PORSCHEPHILES. What is the most affordable Porsche 911 in history?

Question

I am an 18 year old who has loved Porsche 911s of all types all of my life. I particulary like the older SC's, 3.2L's, and pre 1974 cars. I have never really admired or had the desire to drive another car. I live in a lower class home and affording any Porsche will be hard for me. But I don't want to call any other car my own, except a 911. I can't stand it when I see rich guys driving their Boxters and new 996's and 997's and they don't really appreciate the heritage of their cars. What's the best place to go to find a half affordable older 911 that is still half decent?

Answer 1

In looking at used 911's, the least expensive era will be the 1974-1977 2.7L 911S. Due to well known and documented issues with the 2.7L engine, these cars tend to run far less than the cars that came just before and just after them. It's also a less popular model as many potential buyers looking for impact bumper era cars gravitate towards the SC and 3.2L Carrera, while people looking for early cars often gravitate to the long hood cars of 1973 and earlier. The end result is lower than expected prices for these cars.

The good news on these cars is almost all the examples that are still running have likely had the problems fixed (should have had an engine rebuild with either divilar or Racewear head studs, and upgraded cooling fan). The bad news is that these are early 911s and even though they have galvanized bodies, rust will be a major concern.

1974 is probably the most desirable year of these cars, and it may well be possible to find one in good condition with all of the corrective work well documented... and such a car would be a fun and reliable car. "Cheap" in this case would be in the $10-11k range. Might luck into one for a little less, but anything under this price range would mean extra care in the prepurchase inspection to ensure there was not some reason why it was being sold for so little.

As others have mentioned, if the car has problems, it can become very expensive to set right. And likewise, even if it is in good condition, you will need to keep in mind there will be possible expense in keeping up the car as part prices tend to reflect the fact that these were premium cars when new. And, that even though these older cars can be very reliable and usable for daily drivers, they are best suited as second cars. All of which adds up to a car that is not ideally suited to an 18 year old looking to do this inexpensively.

If you are set on buying, figure out your price range, and then find a knowledgable Porsche mechanic that you will work with for a pre-purchase inspection (this could easily be the best money paid when buying a used Porsche). With these in place, you must then be willing to take your time to find the right car. And given your situation, it may be that the longer you take in finding the right car, the better it will be (giving you longer to save, etc etc). If possible though, you may be better off to revisit this plan in a couple years when you may have a higher price range and wider choice of cars.

Answer 2

I think you should save your money and NOT buy an "affordable" 911, but rather wait until you can afford the BEST 911 you can afford.

A good "starter" Porsche would be 1987-89 Carrera, because you have the more durable G50 tranmission and a hydraulic clutch. These cars can usually be had for as little as $15,000 up to maybe $22,000.

I don't recommend the Targa, as they leak and cannot be properly sealed up for very long. A sunroof coupe would be nice.

Remember, an engine rebuild on a Porsche can cost AS MUCH AS THE ENTIRE CAR, so be careful when you buy one. Have it inspected, get a cylinder leakdown test, put it on a lift, have an expert test drive it for you, get all service records.

Stay away from 75-77 models with the 2.7 engine or you'll be sorry.

Answer 3

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RE:
PORSCHEPHILES. What is the most affordable Porsche 911 in history?
I am an 18 year old who has loved Porsche 911s of all types all of my life. I particulary like the older SC's, 3.2L's, and pre 1974 cars. I have never really admired or had the desire to drive another car. I live in a lower class home and affording any Porsche will be hard for me. But I...

Answer 4

Don't worry about what other people know or appreciate about their cars...unless you know them personally, its simple a generalization, or sterotype view.

The 1978-83SC series is very reliable, and the 82-83 was very refined, reliable, and bulleproof engine.

When you look at the 911 series from 1963 to present, pre SC cars were often very harsh, and now extremely expensive to run and maintain. The 2.4L and 2.7L also were not that reliable engine wise considering they were fighting emission control systems that were not well sorted out. By 1980, the closed loop Oxygen sensor with simple computer makes for a very clean running car that will pass emission testing no problem even in California. After the 911SC series, the 3.2L Carrera became softer, and less of a drivers car, since the engine really did not rev as violently as the 3.0L in the SC, and the Carrera also gained weight.

964 series onward all have the issues, some bigger, some smaller, but for all around drivability, enjoyment, low cost of maintainence, classic style, the SC series is really hard to beat.

If your going to buy one, buy from a 1 or two owner, with no more than ACTUAL 75-100K on the clock. A carfax is a MUST, as well as documentation which validates any claim(s) as to the condition, how it was maintained, etc. NEVER buy a fixer-upper Porsche as it will become VERY expensive, and also find a car with STOCK Fuchs(magnesium-aluminum Forged) 16" wheels...don't go with the 15" wheels, aftermarket or otherwise.

Take your TIME...never impulse buy. I shopped around for a year to finally find a 1-owner, 17 year old 911SC which I bought in 2000, with an original 81K, with absolutely NOTHING wrong with it for 16.5K, and I could not be happier with the car. The Targa versions should be only be bought(and really enjoyed) in places like So. Cal, AZ, NM, etc, where it stays dry, and does not rain a lot, otherwise buy the coupe. The car also drive excellent in snow and rain, better than my front wheel drive GTi.

It also take about 3-4 months to learn how to REALLY drive the car, so don't play hero at the beginning...it wil bite the @ss of an inexperienced driver, but reward those with the skills you NEED to develope...

Answer 5

jack is 100% right. The most expensive porsche is a cheap one.

one of the most affordable would have to be the earlier 996's. The initial cost is fairly high (30k for a damned nice example), but theyre very reliable, daily drivable, etc etc. I owned a 99 C2 for 5 years with only 2 issues in my time with it (a leaky coolant tank, which was a very common issue, and a spring in my seat started poking me in the butt).

If you can work on your own car, the late model 911s (ie mid-late 80s), and 964s are pretty affordable. the general rule with these is to buy the absolute nicest one you can afford. It will save you money in the long run. A freshly restored early model car will also be a good car. I suggest staying away from 930s if youre on a tight budget though.

I suggest looking through your local porsche club of america's classifieds. Thats often where youll find the cars with the ultra-meticulous and caring owners, but they will cost a bit more.

Answer 6

You'll need to spend $10-15k on a decent car. A wise man once said that there's nothing mre expensive than a cheap Porsche. Your best bet if you're serious is to read up on Rennlist:
http://forums.rennlist.com/

There is a wealth of info there, as well as on the Pelican board:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/forumdisplay.php?f=8

Personally, I never both with Pelican and spend most of my time on Rennlist. Both have tons of info and classifieds. You can read up about the different models and even ask questions if you have any.

If I were you, I'd look at a 1990 911 for around $15k, such as this one:
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/showthread.php?t=367123

Answer 7

You wont find one. If it's in good condition, it'll be expensive. If it's in bad shape, it'll be expensive to fix.

let's face it, you're 18. I want a Ferrari - but it's not realistic. Just like you getting a Porsche that isn't gunna cost a fortune to keep on the road (especially in a lower income household) is not realistic. Buy a cheap, reliable car, and then save up for a 911, then get one when you can buy a real beauty.

Answer 8

Rennlist Classifieds

Answer 9

No such animal. Man they are money pits, anyway, I feel the same way you do. It helps to have a mechanic friend.
82-83, very well made not crazy with the electronics yet.

Answer 10

save your money and buy a nice car when you are older

if you want something fun to drive in the meantime, get a japanese rwd car.