1986 porsche targa

i have owned lots of 911's and still have a 930 turbo that i plan to keep for years.

i also owned 1 targa...and i would say that i will only own 1! the late cars are much better than the early leaking, flexible flyers of the pre-galvinized days. they have always bothered me as they squeek and make all kinds of funny noises w/ the top in place. much better are they w/ the top off...but still lots of chassis flex and do not try to jack the car up on one side and open the door...it may not close again!

i love the coupes and think they are genuinely the best all around sports car ever made...just be wary of the targa.

 

oh...one more thing...78-86 are very good years and are bulletproof.

87-89 had valve issues and a valve job on a 3.2 liter is about $3-4k.

 

The pre-1990 cars have very primitive suspension geometry and non-ABS brakes. If you don't mind goofy handling and a vintage feel, they are great cars, but the 964's are much more modern cars.

 

My brother had a 964 targa and it squeaked, creaked and leaked.

My 993 cabrio was bulletproof and nearly flex-free in street use.

'86 might be OK. But Porsche upgraded the gearbox significantly for the '87 model year (I've driven an '84 cabrio and '87 targa and it's night and day.) Make sure you like how it shifts. It's definitely a 'raw-er' car prior to the '90s.

You'll find a lot more cabrio's than targas for the issues mentioned here, so I might encourage you to go that route.

Valve adjustments on 911's are like belt services on a Ferrari. There is no substitute. At 130K miles, I'd plan on spending some $$$ on the engine anyway.

 

I came close to buying a 87 a couple of weeks ago they seem to be relatively good values and its not uncommon to get 200k+ out of them. The models with the updated tranny the G-50 87+ are getting a little more $$ and seem to be more sought after.
Prices for a decent driver in the 80-120k mile range are mid to upper teens. Definately a good value IMO.

 

Fun cars, plenty of after market parts. When I lived in Atlanta I used to go to PAP, a junk yard for Porsches. I could not believe the cars there sometimes. Most people prefer the coupes or the convertibles, but any are fine if in good shape. They have depreciated pretty much by now. I am amazed at the early 911 prices (66-73). They used to be so cheap.

 

joshua,

i also like the cars up to the 89 year. they really look the best and it is funny to say that the bumbers are so nice when back when they were new...they were known as the ugly safety bumpers! today they look delicate and very "prosche"!

i hope you will consider a coupe or a cab as they will be better sports cars for you and not just a blvd cruiser. they will be a bit pricier than the targa as they are in more demand. as i say, as a porsche person how many targas they have owned and tey will say...only one! learn from my mistake and get a coupe or cab.

they remain timeless and will also be noted as the best all around sports car in history. the lou gehrig of sports cars.

 

I have an 85 Targa, I've owned it for 15 years. It's a wonderful car.

The top used to leak, but over the years I replaced the top header seal and had the top rebuilt, and it doesn't leak any more (and living where I live, it gets driven in lots of rain!).