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YOUR RESEARCHYour views on the best sub $20K 911 money can buy
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he can only spend about $20k
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Only issue is he can only spend about $20K on this endeavor.
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Hi all:
After relentless pressure from me, a friend of mine wants to enter the world of 911 drivers. Only issue is he can only spend about $20K on this endeavor. I want to help him chose right, so would love your informed views on the "911 vintages" to look for in that price range.
Thanks for the help.
You might have better results if you go to the 911 forum of this site. Also, the 911 forum at Pelican Parts should prove to be beneficial (it is extremely large).
I hope he finds a nice one!!!
Under $20k, you can look at really nice, well-maintained 911SCs (78-83) or 3.2 Carreras (84-89).
You might get lucky and find an early 964 (89-94) for that money, but that could potentially be a money pit; the 3.2 Carrera is a simpler car that has all the 911 character that was gradually engineered out over the years. The 964 is much faster, but the 3.2 Carrera has tons of personality and charm.
I would, specifically, look for a 1986 3.2 Carrera coupe, you should be able to find a fairly low-mileage very nice example. The 87-89 Carrera has a better transmission (G-50 with hydraulic clutch) but nice examples of those cars still can pull low to mid 20s. The 86 has an advantage over the 84-85 Carreras because it has the improved ventilation/AC system ... not that it's that great to begin with. Do your homework and know what to look for; specifically, broken headstuds on the SCs, worn valve guides on the 3.2 Carreras, as well as a heavy clutch pedal on the 87-88 Carrera (updated in 89).
Vic
99 C2 cab
Former 1980 911SC, 1983 911SC, 87 930, 88 3.2 Carrera (two of 'em), 95 993 C2 (two of 'em), 95 C4, 97 C2, 01 Boxster 2.7
if your friend has a budget of $20K I hope he is factoring in the cost of innevitable repairs & maintenance. I'm not sure if he'll be able to enjoy the car if he's gonna be worrying about the maintenance and repairs. On the other hand, if he's mechinically enclined and loves to work on his ride, then its probably ok.
Then again, he can always get an S2000 (w/30K miles) for under $20K.
Just my two cents.
I would get the best '87-89 Carrera coupe you can find. Those were my first one and were very developed and bulletproof. They are still highly sought after. In some ways, they feel and drive nicer than the modern 911s even though they don't measure up by the stopwatch, although 0-60 in 5.9 secs and top speed of 150 isn't shabby. He may have to pay a tiny bit over $20K for a good one with full service history.
The '90 -'94 964 which I had also had , had problems that weren't fixed until the '95 993s and are not loved in the used market.
