basic Boxster that has had an undocumented upgrade to the 3.2 liter flat-6 if you don't mind buying a Porsche that was built in Finland. Find this 2000 Porsche Boxster offered for $5250 in Mountain View, CA via craigslist.

Renegade V-Eight: 1972 Porsche 914

The 914 was meant to slot into Porsche's showrooms below the premium 911 but to also fill the top of VW/Audi's lineup with a Volkswagen badge.  But the suits at Porsche didn't want to risk having the VW nameplate tarnish its image and convinced VW to allow it to sell all 914's exclusively through its USA dealer network with a Porsche badge on the front.  The resulting car was slow but great fun to drive due to its mid-engine layout and 2100 lb curb weight, but today's next example has had the dial turned up to 11 with a 350 cubic inch crate motor. Find this 1972 Porsche 914 V8 offered for $14000 in Long Island, NY. Tip from Rock On!

Carbage Collection: 1980s Porsche 928s...4 of 'em.

I've mentioned the phenomenon of the carbage collector before...but I'll give a refresh for the new kids in the class.  If you've ever wondered why certain cars seem to collect on your neighbors lawn like they are in a captive breeding program, it's because of the market dynamics for when parts availability is sketchy, used versions are expensive to fix, but an entirely pristine version is still worth some amount of money.  A parts car is worth considerably less than the sum of the parts...you just gotta have a barn, airport, lawn..think OG Saab 93, Triump Spitfire, Beetle, and then today's feature car...which isn't just a car...it is 4 of them.  Find these 4 1980s Porsche 928s offered for $31500 in Concord, CA via craigslist...which is less than $8k each.

DePimp My Ride: 1964 Volkswagen Beetle Porsche 917 Kit

Another day, another hideous Poorch 917 replica...I know what yer thinkin.  You're thinking that the guys at DailyTurismo are hitting the bourbon early these days.  No, not yet...the coronavirus drinking games are still mostly done after 5 o'clock...but what I can tell you is that I'd love the idea of driving something with a ludicrous driving position that only cost me a few thousand smackeroos, a few weekends of wrenching, and one divorce.  Imagine the feeling of hitting the throttle as the sweat pours down your brow...and that's only in regular traffic...because no AC and no windows are gonna make this thing amazing in the summer...but the primary reason we are featuring this car is because it used to be a flame throwing hovercraft batmobile.  Yup...it appears that the next owner removed the flamethrower, taser hood oranment, and 110V generator + AC unit and tried to get it back to basics.  Find this 1964 Volkswagen Beetle Porsche 917 Kit offered for $3200 in Scottsdale, AZ via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Premium Vintage: 1999 Porsche Boxster

I hate paying premium price for anything...which is why I spend a large part of my day obsessing over used cars, scouring the web for cars that have depreciated into the basement and can be purchased with your coronavirus stimulus check.  However...there is something captivating about time capsule cars -- those which appear to have avoided the inevitable decay for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. This next car is old enough to legally drink in all 50 states but only has 33k miles on the odo and is offered for a "premium" price, but not an insane one.  Does the clean condition merit the premium price? Find this 1999 Porsche Boxster offered for $13999 in Palos Verdes, CA via craigslist.

Beetle Based: 1969 Porsche 917 Kit Car

Why have I been featuring so many kit cars these days?  Is wanting to drive a home built car that looks like a crappy version of something awesome a lesser known symptom of coronavirus?  I thought I was coughing from the fumes from this leaky Volkswagen engine, but maybe its the COVID??  Is it social distancing if I leave a big gap in traffic because I'm uncertain the brakes are gonna work on the first pump?  Find this 1969 Porsche 917 Kit Car offered for $13,999 in Encino, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

Original Gangster: 1980 Porsche 928

I know what you are thinking.  Forty-five hundred bones for a Porsche 928 that doesn't have a driver's seat...that's a lot of money.  But the seller does say it fires up and runs (despite the reputation, these things aren't that bad...and were well engineered from the factory) and the exterior paint/body looks amazing if it is original.  I like it, and I'd be much more concerned about a complete interior 928 with damaged paint and a borked engine.  Find this 1980 Porsche 928 offered for $4,500 in Sonoma, CA via craigslist.

6-Speed Rear-Engine: 2003 Porsche 911 C2

As a non-Porsche owner, it has been painful to watch the rise in prices of vintage aircooled P-cars...but I've been watching the prices of the 996/997 and they offer a shocking amount of performance and comfort (sorry 993 owners...but they are faster and more comfy...maybe not as cool...) for the cash.  To be honest, I'm thinking I need to trade the BMW I've been driving for one of these German rear-engine equipped machines...I'd better do it before they become unobtanium. Find this 2003 Porsche 911 C2 offered for $18000 in Long Beach, CA via craigslist.

Surprisingly Affordable: 1977 Porsche 924 Turbo Martini & Rossi Edition

I wish I could tell you that I've got some magic crystal ball that'll tell me what makes/models are going to see serious appreciation in the next decade or two...because I would never have guessed that 80s Porsche 911s, 60s Ford Broncos or 90s Toyota Supras would trade for the coin they get these days...But i can tell you that there are cars that are rare, interesting, cool, and trade for 1/10th of what the "collectible" cars go for.  And this next car is ripe for some stupid speculation from the "cool kids"...so get 'em while they are cheap. Find this 1977 Porsche 924 Turbo Martini & Rossi Edition offered for $5000 in Apache Junction, AZ via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

5Speed Manual LT1 Power: 1986 Porsche 928

The Porsche 928 was released into the wild in 1977 as the presumed replacement for the aging 911, but the complex mechanical design and less than thrilling driving experience meant it played second fiddle to the tail happy OG Porsche.  Today, prices for the 928 haven't appreciated nearly in the same psychotic manner as the 911, so you can still pick one up for cheap and power it by an American V8.  Find this 1986 Porsche 928 offered for $15,900 in Charleston, SC via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Fresh Powder: 1987 Porsche 944S

I've been a serious skeptic of craigslist adverts for as long as I can remember, but craigslist started charging $5 to list a car, which isn't a ton of money, but certainly weeds out the scammers who post a million underpriced cars each day AND the idiots who post their car for some obscene price and hope to find a sucker who doesn't understand the marketplace.  A year ago I would have assumed this listing came from a scammer, but I doubt a scammer would pay $5 to list a car and this thing is probably legit...legitimately sweet.  Find this 1987 Porsche 944S offered for $5900 in Liberty Hill, TX via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Custom Flat-12: 1971 STP Porsche 917/10 Can Am Car Replica

Have you ever wanted to build a flat-12 engine by bolting two standard production flat-6s together into one Frankenstein's monster-12?  Yeah...me too! Been on my bucket list for a while, right behind building a street legal Tyrell P34 six wheeler replica...but someone actually got his two subaru EZ30 flat-6s and bolted them together to make one giant flat-6 contraption. Naturally, something called "physics" got in the way and terrible vibration caused the home-brewed contraption to vibrate like a neutron star going supernova, but the seller assures us that a simple rubber guibo isolator will fix the problem...just up to you to find and install one.  Anyway, find this 1971 STP Porsche 917/10 Can Am Car Replica here on eBay bidding for $7099 reserve-not-met with 4 days to go, located in East Hartford, CT.

Seller Submission: 1985.5 Porsche 944

This next car comes as a seller submission from DT regular Michael who writes: My son is selling his 1985.5 Porsche 944. This car has a sunroof, extra snow tires, original wheels, and of course the Fun Pedal. This is a wonderful driver’s car in reasonably good condition inside and out. Before we purchased the car last August the previous owner put about $5,000 into the car in maintenance items including all of the important stuff. We have those receipts in hand. That work was all done by a local Porsche-specific shop. My son and I also replaced the front control arm ball joints using the Pelican Parts kit. This car is way more fun to drive than it really has any business being. While we have enjoyed owning this car the boy can’t afford any more traffic tickets. Find this 1985.5 Porsche 944 offered for $6,500 in Mahtomedi, WI via craigslist.

German Camaro: 1983 Porsche 928S

The Porsche 928 was introduced to the world in 1978 as the shape of things to come for Porsche.  The sleek-in-the-front and bulbous-in-the-rear design was penned by Wolfgang Möbius and was one of the first cars to offer a polyurethane front bumper that survived the USA 5 mph impact requirements introduced in the mid 1970s.  A V8 up front mated to a trans-axle finished the design that was decidedly non-911 and very much a luxury grand tourer.  Today the prices for a vintage 911 is through the roof, but a decent running 928 is cheap.  Find this 1983 Porsche 928S offered for $4000 in Alvin, TX via craigslist. Tip from SecondMouse. 

996 In Blue: 1999 Porsche 911 Convertible

The Porsche 911 is an iconic classic imbued with a finely tuned suspension, classically understated good looks and raucous sounding rear mounted flat-6 engines - a combination that is seldom imitated.  The 996 was a 911 that was faster, more comfortable, and better than the previous generation, but of course the purists and naysayers complained about the changes to watercooling...etc etc. Ironically, for the first time in Porsche history, they were correct...perhaps.  Find this 1999 Porsche 911 996 offered for $14500 in Redwood City, CA via craigslist. Tip from Fuel Truck.