Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
Here is our counter to yesterday’s low mileage no reserve Carrera: a 1986 Grand Prix White Porsche 911 Carrera, located in California, which has seen 162,000 miles. We’ve seen the rapid escalation of the air-cooled 911 market, but my interest here is on the effect that rise has had on higher mileage, less pristine vehicles. Can those still be had a reasonable value or have they too shot through the roof?
You don’t have to despair if you’ve missed out on the E30 M3 and Porsche 911 market – there are still plenty of alternatives that make great occasional vehicles with enough sport to have fun with and enough presence to make you feel really special. Two of the best coupes from the early 1990s are often overlooked and are still very affordable – the Porsche 968 and the BMW 8 series. Now, truth be told most 968s are out of the “10K” price range, and 850i/Cis are often close in disrepair if they’re at or below $10,000. But if you’re willing to take higher miles on the well-built 968 chassis and opt for the smaller motor in the E31, you can find examples of either that fit a budget. Which would you choose?
For awhile now we here at GCFSB have extolled the virtues of the 911SC and the 3.2 Carrera as excellent choices for a buyer looking for a relative bargain on the air-cooled 911 market. Those days appear to be mostly behind us, especially with regard to low-mileage pristine examples. There are still some values available to buyers who simply want a driver-quality car, but even if those have not increased in value to the same degree as a pristine car, prices still have moved upwards. Today and tomorrow we’ll have a couple of examples at either end of the mileage spectrum. So how high might things go? Well, the car featured here, a Guards Red 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera with 38,677 miles on auction with no reserve may provide us a nice gauge.
We are all on the hunt for interesting cars that possess some combination of performance, rarity, or a great color combination, AND that can be had at good value. Among air-cooled 911s the latter part of that search has become nigh impossible, especially when looking at cars that retain their full originality. Searching for value then becomes a matter of negotiating priorities: mileage, modifications, maintenance history, et cetera. The car we see here, a 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe, fits squarely within these categories. It has some modifications to the suspension and exhaust, along with a couple of other changes for aesthetic purposes, and while nearly 90K miles isn’t high mileage for a 20-year-old car it is high enough to dissuade some collectors. All considered, though, this could make an excellent driver and for anyone looking to have an air-cooled 911 to drive it’s tough to beat a 993!
As I made my way home yesterday evening I couldn’t help but notice the number of drivers basking in the waning sunlight, taking advantage of an open air cockpit. We are smack in the heart of convertible season so why not enjoy some top-door motoring in classic style! This 1988 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, located in New York, would be an excellent car to have out on any evening fully appreciating the sound of the 3.2 liter air-cooled flat-six engine behind your ears.