Is an older Porsche 911 really "all that"?

I think the mid-80's to mid-90's 911 meets all these, except "decent A/C". The factory A/C on these cars tends to be mediocre when they're working and they often leak and need to be recharged. Some owners have had better luck with after-market coolant hose and component replacements, but definitely a weak spot.

 

Porsche 930 is the way to go. All around the best exotic car to drive - and the look is freaking amazing! Race car in VERY comfortable luxury trim is a good summary, very comfortable to sit in and drive and SEE! No excuses cars.

 

Nothing like a short list to work from!

As for the "sporty", driving a late 80's 911 that has been taken care of {meaning} had parts replaced on time and kept in good shape {easy to spot} is a great car. Fun but not dangerous as long as you remember where the washing machine is... waaayy at the back.

Convertible - check
Decent A/C - if it's working it probably won't be in good shape, it's just a soft spot and can be a bugger to get working in a powerful way.
Character - check
Unique/ unusual interior - depends on what you've seen before. Pull a few pictures from The Goog and see what the cars are like. To me they're exactly what I expect but I've had a couple and like the interiors very much.
No scratches from "walker-bys" - Hard to tell. It only takes one 14 year old kid.
Back seats - check
Manual transmission - check
Sound - check http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0IGYZk0AQE&mode=related&search= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LT4i56N2P8&mode=related&search=porsche%20911%20sc
On and off ramp enjoyment - double check
Shouting people and distraction at the office - kinda check - There are a lot of 911 fans but I doubt you'll be swarmed getting in and out of your parking lot. I stopped driving mine to work, I would go for drives in the middle of the day and not really care that I "shouldn't have".

 

Yes 911s are all that-I have a 1982 SC and they are regarded by most P-Car fans as having the most durable motors-just watch the head studs.

The 1987-1989 911s are great cars, but IMHO any car from 1978-1989 is good.

As for the 964 2wd, made from 1990-1994, they added creature comforts-power steering, a/c that was somewhat more effective, coil springs, etc., and the 993 was a step forward over the 964 in both styling and rear suspension design...

Having said all this, if I were looking for a daily driver I'd pick a nice 1992/93 964 over a 993. Why? I like the classic front fender lines on the 964 and they can be had for very reasonable prices....

If I were looking for a weekend toy Porsche that choice is easy-depending on the budget-930. Early 930s are not only a mental driving experience but assuming the car is in original condition they will only appreciate in value...some people believe that an early Turbo will follow in the footsteps of the fabled RS..

When the conversation comes to cars I always say that the single greatest sportscar is the 911 but the greatest sportscar manufacturer is Ferrari....I pick a 911 over a Vette because of the racing heritage but man are the new Vettes nice...

 

Drove a '77 911S for three years, had a 944 after that, an '85 I think. Drove a '90 911 C2 for three years too. Now have anm '01 Boxster S as my run around fun car.

Plusses - great fun to drive. Compared to a Ferrari CHEAP to repair, and they don't break nearly as often. Handling on the edge can be exciting, but I don't drive on the edge anymore. My Boxster S sticks to the road like glue, and it a very inexpensive to acquire used car. Excellent bang for the buck on all models.

Minuses - Don't have the looks of a Ferrari, not even close. Interiors can be a little spartan, at least in my opinion. Common. Lots of them around, but that also makes them more affordable, and puts enough dealers and repair shops out there that you can get one fixrd, anywhere, anytime, without waiting three wekks for an appointment.

I loved my 911's. I'll own another one someday.

Dave

 

I had the fun of driving a friend's '83 911 SC for a week while he used my SUV to move. It is a fun perky ride that has some cool mojo style going for it. And it's no slouch on the road, I hit 110 while driving up to Winston-Salem from Charlotte (Hey it was dark out, and my friend's 911 SC is black...). All in all a great car, even at 25 years old!!

 

great thread.


without writing a freaking novel, i have had A BUNCH of cars. i always avoided the Porsche as a brand, and went from muscle cars to ferraris and lambos.
then i meet my buddy Joe, who is a Porsche freak, and who has another friend who is also into the brand ( turbo /rally cars) . fast forward and i get to learn about them, drive them, work on them.

now i love the damn things. i do detest and avoid the CIS cars, and i an still scared of the Turbo cars. but my 84 Euro 911 carrera was an outstanding *car*, something i could drive long distance, and not have the same "quirks" to deal with that my carb Ferraris and Lambos had.


my moss green 84 euro car was fast, i had no issues with the 915 trans, and i loved the car. a buddy at work had to have it and gave me insane cash for it. i just bought a 89 Silver Anniversary car in black metallic from one of my above mentioned friends. today, took the car on a nice trip out of town and enjoyed every minute of the drive. its not about "speed", but about enjoying the drive.

308s, and carb Lamborghini's are great cars too, it depends what you need the car to do, and when and where you will drive it.


i will never buy one of the later 89 "new" style 911 Pcars. the 84-89 911's "DO IT" for me. do yourself a favor and drive a few. get a PPI and enjoy the car. 911's can go for a LONG time before needing any work. i am still learning how to do the valve adjustment from Joe, but everything else seems to be straight forward on the car.
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agreed. the reason a porsche turbo holds its value so well is because of the upgradeability. you can easily push them to make 300-350hp at the rear wheels, which in a 2900lb car is damn fast!

 

I looked and drove that RUF as well.
Did not have that WOW factor that new ones have but will probably be worth a bazillion one day as "one of the first" the way things are going for RUF.
993s are great. Best choice for a "normal" 911
996GT3s are greater.
GT2 ? Bar the doors Katie.

A good used Porsche is the best kept secret in the world of sports cars; Reliable, fast, and low-depreciating.

 

it's been mentioned here before, but word is the collector car market is smiling on '76-'89 930's. They are going the way of the fabled '73 911RS. (which have climbed to $150K+) And why not? They are awesome bullet proof racecars that are a kick to drive and are damn comfortable and come on? Who doesn't like the wild flared fenders and whaletail? It all comes together visually for Porsche in that era car. Don't forget ruf was able to prepare a 930 for 200+ miles per hour safely, for the street, back in the '80's. I have a beautiful one for sale right now and just know that as soon as I sell it - prices will double!

 

And the real attribute that separates a Porsche from 99% of the other sports cars, is that you can drive it to the track, flog it mercilessly all day, then drive it home. Try that in an older Ferrari.

 

excellent post. the 89's have a better dash with better a/c vent layout. the 89 really has all the "good stuff" and had a 250 hp engine in stock USA trim. my green euro car had the higher compression engine and was a bit lighter in weight. the 89 is far more enjoyable to drive on the Interstate, and would be a car the significant other can enjoy as well.

also , the early cars have issues with pulling the case studs out. this was fixed with the 84 era cars, and Motronic fuel injection is not that hard to get sorted.


some pics of my 84 and 89 cars interiors.
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I owned six Ferraris before I bought my first Porsche. I had a GT2 (996), set up as a club sport. Brutal, exhilerating to drive, but in some ways a let down for a 200K dollar car that depreciated like a rock.
I bought a low mileage 993 C4 cabrio last winter and after doing a few more or less cosmetic things, have been using it as a daily. It is fabulous to drive, far more involving than a BMW (I used an M3 cabrio as a daily before I bought the 993).
It is not a terribly fast car but handles like a sports car should and has an old school quality about it.
I would be hesitant to buy an older turbo car without really scrutinizing it, but having said that, there are some wonderful older cars out there. Ray Joseph has the nicest ones, at a ungodly price.
I also know of a very low mileage America roadster which fits into the time frame you are looking at, but it is, of course, not a Turbo.
You should sign up for Rennlist- the older model sections there are quite active and there are many informed, long-timer owners who will be happy to help you.
(I have a hankering for a 67 SWB right now, but I'm gonna let that pass).

 

The second pic, with the light interior, is very nice. I like!
I believe it was the 2.7 liter cars that had the case stud problem, fixed with the introduction of the '78 SC 3(?)liter, which marked a couple of decades of really bulletproof cars.
There is a lot to be said for the marque.

 

Keith, Which Porsche did you have?

 

Go ahead and say what you mean--you can do it.

Edit: Try reading the thread.

 

75 to 77 had "thermal reactors" instead of Catalyitic converters causing massive heat in these engines. The head studs were made of a different material than the cylinders themselves causing different heat expansion rates. The cylinders would pull the studs out of the block. 78+ had the proper expansion rates. 74 and previous didnt have reactors. I drove a 74 from 90k to 200k miles before another problem came. One piston broke. Sold the car for 2k less than I bought it for 6 years prior.

 

Nice ones can be had for <$100k now.
Less than 400 in the US.
Bound to be a cult Porsche moreso than 993TTs IMO.

Back on topic I have a friend in DFW Texas area that has a SC targa for sale. LMK.

 

Go for it Whart. You won't regret it!

 

You can get a nice 996 GT2 for less than $100k now? I thought prices had bounced up.

 

so did I. I know they took a tumble for a while but last I looked they were still in the 120-130k range. Biggest problem with the 996 was the styling, plain and simple. Too controversial where as the newer front lights are loved by all (well at least most of us).

 

silly comments. there are so few places other than the racetrack where you can safely enjoy a turbo's power compared to the millions of miles of twisty roads where you can enjoy any model Porsche's fantastic cornering ability.

yes most econoboxes might out accellerate an SC or 3.2, but get them onto the right road and a 911 will blitz them.

(there is a reason Porsche have been making and developing the 911 over more than 40 years)

 

Check Autotrader and Cars.com
Lots listed at 120, not many moving there.
3 at 90k with "high" (30k) mileage.
Lots of good ones at 100k.
996's problem was that it was a Lexus. GT2s and 3s didn't have that problem

 

A well-driven turbo is superior on EVERY type of road. Normally aspirated air-cooled models just aren't much fun to drive.