AGW911

I've been seriously considering an 84 Carrera that has been discussed here before. floete was looking at it and passed. He was nice enough to pass me the contact info and after some consideration I decided to pursue it further.

Another board member has looked at it and has given it the initial thumbs up, noting that it is a high mileage car and that there may be some work to be done. I am ok with that, as I have no other way to spend a cold Canadian winter. Being in Afghanistan I can't really go look at it myself, but have a real gut feeling about this car and don't want to pass on it just because I can't see/drive it (trying to leave emotion of buying first Porsche out of it, but there is a bit of that too). I trust that having another board member look at it and a competent shop do a PPI/leakdown should be enough to make a decision on. I understand there are certain risks involved and I am ready to accept them.

My largest concern is what affect the high mileage will have on resale, if I decide to sell it and move on eventually. From what I understand, it is probably going to need some suspension work (mostly bushings which I can do myself), maybe a top end job (not near critical point yet, but may need to be done in the next year or two) and a bit of freshening on the paint (stone chips on the hood and some other minor spots).

For those that haven't read the other post, it is an 84 Carrera with factory tail and limited slip. There was some concern about an oil leak at first, but it turned out to be an oil line leaking and the original owner has ordered a new one and will replace it. Pic below for other cosmetic particulars.



Different paint colour. Onwer says it is factory. I am going to verify that before buying it.

Anyway, I think the price of 12K is fair, less any negotiating room from the PPI. The mileage is around 176K. That is what bothers me (not sure it should though).

Any other advice or things I should be worried/not worried about?

Ed Hughes

I'd look at the car at its merits and price. Unless you're looking at an investment car, which clearly this probably isn't due to its mileage, don't get hung-up on resale, unless your situation is such that this is something you will need to do in the near future.

AGW911

Thanks Ed. The car has everything I was looking for. Resale would not be out of necessity at all, just a consideration for the future. I would like to buy a really nice early model for an investment one day, but not today. This would be my summer car. Summer is pretty short where I live, so not a lot of mileage going on it each year.

AGW911

One more thing Ed, since we are on the subject of this car. Do you know how easy it is to remove the white from the Fuchs and polish them? I really like that look. Are yours polished and clear coated or bare aluminum that you polish regularly?

Ed Hughes

If it is factory finish, it will take a bit of time and elbow grease to redo them. I'm at the point in my life where I'd send them to Al Reed or Harvey Weidemann for refinishing. Mine are polished-no clear, but they do not require constant attention. Maybe once a quarter with the Mothers powerball.

911vet

Live in the moment. Cars bring endless aggrevation as they empty bank accounts. And old German cars do it best of all. So I recommend you not buy one if you're thinking of resale. Buy it because it will bring you joy.

I believe the saying that all 911s are $25,000 cars. One way or another, you'll have that much in one if you keep it for very long. Don't expect to get that back out of it. But then again, what car can you buy and get back what you have in it? And what car could be more fun than a 911?

I'll never recover the cost of my 87 911 (now with 130K miles). I didn't buy it as an investment, but because it was the fulfilment of a dream... To drive a Porsche 911.

The high mileage can be a blessing in disguise because some repairs will be done that wouldn't be on a 30K mile car. And it implies that it's been driven on a regular basis rather than left to sit. Sitting is not good for these cars. But it will also mean some parts will be worn out. I think it's always a trade off.

By buying at a relatively low price, you'll have funds left to make repairs as you go. I couldn't plunk down $25K on a newer/low mileage car all at once. Instead, I bought a $16K car and slowly invested in it. I'm getting close to that $25K though.

Good luck and take care in Afghanistan. I assume you're there because of the war? I hope we get every soldier home soon. And I hope you have a 911 to come home to

AGW911

There is no doubt the car will bring joy, lots of it!! I guess now that I have received the slap in the face I was looking for (ever so subtle and much appreciated) resale is not really that big of a deal.

Like I have said before, I don't mind doing a bit of work, actually I enjoy it. I think to have a brand new car that never required any work would be boring and I wouldn't like it. Fixing and learning will be the biggest reward and will allow me to take on bigger projects in the future ie. early model restore.

I have decided to go ahead with the PPI. I will contact the seller and the shop today and let them know. Hopefully it can get done relatively quick and I can decide whether or not this is the one for me.

This care WILL be the fulfillment of a dream for me as well. Ever since I bought my first car magazine 25+ years ago. Now that I think about it, it might have been an 84 Carrera in that magazine!!

floete

Congrats. This is great. I sincerely hope the PPI comes back a great big A+++!

Daniel Dudley

AGW, Make sure that the shop checks the cam lobes specifically. When the shop checked mine, the mechanic was kind enough to adjust the valves for very little extra, since he was already in there. Checking the cams was important to me, since I had previously purchased a 911 with bad cams that ran very well and leaked no oil.

Wishing you well with the PPI, and keep us posted. With any luck, this will be the right Porsche for you.

AGW911

Well, looks like it was me that gave myself the hardest slap in the face on this one. I let emotion get in the way of sound judgement (I hear that "told you so"!!).

I sat down and really thought about this purchase. As much as I love the car and, in my mind, it is a great deal. The timing is all bad. I am in Afghanistan until September. I am taking my family to Europe for a month on my return (least I can do for abandoning them for a year!!). With all of that, I might get to drive the car for a couple of weeks before the snow flies and then it gets stored for the winter. If I am going to have a car I have never driven stored for the winter then I might as well be working on it. So, it is a solid car that needs work that I am now on the hunt for. I think I will appreciate the end product more that way as well. I will also learn a lot about the car.

I will most likely wait until later in the summer to purchase, unless something really good comes along at an incredible price. Even at that point it will probably be something that needs lots of work and will become my winter project. Until that time, I will live vicariously through those of you who already own one of these fine cars and enjoy sharing my virtual search with those of you lucky enough to be physically searching for, and test driving your future purchases.

Stay tuned for the ongoing saga of my search for the perfect (for my situation) Porsche. Thanks for all of the advice and encouragement up until now. I look forward to more opinions on future considerations.

floete

Sorry it came to this but sounds like a wise move. Bet the thought of the car made your heart pound for a little while, though!

And I'd step back in but for the prospect of a top-end job 1 - 2 years down the road. A quick search here suggest that's an $8k item, and I wouldn't want that hanging over my head, I don't think....

Good luck out there, and stay safe!

AGW911

Thanks. I don't want to misrepresent the car at all. The top end may be perfectly fine. Only speculation based on others opinions. I think it is really worth a PPI for someone in a position to buy now.

floete

Well, if Rick drove the car and thought *maybe* a top end job was in the wings, and if the owner himself suggested the same thing ("New valve guides and rebuilding the heads would be first on your to do list"), then I might be inclined to think the same thing too. Hmmm.

911vet

Buy one when you can enjoy it, not when it's going to be a financial burden. These SC and Carreras have been around for over 20 years. They'll be here when you're ready. And I started dreaming about a 911 when I was 12. It took me 30 years to get one. Dreams have a way of staying with you when they are real.

Rick K

Just want to make sure this car is accurately represented. Cosmetically the car is ok, expected paint condition (some chips, etc) that would be expected of that mileage except for a somewhat larger "dent" behind the passenger side door. Interior showed some wear on the seat bolster of the sport seats, but otherwise looks good. The car was previously owned by a guy that runs nice repair/body shop in the area - so mechanically, the car was apparently well looked after (although that is just from my conversation w/ the owner). The previous owner apparently went through the suspension a bit and refreshed a few things.

I didn't drive the car b/c I'm not the one purchasing it, although the owner did offer. He came across as a very honest guy and was very forthcoming with info - also left the car cold so I could see how it started in ~40 degree temps. Car started up well, idled where expected for cold temp starts, than dropped to correct idle after warm up. No excessive valve or chain clatter, things sound smooth, it rev'd freely. The 915 box felt good just shifting in place, but again, I didn't drive it.

I believe the car is PPI worthy for sure at that price (to check more thoroughly for any potential body damage - didn't appear to be any from my inspection of the front boot area and engine, but you would need to get the car on a lift to check more thoroughly). Regarding the engine, I have no idea what it would need and it would require leakdowns to get a better idea - and even then there are no guarantees (same can be said of low mileage cars as well). That car could run to 300K w/ no problems for all I know.

Its a pretty car, cool color in the sun, and I actually don't mind the white wheels - I think it looks sharp. It has a great stance as well. Owner comes across as an honest guy and he knows his way around pcars, so I would assume the car was taken care of appropriately during his ownership (but I didn't look at any receipts to back up that claim).