The right Porsche 911 for me! Opinions Please!

[AB911]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum. I love Air-cooled 911s but I am very green on Porsche's side, I only know some information about 911s (Models and types of engines, etc.) but have never actually touched one mechanically or anything.

I am thinking of getting an affordable 911 that I can use daily and is reliable and from the info I gathered online, Porsche 911SC happens to be the most reliable one based on the articles I have read, Is this actually true?

I don't really care to have a 911 with all original body or interior parts, what I am looking for is a car which is mechanically sound (don't care if it is missing door panels, ripped seats, etc.) I will put aftermarket ones and kinda built it to my liking on a budget. What I really care is to have a 911 that I can drive and enjoy. I have seen some articles about SC built on a budget and i was impressed (Some of you might not be impressed,I know)

So is 911SC the right one for me? If so, does it matter if it is early model or post 80?
How easy/difficult it is to work on a 911 (The model you will suggest) if I have never touched one but I am willing to learn and work on it rather than paying somebody else to do it?

I'd appreciate if you could give me your feedback on this, thanks.

Araz

[ganun]

I think the 84 up 3.2 with Motronic is actually more reliable and simpler under the hood. Of course thats not all to a used car, you know the old saying " buy the best one you can find its cheaper in the long run"

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by ganun

I think the 84 up 3.2 with Motronic is actually more reliable and simpler under the hood. Of course thats not all to a used car, you know the old saying " buy the best one you can find its cheaper in the long run"

First and foremost: Don't fall in love. look at each car as if it were a used car, and no more than that.

[Josh D]

78-79 US and 78-83 RoW K-basic CIS fuel injection is less complex and is easier to tune to engine mods than the later 80-83 US CIS with O2 sensor control. The later CIS with O2 sensors do get better fuel economy however. I prefer the simplicity of the earlier and RoW version myself. Not much else different between the early and the later SC's.

Reality is, by the nicest, best maintained car you can afford, irregardless if it is an early, late, or RoW SC or 3.2 Carrera.

[bdisco]

Pelican Parts: 911 FAQ Version 2.2

^start here

[KNS]

Keep in mind that all the air cooled models are getting pretty old now, especially the SCs and 3.2s. They can be quite reliable for daily transportation but you would have to find a very well sorted example or be prepared to spend some money up front to get it up to daily driver dependability.

There are plenty of cars out there running on 30 year old fuel pumps, alternators, etc., but everything wears out eventually (although I think the cars and parts used in them back then were higher quality and more durable then compared to the cheap crap now).

[Trackrash]

Originally Posted by AB911

Hello everyone,

I am thinking of getting an affordable 911 that I can use daily and is reliable ......

Araz

What is your budget and mechanical skills? Affordable and daily reliable? This used to be possible with an aircooled 911.

Now days you could spend $25K, if you find a smokin' deal, then find broken head studs. That's a $10k repair, if you can't do it yourself.

[pampadori]

I took the plunge almost 2 months ago and bought a 1983 911SC Targa for $8500. It had some issues but looked pretty from about 20 feet.

I had a $200 PPI done and they told me to run away. They said its about a 2 on a 1 -10 scale. LOL I didn't listen too well...

As of current, I've replaced lots of seals, a few switches and sensors and got the car working fairly well. I'm fighting a charging issue that i can't figure out but I still get some seat time with it and I'm about $9300 in now.

From what I've learned so far, I wouldn't call any of these cars super reliable just due to electronics that seem very poorly designed compared to the japanese and american cars i'm used to from the same vintage. And like everything I've every owned with a flat motor, it leaks oil from 3 times as many spots as everything else.
Fortunately the many many common issues with these cars is very well documented on this forum. That really helps size up what it might cost to maintain since you can almost predict what will fail next based on the number of threads in your search results!

I made the offer on my car once i saw how much it was worth even parted out. Nice condition fuchs, turbo deck lid, h5 headlights, and the working gauges combined are worth more than my Audi is. It baffles my mind how expensive some of the very simple parts are worth on ebay.

I still have a long way to go to make mine comfortably reliable for a multi-hour drive. Brakes are the next big one.

I can say now though that an SC was the best for me. I wanted older but I think i'd be really having a hard time finding parts as easily as i have with the SC.

I vote for SC, but probably not a targa. That super cool top off drive comes with a lot more parts that will need attention.

[Bleedsblue]

Originally Posted by Josh D

Reality is, by the nicest, best maintained car you can afford, irregardless if it is an early, late, or RoW SC or 3.2 Carrera.

Couldn't help but quote this sentence as it contains my favorite non-word, 'irregardless.'

I followed this advice searching for my first P-car (now about 2.5 years into ownership), because those are the only air-cooled models I could afford in running condition. I was extremely lucky that the first car I went and looked at was "the one," but I wouldn't get caught up in SC vs 3.2 vs G50, as fun as it is to research.

[CCM911]

If you want to use it as a daily driver, I would not overlook the 996 series. Very cheap and reliable, as long as the IMS issue has been addressed.

[Trackrash]

Originally Posted by CCM911

If you want to use it as a daily driver, I would not overlook the 996 series. Very cheap and reliable, as long as the IMS issue has been addressed.

Or a Boxster. They are very under rated.

As far as the air cooled cars go, if you can do most of the work yourself, there is nothing else that comes close.

[Dpmulvan]

If you want an affordable,reliable,daily driver sports car buy a Miata Mx5.

[RL technical]

3.2 carrera you can't go wrong.

[dfhtrhjn]

The only advice I can give you is take your time and don't rush into this. If it takes you a year to find the right one, then so be it. I spent two years looking for one of mine, and I never plan on selling it.

[megerian]

I have to chuckle at the Miata comment. I'm sure they are nice, but we're in an air-cooled Porsche forum, the original post asks about the best 911 for him, given his love of air-cooled Porsches, and you tell him to buy a Miata :-)

Q: I would love to travel to the south of France, where should I go?
A: You should go to Florida.

So my response, consistent with the question, is that you should buy the nicest 3.2 carrera you can afford, bonus points for the 87-89 model years.

[Crude Rudy]

1996 Turbo S

[r-mm]

Another vote for any motronic (84+) car. I find there to be something very reassuring about motronic. Its more or less modern fuel injection but with a minimum number of electronic parts, all of which can be bought from non-porsche sources (I like Amazon, sorry PP) for non-porsche prices. Also, a chip gets you a hell of a bump in performance if that's your thing.

Not to mention when you have motronic you have a 3.2 which is .2 better than a 3.0 =)

good luck.

[johnca]

I wanted a porsche 911 ever since i was a little kid. I got an 85 cab about 2.5 years ago with the intention that it would be a "weekend toy" and driven very little. I got a good ppi done and spent mid-20k. Over the last 2 years, I've spent probably another 5k or so (including replacing the cab top which is not cheap by any means). This car has become a daily driver. I rarely drive my new audi a6 which was bought to be a daily driver (because why when there's a 911 in the garage?) Some things I've done myself, and other things I've had a mechanic do. I do an oil change every 5k and valve adjustment every 10k.

I partially disagree with not falling in love with the car, since i think thats part of owning one of these cars. I do agree with spending more for the right car because things can get expensive quick.

To sum up my experience, I've found the 3.2 to be incredibly reliable. Beyond my expectations even. I've done very little to the car in the last 1 year other than routine maintenance and the car has never left me anywhere without a smile. I wouldn't hesitate to drive my car cross country. I'm very happy with my purchase and don't regret any of it for a second.

Often times, i'm asked with an unlimited budget what cars would i consider owning ferarri, lambo, etc? I always answer an air cooled porsche.

[impactbumper]

daily, reliable and affordable are three words that will never fit into a sentence include numbers 9 1 1 . Period.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by johnca

I partially disagree with not falling in love with the car, since i think thats part of owning one of these cars.

Yes, part of owning them. Not part of buying them. It is really important to be objective, and keep a clear head when buying. Some sellers will play on your emotions if you let them. Paying more for a good car is usually a good choice. Paying more because you were blind to the car's faults is not a good choice.

After the car is in your garage, falling in love is easy. And doesn't cost a penny.