axel6

I'm looking at a nice, local 1987 Targa and was wondering about anything in particular to keep an eye out for during test drive/inspection. I'm relatively new to Porsches and have been learning a lot about them, but I have VERY limited knowledge regarding 911's prior to 1989.

Any help/tips would be appreciated. The car is low miles (under 40k) and has had two owners.

My87Targa

i dunno what to look out for but im very partial to the 87 targa i have. i wish mine had that low miles, im at 191k

Peter Zimmermann

Check my PPI thread near the top of this group!
Pete

imcarthur

Print & read the PPI from Pete Zimmermann that is stickey'd at the top of this forum. That will give you a lot of pointers. Big money things - motor, clutch, tranny, seats, dash - are usually obvious or will be revealed when your chosen independent mechanic does your pre-purchase.

It's the 100 little less obvious things that will spend your money.

Ian


Hahaha. Pete beat me to it!

pgrunwald

First, contact the local PCA and find a good PORSCHE mechanic and pay for a real PPI!

Things that I have spent money on in the 1.5 years I have owned mine have not been too bad or unplanned suprises. They have all been the little things as mentioned above.

DME relay $25
Fan Belt $15
Interior lights $30 ea.
Brake switches $20 ea.
Tires $80 each
Full brake rebuild rotors, pads, brake lines, caliper rebuild kits (this was planned) $800
Targa top seals and cover(planned) $1100
Targa bar/Fuchs paint supplies $60
Valve adjust $145
Hood struts $25
Radio and speakers $300
Headlight seals $5
Headlight $120 - sold old on ebay for $75
Clock $85 on eBay - sold old on eBay for $40
Helmet $200
PCA Membership $45
AutoX 4 @50ea
3 oil changes at $50 ea
101 Projects, Bentley Shop manual, Haynes book $100 on eBay
Craftsman tools $300
Harbor Freight Tools (jack, stands, odd size tools etc.) $100

Mental health from owning, driving, and working on my own Porsche - PRICELESS!

I have done all the work myself except for the valve adjust and I will do the next one myself.

Get a good PPI, budget for things that an 18 year old car will need and ENJOY!

Paul
-----------
'87 Targa

slapshot1997

One good piece of advice with the air cooled 911 is to check for oil leaks AFTER the vehicle has reached proper running temperature (the gauge should be up to the first notch). If there is an oil leak at the valve cover gaskets, it will show up then. I found this out the hard way on my 88 Carrera, but had it rectified by replacing the valve cover gaskets (thats an excellent time to have the valve clearances adjusted as well). I did my own PPI on my Carrera and checked for oil leaks cold, discovered the gaskets leaked when I drove it home (oops). Good luck and good hunting!

axel6

Excellent. Thank you for all the replies.