Fritzo

Hi all- long time lurker, first time poster

I've been dreaming of a 1980's 911 since I was a kid. The 911 was always my "go-to" car in my Matchbox collection and spent countless hours building models of them.

I'm now in my 40's, and while I'm far from rich, I make a comfortable living. I'm near the point where I can afford a "play" car, and I'm thinking about realizing my 911 dream. Ideally, I'd like to get an 83-84 or an 87-89 Targa in Guards Red, and I'd like to spend around $20000 or less.

What kind of car am I going to get in this price range, what kind of yearly expenses would I be looking at, and would it be affordable or simply a money pit? I'm very mechanically inclined (I can change brakes, hoses, change oil, etc), so I feel like I could do a lot of repairs/maintenance myself, but I have no idea what I'm getting into.

My alternative is a 2005-06 Boxster S. Much more modern, more creature comforts, and an excellent driver, but it's not that 911 I played with as a child. Would the Boxster be a safer bet for a first buy? I keep hearing horror stories about them on how you can drop $5000/year on maintaining them, and every problem requires a trip to the mechanic due to the mid-mount engine.

Any sage guidance would be appreciated!

911Dave

You won't find an 87-89 in good condition for 20k. Good condition G50 Carreras are 25k+, and excellent all original examples are 30k+.

Why 83-84? 83 is an SC, 84 is a Carrera. Why are you ignoring 78-82 and 85-86?

Fritzo

Sorry, should have been 82-83. From what I've read, they worked out the bugs in those model years, so they're the best of the lot. If a G50 911 is out of the price range, what would I look to be spending to keep a 911SC running every year at the $20000 budget?

Also, I'm 6'4"...am I going to fit in one comfortably?

race911

I think you've got some sweeping generalities in there, but you've got a good budget to work with.

First, any good (and I mean good) torsion bar 911 will be a non-depreciating car. If you take the time to find one of those good ones, and don't get fixated on having to have a "deal", you'll likely have many years of enjoyment at less overall expense than even buying a new Accord/similar. (Even those depreciate $200-250/mo.)

To tighten up your requirements: The '83 and '84 are wholly different engines (last of 3.0 SC v. first of 3.2 Carrera). Then, you've jumped to the ''87-'89 G50 cars, which may be worth the extra bucks. Just have to drive and compare to the '-87 cars. Summing up, the '80-'83 are basically the same, then the '84-'86, then the '87-'89. All are good in their price range. Just about finding that good car.

As far as the Boxster, maybe you just flat out enjoy that car more? Drive a few. Thing to realize on the '-09 cars is that the intermediate shaft bearing is the potential gotcha. There is an aftermarket "solution" to the problem. Other than that somewhat expensive bit of preventative maintenance, there aren't ANY "$5K/yr." running maintenance issues on ANY Porsche. Unless maybe you drive 70-80K/yr., and go through two sets of tires and 10 oil changes annually. But in 30+ years of dealing with these things, I've yet to meet that owner.............

race911

There really aren't any bugs in any of the SCs. Yeah, chain tensioners were upgraded with the 3.2L engine, but any of the cars YOU will be looking at will be converted. Engine studs on the 3.0's? Well, that's where records are important.

Anyway, I'd stay away from the '78-9 cars if you are in a smog test area. Just way too many years for those EGR systems and air pumps to be in good order. If they're still installed.

And at 6'4", I guess you just have to drive some, see how you fit. I've had NBA players as customers back when I had my shops going, and it didn't deter those guys. Granted, no 7 footers....... But one guy for the Suns who had a '73 RS folded into his somehow. Likely because it was a '73 RS. And that's when they were $15K cars!

Shannon123

I'll address the 'can i afford it' question.

As long as it does not take away in any way shape or form from your retirement savings goals ! Don't cut yourself short here.

Is the spouse on board ? They better be.

IMO, these cars need to be considered as hobby cars....there is always something you want to do to them ...fix this, fix that, change this...you get the message. Money adds up quickly and time even more quickly. If there are hobbies you have that will suffer from this new hobby....think hard about which is more important.

Words can't describe opening up the garage door and looking at your P-car sitting there........on the other hand ,weigh that with perhaps paying down your house loan. There is no better feeling than not having a house payment !

Lastly.......What if you bought and then decided to sell sooner than you ever thought possible? Know/Plan for that before buying. Most of these cars do not sell quickly. Sticking with stock will certainly help here.

A4

Any 911 is a $25k car even if you buy it for $8k because by the time you get it up to spec and redo the interior, suspension and engine it all costs $25k. If you don't race or are not looking for a show car then you fall into two other categories: You either tinker with it and have a winter project every year or you just leave it alone till something goes wrong.

My recommendation is look for original paint and either a top end and or suspension refresh (gearbox refresh on any 915 car). Both can cost you but the car will be all set for a number of years. Dont look at it as an "investment" and just tell the wife its better than a girlfriend....

If you can do regular maintenence then you should be all set with most of the yearly itmes to be concerned about. I work on mine and have done all the suspension components, brakes, bearings etc and saved a ton of money on labor but still spent on parts.

Good luck!

maybe this will help:



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porsche0nut

Do it. You won't regret buying one, but you will certainly regret NOT buying one.

20k is a great budget to work with - it's what my budget was last spring and I kept within it and got a very clean, mechanically-sound car that I daily drove all last spring/summer (about 12,000 miles in 5 months with no issues).

The fact that you're mechanically inclined is a bonus, in my brief experience these cars are fantastic fun to work on (whether it's oil changes and maintenance or little projects), and DIY projects are an enjoyable part of the ownership experience. You will love the car both in and outside the garage.

Makmov

Hard to say, it doesn't take much to keep an old 911 going 1500 or so a year really depends on the car you get and what else it may or may not need and that comes down to its life history. Get a PPI so you know what to expect. A SC with 915 problems can upset your budget in a hurry.

ehuggins

If you have long legs, you'll fit better in the 911. What you should really be asking is "Can I afford not to get a 911"? Once you get one, you'll ask yourself how you ever got along without it. My 88 is the best car I have ever owned and I got it when it was 18 years old and had 60,000 miles -- now it has 115,000. These cars run better the more they are driven, have a much better build quality than a regular car, but also have their short comings such as **** poor AC, headlights and wipers. They can be driven every day and provide more satisfaction than any other vehicle you could buy.

Ruf964

a good ppi is going to be the key. i have had pre73 911's, 74-77 911's, 78-83 sc's, 84-86 carrera's, 87-89 carrera's, 964's, 993's. and of all of those i prefer the well documented sc, carrera or g50 cars. other than that, have fun.

ArniO

Completely agree with Ruf964. The PPI has steered me away from some bad news. I guess you have read Zimmermann's book on used Porsches. If you haven't they have it at Amazon. He was a mechanic and has some good advice on years with problems.

I also have a little to add on height. I'm 6'1" and I don't remember feeling cramped in an 83, but it was a while ago.

Regards - and good luck.

niche

Should consider a 964. Great bang for buck. I've owned 3.2s and not as impressed as with 964. And 964 is cheaper!

Ed Hughes

Still a weird scope of years-if you are looking at SC's, it would be silly to not include 84-86 Carreras.

Carrera3.2LG50

First of all, I say go for it! My experience is similar to yours. I am certainly not wealthy but I'm comfortable enough to be able to enjoy a nice '87 911. My wife knew I always wanted one and she knew I was saving for the day when I found the right one for me. I was lucky in that I found a good one under $20K a few years ago, but I still put another $4K into it right after buying it.

When you are figuring your budget be sure to keep a reserve of a few thousand on hand. Like others have said, there will always be something to fix. Some things need fixing right now, other things can be pushed off - for example A/C - if you can deal with living without it on really hot days.

The most expensive single service I've had so far was to replace the ring gear and starter and I went ahead and had the clutch done while the engine and tranny were separated. These things will come up occasionally on a 25+ year old car so you just need to be prepared for things like that.

But overall it's been a *fantastic* car to own and so much fun to drive! There's nothing else like a nice air-cooled 911 and you will love it every time you drive it. This is one bucket list item you should do *now* if you can because you will regret not going for it later.

This board and others are a fantastic resource and if you join up with PCA as well there will always be knowledgable P-car guys to talk to who have gone down this road before.

Good luck finding the right car for you.