How useable is a 3.2 carrera (circa 84 year)?
Discussion
Inspectorclueso said:
Just looping back to this, thank you all so much for the replies so far.
I went along to Brightwells yesterday as they happened to have a 3.2 and a 930, so it was good to look at both. It's certainty a 'shock' getting into these after a modern performance car, I currently have a 2016 M4.
My initial thought was that either seem driveable, i.e. I can at least get in and get relatively comfortable unlike many of the other classics there. A Healey 3000 had a torturous driving position ! But I also concluded, I'd be disappointed to spend a reasonable about of money on an average car, if I was going to go for this, I'd want to go for something really tidy / already restored.
I'm in no rush and I'm finding the process of looking at a few classics super interesting. For info, others on the list in the £25k to £80k range are:
E-type (couple only, I can't get comfy in the roadster due to leg room, pre S1 4.2, but would consider S2)
TVR Griffith (I have had a Chimera before)
Alfa 105 series - I like the relative simplicity, but again would want one that is completely done body wise
And on a tangent, a 612 Scaglietti - I have two boys that love road trips and know this would hit that brief
I did also get into a Lotus Elise yesterday and the driving position felt bang on, but I know it's a very different car.
Interested if anyone else has comparisons of the 911 to the above, albeit very difference cars I know.
I owned air cooled 911s when they were at the nadir of values. I owned two, a 930 and a 911SC. I looked at DOZENS and discounted dozens more by email.I went along to Brightwells yesterday as they happened to have a 3.2 and a 930, so it was good to look at both. It's certainty a 'shock' getting into these after a modern performance car, I currently have a 2016 M4.
My initial thought was that either seem driveable, i.e. I can at least get in and get relatively comfortable unlike many of the other classics there. A Healey 3000 had a torturous driving position ! But I also concluded, I'd be disappointed to spend a reasonable about of money on an average car, if I was going to go for this, I'd want to go for something really tidy / already restored.
I'm in no rush and I'm finding the process of looking at a few classics super interesting. For info, others on the list in the £25k to £80k range are:
E-type (couple only, I can't get comfy in the roadster due to leg room, pre S1 4.2, but would consider S2)
TVR Griffith (I have had a Chimera before)
Alfa 105 series - I like the relative simplicity, but again would want one that is completely done body wise
And on a tangent, a 612 Scaglietti - I have two boys that love road trips and know this would hit that brief
I did also get into a Lotus Elise yesterday and the driving position felt bang on, but I know it's a very different car.
Interested if anyone else has comparisons of the 911 to the above, albeit very difference cars I know.
In the end I bought two cars that needed work.
I very much doubt that things have changed, apart from the prices! I anticipate that you will view many "superb examples" that turn out not to be all that superb. The seller WILL then say "what do you expect, it's a thirty-five year old car". They always do.
As previously mentioned, for a daily driver, I would be looking at 3.0SC and 3.2 Carrera. Forget about the wide body cars - 930 and Supersport. The aren't worth the premium IMHO.
Trying to sort out a car that has not been regularly maintained can be almost starting from scratch. Multiple faults can make it very hard to get to the real issue ... which is where the relative simplicity of certain models can be a plus. It can also be a real challenge obtaining period / refurbished / re-manufactured parts and they are not cheap. A windscreen wiper motor for an "88 944 Turbo Cup came in at around £600 ...
I would always want to see either a continuous service history or a recent very thorough restoration ... and even with the latter there will be originality issues to resolve sometimes due to the lack of the correct period parts at the time of the restoration.
Hence a nicely used continuously maintained car with lots of paperwork and a mileage that will not suffer from adding to, would be my first choice ... but as has been previously mentioned, these cars are challenging to find primarily because there was a time when they were so inexpensive to own that short cuts had to be taken with with the cost of running such a car.
This to me is the massive advantage that Porsche have in the classics car market due to the large number of specialists who will make what could be a complicated ownership proposition, into a shared passion.
I would always want to see either a continuous service history or a recent very thorough restoration ... and even with the latter there will be originality issues to resolve sometimes due to the lack of the correct period parts at the time of the restoration.
Hence a nicely used continuously maintained car with lots of paperwork and a mileage that will not suffer from adding to, would be my first choice ... but as has been previously mentioned, these cars are challenging to find primarily because there was a time when they were so inexpensive to own that short cuts had to be taken with with the cost of running such a car.
This to me is the massive advantage that Porsche have in the classics car market due to the large number of specialists who will make what could be a complicated ownership proposition, into a shared passion.
ChrisW. said:
But the reason to run a classic is certainly not because there aren't better modern cars for the money ... the question was, how useable is a 3.2 carrera.
How useable is yours ?
Back in the day, it was totally useable - VW Golf reliability and Ferrari performance. Small enough to nip around London, practical and comfortable enough to take on holiday. G50 and later enhancements did help.How useable is yours ?
But, in fairness, that was then, when it was new, and all cars were simpler.
These days, for me, it’s an engaging and rewarding indulgence from a nostalgic era - but still amazing fun to drive. In fact, the performance, handling, comfort and enjoyment are more accessible on UK roads today than many modern uber-fast Porsches. But, I choose my usage. I have a contemporary 911 for regular use.
Geneve said:
ChrisW. said:
But the reason to run a classic is certainly not because there aren't better modern cars for the money ... the question was, how useable is a 3.2 carrera.
How useable is yours ?
Back in the day, it was totally useable - VW Golf reliability and Ferrari performance. Small enough to nip around London, practical and comfortable enough to take on holiday. G50 and later enhancements did help.How useable is yours ?
But, in fairness, that was then, when it was new, and all cars were simpler.
These days, for me, it’s an engaging and rewarding indulgence from a nostalgic era - but still amazing fun to drive. In fact, the performance, handling, comfort and enjoyment are more accessible on UK roads today than many modern uber-fast Porsches. But, I choose my usage. I have a contemporary 911 for regular use.
definitely choose your usageChrisW. said:
But as a drive I think they are beautiful. Peak Porsche quality, old school serviceability with bags of character and still affordable ... 200,000 mile machines and the rest.
I know of one car a '89 3.2 that is near 230,000 miles, used and serviced regularly and no engine work. Bodywork restoration is another matter which is where the weakness lies. Forget about the engine and mileage and concentrate on the body. The downside is if you make it too perfect you won't want to drive it and wil be checking the weather forecast to inform your decision. Sort what must be done, use it and enjoy it without distraction.Inspectorclueso said:
Just looping back to this, thank you all so much for the replies so far.
I went along to Brightwells yesterday as they happened to have a 3.2 and a 930, so it was good to look at both. It's certainty a 'shock' getting into these after a modern performance car, I currently have a 2016 M4.
My initial thought was that either seem driveable, i.e. I can at least get in and get relatively comfortable unlike many of the other classics there. A Healey 3000 had a torturous driving position ! But I also concluded, I'd be disappointed to spend a reasonable about of money on an average car, if I was going to go for this, I'd want to go for something really tidy / already restored.
I'm in no rush and I'm finding the process of looking at a few classics super interesting. For info, others on the list in the £25k to £80k range are:
E-type (couple only, I can't get comfy in the roadster due to leg room, pre S1 4.2, but would consider S2)
TVR Griffith (I have had a Chimera before)
Alfa 105 series - I like the relative simplicity, but again would want one that is completely done body wise
And on a tangent, a 612 Scaglietti - I have two boys that love road trips and know this would hit that brief
I did also get into a Lotus Elise yesterday and the driving position felt bang on, but I know it's a very different car.
Interested if anyone else has comparisons of the 911 to the above, albeit very difference cars I know.
I'm also taking a first tentative look at buying an air cooled 911, not as a daily but a usable classic. The 3.2 Carrera at Brightwells looked like the kind of thing I'm after, was it any good in the flesh? Obviously that's at the cheaper end of the market, and I'm equipped to fettle old cars but I don't really want a total basket case. I made that mistake with a 'cheap' 944 years ago *shudder*! I went along to Brightwells yesterday as they happened to have a 3.2 and a 930, so it was good to look at both. It's certainty a 'shock' getting into these after a modern performance car, I currently have a 2016 M4.
My initial thought was that either seem driveable, i.e. I can at least get in and get relatively comfortable unlike many of the other classics there. A Healey 3000 had a torturous driving position ! But I also concluded, I'd be disappointed to spend a reasonable about of money on an average car, if I was going to go for this, I'd want to go for something really tidy / already restored.
I'm in no rush and I'm finding the process of looking at a few classics super interesting. For info, others on the list in the £25k to £80k range are:
E-type (couple only, I can't get comfy in the roadster due to leg room, pre S1 4.2, but would consider S2)
TVR Griffith (I have had a Chimera before)
Alfa 105 series - I like the relative simplicity, but again would want one that is completely done body wise
And on a tangent, a 612 Scaglietti - I have two boys that love road trips and know this would hit that brief
I did also get into a Lotus Elise yesterday and the driving position felt bang on, but I know it's a very different car.
Interested if anyone else has comparisons of the 911 to the above, albeit very difference cars I know.
stinkyspanner said:
I'm also taking a first tentative look at buying an air cooled 911, not as a daily but a usable classic. The 3.2 Carrera at Brightwells looked like the kind of thing I'm after, was it any good in the flesh? Obviously that's at the cheaper end of the market, and I'm equipped to fettle old cars but I don't really want a total basket case. I made that mistake with a 'cheap' 944 years ago *shudder*!
I went to look at this (the 3.2) and an e-type that they had. I'm no expert but I did see some rust spots on it (base of windscreen), it had interior parts missing and needed a decent tidy up / TLC. As you say it was also v high miles at 198k, though I'm not a fan of super low miles either.I think it went for high £30's in the end, so not far off £45k when costs added. I concluded I'd personally rather pay £50k to £60k and have one that I can just enjoy and maintain, not fix to start with...
I've seen a few more come up on car and classic last week or so that are circa £50k that seem decent. Let us know if you do continue the hunt, always good to compare notes. I'm going to look at a few over the next couple of months to get a feel for them and what's good, not etc...
Yes there seems to be a few popping up for sale, quite a lot of LHD ones too which I would consider but it's not my preference. There's a LHD white 3.0sc that's been for sale for a while, looks pretty tidy, but has been painted and doesn't seem to have any history. As a usable car it looks OK, it's not the dream though!
Armitage.Shanks said:
ChrisW. said:
But as a drive I think they are beautiful. Peak Porsche quality, old school serviceability with bags of character and still affordable ... 200,000 mile machines and the rest.
I know of one car a '89 3.2 that is near 230,000 miles, used and serviced regularly and no engine work. Bodywork restoration is another matter which is where the weakness lies. Forget about the engine and mileage and concentrate on the body. The downside is if you make it too perfect you won't want to drive it and wil be checking the weather forecast to inform your decision. Sort what must be done, use it and enjoy it without distraction.In fairness, a well sorted 944 is just the same ... some of these are now RFL FOC ...
Inspectorclueso said:
Ju...
I did also get into a Lotus Elise yesterday and the driving position felt bang on, but I know it's a very different car.
Interested if anyone else has comparisons of the 911 to the above, albeit very difference cars I know.
I had a 964 C2 for 12 or so years which I loved until a) my kids no long fit in the back so using it for 'normal' driving became more limited and b) I bought an Lotus Elise SC which immediately made my 964 feel heavy, slow and (tbh) a bit boring in comparison. I sold the 964 shortly after.I did also get into a Lotus Elise yesterday and the driving position felt bang on, but I know it's a very different car.
Interested if anyone else has comparisons of the 911 to the above, albeit very difference cars I know.
My 964 was of course better built and sounded lovely but once I had the Elise I never took the 964 out and, when it went, I wasn't sad, which kind of shocked me.
For a daily driver, I wouldn't have either tbh and I'd go for a 996 or 997 for overall comfort.
https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1986-porsche-9...
Annoyingly this just sold on collecting cars for £52k plus fees, it was on Facebook and eBay for £45k for a while but apparently the seller only heard from idiots trying to lowball him..
I phoned the guy on the day he'd decided to auction it, offered the asking price then and there and he basically said you're a day too late.. Ah well must be fate
There's something a bit weird with the wheels/suspension height but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to sort out
Annoyingly this just sold on collecting cars for £52k plus fees, it was on Facebook and eBay for £45k for a while but apparently the seller only heard from idiots trying to lowball him..
I phoned the guy on the day he'd decided to auction it, offered the asking price then and there and he basically said you're a day too late.. Ah well must be fate
There's something a bit weird with the wheels/suspension height but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to sort out
Edited by stinkyspanner on Monday 15th April 19:26
stinkyspanner said:
https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1986-porsche-9...
Annoyingly this just sold on collecting cars for £52k plus fees, it was on Facebook and eBay for £45k for a while but apparently the seller only heard from idiots trying to lowball him..
I phoned the guy on the day he'd decided to auction it, offered the asking price then and there and he basically said you're a day too late.. Ah well must be fate
There's something a bit weird with the wheels/suspension height but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to sort out
It could be a bargain, or it could need £20k+ of body restoration. The fact that the advert says nothing detailed about bodywork condition other than 2 rust spots, and nothing about any bodywork ever being done, tells its own story.Annoyingly this just sold on collecting cars for £52k plus fees, it was on Facebook and eBay for £45k for a while but apparently the seller only heard from idiots trying to lowball him..
I phoned the guy on the day he'd decided to auction it, offered the asking price then and there and he basically said you're a day too late.. Ah well must be fate
There's something a bit weird with the wheels/suspension height but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to sort out
braddo said:
stinkyspanner said:
https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1986-porsche-9...
Annoyingly this just sold on collecting cars for £52k plus fees, it was on Facebook and eBay for £45k for a while but apparently the seller only heard from idiots trying to lowball him..
I phoned the guy on the day he'd decided to auction it, offered the asking price then and there and he basically said you're a day too late.. Ah well must be fate
There's something a bit weird with the wheels/suspension height but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to sort out
It could be a bargain, or it could need £20k+ of body restoration. The fact that the advert says nothing detailed about bodywork condition other than 2 rust spots, and nothing about any bodywork ever being done, tells its own story.Annoyingly this just sold on collecting cars for £52k plus fees, it was on Facebook and eBay for £45k for a while but apparently the seller only heard from idiots trying to lowball him..
I phoned the guy on the day he'd decided to auction it, offered the asking price then and there and he basically said you're a day too late.. Ah well must be fate
There's something a bit weird with the wheels/suspension height but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to sort out
I bought one.. It's everything a serious enthusiast would run a mile from, but fits my requirements perfectly, and it was priced accordingly. The seller had a ramp, I spent an hour or so looking over it and couldn't find any significant rust. It's far from concourse, it's definitely not one for the purists but it's a good usable example that I won't need to worry about the odd stonechip, or adding miles to 
Koln-RS said:
Nice.
Like the retro anodised Fuchs, perhaps get the headlamp bezels repainted.
And, personally, prefer the non-rear spoiler shape.
But, looks like it could be an excellent basis for a running project.
Agreed about the bezels, they make my teeth itch every time I look at them. I'm undecided about the wheels, I think I'll get the whole centres done black but the current retro look is growing on me. The tea tray stays though, it's iconic! Like the retro anodised Fuchs, perhaps get the headlamp bezels repainted.
And, personally, prefer the non-rear spoiler shape.
But, looks like it could be an excellent basis for a running project.
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