Blender77

Guys,

I've been looking for a 911 for some time now. As part of my effort to decide which variant to buy, I made the mistake of reading some of the many engine rebuild threads.

Now I had been looking at 3.2's because I thought the cost of maintenance was significantly cheaper than the 964 or 993, especially when it comes to the dreaded rebuild. But from what I see in these threads, it looks like a rebuild is going to cost me 8-10K for any variant. It also looks like the major service intervals (15K, 30K, 60K) seem to cost about the same as well.

I've heard that the 3.2 engine is more robust and you can get more miles before a rebuild, which should make it cheaper, right? Now, I'm not so sure - I'm seeing a lot of 3.2 FS ads where a topend as been done right around 100-125K, which seems to be the sweet spot for the 964 and 993 as well.

I understand the concept of buy the one you truly want - "buy once, cry once." I guess my mind works differently. If I can get 95% of the enjoyment for 75% of the cost, why would I buy the more expensive car?

So, I need you guys to set me straight. Is the 3.2 signficantly cheaper to own and maintain than a 964 and 993?

Blender77

whalebird

Maybe a little. A 3.6 964 is an AWESOME Porsche and the asking figures for 87-89 Carreras has become comical.

911Dave

No, not significantly. A little. My advice would be, if you want to buy once and cry once, buy the one that makes you the happiest and don't let maintenance costs be the deciding factor. That's a sure-fire way to end up crying twice.

Ed Hughes

You need to focus on what you want the car to do, not what is more durable, cheaper to maintain, etc. The driving experience, performance, amenities, all differ from 911-964-993.

There are a lot of 911's that go past 125K with no major repair. I'd consider the 911 to be a little less expensive since it is a bit simpler.

dhagood

mechanically, the cars on your list are mostly differ in suspension.

911 has torsion bar springs
964 has coil over springs
993 has the multilink rear suspension (well, the later 993s do)

electronically, the cars on your list are quite different.

911 has DME for closed loop engine control and that's it
964 has is a big step up from the 911
993 is pretty close to the 964.

if you have electrical/electronic issues, the 964/993 will cost a lot more to fix and are not as accessible towards DIY repair.

creature comforts center around air conditioning.

911 has it, but it's not worth the weight penalty. i'm going to remove mine over the winter
964 has it and it works very well
993 is more of the same

driver experience boils down to how immersive you want the car to be

911 is quite raw and relies heavily on the driver
964 has been mostly tamed
993 is very tame. it's very fast, and much more polished.

personally, 993s don't work for me. i mostly don't like they way the look, but they are fast, powerful, and very capable cars.

964s rock. i'd love to have one, but i wouldn't want to pay to maintain it

my 3.2 carrera is, well, mine. and i mostly maintain it myself.

buy the car the speaks to you...

race911

A good car of any vintage will be cheaper to maintain than buying the proverbial "deal" everyone searches for. Ed's nailed it when he says buy what YOU want.

jakeflyer

I hate to get beat up by the guys here that are a lot smarter than me---- but here is a contrarian view. I do agree with the idea of buying a car you want to drive. If you really want simi-comfort or raw P car driving, pick the car you like. The 1979 through the 1989 air cooled are my choice. I run air cooled Belarus tractors. A couple of weeks ago I bought a larger, cab, water pumper because it has 4x4, heat and A/C and a bunch of bells and whistles. First thing, I have to chase leaks and spend $700 for a radiator. Fortunately, they all leak oil so that is not an area of irritation.

But, if you are going to look at an engine rebuild priced into the purchase, you may be upside down in the deal. If the value of a rebuild is 50% of the value of the car, it may be better to take the hit and sell the car broken and get another car. In this weak market, you may not be able to recover much of the engine rebuild investment.

These engines are expensive. Rebuilds need to have real deal parts, including piston and cylinders.

Ed Hughes

Let's add power steering to the post '89 comforts. All 993's are multi-link, even my early '94 build M718. I'd add 6 speed in the 993 column too. There is a vast difference between my 911 (or a stock version) and my 993.

Blender77

Thanks for all the replies guys. If the maintenance costs are really in the same ballpark, I'll probably go for the 964 or 993. The lack of A/C for the 3.2 is really the killer for me as I live in NW FL. By the time I buy a nice low mileage 3.2 and upgrade the A/C, it seems like I'd be very close to 964/993 territory.

dhagood

hmm, i'd read somewhere that the early 993s didn't have the multilink suspension. thanks for the info.

Mark Harris

Bummer because I just bought one from a Rennlister on this forum. Guess I paid too much.

TRG1

No 964 or 993 that I have owned, or 996 or 997 for that matter (I've owned them all) provides me with the pleasure I receive from driving one of my 87-89 3.2 Carreras. Yes, they are all improved in some facet, more powerful, more creature comforts, newer technology, etc., etc. With the exception of substandard or non-functional air conditioning, I simply prefer the lighter, less-powerfull, non-assisted steering, torsion bar old technology ride and feel of the last generation of 3.2 Carreras. It is important to note that I do not rely on any of my 3.2 Carreras as a daily driver (although I certainly could). My current inventory of '89 3.2s (I currently own 5) are for weekend pleasure only. (I have two for sale on Classic Car Trader). There is just something about the fit and feel of the last 3.2s that I cannot get enough of. Like a worn-in pair of 501 Levi's, and a 100% cotton tee shirt, nothing fits me better or feels as comfortable as a drive in a tight, well maintained 3.2 w/ G-50. I am one of those folks who will continue to pay (when I purchase) or ask (when I choose to sell) comical prices for an exceptional 87-89 3.2 Carrera. Not "stupid comical" like Sloan and others, but certainly top of the market for the model. It is simply one of the finest engineered, refined and most pleasurable cars to drive ever produced. A true classic in every sense of the word. JMHO.

Caferacer

The Velvet Red Cab is stunning! I assume this one is yours?

http://www.autotraderclassics.com/cl...sationId=37768

edit: I have no affiliation with the poster. I just did a quick interweb search while killing time on a Friday afternoon conference call.

TRG1

Yes. It is one of two 89's that I am selling from my personal collection.

Little Green

TR,
Spectacular red coupe. A bit rich for me but a beautiful car GLWS