911 Carrera condition questions - Help required.

[Paul.B]

Hi all, new to this forum.

I'm looking at an '89 3.2 Sport. It has a couple of very small rust patches, one on each front wing and early signes at the bottom of the rear screen. None are visible without very close inspection and the rest of the bodywork looks fantastic. Is a small amount of rust unusual or not?

The other question is, the car has over 115k miles up and no top end work on the engine. The service history is very thorough and all complete. I know each car is different but is having this mileage without major work the exception or not unusual?


thanks

Paul.B

[richardlw]

Mileage is not a problem as these will go on forever if serviced properly and have always done long journeys. The rust, especially at the rear, may require a closer look as if there are problems here they can be substantial.

Why don't you post this on the PCGB site as well and see what they think.

[nick-moss]

Its possible that both those patches are minor and can be dealt with locally, but rust at the corners of the rear screen can be one of the most difficult parts of a 911 to fix. I have seen amy 80s SCs and 3.2s that heve serious corrosion, so don't beleive anyone that says these cars are galvanised and don't rust!

Front inner wings



Sills and kidney bowls

[andymin]

Run away, rust on impact bumper 911 is a nightmare and will make engine rebuilds look cheap.

Take a look at the site below to see how much work is involved in repairing them properly, most people cut away small areas and patch them up. Get an expert to inspect the body, a 89 can have just as much rust as a 79.

3.2's at that milleage typically need the guides replacing but rust is the main concern.

Also have a read on the pelicanparts and rennlist forums, lots of useful information available there.

www.carrera3.co.uk

[scruffy101]

i concur, i had mine patched up and took it to neimeisteras i was curious as to how much a proper respray was.if there was no rust it was about £5000 ,and if the body and wings wre needed anything up to £12000.These cars were galvanised but there are a lot of water traps,if its rusty walk away.If you need a rear wing it will be about £5-700,these have to be welded in so you will need to take out the glass and you will need new door shut panels.I did it and it was a mistake ,i should have walked ,just get it checked by someone who knows 911s.

Edited by scruffy101 on Tuesday 31st October 07:24

[rubystone]

and to add to all that good advice - get a leakdown test done on the engine to determine just how many head studs are broken...

...oh, and check that it hasn't started to bubble at the base of the front screen (usually passenger side)

But if you're not bothered about cosmetics and the car passes the leakdown test and is priced according to condition (circa £k or less I'd say...) then why not buy it. None of those rust areas is structural and if its been kept clean underneath, you shouldn't have rot in the inner wing (the mud sits on top of the inner wing, just as it does in an MGB)

[Paul.B]

Thanks for all the good advice chaps. I did bail out of that one and I'm affraid gone over to the 'dark side!' I've opted for a BMW Z3M Coupe instead. Probably more suited for my plans for useage of the car.

Cheers

Paul.B

[ED965]

scruffy101 said:

i concur, i had mine patched up and took it to neimeisteras i was curious as to how much a proper respray was.if there was no rust it was about £5000 ,and if the body and wings wre needed anything up to £12000.These cars were galvanised but there are a lot of water traps,if its rusty walk away.If you need a rear wing it will be about £5-700,these have to be welded in so you will need to take out the glass and you will need new door shut panels.I did it and it was a mistake ,i should have walked ,just get it checked by someone who knows 911s.

Edited by scruffy101 on Tuesday 31st October 07:24

looks bloody good to me for an 86-87 car!

Edited by ED965 on Wednesday 1st November 18:36

[cardigankid]

Well I'm no expert but it looks as if it has had some paint done.

[scruffy101]

It did have paint,£3,000 worth and it bubbled straightaway on the door shuts! Thats how i know how expensive the rust can be on carreras.It looked great,and with the new interior and engine i only got £9,500 for it when i sold it.I was sick.

[stuttgartmetal]

See the hills over there [points] in the distance ?
Run for them.

[dilbert]

When you buy a car like this, you have to take a reality check.

Think about other D registered motorcars that you know of. Maybe a knackered vauxhall cavalier, or a sierra. Think about the condition that you might expect these sorts of cars to be in, and remember that they're all cars.

It's true that some get looked after better than others.

Just don't buy without thinking about those factors. Don't fail to buy if you actually want to!

A Porsche is for life, not just for Christams!

[scruffy101]

the thing with me was i had a c reg 944 before this and there was hardly any rust on it,so that was my yard stick.Mind you i got that resprayed as well,i like my cars shiny!