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?
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.
1986: For most it may have been just like any other year, but for Porsche fans it was special because it was in that year that the 911 Turbo returned to our shores after an absence of six years (it was also the first year of 959 sales, but that’s a topic for a separate post). Beginning in 1980, Porsche pulled its flagship 911 from the American market because of emissions regulations and their plan for the 928 to succeed the 911 as the marque’s premiere car. Once it became clear that the 911 would, in fact, remain supreme, the necessary money was allocated to produce a turbocharged engine that would meet our emissions standards and the 930 was back! While it was slightly down on power relative to its European counterpart, it still remained more than capable of wagging its tail. The car we have featured here comes to us from that first year of return: a 1986 Meteor Gray Porsche 911 Turbo, located in New York, with Bordeaux leather interior and 77,675 miles.