// Used Porsche 911 Buyer's Guide

As the owner of Midwest Performance Cars, Inc. I spend a good portion of each day discussing with clients and potential clients the ins and outs of selecting a used 911.  This is actually one of the things that I enjoy the most about my job.  I thought it might be helpful to put some ideas down on the website to give people a place to start.

This is in no way presented as an exhaustive resource and I encourage all to seek out the many excellent books, websites and on-line forums for further information.  The following is a blend of all that I have read and learned through the above means as well as from my personal experience.  There are many of my personal opinions here, and I am sure you can find others with opposing opinions on several issues without looking too hard.

I will release chapters of this guide in upcoming newsletters, so as to either not bore you, or to give you something to look forward to, depending on how warped you really are.

 

Overview:

First of all, determine a budget for yourself based upon what you can afford and what you want to do with the car.  You should realize in advance that you might experience price-creep as you look – for $25K instead of $20K you can get…. – this happens to all of us, just acknowledge to yourself if it is happening and if you are still at a level that makes economic sense for you (or not).  My advice would be to hold some in reserve for repairs and maintenance (this level depends on where and how you buy – more on that later).  Even a “perfect“ 911 will require some maintenance at least.  911s can be reasonably inexpensive to own provided they have been well-maintained when you get them and that you keep it up.  Porsche are high performance sports cars; A DOLLAR OF PREVENTATIVE MAITENANCE WILL ALWAYS SAVE YOU HUNDREDS ON REPAIRS!  This is not to be discouraging, but leave some room in your checkbook for regular services such as oil changes, valve adjustments and the like.

What do you want to do with the car?   Are you imagining occasional sunny day drives and weekend trips to the lake house, a daily driver, a Driver’s Education track car, a full on race car, or some blend of the above.  If you plan to use your 911 for the track I highly recommend a coupe based upon their greater torsional strength.  Do you dream of a convertible, like the dual nature of the targas, or desire the brute stance and punch of a turbo?  If you are not really sure, the following might help; but go drive a few cars and see how they feel and what you like.

Cabriolets:  I personally love cabriolets and driving with the top down.  You will usually find me driving one most of the Spring Summer and Fall.  The plusses are obvious and everyone should own a convertible at some time in their life.  The negatives are that given three exact cars of a given year (lets use a 1987 911 3.2 with 65K miles in terrific shape), the cabriolet will be the most expensive to purchase buy several thousand dollars. (Hey it costs a little for everyone on the road to see how good you look in your 911 – and if you are shy, beware, folks will look, ogle and drool).  The cabriolets have pretty large blind spots, so make sure you are comfortable with that.  Finally, the tops do get worn out typically every 5-10 years depending on your climate, storage, and how often you put it up and down.  Replacement usually runs approximately $2K.  And finally the mechanisms of a power top can require some additional maintenance if yours is so equipped.

Coupes:  Within our three like cars, coupes will be the next most expensive however, there are no tops, motors, or seals to replace.  Many people, myself included, love the traditional lines of the coupe.  Finally, as mentioned above, they are the best choice for track use.

Targas:  The targas have some real plusses and real minuses.  My first 911 was a targa that I had for fourteen years…..OK, styling, some love the targa look and some hate it, you have to make that call yourself.  The top does come off and fold neatly up and can be placed behind the seats or in the front storage compartment.  Best of all, of our three like cars, the targa will be the least expensive to purchase.  The downsides are that they almost all leak a bit of water and the seals and tops wear out and are pretty expensive to replace ($500 to repair a worn top).  The targas also suffer from some wind noise with the top on (yes, they leak and  are noisy even with a new top and new seals)….for those of you who are wondering, the cabriolets seem to seal better and are less prone to leaks and wind noise.

 

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