4 Air-Cooled 911s That You May Still be Able to Afford

1. People are hot for an air-cooled 911

The market for air-cooled Porsche 911s has been booming and prices are continually on the rise. While many Porsche purists have long argued that the brand has become tainted since the introduction of water-cooling, this air-cooled craze seems to have begun around the year 2008 when economic woes occurred and enthusiasts wanted to be sure to get their hands on the last air-cooled 911 (993). Ever since, fans, aficionados, and connoisseurs alike have been wading their way through 30+ years of cars, choosing those with features and characteristics that appeal to them. Egged on by the collector car market, values have skyrocketed and buyers are willing to pay extra for exclusivity. Experts have calculated that only 410,000 air-cooled 911s were ever produced. To put that number in perspective, Ford sold over 470,000 F-Series pickups in the U.S. market alone for 2014. That said, a number of air-cooled 911s have slipped through the cracks and are still available at relatively affordable prices. So, if you are playing with the idea of taking a plunge into the air-cooled Porsche world for the first time and prefer not to auction off your vital organs to do so, consider one of the following cars.

2. 1974-1977 911S 2.7

Perhaps the cheapest intro into the air-cooled Porsche world can be found in the 1974-1977 911 models. The mid 70's 911 cars were hampered by mandated emission control laws that greatly impacted performance and engine longevity. The result was a 2.7L flat-6 making roughly 160 horsepower. The origin of the short hood design begins here as vehicles sold in the U.S. were federally required to have the 5 mph impact-absorbing bumpers, thus requiring an abbreviated hood.

The 911S was offered in both coupe and Targa versions, with 1976+ cars receiving fully-dipped zinc galvanized bodies (Galvanized steel was only used in rust-prone areas prior to '76). While the mid 70's cars had definitely softened and lost their hard-edge demeanor, they can regularly be found between the $14-20K range. Although these cars were choked back in the performance department, new life can be breathed into them, especially now that they are exempt from smog testing in most areas.

3. 1978-1983 911 3.0 SC

The 78-83 911 3.0 SC is currently considered the best air-cooled 911 available for $25,000 or less. Many of the shortcomings and reliability issues of the previous 2.7L cars were remedied by the introduction of the redesigned 3.0L engine making a respectable 180 horsepower. Using the same basic engine design as the 930 Turbo and pairing it with a 5-speed 915 gearbox, the car was able to take advantage of the increased low-end torque while also achieving improved fuel efficiency. 

The SC, or "Super Carrera," began to offer creature comforts such as power windows, power mirrors, and air-conditioning; however, many agree that air-cooled 911 ACs are never worth a darn. Minor changes were made throughout the SC's production cycle with the most notable improvements coming in 1980 & 1981. Later production cars received upgraded rear torsion bars and a more efficient 11-blade cooling fan from the Turbo model, so expect the newer cars to bring a price premium. Potential problem areas include the clutch (1978-1982), cold start injector/blown air boxes (1978-1980), timing chain tensioner issues, and the typical oil leaks from valve covers, crankshaft seals, oil lines, and oil cooler. That said, these problems can easily be sorted with improved/retrofitted components and provide you with a great entry into the world of air-cooled 911.

4. 1984-1989 911 Carrera 3.2

Creeping higher up in the price spectrum, but still at a relatively affordable cost by air-cooled Porsche standards, sits the 1984-1989 911 Carrera. Offered as a coupe, Targa, or cabriolet, the Carrera became an 80's icon as it was the most successful 911 up to that point. As with the prior 911 SC, the Carrera received a greatly revised engine that not only bumped up displacement by 200cc but also addressed the timing chain tensioner issues found in earlier models. The engine produced a touch over 200 horsepower and could sprint the quarter mile in 14 seconds. Early models received the 915 gearbox as found in the 911 SC, but 87+ cars received the greatly improved Getrag G50 5-speed. The cockpit layout remained virtually unchanged from previous 911 models, but high-grade leather, power windows, a sunroof, and a semi-functional AC system wowed buyers as the build quality was top-notch. Bosch Motronic fuel injection improved upon the dated K-jetronic system. A number of cars were also built with a Turbo Look package (option M491) that added the wider rear fender arches, whale tail wing, and various steering & suspension upgrades; however, don't expect entry-level pricing as this is a highly sought-after option. With more creature comforts as standard, the weight of the 911 continued to increase, but was still only a modest 2800 lbs, and while maybe not as focused as early 911s, it was user-friendly and loads of fun to drive. Over 70,000 cars were produced during the Carrera 3.2's 6-year production run, so cars in good condition can be found circulating in the $30-40K range. Be that as it may, the Carrera 3.2 has been tagged as the next hot air-cooled 911 that could see significant increases in value. Nab one while you still can!

5. 1990-1994 964 Porsche 911

The last semi-affordable air-cooled 911 that is worth mentioning is the 1990-1994 964. At the time of its release, the 964 had undergone the largest re-engineering effort of any previous Porsche model. Despite the car looking very similar to its predecessor, the Carrera 3.2, Porsche claimed that 87% of the 964 was all new. A boatload of new technology was packed under the skin of the 964 including power steering, ABS, electric spoiler, a redesigned chassis, and all new coil spring (coil-over) rear suspension. The Carrera 4 model also introduced a new all-wheel drive system. For the powerplant, displacement was increased to 3.6L with an output of 250 horsepower and could be coupled with the G50 manual transmission or the all-new electronically controlled Tiptronic automatic transmission. With so many technological improvements, the 964 ended up costing significantly more than the previous model, and as a result of the economic recession of the early 1990s, vehicle sales struggled. Once its successor,  the 993 was introduced, values began to plummet and the 964 was all but forgotten. Fast forward a few years to the air-cooled Porsche boom and enthusiasts quickly realized what a great car the 964 truly was. Modern tech with classic styling has helped raise 964 values from the dead. Values are still on the rise, but you can still occasionally catch a fair example in the mid $30,000 range. While the 964 is beginning to exceed the reach of the average first-time air-cooled Porsche owner, it still is a step behind in value when compared to the later 993 variants.