87 Potential buy

chc · 03-17-2006, 08:25 AM

I am looking at this 87 3-owner 3.2 coupe with slightly under 120k, complete records from day one, even the window sticker and sale contract. Exterior is probably a 9 of 10 same as interior with the exception of A/C needs to be recharged (We all know that what it really means). I did see a couple of things concern me. First, the driver side door did not seem fully closed when its is closed, the door panel is probably 1/8” further out form the body panel, is it just the matter of latch adjustment or could be something more serious? 2nd, at the first gear, I always hear a slightly grinding noise from transmission for one to two second and then it go away, the car shifts smoothly in every gears otherwise. What could be the noise? Could it be a big problem? I will definitely have the PPI but still try to collect some information first before doing that. I try my best to describe what I saw, feel, hopefully it make some sense.

bigchillcar · bigchillcar's Garage

maybe a first gear synchro...or could just be clutch cable needs adjustment (does an '87 still use a cable?)..going out on a limb here troubleshooting a g50. obvious answer is a ppi...they should be able to tell you if it's had body damage repair that's affecting the door.
ryan

goat · goat's Garage

Clutch would make me nervous but not a deal breaker.
That year has a hydraulic clutch so it adjusts itself. sounds like synchro.
Yes a PPI would be very important.

jkarolyi · 09:41 AM

Sounds like a nice car! The first gear "grinding noise" happens only when you are driving off from a stop, right? If you start off in second it will rattle too. In that case it's the typical G50 "gear rattle" and is nothing to worry about.

About the A/C, mine "just needed recharging" when I bought it, so I did so and it's been cold for almost two years now. There's a lot of tubing in these systems which slowly leak out the Freon over the years. I wouldn't worry about that too much either.

The door could just be an adjustment of the latch (easy to fix), but I would have a shop look at it.

That's a good year with an honest amount of miles...sounds like a great car! Get a Pre-Purchase Inspection at a reputable Porsche shop. $200 well spent. What is the asking price?

jbrinkley · 03-17-2006, 09:35 AM

search g50 rattle at low rpm
heres one G50 Rattle

goat · goat's Garage

oh I read this wrong. Yes rattle sound in first ok. I mis read and thought it was grinding from first to second.

chc · 03-17-2006, 10:46 AM

jkarolyi , 16k firm
Another thing is the rear tires only last 5000miles, does this sound normal?

don911 · don911's Garage

5000 on tires is not normal.

I would have a very close look at the body, all panel gaps, etc. If you can't see obvious signs of repair I would have a body shop look at it and then get it on an alignment rack. The door fit and tire wear could mean door adjustment and proper corner balance/alignment or it could mean the car is bent.

bigchillcar · bigchillcar's Garage

5000 miles only on a set of rears? what don said..it may have serious issues that could only be diagnosed on a rack..and may not be fixable..
ryan

chc · 03-17-2006, 11:50 AM

This owner bought the car roughly 4 years ago and only put down approximately 6000miles so far, a new set of tires were purchased about 5,000 miles ago. But when I looked at the rear tires, the treads are almost gone and the front still has about 70% left. The door issues only occurs at the driver side, the passenger side is perfect fit. Like I mentioned earlier, the car/paint looks very sharp and carfax shows all clean.

ianc · 03-17-2006, 12:06 PM

I don't know about the tire wear issue. 5K does not sound that out of line to me. I typically get about 8K out of a set of rears and over 20K on a set of fronts. It all depends on how soft the compound is and how the car's been driven.

Get a PPI including a leakdown test on the engine. Check the body over very carefully for any signs of damage or crumpled sheet metal under the hood, longitudinals, etc.

ianc

jkarolyi · 03-17-2006, 12:09 PM

That's a very good price by the way, if the PPI checks out. I wear my rear tires out fast...but I get about 10,000 miles out of them. So 5 or 6,000 miles might not be too far off.

chc · 03-17-2006, 04:27 PM

Thanks for all the input. I never could link the door fit and excessive tire wear together. But as I mentioned earlier, the driver side door is the only place looks odd, everywhere else is almost perfect. Definitely will have someone do a PPI next week.

jkarolyi · 03-18-2006, 07:38 AM

Ummm...if I were you I'd put a $100 deposit on it pending the PPI. That car might be sold this weekend at that price. You really have to hop onto deals like this. Being out $300 is much better than losing the car.