What to Buy??

Excalibur · 01-19-2006, 12:18 PM

New to this forum and I'm looking for some advice. After dabbling with American Muscle Cars for the past decade I've decided to treat myself to a Porsche for me and my son (14) to spend some time fixing, upgrading etc. Working on a budget of $12K (ish) to get started. Looking to see what you think would be a good model type, year condition to look for. I've always admired Porsche cars from afar, never driven one but with looks that good they have to be a blast. I would be interested in your suggestions.

Thanks!

bigrubberjeep · 01-19-2006, 12:29 PM

Hey, welcome to the board! Sounds like you have a great plan in place to spend some quality time with the boy, you want to literaly build a car or somethign that runs already and just needs a few minor repairs?

12K is a bit on the small side for the budget but it is doable. Just be prepared to spend more in the future.

I would give you some ideas as to what car might be a good start but it would be completely biased since I have only owned 2 Porsche, my first was a 67 912 that needed tons of engine work, however I did pick it up for only $1750 and it was running, my second car and current is a 85 Turbo Look, it's way over the 12K budget though.

If it were me, I would look for a not so perfect 911 with a 3.2 motor and a 915 tranny that is at least in "good" running order, everything else can be fixed for the most part at a decent price.

Again - Good luck!

Excalibur · 01-19-2006, 12:37 PM

Thanks for the reply. No time better spent than with your kids guiding them to good habits, fortunately he shares the same obsession with cars that I do. I'm not looking to build from scratch, but rather minor repairs and upgrades. I purposely kept the budget low knowing I'd be putting more into it. Mechanicals don't scare me but bodywork is definitely not my strength!

JR_NYC · 01-19-2006, 01:15 PM

In the $12k price range you should be able to find a decent later model 911 SC. Carreras are better in many ways I'm but not sure what you'd be getting for $12k. Another idea is to buy a roller and put a 3.6 in it. Many here have done it so I'm sure someone can chime in on what that would cost.

Mojo · 01-19-2006, 02:27 PM

Get a good running SC 1978 to 1983, you will love it and have so much fun. But make sure you get it checked out by a pro. Could save you 10's of thousands of dollars in the long run.

sushinav · sushinav's Garage

Hands down, get the nicest SC you can find. It is the best first Porsche. Have a PPI (prior purchase inspection) done on it by a Porsche shop. Have them check the head studs, the chain tensioners, and service history. These cars and engines are close to bulletproof and make superb first 911s.

GaryR · GaryR's Garage

If it checks out to be as advertised, the best deal on this forum is here -
1982 911sc with 1992 motor

The motor alone in that car, in good condition, is worth 7-8K all day long. If your looking for a stock classic car, that isn't it, but if you want a hot rod Porsche to play with... you will most likely never see a deal like this again soon!

racer · 01-19-2006, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Excalibur
New to this forum and I'm looking for some advice. After dabbling with American Muscle Cars for the past decade I've decided to treat myself to a Porsche for me and my son (14) to spend some time fixing, upgrading etc. Working on a budget of $12K (ish) to get started. Looking to see what you think would be a good model type, year condition to look for. I've always admired Porsche cars from afar, never driven one but with looks that good they have to be a blast. I would be interested in your suggestions.

Thanks!

What kind of Porsche have you always wanted? How about your son? No point in buying a "project" car that neither one of you cares if it gets finished.

There are so many wonderful cars to throw your time and money into.. Are you looking for a car that doesn't even run? Maybe a car that is just "a little rough"? Maybe a real nice "runner" that could be paid a bit more attention? How handy are you? Can you read German? (lol)

To me a Porsche is aircooled - 356, 911/912, 914. Buy a couple of issues of "Excellence" and get a feel for the type of Porsche you want! The fun is in the searching afterall

ubiquity0 · 01-19-2006, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GaryR
If it checks out to be as advertised, the best deal on this forum is here -
1982 911sc with 1992 motor

The motor alone in that car, in good condition, is worth 7-8K all day long. If your looking for a stock classic car, that isn't it, but if you want a hot rod Porsche to play with... you will most likely never see a deal like this again soon!

I thought that car looked / sounded familiar:
911SC with 3.6 Purchase Advice

aigel · aigel's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by ubiquity0
I thought that car looked / sounded familiar:
911SC with 3.6 Purchase Advice

Yes. It has been on craigslist for a while too. I think the seller is either not negotiable, or it isn't a very clean car.

George

aigel · aigel's Garage

Now to the actual question.

12k 911?

That would be the 78-83 SC, hands down. It is your best bang for the buck and if you search, you will find a decent example for 12k. I would recommend to stay away from basket cases and rollers. You will have plenty of projects to do on a 12k SC, especially if you include upgrades, not just repairs.

Keep us posted on your search! And it can't be said enough: Don't buy without a pre purchase inspection that will ensure engine health.

George

Seeeu911 · Seeeu911's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Excalibur
New to this forum and I'm looking for some advice. After dabbling with American Muscle Cars for the past decade I've decided to treat myself to a Porsche for me and my son (14) to spend some time fixing, upgrading etc. Working on a budget of $12K (ish) to get started. Looking to see what you think would be a good model type, year condition to look for. I've always admired Porsche cars from afar, never driven one but with looks that good they have to be a blast. I would be interested in your suggestions.

Thanks!

Excalibur welcome . I searched and found for $13k a 87 Carrera coupe. The asking price was $17.5 cash talked. 114k miles with 20k miles on a rebuilt motor with receipts. She has Bursch headers, BB exhaust, Steve Wong Chip.
So far over 6 months or so my 16 yr old and I have replaced the entire AC system $1200, pads and painted calipers, oil change, replaced door seals and mis rubber trim, 930S wheel and other godies from Pelican. We have est $17-$18k in the car now. I'm teaching him to wrench and drive. The learning and father son time is great, we are learning lot about each other and building great memories.

good luck and dont be afraid to go low on price you will find the market is a little soft on Carreras right now.

here is a pic of my son.

Excalibur · 01-23-2006, 04:40 AM

Thanks everyone for the great advice. Really appreciate your comments. Seeeu911 thanks for the photo's , that's what it is all about. Good luck to you and your son with your Carrera, enjoy the time spent, you can't get it back!

Carl_Boehme · 01-23-2006, 05:22 AM

78-83 911SC and the Targas tend to be less expensive than the coupes. Plus you get the benefit of a safe convertible.

If you mostly want to do engine teardowns, rebuilds and performance upgrades then the muscle cars are the place to be because of the lower cost of engine parts. However many people on this forum have done some amazing things with Porsche engines but it wasn't inexpensive. Welocme and have lots of fun.

glenndeweirdt · glenndeweirdt's Garage

Excalibur. Certainly the SC is your best bet. The main caveat is that ALL SC's are $18,000 cars. You either pay it up front for a lower mileage well maintained example or you pay $12K up front and then keep a $6K budget for everthing that WILL go wrong over the next few years. This phenomenon ( alternately attributed to sunspots, angry gods, gravitational fluctuations, etc.) has been well documented in this forum.

johncarlos2003 · 01-23-2006, 02:51 PM

Welcome aboard- i wish my dad and i worked on cars together when i was young! Anyway, the guys are right on this one. SC and just go for it. Just make sure to get the PPI done. Full leakdown and compression plus- put up pics when you get a car and as you two work it out. Im excited! (Oh, and prepare to get addicted!)

anthony · 01-23-2006, 04:29 PM

A $12K SC doesn't have to be an $18K car if one can avoid all the upgrades they will want to do.

petrolblue83911 · 01-23-2006, 05:00 PM

ditto,

get the nicest sc you can afford, and 12k should get you there.

-stay away from E-bay, unless you can go to see the car and get a pre purchase insp. first

Good places to look for your car,

-Here
-local porsche club classifieds
-Sometimes-Panorama-(PCA publication)

-What ever you do- Get a pre purchase insp. it will cost 200-400 dollars, but is a must, and worth the cost, ask here for local trustworthy wrench's in your area. These cars are so different from most others that you really need a qualified mechanic to look it over! Good Luck! take your time, and you will find a great car that will be a blast! -a good SC like we are recommending can last for hundred's of thousands of miles if well maintained!!

sergeshishik · sergeshishik's Garage

I also got my first porsche 1984 targa paid $14000 and was worried about expenses, but nock on wood it runs/looks great. I was also impressed that the car isn't hard to work on, and there is tons of info here to help along the way. My sons only four and his help is reorganizing my tool box, but he loves to go for a ride.

glenndeweirdt · glenndeweirdt's Garage

Anthony,
Love the plate! I wonder if it is available in IL?