thomschoon

I have two cars picked out, both have around 80k and price is same. Both are in good shape but the 86 color is preferred (dark gray versus Rose Metallic). Which is a better car structually, all opinions are appreciated.

Jaxon

'87...but not by to much.

James Achard

Well, the '87 has a G50 gearbox. For me, that's a no brainer. I have both examples of Porsche transmissions and I suggest you drive both of these examples and see which one YOU enjoy driving the best. They both have there advantages as well as there achilles heels.

Cheers, James

wwest

87,88,89 had unique components (clutch,etc,) that can get VERY expensive to repair/replace vs 86.

jwilberdog

Maybe so wwest, but if this thread gets active I would bet that 90% of the readers will say the '87. All things being equal, the g50 and the resale are enough for me.

JeremyW964

87 - no contest

richard glickel

Another '87 vote.

Richard
'87 Carrera-3.6L

Mike Kast

87- first hydraulic clutch, up to $2000 to replace including other misc. parts and labor. But I read it is really nice to shift with that thing. I just read the 87 chapter again this morning. Ol' Peter Z. said it was the best year for the 80's Carrera's.
I guess, if we can't afford a $2000.00 clutch job every 60,000 miles? We probably don't need to be driving Porsches. Or wanting one! or two... or three

Jim Michaels

Ditto; for the G50 tranny and the hydraulic clutch alone. But of the two you're looking at, the older car may be in better condition. Also, not having the color you like could bug you for as long as you own the car. Both years come in a variety of colors, so you might consider expanding your relevant market some.

Stuttgart951

Drive both cars. The G50 is more expensive to "fix" when things go wrong, but the improvement over the 915 is worth the price, IMO.

If you dont like the color, dont buy the car. Nothing worse than closing a deal on a car you dont love 100% and then seeing "your" car for sale 2 weeks later. Take your time.

cab&coupe

I am partial to the 87-89 carreras. I love my 87 Cab.

willwest

Ahhhh...the clutch.

Didn't know when the change-over occurred.

If you're over 6' tall (I'm 6'2") you might find the hydraulic clutch to be a pain in the butt.

I have a 78 Targa 5sp onto which I have put many, many miles. I got into an 88 some years ago and it took me a bit to figure out why I couldn't quite get the hang of the clutch.

If you're fairly tall, it's becuase the clutch release point is at just about the same point wherein your leg strenght declines.

I now have an 01 C4 and I have already discussed with my mechanic the possibility of modifying the clutch "throw", stroke, so the release point is closer to the floor.

At the moment I have struck something of a compromise in the 01 by moving the seat a little further back than my actual "comfort" zone.

Jaxon

willwest...
"If you're over 6' tall (I'm 6'2") you might find the hydraulic clutch to be a pain in the butt....
If you're fairly tall, it's becuase the clutch release point is at just about the same point wherein your leg strenght declines."

You're the other person who has mentioned this!!! I've noticed it on more than one occasion, and thought I was imagining it.

carrera87

generally speaking, i'd pick the '87. i thought the g50 was worth the price difference when i was shopping for my car.

as between the two cars, i'd pick the one that is in better shape, has the better service history, and needs the least work. all used cars need to be sorted out a bit. which of the two will cause you the least headaches and expense? a PPI will answer that question.

as for color, that's highly subjective. 12 years ago, i had a '71 911E that was lime green. i was lukewarm on the color, but bought the car because of the condition. interestingly, men really hated the color (all my guy friends and quite a few strangers told me to repaint it). however, women just loved the car. i got a surprising number of notes on my windshield from women who wanted to complement the car. somehow, i survived all the scrutiny. i really miss that car...

in the end, you should go with what will make you happy. it's a buyer's market, so buy what you really like. good luck shopping.

KLehmann

I think the G50 horror stories are a little overblown. Every 60,000 is not $2000. My disc still had alot of miles left on it (friction surface and rubber damper life) at 62k. I just didn't know when the clutch had been replaced, if at all. Turned out to be the original 12/86 dated disc.

The G50 fix is a one-time fix and not all that expensive (or hard) if you do the Weltmeister shaft & fork replacement yourself. Get a Sachs spring disc to replace the rubber disc and reuse the pressure plate. Check flywheel and see if it's within spec. If so, clean up the surface with an abrasive pad and reinstall. New pilot bearing is cheap ($15-20 I think?) and a simple pop-out replacement. Replace the T/O bearing with the appropriate guide tube and you're all set.

***As an aside here, if you have an exceptionally low mileage G50 that hasn't had the shaft updated you most likely can prolong this update issue if the components are still in good shape. The problem with the shaft is actually a lack of lubrication on the needle bearings. You can clean and relube the shaft/bearing assembly with a longlife EP grease. At Dow Corning, I found a great substitute for Porsche's recommended Olista EP grease. Dow's version is a fluorosilicone EP grease called 1292 Long Life Bearing grease. Supposed to be good for use in harsh or dirty environments. Doing this is certainly not going make your clutch operate any worse!***

Sure the 915 stuff is cheaper, but there's plenty of stuff to consider servicing on those too. Clutch cable, helper spring, release forks prone to breaking, ........... 915's have issues too.

I'm not the greatest wrencher (and slower than a drunk snail) and I did the G50 clutch work myself.

Anyway, if the buying decision comes down to these two cars, take the best one. Don't worry about the G50 issue like it's a must-have. They're both great cars.