ChemMan

I have listed my 1986 carrera on ebay. I was planning on buying a 930, but am looking at a 996 right now. If you have any question, let me know:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...TrucksQQ_fviZ1

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

JMHO,..but I'd think twice about buying a 996,..........

Do your "due diligence" and some homework.

Carrera's are much more durable cars and depending on condition and past maintenance, 930's are far better as well. 964's and 993's ain't bad either,..

WPOZZZ

I have had all three cars you are speaking of. My first Porsche was a 85 RoW cab and it is a wonderfully engaging vehicle. I picked up a 996 a few months later and that car was extremely fast and capable, but keeps you detached from the road and other great stuff the 911 is known for. It is great if you want to use it as a daily driver as it is comfortable with a good HVAC system. That car was replaced by a 79 930 about 6 months later. The 930 is similar to the 911, but just bigger and faster.

As a whole, the 911 is much more fun to drive. If you are going to put some miles on the car, I would stay away from the 996 as those motors had issues with leaks that necessitated engine replacements.

Ed Hughes

The 911's/930's are not only more fun to drive, but DIY friendly as well.

ChemMan

Thank you for responding. I would really like to get your opinion on the car I am looking at. Especially Steve since I figure you must see several of these in your shop. The car has 105,000 miles. The engine was replaced by porsche 50,000 mile ago. The clutch was changed at 95,000 miles. It was the ROW M30 suspension. The biggest plus in this car is the rear seat belts. It would make it easier to fit toddler/child seats back there for my 2 sons. I know that the carrera will fit them as well with a bit of work, but I have not been successful in getting this to work.
So my question would be, are the replacement engines better than the original? Is there a mileage warranty from Porsche on the new engine? I only drive the 911 in the summer. I do not do track events just rallys but would really like to do some autocross.

Honestly, if the carrera does not sell on ebay it will just stay with me. It is just a real drivers car. Just fantastic but I really want to be able to take the entire family along on porsche trips especially when my boys are young. I think it will be memories they will look back at fondly for the rest of their lives.

When I first started thinking about selling the carrera, I wanted a 930. But the rear seat problem would still be there.

Like I said, I would really value you thoughts on this so please share.

UberXY

Michael: I started out with an '85 Carrera. I sold it to buy a '76 930 - beautiful car, but I quickly missed the Carrera, and the new owner would not sell it back to me (can't blame him). Then I bought a very nice '99 996 - low miles, aerokit, etc. It was a great car, totally trouble free, comfortable to drive even in the hottest weather. But I still did not like it as much as the Carrera, so I sold it and bought an excellent one owner 39k mile '84 Targa, which I hope I will have enough sense to keep forever. An expensive series of mistakes.

As far as the bad rep on the 996 motors being replaced, the issue was fairly minor, but was not economical for repair at a Porsche dealership. It was easier (cheaper) for Porsche just to replace the engine, send the old engine back to a repair depot, do the repair, change the engine number, and send the engine back to a dealership as a future replacement. The engines were not blowing up or suffering major damage; they were just leaking a few drops of oil from the RMS due to a misaligned crankshaft, which in the 996 engine could be re-aligned without machining. My 996 never had the problem, as well as the vast majority of 996s.

Marc Gelefsky

Michael, I have admit I really enjoy the 996, it does not have the connected feel or the sound that my 86 has but it is a rewarding car to drive hard!

racer

I have never read anyone regret selling a 996.. Everyone though, regrets selling their aircooled 911

So.. Sell 145K miles 1986 911 for a 105K mile 996? Just for more rear seat room/car seat usage? Don't be silly. Keep the devil you know!.. and make it even more special by just taking ONE of the boys with you in the 911. Let him sit up front too (no airbags, so therefore no reason to be in the rear seat with an obstructed view!) I still remember the rides in of my childhood in my dad's 914-6 in part because my brothers weren't there!

The early 996's are "cheap" for a reason.

If you are serious about the 996, drive a few. While they are fantastic cars, they traded some of their soul (and rawness) for modern comforts. The feel completely different than your '86

WPOZZZ

I've likened my 996 to a Toyota or a kitchen appliance.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Hi Michael,

If I might suggest, why don't you call me and I'd be happy to answer some questions about these cars. This is a complex subject and the details of such an exchange becomes somewhat clumsy in a written medium.

f4 plt

Words from an old guy. I have been driving Porsche models for over 40 years. Late last year I was able to find a very nice '83 Euro spec SC . At the same time I had a 997 GT3. the GT3 was an explosively powerful car with outstanding handling (it has since been bought back by Porsche for repeated RMS leaks) but the SC is just fun to drive. I now have a Cayman /s that is my daily drive and it is truly a fun car also but the Sc is the keeper. A `2009 Carrera S will join the stable is January and should I decide to thin down the SC would stay. Do we see a pattern here. The air cooled Porsches are just reliable fun cars to drive. Now I will say in the hot Texas Summers the Cayman or Carrera will be the daily pick as the one drawback to the air cooled cars is their marginal air conditioners ( AC has been taken out of the SC for weight considerations) That said windows down they are still my first choice. By the way my SC is set up for the track (still street legal but very firm ride) and has over 130,000 spirited driving miles on it. The engine has never been opened and still produces factory spec Hp. and the valves still seal as advertised. The only reason the tranny is getting opened next week is to install a Guard limited slip. As others have said the cars are basically bulletproof. Lastly In 1972 I was transferred from the East coast to the west and my 3 year old son rode with me in our 1966 912 and loved it. Wife and daughter were in the other car trying to keep up on the curves. We also traveled many times with both kids in the back seats of the 912 and later air cooled 911's . Bottom line keep the Carrera and pass it on to your son.

Marc Gelefsky

Yeah, drives just like a toaster ....

gerry100

Michael,

You're selling a car that is a very near match to mine,(miles,service history,miles,upgrades even color) I'd appreciate knowing how it turns out.

I love my '86, but lately I've been thinking of upgrading to a newer Porsche( mainly to make longer drives to DE's and and get the wife back out on the track).

I'm thinking of a 993, basically preserving a lot of the raw feel but gaining a few creature comforts).

993's are generally more expensive than 996's even though they are older and there are good reasons.

When I think about replacing my '86 with a 993 , I can understand why people wind up with more htan one Porsche.

ChemMan

So...forget the 996. If the carrera sells for right the price I, I will start looking for a 930.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Two important things about a 930:

1) Make sure you get a VERY thorough PPI on any candidate you find and make sure its performed by people intimately familiar with these cars.

2) Budget accordingly for repairs as these cars are not cheap to fix.

Good luck in the hunt.