my first 911, going pre 964 but what to look for

[Lee UK]

what should i look for or stay away from:-

standard 911, maybe different wheels
bodykits? turbo bodied
none, part, fshistory
rust! where?
sunroof, cabriolet
what to hear from engine?

Any info is appreciated, cheers

[ultimasimon]

furry dice sorry lee, couldn't resist

[danny hoffman]

Look on the Pelican Parts web site - there is a good buying guide on there. Look at a few - only buy when you are 100% sure about the car, and get an expert to look at if you aren't confident.

Danny

PS great choice (well I would say that after owning an '81 SC for a couple of years!)

[melv]

Also visit www.titanic964.co.uk and www.porsche964.co.uk for general advice and buy Chris Mellors book on Buying and Selling Porsches. ISBN 1-899098-02-X.

Melv

[Lee UK]

what are they like to own this time of year, i remember when i last had a 80's car, ice on inside of screen, taking ages for heater to warm up

[danny hoffman]

Once I fitted new stainless heat exchangers I have to say that it is fine in any weather. The only slight problem is misting if I am stuck in heavey traffic for a long period, which means I have to leave the fan on its highest (noisy) setting.

I never have to actually wipe the windows though

Danny

[danny hoffman]

Also heat comes out within a couple of minutes from a cold start - much quicker than one of those strange water cooled affairs!!

[Lee UK]

where do they rot

[danny hoffman]

From the cars I saw:

Front wings (bolt on)
Front apron between headlights
Rear wings & C pillar
B pillars where the door lock striker is.

But I am sure that any 20 year car could potentially rust everywhere.

DO NOY BUY A RUSTY ONE unless you plan to do a full rebuild!!

Danny

[Harris_I]

I'm not sure about this, but I think the post 84 Carrera 3.2 had much improved anti-corrosion compared to the earlier car. Was it the first model to be fully galvanised? I dunno - worth checking though.

Also the Carrera 3.2 that I used to own had partially blocked vents which proved an absolute nightmare to live with in winter. I had to continually wipe condensation off the screen. One time I drove through some mild flooding (maybe an inch of water) and somehow the entire interior of the car sucked up all the condensation from outside leaving me blanketed in a cloud inside the car. Check the heating and ventilation before you buy!

The only other problem I had was slightly dodgy electrics - rear wiper motor and one of the windows failed me, plus the alarm seemed to drain the battery on a daily basis (not the car's fault though).

Great car though - they don't make 'em like that anymore.

[clubsport]

I understood galvanising came to the 911 in 1976.

[billyb]

'76. I agree. Don't think anything significant happened to anti-rust measures after that.

[Lee UK]

ive seen one with an engine replaced, I presume from a 3.0SC to a late 3.2 carrera, can there be problems after this conversion has been done (injection, wiring etc)

[AirCooled]

Check ou this website to see a couple of pics of rust areas.
http://hometown.aol.co.uk/mrcboyle/myhomepage/classiccars.html