1980's 911's, tell me about them please.

Neilw

Hi all,

Thinking of knocking the old vw's on the head and buying a classic 911. Something that's 30 ish years old so I can tax it for €52.
I don't mind something that needs a little work, paint condition wouldn't be a worry as I'd have it repainted but I wouldn't like something that needed welding or big mechanical repairs.

So questions are.....

How do they fair reliability wise?
Is rust an issue?
Common faults, fixes, big expenses?

I'm in the States at the moment and could ship one home if needed, I'd be exempt from vat, duty and vrt.

These are two I saw for sale locally.

http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/cto/2790010598.html
http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/cto/2798238302.html

Thanks,
Neil.

bijapos

I had 2, a 1968 912 (4 cyl) and a 1982 911 SC. Nice cars, but a bit agricultural by todays standards. Economical enough, easy to do minor repairs and maintenance yourself and bulletproof reliability as well. Not the best to drive as they are tail happy especially in the wet and a lot nosier than todays cars.

What to look for? In a word: Everything.

As one od the more desirable performance cars there comes a time when they are cheap enough for some people to buy but they dont have the cash to run them. i.e service and maintain them preoperly. They are often trashed from cold, which is something they dont like. They are often involved in serious accidents, partially due to their unforgiving nature and repairs can be anywhere from professional to botched. They have huge potential to be money pits.

They are often modified, not just the engine but the bodywork is often changed to make them look younger and this is not desirable as original cars will be worth more in the future. As we know, some modifications are good, some bad but the more original the better.

There is far too much to go into here, get a book or three and read up on buying a used one. I recommend a short book like the one below, if it doesnt put you off there are far more detailed ones around.

Neilw wrote: »

I'm in the States at the moment and could ship one home if needed, I'd be exempt from vat, duty and vrt.

You have to own the car in the US for 6 months to be VRT exempt. If its over 30 years of age it is only €200 VRT which is payable.

I think you need to pay VAT as its being imported into the EU but you should really check this up with Revenue here.

Before you potentially stick €15-20,000 into one you should do a lot of research, you could start by buying a book like this one below or by talking to 911 owners. If you dont know anyone go to a 911 meeting and get chatting, there should be loads of them in the States.

Bring a 911 mechanic or expert, it will be worth the money if it saves you buying a dud, as I said they can be money pits.

Btw Ireland has some pretty good deals on 911's at the moment due to the recession.

Neilw

Thanks for the reply bijapos

I'll look for the book on amazon and do some reading.

Yes I'm in the states, have been for the past 6 months and will be here for another good while so can avail of all the vat, duty and vrt exemptions. Revenue have confirmed this.

unkel

Neilw wrote: »

Something that's 30 ish years old so I can tax it for €52.

You do realise that unless the car is first registered on or before 31/12/1979, it will need to be NCTd when you import it and again every year after that. For that reason alone, a late 70s will be worth more in Ireland than an early 80s car.

galwaytt

unkel wrote: »

Neilw wrote: »

Something that's 30 ish years old so I can tax it for €52.

You do realise that unless the car is first registered on or before 31/12/1979, it will need to be NCTd when you import it and again every year after that. For that reason alone, a late 70s will be worth more in Ireland than an early 80s car.

Buying my first classic 911 gets asked on here so much it nearly deserves a sticky of the merged threads.

There's no such thing as a cheap one btw....

Zascar

I'm about to buy a classic 911 quite soon too. Been doing loads of research but I still feel like I know so little next to the guys that know them well. However, I do think there are a lot of nice people in the scene happy to help and guys who have been into early 911's for decades. They have a seriously following when you get into it!

GalwayTT is so right, there is definitely no such thing as a cheap one. I would not touch most of the ones I see online. Rust is the main problem, even a tiny bit can cost a fortune to repair. The difference in price between a dog and a minter is considerable, just look on pistonheads. Many people are happy to buy a project car but make sure you know what lies ahread of you if you do. Saying that get a good one and look after it and you should not have too many problems. They were designed as the everyday supercar, and if they have been well maintained and are still going strong after 30+ years, they should continue to do so.

Some good sites are :

http://forum.porsche-club-ireland.com/
http://impactbumpers.com/
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/
http://www.early911sregistry.org/forums/forum.php

Could a sticky with links and further discussion on 911's be done? It think it would be great...

unkel

Zascar wrote: »

I'm about to buy a classic 911 quite soon too

Go for it but keep your eyes wide open! Rennlist.com is an incredible source of info and help. Go there!

Kenny Logins

Look out for a '76 912E too, a 4 cylinder little brother. The older 912s have steadily increased in value over the last 8 years or so, and I think the E will too.