I am turning once again to my esteemed F-chat colleagues for help. I have decided against the Boxer and am looking primarily at air cooled 911s. In fact, I almost bought a 1988 3.2 w/50K miles last week, only to have it fail a PPI due to a fricken hole in the crankcase that somebody had sealed w/JB Weld!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, if any of you know of a relatively low mileage (60K or less) coupe-preferably 3.2 or later in Red, blue or black for around 30K or under in EXCEPTIONAL mechanical and cosmetic condition please PM me. I will also consider cabs but only if they have recent tops and three point belts in back. Stick shift only!!! Thanks!
Hershey Swap Meet and BIGGEST gathering of Porsches is coming up Easter Saturday .... there will no doubt be vehicles for sale....
You are asking the wrong forum for help. Go to Rennlist - F-Chat equivalent for Porsche. There are cars up for sale there and you can always enquire about potential sales.
Pelican Parts 911 board. I sold my polished Fuchs in 6 hours for $2000 this weekend on that board. i have an 87 3.2 slopenose cab, but it has 146k miles on it, 14k on a rebuilt motor / trans (done in 2004). i wont take less than $20k for it, but I will look around for a car like you describe.
The 993 is probably the best of the modern air-cooled 911s. You might be able to negotiate a bit on this one: http://www.caporsche.net/images/carsforsale/911/ArenaRed97Sunroof/images.html I will be up there this week and could look the car over if it's something that interests you. (But I'm not a qualified tech and couldn't do a PPI.) Typically they get very nice 911s from hardcore Porsche owners traded in on 356s or early 911s. Here's an '87 sunroof coupe: http://www.europeancollectibles.com/inventory_detail.aspx?@page_inv_id=Po2430 Slightly more mileage but asking below your budget. I think you'll have a harder time finding low mileage pre-'90 911s in your price range. But 911 engines are very rebuildable, so it's not an end-of-the-line catastrophe like it might be in a Testarossa.
Even though I want a 996GT2 badly the 930 is still THE Porsche icon. In my mind an equivalent for much less. Rational be damned. I'll still wait for a GT2.
930s are appreciating; 996s are still coming down. Probably a good move to wait, although I'd take the 930.
Joe, It seems that many Porsches have an "Achilles heel" of one sort or another. The 993 model frequently has experienced premature valve guide wear which can require costly top end work on the engine. It just so happens that this problem is the subject of a story appearing in the current issue of Excellence magazine. The article is a 'must read' for anyone looking at this model. Nothwithstanding that, the '97 911 (993) for sale at California Porsche Restoration is absolutely stunning (see link posted by Bullfighter).
Thanks to everyone for their help! I've narrowed it down to 3.2s. I love the rawness and lack of power steering etc. I have two cars in my sights right Now. However, there also remains the possibility that I will buy a 996 cabriolet as my lovely wife ask that I at least consider a newer car to shuttle back and forth to our shore house. Thanks again!!!
Joe You HAVE to do yourself a favor and at least drive a 993 before you pull the trigger on a 3.2 car. The steering is fairly heavy on the 993 as is the clutch. AWESOME cars to drive. My buddy let me spend the day with his at Sebring, and WOW WOW WOW,what a car. I love my Box, but will definitely own a 993 one day. The build quality is crazy good, they make great noises and it is an evolution from the 3.2. I also think they are one of the best looking as well. Love that upright windshield for some reason.
There is only stick shift in the 3.2 cars- auto option didn't come until the 1990 3.6 cars (and early cars had a sportomatic/semi-automatic option in the 1970s but those are rare and not recommended). 996 is a totally different car than 993 and earlier- do you know what you want? It seems you haven't researched these cars much (I don't mean that in a bad way, just wouldn't want to see someone pull the trigger without figuring out what it is they are looking for). +1 on the rennlist.com suggestion- great website for porsches.
I don't understand the reference to automatic transmissions? I don't see where I mentioned automatic transmissions, as none of the cars I have considered are autos? Are you sure you are not getting me confused with somebody else. The 87-88 3.2 only came with the G50 transmission. I have driven every iteration of Porsche from the 1980s-2010. I am quite familiar with them, but not an expert by any means. The 1987-1988 cars are my absolute favorite--I love the rawness, manual steering, wheels, etc. HOWEVER, with the direction things seem to be heading, I may now be settling on a 996 cabriolet. Although I think the air cooled cars are much more entertaining than the liquid cooled cars, my lovely wife is strongly urging me to get something modern that we can safely shuttle the kids in from the shore and back. ...I know I bounced around quite a bit between boxsters and various 911s. I guess its because this car is essentially a toy. I know I want a Porsche to compliment the Ferrari. The collector in me wants the 3.2 as it is precisely the type of car I can see owning forever. However, the pragmatist in me says I already have one old "exotic", I'm better off getting a disposable fun, safe car I can haul the kids to the beach in. Anyway, I've narrowed it down to three cars--- A 1988 3.2 Cab, a 1987 3.2 coupe and a 2002 C4 cab. All manuals. I'll let you know what direction I end up going in. Thanks again for your help.
I will soon be selling a euro 1972 Porsche 930 with 80k kilometers that has just been fully rebuilt with an 87 3.2 motor installed. Also updated with 87 suspension and brakes. Fresh paint, Recaro seats, Momo steering wheel, Fuch wheels. Car is amazing! Priced well under your budget. Currently located in NoVA, but transport is available. Let me know if you're interested in more info. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
"euro 1972 Porsche 930" think thats a typo above .... http://www.early911sregistry.org/forums/showthread.php?65200-Beautiful-1986-Porsche-930-Turbo.-1-Owner-for-24-years.-50k-Original-Miles
OK, so I got the service records on both 996's I was considering...a 2002 and a 2003. Drum roll please... Both had their engines replaced under warranty due to the dreaded IMS problem. I am not exactly getting the warm and fuzzies about 996 reliability.
Good luck Joe. my 87 Cab is on Cars .com, but i need to update the pics. i put the orignal BBs rims back on it, as they fit the widebody better, and i swear it "feels" better. Be aware of cars with replica Fuchs wheels, the wheels are ok, but not worth near as much as OEM Fuchs, so watch the pricing. Regular 911's 3.2's ride and drive really well with 7/s in the front or 8 or 9 inch rears. 9 inch real Fuchs are over $1000.each now, more for polished. 8 inch wheels wont fit a non wide body car in the front unless you get the rare 944 offset wheels, i think the part number starts out "954" as opposed to "911" on the back of the wheels. Widebody cars have tons of room. I have 8's in the front and 9's in the rear, and i wish they were wider! 3.2 Carreras are a blast (My car is not a turbo) , and it still drives tight, 24 years later! good hunting. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Joe I have a 2002 C4S. When I first got the car I was nervous about an IMS, like it was a ticking time bomb. Now I jump in the car turn the key and don't give it a second thought. Check out Rennlst and 99% over there will agree. When I need a clutch I'll update the IMS to the LN engineering version and do some other preventative maintenance. If it worries you do the update right away for the price of mind.
Yes, shoulda. Clarified?????.... It is NOT a 930 at all. First 930 was in 75-76. It is a 1972, it is a non-galvanized body car with bits tacked-on. Fiberglass maybe? No '72 oil fill acess?
Did you drive them? I drove a 2002 996 cab many years back and didn't find it very Porsche-like. Reliability aside, the looks and driving feel didn't do it for me. The cheap trim was the final nail in the coffin. I would stick with a 911 (87-89) or 993, if you can swing it. The build quality on the cars is very high, almost 356-like and certainly better than you'll see on anything Ferrari has made in decades. The only cars comparable from that era are the pre-90 Merc SLs, which are very nice to drive but not terribly athletic.
It had steel fenders welded back in the 80s before it was imported to America. No expense spared on the conversion. This isn't a rare collector, but would make an awesome driver! Will likely be priced <$20k. Motor was recently installed by Autothority and they have maintained the car at their facility for the past 10 years. Wasn't trying to be deceitful.... sorry.
I think the 996 drives like a porsche in the same way a modern Ferrari drives like a Ferrari. Another words, they are totally unique until themselves and share little in common with their ancestors. I often say that the difference between the driving experience in any modern sports car can be measured in inches. What would draw me to a modern Porsche is their reliability (IMS aside) and the purity of purpose. IMHO, modern Ferraris, while still glorious stupendous vehicles, in many ways, are becoming caricatures of what they once were with exhaust sounds artificially created and pumped into the cabin and F1 "design elements" abound that have little practical purpose. I like the idea that a modern Porsche is a purpose built vehicle that you can literally beat the crap out of all day without a worry. IMS aside, my mechanic who race preps Porsches, is amazed by their durability under fire. In addition, I have spoken to the people at LN and they have said they have not had a single failure in the 3000 or so updated IMS bearings they have installed. But I digress, to your point I found the air cooled Porsches to be infinitely more entertaining. I can't even express how much I enjoyed the 3.2 Carrera I almost bought. Granted the 996 is much faster, but I absolutely love the G50 transmission and the engine sound of the air cooled motors at full song are delightful. Most importantly, I am a firm believer that it is more entertaining to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow, and I can't imagine there are many public roads to really open up a modern 911 without endangering those around you. At the end of the day, there are compromises to be made in life and if I ultimately elect to buy a newer Porsche with airbags and all the modern safety conveniences for the family, I will still consider it a win. After all, how lucky are we that we can even have a discussion about buying a "toy" car in this economy.
Joe, I owned 3 of the 996 series cars (2 were tt's 1 a C2 cab) all of course were far from stock, the most fun out of the 3 was the triple black cab. I know not everyone shares my insanity and my desire to take a perfectly good car apart, but I think the 996 is a great car to own, though I would do some changes to the suspension (can make a huge difference in the twisties) get a short throw kit, air boxes are cheap too. You can do alot to make the car better for less than 5K. Be glad to offer my help once you find one.
Thanks everyone for your help. We decided on a 2002 c4 cab. It has a newer engine due to the dreaded IMS, so hopefully she will be very reliable. She gets a PPI on Monday.
My '91 C2 Turbo ... Getting a bath ... Will post better picts later... Image Unavailable, Please Login
