Where else should I look?
 

I've been seriously looking for an '87-'88 Carrera for 3-4 months. So far I've come across two that were worthy of a PPI, but neither one passed muster at that stage, so I passed on them. I realize that this isn't an unusual length of time to spend looking, especially because I'm limiting myself to two model years, coupes only, excluding some colors, and I have a reasonable but not unlimited budget. What I'm wondering is, if you were in my shoes, where would you be looking? I want to cast a reasonably wide net (although I'm hesitant to buy a car that has lived in a snowy region) and I'm fine to buy something sight unseen and have it shipped. Here's the list of places I have been checking regularly:

Pelican forums
Rennlist forums
PCA classifieds
cars-on-line.com (shrug)
Craigslist in a bunch of cities

Any other suggestions?

Contacting local P-car shops might yield results. They sometimes know of cars for sale that never hit the open market.

I would add Fleabay and Hemmings.com
Also you can use autotempest to query various sources at once.

Pano. You can get a temporary PCA membership to shop their classifieds.

Thanks, I have been meaning to do this but haven't had a chance yet.

Thanks, I haven't looked at at Hemmings or Autotempest. I was wary of eBay, but I guess as long as I get a PPI it's as valid as anyplace else. Maybe I'm just imagining that any serious Porsche owner wouldn't start there if they were selling.

Yeah I'm already looking at the PCA classifieds online (prices seem a little inflated, e.g. $46k for one with 121k miles), did you mean the print classifieds?

I just sold an '87 coupe a few weeks ago. I had it advertised here, Rennlist, and the PCA Mart. I also put it on Craigslist and cars.com after a couple of weeks to try and widen the net beyond just the enthusiast forums.

The forums are a good place to start but there are lots of cars for sale that never get advertised there so I wouldn't limit yourself to them.

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/5416818795.html

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/5446938896.html

I'm a sucker for black on black.

Keep looking, you'll find one.

5 pages of 87-88 911's

1988 Porsche 911 For Sale - CarGurus

In reality most ebay ads are just for advertising, and the actual deals take place offline. You do come across a bunch of clown sellers though, so be prepared for some disappointment

In my experience you find some potentially interesting cars on PCA online but the sellers are extremely unresponsive. Out of a dozen inquiries or so I think I've got maybe two replies, the rest was radio silence.

I was in your shoes back in November. I looked here, rennlist, ebay, auto trader, craigslist, cars.com and dealer auctions. I looked at dozens of cars, PPI'd 2 and bought an 87 cabrio I found here.

I would say here and auto trader had the most results for me. But really, it's just a question of waiting for the right car to come along. 3-4 months is a fair bit of time, I'm surprised you haven't found something yet. High season is coming. That does mean higher prices, but also more selection.

If you're looking at cabrios, I looked very closely at this one: 1988 Porsche 911 For Sale - CarGurus

It's for sale by a dealer, but on consignment from a private owner whom I talked a lot with, got lots of pictures. It's a really nice car. I didn't get as far as a PPI, but it was a very strong candidate.

Is there a reason your not including 89? They are pretty much the same exact vehicles as the 87-88.
Allot more cars will hit the market this spring and summer.

Asking crazy $$$ but looks to be nice example.

Used 1988 Porsche 911 G50 for Sale in Marina Del Rey CA 90292 Chequered Flag International

The first one has been for sale on various forums since September. I have to think something is wrong with it, or it's a scam. Second one looks great but it's outside my budget.

I'm glad I asked here, I've got a few more places to add to my list!

Originally I really wanted a targa, but I've decided I don't want the extra potential headaches with the top. And for whatever reason I never liked the look of the cabriolets. Just not my thing.

The reason I'm excluding the '89 is that I may be moving to Australia in the near future. If I take the car with me and it's at least 30 years old when I register it, I don't have to convert it to right hand drive. I've been avoiding '86 and earlier because everything I've read leads me to believe I would prefer the G50 gearbox over the 915, but if I get a chance to compare the two I might be swayed.

Here is a list of links, some may no longer be active.

Porsche For Sale Links

I suggest you drive a 915. The internet is not kind to them and is generally wrong. I own two 915 cars and have zero interest in g50 cars. Right Rich Gas?

I went through a similar search, taking well more than a year to find my '89 Carrera Coupe, which I finally purchased last August. Obviously, the market moved against me during that time, but the search process was valuable.

Personally, I think you might need to rethink your budget or revise your expectations/requirements for your car. From what I found, quality G50 coupes will sell mid to high $40s. I found several in the low $40s that all needed "something". And lots of decent 915 coupes available in the mid to high $30s. That's not to say that you can't find a steal if you look hard enough, but that was the general price range I found.

I ultimately made the decision to pay up for a very clean, unique color (Diamond Blue Metallic), 2-owner (PCA) car with documentation back to '91 (when seller purchased it). Car had just received a $4500 service to prepare it for sale. I did not get a "great deal" but felt I paid a fair price for both seller and me.

My suggestion would be to buy the best car you can afford. If your budget is more towards the 915 Coupe range, then buy the best 915 Coupe you can find rather than settle a mediocre G50 Coupe. The 915s are solid cars.

Good luck with the search!

^^^This.

When I was originally looking, everyone said "buy a G50 car" except a few folks like Matt, Peter Zimmerman, Grady Clay and a few others. Then I drove both. A car with a 915 in good shape where the linkage is well-adjusted shifts well and is a pleasure to drive. G50 cars you pretty much don't even have to think about shifting, they act like most modern cars. BUT, are you willing to pay $10k for that? After driving a G50 car and a 915 car, I decided that it wasn't worth the extra money. I bought a car with a recent 915 refresh and called it good. If I could go back and do it again, I might wait for a 1986 car, just for the ventilation improvements made on that model year, and the fact the seat rails are lower. The fact is that you can get more car, or a better car for less money, if you open your search to the 915 cars.

Shop the Craig's list from San Diego all the way up to greater L.A. There are more 911 cars here than any other place on earth.

Totally agree with these comments. I've had a couple of 915 cars, and all were great. They do generally feel "older". I wanted to find a G50 purely because I'd had 915s and wanted to try the much-hyped G50 to see for myself. I do like the G50 and don't mind the more modern shift feel (I have a '69 912, which has more than enough vintage feel to keep me happy!) and love the car, but would happily buy another 915 car.

Drive both the 915 and G50 cars and see which you prefer.

But there's no question the G50 is the more robust transmission.