1986 911 50k miles - what expenses to expect?

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Hello Pelicans,

I am a newbie to the forum. I have been looking for a 911 and think I found a nice one. Yes, I plan to get a PPI done.

What expenses should I expect in the first year of driving it if I put 5,000 miles per year? This is a second car for nice weather driving.

My biggest concerns are stuff like valve guides, clutch, etc... big scary expensive stuff?

The car looks very clean. Two Owners, responsible adults, first owner is a pilot and put 37k miles, second owner drove it way more when he bought it 5 years ago. Always garage kept, no oil leaks.

Thanks for you thoughts,

Jeffrey

[NE Ohio 911]

Jeff- The PPI should give you an idea of what mechanical expenses to expect during your first year of ownership. Be prepared to spend some money as these cars can be expensive if you do not do any of the work yourself. My car had 52,000 miles on it when I bought it last summer. My first trip to the shop was a little over a grand and that was just for routine items such as oil change, brake flush, fuel sending unit etc. I will do many of these types of repairs myself now that I have become more familiar with these cars. I'd say that you should have a couple of grand in reserve for any potential unexpected repairs.

Next you have to account for the modification bug. For instance I bought wider Fuchs, a short shift kit, shifter bushings, Wevo shift coupler and a strut brace to the tune of a couple of thousand bucks for my first "updates". It gets addictive.

I hope this helps. Good luck and post if you pull the trigger on the purchase.

[JTL]

I purchased my -84 targa 9 years ago with 58k miles. It needed a new alternator and battery pretty much the next day. Luckily the local imports dealer didn't leave me hangin' on that deal. I did a lot of research before buying the car and had the dealer do a valve adjustment and oil change prior to my purchase.

My car has really been trouble free. 90% of the ownership costs have been parts upgrades and other issues I chose to address. The had the car repainted 2 years ago and the clutch just got replaced at 95k. Regular maintenance has consisted of valve adjustments every 15k and oil/filter every 3-5k. 911s are fun and relatively easy to tinker with too if you have some time.

The bottom line is try to find the newest 911 you can afford with as many tasteful performance upgrades as possible.
I would guess a working a/c system would be an asset in a daily driver around where you live.

jt

[tonythetarga]

Once the PPI is taken care of and any outstanding issues corrected, your next "normal" major expense will be the 60k service. Expect anywhere from 500 to 1k for this. It will replace all fluids (engine oil, tranny, brake), adjust valves, tune up, fuel and oil filter etc.
After that, depending on how hard (hard = track) you drive, you might not need much for maintenance.
Modification and upgrade is a completely different category.

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Thanks for the reply doug.

I am driving a 1988 924s that was well sorted out by the previous owner. He gave me 10k worth of receipts for parts alone. My 924s has all the right mods, air cleaner, BB stainless exhaust, test pipe, fuel pressure regulator, tower strut brace, konis... and more.

The car I am looking at is a virgin. It has the original airbox...

I may get flamed for saying this... but my 924s feels every bit as fast as the stock 911 I test drove yesterday. Maybe because I was new to the feel of it? Or maybe because there is much more power to unleash with mods?

[buttjoint]

probably as fast and it ain't gettin much faster especially if ya have to smog it.

[DanielDudley]

I think you will find that the 911 is quicker at speeds over 70, and would respond well to mods like your 924S has. At least this has been my experience. Also I think you have to go up the revs and not baby a 911 to get it's best.