schlag

Right now I own a 944 but within the next year or so I plan (or hope) to replace it with a 911. I was wondering what the best value is for around the $20k range .. I was looking at the late 80s and early 90s ones .. how reliable are these, particularly in comparison to the 944? What are some suggested years and/or years to avoid?


I have read several FAQ type of documents but they were either outdated or inconclusive.

Chris Martin

If by reliable you mean no timing belts and water pumps, yes they are reliable! Just kidding. Late 80's 911's are some of the best made, read the FAQ for things like clutch updates and valve guide wear. Other than that, valve adjustments and filters and you are pretty much good to go.

I am actually thinking of finding a 944 for my daily car and leaving the SC for more of a weekend/DE car.

Good luck

Want to be

schlag:

I have owned 3 Porsche 911's and 1 944 coupe.
(1988,1989,1993RSA and 1989 944)

The problem is any older car can not be a perfect daily driver. All of my cars were daily's including in the winter too!

When you purchase any older Porsche you will find problems with oil return tubes <leaks>, main oil lines and top and bottom gas leaks and possibly a rubber clutch disc problem depending on what year car you get. The G50 transmission seems to very reliable but the clutch has a rubber disc that will go at any time. The 915 transmisson usally last about 100k before a rebuild but really that all depends on the orignal driver.

So if you get a 911 please have atleast 2k in the bank ready for any problems that could occur.

I would say look @ either a Carrera or maybe an SC but stay away from the 964's. In the 20k range you will be looking @ some high repair bills. 964's are not cheap to fix compared to the older cars.

Find a car that someone has replaced parts above. And have a good mechanic look through the car before too!

Good luck

jpc <img src="graemlins/drink.gif" border="0" alt="[cherrsagai]" />

Rick Lee

I have an '87 Carrera and if I had it all to do over again, I might have gone with and '88 or '89. My clutch disc is fine, but the release fork and bearings are about shot. Porsche upgraded this part, but did not issue a recall. This forces me to prematurely do a complete clutch R&R. I got one of the lucky ones with no valve guide issues though. For $20k, you should be able to get a very nice '87-'89 Carrera.

DaveS

I looked pretty hard for an '88-89 Carrera and found very few if any out there with less than 60K miles for $20K. Targas seemed undervalued and cabs commanding a $3-4K premium. If you are open to 75K+ miles, the market loosens up a bit, especially if you are willing to travel to get the car and color is not a big deal.

I hear that if you are willing to wait (e.g., 4-6 months) you might find exactly what you're looking for, but it is not easy. I found that all the talk on this board, among others regarding the '88-89s have kept the prices north of $20K. I ended up getting a good 92 C2 with 75K miles for $22,500. I determined that if the price was the same and the condition the same, I would go with a car 3 years newer, especially come resale time. Maintenance will be more with the newer cars, but the trade-offs will be a more powerful engine and safety features (ABS, airbags).

I put together a spreadsheet with some of my research on the 87-89s so email be and I will send it to you.

richard glickel

schlag,

$20k should get you into an '87-'89 carrera with 100,000+ miles. The same vintage with lower miles, say 60k and less, will run between $25-$30k.

I wouldn't be too concerned about a 100,000+ miles car so long as it was properly maintained and has had the top end rebuild done, clutch replaced (which it would pretty much have to be by 100k) with upgrade (not necessarily done), and brakes (and brake lines, master cylinder) are in good order.

The shocks last well beyond 100k. I would also make sure the steering checks out okay, including the steering rack, tie rods & bearings. Also, by 100k, the bushings may show appreciable wear (not an inexpensive item to replace).

For $30k, you may be able to find a car owned by a nut (like me), that's had all this stuff replaced or upgraded. Good luck.

Richard
'87 Carrera-3.6L (NOT for sale) <img src="graemlins/yltype.gif" border="0" alt="[typing]" />

P.S.: There are also many good examples of the earlier Carreras from '84-'86, (these are 3.2L engined cars, but without the G50 tranny), for under $20k, like in the $15k range. See ya.

schlag

Thanks for all the info! From having my 944 I am well familiar with the concept of having to keep $2k of "p-money" in the bank at -all times- haha. I'm in no hurry .. but I'll prolly go 88-89 unless of course a slightly newer, low-ish mileage example comes along in that price range (I am never so lucky).. thanks again.

realtime

I looked for a similar car for &gt;6 mos. (I live near your area) and one thing I came to realize is you cannot judge a car by the owner's verbal or written description. In my search I travelled 100 miles to see what was described as a "perfect car, never seen rain" etc etc only to find a worn-out rusty oil dripping tub- I think the owner was either delerious or blinded of the fact that his "precious" 911 didnt age as well as he'd thought or maybe he only remembered the car as it was the day he drove it off the lot! (I began to call that the "original owner" phenomenon).

As mentioned- you can get a decent but high-milage '87-90 car for under $20k but for a good one with records, no body damage, and even reasonable milage (75-100k) you are more likely going to go to or over your $20k budget. I did too but then again I went for a cab after primarily looking at coupes...

Its interesting to see the cars come and go on the internet (eBay, etc.) and some sure look tempting but Im too conservative/skeptical to pour that much $$ into something I can see for myself!

good luck!

dan

gerry100

If you are not fixed on the G50 tranny instead of the 915, you can get south of $20K by going to an '86 or earlier.

Last fall I bought my '86 coupe with 82K miles(recent clutch and alternator replacement,most records, good tires,perfect interior,normal paint chips etc) for $18K.

Tranny does take some skill to shift well,but won't need a rebuild for a few years at least.

I've since spent $200 plus my own labor to get it running the way I want, and shouldn't need anything major soon ( famous last words?)

Go for it.

993chaz

I am selling my 86 coupe with 56k on it. New tires 7 & 9's oem fuchs , new bilsteins, mass flow air system, chip, dual ss exhaust, new alternator. Immaculate could be concours, I am asking $29900. I can email pics if you are interested. Red w/black leather.

schlag

Hey realtime, I know exactly what you mean.. I read about endless "perfect examples" when I was searching for my 944, only to go and find that the quaterpanel was mangled, or in another instance, severe engine issues (spotted by me when I at the time knew NOTHING about engines).. so you're absolutely correct on that point/phenomenon haha.


As far as price .. I am flexible ~$5k or so, so I might be able to find what I want.. it wont be for about a year so I have time to look and be choosy, as well as gauge the market etc. We shall see!

Tony'z911

schlag- I would start looking a few months before your thinking of buying, but be ready to jump if you find the right deal. I started off looking for an SC in the $15k range and ended up w/ a nice '86 Carrera up closer to your price range. The car had ~132k on it (many put on at the track), but it had a new brand new clutch and some upgrades for the track that I didn't mind on the car at all. I'm sure you know to have a PPI done on any car no matter the mileage or what the car looks like per your inspection. My PPI turned out very good results and I believe that the PO took very good care of the car. My car has been great for the 8 months and ~3K miles that I have owned it. I have had it on the track a few times, autoXed it many times, and I have only put ~$35 + my labor into it to rebuild the calipers. I have an oil change and a valve adjustment scheduled to do some time this month, which is only normal maintenance. My 915 tranny has certainly seen better days, but I'm used to it and it doing fine for now. I would say drive as many as you can and see if the G50 tranny is really a must have. If not then I would search for any 84-89 Carrera in good condition that has been well cared for.
Good luck finding the right car for you!
-T

schlag

You bring up an interesting point, to which I've never had a clear answer/description - what are the advantages of the G50 tranny?

Want to be

schlag:

The G50 transmission is allot smoother to use than a 915. The G50 weights a little bit more than the 915 (horses to weight issues). I have seen G50 with allot of miles and still going but with 915 they start needing attention around 100k plus but that all depends on the drivers really. The G50 is allot more expensive to work on due to the Hydralics and clutch issue that will come up that have not been fixed or updated.

I really dont know a cheap way out on a Porsche but it all depends on your likes and dis-likes.

I enjoyed all of my G50's i had!

cheers

jpc <img src="graemlins/drink.gif" border="0" alt="[cherrsagai]" />