First 911!

[tshore]

I'm still not sure whether I have done something silly or something wonderful. A few weeks ago I bought an '86 911 Targa with 191k miles as a weekend driver. The price ($10k) was just at the threshold where I figured could get away with it without getting in too much "domestic trouble" if you know what I mean.

Of course, this being an impluse purchase, I started researching how to shop for used 911's only *after* I bought this car. I did take in in to a local shop to have them look it over, but I didn't understand to ask for a full PPI, etc. They are very familiar with 911's and thought the car was good value for the price. So, thinking carpe diem, I bought it.

The car runs well. The 915 transmission is notchy, but gradually I am getting the hang of it (hadn't touched a stick shift in over 10 yrs. before buying this car).

I have to say, I just love love love driving this car on the twisty roads in Marin County where I live. Take the top off on a crisp spring morning, fire her up, and off through the redwoods! As I was driving out to the coast the other day, my only thought was "Why did I wait so long?" The lost years and decades! My wife and children now complain I pay more attention to the Porsche than to them. Which is true, of course, but I'm sure they will grow to understand in time.

Another pleasure has been discovering boards like this one where people share their passion over these little gems. Great stuff!

My original philosophy with this car was going to be not to sink too much money into it, but to keep it running well and enjoy it. But I'm finding that easier said than done, because I can see now that the urge to upgrade and restore can be overwhelming. (Does it make sense to re-upholster the seats, or just live with them? etc.)

Id' be interested in views from folks on this board about whether it makes any sense at all to put money into restoring/upgrading a car with such high mileage. I have no tools or mechanical aptitude to speak of, so the work would be done "at retail". Meanwhile, I'll drive and enjoy.

Here's a pic of "Iris". And thanks for welcoming a newbie to the boards!

[on-ramp]

10K for an 86 is a great price. although it does have high mileage and you might do some serious work on it first.

start by collecting tools and doing as much you can yourself, if you're so mechanically inclined.
btw, nice car.

[livi]

Welcome to the addiction!

Good choice of model and year. Very nice color!

As long as the chassis and engine is generally sound, I would not hesitate putting some money in typical upgrades like new shocks etc. Besides Pelican BBS I would recommend getting 101 Projects for your 911 and Bentley´s manual. They are good companions for DIY projects like regular service tech advice. Doing a base line service like oil and oil filter change, air filter, spark plugs, ignition wires, valve adjustment and perhaps fuel filter and change brake fluid is fulfilling and great fun.

I understand you live nearby the redwood area. I envy you. I am a tree freak and I particularly love the great redwood species. Would be my dream trip to see them in the wood, as it were.

[JohnKo]

+1 for books and manuals; even if all you ever do is read, they'll pay for themselves by making you a more knowledgeable 'retail' consumer. Best case is that they'll explain what's involved and perhaps encourage you to take on some DIY -- satisfying, and helps allocate money to other stuff.
Since you asked, I'd focus on maintenance, repairs when necessary, and mild upgrades when maintenance or repair makes the work necessary anyway.
FYI (others comment please), that "Carrera" badge on the front is an add-on, isn't it?
Good luck, and enjoy...
John

[tshore]

You're the third person who has seen the car who has mentioned the "Carrera" badge in front! The mechanic who checked the car out noted it and recommended I remove it. It seemed to offend his sense of propriety. It probably is an add-on. Not sure what the point is, since all cars of that era were "Carreras", right?

Presumably it's attached using adhesive. Anyone know a safe way of removing it that won't damage the paint?

[TerryH]

Welcome aboard! Hard to go wrong at $10K if it runs well and makes you smile. The standard is "they are all $20K cars", so plan on investing a little anyway.

That Carrera emblem should be removed. It belongs on the engine lid. IMHO, it is just plain wrong and looks silly. Hopefully it's just taped on, but check the underside for fasteners.

[ros74911]

congrats! looks great. more pics please. welcome.

[Paul K]

Welcome and congrats! Please add your location to your sig so we know where you are! Can you post more pictures? Also, if you haven't already, you might want to pull that carrera emblem off the hood- seems like it's upsetting some folks!

Cheers,

Paul.

[tonythetarga]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by tshore
[B]
(Does it make sense to re-upholster the seats, or just live with them? etc.)

Id' be interested in views from folks on this board about whether it makes any sense at all to put money into restoring/upgrading a car with such high mileage. I have no tools or mechanical aptitude to speak of, so the work would be done "at retail".
**************************************************

Are the seats torn or just worn? If they are torn, you can buy new covers here at Pelican or have a shop try and do a repair to a section. Definetly worth the repair. You may even find a matched pair at a swap meet or on the classifieds for a good price and just replace them.
IMO you should read up on the 84-86 cars and get to know what you have and what condition it is in. Then do what you need to do for maintenance or preventitive maintenance before something breaks. These years are very reliable and make great drivers. Have fun and welcome to the board.

[tshore]

The seats are both worn and the driver's side has a crack that's almost a tear. The blue dye has worn off a bit in places, and the leather feels a bit hard rather than soft and supple. The stitching has come out on the upper left part of the driver's side seat.

Tops on my wish list is to recondition the interior, particularly the seats. Issues are:

Seat condition. There's only so much Lexol can do, evidently. Do any of the home leather seat reconditioning kits work? I'm not looking for miracles, I just want to make sure I don't make the seats worse instead of better, or have the dye come off on my backside! The price on Pelican for new leather for these seats is about $1300, which does not include the labor, so I figure I'm looking at something close to $2000 for fully reupholstering these. If I can get them to look 50% nicer for, say, 5% of that cost, I'll go for that for now.

Door panels. Some discoloration on the passenger's side, but no real damage. Door handles/map pockets are worn-looking, but not damaged.

Carpets. I got new floor mats first thing. The carpets are undamaged, but look their age. I'll get them steam cleaned this weekend and see how they look then.

Dash. There is a tiny crack in the center of the dash. Not bothersome, but I'd hate to see it grow. Is this something I need to nip in the bud?

Lights. The dome light does not come on when the door opens, but works when switched on manually, though it's not very bright. The instrument lights are dimmer than I would like, and the heater controls and headlight knob are completely unilluminated (the fog light knob is lit, tho). Not sure whether there is a bulb out, or whether this is normal for these cars.

Other than that, everything is great...

Here's another pic. I'll have to take some more with a better camera. These shots make the paint look a bit faded, but the paint is wonderful. The interior has a few isses, as noted above, but the outside looks like a million.

[haycait911]

quote; My wife and children now complain I pay more attention to the Porsche than to them. Which is true, of course, but I'm sure they will grow to understand in time.


so stuff the kids in the back and take your wife along too, my kids, 11 and 8, love riding in my '73. you'll be glad you've finally got into a porsche. you'll never look back.

[tonythetarga]

As far as the seats go, 5% of the re-skin + labor is dreaming...BUT you could probably find a pair of used seats for a good price. If it really bothers you, you could always put on some seat covers for the time being. As long as the stuffings not coming out, I'd leave them as is and drive the car for now and keep an eye out for a deal on replacements. You could even attempt to re-cover them yourself as your first DIY project!

edit: found on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PORSCHE-911-912-924-928-944-UPHOLSTERY-COVERS-KIT-SEATS_W0QQitemZ270105297535QQihZ017QQcategoryZ3370 1QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[450knotOffice]

Welcome to the addiction is right! You got a steal for 10K based on what I'm reading and seeing.

Enjoy it.

[jpc1818]

nice ride and welcome to the porsche world!!!

[goat]

Enjoy the car.
Like your enthusiasm in the fact that you have a list of what to do to make the car better. Actually I think most of us here have that same enthusiasm too! Welcome.
Tim.

[Zef]

Very nice Targa...Welcome aboard and have fun...!

[Palum6o]

See, this is how it all begins… my PO said to me on the first drive "… and wait until you fall in love with it."

Great Ride! For the money you did fine. I have the same color combination and my blue interior also shows some fading, especially on the seats. I'm looking into re-dyeing my seats, I'm sure there are a number of vendor's with great products; I'm probably going to go with Leatherique. If there's any suggestion I can give after a year of ownership, wait a little before doing anything major, get the books (Wayne's and the Bentley), keep reading the boards and threads, you may decide later to use the money for something else.

To remove the Carrera plate, be careful, use a hair dryer to soften the adhesive, you don't want to pull on the clear coat.

[Jim727]

Tim - welcome to the board! I'm just up the road in Santa Rosa. Very active Porsche area you are in. Redwood Region is the local PCA group and there is a breakfast tour out to Nicasio on the 7th - usually a great ride through some twisties followed by brunch with fellow Porsche nuts. A couple of auto-x events coming up also. Sending you some info via PM. There's also the BAP (Bay Area Pelicans) to be added to your local contact list.

I think the reason you're getting questions on the Carrera script on the front is because it's an engine lid emblem. As for seats, I haven't done the recover route - others can help with that - but you might also consider checking with European Auto Salvage Yard (EASY) in Emeryville if you choose to go the replacement route. All Porsche and everyone there is very helpful. Your lighting problems sound like it might just be burned out bulbs, except maybe the interior light - don't know targas that well.

Welcome to the addiction....
Jim

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Congratulations! Welcome to the Pelican community.

I recently bought my first 911. It is a blast. I fixed most of the "easy" stuff like oil change, cleaned out the stopped up filter in my wiper washer, etc.. Spent a crazy amount of time detailing the car; wash/paint cleaning clay/polish/wax.

I let the professionals do stuff that is beyond my capabilities like a wheel alignment and air conditioning fix. But I like to fix the small things and don't mind saving the $90 hourly rate for stuff I can do.

I had some issues with rear tail lights. The socket was loose. I gently pulled the contact up so the the bulb now feels snug and it works fine. The 4th fuse on the luggage compartment panel is for the drivers side tail light and could also be the source of issues. If you take the tail light lens off the car, put it on the front seat instead of the ground. All of the plastic bits are brittle and crack easily. I tripped over my lens and broke it in two..

[jkarolyi]

For your front seats (which sound just like the condition of my seats when I bought my car), I'd bet a Leatherique kit would make them look like new! It works, their rejuvinator oil really softens the old leather, and the leather dye doesn't come off on your clothes. I used their kit on my '89 and I was amazed at the results. Almost three years later and they still look sharp.

http://www.leatherique.com

As for the Carrera script (which you *MUST* remove ), I like the citrus adhesive removers like Goo Gone. Squirt some around the badge into the adhesive and let it sit a few minutes, then gently wiggle the badge loose by twisting it side to side rather than pulling up. Scrub off the rest of the adhesive with more goo gone, then wash the area with water.

Best of luck!