VWpete

I'm looking at a mid-80's carrera with 110k miles...
What should I expect with this kind of mileage. Should I stay away? It has been well maintained... as far as I know so far.
Best,
Pete

Bill Wagner

Any car with over 75K miles on it should be suspect of having oil leaks. This isn't a "Porsche thing", it's an "every car on Earth" thing. Seals like to leak and they need to be replaced, and this is normal. The older the car and the higher the mileage, the more likely it is to happen. You'll probably also want to check out the entire brake system (lines, calipers, rotors, pads, master cylinder), the AC charge and operation...really just normal stuff, but a lot of little repairs can add up really fast!

If it's 3.2, get the valves checked.


Good Luck,

Bill Wagner

Chuck Harmon

Pete,
I bought my 83SC with 150,000 on it,I now have 205,000 on it and have enjoyed every mile.If the car has been well maintained milage means nothing.Just be sure to have any car you seriously consider inspected by a very good Porsche shop or mechanic,your local Porsche Club can recommend someone for this.Good luck!

Steve, 914 guy

Besides what the previous posts have mentioned, I have repaired a number of cars with leaking intake manifold gaskets. Not really a big deal, you can do it with the powertrain in. I think we charge 3 hours and $20-$30 for gaskets.
Pete, I think a carrera is a better car than an SC. We have seen fewer major problems with them, and they benefit alot more from performance mods.

Jay H

Keep in mind that older, low mileage cars can leak quite a bit too from lack of use. Seals, rubber, hoses, and belts all dry out from just siting. I bought my '86 Carrera with 91k on it, put 25,000 miles on it before I sold it. It never leaked one drop. I think it comes down to how the car was driven and how it was serviced.

VW Pete: I would not rule out a higher mileage car if it's been well maintained. Good Luck!

[ 06-28-2001: Message edited by: Jay H ]

Bill Gregory

One caveat to consider involves your anticipated usage of the 911. If you're buying it thinking you'll drive it a short while and sell it, higher mileage is higher mileage, which means compared to a like 911 with lower mileage, it may not sell as quickly or get quite the price you'd like.

Bill Wagner

Just for clarification, when I said "Any car with over 75K miles on it should be suspect of having oil leaks", I didn't mean a car WILL have oil leaks. That's just my subjective observation on the mileage where cars seem to start having them show up.

Bill Wagner