Carpokes

PSU_Crash wrote: Tue Dec 30, 2025 5:29 pm Cruising FB marketplace this came up in my town. https://www.facebook.com/share/1DTXQvEFU8/
"Ran when parked" yeah, sure it did. It's definitely BEAT, but I think it may have some good parts. I would likely strip it for any good parts, sell what I can't use and have a spare engine to rebuild for if/when my 86 needs love.

Anyways, he says it's an 85. From the pics the interior looks like my 86 though. Maybe I just don't know what to look for? Steel or aluminum control arms is one thing I know will be a dead give away. He claims the hatch opens and closes as it should and it has phone dials! Should just those two parts be in good shape I think it's worth grabbing. I bet I can pick it up for next to nothing and I have plently of space to store it under a roof. Since it's dark when I get out of work now, I plan to go check it out this weekend.

What do you all think?

Tom wrote: Tue Dec 30, 2025 6:16 pm

PSU_Crash wrote: Tue Dec 30, 2025 5:29 pm Cruising FB marketplace this came up in my town. https://www.facebook.com/share/1DTXQvEFU8/
"Ran when parked" yeah, sure it did. It's definitely BEAT, but I think it may have some good parts. I would likely strip it for any good parts, sell what I can't use and have a spare engine to rebuild for if/when my 86 needs love.

Anyways, he says it's an 85. From the pics the interior looks like my 86 though. Maybe I just don't know what to look for? Steel or aluminum control arms is one thing I know will be a dead give away. He claims the hatch opens and closes as it should and it has phone dials! Should just those two parts be in good shape I think it's worth grabbing. I bet I can pick it up for next to nothing and I have plently of space to store it under a roof. Since it's dark when I get out of work now, I plan to go check it out this weekend.

What do you all think?

It's probably a so-called '85.5 model year. Porsche switched to the oval dash during the '85 model year, so very possible it really is an '85 (aka '85.5). "Ran when parked." Ran what? A half-way house for wayward rodents? In the olden days when I was obsessed with the second gen RX7's, I would buy cars like that. I'd have two or three under covers in my drive way. Neighbors loved me, but it was fantastic to have your own little junk yard for all those little bits and pieces that otherwise take forever to get and cost a fortune. Next time you need that blue wire with white stripe, it's just a wire cutter away... There's oodles of parts you can sell to recoup the purchase price. It takes time and effort to pull them off and list them for sale though, and the more valuable parts can be a pain to ship, so more of a labor of love than jackpot... I say buy it.

Edit: if you get the VIN, that will tell you for sure what year it is...

PSU_Crash wrote: Tue Dec 30, 2025 6:58 pm

Tom wrote: Tue Dec 30, 2025 6:16 pm

PSU_Crash wrote: Tue Dec 30, 2025 5:29 pm Cruising FB marketplace this came up in my town. https://www.facebook.com/share/1DTXQvEFU8/
"Ran when parked" yeah, sure it did. It's definitely BEAT, but I think it may have some good parts. I would likely strip it for any good parts, sell what I can't use and have a spare engine to rebuild for if/when my 86 needs love.

Anyways, he says it's an 85. From the pics the interior looks like my 86 though. Maybe I just don't know what to look for? Steel or aluminum control arms is one thing I know will be a dead give away. He claims the hatch opens and closes as it should and it has phone dials! Should just those two parts be in good shape I think it's worth grabbing. I bet I can pick it up for next to nothing and I have plently of space to store it under a roof. Since it's dark when I get out of work now, I plan to go check it out this weekend.

What do you all think?

It's probably a so-called '85.5 model year. Porsche switched to the oval dash during the '85 model year, so very possible it really is an '85 (aka '85.5). "Ran when parked." Ran what? A half-way house for wayward rodents? In the olden days when I was obsessed with the second gen RX7's, I would buy cars like that. I'd have two or three under covers in my drive way. Neighbors loved me, but it was fantastic to have your own little junk yard for all those little bits and pieces that otherwise take forever to get and cost a fortune. Next time you need that blue wire with white stripe, it's just a wire cutter away... There's oodles of parts you can sell to recoup the purchase price. It takes time and effort to pull them off and list them for sale though, and the more valuable parts can be a pain to ship, so more of a labor of love than jackpot... I say buy it.

Edit: if you get the VIN, that will tell you for sure what year it is...

We are definitely on the same page Tom! There's nothing like having a stock of all the spare parts. I'm no stranger when it comes to stripping down 80s sports cars. I thought it may be an 85.5 too. So in that case it should be 99% the same as my 86, right?
I'm no stranger to having parts cars. I even have an open spot in the barn. Right next to the other parts car
I plan to wave $500 in his face and see how it goes. Report to follow

Tom wrote: Tue Dec 30, 2025 7:01 pm
I'm not an expert, but it's a lot more like an '86 than it is an early '85. I'm sure there were some model year updates, but I'm guessing more than 99 of 100 parts are the same as your car. You have a barn to put cars in?!? That settles it -- buy it!!

barnwerks wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 6:27 am I get that!
I am rarely more productive than the few days before and after bringing home a new (old) car.
What a great way to start a new year.

ROB III wrote: Wed Dec 31, 2025 2:48 pm @PSU_Crash
I'm with you on the $500 cash method, particularly if you have a trailer with you!
I'd think the hatch alone might be worth that as it would be good to have a spare since they are so large shipping would be Expen$ive so just picking one up is handy. That would also be a good project to see what resealing would be like as well.