what to look for in purchasing

[KCPSG]

I have been reading and reading and now getting dizzy, I have been looking to buy my 1st porsche and I am looking for 87'-89', I had a good one lined up but I moved too slow and let someone else get her before I could. Now I have my eye on a couple others but they are up around and over the 100,000 mile mark. Is there anything I should look out for as far as service to make sure I am not going to have to do a top end rebuild, and also can anyone tell me if the 88' had the same problems w/the valve guides as the 87's did?

Thanks in advance
Phil

[nostatic]

all of the 3.2 engines can have valve guide issues. At 100K miles you are past the "premature" valve guide wear window, but might be approaching the "plain old wear" time. All of these cars are a crapshoot, so the best you can do is have a good PPI done by a good independent shop, try and assess if the car was "loved" (ie you are buying the previous owners, so records are nice), and look for major systems being recently replaced (brakes, clutch, alternator, etc).

Don't rush...there are plenty of cars out there (but a lot of them are tired), and there is always another one around the corner. You don't want to buy a bad one...that can be painful.

[rcecale]

Whatever you do, do NOT do something like this!

You're doing the most important thing you can do right now...asking questions on this board. You will find no better resource...anywhere!

Randy

[CarreraS2]

From the link:

"What year the 3.2 Carrera received an external oil cooler for the five-speed gearbox and why it's important to know before buying."

[soup dragon]

Check its had a clutch fitted -they are expensive to replace
check gearchange is it smooth-try changing down into first at slow speed.
check for rust around headlamps and on door sills-rust can be expensive to put right .
lift up the hood carpet look for any rust /signs of crumpled bodywork (bad smash)
check oil pipes running from rear r/h wheel arch to front of car for leaks .
check under engine for signs of leaks-can be fixed but worth haggling over.
overall buy on condition and service history not mileage
(a 60k car driven in a city is going to be more worn out than a 120k car thats been used for long trips)
the late 3.2`s are a sound buy all the major 911 faults have been sorted.

[KCPSG]

Thanks for all the reply's guys, I am definitely going to get a PPI done by an independent Porsche mechanic before I buy anything. I guess I just get nervous when I see the odometer over 100K,I just don't want the car I buy to be a money pit.

Thanks again
Phil

[Por_sha911]

Q: What to look for?
A: An excellent mechanic that works on air-cooled Porsches that will do a PPI from top to bottom and inside out! Amen