BMW.Nick

I am hoping this isn't one of those posts that are always popping up, but Im sure it is, and for that I apologize!

Im Nick, from Birmingham AL. Im looking to purchase my first 911 and am in no hurry to do so. I want to learn as much as possible and make a decision on what car I think is right for me BEFORE I rush into anything. Right now I'm thinkg 87-88 Carrera is the way to go, but I am still totally open.

I'd like to stay under $25k as this will be a 2nd/ toy car. I'd love to hear what some of you think I should purchase and why if any of you have the time. Thanks for the help!

Loaded

What will you use it for?
Is it your daily driver?
How fast do you want to go?

Oh and get a PPI worth every Ef'n dollar

BMW.Nick

Not a daily driver, used for recreation. Ive done the whole "incredibly fast" thing, at this point I am just looking for an overall fun drive. Doesnt have to be incredibly fast. May take a few weekend trips up to the mountains or down to the beach (4 hr trips)

Just basically want something I can purchase, drive, adore, feed all my money...the usual.

oceanvue

If your not one of those "I need a cup holder for my latte" Porsche owners get a SC (I have a Carrera and a 928 but I have had many). It's not enough to fall in love with the car but to fall in love with Porsche. They're bullet proof they are much less expensive than the numbers you mentioned and half the fun of a Porsche is dicking around and having fun fixing (or having fixed) some of the little things. SC's are great hobby cars and than retain so much of what made Porsches....well, Porsches

BMW.Nick

I am in NO way a cup holder guy. Give me a seat a steering wheel and a shifter!

What makes an SC so bulletproof? Is the real advantage over a G50 car that its more affordable?

Loaded

I personally have never driven a g50. It wasnt an issue as much as the right porsche being n the right condition.

I have owned two 928's and both seemed to give me an issue or two. But on those two I never did a PPI.
The 87 and back 911 seems to give me the feeling of a true sports car and with a top down and wind in my hair etc. it feels great......I feel connected in every way.

Jay H

Nick,

For a hobby Porsche and with your robust budget, you can look at virtually anything from '65 to the mid '90's. All of these cars are very fun to drive and you may not know what you want just yet. That's the fun of doing your homework.

I prefer 3.2 Carrera's for a driver type car, specifically the 915 equipped cars since I grew up during the '80's and lusted after those cars when I was a teenager. I enjoy the balky feel of the 915. I've got a 964 and love it too, though I enjoy driving the older car a bit more because it's more involving at lesser velocities.

My brother has a '70 911T and two SC's. The '70 is 1000 times more fun to drive than any of the other 4 911's we have in the family. I love the 901 transmission and the power delivery with all it's feel and sounds. But, it is an old car and needs careful attention at times.

If I were you, I would definitely try to drive an SC, a 915 equipped 3.2 Carrera, a G-50 Carrera and a 964. If you found a mid year car ('74 to '77) that was extremely nice and had the proper updates done to it, that might be something you might like as well.

Don't limit yourself to one particular model just because people on Rennlist told you they like their particular car. The SC's from '78 to '83 have extremely bulletproof motors. The 3.2 Carreras have great power bands due to the computer controlled fuel system. 964's have a large, tangible increase in power and torque and are extremely quick cars. Mid year cars can be an absolute blast due to their lighter weights and even more raw feel. Of course the pre impact bumper cars are in a league of their own.

Good Luck!

Jay
90 964 & 84 3.2

dmwallace

Nick,

FWIW - I bought my 911 just over 1 year ago; it was also my dream car for 35+ years. My reading of both online forums like here and Pelican along with some books led me to shop for '87 - '89 3.2L cars; in part due to the Motronic update, the G50 with hydraulic clutch, and some (for me) standard amenities like cruise control, sunroof, leather, electric seats/windows, and A/C (such as it is). I ended up with a '89 with ~80K miles and < $25K in very good condition after only 3 months of looking. Mine is also a 2nd car.

There are lots of choices so my suggestion would be to do some reading and research so you can determine which series (SC, 3.2L, 964, etc.) would best meet your needs and then start seriously looking and driving the cars. One item I found out early on from driving some locally available cars for sale was that my dream car had to be a coupe. That realization plus a list of acceptable/not acceptable colors helped me focus my search.

Good luck on your search, and have patience to look for and find the best car available for your planned investment. And don't forget the PPI before you purchase.

Regards,
David.

sslandry

You listed 1987-88, but don't don't forget that 1989 is also a year that Porsche still produced the 3.2 carrera, but also introduced the C4 964. It was the last year of the 3.2 Carrera and they sold a fair amount of them. If you are looking online for a 3.2 Carrera don't leave out 1989 in your search.

ked

"Don't limit yourself to one particular model just because people on Rennlist told you they like their particular car."
Wisdom from Jay! & welcome - not rushing is a good plan. in the case of old 911s, the condition of a specific example templated to your personal tastes is what matters... so I'd drive as many appealing cars as possible, do research (Pete's book, Excellence, etc), and get the ppi for THE car before stroking the check.

Mike Murphy

Nick, welcome! First, the rules of a good acquisition: a PPI is a must. Additionally, if you want to stretch your dollar, try buying from a private party instead of a dealer, but only do so after driving a few cars...

I have a 3.2 Targa, but before I bought it, I previously test drove a 74 911, 78SC, 80SC, 82SC, 84 3.2, 87 3.2, 91 964, 02 996. I even drove the 944 and 928, and, just for fun, a track-only SC.

IMO, the older the car, the more fun it is to drive. The reason is probably because I grew up on older cars (1949 Chevy 1/2-ton pickup truck, 1968 Chevy Nova SS, 1974 Triumph TR6). But because I daily drive my Carrera, I wanted something that I could live with on a day to day basis. Since you don't need a daily driver, I would opt for something a older than the 3.2.

The SC isn't the only bulletproof 911 out there. In fact, almost all of them are, with rare exception. As long as the "updates" were performed on these cars, I would have confidence buying any of them.

I bought my 88 Targa with 117,000 miles for $16,900, but the engine was rebuilt at 90,000 miles. I opted to buy a higher mileage car since I have greater confidence in the engine rebuild than an original engine. Keep in mind, you will always spend less money buying a car with a rebuilt engine than buying it and rebuilding it yourself. That goes for all the replacement items.

My car was in very good shape, except for 5 blown blowers and the AC doesn't work. I've replaced all the failed blowers, but only time will tell what the AC system needs.

Allen70SSan Diego

Nick:
Since you’re not in a hurry, join PCA (www.PCA.org) and get to meet the local members. They can help with a good shop for PPI and their experiences/opinions regarding various models. Go on to Amazon and buy all of the following, as different authors have different opinions. Keep in mind that just because a model may be prone to certain problems it doesn’t mean every car produced that year has all the problems.

Porsche 911 Buyer’s Guide – Randy Leffingwell
Illustrated Buyer’s Guide Porsche – Dean Batchelor
The Used 911 Story – Peter Zimmerman
Porsche 911 Red Book 1965 –> 1999 – Patrick Paternie

I also recommend subscribing to EXCELLENCE (www.excellence-mag.com) because each issue has a market update on a specific generation of Porsche and, a “Reader’s Sales Report” section.

Take your time and make a smart purchase.

Al

BMW.Nick

Wow, thank you so much for your input guys. Each and every post helps!

Edgy01

Definitely buy Zimmerman's book if you are completely new to Porsches and the 911. Do lots of reading, and understand that there are truly dozens and dozens of nice cars out there,--and they aren't going anywhere that soon. Make sure that you have all the paper-trail on the car. Most Porsche owners are **** as hell and keep every piece of paper on servicing, etc. that the car has ever had. Once you find a clean car with the paper-trail, go seek out a local PCA expert who can look over the car with you.

Good luck.

good hands

Nick, I believe your first instincts are right on. an 87-89 3.2 is a bullet proof vehicle. classic styling, you still have the sports car feel, and the upgraded transmission. Let us know when you buy it so we can help you spend your money on upgrades