yet another newbie... - Page 2

Rich76_911s · Rich76_911s's Garage

As others have, I would suggest buying a complete widebody car to begin with. It is certainly cheaper to buy a complete car than it is to buy them in pieces. Although I do have to admit when you take into account the premiums paid for factory widebody coupes the jump to the real turbo is not all that great of a $$ leap.

When a widebody was done by the factory they came with the turbo's suspension and braking system.

Here is a list of the non-turbo engines used from 1974 to 1989:
1974 - 1977 used a 2.7L engine with a continuos injection system (CIS)

1978 - 1983 used a 3.0L engine with a continuos injection system (CIS)

1984 - 1989 used a 3.2L engine with a DME controlled injection system
84-86 engines had 204 HP
87 - 89 engines had 217 HP

That is a basic list. There were some exceptions like the 3.oL Carreras that came out in mid to late 70's. Also keep in mind the engines did evolve over the years. Mostly to further adapt to growing enviromental regulations. Although a 1978 3.0L engine is 95% the same as a 1983 3.0L engine, there will be some notable changes. The newer engines for example will use an 02 sensor.

All the engines are swappable. For example you can put a 1989 3.2L into a 1977 "mid year" 911.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/MotorCity/marcesq1/

You can get fenders cheaper than 1000 a piece. If you want to keep the steel check the classifieds here to find decent deals. Or there are numerous fiberglass suppliers. gt-racing.com, getty design, A.I.R. . . . Do a search and you'll be able to find them all.

Expect to pay 1500 for a decent used tranny on the classifieds here. If you are going to turbo charge the car look for a 1978 or later 915 transmission as they were aluminum cased. The earlier transmissions were all magnesium cased.

The price of the engine depends on what engine you go with. I would steer you away from the 1974 - 1977 2.7L engines, and tell you to look for a 3.0 or 3.2L engine. For an engine with good compression and leakdown #'s I'd expect to pay between a low of 5K to a high of 7.5K depending on condition, etc. You could also dump the turbo idea and just do a 3.6L upgrade.
http://www.instant-g.com/Products/36Conversion/index.html

Do a lot of reading before you decide which route to go. Each has its pro's and con's.

There is also a pelican in Florida who had a widebody coupe for sale some time ago.

Oregon Cab · 08-25-2008, 11:46 AM

I just bought on 86 last month and bought the best one I could afford in my range rebuilt recently. It is a daily driver in the color I wanted with the stuff I wanted.

Get the one you want to end up with. It will be worth putting your time and money into it and anything you add to get it right adds up. So get it all when you buy. Want the wide body, find it.

For example, upgrade to larger fuchs from whatever was on there..... $800-1200
Just needs brakes, rotors.... $600 plus plus.
Just needs new set of Beru wires...... $200
Just needs a whale tail..... $800
Just needs a Wong Chip..... $350
Just needs a paint job...... $6000
Just needs a top end after 150,000 ..... $3000-5000

Forget the exact figures but you can see it may be better to pay $3-5000 more for the car of your dreams all done loaded with all the right stuff.
That is the biggest hint I can share I am glad I did.

sen2two · 08-25-2008, 12:46 PM

im narrowing down the porsches that i like the best. but there is still much research needed by me.

im leaning towards the 1990 C4. or a late 80's 930.

the appeal of the all wheel drive from the C4 makes me want that one. and on edmunds its listed to be worth 10-14k in good condition. but the 930 has the classic sports/super car look and feel to it.

we'll see what i lean towards when i become more informed. im just not use to being a newbie...

dshepp806 · dshepp806's Garage

Welcome to the group,..you're in the right place for sure.

Best,

Doyle

Fast Corners · 08-25-2008, 01:33 PM

Sen2two,

Considering the stats on your RX's you are no stranger to paying for performance. Given that, I would bet the Turbo would better suit your tastes and appetite for horsepower.

Call the local Porsche Club (Citrus Region info is on the Porsche Club of America Web Site). The PCA officers can be a big help. They know who you should talk to for a PPI and may already know of a good car that is available.

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by sen2two

im narrowing down the porsches that i like the best. but there is still much research needed by me.

im leaning towards the 1990 C4. or a late 80's 930.

the appeal of the all wheel drive from the C4 makes me want that one. and on edmunds its listed to be worth 10-14k in good condition. but the 930 has the classic sports/super car look and feel to it.

we'll see what i lean towards when i become more informed. im just not use to being a newbie...

I would avoid '89 -94AWD 964 models, the AWD while great when new, is full of expensive components that will eventually need to be replaced, sometimes sooner than later

Later models from '95 up used a much simpler, lighter and better performing system

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

+1 on contacting your friendly local PCA President and showing up as a guest at the next meeting. I invite non-members to our meetings all the time. You will usually get to see many different years up close and personal. Also, you can get an idea of the +/- on each car. For instance, if you like the nimble feel of your RX7, you may want an earlier 911...