We’ve had a brief reprieve from the hot and humid days of summer here in the Mid-Atlantic and what better way to enjoy the sun and wind than with some open-top motoring. A Targa provides an interesting alternative for drivers who don’t care for the full convertible experience and while I’ve always been a little ambivalent towards them in general this all-black example strikes the perfect look and nearly changes my whole perspective. Here we have a Black on Black 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa, located in Alabama, with 139,500 miles on it. The ’86 model year was the last year the 911 made use of the 915 transmission before Porsche switched to the G50 so these tend to command slightly lower values than the cars produced from ’87-’89.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa on eBay
Year: 1986
Model: 911 Carrera Targa
Engine: 3.2 liter flat-6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 139,500 mi
Price: Reserve auction
You are viewing a super sharp 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa. This car has a clean title and clean Carfax report with no previous accident history. This car has just 139K miles from new and is in great shape. Here are some details,
Original 3.2 liter flat 6 air cooled motor
5 speed transmission
Factory front and rear spoilers
Factory sport seats
Factory 16 inch Fuchs wheels
New tires
Power seats
Power windows
Power mirrors
AC
AM FM CD
New tune up and service
Original owners manual, tools, spare, etc.
etc.The paint and body are in great shape. The paint appears to be original and still has great shine and depth. All of the body panels appear to be original to the car as well. All of the factory VIN number stickers and inspection stickers are still present in their original locations. The body is nice and straight too and the gaps are uniform as well. The interior is equally clean with only minor wear showing. Everything works inside but it feels like the AC could use a charge. The Fuchs wheels look great and the Targa top was redone less than two years ago and looks nice too. Overall, the car looks very nice and quite original.
Mechanically, the car is sound. The 3.2 liter motor starts easily and runs very well. It does not run hot or leak oil. It holds perfect oil pressure and pulls strong through all 5 gears. The gearbox shifts well too with no grinding or popping out of gear. The brakes and suspension feel fine and the car is really a pleasure to drive. Simply fly in and enjoy your drive home. Don’t miss our chance to own this appreciating classic Porsche.
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If I were looking for a Targa this might be just the car. I love the Black on Black combination and this one has enough miles on it that it shouldn’t go for a ridiculous price. Overall it looks in good shape and should make for a good driver. I even think I could live without the G50 transmission (given that everything checks out) since it should save some money. Bidding right now sits at a very reasonable $13,100 with reserve unmet. That number will surely climb, but if this could be had for around $20,000 then someone would probably be getting an excellent car with plenty of miles left in it.
-Rob
Great car that will be had for a good price it seems. $20k is a magic number for 78-86 cars, if you can get a good clean one with mid miles for 20K – that’s a good buy any day of the week. Targa’s are a bit better value for essentially the same car as a coupe. It looks good on black but I usually prefer Tail-less Targa’s.
I put 140,000 miles on a 915 transmission. If driven propely you should not fear the 915. It drove wonderfully and smoothly snicked into every gear on command. Sure the G50 is better, but I wouldn’t pass up a good running 915 just because of it’s tranny. I think that the weak early AC on the 84-86 cars is a bigger issue that the 915 is and even that isn’t too bad.
Compared to the 915, the G60 is also about 60 extra pounds of weight (or so says the owner of the Porsche shop I use).
If I remember correctly the chief difference was that G50 was hydraulically operated and the 915 cable operated. Driving them back to back the only difference I noticed was that my 1984 915 clutch was higher effort than my buddies 1988 G50.
I appreciate the comments on the two transmissions and y’all have kind of hit on what I was trying to get at. A good 915 should work well and it’s certainly not a reason to pass by one of these cars.
@Cole: I too tend to prefer the Targa sans whale tail but there’s something about this one that I really enjoy. I’m sure by next week I’ll be back to preferring tailless Targas!
This time of year, this car is the perfect daily driver. I drive the ’84 version of this car, with the same miles and same tail as added by the previous owner. The nice thing about the tail (and the chin spoiler, which is a must) is that it does improve handling, particularly through the curves, despite not looking “correct”. The 915 tranny requires a more deliberate shifting style – no speed shifting here – but if you bring the revs up correctly before shifting, it’s no problem when using the car for its intended purpose, which is to swiftly cut through winding roads. If you’re looking to make rapid shifts while going in a straight line, buy an American muscle car.
The miles mean you can drive this car without burning up your investment and to be honest, I’ve never experienced the difficulties with the 915 transmission that people talk about. Sometimes I feel like Porsche guys enjoy making mountains out of mole hills.
My biggest complaints about this car are the cheap tires (Hercules? Really?) and my oh, so favorite “A/C may need a re-charge.” To be fair, the A/C in these cars never works all that great, even when everything is up to spec.
FYI, there are some nice mountain roads leading out of Birmingham that could really get the return trip off to a good start.