[masraum]

'84-89 - 3.2L Carrera
'90-94 - 964 (3.6L)
'95-97 - 993 (3.6L)

I'd go for the '87-89 3.2L carrera. They have the G-50 transmission which should be bulletproof. The fuel injection on the 3.2L carreras is a better, more modern system than on the previous years. I wouldn't expect to have any problems getting them past the smog folks. I know that mine always passed with flying colors, but I guess Cali could be different. The 3.2L cars were still pretty old school. They did have power brakes, but they weren't over boosted. They did not have power steering. I loved the way they sounded and felt and drove.

The 964 is a much more modern car. Porsche redesigned the 911 for this series and from what I understand, 85% of the parts for the 964 were different than from the previous model. These had power brakes and power steering. Also, instead of Fuchs wheels, they used larger cast wheels, instead of torsion bars they used coil springs and they had a 3.6 L engine with dual plugs. They should have more power and get better mileage as well as handling better with a better ride. They are also much more aerodynamic. I'd suggest driving a few of both to get a feel.

The 993 was another step forward for the traditional air cooled 911. They are an even more modern update over the 964. Many consider them the pinnacle of the "traditional" 911 being the last of the air cooled line.

911s are actually fairly easy to work on if you are comfortable with a wrench. Parts aren't cheap, but with Pelican Parts at your disposal, most things are reasonable. Still, some repairs can be quite expensive compared to your average Honda or Toyota.

As always, get the best model you can afford, meaning, get the car that has is in the best shape and can be proven to be better cared for than all of the rest of the cars that you look at. Be prepared to spend some money, or time on the regular maintenance to ensure that it's a long lived, reliable vehicle and it will be reliable and long lived.

Be prepared for the search to take a while. 911s weren't high volume cars like a toyota corolla. Don't get excited and buy the 1st or even the 5th one that you drive (unless its perfect). Plan for the search for the right car to take a while, 6 months isn't a bad starting point. Fortunately, they say, that half of the Porsches sold in the US were sold in Cali, so you are in the right place to be searching.