Running Costs of an 80's 911 Carrera?
Discussion
Firstly i would like to thank all those who replied to my first post concerning the practicality of an 80's 911 Carrera as a main car. However the idea of a 911 is growing on me even more and I was wondering if I could pick your brains for a bit more information and experiences regarding running costs. I am now considering an annual mileage of 8000 miles. Also does anyone know of a Porsche specialist in the South West of England as i think a Porsche main dealer may be a bit expensive for a car manufactured in the 80's.
You can only really go on generic information, as was probably previously mentioned in replies to your first post. Every car is different and a dog will cost a fortune to run, whereas a nice 3.2 will cost peanuts.
Search previous threads, as this subject and examples of work/problems on 3.2s (heater, sunroof, clutch master cylinder amongst some) have been covered before.
3.2s are generally reliable and cheap to run. Budget 2k a year if you want a figure as a rough estimate.
Sorry I can't be of more help, but each car will be different and although the 3.2 is well built and shouldn't rust, it is still a performance car and tyres and brakes will still need replacing and cost more than for an Escort when they do.
Although Porsches are cheap to buy these days, you will still need a budget to run one. Porsche dealers and parts can be expensive, but luckily there are many factor parts and independents who will charge as little as 20GBP p/h for servicing. You stand more chance running a Porsche on a shoe string than a Ferrari, but if you can't afford at least a grand or so a year, it will pay you back by being unreliable or unsafe.
Hope this helps.
Domster
Search previous threads, as this subject and examples of work/problems on 3.2s (heater, sunroof, clutch master cylinder amongst some) have been covered before.
3.2s are generally reliable and cheap to run. Budget 2k a year if you want a figure as a rough estimate.
Sorry I can't be of more help, but each car will be different and although the 3.2 is well built and shouldn't rust, it is still a performance car and tyres and brakes will still need replacing and cost more than for an Escort when they do.
Although Porsches are cheap to buy these days, you will still need a budget to run one. Porsche dealers and parts can be expensive, but luckily there are many factor parts and independents who will charge as little as 20GBP p/h for servicing. You stand more chance running a Porsche on a shoe string than a Ferrari, but if you can't afford at least a grand or so a year, it will pay you back by being unreliable or unsafe.
Hope this helps.
Domster
Seconded. Independently serviced and regularly used in anger our 3.2 comes in at about £2.5k per annum. You need to take into account things like tyres, brake discs, pads etc. are not cheap on a Porsche. The good news is that the engine is very hardy and not complex but make sure that you buy from a specialist and that the service history is kosher (as with any prestige/performance car) and complete.
Insurance may also be an issue you need to consider. Classic policies are readily available, but some of them don't cover business use-even driving to work can be excluded !
Insurance may also be an issue you need to consider. Classic policies are readily available, but some of them don't cover business use-even driving to work can be excluded !
Thx, but I’m really just interested in ballpark figures, maybe what to look out for and I was hoping that someone would know of a specialist in my area as the only Porsche garage I’ve come across is dick lovett which is an official dealership and thus very expensive. Also with respect to maybe buying a private car I would obviously want it checked out by a specialist but if there are non in my area... would a Porsche dealer take a look? I imagine they would not be intested. I've checked out insurance and that seems acceptable, I’m really just trying to fit all the costs together so i can calculate the cost to change.
Assuming the engine doesn't fall out of it i was more after servicing intervals and the average cost for these considering that the car would most likely have in excess of 90K miles.
Thx again.
Assuming the engine doesn't fall out of it i was more after servicing intervals and the average cost for these considering that the car would most likely have in excess of 90K miles.
Thx again.
Service intervals are every 12k miles IIRC, but an oil change at 6k would be a sensible option.
Cost would be about 150-300 for an interim service (the plugs are a bitch to get to!) and from 300-500 for a major service.
I'd watch out for the cylinder barrels leaking on a 90k mile car (check for drips under the engine). They may have been done, but a 'top end' rebuild would be about 2-3 grand straight off.
As Jon said, 2k a year is probably avergae by the time you've bought a few wear items and fixed the odd fault.
Best piece of advice I can give you is to buy as late a 3.2 as you can, as they improved them year on year. Post 1985 is good, post 1987 is better (G50 gearbox). You must consider LHD if your budget is low - your money will go about 20% further (you may be going this route anyway, but I am amazed by people who would rather drive a RHD dog than a tidy LHD car).
Cheers
Domster
Cost would be about 150-300 for an interim service (the plugs are a bitch to get to!) and from 300-500 for a major service.
I'd watch out for the cylinder barrels leaking on a 90k mile car (check for drips under the engine). They may have been done, but a 'top end' rebuild would be about 2-3 grand straight off.
As Jon said, 2k a year is probably avergae by the time you've bought a few wear items and fixed the odd fault.
Best piece of advice I can give you is to buy as late a 3.2 as you can, as they improved them year on year. Post 1985 is good, post 1987 is better (G50 gearbox). You must consider LHD if your budget is low - your money will go about 20% further (you may be going this route anyway, but I am amazed by people who would rather drive a RHD dog than a tidy LHD car).
Cheers
Domster
I am amazing!! I had 2 x 911 3.2 both rhd & both great cars.
They are suprisingly cheap to maintain....front pads Porsche original equipment are £21...2 x rear tyres were £320 fitted........all very resonable.
I looked at many cars before I bought these.As they are enthusiast cars now I preffered to buy privately so I could meet the owners and see how they had cared for the cars directly.
This paid off in both cases as when it came to sell both cars were sold by word of mouth on the same day I decided to sell at my asking price.
If you get a good rhd car look after it,you will have a lot of fun and should get your money back as I did.
The comments refering to the value of lhd cars are correct,but some people will simply not buy one and that can limit the market.The 3.2 is plentiful enough compared to say a 993 RS that you should have many to choose from.
for me the 3.2 is in my top 3 Porsche no question.
They are suprisingly cheap to maintain....front pads Porsche original equipment are £21...2 x rear tyres were £320 fitted........all very resonable.
I looked at many cars before I bought these.As they are enthusiast cars now I preffered to buy privately so I could meet the owners and see how they had cared for the cars directly.
This paid off in both cases as when it came to sell both cars were sold by word of mouth on the same day I decided to sell at my asking price.
If you get a good rhd car look after it,you will have a lot of fun and should get your money back as I did.
The comments refering to the value of lhd cars are correct,but some people will simply not buy one and that can limit the market.The 3.2 is plentiful enough compared to say a 993 RS that you should have many to choose from.
for me the 3.2 is in my top 3 Porsche no question.
Check out 911 and Porsche World classifieds for enthusiast owned cars - also online at chp publications website (google chp publications for the address).
Another tip would be to become a member of the Porsche Club Great Britain (again, google it, as I am in the middle of posting right now
) as there are lots of ads posted by members in Porsche Post every month.
If you get a nicely looked after 1987 RHD 3.2 you're onto a winner. Then I'd try a 1985/86 RHD one or an 1987 LHD 3.2. (Resale will be lower but there is still a buoyant market for certain LHD Porsches - ie popular models in popular colours. Black, silver, baltic blue, red are all popular. White less so and you're brave if you go for a yellow one (if you can find one!).
Another tip would be to become a member of the Porsche Club Great Britain (again, google it, as I am in the middle of posting right now
) as there are lots of ads posted by members in Porsche Post every month. If you get a nicely looked after 1987 RHD 3.2 you're onto a winner. Then I'd try a 1985/86 RHD one or an 1987 LHD 3.2. (Resale will be lower but there is still a buoyant market for certain LHD Porsches - ie popular models in popular colours. Black, silver, baltic blue, red are all popular. White less so and you're brave if you go for a yellow one (if you can find one!).
I have owned an '81 SC for just over 2 years. It had 124,000 miles then and now has 145,000. Non scheduled bills were for new heat exchanges (I knew it needed them before I bought), a starter motor, and a new fuel distributor. The bits came to less than £1,000 and I have down my own servicing. A 12,000 mile service from a specislist (including valves) should be between £250-350. I agree about the oil change at 6,000.
Oh and you will save a fortune because it won't depreciate.
Danny
Oh and you will save a fortune because it won't depreciate.
Danny
Just to add my tuppence worth:
I had a LHD '86 model (pre G50) a few years ago and spent approx a grand over the course of a year (main service at OPC, bits and pieces at specialists), although I didn't have to change any wear and tear items during that year. As has been said, budget around 2k a year to be safe.
No problems selling it even though LHD, but be warned that a month after I sold it, the buyer came back to me complaining she had to spend 3 grand on the engine which had completely (and without any advance warning) lost compression - don't know the full story, but the car had been extensively checked by a specialist before she bought it and given a clean bill of health. Maybe it was just one of those things.
I had a LHD '86 model (pre G50) a few years ago and spent approx a grand over the course of a year (main service at OPC, bits and pieces at specialists), although I didn't have to change any wear and tear items during that year. As has been said, budget around 2k a year to be safe.
No problems selling it even though LHD, but be warned that a month after I sold it, the buyer came back to me complaining she had to spend 3 grand on the engine which had completely (and without any advance warning) lost compression - don't know the full story, but the car had been extensively checked by a specialist before she bought it and given a clean bill of health. Maybe it was just one of those things.
The lack of compression thing,is not uncommon.Normally this is down to valve guide wear induced by short trips or over exuberance when the engine is cold.It is important to let these engines warm up before playing and with £100 of Mobil 1 in the system this can take while.Possibly the achilles heal of the 3.2 motor.
Look for this in cars of approx 80k miles,obviously more or less depending on type of use.
Unfortunately £3-3,500 is the type of bill you are looking at with a specialist to rectify this.
Look for this in cars of approx 80k miles,obviously more or less depending on type of use.
Unfortunately £3-3,500 is the type of bill you are looking at with a specialist to rectify this.
South West?...Crispin Manners is your man - Oaktree Garage...Sidmouth - 01395 568498....old school man, been around for centuries it seems - used to run a VW caravelle with 911 enigne in the back ISTR
3.2s do rust by the way..the 915 boxes on earlier cars can be wek on the synchro in 1st and third, the later G50 boxed cars (1986 on) are better in this respect.
Nice pampered 204 bhp SC might be worth finding - these can be found and mileage shouldn't scare you too much - get a leakage test done on it though - head gaskets (or whatever they call them) can fail and often the leakage test exposes broken head studs too (pretty common as well)...usual stuff about quality of heat exchangers and rot round the front and rear lights and base of windscreen....all these elements can easily add up to £2k to be spent on top of the purchase price - caveat emptor and all that....
3.2s do rust by the way..the 915 boxes on earlier cars can be wek on the synchro in 1st and third, the later G50 boxed cars (1986 on) are better in this respect.
Nice pampered 204 bhp SC might be worth finding - these can be found and mileage shouldn't scare you too much - get a leakage test done on it though - head gaskets (or whatever they call them) can fail and often the leakage test exposes broken head studs too (pretty common as well)...usual stuff about quality of heat exchangers and rot round the front and rear lights and base of windscreen....all these elements can easily add up to £2k to be spent on top of the purchase price - caveat emptor and all that....
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