911bow

Hi everyone,
I'm just about to invest in my first 964 !!!!!
I have a tight budget of around £11-12k
My wife will kill me if i buy a lemon
All advise would be much appreciated.
Thanks Paul

Nine11

Take your time. Be patient. Get the 911 book by Adrian. Decide what is the best car for you and what options you want. Get a PPI done (with leakdown and compression testing) on cars you are interested in. Don't be afraid to walk away if the PPI doesn't come back clean or if the seller is unwilling to acknowledge the PPI results. Enjoy the buying process.

Used cars are always crapshoots...so be diligent.

elbeee964

Is your budget up for regular maintenance prices?

(DIY goes a Long way to reducing that cost, but upkeep parts (+ labor!) for these cars can easily quadruple that of similar bits found on a Ford.)

Regular outlay estimates can range all over the place, but I'd counsel having $500 - 1,000 (average) set aside per year for such. (DIY can keep you below that $500, easy.)

911bow

Thanks for replying,with regards to the ppi is this something a local specialist can do at the sellers address if they agree to it ? Can the leak test be done by a mobile inspector ?

Nine11

Good point elbeee. I think the WAG estimates are roughly $2k/year in maintenance/running costs. These cars aren't cheap to maintain but you have to remember, these were $70k cars when new. The cars have depreciated, but the running costs haven't.

911bow

with reference to the up keep,i think as long as i don't cop a huge one within the first couple of weeks then i'll be up and running with a "get it fixed quick fund".

Nine11

Find a good 911 specialist to do the PPI. Post up where you are and I am sure somebody here will point you to a recommended specialist.

911bow

Just seen one of the cars on here that i'm hoping to look at,LUNCHBOXBILL c4 baltic blue 91.

911bow

Do you think i'll find a good honest car with my budget ?

elbeee964

Perhaps. More money means bigger selection and fewer rotten apples to toss aside along the way.
Keep in mind the 3.2L's and the SC's. I'd buy a great SC over a 'run hard, put away wet' 964 any day of the week.
(But a great 964 is, well, a very nice car, indeed.)
From '78, on, were some robust, great versions of the 911. All are fun. No kidding.

911bow

already got rose tinted contact lens fitted so the sellers don't see a virgin coming

Gelignite

I think you have a chance of something reasonable for your budget but don't expect to find something like some of the top end cars you see on this forum. I think the key is to know what you are getting yourself into. Go through the service history with patience and look for receipts. Ideally there will be the service reports identifying what was and wasn't done. I don't think it is a bad thing if not everything was done so long as you know what they were and it is a good sign that the seller has nothing to hide (though nothing is fool proof of course) My first couple of services were quite high because I didn't approach this with quite the patience I should have... it is verrrrry easy to get carried away! You hear people demanding top end rebuild at over 100k milage but mine has done 118k and is still very strong with no rebuild. I also think that the need for a rebuild could indicate abuse so I would look at the whole picture and not get hung up on one aspect.
Bottom line is that even if you find a sorted car it will cost you £1-2k per year to keep in top condition even though you could keep it on the road for much less. But it is so worth it

Bluey964

I suspect you might be a bit optimistic with your budget - good 964's which have been well looked after I think are still upwards of £13k, with nice ones going for £15kish. A number of those at £11-12k I think will need £4-5k put into them in a short period of time if you get it wrong (e.g. clutch, top end rebuild, starter motor, thermostat, shocks/springs, wishbone bushes etc). Just my 2p....

911bow

Really grateful for all opinions.There seem to be a few for sale at the moment for around £11.One of these has had full rebuild,full suspension,rs mods...blah blah blah.£20k spent in the last 6 years.
the other one has a fault i'd like a bit of advise on.he says the oil light flickers on idle.its done 155k miles but had a £6k rebuild from jzm 5000 miles ago,although this was 3 years ago.could this be serious or is it likely to be a sender fault ? thanks

boxsey911

+1

I also noticed that one for sale today...seems a genuine reason for sale...and agree that money seems to have been spent on the right things.