Jay Laifman

Funny, this is all very funny. It just shows you that people are the same and things go around and around. I can assure you that this VERY SAME conversation was had decades ago, word for word, only with "65-73 911s" as the earlier, more visceral cars, and the "3.2 911" as the modern car. And to take it one step further, the VERY SAME converstations was had well before that with 356s as the earlier car and 911s as the more modern car. I know for sure because I personally remember asking in a written forum about why guys who have the money to buy the best 911 in the world stuck with the older 356s.

What was once the smoother, heavier, numb, less visceral and more quiet Porsche (ie the 3.2 compared to the early 911s) has now be come the lighter, more vibrant and more visceral 911 compare to the 996s.

I'm willing to put money on it that give it 10 years, if not less, and you'll have people saying the 997 is the more visceral car compared to the latest and greatest (probably the ultra smooth and quiet electric Carrera).

It seems that some are stuck in the past and some look to the latest and greatest. Some people want what they had at a certain age, some people always want change. Some people want the fastest on paper, some people want the fastest feel.

So, give up and find the one YOU like regardless of which one of the above you are. No need for excuses.

wholberg

I couldn't afford one.

dmwallace

The sticker price of my '89 3.2 coupe was $55,199; no doubt it would be more in today's dollars. The great thing about getting a dream car (for me) was realizing that it did not have to be new. Once I figured that out I ended up with my dream car for less than 1/2 of the 17 year old purchase price.

As a previous poster mentioned, a "new" 3.2 would need to have at minimum a modern and efficient A/C system!

Regards,
David.

Mike Murphy

Jay, I agree, and must also say that any 911 is a good car, regardless of age. Besides, the cars haven't been revolutionized, but have been constantly evolving over the years. 911s are the same basic car over the last 30 years. That’s why we love them. That being said, Porsche is a technology company that continues to outperform itself, and the newer cars are better than the older ones in almost every respect. Put the 1974 Turbo up against the 2007 turbo, and the 2007 turbo is the better car. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t take the original. I would even take a Porsche 64 if someone gave it to me.

andrew911

The 5/10 difference in quality is referring to a 1980's s-class materials/build compared to a modern lexus/mercedes. What I'm speaking of is the tank like feel of the 1980's s-classes, which no lexus or mercedes in the past 15 years comes close to. I love the LS Lexus...but I'd never say it feels like a 1980's benz- the gaps are perfect, there are no rattles and the car is dead reliable, but the sheetmetal is thinner, cladded with plastic, and the interior parts are not nearly as solid as the 1980's S benz.

I was referring to the difference in material solidness that someone selling a 1987 560SEL after three years of driving to get a 1990 LS 400 might notice for example- surely they would notice the difference in feel of the materials, but the LS 400 would be 90% as good to the "average" luxury sedan buyer, and they wouldn't care if the LS had more plastic and thinner sheet metal and such, because they just saved 60% on the sticker price of the car...that's my point. "5/10" may be an exaggeration, but I was speaking of the over-engineered materials of the 1980's s-classes- what great cars they were!

I agree with your statement regarding the current "crop" of mercedes...and the S class is the closest thing to a mercedes...no way the C or E class comes close to the 1980's/early 90's E and C- the new cars are merely a "nice" car the way an infinity is a "nice" car- to be leased for 3 years and dumped for a new one after. Only a mercedes in (diluted) name... and that c230 coupe from a year or two ago (or whatever that thing was called)? I literally would rather have a loaded honda accord for less money- what garbage.

My87Targa

i would buy one if it had atleast 350ish rwhp and had a newer interrior. i like my car but its old and couldnt hold its own in todays market as a new car

andrew911

Jay L. , I think you have it spot on in your post. When I first got a used 911 almost 20 years ago I couldn't understand why guys in the porsche club loved their 356s so much.... it took a few years for me to figure out why. Heck, at the time I resisted the "new" 964 and now I have one!

Jay H

The 911 was essentially a hand assembled car for most of it's life, but in the '80's, the rework rate was close to 50%. That means that 50% of the cars coming off Porsche's assembly line needed some sort of 'fixing' to get the car perfect. Rework is your most expensive work in a manufacturing environment and really, really cuts into your profitability. Porsche would be long out of business if they had rework rates in that range like they had in the '80's.

Someone asked about what an '85 Carrera would cost in today's dollars. A $31,000 1985 3.2 Carrera would cost about $57,000 in 2006 dollars.

A $25,000 1974 930 would cost $100,550 in 2006 dollars!

marcandkimmie and Jay L: Great posts!!!

Jay
90 964
84 3.2

Mike Murphy

So if we look at inflation, Porsches are still about the same price as they once were. You know, $70-$80k for a new 911 is really not too bad.

pl

that's why porsche those days makes so muhc money.

build them like toyota, still sell them at porsche price!

mborkow

exactly! here is an interesting article about that: http://borkow.net/porsche_recovery.pdf

m491driver

I kinda feel like I bought a new '85 Carrera. I bought this 911 a year ago with only 24k miles on it. It was owned by a Porsche dealer and later a Porsche garage owner. It was a well kept showpiece that was not allowed to languish. When I picked it up last year, I felt like I had gone back in time since it looked, smelled, and drove like it was brand new. Suspension and steering was tight, brakes were in great working order with of the grabbing power of the turbo option. No rattles of any kind, solid doors, with everything working, and a perfectly shifting 915 transmission to boot. As I drove this car through one of my favorite mountain passes a few weeks ago, I thought this is what it would have felt like 21 years ago if I could have afforded such a car. Don't you just love second chances? So you ask would I buy one today? Just did, cost a bundle for '85 Turbolook coupe with 24k miles on it, but how many second chances do you get?
Jim

andrew911

m491- awesome post and car! I feel the same way- my 911 (and my prior '87) is totally stock and low mileage- the price premium was more than worth it for me just so I could experience the original car. Being as my 911 is a weekend good-weather car, I can enjoy it and keep it like new at the same time! But the price I paid was still well below the new sticker cost

After all the posts on this thread, I guess anyone who wants the old porsche feel/experience is just going to have to......buy an old porsche. I guess the answer is if you want a "new" one, just pony up the difference in price for a well-maintaned stock low mileage example- they are out there. You'll still be well ahead of the game as it will be much much lower than the price of a new 2007 911!

Edward

Great cars, but not for $31K converted to today's money. One of the tremendous advantages in today's car market over that era's auto world is that technology and competition have created some of the finest cars (especially sports cars) for relatively little cash. There are just too many good choices for what a brand new 3.2 Carrera would cost today. And then there is the used market whose feature/$$ quotient would obliterate any 80s-era 911. To be clear, I LOVE 911s ...but one can always pay too much for even the best of anything.

Edward

FotoVeloce

LOL. Good eye! Most people don't catch the somewhat subtle differences in the W124 260->400 and the 'wide-body' 500. I drove it into work today instead of the P-car. Geez... the power that things makes is addictive... such a sleeper.. thought about taking the 500E off the trunk to keep it even a lower profile but most people don't know that it means 'lots of torque and power under the hood'

Now if only I can could disable the traction control..it would be non-stop