Crazy to get a 930?

jfstoj · 08-23-2002, 11:23 AM

I am seriously considering purchasing an '87 930. I haven't had it PPI'd yet (but will), but it sure looks to be real nice - 60k miles, $32k.

I had an '89 Carrera which I never should have sold. Now I want another 911, and this one just sort of fell into my lap. It would be a second car, but driven. Are the maintenance issues (assuming the car is in good shape to begin with) really that imposing? I know they will be more than a normal car or even a n/a 911, but are they going to make me feel like an idiot?

Any opinions would help. Thanks.

- John

Sarah · Sarah's Garage

Now that is just a "crazy" title question!!

I would never think it is crazy to get a 930.

Just to clarify...What do you mean by making you feel like an idiot? Do you mean getting in over your head $$ wise?

As far as maintenance issues, that would depend on how much you know how to do yourself and/or how much money you can afford to pay/charge to a shop.

We have had our 1987 930 for a year now, and i'll admit it has been expensive for us. Neither myself nor my husband have ever worked on cars before. So, we have paid quite a bit of $$ for the repairs and the new things that needed to be done (clutch, tires, brakes, etc..). Thus...the porsche slush fund is pretty much empty! But we have several new porsche friends now who do work on their cars and we are learning things from them.

So, I guess I would just get a really good PPI done and then decide if there are any repair issues that you really don't want to deal with.

But I have to say...even though we have sunkin a bit of money in...we don't regret it and we love our car!!

Good luck!

Todd Steele · 08-23-2002, 02:26 PM

They do need more work than a NA 911, also since it is a Turbo you can add 10-15% to the standard P-Car tax for labor and parts. The repairs won’t be what helps drain your wallet….the addiction to get more power will do it.

Don’t expect to get 100,000 miles plus like you can out of a Carrera, at around 90,000 you better start considering a rebuild.... at a minimum of $8-10 grand. I have enjoyed both an 89 and my current 91, to me… the enjoyment of driving the car is worth the extra cost.

Todd

masraum · 08-23-2002, 02:46 PM

The first thing that came to mind reading the title was
crazy not to....

Todd Steele · 08-23-2002, 04:03 PM

What lag....just never stop and always keep it above 3,200 rpm. Oh did we mention wearing out clutchs from no low end torque,

Pauli33 · 08-23-2002, 06:21 PM

i have an '87 930 and it's an absolute blast to drive... yes, there is turbo lag - off the line it can feel a bit sluggish, but i promise you that is quickly forgotten once the boost kicks in. it's an incredible rush. not to mention there are plenty of aftermarket mods that will significantly decrease the lag time and increase the ***** your pants factor!

as far as maintenance goes, yes things can get a bit pricey but with a proper PPI you should be able to avoid alot of it. but it's still a good idea to set aside some cash when and if something needs fixin.

as for mileage, Todd makes a good point when he says it's not a carrera, but i think if properly taken care of the engine should still last. i got mine with 50k miles and have already put another 10k miles on it in one year... in my opinion, the car drives better now than when i got it. these cars are made to be driven - they don't appreciate sitting in a garage.

i say go for it!

cab83_750 · 08-23-2002, 08:47 PM

As some of you may be aware, I was in pursuit of a 930 myself. I gave up on it when I stumbled upon a '72 turbo-bodied roller. I was planning on putting a turbo engine on it but...........

1. With much apologies to 930 owners, I was told that the fun factor on a 930 can only be had while 'trashing' the engine. You need to be revving the engine to enjoy the 'pppssssst.'

2. I have spoken to highly regarded Porsche-philes among us and I was advised that they (and they own multiple P-cars) can NEVER make a 930 'HOP.'

3. With a 993 engine, they can make the car hop all they want.

4. With a 993, power is delivered very linear.

The conclusion was that 993 was the way to go. And BTW, I do not need to adjust the valves. I have talked with 5 people and none recommended the 930 given the choices. Right, wrong or indifferent, I followed these gurus recommendation. And when I mean by gurus, I mean these guys own, rebuild, sell, customize P-cars!

GoodMojo · 08-23-2002, 09:28 PM

The 930 is a lot of fun, but as some other posters mentioned, it take some seat time to go fast in one and not turn your ride into a smoking pile wrapped around a tree. Be sure to test drive one throughly to make sure it's the right car for you as you may not like the lag time (unless you're planning to mod it). However, the turbo is a seductive ride and the grins kick in at 3200 rpm

The howl of engine at 6K is just pure magic and quickly makes you forget about the turbo tax on upkeep.

-Wade
'88 930 Slant Coupe.

930Chas · 930Chas's Garage

Obviously since you are inquiring into 930s, you have been bitten by the bug. I guarantee you will not be happy until you own one. Sure, it has lag, but that doesn't mean it is dificult to drive in day to day situations. You can drive it around town just like any other car. It is expensive to maintain, but not shockingly so, and not much more then a standard 911. I try to do most all the maintenance on mine, and I am not super mechanically inclined. This board helps alot and so does 911turbo.com. Besides the smiles that it will bring far outweigh any maintenance issues.

lin7310948 · 08-24-2002, 06:06 AM

If you are content to leave the 930 stock, then ownership is not so bad. I have had highly modified 930 and 911 and the 911 does not compare. Problem is adding additional horsepower is extremely expensive and everyone has a better mousetrap for sale. Just to get an idea, I am currently building a 76 coupe with V8 power...475 and will add nitrous just for the heck of it...cheap additional power to keep up with the constant stream of new horsepower Detroit iron as well as those Ricers that you guys talk about. I will let you know about the stroker conversion and how it compares.
By the way, I have a 528 inch Maxwedge..63 Savoy and also a 54 Ford fat-fendered pickup streetrod. So you can see that I am just your basic 62 year old porsche nut who loves modified cars...much like most of you guys.