I am looking at a late eighties 911, just had a few questions..

Ive been building Audi's and am thinking of making the switch Pcars.

Had some questions.

average cost of rebuilding a 3.2?

I know ill be giving up some interior options moving to an older car, but will newer porsche seats bolt in to the older shell?

 

Bolt-in?! Whats that??... Yes... if by newer you mean water-cooled era seats then yes, you can make them fit. Anything up to a 993 is a direct bolt-in (and more then adaquet. As far as an engine rebuild, thats a wide question... Planning on upgrading? If so, what? Staying 3.2? And are you doing the work yourself?... If so, expect between 3 and 7k depending on what you'll be doing.

Should you make the leap?... Most definately.

 

My neighbor races 944cup cars, they also have a gt3 as a toy. Im sure I can use their lift to do some of the work.

what makes the process expensive? the engine work, or getting the engine out to work on?


also this would be a daily driver, from what im reading they are reliable as long as you keep the valves adjusted and do usual maintence.

 

Reliable really is an understatement. The term 'bulletproof' is used way too often to describe a car's reliability but in the case of the 3.2 its spot-on. If built correctly and correctly maintained they can last well over 300k, no joke (see technical article:

pelicanparts.com/techarticles/mult_affordable_porsches/mult_affordable_porsches.htm

The expensive parts of a rebuild vary, but in a nutshell - machine work, upgrades, clutch (if done together), valves, etc... 9 times out of 10 you'll start with the intention of a bone stock rebuild but get in there and realize its more cost effective to upgrade things while you're in there - tech has improved over the last 30 years and theres quite a bit that can be done/improved. There's multiple write-ups available on how to do it yourself however if she's going to be your daily, I'd certainly at least secure a second vehicle during it's downtime. Good luck and make sure to take pictures and do a write-up if you tackle it.

 

They are very reliable if serviced and taken care of, between my Dad and I we have owned every 911 style from a 356 up to a 993. The 993 was the most headache. The 78-89 cars are the best bang for the buck in my opinion.

 

I've seen some 993s in what used to be 3.2 Carrera's prices. Don't know how representative of a good car are those prices. Anyways, owning a 1987 Coupé, I can definitely attest to the fact that these cars are extremely reliable. I bought mine 2 years ago with 68k miles and haven't had a single breakdown yet and now it has 96700 miles! The only times I've taken it to the mechanic was to put in some goodies or for regular scheduled maintenance. As soon as I bought the car, I went over the things I deemed necessary to start fresh and haven't had a single problem with it. Bulletproof is an understatement but just make sure you buy the right car. Otherwise, you'll be hurting!

 

I have an '88 Carrera and just rebuilt the top-end at 130k miles only b/c the valve guides were shot and the car was smoking (it still ran great). I don't work on my cars and so had to pay for everything. My rebuild cost was around $8500. Since my father had purchased the car new it had been extremely well-maintained but my mechanic was very impressed with how it looked on the inside.

Car is running sweet as ever. These cars reward you for driving them (hard).

 

Some atribute the valve guide issue to driving a car for too short of a distance, too often, and not letting the oil get up to temperature and do its work.

In my case, I bought my 87 Carrera with 68k miles 2 1/2 years ago and the engine was perfect, as it is now, and it doesn't ever smoke - not even at start up for a few seconds which would even be normal for a flat six, air cooled engine. I now have 96,800 miles and the car runs perfectly and I have no issues at all with it. The valves get adjusted every 15k miles and I try to always drive it enough for the oil to get up to temperature and, at least 2 to 3 times a week, I go for an extended drive of at least 30 miles in a day, for the fun of it, and also for the engine's sake. I travel often to South Florida and this is the car I take there. It has gone with me to Georgia on 4 ocassions and, who knows, this may be the reason why it runs wonderfully.

As tlarocque said, "these cars reward you for driving them (hard)". In reality, babying them is worse than driving them more aggressively.

 

I apologize in advance if this is an inappropriate way to post in these forums. As a new user, I cannot create a new thread nor can I send a private message.

But, I do have an 1987 Targa w/145k in great overall shape that I am willing to sell. Contact me if interested.

Mike
(615) 823-3787
2mikem615@gmail.com