ubergeek

i know this is a 996 forum but i thought some of you guys owned more than 996. While I love my 996, I always thought guardred 911 cab was the by far best looking porsche ever made. Today, while we were on our way to picnic,i happened to run into the exact car I was talking about.
Guards Red 911, toptown w/black canvas boot cover.
How are those models compared to 996 in terms of performance, reliablity , price and etc? Thx.,

RCD

One of my previous 911s was a Guards Red 1988 911 Cabriolet. The 3.2l Carreras are great cars, but it is important to note that they are completely different cars than 996s, or 993s, or 964s for that matter. They do not have the power of a 996, and the handling limits are not as high. That said, they are more fun to drive in many ways. With all due respect to the 993 crowd, the 3.2l Carreras really are the pinnacle of evolution of the original 911. Porsche changed the internal model number starting with the 964 for a reason - everything that has come after the last 3.2 has been a significantly different car. Power steering and more refined suspensions changed the car quite a bit. The reason I stress these differences is to point out that owning a 996 and a 3.2l 911 really is owning two different cars. Hopefully, that will help you justify one of each. :-)

The 80's 911s, properly maintained, are very reliable, quick, and a blast to drive. On the downside, the cabriolet boot is bit of a pain to take on/off, shifter throws are long, and the air conditioning is definitely subpar. Like all 911s, they have their problem areas to watch for, particularly worn valve guides. Just make sure you get a PPI with a compression check and leakdown test.

I cannot really think of any other deficiencies. In general, they are simply great cars.