GojiGoji

I am eyeing a 1987 Carrera and a 1983 928 at the moment. I am new to Porsche and moding cars in general as my thing has been robotics. Can I add a turbo to a non turbo 1987 model or should I spend the extra money on the Turbo version of the car?

dw1

One could theoretically make a non-turbo 911 into a turbo but it would be extraordinarily expensive and a LOT of work, and the car will forever be a conversion and not a true 911 turbo in terms of resale value. There is a good reason why the vintage air-cooled 911 turbo cars sell for approximately double the non-turbo cars. If you want a turbo, spend the money.

The 1987 Carrera, the 928, and a 911 turbo (referred to as the internal model designation "930") are each very different cars. The 928 is a modern luxury GT car, the 911 Carrera is the final development of the original torsion bar suspension 911 first introduced in 1964. The 930 turbo is a higher-performance version of the 911, but in modern terms is actually a ways behind the latest modern muscle and performance cars.

You have to decide exactly what you want. Being new to Porsche, you may want to consider looking at the 944, or better yet a lightly used Boxter or Cayman.

Btw, I really like my '87 Carrera 3.2 coupe (non-turbo), but I would likely replace it with a Boxter.

Vane

You have to drive these candidates. An old 911 is more a driver car, great to drive twisting country roads. 928 is a GT car, made for driving at high speeds on autobahn. The Boxster, great to do?

I’ very biased and can not really say anything about the Boxster or Cayman.

As it is now, I believe the air cooled 911 will hold it’s value best from these.
If you think you need a turbo, then buy one, don’t consider adding a turbo in a normally aspirated 911. “Everything” can be done, but is it worthwhile is an other story.

alfetta

I agree values of the air-cooled cars will continue to outperform other than the specialty cars. One of the nice things about a pre-89 car is that you can repair it yourself thanks to YouTube and Rennlist and other online resources.

You might want to at least consider a 987 Cayman or Boxster S with a manual transmission. Both cars fun to drive and have a retro Porsche vibe.

TheTorch

Asking these questions without context is like asking the forum "should I marry this girl?"

To get relevant opinions, you would do well to explain

• how you like to drive (at the limit, around town, etc.)
• where you like to drive (autobahn, twisties, city, suburbs, DE events, at the track, etc.),
• where you live (is it hot, what are the roads like, is it flat or hilly, winter or no winter, are there good shops within a reasonable distance?)
• your motivation (turn the key and go reliability, or looking forward to doing a lot of work on it, why old, less old or new is of interest)
• and ability to fund it (unlimited budget, limited budget, you own a shop?)

GojiGoji

Cool thanks for the insight! So def not gonna add a turbo to an older car for sure! I havent considered the cayman. I will check them out thanks!

GojiGoji

I am cripple in my right leg a bit so I dont drive around much, my wife usually drives us around. When I can walk, thanks to a medical procedure, I will probably be driving the car short 4 hour round trips through the Texas country side. I plan on getting a 996 turbo for my daily driver and my track car as I live next to the circuit of the Americas. Weather here doesnt get too crazy but I dont plan on using the 911 for inclement weather. I am a retired AM engineer with a focus on research and development, and ex aerospace avionics nerd so I really want the older 911 to be a little bit of a fixer upper so I can work on it. I would like to get my hands dirty again. I would say unlimited budget but I cant bring myself to go crazy and buy a 1987 turbo for 140,000 plus ya know. If I have missed anything then let me know. I will answer the best I can.

TheTorch

This is great. You have the brains and the time and funds to choose among many good options.

As others have said, fairly big difference from a 928 to a 911 --> start there. I am not 928 expert, though my understanding is that parts are more challenging to source for a 928 than many 911 models.

Is the turbo interesting because of the performance, or the looks, or the technical challenges? There are many threads on 911 SCs vs 3.2 Carreras. Both great cars to consider.

Vane

When I was looking for a 911, the mantra? was; buy the newest you can. Well, I bought a '85 but later have regret that
somewhat. The 911 went thru a "civilization" process, power windows, AC, sun roof, power seats and other luxury items
that one might consider as necessary, some one else just added dead weight that affect handling.

Consider this carefully so you purchase a car the fulfil the slogan: everything to someone, but nothing for everyone.
You could check local Porsche activities and contact them, Porschephiles love to talk about the cars and you could
discuss with owners of various models to make a good decision what to purchase. Bu you can't go wrong with the 1987.

Air-cooled 911 is a great car also if you want to do things yourself, parts are available and they are very basic. One thing
also is that the cars are built with top notch components, so they last. Also instructions and help are available.

GojiGoji

I just like the extra power from the turbo TBH. I was looking at a 2015 911 turbo but genuinely like the look of the 996 and the low price. I have heard to buy the newest I can...I generally just want the older car to restore and keep me busy.

GojiGoji

the 928 was an option because I like the odd look and the price was very good. Think I am def gonna get a non turbo air cooled 911 as my project car and a newer turbo for track days and what not.

dw1

With the financial resources you apparently have (the 911 and turbo combined purchase price would likely be around $150K or more) why not just buy a new 911?

I may be out of line here, but it is becoming more and more difficult to take this inquiry seriously because IMHO anyone with those kind of financial resources and willingness to spend that kind of money on collector/hobby autos would likely have done more research.

GojiGoji

I got it figured out thanks

josephvman

I've had a couple of 930's and a bunch of 3.2's. I owned a '91 928GT for a couple of years and it was my daily driver, and have spent time driving all generations of that model. These are all extremely different cars with a character all their own. I absolutely love the way 930's look, but I prefer the driving experience of a well-sorted 3.2. Neither are fast cars today, but the 930's power delivery and tall gearing just isn't much fun for street driving IMO. 930's are also far more expensive to maintain than a 3.2, much more so than I think most people realize.

I love the 928, but wouldn't consider anything earlier than an S4 model (at least in a US spec car) as that's the point where the performance, and the entire car, got much better. These can also be heartbreakingly costly to maintain, and if you think finding a good air-cooled mechanic is hard, try finding an experienced 928 guy. Most authorized Porsche dealer techs have never touched a 928. I think excellent manual gearbox 4v 928's will have some of the highest depreciation over the next 5-10 years, and I think in a decade you won't be able to find a really good one for under $100k. If I had the garage space I'd be shopping for one now. They are extremely cool cars!

These are are older cars that can need a lot of sorting and a lot of money. There's nothing like them, but you have to have the stomach for it or it will be a painful experience. There are a lot of "new" guys who are in love with the idea of owning one, but frankly would be far better off with a Boxster or Cayman, both of which are very good sports cars.