Keep my 87 911 Targa or buy a 996 or 997?

[Roger Shultz]

Certainly not a technical question rather emotional and irrational perhaps but one I over think far too often!

My 911 is Guards Red Targa, 140K miles, no smoke, no oil drips or burning, always starts and runs smoothly, well maintained, everything functions, only interior flaw is minor carpet wear to the left of the clutch pedal, exterior mostly repainted, less than 5 chips, engine work done at 80K to fix studs, an overall nice car. It had two recorded accidents, both to driverside door which was replaced before I bought it though the door seems to be a later door as the contour doesn't meet the door switch. The second "accident" was a minor scrape to the same door a year ago but the work improved upon the first work so it looks great.

So my dilemma is that I keep thinking I'd be happier with more modern creature comforts as I assume are found in the 996 or 997. Quieter, air bags, NAV, maybe even PDK/Tiptronic (OK I'm a woss sometimes) an audio system I can actually hear over the road noise etc. Mind you I've never driven one or even sat in one but I'm sure there are many who know all the varieties quite well on the forum.

Yes, I'm aware of the 996 IMS/RMS issues though not sure if they persist into 997 territory? Other than that is there much difference between the 996/997 except some appearance differences? I believe my 911 is appreciating even with the previous "accidents" while the 996 is becoming a less expensive vehicle.

I guess there is no perfect answer here, however I would appreciate your comments even if it is to "go take a ride and stop obsessing!"

Roger

[masraum]

My first Porsche was an '88 911 targa, so basically the same as yours. The feel and driving dynamic of the earlier cars like the SC and 3.2L Carreras is very different from the late model 911s like the 996 and 997. This past summer, I bought another Porsche (sold the 911 years ago) and was looking at 996, 986, 997, 987 type cars. I even test drove a 996 turbo expecting to fall in love with it. It was fast, but I was very underwhelmed since I was expecting something like my old 911 but with more modern amenities. Whan I did eventually fall in love with that I think gives you the experience of the older car with some modern touches was a 987 Boxster or Cayman. You may want to check those out. Great cars. I ended up with a 2008 Boxster S, and I'm loving it.

[afterburn 549]

variety is the spice of life , move on if you feel the itch.

[Tobra]

I would keep the '87

[Noah930]

It shouldn't be too hard to find a used 997 for sale at a dealership, which you can take for a spin. Try it and see if it fills in what you find lacking in your Targa. Life is too short to be driving a "fun" car you don't find fun .

[Nostril Cheese]

I'd keep the '87 as well. They are only going up in value.

996/997s can be nice, but the build quality is not as good as the car you already have.

Still, 300HP and working HVAC is pretty hard to turn down.

[GothingNC]

Keep the 87. Pick up an early,Boxster for $10K and if you get tired of the Boxster sell it for about $10K. Once you sell the air-cooled 911 it will be a bit more expensive to find one in the same condition as yours. Quite a few members of the PCA in my area are thinking about selling their 996\997 for an air-cooled 911 before they are unaffordable.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I have a friend who crossed over to a 2005 996 C4S and I think he couldn't be happier. We were talking about it a few weeks ago, I was relaying some playful speed runs with me in my 84 and a 991. For whatever reason, it dawned on me how effortless it must be to drive a 991, fast, extending back down to 997s, 6s and maybe even 993s. I got what he had been crowing about for months. The car is fast, comfortable, effortless when compared to an impact bumper car.

I drove a 2003 Boxster S this past summer and understand the allure, but I'm definitely a dyed in the wool early car person.

Drive a few 996s and 997s, a ton of car for the money. You may quickly realize what you value most in a car.

[KNS]

I agree with the others about selling the 3.2, if you want one back, it would be pretty hard (and expensive) to find another.

On the other hand, I purchased a 993 about a year and half ago and I absolutely love driving it. The comfort on the road and the refinements are very nice and makes the 3.2 seem a bit primitive (I must be getting old). The older car gets driven much, much less these days.

I imagine myself getting a 997 in the future.

[Rick V]

I have an 82SC coupe and I daily a 97 Boxster, and it is an apples and oranges kind of thing, I love driving both of them and each one does something better then the other one. Personally I would keep the air cooled one, and as said before grab a Boxster, to beat the snot out of, and trust me you won't be able to kill the damn thing, but they have no soul, they are very uniform and one feels like all the rest.
At the end of the day it all come down to what feels best for you, and what you are looking for from ownership.

[jorian]

I have an 87 coupe and a 997S. I love both cars.

The 997S is my daily driver (unless it snows) and I use it for business. Has bluetooth for audio and phone, heated seats, A/C that works, goes like hell and looks beautiful from any angle. I haven't spent any money on it other than consumables and it is a lot fun to drive fast.

The 87 is a what I lusted after in university and is what I always thought a Porsche should be. I parked several when I was a valet at a hotel. Always thought I would get one when I had the money. The 87 was my first 911 so I am a bit emotional about it. It is slow, smells of oil, has little sound deadening, laughable A/C and is noisy. I love all that but I am alone in family with this opinion. I will likely keep it forever but it gets driven less than 1000 miles per year.

The delta between values is diminishing; the 997 is depreciating and the G50 is appreciating. I don't care about the value of either and I will likely upgrade to the 991 in a few years. One is a luxury and the other is transportation, you decide which is which. Hope this helps.

[Paul K]

How about a 993? I went from an '89 targa to a '96 993 coupe & was very happy. More power, less road noise, better a/c, power steering & a sexy figure.

Good luck!

[sugarwood]

Originally Posted by masraum

It was fast, but I was very underwhelmed since I was expecting something like my old 911 but with more modern amenities. Whan I did eventually fall in love with that I think gives you the experience of the older car with some modern touches was a 987 Boxster or Cayman. You may want to check those out. Great cars. I ended up with a 2008 Boxster S, and I'm loving it.

So the Boxster is more like an air cooled 911 than a new 911 ?

[Roger Shultz]

Thanks for your input. One easy thing is go drive one then do some soul searching and numbers crunching. What is the cost of insurance, cost and ease of maintenance? The 87 cost's me less than $400 for insurance even in NJ, oil changes, plugs, points, and many other chores are easily done even though I'm hitting 72 next week. When I bought this 5 years ago, I never even considered newer and only recently did I question my judgement. It's not a daily drive, heck I often do my errands on foot anyway. I love cruising back roads pretty much putzing along at 50 mph. I'll never track the car and confess that I like to look at it (except for the silly whale tail) more than anything. I'll post an update once I try out a newer one! Thanks Guys!

[jorian]

If its not a daily driver I say keep it and enjoy.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

Drive a few 996s and 997s, a ton of car for the money. You may quickly realize what you value most in a car.

Excellent perspective. My take is that there's not a better or worse Porsche, just different flavors. The 996 and 997 are fantastic cars, they give up a little of the early car character for daily driver practicality and reliability. The 986 and 987 are superb as well, frankly I think a 987S is the most pure fun car that I've owned. I've had a longhood, G50 Carrera, 951, multiple varieties of 986, 987, 996, and 997, and driven countless more. It's really just a question of what you value, and how you choose to use the car.

[Chocaholic]

Really a question of character/soul vs comfort and amenities. Lot's of 996 and 7's to chose from and they continue to drop in value. Your Carrera is becoming more rare every day, is appreciating and is essentially irreplaceable for 996 money.

Guess you can tell my opinion...

[JDC PDX]

Sold my '86 Targa for an '07 C4S and haven't looked back. Better in every possible way.

Just need another garage so I can have both depending on the mood!

Good luck with your decision. In the end, you have to be happy with it!

[sc_rufctr]

It sounds like you don't really want your Targa anymore. If true move it on to someone who does.

I know it can be hard to admit that you may have outgrown your 911.
I still like mine but I drive it less and less now. Maybe I've I lost my Mojo for it but I still want to keep it in my garage.
Hopefully my interest will reignite at some point. I've even been thinking about "dailying" it for a while.

[Hugh R]

Same boat. I like the 84Targa, but the drive from home to Burbank during rush hour with shifting is getting old (45-60 Minutes in bumper-to-bumper driving). Plus the A/C isn't worth crap so six months of the year its hot. Still like driving it up PCH to Malibu, but its a rare event.