Are classic 911s still worth it or has the boat sailed?
Posted by Hour_Tangerine9075@reddit | Autos | View on Reddit | 46 comments
been looking at air-cooled 911 prices for a while now and honestly wondering if the window is closing. the 930 turbo
sits at €140k median in europe right now, which is a lot of money for a car with no ABS and a four-speed gearbox. couple of years ago you could find decent ones for half that.
but then the g-body carrera 3.2 is sitting at €79k and the 964 at €96k. those still feel somewhat reasonable for
what you get. especially the g-body, feels like it hasn't had its proper run yet the way the turbo did.
wrote up a longer comparison of all three here if anyone's interested: https://pistonalpha.com/articles/porsche-930-vs-964-which-air-cooled-911
Spike_Spiegel@reddit
Way way overpriced. Other cars have similar experience for far less money.
firstLOL@reddit
Which other cars would you suggest OP looks at? (I agree, btw, I’m just curious)
Costco_Law_Degree@reddit
The better answer is 90’s JDM.
Acura NSX
Toyota MR2 Turbo
Alternatively a Boxster S, Lotus Elise/Evora/Emira, 996 Turbo
jodonoghue@reddit
MR2 is nowhere near lose to a Porsche. They are great cars (I owned two), but have nothing close to the charisma and build of a 911
Zoidberg441@reddit
The NSX is not cheaper than a comparable 911, at least not where I am. I own an MR2 and I work with Porsches. The MR2 is insanely good value but the build quality is nowhere near a 911 from the same year. Of course you can buy three MR2s instead of one 911, but for people with enough money that doesn't really count.
Costco_Law_Degree@reddit
A 964 or 993 Coupe trade for $175-200k+ in the states.
You can buy an NSX for under $100k.
Zoidberg441@reddit
Are you talking about turbo or 4S? Because from what I find on the internet you can get a 993 carrera for less than half of that
https://carsandbids.com/search/porsche/993-911?ss_id=fd249ed2-649f-4d5d-bea1-6c2bafe88121
Costco_Law_Degree@reddit
I’m not talking about cabs or targas, or cars that sold almost a year ago…
https://bringatrailer.com/porsche/993-generation-911/
Plenty of manual, no accident, decent mile coupes, hitting over $200k.
If you want an equivalent NSX, it’s substantially less expensive.
Quaiche@reddit
Absolutely not, the sweetheart JDM cars are overpriced as well.
jonnieggg@reddit
Just buy a brz or an 86 and enjoy some analogue driving.
Quaiche@reddit
I'm fine with my A110, thank you.
SparrowBirch@reddit
NSX prices have skyrocketed over the past few years.
MR2s are still great value.
firstLOL@reddit
MR2 Twin Cam was my absolute poster car as a school kid - the early one with the boxy design before they went all mid-90s loopy curves with the second generation. Our school backed onto a squash club and there was a guy who was presumably a member who had a white MR2. Such a beauty.
I assume they’re quite hard to find in good condition these days.
Spike_Spiegel@reddit
GT86 for handling Corvettes BMW 235i 240i M3 M2 Tesla 3 Performance, Plaid Jag F type Camaro 1LE Supra
TheGuyDoug@reddit
You're telling me a front engine BMW from 2021 offers a similar driving experience to a rear-engined Porsche from 1984?
dobed@reddit
tesla mentioned in the same arena as a 911???
i hate the porsche fandom as much as any regular guy but what the FUCK are you on about??
KindOfPoo@reddit
Miata all the way
PushPullLego@reddit
Is this the cj sub?
pastafariantimatter@reddit
The Viper is the only real alternative, most cars aren't actively trying to kill the driver in corners.
theHip@reddit
But those aren’t Porsches.
OUEngineer17@reddit
Completely agree. The 911 to me has always been about incredible engineering over classic styling. If I'm buying a 911, I want it to be as new as possible.
glomar-recovery-co@reddit
Where does say, a used atom fit in?
bluelocs@reddit
The fact that I was lookin at gettin a 930 whale tail for roughly 35k, and thinking its a lil steep for its condition at the time should tell you everything.
Buy a 911 if you wanna impress other dudes, get a miata if you just love driving
Oni_K@reddit
Is was looking at a 930 in the early 2000's. Similar thing - it was around $30k CAD for a decent example which was the price of a decent new car back then. 20 years later they've gone up roughly 400-700%.
Detail_Division@reddit
Air cooled 911s have an entry fee, really all it comes down to.
There are plenty of objectively better, faster cars out there for cheaper. Easier & cheaper to maintain etc
Many current air cooled owners fell in love with them as a kid, and this is their ‘some day’ finally lining up with today.
I’ve owned plenty of, in my mind, ‘compromise’ cars because I couldn’t afford the car I really wanted. With the mod money I spent on each, I could have come within striking distance of Porsche ownership - per each car.
I decided to stop buying fun cars, saved money where I could for 14 years, bought the car I fell in love with as a kid. Owned it for 3-4 years now, still happy about it.
Blaizefed@reddit
I’ve owned a few back when they were more reasonably priced. I love them, but I’ll never have another. These days the collectors have driven the prices up so high that it just doesn’t make any sense anymore. I could buy 2 or 3 objectively better cars, but just about any measure, for what a 3.2 carerra costs these days.
They guys who own them now just have them as trophies and toys. Hardly anyone dallies them anymore (I am a mechanic and specialise in them, I have watched the clients change over the last decade). It’s a shame, but the water cooled cars are better in every way if you are actually going to use it.
Extra-Presence3196@reddit
The water cooled 911 used to be the ugly step sister. Probably used prices have gone up?
AngryScottish@reddit
I don't know too many water cooled 911s hitting 200k+ on their unopened motors.
I've personally experienced three 3.2 air-cooled ones.
One finally gave up the ghost when my friend money-shifted his 911 and bent the valves on his 310k mile motor.
e30kid@reddit
The boat sailed 10 years ago
SleestackMcGee@reddit
20 if you wanted one at a reasonable price.
Quaiche@reddit
30 if you wanted them for almost nothing.
MenopauseMedicine@reddit
Are you serious? A 993 turbo is like 250k
Crappy-Soldier@reddit
Both classic and modern 911's are way overpriced. Not worth it imo unless you just want to pose or buy it as an investment.
If you actually care about the drive and want a Porsche. A Boxster/Cayman are 80% of a 911. In some ways better.
longdistanceshrpshtr@reddit
Depends on the country. Some want a rediculous amount of taxes.
AngryScottish@reddit
I did a restomod on a 84 3.2 911, absolutely incredibly car to drive. It gave a similar driving experience as a s2000, connected and just smile inducing.
Sure, you can get a more raw experience in a lotus 7, but you can put on some synthpop on while driving the 911 and really seal the driving experience.
Plus, air-cooled Porches are just better
wrongwayup@reddit
Lol @ synthpop, I thought I was the only one who could hear it in my head from just looking at the interiors of that gen
84FSP@reddit
Very cool but very overpriced for the glorified beetles that they are.
MagnusAlbusPater@reddit
A ton of older sports cars with limited production and manuals are gaining value.
Most fun per dollar is still a C5 or C6 Corvette Z06. They made plenty of them and tons of the owners barely put miles on them and garage kept them so plenty to choose from and they’ve only gone down in value.
CoreyNI@reddit
A C5 or C6 Corvette is a better option for a European customer?! That's an insane take.
MagnusAlbusPater@reddit
Missed the Euro part.
I do think they did/do sell them there but I imagine they cost a lot more in Europe due to rarity.
Then again I assume Europeans can get Mercedes AMGs and BMW M cars for a lot less than we can.
az9393@reddit
I’ve actually seen the exact same model today but in black. Looks way better than the Modern ones if you ask me.
Theyseemetheyhatin@reddit
It’s not just Porsches. It seems all classic cars are going up in value. Porsches more as they become trophies. I see the same in common cars such as MG A, B, triumphs, big (and small) Healeys etc.
weelluuuu@reddit
I'd argue there's a reason why they have such a devoted following.
Madder_Than_Diogenes@reddit
I don't see why the market come down and then go back up. I can see dips, but not the market forgetting about it then remembering.
A Porsche that I do think will increase in value is an early Boxster or Cayman. Naturally aspirated engines that no longer exist, gorgeous six cylinder noises, proper mid-engine balance and they're currently cheap.
They're light, but not as light as an early 911, but not as heavy as the later models either.
firstLOL@reddit
The early Boxsters suffer from being born in that slightly awkward late 1990s era of Porsche design though - in common with most cars of the era they’re very rounded and somehow look old without looking “cool old”. Maybe that perception will change over time, maybe I’m a child of the 1990s so am more drawn to the older ones… who knows.
generalright@reddit
If it’s a question of worth, then it’s never worth it. These cars and all Porsche 911s are for people with far too much money to car or too little money to worry about the financial consequences. Anyone in the middle is better served not throwing their money away.