Montreal Pelicans, know this car?

[notfarnow]

My father is looking at a couple cars. One is a low mile 86 cabrio in Virginia. Then I saw this car on Auto trader:



http://www.canadatrader.com/usedcarcanadasearch/details/25846037/car/brossard/quebec/1983_Porsche_911_SC_25846037.html

83 Cabrio with 65k
29k

Anyone know this car? What is the best shop in MTL to have a full PPI done (leakdown, check headstuds etc)


Thanks!

[Christien]

$30K for an SC? You better be able to eat off the engine for that price. Try looking in the US - half that price, maybe $20K, factor in $2K for import costs, and you won't have to worry about roadsalt rust issues, plus have at least 10x the number of cars to choose from. I was looking at a 95 993 cabrio for $28K US, though it did have higher mileage than this SC. I'll never buy another P-car in Canada again!

[Oracle]

I agree for an SC is waaay too much, but you can find some very interesting deals in Canada, check the one in the link, has G50 tranny and is a 1987. Find in the US an 87 in good condition and calculate shipping plus duties plus GST and they're about on the same...

http://www.canadatrader.com/result/detailinfo.aspx?ID=23988548&pgno=1&srt=4

Check the PCA UCR web site, they have some good stuff there too:
http://www.pcaucr.org/forum/classifieds.jsp?forumid=104


Good luck!

[notfarnow]

I think the SC in Brossard is high because it's a cabrio, and it's only got 67K kms. I'm not convinced mileage THAT low is a good thing.

Funny, I saw that 87 Carrera when I did an auto trader search yesterday.

Dad is looking specifically for a cab, and we have a hook on one in Virginia right now. Gonna get a PPI next week:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?threadid=324265

He's going to look at the cab in brossard this morning, to get "sign-off" from his wife. She like convertibles but isn't 100% sold on a 911.

[Christien]

That 87 was a US import, at least I'm assuming so because the mileage is indicated in miles (107000). So think of this - it's a dealer sale, which means markup, so if he's got it listed at $25K (which I agree is a fair price for an 87) that means he picked it up for something like $16-18K US. Let's say $18K, after exchange, shipping and duty (no taxes b/c it's a dealer) we're at $20K, maybe $21 to fix some small things, markup of 4-5K, sounds about right. At $16-18 there may be some problems with it, not the least of which is the mileage. I've heard countless dealers say "oh mileage doesn't matter on these cars". Bull*****.

Cabs are plentiful in the US and don't command a $10K premium. Jake, are you a PCA member? If not, pm me your email address and I'll scan and email you some listings from Panorama (you need a PCA membership to access their online ads). I watch them every month, and there's usually at least 10 or 15 SC and Carrera cabrios. I've also got an eye out for a Carrera cabrio, so those are the only ads I really pay any attention to. The Pano listings are everything from concours cars with 30K miles to beaters ready for a rebuild, but most are in the middle range, regular drivers that see limited mileage every year.

Oh, and the wife issue should clear up on her first test-drive with the top down I can't imagine a better ride than a 911 cabrio! Well, not for under the $650K cost of a CGT at least!

Chris

[notfarnow]

Ya dad went to Brossard to look at that 83 cab. He liked it a lot, but found it a bit loud. Then again, they were running it inside the garage.

Originally posted by Christien
Oh, and the wife issue should clear up on her first test-drive with the top down I can't imagine a better ride than a 911 cabrio!

Neither of them were to keen to drive it with the roof down this morning. It's snowing up there! They wanted to double check that it would be suitable to drive from Montreal to NB in every summer, with their luggage and yellow lab. Not a ton of room, but it suits them just fine.

Looks like we're going forward on the 86 Cab in Virginia. 64K miles for just under 20K. Car seems to be immaculate, and the seller has been very upfront and easy to deal with.

Personnaly, I tend to hover more towards bargains and great (if risky) deals. I'm more likely to check out an ad for a dodgy 7K SC than a 20K Carrera. Where this is dad's money, we're focusing more on trust and comfort level. Well kept and low mileage car, good seller and thorough PPI. Not the cheapest route but sure beats crossed fingers and baited breath.

[Christien]

I think that's a great plan - good seller and thorough PPI. Remember the $20K rule!

Jake, you're still waiting for your own P-car, right? And your dad's buying one first? My folks did this to me when I was in university - I've drooled over Porsche since I was 8 or 9, but never thought I'd be able to buy one. So while I'm in university, on a shoestring budget, 20something years old, my folks go out and, almost on a whim, buy a boxster. Gee, thanks mom and dad!

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by Christien


Jake, you're still waiting for your own P-car, right? And your dad's buying one first? My folks did this to me when I was in university - I've drooled over Porsche since I was 8 or 9, but never thought I'd be able to buy one. So while I'm in university, on a shoestring budget, 20something years old, my folks go out and, almost on a whim, buy a boxster. Gee, thanks mom and dad!

Yep, they are beating me to it. I'm hoping to nab one this time next year. I was actually lobbying dad t wait a year; we could both fly down and drive two cars back. However, they want a car for this summer, and this is the right time to buy.

Just the same, I'm quite happy just to have one in the family. I'd be happy just to store it in the winter and maintain it, until I get mine. (Hope dad doesn't see this thread)

Funny you mention Boxsters. They would consider them but there isn't enough room for a dog. They really want a roadtrip car that is (relatively) dog friendly. Too bad, cuz I think 20K boxsters are a lot of car for the $$.

[Christien]

I found the boxster to be a bit of a disappointmet, to be honest. The lack of the backseat really does make a difference - we have a dog, too, and she comes everywhere with us, and now that we have a kid, the boxster's out (airbags in front, so no go with the carseat there). I don't really think they are a lot of car for the $$. I've been disappointed with the power (2.5L 986). The December Excellence had a great comparison between 968, 2.5L boxster and 3.2 Carrera - the Carrera won, even with them giving the boxster more credit than I do. The cabrio portion of it sure is nice though!

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by Christien
The December Excellence had a great comparison between 968, 2.5L boxster and 3.2 Carrera - the Carrera won, even with them giving the boxster more credit than I do. The cabrio portion of it sure is nice though!

Ya, the december issue may be to blame for the whole thing. My wife and I were in Montreal for Christmas with my dad this year. First day I was there, I spent the morning reading the December Excellence. Dad read it after me, and has had me looking for a car since.

[notfarnow]

FWIW, dad just gave me his "full report" on this car:

http://www.canadatrader.com/usedcarcanadasearch/details/25846037/car/brossard/quebec/1983_Porsche_911_SC_25846037.html

(83 Cab w/ 64k kms)

Dad said it had tears in the seats, paint issues, some cosmetic rust and issues with the top. Overall, dad had a hard time finding the 64k kms to be credible.

[Komenda Fan]

Christien,

I'm glad to get your opinion on the boxster. I was starting to wonder if I shouldn't start looking at them, since even in Canada their prices are quite low. Guess I better hold on to the 911 dream then.

I also agree, having looked for a while, Canada is not the place to be buying a 911, atleast in general. Huge price difference up here compared to in the states.

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by Komenda Fan
I also agree, having looked for a while, Canada is not the place to be buying a 911, atleast in general. Huge price difference up here compared to in the states.

Yep. It will be interesting to see how everything adds up in the end with this Carrera in Virginia (assuming everything checks out).

After transport, duty and hassle, it still looks like we'll be ~4 k ahead, compared to the Canadian market.

[Christien]

Now is a better time to buy than 6-12 months ago, too, because values dropped a lot with the release of the 997. I'm not sure how much that affected older cars like SCs and Carreras, but boxster values dropped a good bit and 996's tanked. You can find a 996 cheaper than a 930 now, if you look hard enough.

Komenda fan, I would definitely suggest checking out that Excellence article, because they really break it down into what makes the Carrera a better car. The consider all the angles - objective things like power, 0-60, space, comfort, cost, but also subjective - looks, sound, soul, etc. There was a line from one guy who preferred the boxster who said something like for a one night stand, I'll take the Carrera, but for a long-term relationship I'll take the boxster.

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by Christien
There was a line from one guy who preferred the boxster who said something like for a one night stand, I'll take the Carrera, but for a long-term relationship I'll take the boxster.

Yep, and I struggled with that part a bit. I've read (here on Pelican and elsewhere) and heard (from the local specialist) that Boxsters are a nightmare to work on, compared to rear engines, aircooled Porsches. Still, they great cars and are getting close to the price of a Honda Civic.

[Christien]

The only work I've done on the boxster was change the oil, and that was as easy (if not easier) than the 911. (although jacking up the 911 is easier)

Here's one thing to consider about the engineering of a boxster. The front trunk release is electrical. The battery's in the front trunk. If you've got a dead battery, you're in trouble...

[MARTIN AIDE]

A friend has a 87 cab that he would sell for 21000 Can,car is in Toronto,has high milage,200000 but was rebuilt 10000 ago in California and is in great shape,black on black,just for your interest

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by MARTIN AIDE
A friend has a 87 cab that he would sell for 21000 Can,car is in Toronto,has high milage,200000 but was rebuilt 10000 ago in California and is in great shape,black on black,just for your interest

Thanks! We've got a deposit on the 86 Cab, pending PPI this friday. If that car turns out to have issues, I'll get more details from you on the 87.