I've just bought some poverty Pork…

The 2.9. Don't be afraid of a few miles on these, cars that have been used are usually better than garage queens.

On that point are suspension elements easy to swap if I decided to in the future? Tried on my z3 but it’s a massive job involving dropping the whole rear beam etc just seemed disproportionately high cost

I know I posted the 45k mile 2.9 earlier, but I would rather get a 2011 with 80-100k on it than a 2009 with 50k miles on it.

Age is the killer on these cars, Porsche like to mix alloy and steel together and in the UK age starts to get them corroding together.

Pinch bolts that should take 5 minutes to remove can take you 5 hours, or more.

Changing suspension is in theory fine, the main arms, coffin arms and track rods should all be fine.
Look at the top mounts and make sure the bolts are not all seized up, you will have to think about top mounts and bearings sooner rather than later now they are 12-17 years old, and the front damper is held in place by the drop link, which can be a real pig. But a 2010/11 car should be OK still.

Just be aware though, a basic damper like a Bilstein B4 with say Eibach springs will cost you £1000 including all the mounting hardware for the fronts only.
Front arms, drop links and track rods you will be looking at £400 for just the parts.

The rear you will be looking at the same again.



If you like to spanner newer is better imho. Unless the 50k mile older car has been a garage queen and only ever driven in the dry. Age related seizing can be a real pig on these.

Sorry, that was more in response to the OP saying he had seen a 2006 car with 45k miles on it.

I would rather take the newer car with more miles.

However, depends where the car has lived and been used too. A 2011 from the highlands with 50k is probably going to be more of a pain than an 80k 2006 car from the south coast that is only brought out in the sunshine.


I guess you never really know until you start to work on it.

Yeah there is that, but I was thinking that somewhere like the Highlands gets 250 days a year of rain and over 3000mm, compare that with East Anglia at just under 100 days and 600mm.

I was just thinking it is probably far easier to leave you car in the garage on rainy days when you don't have 2/3 of the year as a rainy day!

I look at the videos of people doing suspension changes on 25 year old Porsches in California and everything looks in amazing condition. Everything comes apart nice and easy, and they get a complete suspension refresh done in a few hours, the same time it takes us to wrestle a pinch bolt out.

A suspension refresh Will be needed on all 986’s if it’s not been done.

Lots of seized bolts.

I work on them daily and believe it or not the 87’s are worse!!

Precisely what its like tbh. The 87's as I say are worse.

At times, it is quicker and cheaper to source a second hand hub than it is to remove a seized drop link.

A suspension refresh will be needed on all 986’s if it’s not been done.

I can complete a full front end refresh on a 986 for not a lot of money (1.5k).

This is using all new parts: Bilstein B4’s, TRW drop links, Spyder top mounts, bearings, bump stops, tuning forks and lower control arms (wishbones)

Listing removed.

Maybe cut off my own nose to spite my face sometimes but I never ever trust when a car has had a full respray.

Passed by a 52reg Targa today on the motorway, puffing smoke out the left bank everytime he rolled off the throttle. Made me chuckle and think of this thread again.