rosenfe

one is a 84 auto with 87k,good shape ,records etc,and the the other is an 86 5 speed with 156k ,again in good shape and records.price difference about 2k for the 8


both nice cars,im leaning towards the 86,but have some concerns with the increased complexity of the 86 engine,clutch.worried ill be bored with the auto.

i have not driven either one yet

any comments

James Bailey

there is a HUGE difference in performance....drive both and there is little comparison ! And if the 86 is not one of the first 1,000 it would have all the S-4 brakes and suspension also a good thing.

928 DesMoines

I'm not sure I understand the 2k diff, is the 2k extra for the 86? Or is it for the 84 with low miles?

For me, I would try for the 86. 5 speed, updated performance. At 156k its a driver; which is almost liberating in the sense that you can drive it all day every day whereas the with the 84, you might be thinking about "preservation" of miles...

So go for the 86. More car, more fun.

Live a little!

SteveG

This is a difficult comparison. Different cars. You don't say where you or the cars lived. History is everything once you have a feel for the different performance. Did they both live in California? Did they really receive the same care? And of course that is more significant on the higher mileage car.

Don't be rushed into anything.

fiatrn

I bought an 86 with a 5 speed as my first/only/current shark. it had 150,000ish miles, the previous owner had taken nice care of the car and done a lot of maintentance/updating. I drove it 3,000+ miles home.

Personally I would not buy an automatic on a sports car, but 80% of 928 owners disagree! I feel that a manual transmission is more entertaining, ore involving, and gives me a tad more control of a car.

The car is dazzling, especially with the big brakes they started putting on partway through 86. The torque of the 5litre is addicting. The car is pretty understated, not too flashy and not too loud, but really zooms around. It doesn't feel fast. But then you notice that no one keeps up with you. Ever. Compared to other vintage cars, the controls at first felt a little 'soft', but after a few drives I realized that's just what refinement feels like.

It probably really comes down, as usual, to what you want. Low mileage can be awesome (the car I bought before my 928 had 15,000 miles and was a 1979!) but it can also mean a bunch of maintenance - rubber, hoses, fluids, etc. More miles = driver, but could also mean a very well sorted and trouble free driver.

928 DesMoines

This is good advice.....

rosenfe

thanks for the comments.

i want the power and five speed.mileage is nice if low but the 86 had been taken care of,all works,ac cold.just need to get a bit more info about history.car has just had water pump,belts done.ill find out more this week,.not interested in the 84.

safulop

Yeah, with these cars unless you are in "investment" purchasing, condition matters about 10 times more than mileage. I myself passed up a 72K mile 1989 for a 135K mile 1988 at the same price point. Condition made all the difference.

davek9

I would not consider 87k as a low mileage car, below 50k yes, these are both drivers IMO.
Buy the one that is in be best condition and has the maintenance up to date.

If it was my choice its always the 85/86 5.0L 32 valve over the 4.7,
unless you want a cruiser, its is more difficult to increase the HP on the smaller block 16 valve's