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I feature (and we come across) a fairly good number of 911s in lighter and brighter shades of blue. This is especially true of the 3.2 Carrera where it seems that light blue was a much more popular and common choice than any of the darker varieties available. Here we will look at a Coupe in one of those darker shades: a paint-to-sample Persian Blue 1986 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe, located in Washington, with matching Blue interior and 68,095 miles on it. I tend to gravitate toward the brighter blues, but these dark examples do possess a certain allure for those who may be looking for a departure from the much more standard Black 911 that we see regularly. This particular 911 appears in pretty nice shape given its age and as the final year before the Carrera came equipped with the G50 5-speed transmission we can hope the price will end somewhat more on the reasonable side of the spectrum.
The rare Linen Grey over Mahogany 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster we featured in early February is back up for sale. The price has been lowered ever so slightly to $153K. Almost as rare as its color, this Speedster actually has had a decent number of miles put on it so that usage will balance the color combination. We’ll have to see if there is increased interest so this Speedster can find a new home.
The below post originally appeared on our site February 9, 2016:
As the Porsche 911 has become an increasingly hot commodity on the second-hand market we’ve tended to see shifts in the way modified 911s are presented. We still see track-prepped cars fairly frequently; those cars do fit firmly within the 911s roots and as such we should expect they will always be available. We also frequently see backdated builds – builds that use a modern chassis and drivetrain but revert the appearance to the pre-impact bumper design of the long-hood. Prices for those backdates exist over a wide range with many builders hoping to stumble upon the success of Singer, whose bespoke creations command very large sums of money. What we see a lot less of are modified 911s that most wouldn’t be able to tell are modified. These sorts of subtle, but important modifications don’t attract as much attention, and thus as much money, but can actually be some of the best options for pure driving enjoyment as they preserve the basic foundation upon which the 911 has been so successful. The example here is just such a build: a Malaya Red 1979 Porsche 911SC Coupe with 191,659 miles on it whose engine has been replaced with a rebuilt 3.2 liter engine from an ’84 Carrera. There are a few other items added from the Porsche parts bin as well, such as seats sourced from a 964 RS America and air-conditioning from the 993, but for the most part it sounds as if the rest of the work was performed in order to revive a high-mileage 911 and return it to a high-quality state.
An ’87 Carrera always provides us with a nice case study for glimpsing into the 3.2 Carrera market. As the first year Porsche fitted the 911 with the new G50 5-speed transmission it is with this model year that we most noticeably see shifts in value relative to the preceding year. The ’88s and ’89s then tend to show incremental increases over the ’87 given the few differences between the three model years. Of course, whether you are a collector or just someone on the lookout for a good driver will then play a significant role in which side of that value spectrum you might wish to fall. These days, with values having taken a small step back for all but the absolute best examples the market sits in a fairly good place for those who do prefer the G50 transmission over the 915 and the ’87s can restake their claim as the best overall value on the air-cooled 911 line. Here we have another nice looking Targa that should make for a good driver-quality value: a Guards Red 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa, located in California, with Black leather interior and 103,200 miles on it.
As much as we enjoy featuring very rare and amazing 911s we’re also always on the lookout for the much more pervasive and inexpensive examples that are in driver-quality condition. Yet, we still hope those too can be of the interesting sort with the added bonus that far more readers can aspire to own them even if they never really qualify as inexpensive. As usual that sort of search brings us to the ’80s where the 911SC and early examples of the 3.2 Carrera still dominate the landscape of interesting, relatively inexpensive, and fun air-cooled 911s on the market. This Ruby Red 1984 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe may make for just such an option.
