Looking to buy a Porsche 911 for the first time!

[Rhetro]

Hello, All!

Looking to buy a 911 for the first time! I know NOTHING about them, other than I've always wanted one. Not looking for anything new. I'm looking at anything from a late 70s SC to a mid- ate 80s Carrera. No turbo -unless, it's too good to pass up (however, I think I should start without one). Don't want a ragtop, and don't really want to spend more than $30G? Don't know how realistic this is to get one in decent shape. I don't care about the mileage, and just want one that was babied and taken care of.
I currently have a 93 VR6 Corrado, which I love (and have owned for 19 years) But I'm starting to get nickel and dimed by it. I think it's time for an upgrade and thought by asking questions here.
Are there certain years within this range that I should stay away from?
Where do I start (besides asking a lot of questions..)? I've posted in some other forums and have begun looking into this. It's gotta be white!!!

Thanks for reading!

[ganun]

Search for Ultimate White P car thread, in this forum. With that budget it should be in excellent condition. Enjoy the hunt.

[Speed Buggy]

Get a pre-purchase inspection!

[Westy]

Add 2k and buy MINE!!

Ain't I shameless!!

[OsoMoore]

Welcome Rhetro! I was in much the same position as you 3 years ago. This is a great place to look at classifieds, ask questions, and keep it running after you buy it.

I highly recommend taking a look at this book: The Used 911 Story, 8th Edition: Peter Zimmermann: 9780963172662: Amazon.com: Books
The author also posts here from time to time. Basically Porsches got better and better over the years, but you can't go wrong with an SC or a Carrera. I have a 79 SC myself!

Poke around the forum and you will find lots of wisdom. The search feature is great, and if I had more time I'd link you some of the many relevant threads. Look carefully, buy with your eyes open, and you'll have a great time. Just don't wait another year or that 30K may be a bit less car!

[Rhetro]

You guys have been great!
Thanks for the warm welcome!
I've already ordered the Zimmerman book from Amazon, so I'm about to begin the research!

I'm sure I'll have a couple billion questions to ask before too long!
I definitely don't want to wait, but I don't want to rush the search either and buy a lemon.
I think with all you experts here, that shouldn't be too much of a problem!

[vash]

might help if you posted up the general area you live.

some guy with a white one might crack under the pressure and sell you his white SC..

couldnt hurt.

[Westy]

Originally Posted by vash

might help if you posted up the general area you live.

some guy with a white one might crack under the pressure and sell you his white SC..

couldnt hurt.

And I thought I was shameless!!!

[vash]

Originally Posted by Westy

And I thought I was shameless!!!

you are more shameless...your car is black. arguably the opposite of white.

[Nachtfalter]

30k should get you a decent driver coupe. Definitely get a thorough PPI before you buy it. Any 78-89 is good, power and options changed through the years but all have their plusses.

[sugarwood]

Here is some advice given to a similar poster last week.

Shopping for my first 911 - what is the price of entry? And other newbie questions

Beat by a flipper

[fanaudical]

Welcome to the madness!

My opinion - Unless you you're a sucker for older cars, I recommend buying the latest model you can afford. As you move from '78 to '89, you get better engines / better engine management / less trouble.

Definitely post your location and don't be bashful about requesting help to check out a car.

Getting a PPI is a must and money well spent. Try to keep some cash in reserve to fix things that you find. (A wise man once told me "Don't buy a Porsche unless you can afford two." That may be exaggerating things a bit, but sometimes not. For education, look around here on the forum for the price of parts / used engines / rebuilt engines / etc.)

I recommend finding a "Cars & Coffee" type event near you and talking with some owners, see their cars, and ask about experiences.

Is this going to be your daily driver? You may be giving up some creature comforts if so (and well worth it to some). Give some serious thought to how much "utility" and "appliance-like behavior" you need from your car. You mention some dissatisfaction with the maintenance of your Corrado; once you become the caretaker of a 911, you may find the Corrado wasn't so bad...

One final "shameless" comment: Don't ignore the "ragtops" - Targas need good homes, too.

[Tippy]

If I were buying stock, 89 would be my choice. The latest Motronic ECU, last of the 911 series, the great G50 trans, etc.

[billydeakins]

They're out there and this is a great place - both in terms of questions and classifieds. I found my 89 on here about 9 months ago and have been in love ever since!

Good luck.....the search is half the fun. The other half comes when you get behind the wheel for the first time and can't wipe the smile off your face!

[Eli W]

Don't buy one!

Old Porsches suck!
Bought one, a 77 S and it has no air no power brakes and no heated seats.

All it has is a manual gear box that lets you feel ever gear turning and every sound coming form the flat six. Every shift you know what the car is doing. To get through a corner you have to pick your entry, then rather than turn the wheel if you need to sharpen your turn you have to step on the gas. When you do the back end of the car pushes you through the turn. The car feels like a German engineered go cart.

And all kinds of people stare at you when dive around in one of these old German cars one time, a bunch of little kids got off a bus and one of them dropped his book bag and turned around and pointed at me. I think he was making fun of me. And another time a 80 year old lady said she loved my cute car.

Who wants a car that takes skill to drive well and old ladies say is cute and 9 year old boys point at?

Just buy a nice Acura or Cadillac.

[Mony]

Originally Posted by Eli W

Don't buy one!

Old Porsches suck!
Bought one, a 77 S and it has no air no power brakes and no heated seats.

All it has is a manual gear box that lets you feel ever gear turning and every sound coming form the flat six. Every shift you know what the car is doing. To get through a corner you have to pick your entry, then rather than turn the wheel if you need to sharpen your turn you have to step on the gas. When you do the back end of the car pushes you through the turn. The car feels like a German engineered go cart.

And all kinds of people stare at you when dive around in one of these old German cars one time, a bunch of little kids got off a bus and one of them dropped his book bag and turned around and pointed at me. I think he was making fun of me. And another time a 80 year old lady said she loved my cute car.

Who wants a car that takes skill to drive well and old ladies say is cute and 9 year old boys point at?

Just buy a nice Acura or Cadillac.

Wait.. My sarcasm detector detects strong waves of sarcasm..

[Mony]

For me, Aircooled Porsches can be divided into three sections: Classic, retro, and modern.

Classic porches for me are pre-75 cars. 60s porsches are very raw and very real. They are the most true of all porsches I believe. You won't enjoy an AC, nor you will enjoy all the electronic trinkets that are in modern cars. The only electronic thing you may have is a cheap radio in some cars. But truly early porsches are very raw and their experience is authentic.

Retro for me, is the 80s era, which is my cup of tea. 80s porsches (78-89) are very balanced. They aren't modern cars, and they aren't really old classic cars. They are sorta in the middle. They perform really good and they are very reliable. The interior does have some interesting gadgets and a sound system. But mostly the car is driver oriented. an excellent balance between modern and classic.

The 90s is the era where classic cars have shifted to look more like modern cars. 90s Porsches like the 964 and the 993 are very modern. I have not owned or driven one of those. So I am not very knowledgeable on those cars. But If I am not mistaken, they do have an OBD port for the computer. That basically means "modern."

Choose between those 3 eras, and start the hunt for the best car. Good luck!

[wildthing]

Why not a 996 or an early 997? I mean, if air-cooled is not a must, then "buy the newest model you can afford" could apply. Granted, early 997s could still be in the mid-30s, but I've seen a few below 30 on my local craigslist. Look for the "Affordable 996 thread" and "Affordable 997 thread".

[gliding_serpent]

I got an 84, and got burned in the process, but go with your heart. Otherwise, you may waste a lot of money buying another car, only to come cack to a 911. I also vouch on a sc/3.2. Good mix of "value" (hahaha...) and performance/reliability.

You will be overwhelmed with ppi topics. The big ones are rust (remember iceburgs), compression, leakdown, and the one I forgot... A visual inspection of the cams, and head studs. I had great compression and leakdown... But a broken headstud and pitted cams. Costly thing to miss on a ppi. There is a reason people sell their cars. For some it is because the engine/transmission is finally ready for rebuild, and they want to cash in on the hot 911 market, not the repair bill. Other cars are fine, but the owners know a rebuild must be coming soon... So they sell before any issues "officially" arrive. The amazing cars that were just rebuilt have a price that reflects it... Or they get scooped up faster than you can blink. Or there is still something wrong with it... Why in earth would you sell a freshly rebuilt car after dumping a ton of money into it?

Pay the money for a finished car, or buy a project and budget the rebuild cost. The former will be cheaper. Option three is a popular one... Buy a good car, use it minimally, and then flip it in a few years for profit. The trick is to not use it enough to trigger rebuild status.

Option four is what i did: buy a structurally sound car, expect to rebuild the engine and transmission in the next five years. Put the money aside to do so. Now just enjoy. When rebuild time comes (for me it was a short period), dont cut corners... Do it right... And enjoy a unique driving experience until you hit the grave.

[Rhetro]

Great advice, folks! I'm leaning Retro here (note my screen name...). But I'm in the research phase and I haven't ruled ANYTHING out. All I know is a 911 body style.
but yes, leaning retro (did I say that already?)

BTW:
San Antonio, Texas is where I live. Can't escape the white paint -a little easier in the Tx summer heat as well!

Can't wait to test drive one!!