300cd300sdl911

Hi folks,

I could use some advise. I'm looking to become a first time Porsche owner. I'm leaning towards 911 cars from the 1984 thru 1989 era. I like the 1989's for the abs brakes and airbags but I'm concerned with all I've read about the 3.6 engine. I must admit I'm a little confused also....do ALL '89's have the 3.6 or do the early '89's have the 3.2? I think I'd rather go for the smoother shifting H50 trans vs. the 915 so I guess that does narrow things down a bit. At this point I'm just doing alot of reading and test driving. My searches seem to indicate I should be able to come up with a decent car for about 20k.

Do turbos present any unique maintenance issues? It appears that new they cost about twice as much as their non turbo counterpart yet used they are only about 10k more. I've have read about significant turbo lag so I don't know if they are worth the extra money and/or possible maintenance worries.

Any comments from experienced forum members would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You

Porsche Newbie

First, get yerself a copy of the Used 911 Story.. that will answer lots of your questions.. I am not affilaited with the book or its author but its worth its weight in gold.. I have one copy and gave it away to another perspective 911 buyer..gonna buy a second copy for myself since it's been updated recently..

Also I recommend you visit pelicanparts.com web page to look at parts maintenance and otherwise..and also automotion.com and get a parts catalog..that way you can see what parts can and will potentially cost you down the road.. go in eyes wide open!

stormmaster

Do lots of reading....remember to take everything you read with a grain of salt....everybody has their opinion as to what is best....typically meaning that is what they have....after you read lots of information....look at lots of cars.....drive the ones that really interest you....and before giving a deposit....get a pre-purchase inspection (PPI) done by a reputible independant Porsche repair shop....not a dealer.....

as for your turbo question.....there is more to them than just the engine upgrade as far as differences are concerned...wider body....better brakes...differnt transmission (except for 89 and you will pay more than 10k difference between an 89 NA...and an 89 Turbo)...typically if you can find an unmolested turbo (stock)....the maintenance issues are not much differnt that NA cars....turbos can be replaced....just depends on your need for speed....

if you want my .02.....I say stick with normally aspirated cars for your first Porsche...learn to drive it... work on it....care for it....you will be glad you did.

Remeber...it is your money...get what makes you happy...just remember these cars you are looking at are pushing or over 20 years old....so there will likely be maintenace issues...at some point....

Do lots of searching here and on Pelican.....lots of information is out there....be willing to do your homework

umfan866

I think the G-50 (not H50) vs 915 thing is a little overblown read my thread, and drive
both an 87-89 with G50 (or later) or an SC or 84-86 without.
https://rennlist.com/forums/911-forum/299438-3-2-g50-driving-impressions-and-heaviness-of-3-2-s.html

A lot of people like the Turbo look (flared fenders) as a substitute for an actual
Turbo (which in my opinion are overpriced) but it is hard to find a Turbo-look
car that is factory turbo-look (some people add this with fiberglass or steel
flares but purists only like it if it came turbo look form the factory).

The cars that are 3.6 are called '964' body style and started mid-year in 89
I believe, and after that came '993' and then '996' body style and this forum
is for '911' body style which is 74-89. I personally (and many others here)
don't like the look of the 964 but the 993 is really nice (and another 10-15k
expensive on the used market compared to an 87-89). A recent Forbes
article praised the 87-89 911 as a car to watch -may hold its value or go
up in value over time, certainly not down...

I bought some generic Porsche book at Borders which was ok, but I also
like reading "excellence' magazine particularly the buying guides and reports
on recent sales. Then I also bought the book "the gold-plated porsche" and
that was fascinating on how you can spend almost $100k on an SC worth 12k
on the used market.... I used to be looking for a 911 in the sub 8k range, now
I am convinced that the "cheapest" Porsche is one where you pay up-front for
a nice mint one, say an 87-89 3.2 with < 100k for 20,0000. I am currently looking
at a 3.2 with 148k in good (not perfect) condition for around 16k - since it is "fall"
and the guys on the northeast start storing their Porsche(s) for winter the buying
and selling season makes things a little slower, plus the economy wobbling along
also makes values a little softer than you might read about in Excellence magazine.

Good luck and don't be afraid to post lots of "WHat is this car worth" threads....

Conekiller

umfan866
do have the Forbes article, i tried serching on Forbes.com but couldn't find anything

Gary R.

First of all concern is good but as has been said before, understand the "problems" that go along with any model/year 911. 89-(mid-year) 91 911's (964's) don't use head gaskets and *some* leaked, and most others had minor seepage that didn't (and still don't) require attention. A PPI will assess this. They also built up ozone in the distributor causing premature failure of the distributor belt. A $15 kit vented the ozone, solving this issue. Easily visible if it has been done. 90-(early)91 came with a Dual Mass Flywheel that had a tendency to come apart, a better (LUK) design replaced it, most cars have been done by now. 92 on doesn't have these issues, though ALL 964's should replace the dist. belt every 50K miles IMO just to be safe as it isn't a big expense.

I know you meant G50, in all 911's from 87-94. I have both types and I will say that the G50 is akin to how a modern car shifts vs. a 915 being more of a vintage sports car feel. I like both. "About 20K" gives you a lot of choices. Is A/C important to you? Then a 964 offers a much better system in most cases. It also has Power assisted steering, antilock brakes, and airbags. You want a more visceral car, go with an 87-89 Carerra. It has the G50 with 3.2 yet no PS/AL/AB to get between you and the road. A/C in these is hit/miss unless it has been upgraded. And the list goes on. What you intend to do with the car can play a BIG part in this also. Tracking (DE) in your plans? Save $5K for safety upgrades (seats, roll bar, harnesses, suspension and brake upgrades)...
[/QUOTE]

I'll keep this simple - Stay away from a Turbo as your first 911.

300cd300sdl911

To all those that responded......thank you for your valuable comments / suggestions. As a first time buyer I'm finding this excersise to be more involved than I first bargained for. I will certainly take everyones advise and keep on reading, driving, and asking questions.

Thanks again.......

Marc Shaw

If you want to learn more about the 964 version of the 911, pick up a copy of Adrian Streathers book on it - it is the best reference available.

Marc

jet911

I did not read all the replies in detail, so someone may have mentioned this, but it worth stating again. Once you decide on a car get a PPI (Pre Purchase Insepection) from and qualified shop that specializes in this vintage "before" you make your offer on the car. It will run you a couple hundred, but may save you thousands down the road. I know of folks who have had PPIs done on two or three P-cars that appeared to be in great shape, however the PPI revealed potential or actual problems that they would never have discovered (until later). These hidden problems that you will not know about that can be very expensive to repair, however a qualified wrench should discover any major issue.

Good luck!

Regards,
Jim
'86 Coupe

84_Carrera

At the same time, take that with a grain of salt. I had the equivalent of a PPI done 2 years after buying my 84 so someone with more 911 experience could give me an idea of the course to chart over the next 2 years. The Porsche dealership told me they thought I had a broken head stud (though they didn't pop the valve covers off, and after first-hand inspection, it wasn't broken), along with a number of other things totally about "$13,000 to get it nice, more for perfect". I have been daily driving this car for 2 years / 19k miles now, and as far as critical repairs, only replaced the alternator. Have pretty much done all the maintenance / upgrades / sorting out myself, car's somewhat of a looker when she's shined up, & runs smooth.

If you have a car you think is ideal for you & don't get a clean PPI from someplace that also sells P-cars, consider they may not want you to buy that car, but one of theirs. Anyway, just like for surgery, don't be afraid to get a 2nd opinion. This is potentially a large investment / long-term relationship. Make sure you have your eyes open & brain thinking & not just the heart pounding when you buy.

Good luck!

H2NO

Did you mean a new car dealership? That could be the source of your mis-information. While nobody is perfect, a PPI from a well-respected, highly recommended (from this forum) professional Porsche mechanic should be adequate. I have very little faith in new car dealerships - been burned too many times. Once the warranty expires on a car I go to independent mechanics. Both my Audi and Porsche mechanics are veterans of new car dealerships and they both share similar horror stories about what they were asked to do to drum up new repairs.

theiceman

Keep in mind wha do guys at dealerships who sell brand new cars and wholesale off 993s and older know about fixing 20+ year old cars.

84_Carrera

BTDT - Yes, dealership. I'll leave it vague enough to say that I didn't think Roger Penske needed my money that badly at this "Premier" rated dealership.

Edgy01

Read the books but also get yourself a friend who knows a lot about Porsches. He/She can help you on some of the complexities of these thigs, particularly in the differences between each year. The sage old advice continues: "Buy the newest 911 that you can afford."

There are generally internal (and to a lesser extent) and external changes to the 911 from year to year and each year adds improvements. Some years were better years than others. Your search in the 1984 to 89 range is an excellent starting place as the SC was well sorted out by then. Each of those years produced excellent automobiles. With respect to you turbo question, always question less than average mileage on those cars. Many people bought them and rarely drove them, which actually can do more harm than good. The good side of that is the cosmetics will be better, but the downside is that there may be some internal engine issues that neglect or lack of use promulgated.

TSeck

First, I agree don't buy a turbo as your first porsche (they'll bite you if you don't know what your doing) . Second, go to some regional club meets, Make friends, ask questions, take rides, and listen to lots of owners. Especially the people that frequent these forums. They are your best resource. That said, I warn you. You are about to be become infected with a very adictive desease. I've been trying to find a cure for over 30 years without any success.