Porsche Comparison Early 80's

[Biggdawg]

Hello, My son is considering buying a Porsche. He is undecided between the early 80's SC or the 87'-89' Carrera. Can anyone please offer some solid advice in terms of general repairs to be expected and known issues.

Best regards, Bill

[the]

Hmm, that's a challenge, at least to do it briefly:

78-83 = 911SC, they all came with the 3.0, CIS injected engine, and 915 trans.

For those, 78/79 are essentially the same, the 80-83 cars were still 3.0, but had some smog changes, minor revisions to the engine, still same HP as the earlier ones. I like the 80-83 cars a bit better, at least in smog required areas, as the smog system is a lot simpler (no smog pump, 3 way cat).

Carrera went from 84-89. They all have a 3.2 liter engine, with the more modern Motronic (aka DME) injection system. This is a pretty modern system, which is a digital electronic integrated ignition and injection system. It is a product of the 80's, whereas the CIS system (while still pretty good, IMO), is definitely a product of the early 70s (first used by Porsche on the '73.5 911T).

They are basically broken down into 3 categories:

1) 84-85, aka the "early Carrera" (although of course there were also Carreras made in the 70s). These had the 915 transmission still.

2) The '86. This was kind of a transition year. It still had the 915 trans, but had larger AC dash vents, and some other interior trim differences. The larger dash vents are nice if you have a car with working AC and need AC.

3) The 87-89. These had all the latest trim differences, but the big difference was the introduction of the G50 hydraulic clutch transmission.

Most people prefer the 87-89, as the last of the "classic" torsion bar suspension 911s, and because of the nicer shifting, automatic adjusting, no clutch cable, hydraulic G50 trans.

Problems:

These are all very reliable cars.

These days, the biggest "gotcha" with the SC is going to be broken head studs. Do not buy an SC without having the lower valve covers removed to check for broken studs.

The biggest gotcha with the Carrera is probably worn valve guides.

Of course, these are all 20-30 year old cars now, so you also have all of the other issues that come up with old cars - crash damage, general wear and tear, etc. etc. etc.

[jorian]

Buy the nicest Porsche you can afford. I have both an 82 SC and a 87 Carrera - I prefer the Carrera.

[jhubs]

I spent about 6 months asking questions and doing research. The 2 biggest items that convinced me to go with the 87-89 Carrera was the G50 Transmission and the Motronic (aka DME) injection system. 20 year old P-Cars need care and $s, but worth it! Porsche owners take great care of their cars...there are a lot of good ones out there.

Jerry

Edit: Oh, drive the car and pay attention to the clutch stiffness...too stiff (87-89) and it may need a new clutch...which means engine drop and $1,500-2,000. Spend a day or two looking over all the repair records so you know what has and has not been done. Find a friend that owns a Porsche and ask him/her what the repair records mean.

[livi]

These model years are pretty solid and sturdy. The basic differences described above. I would say the big difference is 915/G50 transmission. Maintenance costs do not differ much. They are all old cars now so buying on condition is paramount and a PPI is important. Mileage per say is of little importance generally speaking. Individual cars can differ much in driving experience so testing several candidates is often good advice. Not least to get a reference feeling before deciding.

Good luck! These are wonderful cars and chosen wisely and with a little luck will bring a lot of joy and be surprisingly cheap to run.

[Peter Zimmermann]

Here's a link with a comparison; check out post #15...

911sc vs Carrera - Rennlist Discussion Forums