gjoey66

I picked up an 88 in prestine condition...not a garage queen 100k on the odometer, but just very meticulously maintained. I'm glad I spent the extra money finding a great car, the costs associated with mistreated cars are hard to add up...but they go deep when things all start going at once.

Tango635

Here are a few links to start your search:
http://www.rallystuff.com/pcar_sources.html

You might also want to look in excellence mag classifieds section and your local PCA puts out a magazine with a classifieds section as well.

Good luck.

umfan866

I am looking also, here in the bay area. Been looking for 7 years and getting Antsy. I've expanded my search to include the 84-86 3.2's with 915 also, because the 87-89's with G50 are getting harder and harder to find and going up in price esp. good deals. The latest issue of Excellence talks about how you can get a good 84-86 3.2 915 for 16k - even then that is challenging if you don't want super-high miles.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/cto/2164371010.html

My 2 cents on the 915 vs G50 - I like the G50 much more, seems to shift more like a "normal" car. On the 915 I can never find 2nd gear. But it is the kind of thing you get used to (even with 15 minutes), and depends on each car. A car with a rough-shifting / abused G50 (which is rare, but I found one) feels worse than a well-maintained, smooth-shifting 915. The differences are there, but it depends on each car.

I like these sites:
http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.cg...mit=++++go++++

http://www.cars.com
http://www.oodle.com
http://claz.org/
http://www.thesamba.com
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/forum...s=&forumid=240

vitaminC

Seven years??? What are you looking for that is so hard to find? Seems like if you can't find one in your price range, then over that time frame it should have been possible to save a little more...

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/2171796731.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/ctd/2169332019.html

ofishbein

I have a G50, but I've driven quite a few 915s that feel fine. Any older 911 is a car that's best driven with a bit of mechanical empathy to feel what is happening. It makes you more "at one with the car" and gives a better driving experience. A 915 may just provide a little more of that feeling - and that's a good thing.

More important to me was finding a rust-free car - preferrably from CA or another desert southwest area. I'd happily rebuild a transmission rather than deal with corrosion. I agree with ViaminC though - if someone's been looking seven years and can't find a good candidate, something else is wrong.

Ed Hughes

I too think, or know, that one could certainly find a car within 7 years, or even 1 year, unless they were looking for something ultra rare. I mean, come on. Especially in California.

whalebird

In his defense, 'when it's right, it's right as rain"... The hunt is the fun part. But yes, if you are truly serious, now is the time to buy.

Ed Hughes

It is true that some enjoy looking more than buying/driving. Again, unless they want a very special car or have unreasonable expectations on condition/price ratio.

hbtd

Regarding that current Excellence article about 915 3.2s for $16K, I bought my 86 this summer and I had a really hard time finding a decent example in that price range. I paid more for mine since it was lower miles, great condition, stock, coupe, non smoker.

I haven't looked recently at cars for sale but I don't think that article completely reflects reality. Maybe prices have dropped since I was looking.

Ed Hughes

I can assure you the recent 993 prices were way low.

w00tPORSCHE

+1, got mine with 83K on the clock for 22K in April 2010. The draw for me on my beauty was: 1) All original including paint, cassette stereo 2) Service records since dealer delivery 3) Near pristine interior 4) Impeccable PPI and 5) car was located 90minutes from my house. I did not bargain and paid asking price. Even in this economy IMO, it would be insulting to offer sub-20K for such a beauty that still drives, shifts and pulls so brisk and fresh. One has to drive the car to know what I am talking about.

Amber Gramps

No kidding....I posted a link yesterday where the '88 911 was priced above that of a 993 in a long list of cars for sale. Must have been some serious coke in the smuggler's box.

umfan866

VitaminC - I drove the 2nd car in your list today ( the first link was deleted) - and it had a Wevo shifter so it felt as good a G50 tranny. I may get the car although the car's been through a lot of paintwork and I'm trying to get more details, and it has rust in the front pan near the battery and I need to see how to deal with that.

For me, I've been trying to get a 87-89 G50 worth 20k, but for 15k all these years, and I've erroneously passed on about 5 cars that I now wish I had bought- they all had "issues" but at least I'd be driving one now. Need to wrap this up soon. It is STILL hard to get one of the G50 3.2's in good condition for 15k but I have some leads, and now that I've completely opened up to 84-86 3.2's it should be DEFINATELY possible soon. I am very very big on guards red .. in case anybody knows any for sale.

And to the original poster -- look at a lot of them so you don't buy the first one you drive (or the 2nd) -- but don't wait more than about a year or you'll go crazy!