Hello all,

Just introducing our selves. My husband and I are looking to buy our first Porsche. This forum has been invaluable. We are 911-happy and have Peter Zimmerman’s book on the way from Amazon.

Just a little about us…workaday 40-somethings with a 5 year-old who is eager to feel the power of the engine. We have an empty, teensy, 1950’s one-bay garage that needs filling with something that will remind us that life is to be enjoyed. For those of you who have already figured that out, there are others out there like us who need daily reminders and for us, the Porsche should serve nicely. The only Porsche history we have is that my dad owned a 1969 912 for a short time (still not over having to sell it) and I have the best memories of zooming around in it, probably very irresponsibly, but it was the seventies. Enough said.

We have test driven cabs, targas and coupes from 1983-1990. My husband has a penchant for the look of the older SCs, but we haven’t driven one. From reading (and driving), I’m partial to the 87-89 G50s. We drove a 90 C4, which handled beautifully, but the road noise deterred me. It had been lowered, which I understand could be the culprit. I know that the targa tops are expensive to repair, but all of the ones that we’ve seen have been recovered. Seems like a lot of people talk about straight bodies (or not) with targas and we just don’t know how you tell if it’s straight or not. We lust for the older body style. That is a must for us.

So, we’re on the quest. Budget is 20k. We have driven out of state twice to test drive, and being that we are just workaday fools, we are trying to stick with a 2-hour or so radius from the Hudson Valley in NY where we live. That being said, we wouldn’t rule out a 3-hour drive for something luscious.

Thanks for all of the valuable info. We feel like there’s a place for us here, being newbies with a limited budget, and we’ll let you know (with pictures which I know are VITAL) when we find something. I know, this is already long on words and short on pics...

 

first off welcome!

as for the 964, they are a wonderful car and have great "modern" amenities that would make them a great driver...the prices are excellent on them right now too. As for the road noise I suspect tires more than set up....but do keep in mind these cars are a little more noisy than a new car...I cannot talk on the phone in my car...even if driving low speed...its just too noisy, and I dont think its noisy

Second, get ni touch with the local shops (or pick a good one from recommendations) and ask them, often times they know people selling or thinking of selling...those cars are sometimes better than a craigslisted car...

also once you develop a relationship with them you can express the needs to understand some of the questions you have and ask how they would check and address them...these guys are usually very open to having the owner be apart of the cars...so they can offer a PPI and point things out so you "know"

and finally, if you become a member there is a for sale section that will be opened up to you, watch for cars there...and if you have not yet, check out Pelican Parts Forum, there is a LOT going on over there too...maybe a little TOO MUCH

post any potential cars for review here, sometimes the amount of info that can come out of this board is amazing just off an ad and a couple pics
again, welcome!

 

I'm new here also and just picked up a very nice 911sc well below your budget mark. I have had the car one week and am extremely pleased with it.
Sounds like you are doing your homework. Great way to be informed/armed in negotiations.
Don't be afraid of high miles on the cars IF you have them properly inspected. Talk to a local Porsche specialist (independant or otherwise) and look at what they perform on a pre purchase insp. Do this.
On any older car get a leak down test, head stud inspection, total systems check (i.e 50% front brake rotor wear etc) so you don't get caught with an expensive repair or at least know what the future holds.
Tranny synchro's, clutch operation etc are another spendy deal if not sound.
Even with a solid paperwork trail of maint. I'd always rec a PPI with the above.
The older 911's are a bit noisy but it is ambiance to me .
Good luck.

 

Welcome. The 911 is a car that gets in your blood and runs deep with passion. You are on the right track choosing a air cooled 911. Your budget will get you a very nice 911SC. Super bargain 911s may cost you more in the end after they are sorted out and can be a nightmare. Unless you like fixer-ups, pay more and get a clean one. I am partial to the 87-89 911 but nice ones can be very expensive. I believe them to be the Zenith of the original 911 and their value is going up fast. Any air cooled 911 is at the very least gonna hold its value, if not go up. Maintaining these cars can be expensive so factor that into your budget.

 

Welcome Mr. and Ms. Vroom! I was in your position not too long ago. I wanted an exciting car with character that could be a daily soccer practice and commuter that could be driven hard and often for most of the year. For this reason I focused on coupes. It was recommended here that I look in Connecticut where there are an abundance of well cared for 911's. I used Autotrader but this site's classifieds are excellent too. I recommend also joining PCA Quest which allows you access to Porsche Club of America's classifieds. Finally, being in the Hudson Valley you may not be too far from Cheech Fernandez at Rennewerke in Elmsford. He can do a PPI or possibly help you find the car you are looking for. http://www.rennwerkeporschetechnicia...WERKE_HOME.php If nothing else, Rennewerke is a great place to look at just about every model of P-car ever made.

 

If the car has stock suspension and a stock muffler they shouldn't be too noisy, they'll never be as quiet as a modern car, though. I've added a little bit of extra sound insulation to my car and I feel I've got one of the quietest Carreras around so they can be made comfortable.

 

Welcome vrooms. You will get a lot of good info here, BUT some people have agendas, and there is an occasional troll. For your sakes, I hope you don't find your car to quickly. These cars just look alike; the individual years, models, and cars differ greatly. It will take a while for you to narrow your search to which compromise you want to make yours. (There is no perfect one car, which is why people have three or four - or 3/400.)
It sounds as if both of you want to drive and enjoy the car; one thing you should consider is 'steering effort'. My '89 is a delight to drive above 5 mph; parrallel parking is certainly do-able, but far from effortless. Earlier cars are lighter, and 964s have power steering.
Be sure to join PCA. Contact your local chapter. Talk to the president, membership chair, or someone; I'll bet if you are introduced at a local drive, you and your husband will get a chance to ride in two or three cars.
Happy hunting,

 

welcome! Enjoy the search... targas are wonderful cars to enjoy a nice day!

 

Good luck! You've got a good budget to find a good car.

 

Hello and welcome! I use to be a newbie but now am just a major pain in the butt! I am picking up my first 911 next week. Listen to these guys and gals. I have learned so much and the books, magazines and topics here made my shopping and decision making sooooooooo much easier. Good luck and we look forward to your pictures of your new baby soon!

PS: Don't forget the PPI!

 

I think you can access The Mart (classifieds) on the Porsche Club of America web site (pca . org) without being a member. Take a look to see. Or maybe you have to become some kind of non-paying member or something. I seem to recall they did something to allow access without paying membership.

Keep at least a couple thousand dollars back for immediate reconditioning. If $20,000 is your absolute limit, consider not spending more than $17,000 on the sale (including taxes) so you have some left over to fix stuff. There WILL be stuff to fix.

If you thought the 912 was zippy, you'll enjoy an old 911. But, the old adage does apply, "The older we are, the faster we were." LOL

Good to see you've taken the open-minded approach to drive first and ask questions later. Some people get too narrow minded without actually experiencing the cars. Good luck on the hunt. Don't completely rule out a long distance purchase. You can make use of the network here to get substitute eyes on cars for you and find a shop for PPI.

Brett

 

DO NOT COMPROMISE: a well done PPI by someone who works on these cars all of the time.

EQUALLY: keep your patience about you during this quest(lots).

You'll need to get the best specimen available (within your budget): GOAL!

Plan for some respectable maintenance throughout it's life,....they are NOT cheap to maintain.

WELCOME aboard,..Lotsa' great people here, along with the smart-***** and curmudgeons.

Wishing you the best in your quest!

Doyle

 

first off welcome,

For 20K there are lots of good cars you can get. I just picked up my 78 911SC targa for 9K in westchester NY. If you live in the hudson valley you should come out for

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...ekend-run.html

there will be lots of different Porsche's there and lots of owners to talk to in person.

I love my SC and highly suggest one.

Regards
Dave

 

Thank you everyone, so much! Excellent advice and more great resources to check out!

We truly appreciate it,

Tracey & Jim