Are either of these cars a great deal?

MonkeyBoy · 06:48 PM

Sorry in advance for such a noob post. I've had 2 911's, but both were newer - a 964 cab and a 993 cab - but I was thrown a bizarre life curveball a year ago that required me to sell.

I'm not looking to spend a lot, either outright or in maintenance, but I'd really like to get back into Porsche ownership again. Obviously I'll have a PPI done before finalizing a transaction.

I came across 2 cars locally that seem pretty reasonably priced - a silver 1982 SC targa and an iris blue 1986 targa. Both have roughly 100K miles on them. The owner of the 82 is asking $11K and I think will take $9500. He's owned the car for 7 years. He said that the targa seals are good, but it leaks over the triangle mirrors when it rains. It also drips a little bit of oil. Here are some photos

The owner of the 86 is asking $13K but is going through a divorce with a lot of pressure from his wife's attorney to sell and I bet I could get it for $9 or $10K. He only owned it for a year, bought it from a friend for $14K, and has limited records. But he's been trying to sell it locally by just placing a for sale sign in the window without much luck. He didn't know much about the car's history other than that it had been in an accident as was evidenced by carfax. Here are some photos of the 86:

Assuming that both pass PPIs, is one of these a way better deal? I don't know much about the difference between the years.

Nickatnyt · 08-21-2006, 06:54 PM

This would be an excellant time to head to Borders, Barnes & Noble, etc. and spend $15-20 on any of the 911 books that explain the differences between the years. In one evening you could know more than either of the current owners of those cars.

MRM · 08-21-2006, 07:05 PM

Bruce Anderson's excellent book Porsche 911 Handbook would be a great place to start. It is unevenly edited and takes a bit of reading to get used to the style, but it's the stuff that dreams are made of. The first part of the book describes the various models and the next part describes the best upgrades. It will keep you awake at night.

The SC has a 3 litre engine that puts out 188 hp, if I remember correctly. The Carrera (1984-1989) has a 3.2 litre that is mostly the same engine, but it also has electronic fuel injecting and is much quicker off the line. It has 207 hp in the US version. The SC addicts on the board will tell you that the SC loses nothing to the Carrera on the track. Both have great upgrades available. Both are known to be reliable models. Targas for some reason tend to be a little less sought after and therefore go for a little less than coupes.

Obviously the 82 has more history and should be less risk, but it's pretty hard to tell which is the better deal just by looking at them. You'll need to drive them and get a PPI and really see which one feels like it will be less of a project for you.

Goth · 08-21-2006, 07:28 PM

+1 on the books...

IMO: All things being equal on the PPI & your liking; The 86 will have some Factory updates that the 82 may not have.

I prefer the Carrera, but If I were getting an SC, I'd want the 82 or 83 model year.

Check out this article on the Host's website for some good info:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/911/technical_specs/911_guthrie_faq.htm

aigel · aigel's Garage

Do not buy the 86, as that carfax will stick with it and it will always hurt the resale value. Also, if the accident was big enough to be recorded on the carfax, it is not unlikely that it has seen some serious repairs. Body damage is very hard to get right. It will never be the same than a straight body from the factory.

The SC looks like the better car here. Certainly no beauty queen, but if the guy kept it up and did not drive it into the ground, you have a good start or open air motoring.

George

ruf-porsche · ruf-porsche's Garage

As Bruce Anderson would say, buy the latest and best example of your P car.

82 CIS

86 Motronic

aigel · aigel's Garage

Not sure what you are trying to say, ruf-p, but the best example certainly is not an 86 with a salvage history. It may be newere but just Motronic won't make up for accident damage that is documented in the car fax.

George

MonkeyBoy · 08-22-2006, 07:21 AM

Just to be clear, I'm not looking for or expecting a car worth bragging about and documented body damage doesn't bother me if it was repaired correctly - given that I would probably spend $9K tops anyway.

The title isn't salvage, and salvage doesn't scare me either. I got a huge discount for buying a salvage 911 a while ago and sold it for a nice profit after putting on about 40K miles.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

The mantra: Get a PPI! There is always a major plus when you get good maintenace/repair records but NOTHING trumps a thorough and solid PPI.
Other thoughts:
-Read so past posts on this board about people going nuts trying to sort out CIS. I just read a post from someone selling his car because he can't deal with the problem any more.
-Resale wil be an issue unless you are keeping it forever: Accident is a negative, silver sells faster than blue.
-Targas have wind noise, flex when driving aggresively, and leak when it rains. Get used to it.

cbeers · 08-22-2006, 03:50 PM

Since you think you can get them for about the same prics and don't mind about the body repairs on the Carrera, it all comes down to PPI.

If both PPIs come out equal, then for you it's easy, the Carrera.

-Chris

kilodawg · kilodawg's Garage

Concur with the essence of the previous posts. Based on where you seem to be coming from and with equivalent PPI's (good luck) the Carrera is the better choice for a number of reasons. The SC crowd will probably chime in shortly but when you factor out emotion it's the Carrera.

hytem · 08-22-2006, 05:28 PM

All things being equal, I would take the '86. But they aren't equal, so you have to sort out the major differences. And you have to find out the best price for each. That would be a factor. If the cars are close by, you can have a ppi done by the same mechanic and get his opinion. You would have to be satisfied the accident in the '86 was not an issue. And without records, a ppi is advisable.

Leffingwell's 911 Buyers Guide rates the '86 Targa slightly higher in parts, reliability and handling, the same in acceleration and slightly lower in comfort vs the '82 Targa. The big differences are probably the fuel injection and the engine.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

Lets focus for a second. You are not picking a choice between two answers, you are buying ONE car. Just because one is better than the other doesn't mean that either of these cars are right for you (or a good deal). Start with finding a car you really like. It should have the color and features you want. Get a PPI and if its good, then buy it. Don't worry about what else is out there.

MRM · 08-22-2006, 06:44 PM

As stated above, these aren't the only two cars in the world. It is fall, there will be a lot of cars on the market and prices should be soft. Bruce Andersen's advice is good. Take your budget and find the car that is the combination of the newest and best example you can find for your budget. Newer is better in the sense that most newer Porsche models have updates that the previous model didn't have (very true between SC and Carrera) but better condition usually trumps newer car.

Take your time and wait until you see one car that meets your requirements and really calls out your name. Then PPI it and still look at it carefully.

MonkeyBoy · 08-22-2006, 07:30 PM

I fully agree with the two posts above - I was just trying to figure out if either was a screaming deal but it seems the answer is no. I bought my last 2 cars from halfway across the country after 6+ month searches and PPId at least 3 before purchasing each, but my current situation actually necessitates buying a set of wheels pretty quickly.

I think what actually makes the most sense at this point is to not buy a 911, buy something cheap and reliable, wait until I'm really back on my feet, and buy the right one. I've got tons of drama in my life at the moment and probably the last thing I need is a project.