911
 

Looking at 80's or early 90's 911. What years should I avoid?

so am I, 89-95, i'll stay tuned here..

I have a soft spot for the late 80's 911/ 930's. I had a blk/blk 83 911 SC that I cherished but never drove. I keep looking at low mileage stuff but everytime I drive one I can't believe how slow/ unsophisticated they feel. A 89 930 turbo was only 282 HP which was fast for the day but average by sedan standards today (911 Carrera's were only 217 HP which would get you smoked by any four banger rice wagon today)

But here it goes anyway:

87-89 911's had the newer/better G50 transmission - these are the simplest late model 911's. But weak a/c, 217 HP, no ABS

90-94 Carrera 2 (also called the 964)- newer styling, standard ABS, much improved a/c, AWD available in the C4 and 247 HP. Early cars had engine issues (oil related if I recollect).

95- 993 was the last model year before OBD II emissions, the 96-98's had the OBD II. It had some flaws and was tougher to enhance performance which makes the 95's more attractive. 98 was the last year of the air cooled 911's which to a purist is the end of an era.

930 Turbos are cool (US prod. 86-89) with the 89 being the only year of the 5 spd, prior to that is was 4 spd only. The extra maintenance of the 930 isn't worth the headache for 60 HP.
91-92 had the 964 Turbo which was 310 HP I recall. There were some rare 92 Turbo's called S2's that were designed for racing or something and they only made 20.
93 and 95 had no Turbo's
94 had the Turbo 3.6 with 355 HP and cool 18 inch speedline wheels. This is the Bad Boys car(Will Smith/ Martin Lawrence movie). They also made an even rarer slantnose called the Turbo 3.6 S.

I like the 91-92-94 Turbo's the best but they are getting stupid money for the 94's since it was the last of the rear wheel drive Turbo/ all newer cars were AWD except the GT2's.

The maintenance can be brutal on these cars especially considering the age they are getting to.

www.aicauto.com - some cool low mileage stuff
www.sloancars.com - some very rare, low mileage stuff. Some appears to be owned, while others are consignment at jacked up prices over what the owner has them advertised at elsewhere.
www.willhoitenterprises.com - some cool stuff, he has been known to buy on ebay then resell on his site. I have heard good and bad on this one.
www.hatchandsons.com -they have had a decent amount of used 911's and 500E's. They run a good restoration shop according to a close friend of mine but I have never seen their stuff up close.


Good luck. Drive some of these cars before you buy and you might talk yourself right out of the deal. These cars are now getting to be 20 years old and sometimes you can't go back down memory lane.

This is my shop www.flat6.com

Give a call if you want some advice.........

Aaron
952-884-2060

what perf mod's, if any, can be done to a 1995?

I definately want a pre OBDII car with good a/c and power seats...

If the 930's are maintained correctly they aren't that big of an issue (try a Ferrari LOL). Besides they are upgradable to significant HP even in today's standards and there is absolutely NOTHING like the look of a widebody 930....yes the AC sucks but it has the brakes, suspension and ancillaries to go to 4-500HP and be reasonably reliable.

the 964's had mass flywheel issues the 993 are expensive but if you can find a well sorted C-4 widebody it has the looks and the comforts...IMHO

The slantnoses and factory specials are generally much bigger bucks.

Jupiter Sunsation: That was an awsome post on 911s

I've been thinking about 928s. Loved the car back then, but too young and poor to buy one. Do you have insight on the 928s?

so with this said above, what year would you zone in on then?

I have an '85 Targa and LOVE it! It's so much more reliable than even my daily driver Lexus, and is a fun car that won't break the bank. Jupiter Sunsation's post is right on - I'd go for the 86-89 Carrera with the G50 tranny. My car has the 915 and it can be baulky. With only 217 hp, don't expect to run with the mustangs and turbo'd ricers - until you get them in the twisties! Have fun, get a pre-purchase inspection!

Joe Z

'95 993 is a good year but not much for adding performance......

Have you driven one yet? I used to own one, and IMO, they don't need any performance mods. Sure, you can improve things, but they are great cars bone stock.

When I buy another Porsche, it will be another '95 993, only next time might be a coupe. (My last one was a cab.)

Okay, I like them too but don't have the patience to maintain them so here it goes:
Pre 87 is the 928S, same car as S4 but no wing, updated tail lights/ front spoiler. Pre 83 they had less power. Look for an 87 or newer.

The 928 S4 came out in 87-91 with auto or 5 spd trans. The cars are beasts and are very roomy with great a/c and even have rear a/c for the back seat. Most cars got driven into the ground so be skeptical of a 20 year old 50K mile car. The sunroofs are weird (think gun slits, 8 inches wide when open). The manual trans have first gear down and towards the left (where second is in most cars) so that takes some getting used to but funny to impress someone with a "second gear" burnout that goes down the block! The bad is they are very pricey to maintain, the a/c, clutches, timing belt and dreaded water pump are trouble spots. Auto Trannys can be trouble if not maintained regularly.

91-93 had the widebody 928 GTS cars, they are 345 HP and have flared fenders. The 93 being the last year is the most valued by collectors and they still ask crazy money like 50K for them with low miles.

I had a beat ride on a 87 928 S4 in the late eighties that rivaled the risky business pimp chase scene. I had 2 buddies in the car and drove it like I stole it all night long. This thing did donuts like nothing else. When the tires hit the steel belts we put it back in the owner's garage. :D

I like the cars and for 10K for a 75K mile S4 I might buy one but much past that I get scared of the 10K car that costs you 10K to keep it running another week. The 911's of the late 80's are cheaper to keep going but they won't have the HP/ TQ of the V8 928S4 for those late night smoke shows.

thanks for the input

I Ihave a 1986 930 slantnose for sale

Best rule of thumb with a 911 is buy the lowest mileage, most original car you can find/afford. Original paint and interior materials only happen once in a car's life. As air-cooled 911s get older, the most well preserved, original cars are the most desirable. Also, avoid cars used in the winter on salt roads if you appreciate pretty undercar hardware.

If you want a closed car you want a coupe. If you want an open car you want a cabriolet. Sorry to offend any Targa owners.

If you like to accelerate rapidly you want a Turbo. The 964 or 993 is a very fast car unlike a 3.2 Carrera, but for the hotrod type of guy the Turbo is the only way to go.

If you need effective air-conditioning you do not want an 89 or earlier car.

If you crash stuff, avoid the factory slant nose cars. Just altogether avoid aftermarket slantnose cars.

You do not want a 964 four wheel drive car unless you live where it snows(alot). If you are looking for a Tiptronic car then go buy a Mercedes SL or similar, you'll be happier.

If you panic when a "check engine" light lights up, a 96 thru 98 993 is not for you.

Bolt on modifications for normally aspirated 911s usually do nothing more than make more noise. A hundred dollar wastegate spring on a 911 Turbo(94 and earlier) can create power that thousands of dollars could never duplicate on a narrow fendered 911. Wasting money on suspension mods, brake stuff, and transmission gearing changes usually brings more satisfaction than chasing horsepower.

Otherwise, Jupiter covered it pretty good.

i purchased my first 911/996 in July. was always a vette guy. WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER VETTE ! mines a 1999 non turbo carrera, 60k miles, stick and all the goodies. On the highway she get 24+mpg cruisin at 75-80 and is as comfy as they get...unbelieveable handling both wet and dry pavement

US car? Steel nose? Factory car? Miles/colors/price? Original owner/ good history?

jupiter send me your email and i will send you pics and the magazine the car was in.It was in road and track.

Funny you mention him. He (Mike) has a notorious reputation around town. On the lake at one time too. I cant comment on his business practices though. No experience there.

Look on his site then go to past sales on Ebay. He talks the cars up like his mother owned them yet he bought them on Ebay two weeks earlier for 15-20K less.

Beware of his "give me a deposit and I will ship the car to your door" for your inspection practice too. He tends to keep your 5K if you don't like the car. Like a restocking fee! :mad:

I want a bone stock 1995, and I intend to keep it that way...

thanx

Unless you are dead set on a 993, don't ignore a 1992, 1993, or 1994 964. By year model 92, Porsche had about perfected the 964. The three model years are identical except the '92 model uses R-12 freon, '93 and later are R-134. A two wheel drive 964 coupe or cab with a manual transmission is a wonderful 911.

a 93-94 was on my *backup list*.... I'm pretty narrowed in on wants, just need some spare cabbage... thanx again

My buddy bought a $20k 928 a few years ago. Before he bought it, I told him "you may be buying a 20 thousand dollar car, but you'll be buying parts for an 80 thousand dollar car and having them put on by someone who works on $150 thousand dollar cars all day"

His $20K 928 became a $30K 928 in about 6 months and the following summer it became someone else's $17K 928 and my buddy started leasing Tauruses every few years.

His shop is just a couple miles away from my house. Always has some nice inventory there.