What is the most reliable 911 bang for the buck?

[Rod Handsfield]

I have owned several new 911's and restored 928's. I am at the age (66) where I am seeking an low maintenance porsche(is that an oxymoron?). The 993's are very tempting and rapidly appreciating. What are the opinions among the cognoscenti?

[McLaren-TAG]

I think it depends on the definition of low maintenance. Once you replace everything that's a wear item that's been in the car for 25~30 years, the SC and 3.2 are pretty solid cars. Most of the issues tend to be from PO neglect or just from someone that couldn't keep up with the general maintenance.

IMO a 3.2 with a suspension refresh, and replaced vacuum hoses and speed/reference sensors and fuel lines and voltage regulators and fuel filters and tidied up electricals and things along those lines would be a car that will run for quite some time thereafter.

I guess like everything else in life, you get out of it what you put into it. So look for a car that someone's already put in to it.

[pmax]

The CIS and 915 are more susceptible to neglect than the Motronic EFI and G50 respectively.
So my vote goes to the 3.2 G50's

[sand_man]

I don't know man. I freakin' love my 993!!!!! I drive it daily; long trips, short trips...does not matter!!!!! It has been an awesome workhorse. I think even if I had a "typical daily driver" (which I don't), I would be unable to resist the urge to take the 993 instead!

Once my 930 was sorted out (many thousands of dollars later), it too was super reliable, considering the blistering performance it offered. And I have heard from many that the 3.2 G50s are insanely bullet proof.

None of them are cheap to maintain, however!

[McLovin]

Yep, all other things being equal, the 89 Carrera would be at the top, followed by the 88, 87, 86, 85 and 84 Carrera.

(the 87-89 are essentially the same, but the 89 is the youngest!)

SCs are ok, but the Motronics injection on the Carreras has always been more reliable, less complicated, and easier to work on than the CIS system on the SC. That was true when the cars were much younger, but is especially true now that they are getting up there in age.

This is even more true if you live in a smog check area.

The CIS system was basically designed in the late 60s and has been in use since the early 70s. The Motronic system is by comparison a modern injection system.

[McLovin]

On the Carrera, if you spent not a whole lot of money and replaced the O2 sensor, the reference sensors (can use BMW parts for those, around $70 each), the cylinder head temp sensor and the DME relay, you will have taken care of 80% of the things that cause running issues. That would be a few hundred dollars in parts.

If you add in the general "tune up" parts, i.e., plugs, cap and rotor, air and fuel filters, valve adjust (again, not much $ for those parts), you are very likely to have a car that will run reliably for many more years.

[Colour me gone]

I had a 1984 Carrera
targa 3.2 and currently have an 87 targa 3.2 with a g50 and an 81 911 coupe 3.0.

For me the 3.2 is by far the better motor over the 3.0. Though I don't notice much difference in the shifting or smoothness with either transmission.

And 84 - 89 3.2 I think are the best cars overall for the money. That's if you can wait and find the right car

John

[theiceman]

post 2008 997

[ParkerFE]

My 1982 911 G50 has been very reliable, as have been my previous 924s, 993 and 991s, as well as my current DD, a 997.2 TTS. All Porsche 911's seem to be very reliable as long as properly maintained.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by Rod Handsfield

I have owned several new 911's and restored 928's. I am at the age (66) where I am seeking an low maintenance porsche(is that an oxymoron?). The 993's are very tempting and rapidly appreciating. What are the opinions among the cognoscenti?

Any 911 from 'the early long hoods right up to the '98 993 can be reliable it depends more on how it was treated by the p/o than most anything else

the newer the car the more complicated, the more complicated the harder and more expensive it is to repair

IMO
the late 87-89 911 or the early 993 are a little more desirable

the '87-89 911 because it was the end of a very long refinement period, it has the same basic suspension as all the previous 911s, parts are readily available and relatively inexpensive, Motronic was a big improvement on the previous CIS engine management systmes

the early 993 because all the little niggling issues present in 964 were mostly fixed but the later more intractable OBD2 system had yet to rear it's ugly head. Redoing the suspension completely on these cars will be hugely expensive compared to the 911 cars but the ride and handling when the suspension is right is far superior to that on either 911 or 964, most of the other systems are as or more reliable than on older cars. A big unknown is the reaction of these cars to the use of ethanol, the newer the car the butter the response is likely to be but none were designed w/ ethanol in mind

ps I hit edit by mistake in your post, sorry

[techweenie]

The liquid cooled 911s are the most reliable.

For air cooled, read post #5 from McLovin

Under the 3.2s are the '95 (only) 993s. The later ones have some i$$ues.

[juanbenae]

Originally Posted by McLovin

This is even more true if you live in a smog check area.

I could not agree more being in California. the smog song & dance with any 25+ yo car increases the heart rate every two years as you hope it passes.... also, if your better half will be enjoying rides with you the comfort level is high in the later carreras, newer can be much more civilized..... im not married, but what's that,, happy wife, happy life thing? my pops loves his 67 ss chevelle BECAUSE my mom won't ride in it...


I've never driver a 993, but by look and reputation alone it remains a dream car of mine. I would consider, real hard if the proper 993 was presented in trade for my spec racer.... I hope to acquire the resources to drive a 993 in my mid to late 60's...

[Unobtanium-inc]

I've had a number of different generations of 911, and by far the most trouble free, predictable, dependable car is my '87 Carrera. Bill V. said it -- this was the end of a very long period of refinement and it shows. The engine management is infallible as long as your DME relay holds out (keep a spare!). It starts and idles in any kind of weather, cold or hot restart. You get reliability but the car still drives like a 911. - Matt

[manbridge 74]

The liquid cooled 911s are the most reliable.



For air cooled, read post #5 from McLovin



Under the 3.2s are the '95 (only) 993s. The later ones have some i$$ues.

It depends. Currently R&Ring a 41K mile 996 engine with most of IMS bearing as confetti in the oil. Not tracked either. We do ALOT of them.

[dsmyth]

I would agree with Bill having owned many. Late model 3.2 or 1995 993. My #1 choice by a slight margin would be the 95 993.

[nene]

I had a 75 911 in my high school days (1986) and hated the CIS part of it. Now I have an 86 Carrera and its easier to work on.

[Noah930]

I think Techweenie's advice sounds the best. Granted I've only owned one 911. But IME you're constantly wrenching (admittedly on little things) on a 20+ year-old car. And when you throw in bang-for-the-buck criteria, those air-cooled cars aren't so cheap any more.

You can have your pick of 996's for $15-20K, and as long as you don't get one of those uncommon RMS/IMS fatalities during your tenure of ownership, the car's probably going to be more reliable than most air-cooled cars.

[Matthew Barnes]

Air-cooled:
Later SC.
81 onwards.

3.2s more expensive than SCs.
No massive gain in reliability for the premium you pay over an SC.

Water-cooled:
996. Ims issue over-hyped by the media.
Think how 964s 'all' leaked oil and were not a great buy 3 years ago!
Find one with full history from a good loving home.

996 C4S - a huge amount of 'bang for buck' - can be had for the same money as a sorted 3.2 Carrera. Not for long me thinks.

[Matthew Barnes]

The EVO review of Porches earlier this year is a good reference. IIRC SC and 964 came out tops on the 'bang for buck' scale.

[dsmyth]

Bang for the buck... yes the 964 at the moment. Not the most reliable but up there pretty good.