Completely overwhelmed trying to find my first 911...
 

Morning all,

Found it, thanks!

-Josh

okay the first thing I will do is welcome you .. so welcome

I think you are bit light at 35K looking for a car you wont have to wrench ( for me that is the fun really ) be aware there is a LOT of people looking for what you are so any car you see you will have to move quick on .

a G-50 Carrera for sub 35 ?? if you find that in decent shape I would grab it . The G-50 is a personal choice, lots of debate over it.
There is a lot of Porsche Activity in Ohio. If you are close to Stoddard try to get to their swap meet first week of June. Lots of cars and cars for sale, Great way to immerse yourself in the culture and educate yourself. I might be there. If you see a copper brown Metallic Targa that's me so come say Hi.

Found it, thanks!

Found it, thanks!

Welcome!

If it were me and at a 35K budget, I would settle in on the 78-83 SCs as my primary search for aircooleds as I think you will get the best bang for your buck. Good luck !

Josh,

25-30K was a reasonable value for a 911 ten years ago ... it seems the air cooled market is just crazy these days.
I suggest you take a look at Porsche PCA's Panorama magazine , usually people who post cars for sale in there are not scammers
and mostly are long time Porsche owners !

Although there are a few unrealistic dreamers about the value of their cars, but then again , it opens up new options for you !
For instance , in my case i paid 25K ten years ago for my 89 Coupe , with all the time and money i put into it over the years with the best of everything and a
top notch 3.6 conversion i wouldn't take less than 60K for it ... unrealistic ? maybe, but i know what i put into it and i don't need to sell it !

I don't think you can " snag a deal" but go there to educate yourself and ask questions . You are in SC range for sure and they are amonst the most Solid Porsches ever built.

Get yourself a copy of "the used 911 story" by Pete Zimmermann . It is must read material for anyone in your shoes.

agreed!

Thanks for the personal detailed back ground. I do understand as each iteration of the 911 has it's own unique traits and market for that matter.

Now that you narrowed down your budget, I would continue along those lines and narrow down your wants. From there you can then narrow your search to a specify a model year. Enjoy the journey!

I started out to be the first to respond to your post this morning, but I didn't want to rain on your parade, so I elected to wait until after others responded. Everybody here is telling you exactly right; your price point is a decade too low. In your price range, even if you "snag a deal" (not very likely) you are going to need to do quite a bit of wrenching, not to mention the cost of parts, on an ongoing basis (this will be a 30-40 year old car, after all), which you apparently don't want to do. In addition, I wonder about your choice of daily driver, in snowy northern Ohio, especially given that your family situation is about to change significantly. There is nothing wrong with getting your feet wet (so to speak) with a 996 or 997. I have a '67 SWB 911 racecar, a '69 LWB 911 street driver, and an '07 997C4, and there is no question that the 997 is the most reasonable as a daily driver and in fact is the most fun to drive.

I have no idea what you are talking about regarding a 915. Porsche never made a 915. Do you mean a 914?

Rich

I think OP means the 915 transmission rather than the G50, I agree the OP is likely in the SC world, very good cars and also agree $35K too low, many good points already made, my only point: the seller is very important, in addition to buying the car you are "buying' the owner/previous owners, care, service, honesty. best of luck

Hi Josh. Welcome to Rennlist. You came to the right place to learn from enthusiasts who know Porsches better than about any source. You may have mentioned this, but have you driven an air cooled 911, a 996 or a 986 Boxster? You will be amazed at the raw difference between all the years and models. If I had 35k to spend today on one of these awesome cars, I'd lean towards a 997 or a 996 C4S (have you seen the back-end???). I bought a 2001 Boxster S a year ago and it has been an awesome experience. It is not a 997, but it is a good place for me to start.

Also, stop by a local Indy Porsche repair shop and tell the owner or manager what you are looking for. The P-car dealers might be able to help. And look for some Panorama magazines. I'm sure someone here would mail you a year's worth if you ask nicely. There is a thread active now on this forum about a non-local buyer of a 996. Find it and learn from it. Ohio has a lot of P-car owners, so scour the local ads. Good luck and post links to cars here.

Josh, I'm also thinking your $35K (and preferably less) budget isn't going to get you an SC. At least not one that doesn't need work. If you want to stick with the air-cooled cars, I'd consider expanding your search into the mid-year 2.7L cars (74-77). You have to do your homework (documented engine work, rust) but you should be able to find a car that is in great condition for your budget, or less. But you are still talking 40+ year old cars. Things will go wrong, and that's a lot easier to swallow if you can do the work yourself.

I also wouldn't dismiss a water-cooled. You can find 996s for your price or less. Excellent bargains, fast, AC that works, and back seats that will accommodate a car seat.

Mark

Found it, thanks!

Whatever you decide on, a PPI is a must. There are some SC's that have had head studs broken and this is very expensive to repair.