Sancho22

Hi all
I did some reading about the 3.2 cars and have a few ideas what to look for, but would love to get some recent experience/price etc. input.

I am a long time Porsche owner, used to have a 944 S2, 1990 C2 Targa, a few other street and track cars. Still have a GT4 and a 996 C4 cab.

A friend is selling a car and I may buy it. Triple black 1988 Targa, 140K miles or so. Prices are all over the place from about $30-35 on the low end (mostly convertible) to 5-60 and up to $75K for well cared for cars, primarily coupes.

I am familiar with basic things to look for, such as engine, smoke at start, service records, size of wheels, clutch, shocks, typical rust points, etc.
Anything beyond a good PPI and checking general function (windows, heat/AC etc.), smoothness of tranny (G50) ?
Thanks in advance
Laz

Honkity Hank

Sounds like you have the basics. With those miles, doing leak down and/or compression is advisable. If it is a good friend you can rely on then know the oil consumption is nice to have. I assume he will be forthcoming with that kind of information.

On a lift, do a good inspection of the suspension components, wheel bearings, etc. The rear sway bar is weak point, a lot have had a repair by now, but check it out.

Wear items, brakes, tires, etc. Clutch - has it been replaced and updated to latest spec, I would guess yes with those miles.

Price, who knows, on that car it is condition number one. Targa's have become popular again, so maybe a small premium for that. Is the top in good condition? I think they can be temperamental .

Good luck,

Sancho22

Thanks! I agree the Targa top is an important part - I had to have it redone on my (now long time gone) 1990 C2 Targa.
It was pretty pricey. I think the biggest issue is if the car needs an engine and/or transmission work.
With parts and labor going up it can be very expensive.

Honkity Hank

No question the engine work is quite pricey, having done a rebuild on mine, which came a bit early for the mileage. Transmissions are pretty bulletproof, clutch is a clutch. Also if it has limited slip and it has not been serviced, then you don't have a limited slip any longer, those wear out pretty quickly.

It is an old car, with a lot of miles, stuff wears out, but the good news is everything is availabe.

abg123

Having just purchased an 87 cabriolet..I would advise you to make sure PPI includes checking head studs. I have seen anecdotal evidence that failure rate on these is increasing as these cars age. Unfortunately for me..my PPI didn't cover these..and within a month of purchase I'm on the short end of a 15k engine rebuild!