Weird question about 70s-90s 911. Whats your opinion?

Ok, guys, I don't know if anybody reads this section, but I got this weird question. When one talks about a restoration of a 911 (let's say, produced between 1975-1995, ending with 964) what would be a best choice of model/year? For you to better understand my question, I want to add that the goal is to make a car which looks like classic, but has modern suspension, steering, brakes, etc (those modifications limited only by restoration budget). I guess in a perfect world one just buys a manual 964 and sends it to Singer, but this perfect world is kinda pricey. What are your thoughts about this?

Your choices would be: 1) Singer 2) Porsche Germany 3) 3rd parties... we do have a member her who restores classics. As for which model, I'm sure all can be restored. It'll all go down to your budget and model style. However, I'm sure the older it gets the easier it'd be to restore since it'll have less electronics.

The earlier cars will be lighter, but their 915 transmission has horsepower limits. With the 964 and its G50 transmission you would be able to have more horsepower. You can modify the suspension and brakes on any of these models to meet your requirements so there is no advantage to any model. 911 SCs can still be found at reasonable prices that would permit a budgeted restoration. These are great cars and are quite fun to drive. But if you can somehow come up with the money, the Singer cars are the best. I visited their shop and the cars are unbelievable. The downside to Singer is that you have to have a 964 to start the process and be willing to wait your turn as they schedule far in advance. You will also need a robust bank account.

Yep if you want and can afford the best, Singer is the answer. The owner of the company at which I work had a 964 restored by them, and the car looked absolutely fabulous, far better in my opinion than any new 911 . Although I didn't think it was appropriate for me to ask the price for his car, I know that it wasn't cheap.

Lets talk budget. I looked at a '80 911 SC with 125K miles. Very clean one-owner car; no accidents; lots of maintenance history; really good paint. Asking price was $45K. I contacted a Porsche shop and talked with them. Rebuild engine to 3.2L; Mahle cylinders; Mahle pistons; Carillo rods; hotter camshaft; grind crankshaft; all new racing hardware; new clutch; rebuild transmission with slightly different gearing; larger engine oil cooler; transmission oil cooler; suspension work that included lowering car 20mm. Cost of work $40K. I am considering purchasing the car and completing the listed work. I also spoke with Singer briefly. I asked them if they would be willing to build a car with a PDK transmission. They declined. They stated that it would take 18 months from the time that we talked until a car could be finished. I needed to budget $500K but final price was dependent on the actual work and my specifications. Would love a Singer but not willing to wait that long.

Thanks! Yeah, I agree about Singer, but as far as I know the budget for it starts at around 400k plus 964 itself (probably 25-40k more). I'm not sure if I would be able to drive it

Probably around 500k

Thank you for input! Much appreciated! What about a combo of an earlier car, but fitted it with a new trans? They put LS engines in Porsches nowdays, I guess there are conversion kits to fit G50 in earlier model or even a gearbox from another manufacturer... 45k for a '80 911 SC + 40k in restoration + 10-20k in any other things one want to install, we are talking 100-110k. I think it's a reasonable amount. Me personally, I would look for a better deal on the car, something around 20-30k maybe, sandblast it to bare metal, fix all rust, put a cage in it, and then put a rebuilt motor, trans and suspension and all other things you mentioned. I would probably be spending less on paint and interior. Some pix as an example

G50 is hydraulic clutch-not that easy to install in older cars. It all depends on how much time and money you want to spend.

Get a 964 and hire a body shop to backdate it.

Some notes: 1. My (stock) '88 is much more fun to drive than my Cayman, although the Cayman performs much better. I have no inclination to change anything. 2. $40K is a bit high for 125k-mile SC unless everything is perfect. 3. Modifications generally lower the resale value of these cars. So after you spend $110K the car may be worth $40K to $50K or something unless it's a Singer or some such. 4. ******** forums are populated by many knowledgable people wrt classic Porsche so you may want to pose your question there too.

Thanks for input, Pcay60 and The Beastmaster! Firstly, you have a beautiful Carrera ! congratulations. 1. 88 and modern Cayman are two different cars I wouldn't even try to compare them. 2. Tend to agree. 3. Unfortunately, you are right =( That's why I think it is pointless to buy a car in a good condition... 4. Thanks, will do!