Need advice on first Porsche

[u2runfar]

Long time lurker ready to take the plunge into Porsche ownership.

Have $25-30K to spend.

Love the R Gruppe vintage look but not a stickler for numbers matching provenance.
Would be my daily driver rain or shine, but not snow.
Need some good AC for the wife.
Coupe before Targa before Cab.

I am not mechanically inclined but would do basic stuff (oil, fuses, MAYBE brakes or interior work myself)
Scared to death of all the IMS failure possibilities.

So what would you buy, build, or hunt down? Thanks for any ideas or links.

[Arne2]

Originally Posted by u2runfar

Need some good AC for the wife.

That's gonna limit you a fair amount. Real 911's don't have good A/C...

[RWebb]

a 964 that has been altered to look like an early car?

[Paul K]

993.

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by Arne2

That's gonna limit you a fair amount. Real 911's don't have good A/C...

This is utter nonsense! While the OEM kit is lacking, spend a couple of grand modding it and you have excellent a/c . . . many are out there with a/c mods already in place.

[Arne2]

Originally Posted by Ronnie's.930

This is utter nonsense! While the OEM kit is lacking, spend a couple of grand modding it and you have excellent a/c . . . many are out there with a/c mods already in place.

And if you are the OP and are not mechanically inclined, who are you going to trust and pay to do it for you? For a first Porsche, I don't think you want to start by buying something you need to modify just to please the wife.

[vracer]

That budget should get you a nice, not perfect 964 with v. good AC. No one walking down the street can tell the difference between that and a 911. For that matter, they think Porsche still builds 911s. ;>)

[dhagood]

a nice 964 would fit your requirements. a 964 is a newer model car, although the first year of 964 production was 22 years ago, and some folks don't like the styling. but it has excellent a/c, 250 horsepower on tap, a g50 gearbox, and lots of creature comforts.

while i don't plan to get rid of my 3.2 carrera, a 964 would look pretty good in the garage next to it.

[Ronnie's.930]

Originally Posted by Arne2

And if you are the OP and are not mechanically inclined, who are you going to trust and pay to do it for you? For a first Porsche, I don't think you want to start by buying something you need to modify just to please the wife.

Good point! I didn't consider the non-mechanically inclined element - would cost much more than a couple of grand in that case. No offence intended by my post!

[GaryR]

A 993 or sorted 964 would be your best bet. Very civilized yet still air cooled.

[combatic]

If you like early cars then look for a sorted early car....don't buy a later model car b/c the air conditioning is better. FWIW an early car is going to be a much more raw and visceral experience that will either exhilarate or annoy you and your passenger. This is something a/c will not smooth over =)

.....and Welcome!!!!

[Etarga]

Buy a 968 and keep $15k in the bank. A/C works, they handle great, they have plenty of oomph and they are extremely reliable to boot. Flame suit on.

[Dave Colangelo]

A lot of people are saying 964 which is a good call.

Some thing else to consider is a very good shape 911 Carrera 86-89 with the G50. The issue that you will have here is AC. However many people have had the AC converted to a better system. There are many threads here on it. I may be wrong but I'm almost positive it costs around 1800 to get a solid system installed. That being said you can pick up a pristine Carrera for 20K-25K then spend the 2K to have a very good AC put in and you are still in budget.

The 993 is also some thing to consider. I dont follow those markets so I dont want to comment on them but they are nice cars.

As said above the Cayman is also a possibility as they are more recent I dont know what the used market looks like but I have always liked the look.

The thing to remember is that although you can use a Porsche as a DD no problem, they do require a bit more attention than a regular car. A civic will give you a solid 100K with almost nothing ever coming up, aside from routine oil changes. My 78SC will give me that but I will need a new fan belt, spark plugs, air filter, oil filter and fuel filter every 10K. Trans fluid every 20K, and Valve guides every 50K. That being said the enjoyment you will get out of your Porsche will be much greater than any car you have ever owned.

Regards
Dave

[willywoody]

I went the 3.2 coupe route and don't regret it. I upgraded the A/C. There are 2 decent looking coupes on ebay I saw today in your price range. I feel my car scratches my vintage feel itch, while providing reliability and performance.

[89PS911]

I'd encourage you to be patient and wait for a well sorted late 3.2 Carrera to come up so you can test drive it before you make a decision. I bought one last summer and it is without a doubt the greatest car I have ever driven. Not as light as the early cars, but very solid and a joy in terms of overall quality. It still feels like it is bullet proof after 24 years on the road. I bought a Cabriolet-you should be able to find a good one in your choice of body style if you watch the forums or Panorama over the coming several months.

[Cajundaddy]

Pick out a nice Cayman S. It really is a True Porsche (the leather even smells like one on the inside), it will outperform all but the most extreme stock air cooled cars of yesteryear, it is stone reliable as a DD and the creature comfort level is pretty high for a sports car.

I know, I still love the look and feel of a clean '72 911 or a 911SC, but these modern cars rock!

[zimmer266]

Funny thread with lots of options.

I might have to look up 968s as an exercise.

The luggage space and the look of Caymans appeals to me. The rear three quarter view especially. I have been pricing these and I don't think 25-30k will really cut it for another year or so. Maybe the OP will get lucky.

I've seen multiple reasonably priced 964s. There is one locally with a completely rebuilt engine that I need to visit. There is a 993 as well, but it's priced up a bit further.

I took the AC off my Carrera, because it was an aftermarket job that placed a condensor under the car. Just the spot to get it holed on a good dip/pothole combo.

[AVDCAV]

This is just hilarious ". Go test drive some cars
And you'll know exactly what you want . 88 - 89
Carrera and your done.

For 25k. You'll get one hell of a car " take another 3k
And make it sweet.take last 2k spend on wife for v day
And your golden.

[GaryR]

Originally Posted by Dave Colangelo

A lot of people are saying 964 which is a good call.

Some thing else to consider is a very good shape 911 Carrera 86-89 with the G50.

Dave, pretty sure the G50 was 87-89.. 84-86 was a 3.2 Carerra with a 915, 78-83 a 3.0L SC with a 915, 90-94 was a 964 3.6L with a G50, 95-98 is a 993 with a G50 6 speed... A/C works best out of the box in a 964+ but can be updated in earlier cars to work great.

[KNS]

You mentioned your concern with the IMS failures. While the air cooled cars have an Intermediate Shaft, the problem is non existent prior to 1998/99.