New guy,... looking for advise

[Tori]

Hello gents, Pleasure (i hope ) to meet you all.

My name is Tori, imma guy,... so don't get excited. Been a car nut my whole life and have had a handful of collector cars. The 911 has always been on my list, and now that the values have gone thru the roof, what better time to finally make my move.

Anyway, before i ask all the usual FNG questions, is there a thread with common questions/answers for new 911 owners ? I have done a bit of looking but not seeing anything terribly obvious.

What i "think" i want is mid to late 80's, coupe, non turbo, but that's why i'm here, to do my learning BEFORE i buy.

Cheers, Happy 4th to you all,
and thanks for any advise you can give.

[Joe Bob]

Get the best you can afford, look for ones with receipts, get a pre purchase inspection (PPI), don't use the mechanic who works on it.....Targas suck, cabs rule, sunroofs are a draw.

[rywats]

Buy one you won't be afraid to drive. Too many low mileage garage queens on here.

[steely]

Welcome and Good luck.
There are several buyers guides in blogs and books, a couple from here - haven't reviewed them all - stopped of course when I got mine ;-)
You can search or on the interweb of course.
Pete Zimmerman has a great book - Used Porsche Story
here's a few
911% Porsche

Pelican Technical Article: Affordable Porsches...

Pelican Technical Article: Prepurchase Inspection

[Charles Freeborn]

Use this custom search:
https://cse.google.com/cse/publicurl?cx=014238775269149376701:ojolaky8hjg I've got it bookmarked.
I've never found the built in search on this forum to work very well.
Cheers, and welcome.

[Tori]

Thanks guys for the quick replies and links. I've been reading, and searching my eyes out lately... (wifey working late past few nights, so what else is a guy to do.... but spend 40-50G's )

I could live with a sunroof, but have no use for and don't like the look of the Cabs, (sorry Joe-Bob ) Living in California, it won't see much water, so even if sunroofs are known to leak, it probably wouldnt ever be an issue. Don't want the whale tail either. Too flashy. I see cars with well under 100k miles, and some as high as 300k ! That amazes me that someone could/would drive one of these for that amount, but i guess thats a testament to the quality. I don't plan on driving mine daily, and i probably wouldn't put 1000 miles a year on it so even a high mileage one won't end up "higher" during my care. I suppose a lot is said for a car that has been well used and had things rebuilt and fixed rather than an all original low mileage car that yet has to have those things done to it. (or am i totally off base with that ? ? )

Speaking of the tails, can they be removed and you end up with the same non tail look, (aside from mounting holes) or is that just crazy talk ?

I'll get to my research and try not to ask anything that isn't already been hashed out.

Cheers

[TargaHenry]

Welcome and a few points:

Targas are for serious collectors only, and those of discriminating taste. To own one is to belong to a special club of unique and talented individuals.

These cars love to be driven. The more you drive it, the better it will drive and the less weird stuff tends to go wrong as opposed to those just sitting in a garage rotting. So even if it's not your daily driver, don't be afraid to put miles on it and enjoy the heck out of it. These are solid well made cars, and one in good order will give you lots of miles and hours of enjoyment.

[86 ssinit]

Have one of each and Targas rule😀. 78-83 have a cis fuel injection system that's kind of quirky. 84 on have a motronics system that's a lot better. Both great cars. Saw this on eBay looks nice .
Porsche 911 Carrera | eBay
Good luck with your search.

[Tori]

Originally Posted by 86 ssinit

Have one of each and Targas rule😀. 78-83 have a cis fuel injection system that's kind of quirky. 84 on have a motronics system that's a lot better. Both great cars. Saw this on eBay looks nice .
Porsche 911 Carrera | eBay
Good luck with your search.

Boy, that one does look nice ! Don't think i'd seen that one yet. Aside from the Burgundy color, it's exactly what i'm looking for. I love the Beige interiors. And those wheels are nice too.

I'm not opposed to buying out of state, my last 3 have been this way. Couple years ago we flew to FL and drove my Grand National home 4,000 miles to CA.

I think i'd have this one transported though. Just did 3800 miles to Oklahoma and back.

While it wont be a daily driver, it'll get used for sure. I'm not looking for a garage queen. All my junk gets used. (I walk to work, so that really cuts down on the mileage unfortunately)

I think i may give that guy a call...... Seems like a good deal on a very clean car.

[Daves911L]

Originally Posted by TargaHenry

Welcome and a few points:

Targas are for serious collectors only, and those of discriminating taste. To own one is to belong to a special club of unique and talented individuals.

These cars love to be driven. The more you drive it, the better it will drive and the less weird stuff tends to go wrong as opposed to those just sitting in a garage rotting. So even if it's not your daily driver, don't be afraid to put miles on it and enjoy the heck out of it. These are solid well made cars, and one in good order will give you lots of miles and hours of enjoyment.

Good words from this gentleman (especially regarding the good taste of Targa people )

I will add that you should broaden your search parameters. All 911s are good 911s. From '65 to '89. The similarities over the years are more pronounced than the differences. It is more important to get a good 911 than a particular model. A good 2.0T will make you so much happier than a buggered up 3.2 Carrera. There are no bad models, just bad examples.

A word of caution too. If you are not familiar with 911s, find some trusted help when shopping. The Porsche is so sufficiently different from other cars that you may not know the difference between a good one and a buggered one. They make sounds other cars don't make. They steer and brake with a unique feel. To change gears correctly requires a distinct mental attitude. There are myriad little details about body fit/finish that distinguish enjoyment from headache. The seller with some bodged up mess says "yeah, that's just the way 911s are", and how would you know differently?

It is commonly said that the cars find us, not the other way around. That has always been my experience. Take your time. Be patient. Learn. Don't limit yourself. Let the right car find you and it will be a great experience.

Dave
---------------------------------
'88 Carrera Targa (Hygge)
'68 911L Targa (soft window)
'64 C coupe (the Swiss Miss)
'61 B roadster (the Belgian)
'58 A coupe (the Damen)

[livetopedal]

Look up Adrian Crawford's 32secrets. It a great primer for inspecting 3.2 Carreras before deciding to move ahead with the PPI.
Good Luck!

[Tori]

I passed on this car today. This car was on my "likes" list but after getting the details and using what i've learned from this site, and you guys i've decided to pass on it. I really liked the color combo, and even the late wheels. But, with info from the Carfax, i discovered the odometer has been broken since 2012, and the car has no maintenance records. The pics show an oily underbelly, so i fear the worst on this 3.0. I think they're way off on the pice at 40k too.

What do you guys think ?

1984 Porsche Carrera Sunroof Coupe | Beverly Hills Car Club

[Tori]

Next on the list....... 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera G50 Coupe | Real Muscle | Exotics & Classics

Feel free to talk me out of that one. Looks and sounds good on paper. Who's near Miami, FL to kick tires ?

[toddu]

Personally, I would look for a car being sold by an enthusiast (member here, PCA member, etc) as opposed to a dealer. More likely to be well cared for and understood. But that's just me.

Todd

[4flyboy]

Gotta agree with Todd on that ^^^^^

[Irhmsd]

Agree. I would never buy from a dealer. Buy from a current owner who has owned it for some time and has at least the maintenance records to show for the time they owned it. My 911 experience is pretty consistent. They are either loved and babied or beaten to **** by people who don't care. I would never forgo a great PPI from a very knowledgeable and reputable air cooled guy but the truth is you know a lot about the car just by looking at it, listening to it and driving it if you are a true enthusiast.

[tdw28210]

Sent you a PM Tori.

[Drisump]

Originally Posted by Irhmsd

Agree. I would never buy from a dealer. Buy from a current owner who has owned it for some time and has at least the maintenance records to show for the time they owned it. My 911 experience is pretty consistent. They are either loved and babied or beaten to **** by people who don't care. I would never forgo a great PPI from a very knowledgeable and reputable air cooled guy but the truth is you know a lot about the car just by looking at it, listening to it and driving it if you are a true enthusiast.

How about those of us who love and care....as well as beat on it? I know several guys who fit this description.

[Cairo94507]

Yup, Todd is right. With the rare exception, dealers just tack on a ton of profit and conceal all of the stuff they may know about the car. Find a private party, non-flipper to deal with. In the end you will be much happier. OH, yeah, the '84, IMO, is overpriced.

[86 ssinit]

Wow the 86 is gone!!! Good cars sell fast and the price was right. You will pay top dollar from a dealer.