1980s Porsche's

[Munkeyfeet]

Hi,

My friend is currently considering a second car for some weekend fun. He has about £10,000 to spend, could go slightly higher if need be.

His thoughts are centred on a 1980 porsche - can anyone provide any advice?

Any years that are better?
Any models that he should go for?
What issues should he be aware of?
Is £10,000 enough? What running costs should he expect?
What garages near Berkshire should he consult with/have checks done on the car he wants to buy?
Any advice, concerns or tips for him to keep it running OK when this may go a few weeks without a run?

Thanks

[Munkeyfeet]

He would also consider a 90s porsche so any ideas/comments on those would be greatly appreciated!

[BertBert]

10k isn't enough to buy a 911 in my view, but that's not the only Porsche.

Does he have a view on model?

Bert

[Helen Goff]

Berts right, for a budget of £10k unless your into doing restoration work then you are not wise to look at a 911.

take a look at a 944 they are a fantastic fun car, the engine might be in the wrong end but they are very much a Porsche.

Edited by Helen Goff on Tuesday 9th February 20:08

Edited by Helen Goff on Tuesday 9th February 20:08

[Koln-RS]

Post '87 3.2 Carrera - G50 gearbox, last of the hand built 911s (or so they say). A really good one is a gem. Very best is the 'Club Sport', but big money. Nice Coupe c.£15k best buy IMO. Shouldn't depreciate, but may need running repairs reserve.

[graemel]

I think he could find a 3.2 Carrera Coupe for £10K or less but needs to be careful on choice. Rotten, damaged or rough will cost a small fortune to put right. Two mates have both just recently bought 1989 3.2 Carrera Coupe's both at £8K. One seems ok so far but the other has had a very big hit on the nearside front that has not been repaired properly. Nearly the cost of the car again to sort it all out.

[theironduke]

You could get a very sorted 928 for 10k......

As seen in Scarface, Risky Business and The Business....

[mollytherocker]

A 10k 911 is possible, but you need to know exactly what you are doing and have the time to look at a lot of dogs!!!

MTR

[pauljmcnulty]

Helen Goff said:

Berts right, for a budget of £10k unless your into doing restoration work then you are not wise to look at a 911.

take a look at a 944 they are a fantastic fun car, the engine might be in the wrong end but they are very much a Porsche.

A large number of people who can only afford sub-£10K cars, yet want Porsche's finest ever handling, might disagree with you.....;)

If £10K is the budget, reserve £1K for a 944 Lux, £1.5K for an S", Turbo or 968. What would the experts recommend as a "fighting fund" when buying a cheap 928? Sub-£10K 911 is a minefield I'd not want to enter unless I was absolutely sure I knew the cars inside out.

So. If you want a Porsche for under £10K that won't bankrupt you, or spend it's life off the road waiting for you to save enought to repair it, it's simple. The best 944 turbo, well modified for road or track, a good 968, or an immaculate S2 and £5K in bank.

[theironduke]

pauljmcnulty said:

Helen Goff said:

Berts right, for a budget of £10k unless your into doing restoration work then you are not wise to look at a 911.

take a look at a 944 they are a fantastic fun car, the engine might be in the wrong end but they are very much a Porsche.

A large number of people who can only afford sub-£10K cars, yet want Porsche's finest ever handling, might disagree with you.....;)

If £10K is the budget, reserve £1K for a 944 Lux, £1.5K for an S", Turbo or 968. What would the experts recommend as a "fighting fund" when buying a cheap 928? Sub-£10K 911 is a minefield I'd not want to enter unless I was absolutely sure I knew the cars inside out.

So. If you want a Porsche for under £10K that won't bankrupt you, or spend it's life off the road waiting for you to save enought to repair it, it's simple. The best 944 turbo, well modified for road or track, a good 968, or an immaculate S2 and £5K in bank.

When i bought my 928 the "fighting fund" was about 50% of what the car cost. It didn't last long....

[JRR1967]

Early 21st Century Boxster?

2001, 50K miles should be there or abouts.

[Caractacus]

It is possible, if you do your homework and take your time, to land yourself a nice 911SC. OK, so it hasn't got the G50 G'box, but a well sorted 915 box is just fine. You'll have either 180/188bhp (pre 1980) or 204 (if it's a post 1980 model) and as long as it has been well cared for over the years a high miler should not present a problem.

Make sure the history stacks up and that it has been looked after by a good indy.

Get it checked before you buy, sorry, before your friend buys and you'll be laughing.

Here's an example - http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1349328.htm

and another -

eta - http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1486656.htm

Edited by Caractacus on Wednesday 10th February 00:11

[h_____]

What he said. If your friend wants a 911, go for an SC, a nice Targa should come in at about that money. A G50 3.2 at that money is a gamble.

Alternatively, a 944, or even a little boxster? Both great handling cars, very underated.

[village idiot]

I would have thought £10k would get you in to a leggy early 996 at auction... obviously, you need to be aware that there is a £12k engine in there (which might or not go pop) and lots of other rather expensive consumables.

[Munkeyfeet]

What figure would he need to go to in order to get a nice weekend 911?

[mollytherocker]

Its almost impossible to put a figure on as it depends on his definition of 'nice' and what he wants out of the car. He could spend 20k and still get a shed!!!

My view is spend about £15k on a 3.2 Carrera or 964 C2 but make absolutley sure it is checked very thoroughly. It could be the best thing he has ever done or an absolute nightmare!

Oh and dont forget 2k per year on maintenance.

MTR

[Bill Stein]

mollytherocker said:

Its almost impossible to put a figure on as it depends on his definition of 'nice' and what he wants out of the car. He could spend 20k and still get a shed!!!

My view is spend about £15k on a 3.2 Carrera or 964 C2 but make absolutley sure it is checked very thoroughly. It could be the best thing he has ever done or an absolute nightmare!

Oh and dont forget 2k per year on maintenance.

MTR

What are you spending 2k a year on In maintenance??

[K-Cee]

If he buys the RIGHT 928 he wont regret it.., I have,nt and that was 20 years ago, still gives me a thrill today just as it did all those years ago.
Not being big-headed so dont get me wrong, but it,s probably the best 80, 928S in the country, or possibly in the best 5

[SEE YA]

Whatever Porsche or any car you buy you pay,to drive things get worn out service cost as well.
My one does less than 3000 miles a year, but there are things that need doing to maintain the car in a good condition. My one cost about £1500 a year had the big service done last year so for the next few years.

I will only have to pay for a small service for a while each year. Plus a few extras which will pop up as they do on cars. Some bits were not needed but I wanted to do them.
I power coated the oil tank, replaced oil pipes deep clean Dintrol etc.
I have had the brake calpiers re-done rear.

Also will it be a daily drive?. Buy on condition, I looked at some low mileage 911,and some were very poor condition. If possible, look for a good solid base 911 and go from there.

Edited by SEE YA on Wednesday 10th February 18:47

Edited by SEE YA on Wednesday 10th February 18:54

Edited by SEE YA on Wednesday 10th February 18:57

Edited by SEE YA on Thursday 11th February 10:16

[mollytherocker]

Bill Stein said:

mollytherocker said:

Its almost impossible to put a figure on as it depends on his definition of 'nice' and what he wants out of the car. He could spend 20k and still get a shed!!!

My view is spend about £15k on a 3.2 Carrera or 964 C2 but make absolutley sure it is checked very thoroughly. It could be the best thing he has ever done or an absolute nightmare!

Oh and dont forget 2k per year on maintenance.

MTR

What are you spending 2k a year on In maintenance??

My average on the 993 is lower than this, maybe around 1k. However, this is because I bought from a dealer who did pretty much everything on it prior to delivery e.g; clutch, wishbones, brakes, tyres, big service, bumper stays, heat sheilds, some paint. etc etc. It wasnt cheap though! You pays your money.. etc etc.

A decent 3.2 or 964 will still need money spending on it. You could of course be lucky and just keep at a year and just spend £500 on one service, but this would be lucky. There are lots of things that wear out!!!

MTR