Schnozzberry

Hi everyone,

I think that I would like to get into the wonderful experience of owning a 911, but I am having a few problems arise fairly quickly. I would LOVE to find a convertible in my price range (12-13k) but it is not looking that way. Im not really picky on the year at all, I love them all up until the 90's or so. So, first of all, I am having trouble finding the best sites to find a convertible so if you guys don't, mind could you assist me in my search? And secondly if it turns out that a convertible is out of the question as far as my budget goes, does a targa provide a similar open air experience in this car?

Thanks for the help guys (and gals)

Mike Murphy

Welcome to Rennlist. There is a saying that goes, "Every 911 is a $20,000 911." What it means is that if you find a $12k 911, you might spend another $8k to get it up and running solidly. So if your budget is $12-$13k, I would look getting into a 944 or equivalent.

Difference between a Targa and a Cab? Huge. Test drive both and see which you prefer.

This site is a great place to find the car you are looking for. You can search elsewhere, but a lot of people on this site have good cars.

Good luck with your search!

Amber Gramps

Please buy Peter Zimmermann's book: "The used 911 story". Tell us where on the planet you are at as prices do differ by location. I like to check out cars.com and autotrader.com. Cars.com has a search for pre-'83's I think it is that really helps. good luck with the search. Murph is right about the $20K number. They just ain't cheep. Half the fun is trying to figure out all the changes in the cars along the way.

84_Carrera

I found a '90 C4 Cab for $17k when I went looking a few years ago, but there were questions on its history, mileage etc.

I ended up buying my 84 Cab from a guy in my car club for $19.5k, 50k miles. I didn't know it, but the suspension was toast, found out later (hey, I was new to the cars, so I wasn't sure how a torsion bar car / 911 was supposed to feel). Anyway, dropped a few grand into new suspension & brakes, which I did myself, replaced a bunch of small things like the power antenna motor, new stereo & speakers, wheels, tires, alternator, battery, tune, valve adjustments, etc. - yep, you can drop $5k into the cars without batting an eyelash if you're not your own wrench.

I'm now at the point where I have to replace the clutch & will be doing a trans rebuild while in there, new CVs, etc., and there's another $4-5k to have that done if I hand it off to someone.

Now, having said that, for an exotic car, these things are darn near "dependable" & bulletproof. I have been towed twice in 3.5 years, once for the alt, once for a clutch cable that slipped out of the bracket & I couldn't get at it (& wasn't going to jack the car & work under it on the side of the road). I've put 35k miles on her, loving every minute of it. She's due for some other things, like new headliner, top seals, etc. (will replace the entire top one shot), but all in all, it's been a very rewarding experience.

Like Douglas said, they ain't cheap though.

ked

here are a few generalizations (all things being equal, which they never are...):
- Targas are less expensive than Cabs,
- Older 911s are less expensive than newer ones - until you reach '73, when that trend halts & even reverses,
- The more you study 911s, the more cars you inspect & drive, the more time you take, the better the car you end up buying,
- Older 911s' condition is more influenced by the car's history & ownership than mileage (exception: investment grade low mi cars),
- & yes, "all 911s are $20K cars" (this doesn't mean you must only buy one at that price though - just be aware that cars below that - heck, ALL old 911s - will demand further investment to get it right for you)

I recall a few yrs ago someone posted a site comprising all the on-line sources for buying / selling Porsches - anyone remember it / have it?

A Targa provides a unique open-air experience - drive a few. If I were in your position, I'd get my purchase budget up to $15-18K & while doing so & immerse myself in 911 markets & Porsche people in my locale. Have fun!

v8_ranch

Keep your nose to the grindstone. I would contact you local PCA region, regions if there is more than one and get to know the club officers. Let them know what you are looking for. Offer to volunteer at track days, DE's adn other events they need help on (you might technically need to be a member, but I honestly do not know). If you are set on what you listed above, you might have to exercise patience in the search.

For the record, I picked up my 83 cab 1.5 years ago for $14k. The car had had a fairly recent top end and a lot of the typical upgrades. I bought it from a friend. I think I got a good deal, but they are out there. Of course, what the other guys are telling you is true - I need a new top, I need to redye my interior (for it to be perfect), same goes for carpet. But mechanically, the car is sound, I could drive it as it is for awhile (now where is my giant piece of wood!). I think you could potentially find a car like mine that looks good, runs great, but like ked said, you would need to probably bump up your initial budget. And don't forget to include PPI money in your initial budget. Take your time, ask around, narrow down choices from input form here and Pelican, and then get a PPI done on your final choices. Of course after doing this and spending the initial $15-18k, you would have a car that could be a daily driver for you while you sunk a few more thousand into it make it perfect, or "yours" - meaning modifications like FG bumpers, a ducktail rear spoiler, etc etc... It becomes a disease as youwould soon find out!

Good luck friend!

DL Lawrence

I think this is what you're thinking of, ked-


[URL="http://www.rallystuff.com/pcar_sources.html"URL]

Good luck, lots of great information here. As others have mentioned, take your time, and learn everything that you can.

Schnozzberry

Wow! Thanks for all of the great replies guys!

To answer some of your questions:

I am located in the Houston area...I don't know if that is good or bad though!

I am not necessarily situated on a convertible although if it was between a coupe or nothing I would rather save my money. Meaning I would be ok with the vert or targa but not the coupe.

I am not as interested in the interior of the car and what it looks like while driving as I am about the engine, tranny, suspension, etc. I could definitely live with a sub-par interior if the drivetrain was in great condition.

This would be a 2nd car and probably won't be driven daily. I think that generally helps me, no?

Again thanks for all the help already guys! I'm loving this place!