salukijac

Newby here (have never owned a Porsche) and I've been looking for a 87-89 Carrera either Coupe or Targa and cannot figure out if a tail adds or decreases the value of the car. Are they more desirable with or without the tail? I prefer without the tail so I would like to know how hard is going to be to find one.

911vet

Welcome! You have chosen wisely -- an 87 to 89 Carrera is a fantastic car. I got mine August 2007 and have been smiling ever since.

The tail is purely a matter of personal preference, I think. I haven't noticed a significant difference in price/value based on the tail. Besides... it only matters if you are buying as an investment. If you want to resell the car, then maybe it matters. Though there are so many other more important factors in determining value.

Tails can be added or deleted. If you find a car with a tail and really want to get rid of it, in most cases you just have to get a rear deck lid without it. (same color or get it painted, of course). If you decide you want a tail later, you can add one.

The lines of the 911 look great either way. It's simply hard to go wrong either way. Both are classic.

Good luck in your search and have fun looking. You will not regret it.

rusnak

I think the difference is negligible.

One thing I would say however is that if you decide to add anything, use all Porsche factory parts and do a first class job. Otherwise you will probably end up decreasing the car's value because it will look like a hack job.

If you end up removing anything, keep the original parts to restore the car to factory condition later.

RacerX1166

With regard to value, as noted previously, it makes little difference from what I can tell.

With regard to what you purchase, which do you like better? It's solely a matter of what you want the car to look like.

My personal preference was no tail so that's what I looked for and ultimately purchased. I looked at a few cars with tails but budgeted the removal of said tail in the cost of the purchase.

salukijac

I consider myself sort of a purist. I don't want to modify the car if I don't have to but it is good to know that it may not matter much to change the deck lid if needed.

Are there any significant changes in the cooling preformance going from a tail to no tail? Anything to take in consideration since the angles of the deck lid and tail are so different?

theiceman

could you even get an 87-89 without a tail from the factory ? if not then theres your answer.

irobertson

As 911vet stated, nice choice on a 87-89 vintage car.
I have to admit I'm biased that way though. :-)
Personally I find the tail looks fine on the wider turbo & turbo look cars, but I prefer the cleaner lines of no tail on the non-turbo body.
Again, personal bias enters into it for me here as well.
I have also heard many folks mentioning that the non-tail cars are seeing a resurgence in popularity.
I have also heard that the tail adds some downforce and stability above 100 MPH.
As I don't track my car, and I don't want to have it impounded, mine rarely sees speeds over 160 Km/Hr.

My vote goes for no tail :-)

cheers

Paul K

salukijac:

Welcome! Please add your location to your profile, so we can better help you. IMHO, the 911 looks better without the tail. Especially targas. (I have my '89 for sale, BTW). Turbo-bodied cars look great with the tail, but I think the tail detracts from that cute rear-end.

Cheers,

Paul.

salukijac

theiceman
That's a good question...I've seen 87-89 without

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=448449

I'm guessing it was an option to get them without.

rusnak

I installed a tail on mine with a second decklid so I can always switch back. I installed a second hinge to match as well as a second strut and wired up a diode for the wiper motor. It looks probably 9 out of 10. I used pop rivets for the hinge mount until I weld everything up.

irobertson

Mine is an 88, and originally came without a tail. AFAIK

dshepp806

89 here,..and I like her tail, 4sure!


Best,

Doyle

salukijac

I almost bought an '85 Carrera last summer (long story, I wish I had) that had the front and back spoilers. I would have kept it as is as it was a great looking car. The only one I think that looks unnatural is the the Targas with the whale tails. The others, I can live with.

flatsixnut

Personal preference, whatever you choose for yourself that makes you happy.

My opinion is...Carrera tail on a Carrera looks good. Tea Tray tail on a non-turbo flaired 911 is a bit much.

What looks best for me on my car... ...

Ed Hughes

What hasn't been mentioned here is that tails aren't just about looks. Porsche started adding tails for a reason. 911's get a bit squirrelly at speed, and the aero benefits of a tail (combined with a front spoiler) are real. Mine had no tail when I bought her, and when I started getting into spirited drives and track weekends, it became obvious that at 100mph, the car became fairly light. I bought a lid/OEM Carrera tail and put her on for a couple of years.

When I started putting the car on a diet, I went to the Duck, and shed about 35lbs worth of weight fairly high and at the rear.

So, keep your car's purpose for you in mind as you decide.