1989 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2

Summary:

87-89 911 Carrera, must have car

Faults:

DME relay, high beam switch, odometer, shifter bush.

General Comments:

This car is a legend. It is still superb to drive (handles, accelerates and brakes brilliantly), even compared to modern day sports cars.

The car feel indestructible in most aspects; actually if it wasn't so light (not to mention its gorgeous and unique looks) you would call it a tank because it feels so darn solid. The maintenance is simple and reasonable in cost.

Compared to today's cars everything is incredibly solid; the body, engine, transmission, bearings, hinges, interior trim, even the switches feel unbreakable.

Actually, these cars were designed / could be tracked and then driven home. Today one would require a GT3 for the same equivalent, in my opinion.

The modern day 911 is faster, however it's like driving any new Japanese or Korean car, it lacks character, and they have made it near impossible to maintain by the owner.

Mine has never been crashed, and is always garaged, hence it still has the original paint and it's still so deep and glossy.

I did a few mods, though nothing to depreciate it (it is a factory / Australian delivered RH drive). The main reason was to reduce its weight.

Removed the A/C components (A/C was a joke anyway) and installed a Steve Wong Chip (to advance the ignition).

Additionally, I removed about 60 - 65 kg of what I believe to be unnecessary mass from the car. Hence, a combination of the chip and mass reduction has made the car feel a lot more responsive on the throttle.

Naturally, all the parts I have kept, just in case.

These cars were designed and built in an era when they were designed and engineered to last and endure. Sadly this is not the case today, no matter what the salesmen tries to spin on you.

Simply, I would find it very difficult to part with this car. Additionally, they seem to have appreciated significantly recently, which is a nice thing.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th April, 2016

1974 Porsche 911 S Targa 2.7 flat six

Summary:

Finally worth every dollar spent

Faults:

Clutch cable snapped.

Injectors clogged.

Electrical fault stopping battery charging.

Indicators (rear L) not working - related to battery fault above.

Heat exchanger and muffler required spot rust repairs.

Targa seals needed replacing - not too expensive.

General Comments:

When I picked this car up, she'd been stored in a factory for about 8 months, and had seen little use prior to that.

An oil change, injector cleaner, tune up and a bit of electrical work (all in the first week I had her) seem to have pretty much sorted her out.

She starts first time every time, can bend time itself on an on ramp, and people still stop and look at her.

For a car this old, she constantly amazes me and kept up with a bunch of 911/964's + 993's happily (4th out of 10) on a recent run.

I would say the creature comforts are sparse - quite loud at speed - hot cabin + weak ventilation systems and manual everything make for a very involving, if fully hands on experience.

Very much a driver's car, and certainly not a pleasure cruise barge.

I always wanted a classic air cooled 911, and I wouldn't part with this one unless I had another to replace her with.

This one had recently had a full gearbox overhaul and service prior to its storage time, and my mechanic (an avid 911 nut) gave me a green light on it so...

There is nothing so far in my experience that compares to howling away from a bend in 2nd gear on a beautiful day in a car like this.

You won't regret owning an aircooled older 911 if you do your homework, get it checked thoroughly, and don't mind getting your hands a little dirty working on them... be prepared for questions at gas stations, car parks, schoolkids etc as well..

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th February, 2011

15th Jun 2011, 16:56

Update - Now at 186k miles and 8 months of ownership.

Issues:

Vacuum leak somewhere in the plumbing, not major - just irritating. Still trying to track it down.

Trying to find some new seals locally for the rear lights - difficult, may have to import ex USA or UK.

The fan in the dash has packed up with a stuffed bearing - new one on the way. Pain in the ass, but car is nearly 40 years old so it's to be expected.

Overall - still brilliant. Oldest 911 in my local 'club', and still gets looks and has no problem keeping up. This could be because the driver is 'mad enough' to keep up, or she's just a damn good elderly 911.

A 964 owner on the last run (after having a look at the end of the run) reckons she has a Carrera block in her - will be checking this... He thought my S too quick for stock...