anyone know about porches?

[ADAM]

i might have the chance to buy a 1989 porche 911 targa for a very good price..it is low km below 50k, and is pristine interior and body.....

are these cars a pain?

its peppy with 214hp..are there any mods or websites anyone knows that have performance parts for these cars?

how do they drive on the track...?

how are they for a daily driver fun car?

pros?
cons?

[haniforama]

I will own a Porsche once in my life...

Hopefully a widebody 1988 Turbo :P

[ADAM]

are they called 930's ?

it has no power steering however which is odd...

[Dave]

911's are a total hoot to drive. They are a very pure driving experience, especially the older ones. The odd throttle arrangement takes a bit of getting used to, but the smiles/km are tough to beat.

As far as track driving them goes, from what I've been told they can be a real hand full. They have a reputation for violent snap oversteer if you lift the throttle anywhere in the corner. They apparently take a special touch to go really fast in, but the potential to go really fast is definitely there to be found. There was a BEAUTIFUL 911 of about the same vintage as the one you're considering at the OTC last year. I'll see if I can find the website for you.

As for performance parts, of course there's TONS of support for this car. It is one of the most popular sports cars of all-time, and the Porsche Club racing series is very popular in the U.S. so there should be a good used market for go-fast parts if you can find the right messageboards and websites. But don't expect anything to be inexpensive. I would imagine maintenance and upgrades to be very expensive, though I have no realworld experience to back up this assumption.

I think owning a 911 at some point in your life is a requirement, but that's just my opinion :)

[haniforama]

yup - 930.

[Dave]

actually, looks like that OTC 911 I was thinking of is a '72, but it's using a 3.6L engine from a later model, maybe the 930.

[Shaman]

I'd love a 993 or 996 for a daily driver. But as a track car, I think not. Personally.

[haniforama]

Adam - i know a great mechanic in Guelph who works on imports but specializes in european cars and has several Porsche customers who are very loyal to him.

I'm sure he would be able to do a detailed inspection to look for possible faults.

contact me vai e-mail or pm if you want contact info.

Hanif

[ScotcH]

I once had to fix the porch on my grandma's house ...

:D

[blur]

Hi Adam
The 89 is the first of the Carrera 2/4 series. They are quite reliable, but have lots more stuff to break than an earlier car, mostly electronic. The tranny is the G50 which is much better than the previous 915 which I constantly whine about. Suspension is also different with springs instead of torsion bars.
They do take a while to learn to drive, but are tons of fun to play with, especially once you figure out how to wag the tail.
Bodies are galvanized so rust usually isn't a problem, parts can be crazy expensive from the dealer, but you don't break much either, hell, I've never opened the engine or even changed brake rotors since I've owned mine.
You don't have to change a great deal on these cars to make them go reasonably fast but aftermarket parts are readily available, if expensive.

[blur]

Originally posted by ADAM
are they called 930's ?

it has no power steering however which is odd...

930 is basically the same thing as 911 turbo, at least in the '80's

As for the lack of power steering, with lack of an engine up there it's lighter than you'd think, but does depend on width and offset of tires.

[RedRabbit Racer]

Adam - I've two close friends who had porsches (past tense) and a business associate who still races a few and I think the key phrase is 'potentially very expensive'.

When the clutch gave up after a session at shannonville, it cost $2000 to have it replaced. As I recall the ring and pinion replacement was $3000. The broken head studs I can't remember any more.

Make sure you have lined up a good mechanic who will speak to it in german before you buy it. When something has to be fixed, and it will eventually with hard use, it will be expensive to fix.

[blur]

Originally posted by RedRabbit Racer
Adam - I've two close friends who had porsches (past tense) and a business associate who still races a few and I think the key phrase is 'potentially very expensive'.

When the clutch gave up after a session at shannonville, it cost $2000 to have it replaced. As I recall the ring and pinion replacement was $3000. The broken head studs I can't remember any more.

Make sure you have lined up a good mechanic who will speak to it in german before you buy it. When something has to be fixed, and it will eventually with hard use, it will be expensive to fix.

If you fix things yourself it's not nearly as bad. My clutch replacement was done in the backyard and cost about $750, I put new synchros in the tranny for about $800. The G50 in the car in question is bulletproof.
Replacement fenders can run $500 used, replacement engines can run $5,000-10,000 used.
I've never had to do tie rods, ball joints, bushings, shocks CV joints, wheel bearings, brakes or open the engine any further than to set the valves every year.
But I baby it.:D

Things aren't cheap by any measure, but they tend to last and not need upgrading for track use.
The Targa isn't the optimal track car, not that it's bad, just not as stiff as the coupe, but it makes a nice daily driver.
If it's a great deal, get it, drive it for a year and sell it for the same or better.

Oh yeah, I goofed, an '89 isn't a Carrera 2, it's a regular Carrera, lighter, more reliable and simpler, little less power.

[ice/solo racer]

I did the same as you scotch-thought I might get reply with some of my technical background as a licensed carpenter/building inspector.:D
Oh well,don't know squat about those hot rodded vee dub beetles.

[ADAM]

actually the car is a 88' it looks like this

http://www.turbo240sx.ca/911pic.jpg

[ScotcH]

Originally posted by ADAM
actually the car is a 88' it looks like this

http://www.turbo240sx.ca/911pic.jpg

That's awsome ... looks like the classic carrera to my untrained eye :)

[haniforama]

Paint it red and I'll take it :P

[Dave]

beautiful! You know you want to turbocharge it :) I'll call dibs if Adam's wife doesn't let him buy it :p

[karlt]

A 911 -- of any age -- is a wonderful car to own. The 1989 you're looking is considered by many to be one of the best of the breed. It retained the Spartan, lightweight essence of the original cars with continued refinements, including the wonderful G50 gearbox. 1989 was the last of this model, being replaced by the heavier, and more technically advanced 964 (also called 911) model in 1990. Compared to the '90, the '89 feels much more like a go-kart and is a blast to drive. I have owned three 911s, and I loved my '88.

One thing to consider is the car you're looking at is a Targa. Of the three body styles (coupe, cabiolet and targa), the latter is by far the least desirable. Although it combines the benefits of the coupe with the open-air feeling of the cabrio, stylistically it's usually considered less successful. Consequently, 911 Targas are usually a bit less expensive than the other models, for similar cars. As a buyer, this is a benefit. But be aware it usually takes longer to sell a Targa.

There are some really good reference materials available. Check newstands for a copy of "Excellence" magazine. Each month they detail the market for a particular Porsche model (albeit it's U.S.'based). Autophile and Mini Grid (both in Toronto) have tons of great books on Porsche (or you could always order from amazon.ca, etc).

Finally, I highly recommend you take the car to a mechanic that specializes in 911s. There are a bunch of them in the Toronto area; I have had good experience with Gtek <http://www.gtekauto.com> and Autotech (416) 741-8674.

Contrary to comments from other people on this board, 911s are generally expensive to repair and it's worth having someone who really knows what to look for to go over the car. That said, Porsche are also remarkably solid when you have one that has been kept in good condition. For example, our Porsches (we have had 5) have been cheaper to run than my wife's Honda Accord and BMW M3.

Finally, you can check out the Porsche Club board here in Toronto. It's an active club with lots of people who will give you advice (some of it good ;-) http://www.pcaucr.org

Karl Thomosn
2003 GTC Champion, TGTC Rookie of the Year

[karlt]

I forgot another shop that I've had good experience with, that may be more convenient for you. Boxer Autosport in Caledon does a lot of vintage 911 work (914s too). Ian McQuillan is a really straight-up guy and easy on the budget. You can reach him at (905) 729-2971.

Karl Thomson