Swede_Matt

Hi all. Looking for some feed-back and your opinion on my next Porsche adventure.

Not new to Rennlist (just sold my '03 996) but new to this part of Rennlist. Sold my Porsche since I rarely drove it and the decpreciation was making me severly depressed. I thought I would survive without a P-car but the bug has bitten me again! And I only sold my car a month ago.... Luckily enough I have a wonderful wife who told me "I can see that you miss your Porsche. You can buy another one" :-)

So, I've been looking at buying and SC or a Carrera. I've test driven several ones by now and the condition has been everything from horrible to amazing for the cars I've looked at.

I really wanted a Coupe but came across a convertible today that was in amazing condition. Just a few stone chips in the front, two dings on the drivers side that should come out easily with paintless dent removal. It looks so nice I started considering this convertible instead.

Short description: 1985 911 Cabriolet, Red body w black top. Excellent condition. 51K miles. Turbo tail, Radar Detector, Stereo system which includes multi cd player, two amps w crossovers and a 10 inch sub. All white dash gauges, momo steering wheel, momo gear shift, metallic pedals. New clutch, brand new tires and a top in great condition. Lots of service records and looks to be three previous owners. Interior is good, wear on the seats that probably will look great after a re-dye, minor scratching on the drivers side door leather.

What is a reasonable/good deal on a car like this? Mileage is low but it's only been drive 9K miles in the last 12 years? I will probably take it for a PPI this week but wanted to get an idea on what to look out for and what to offer the current owner.

Thanks!

Ed Hughes

I'd not make any offer. Find out what the owner wants and start from there. Low miles may be good-may be bad too. Too many unknowns to value it on a web forum. I'd deduct for the white guages and "turbo" tail. If it is a Carrera tail, that is a different story. Basically, what has its history been? What maintenance in recent years?

Swede_Matt

Hi Ed,

I know what the owner wants for the car but didn't post it as I wanted to hear what people think first. The owner is asking $22K for the car.

The tail is a turbo tail and not a Carrera tail unfortunately. History looks solid with service records since new. It's been a California car since "birth". Maintenance in recent years of note (except yearly oil changes) was starter, new clutch, new tires, fixed drivers side electrical window.

I know it's hard to value on a web forum but wanted to hear some ball park feed-back. The car is very clean compared to the majority of cars I've seen.

500

Generally speaking, I would not say 22K is too much for a really nice car. It sounds solid, but I'm not sure (based on the description) if it crosses the line from "nice" to "really nice".

Usually I find the nicest cars also seem to be the ones that don't have any mods like a different stereo system, white-face guages and so on. Maybe I'm all wet, but the owners that seem to really cherish their cars are more averse to messing with the originality. Having said that, I have a Momo steering wheel, WEVO shifter etc, so I am not one to talk.

Three owners seems to be a lot of 51K miles... Definitely make some effort to verify the mileage. It certainly may be correct, but it is better to find out before paying a mileage premium.

Ed is correct about mileage: It really depends on how those miles were put on. If they were put on by a series of regular, moderate-distance trips that would be good (e.g. 51K would theoretically be 39 miles/week - if the car was taken out for one open road trip of 35 - 45 miles a week, that would be near perfect). If instead the majority of the miles were put on years ago and the car has since sat with the occaisional garage "warm-up", that would be bad.

It sounds like you are being smarter than me and have looked at a wide range of cars. If this one strikes you as being particularly good, then it certainly is worth looking more into. A PPI is mandatory. Don't be over-confident like I was.

Finally, if you can post pictures and details, you will be amazed at the helpful feedback that you will recieve. Certain people here amaze me with their ability to pick out important clues about cars just from pictures.

ked

51k miles is indeed low on an '85... but not if the odo gear broke (common failure) at 40k 20 yrs ago & was repaired 12 yrs later or if the mileage is since the gauges were modded / replaced. "wear on seats" is usually a post-100k feature, but that depends on the owner's treatment & where/how the car was parked or stored.

I agree w/ amj... a number of those mods raise more questions than add value (to me). does it have a frt spoiler? I'm very suspicious of glorified audio systems in 911s - electrical system is wierd enough to start with. hope it doesn't have an UNGO box as well...

PPI is key on a high mileage car w/ lotsa open issues, AND a low mileage car w/ white gauges.

Swede_Matt

Thanks for all the good feed-back. I've linked to some pictures below. Resolution is not great but at least you get an idea.

51K miles/three owners: I actually think it's only two owners and the paperwork supports this. The mileage seems correct based on all the service paperwork over the years. Current owner has had the car since 98 and bought it with 41K miles. It's been stored it in the garage most of the time. One concern is that it's gotten very irregular use....i.e. it's been standing the garage for long periods of time without use. The owner said he took it out every 3-4 months or so. It's worth mentioning that the current owner is a Police Sergeant and seems like a very honest guy. Maybe naive of me to think that policeman don't lie but it did make me trust him even more.

PPI will be done if I chose to move forward. I have a feeling that lots of gaskets, seals, hoses etc might be leaky after sitting still so much and that can quickly add up to a lot of money.

@amjfo88, car is very nice in comparison to the cars I've looked at. It's not a concourse car but definately a clean one.

@ ked, the wear on the seats looked more like dry cracks and less like wear wear. The leather looks fine but in need of a re-dye and some leather conditioner.

Stereo installation looks clean (especially in comparison to another 911 I looked at) but certainly doesn't add any value for me. I will most likely remove it all as the engine sound is what I want to listen to. I do agree that all this extra gear is making me a bit concerned. I do like the Momo steering wheel but the stereo was a definate negative for me.

500

Well, it definitely is a turbo tail (as opposed to a Carrera tail). I also notice that the front spoiler has not been added, which is widely regarded as an unsafe practice (for higher speed running) - so that would be something one would like to address right away.

In defense of the Momo steering wheel, '85s have uniquely high seat mounts so it may have been done for comfort reasons (i.e. a smaller-diameter steering wheel for more leg clearance). Check under the dash cover - dash restoration is costly and does require glass removal on pre-86s.

For comparison, here is 45K mile ’85 coupe that really does look the part of low-mileage, well cared for. Its asking ($28.5K) is perhaps on the high side, but if it really checks out as nice as it looks, it might be money well-spent.

https://rennlist.com/forums/911-foru...era-coupe.html

You really wanted a coupe – I would keep that in consideration and only go for a cabriolet if you are really happy with it.

Ed Hughes

I'm sure that there are a high percentage of cops that are great and honest people. But being a policeman certainly does not ensure one's honesty. If you have a good feeling about the gentleman, then go with that for the trust factor.

I'd find out who did the mods, as they scream "poseur" to me, and I'd be curious to know whether the car had gotten the attention it truly needed during that period of ownership.

whalebird

Poseur...I love it. Keep looking if you really wanted a coupe, a cab is not the same experience. How many cars have we seen here that scream "poseur". The cars at the lower end of the market and the one's at the upper end are the cars to have. Seems to be a bunch of painted calipers/fans out there.

ked

overlooked you stated you wanted a coupe...
yes, then get a coupe in equivalent condition as this one (+ some mileage, - some pose).
seems the market confirms the most desirable / highest value SCs & Carreras are survivor coupes. this cab would be tolerable (if clears ppi) with a tail swap back to stock (there's always someone who wants a turbo tail) & an instrum face redo. at least it has the fuchs.

aside #687; an old-timer in car sales advised me when I went into the biz, "beware the 3 Ps... prostitutes, preachers & policemen."

honeybadger

good luck ... red/blacktop is definately the best combination!

Swede_Matt

@ Ed Hughes: The Momo wheel, shift **** and white gauge faces were done at a local German Car mechanic. Not a specialist in Porsches I think but a decent mechanic according to what I've been able to find out. I do think that the lack of regular driving might have affected some of the gasket, seals, hoses etc but it's truly speculation on my part.

@ Ked, amjf008, whalebird: You've hit the nail on the head. Coupe vs Convertible....I REALLY do want a coupe as that's the shape and design that I love.

Thanks guys for the input! I think my best course of action is to hold off and find a Coupe instead. Thanks for your help and getting my head screwed back on straight. Hopefully I'll post back soon with input on THE coupe for me and ask for your input.

dshepp806

Find that Coupe,...period.

Doyle

Ed Hughes

I referred to the white gauges and turbo tail. Wheels and boots are popular mods.

billyfeet

There are a lot of nice cars out there. Looking is almost as much fun as owning! Get what you really want, so that every time you drive YOUR car it is a pleasure. Keep us posted on your progress.