Is there something inherently bad about the Targa as a chassis or its just the cheap end of the spectrum?
Is there something inherently bad about the Targa as a chassis or its just the cheap end of the spectrum?
Targas leak wind and water. That said, I enjoy driving them with the top off. They may flex more, but if you're putting in a cage it won't matter. Coupes will always be worth more than Targas and Cabs.
912s aren't really the bargain that people expect them to be. Gruppe R guys snap them up, put 3.0 engines in them and make RSR clones.
They didn't even make enough 912Es to be relevant 30 years later.
And also, some people just like their 912s.
Is this going to be a keeper? If so, I'd probably pony up for the right car.
And I still like 912s, but I'd rather spend $18k on a clean one than $8k on a rat that needs a ton of work. I guess I see it as a lower-cost alternative to a long-hood 911.
oldtin wrote: 1976 in ottawa, IL - 12,500
That is a $7500 car.
For what it's worth, the guy who just did the a/c work on my car recently picked up a beautiful 1974-'77--totally original, down to the paint. It turns a ton of heads at Porsche events. Maybe those 2.7 cars are on the move? It's like the last group to get noticed, so maybe it's time....
oldtin wrote: A year or two ago it would have been 7500 - I think pretty much all the a/c 911s are on the move.
They are, but the '76 is pretty near the bottom of the desirability barrel.
I picked up a one owner 65k '87 Carrera from a retired orthopeadic surgeon from local lake retirement community. Lots of deferred maintenance but a very solid car. Probably take $2000 to get it up to snuff. It is on jackstands right now in the garage waiting on new axle that I decided to buy rather than replace CV boot/joint(less than $300 for complete axle compared to $125 in parts on a 25yo axle plus you have to do the same amount of labor removing the axle to repair the CV) I owned several 911's before I got into racing and I am totally amazed at how much the 911 world has changed. No more mandatory trips to local Porsche dealer or Stoddards. Amazon, RockAuto and Parts Geek all have very inclusive 911 sections. Pelican Parts and Automotion are intermediate sources. Examples would be brake pressure switch for $7.00 and bosch fan condensor motor for $108.00. The traditional parts sources wanted 5x those prices. Plus after 20+ years of racing, there arent many things that I cant diagnose and replace. Probably the worst thing so far is that I cannot find a decent set of 15" rubber to go with the original equipment Fuchs. You just have to be in the right place at the right time. I will be in the car under $16k if everything goes as anticipated.
In reply to whenry:
I'd say that is a hell of good deal. I can't seem to find a 911 in the Omaha area for less than $22k, let a alone a nice looking one. A local dealer usually has one or two 911's but he sells alot of them overseas due to a high demand and favorable exchange rate, so the prices are usually high. If I could find a G50 car like yours and put less than $16k into it after maintenance, I would be all over it. Also good to know that aftermarket parts are coming down in price.
Maybe if Greecespainitaly drag down Germany's economy we will see less of our 911s leaving the country...
whenry wrote: Probably the worst thing so far is that I cannot find a decent set of 15" rubber to go with the original equipment Fuchs.
Amen to that. My MR2 wears 225x50x15 on the back and 205x50x15 on the front. There isn't a high performance street tire in a matched set for those sizes any more. I guess I'll try to squeeze a 205 direzza on the 15x7 rim.
Good score on the 911.
Tyler H wrote:whenry wrote: Probably the worst thing so far is that I cannot find a decent set of 15" rubber to go with the original equipment Fuchs.Amen to that. My MR2 wears 225x50x15 on the back and 205x50x15 on the front. There isn't a high performance street tire in a matched set for those sizes any more. I guess I'll try to squeeze a 205 direzza on the 15x7 rim. Good score on the 911.
I've got 7s and 8s on my 944 and had a similar dilemma. 205s are fine on the 7s, but the only 225 I could find for the rear had a HUGE sidewall.
David S. Wallens wrote: And I still like 912s... I guess I see it as a lower-cost alternative to a long-hood 911.
Not to mention the fact that a 912 is about 200 pounds lighter than a same-year 911, and much better balanced.
The lack of power (90 vs. 130) isn't really that much to overcome, especially considering the power to weight.
In reply to Woody:
Yeah, according to local porsche experts, all the Germans connected with the VW plant in Chattanooga are buying up the used 911s and sending them back to Germany. I started looking for Carrera or newer 911 two years ago and couldnt find anything that I was comfortable with. This one just fell into my lap. I was able to make room in the garage and bought it. I have purchased a set of 16" 993 wheels that after I recover from the deferred maintenance costs, I plan to put on the street.
Woody wrote: $12,000 is where you start to find halfway decent 911 Targas.
Ouch. Thought mine was at least halfway decent. Bought for $8500 put a transmission, megasquirt, and a paint job on it, drove it 6 years, $10k seems fair.
sporqster wrote:Woody wrote: $12,000 is where you start to find halfway decent 911 Targas.Ouch. Thought mine was at least halfway decent. Bought for $8500 put a transmission, megasquirt, and a paint job on it, drove it 6 years, $10k seems fair.
You could perhaps interpret "halfway decent" as meaning "doesn't need a transmission"...
...and paint.
In reply to Woody:
Around here? You'd think that anything with the wheels pointing earthwards is considered decent .
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