Whether driving to the gym or at the gymkhana, today’s Nice Price or No Dice 944 looks like a lot of fun. Let’s find out what that sort of fun costs these days.
As we all excitedly prepare for this Saturday’s start to the twelve days of Yule, we must consider the gifts we wish to bestow upon those near and dear to us. The most well-received gifts for both kids and kids at heart are toys. However, a toy like the 1967 Logghe dragster ‘cackler car’ we looked at last Friday might not be. And despite the seller’s assertions otherwise, $31,000 is a lot to spend on a toy, a fact reflected in the massive 90 percent No Dice loss that was suffered by the dragster.
Let’s face it: drag racing is expensive, with fuel alone for a top-fuel funny car costing upwards of $600 per launch. There are cheaper options for folks keen to get some racing in, especially those who like to do so for more than 1,320 feet at a time. Track days at local raceways, autocross, and parking lot Gymkhanas all offer the ability to test the limits of both skill and car and, with the right set of wheels, can be a fairly cheap way to stay out of trouble on a Saturday.
This 1985 Porsche 944 has been set up for just such heroics. Starting with the solid base of Porsche’s tradition-breaking 944, this opportunity ups the ante with a lowered suspension, Recaro racing seats, the world’s most eye-offending Momo steering wheel, and Simpson five-point harnesses. There’s also a stout four-point roll bar behind the seats, but it does not seem to be the full ‘cage’ the ad claims.
Mechanically, the car appears to be stock, save for a long-tube header and Magnaflow exhaust. The ad doesn’t note whether a catalytic converter is still in the picture, but based on the extent of the exhaust upgrades, one can postulate that’s not the case. Fortunately, the seller claims the car will come with a “bin full of original and extra parts,” so any modifications a new owner doesn’t kitten to might be reversible.
Aesthetically, this 944 has got it going on. The gold paint appears shiny and without underlying body imperfections. Under that is a beautiful set of Fuchs alloys that look oh-so-right on the car. Those are mounted with Pirelli P-Zero rubber. Other notable features include a tow hook mounted in the front bumper and decals festooning the car’s windows, both of which announce the car’s track intentions.
In the cabin, things are pretty luxurious for a racer. The car still has its door cards and all its interior trimmings, right down to the period-correct Blaupunkt radio. The dash is uncracked, but I suspect it might be wearing an aftermarket cap. Both the steering wheel and shift knob are less than universally appealing but are easy updates should either not be to a new owner’s liking.
According to the ad, the car comes with a clean title and 131,000 miles on the clock. How many of those were amassed in anger goes unexplained. The car’s maintenance history is made public, however. That’s by way of a binder full of receipts that will join the car in the sale. The asking price for the package—car, binder, and bin of parts—is $12,500.
Could that be a deal for a track-day car that could also be pressed into service for daily driver duty? Or are there other, better options at that price to get some cheap racing in?
You decide!
Seattle, Washington, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Don R. for the hookup!
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