I'm in the market for a Targa and I've test driven two so far, a 77 and a 87. They both had high miles (196k & 117k) but appeared to be well maintained (both had recent extensive engine rebuilds). That said, the shocks definitely weren’t fresh so they may have been completely worn. Both cars felt fine on smooth roads but crashed hard on sharp dips where my 2018 with Sport PASM on sport+ would soak it up. So is this a shortcoming of the suspension capability, worn suspension, or a combo of both?

 

Comparing a 77/87 to a 2018 with Pasm probably isn’t the best anlyasis. I have a ‘79 and ‘18 myself and there is no comparison. With that being said hard to speculate on the specific cars you are driving. Best you can do is drive multiple of the same vintage and get a feel for them.

 

could be worn shocks; could be suspension bushings (which need to be replaced after 1-2 decades due to 'cold flow' no matter what the mileage)

as per above no old 911 can keep up with a new Porsche on real roads, the bumpier the road the greater the delta

OTOH, no new Porsche is as fun to drive...

 

Thanks guys! I've combed through what feels like millions of adds now and while many reference recent engine, drivetrain and possibly cosmetic maintenance, *rarely* have any mentioned suspension. I'm beginning to think this is just commonly neglected by most owners.

 

I Dont agree
Coming on here and saying 30-40 year old cars don't handle as well as your 1 year old appliance is pretty close to trolling.

 

you are totally spoiled. These are both barbaric cars as compared to yours. Do not even consider the 77 when you can buy an 87, though. I always tell the story of finding a low mile 87 cab after having a new one years ago, Was so excited, getting the car ready, and finally I had a cab I could keep. After servicing here at our shop I was ready to drive it home! After six miles of driving, I could not deal with it any more. Pulling over to the side of the road, I called our service manager at home and asked him "Sean what is wrong with this car?" His answer............. " Nothing is wrong with the car there is something wrong with you". It suddenly dawned on me, I had been driving a newer Boxster every day. The new 911s and caymans and boosters are far superior in every way to the old stuff. Great to collect and look at, bad to drive

 

My data point is at 157 k miles with turbo tie rods, proper alignment and tires but otherwise original, stockl suspension, that my '88 911 cab handles superbly and yet is also more compliant and forgiving of bad roads, as compared to my 987.2 S Cayman that I had already owned for 3 years prior to the owning the '88 911. The Cayman is faster and easier to drive near the limit butI have to keep the PASM in soft mode most of the time to keep from having a jarring ride. The '88 is more fun to drive except maybe on freeways.

I don't understand what is meant by "crashing" - I have to take sharp dips slowly and at an angle in all of my cars to prevent crashing the front splitter / air dam onto the road.