911 from the 1983 to 1987 era... - Page 2 - Porsche General - PistonHeads UK

Shape was the same up until 1989 when the 964 came in. The 1989 cars are the best of the bunch IMHO. From ,87 models as in some '86 cars they switched to the far superior G50 box with hydraulic clurch rather than the less affective cable clutch 915 box cars,which the earlier cars under your year spread. Loads on this forum about these cars if you search,,, despite being galvanised from 1976,,rust on a porsche of this age can still be a major concern. These cars are at the end of the 911 designated model life and were fully sorted,,get a well used & maintained car and it is undoubtedly one of the best if not the fastest 911 you can have.

So would you say that its best to get a 911 from 86 to 89 then? Oh and whats the number for this 911?? i.e 996 is the latest... >> Edited by d3ano on Tuesday 22 July 14:53

i would go on condition,,but ideally an '87-89 car. the designation for these cars are....911. followed by '89-93 964 '93-97 993 '97- 996 These are the last of the real deal ...a 911.

Excellent. So when i say i have a 911 it will be just that. With regards to the engine its air cooled, correct? Would i be right in saying that this is Very reliable then (compared to a water cooled engines) Or were there many problems with this type of engine. Also i am guessing that Airbags, ABS, traction control or bascially any electronic help is out the window. Do these cars have electric windows and mirriors? stupid question, but i have never really looked into this until now.

I thought pre 964 cars were designated 930, but could be wrong.

930 was the turbo version from 1976 on as i recall.

air coooled,elec windows mirrors 7 sunroof,,,a/c was an option...ventilation is awful. no abs,no traction control. standard coupe version or sport with lower suspension front & rear spoilers,16" whhels & sports seats.

I don't think that the G50 gearbox is really FAR superior 'box to the 915. I have only owned a 915 gearbox version, but have heard many people saying that it is not the leap that some people say it is, indeed some apparently prefer the feel of a well adjusted 915 'box. I haven't driven them back to back, just passing on what I've heard. Having said that, getting a later year of the 911 is likely to bring other benefits that make it worthwhile searching one out. They revised ventilation at some point around 86 etc. I have an 86 with 915 and don't have any problems that are out of the ordinary. Reliability is excellent (it has never let me down) but you do get some niggles as with any car of this age. I quite often find that whilst the mechanic is doing a service some 'might as well do this whilst I'm here' things crop up, rubber pipes etc. I think that in an average year it would probably cost £1500-ish to maintain mine although the last year has been costing more due to fixing a couple of issues from when I bought it. They're a bargain considering the rewards of ownership. And as it's my only car I use mine every day. Doubt it'll be anything like a Boxster though...

Dom, 915 is not exactly a probelm,,,as i stated i would buy a car on condition,a good 915 car is preferable to a badly maintained later model with a G50. The G50 has the advantage in that it is perhaps over engineered for the car,to my mind a hydraulic clutch over a cable is preferable in a performance car..sorry if i appeared to be slating 915 models not what i intended,just looking at things relatively.

Is there a site that will show me the differance between the models? Also what would be the best site to give me all the info that i could handle with regards to the 911...

OK, first thing is to read Dr Alex's guide to the 911, as he did the numbers thing a while back. Second thing is to go to www.dennigcars.com and have a root around. This has all models and their spec. Then search these forums as the merits of different 911s of different eras have been discussed in length. The 1984-1989 3.2 Carrera is a good car, but I would go for a post 1987 one. The G50 marks a good step up. I have driven both 915 and G50 cars and IMHO the G50 is much more likely to be loved by an ex Boxster owner who appreciates things like synchro that works in first and a short throw of the gear lever. Finally, search members cars and read the reports of people with 3.2 Carreras for horse's mouth experience. Cheers Domster

Clubsport. I didn't mean to come over as jumping to the defence of 915s - I'm not the sort of person that thinks that because I've bought something it's automatically the best or would suit everyone else! I guess it's difficult to convey exactly what you think in text. Intonations are soo difficult to put in writing... I've just heard that, as usual, there are people for and against both.

I have also heard that some prefer the 915 gearbox. It is noticeably less modern in feel though. No harm in trumpeting your own choice of car or gearbox anyway

Hey Dean......wern't you after a Tiv???? No wories, I love both!!!!!......check profile. Simply from a DIY / ease of servicing point of view I would go for a late 911SC or early 3.2 Carrera with the sports option....just a thought.....either way they are really great cars . I have used my 1981 911SC as my daily driver for the last 8 years. 137000 miles and no probs yet to speak of! leszek

Yep i still am after a new Tuscan, but thats a dream car that will be in about 2 years. At the moment i need a car to get me around. And after seeing one go round a track so grace its a must have car. Also being an ex Boxster owner i now have a high expectation of reliability for an everyday car. The Tuscan will be used for the weekend Thanks for you help guys its much appreciated. just out of interest how much should i be looking to pay (most) for a post 87 model of a 911. cheers

Dean, 13K should get you a post'87 3.2 carrera....but, decide as to whether you want a coupe or targa. Coupe's seem to hold their value better as they do not leak, and are more rigid than targa's. Also colour and interior trim are important..... Go for full leather electric sports seats if you can...also,GP white / Guard's red....are, well,....rather dated now...(all in my opinion of course ). If you need any further advice, give me a call...check my profile...I also live in Bromley, so not far from you! Leszek.

Well remembered Dom I know we chatted about this ages ago but actually that piece never got put on the site. I'm sure its gathering dust somewhere, I'll have a rumage around & a chinwag with Ted about posting it up, as it would be good for 911 newbies to refer to

D3ano I see you are in Bromley I am not too far away in Chislehurst,,,I have had a couple of '89 3.2 in the past inc a Clubsport. If you find anything fairly local and you want a second opinion,give me a shout.i have looked at and bought enough Porkers by now to know the ropes to see if a particular car is worth considering.

My 50 pence worth. Three things to bear in mind when buying a 911 3.2 Carrera. Condition, Condition and Condition. Don't worry about whether it has a 915 or G50, just as long as the action is positive and you can't beat the synchro in any gear (esp 1st & 3rd - weak on 915). Don't worry about the colour either - they didn't make 3.2s in Cockney Brown AFAIK.....the mechanicals really have to be in good nick though, otherwise you can lose £6k in relatively minor fixes once you tot up top end rebuilds broken head studs, replacement heat exchangers & exhausts, new smiles, electric window motors etc etc etc. As it happens I have a friend who has the most wonderful 3.2 G50 Guards Red Targa, Amd chip, lsd, sports seats...full engine rebuild inc new clutch no that long ago...an absolute minter...and I bet he'd let it go for £13k or thereabouts. Don't rule out a good SC either, yours for sub £10k - go for a 1983 204 bhp car....

It would be great if you could Doc. I really do want to find out as much as possible before i part with me hard earned cash.

Thanks clubsport. Its not going to be for a bit as i am in the middle of moving. But as soon as i have settled i know where to turn.

ladies and gents, i was just after some advice on the 911's from this time period (about 10 years ago). I have fallen in love with the shape, but not know much about them i would like to find out as much as possible. Things that i concerened about are reliability, servicing costs, well pretty much everything that i need to know so that i can buy one of these. I used to have a Boxster 2.7l how would one of these compare to that. That would probably give me a better indication of the differances. I thank you all in advance. Dean