2006 versus 2024 Porsche 911 costs

[zbph10]

Been out of the Porsche 911 life style for about 10 years, 87 Targa, 91 Turbo, 06 Carrera S, and 07 TT, over the years have sold my Porsches for kid college funds and just life in general.

I’ve gotten to the point in my life where it’s time to get back into the Porsche game but I just can’t understand paying $60K for an 87 911 with 150,000 that is likely in need of an engine refresh or complete rebuild. It’s insanity…….

In 2006 I completely rebuilt the engine in my 87 Targa after broken finding broken head studs, did all the work myself besides sending off the heads to Henry which I think was ~$1200. Spent roughly $3500 in 2006, should I expect to spent $10k in today’s money doing the lions portion of the work myself? Couple quick searches folks are saying $20-$30k having a shop do it.

Is $10k reasonable for a rebuild in today’s dollars, assuming pistons, jugs, and other major components aren’t shot?

Would love to get back into a 930 or 964 Turbo but my god it’s gotten cost prohibitive. Cost of entry is six figures for something needing work.

Please help me understand this market, 87-89 911, $50k to buy the car, $20k-$30k for an engine rebuild, $80k? What am I missing?

Good for you if you’ve held onto your cars for all these years but I might be done with the classic Porsche world, it’s gotten out of hand but I’ve really have the bug again.

Btw If you have a reasonable 80’s 911 for sale let me know

[Bucketlist]

Good luck! My SC Turbo is worth at least 4 times what I paid in 2014.

[JettandTye]

$80K sounds right, and remember that most older generation cars are not depreciating too much. I have a 996 TT daily, purchased for $28k (in 2018) and put $12k into it, and she is the best valued Porsche we own. Bulletproof after pinning the coolant pipes.

If I were getting into a 911 now it would be the 996TT, or you can beg a dealer to obtain an allocation to spend ~300K on a new 992.1 Turbo S… craziness

[RobFrost]

That's too much money to pay but then again you've got the bug and here you are trying to make the maths work. Truth is, Porsche is as successful as ever, they're still making 911's which cost a tonne of money new, and today's success is generating demand for old ones. When people buy one Porsche it often leads to another.

A kid told me this week he was into cars. What's your favourite car, I asked? 911 GT3RS he said without a moment's hesitation.

Sent from my SM-S918B using Tapatalk

[NYNick]

For as long as I can remember (and my first Porsche was in 1971), Porsches have always been considered expensive.

Try waiting until they get cheap and you'll never own one.

[Vintage Racer]

I've seen some lower milage water-cooled 911's at reasonable prices.

The days of a good deal on an air-cooled car are long gone.

[creaturecat]

you gotta pay to play. or choose a different game.

[RarlyL8]

This complete but non-running project car recently sold on BaT for $25.5k
You know what they say, all air cooled Porsches cost $xx, pay up front or pay to restore. That $XX number was $40k a few years ago, I think it's more like $60k now. If you're looking for a G50 Carrera coupe then yes, could be $80k (which I agree is nuts).

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1980-porsche-911sc-targa-71/

.

[ramonesfreak]

Was looking through my records the other day and saw the add in Sloan from 1999 when car had 80k miles. Price was $20k. The guy I bought it from who got it from Sloan put 16k miles on it and sold it to me in 2006 for $12,500…talked him down from $13,500. I’ve only put 27k miles on in 18 years. Glad I kept it. Hopefully when I convince myself to let it go the market will still be strong….No way I would let it go for $50k though. I just love the car too much. At $90k, bye bye

[koilnzel]

Got an SC roller for ~$5000 (2020). Currently ~$30k in due to LS swapping and building an LS race motor to take redline north of 8k rpm. Easily could have had it running and finished for half of that if I went with a smaller (2.2~2.7) aircooled engine. Contrary to what others say, these cars can still be had cheap if you do the work yourself. The true expense comes with the "while I'm in there -isms". I have since seen several chasis in better condition that I got mine in ranging from $5~15K. It just takes time.

[FA-18C]

I was you 2 years ago - hiatus while getting kids through private school and college. I vacillated between a newer water cooled and ended up stumbling across an 88 Targa with a strange past where the car sat a long time. It needed some work, but that was part of the fun. Probably into it for low 50s with new clutch, all new suspension, fuel system, seals, brakes. Mechanically sound, and chasing cosmetics - but patina is part of the charm, and allows driving with no angst. There are cars out here, you have to be patient and be prepared to jump, or take some risk. Few cars out there you can buy and drive for years and have a good probability of getting back every $$$ unless you go hog wild with restoration.

For me this is a long haul, and the process is what I get out of it, and the community. Will work next on AC system ($$), refurb targa top ($ - it is fine for now), some interior work ($-$$$ depending), and then I am really down to decisions on eventual respray ($$$) and eventual refresh of engine ($$$$$). Its the long game...and hope to pass the car on to next generation better than when I bought it.

[ItzaMe]

Patience, persistence, have the funds ready and pounce on the deal when it pops up.

If you see a FB marketplace listing within the hour it being posted, do whatever you can to be a detective and find the seller's # if it's not listed in the ad. Call them.

The hunt is half the fun. Good luck!

[zbph10]

Took a few years of searching but finally found a reasonable priced 87 coupe to get me back into the P car world again. Could not be happier.

Lots of winter projects coming up, car has been sitting for a while but is immaculate.

[ryans65]

Easily the least bang for your buck car out there too, any aircooled Porsche. Cool nonetheless though.

[Vintage Racer]

Originally Posted by ryans65

Easily the least bang for your buck car out there too, any aircooled Porsche. Cool nonetheless though.

My favorite early LWB honghood Porsche 911 with a new built 2.7L with PMO's.

i

It had the 915 tranny over the dogleg. That car had slow tires. The newer tires are much better.

------
I'd say the newer water-cooled cars are more comfortable and more expensive. They are faster, but with engines that require a computer that looks for the codes.

My current Porsche 911 3.8L engine with two bigger turbo's.

[1979-930]

Originally Posted by zbph10

Took a few years of searching but finally found a reasonable priced 87 coupe to get me back into the P car world again. Could not be happier.

Lots of winter projects coming up, car has been sitting for a while but is immaculate.

Congratulations on being patient and finding the right car.

[aschen]

EDIT: somehow I missed the progression of this thread. Congrats on the G body. Looks like a beaut


Makes no rational sense to buy an aircooled 911 in 2025 IMHO. I still love them and love isnt always rational.

Newer porsche's arnt a whole lot better, but 40-70k but a pretty nice cayman which is a great car to drive.

[Cobalt]

Nothing is like it was. I was buying running 964's in 2014 for $10k and parting them out. Today they are worth $90-100K in same condition. I was able to rebuild an entire engine back then for $5k including the machine work. I did a top end in 24 and it cost me $5k for just a valve job doing everything but the machine work.

The newer cars are no less expensive unless they have a warranty. PDK trans failures are happening all the time $28k replacement cost and engines detonating aren't uncommon. Any Porsche can have a $20k plus bill come along at any time without warning these days.

I miss the old days.

[Mocker]

Originally Posted by Cobalt

PDK trans failures are happening all the time $28k replacement cost and engines detonating aren't uncommon. Any Porsche can have a $20k plus bill come along at any time without warning these days.

We bought a low mileage 2021 Macan GTS as a family hauler a year ago that only had a few months left on the factory warranty. The prices for an extended warranty were laughably high. I asked my local independent about it and he pointed to the PDK. He told me that there are a lot of otherwise perfectly good Porsches that are getting totaled when the PDK breaks, as they are so expensive to replace and nobody wants to open one up.

[NYNick]

If my SC engine grenades, I'll spend the $25K 0r $30K to have it rebuilt.
Seems worth it to me, but I'm in it relatively cheap.

If I bought a $60K SC and the engine went bad, I'd probably rebuild that too. What choice would I have?

There's never been inexpensive Porsches, only Porsches that look inexpensive in hindsight.