rwm514

I'm looking at a 85 carrera brown on brown. The owner has had it 5 years, CA car, it has 180k miles. Supposedly a real nice driver, im in a nearby state. Doesnt think its ever been rebuilt or repainted. A couple oil drips a day, he thinks the engine is very strong and not needing a rebuild. I cant remember the different 911's available in 85, is there a carrera and an SC? also what is the most miles these engines and tranny's go without a rebuild? Thx very much for the advice.

theiceman

that's a Carrera ( 3.2) 84-89 the SC was 78-83 ( 3.0)

hard to say about the rebuild, you would definitely want a good PPi including leak down at that milage. The real tell tell sign is oil usage .. but if it was high I really doubt the PO would disclose as it is hard for you to see.
85 still has the 915 gearbox so i would think at that milage this could also be tired if never looked at . But so much of this is owner and maintatnace dependant hard to say .. PPI the only way to go ...

w00tPORSCHE

Ice brings up some very valid points and I echo his post. I would personally be looking at something that is lower mileage (and that does not mean garage queens... more like 80 to 110K type mileage). Although these engines when well cared for are bullet proof, 180K miles is up there and at some point in the near future you may be looking at atleast a top end rebuild. Oil lines, fuel lines, suspension refresh, gearbox rebuild for worn synchros ... they can all add up pretty fast. If I were you, I would personally not spend $400.00 on a PPI unless you have had a good look at all the available service records and or have a real killer deal on your hands provided the PPI checks out okay.

rusnak

Driver habits, service history, etc all count here.

A well cared for, regularly driven '85 might have fewer issues than a time capsule 911. Of course, all bets are off if the car was thrashed. Oil leaks are not an issue. First thing to wear is the 1st gear syncro, so I'd as about crunchy shifting into 1rst. It could be a very good car. Expect 300K+ miles from a well cared for 3.2. Fuel injection cleaner, regular oil changes, remember to change all lubricants and grease, and these cars will last a very long time.

Jay Gratton

My '85 has 165K on it and doesn't burn oil and is in tip top shape! I wouldn't be worried about the miles, but I would get a good PPI done as said above.

rusnak

I bought a 3.2 with 160k miles on it, and thought I'd have to immediately rebuild the motor. It was maintained well, and had a lot of power and did not consume oil, so I left it alone.

That was 180k miles ago. Just this year I replaced the fuel lines, clutch, and other bits. Honestly that was overkill. All it needed was a throwout bearing, and some new geease on the moving clutch parts. The fuel lines, etc were in good shape. It's just that I like the car to be bulletproof.

w00tPORSCHE

Wow.. that speaks volmues for how bullet proof these SC/3.2s are. That was one of the reasons why I chose a 3.2 (other reasons being the styling of the front fenders/headlights, Fuchs, relatively lower running cost) over any other pre-996 when I was in the market for an air-cooled 911.

rwm514

Wow, crazy how many miles you guys are getting. I guess ppi is the next step. Any thoughts on what the value of a car like this might be? It's a nice driver, original paint and interior, unmolested. Brown on brown. Also what would a full rebuild run? 6-8k? Thx

rwm514

He sold it earlier today for $10,200. I think I missed out

theiceman

wow what a steal