how much is a 3.2 1989 worth?

[leodevlin]

Hi all,

I am new to 911s and this forum. My research tells me that 3.2 is the most reliable model which is why I am trying to get one. Now my question is how much would a car with this description be worth?

Superb condition and accident free
Meticulously maintained by dealer with all records
130k kilometers - not miles
Model year 1989

I live in canada btw so please factor that into the price.

All feedback is greatly appreciated.

Leo

[leodevlin]

Not sure why I am not getting an answer on this. Can someone please help me? If I am not asking the question in the right format or at the right place let me know that as well.

Cheers

[Christien]

That description is fairly short, and the wording tends to make me think it's overstating reality. A tip-top 89 with 130k, all maintenance up to date in Canada should go in the upper 30s. Closer to the top end if a dealer, the lower end if a seller. I'm assuming coupe, not cabrio or targa (add $2-3000 for cabrio, knock off 1-2000 for targa). I'm also assuming it's a desirable colour combination and not some weird or ugly colour.

By "tip-top" I mean doesn't really need anything, cosmetics are 8-9/10, no oil leaks, shifts, accelerates, etc. well, basically as nice as you could expect for a 22 year old car, without going to the level of a show car. At 130k, it would be nice to see a replaced clutch, but if the car was driven well over its time, the clutch could be fine. You definitely want to see a brake job within the last few years, maybe replaced shocks. And of course all the regular stuff (plugs, wires, etc).

By way of comparison, I recently bought an 86 coupe with 69k miles (111k km) for $17500 from the US. It was a 9/10, maybe a 9.5 - a really nice example. Recently rebuilt transmission, new clutch, new shocks. It did need an oil leak fixed and the tranny had to be opened up to reverse a misplaced shaft - $1000 at a local shop. Cost me $19.5 landed (including travel to pick it up & duty). I think I pretty much stole that car - it should have sold for about 22-23 in the states (about 26 landed here in Canada). The car you're looking at has slightly higher mileage, but has the G50 transmission, and is the last year of the series. So I'd say upper 20s is a fair estimate. Even into the 30s if it's a really nice car, and there's documentation of all the maintenance.

BTW, all this info would apply to a car in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver, etc. If you're looking at one somewhere more distant where Porsches aren't as common, factor another $3-5000 in there.

Hope that helps.

[dienstuhr]

If you were to show us the car and give a better description you might get some better answers. Presumably the car you are talking about is for sale, for a price. You'll get better feedback if you asked "is $X a reasonable price for this car" rather than the open-ended question you asked. We don't know what colour the car is, whether a coupe or targa, tail or not, 6 and 7" Fuchs or 7's and 8's, etc., etc.

GIGO, as they say, GL in your search.

Cheers,

d.

[leodevlin]

Thank you all for your feedback.

I do not have much more info then I already included in the original post.

The car is a coupe and does not have a spoiler.

As far as I know both the clutch and the break have been changed once.

The seller wants low thirties but the excellence magazine has a price of mid twenties (I assume these are american prices).
I amnot sure if this additional info changes the price range. Having said that I was wondering if the milage of 130k can be considered low. I was told that the engines of this particular model can pack in a lot of miles which makes me think that it is.

Cheers,
Leo

[Christien]

It all depends on how well the car has been taken care of. Yes, the 3.2 engine can go 300k km and still run perfectly - if it's driven regularly and frequently, sees regular oil changes, spark plug changes, etc. But on the other hand, I've heard of engines needed rebuilds with less mileage than that.

The key is to get a thorough pre-purchase inspection, including compression and leakdown tests. Those are the only ways to ensure an engine's health. You want to have a mechanic who knows old Porsches drive it and see how the transmission feels, how the suspension feels, etc. and then to get it up on a hoist and poke around underneath, looking for fluid leaks, evidence of accidents, etc. A little oil leak isn't a big deal - most of these cars leak a little bit.

I just bought a replacement 3.0L engine for my 1972 911. 154k miles on it (almost twice the mileage of the car you're looking at) with no rebuilds, and compression/leakdown were still within the acceptable range. Not perfect, but still in good condition. It's obviously been well cared for over the years.

Excellence is US values - prices in Canada are higher. The difference isn't what it used to be, but they're still more here.

My advice to you is get the pre-purchase inspection at an independent mechanic (i.e. one who has no loyalty to the seller) and ask for records of the clutch and brakes being done. If the seller has a problem with you having an inspection done, walk away. If they don't have records of the clutch being done, that would be odd. Brakes I can see not having records for, it's fairly routine maintenance, but a clutch, that's a much bigger job.

If the pre-purchase inspection comes out well, then I'd say go ahead with the purchase - low 30s sounds in the ballpark, based on the limited info you have. But there's not really enough info to give you any more than a ballpark value.

[andyt11]

I think low 30's is nuts to be honest. A nice example 3.2 can be had for 20k plus GSt and pst at the border and your 6.1 duty. Maybe be into it for 22 or 23.

I'm into mine for about that. Its and 88 and has all the papers back to the first oil change. Also includes a well documented reasonably comprehensive rebuild. I'm not exactly in porsche central here either. (Mb).

I'm sure you can find a nice example for nearer 20 than 30. Take your time.