Written by Mikkel Levinsen, Denmark

When I was about to buy my own Porsche I really would have liked to have some sort of buyer's guide to help me steering clear of all the potential dangers that are connected with every used Porsche purchase. I had noone to ask for help and no experience with Porsche ownership. A lot of books and magazines could help with information etc., but still I couldn't find all the answers I needed. Therefore I have decided to write this Porsche 911 buyer's guide. I gained a lot of knowledge when preparing to buy my Porsche and even more after I got my beloved 911. However my knowledge is weak when it comes to US models and the oldest pre 1974 models. Therefore I will concentrate mostly on the newer european models.

There are many things to remember when buying a used 911. I will not cover all the steps in the process, but instead pick those that are most important. So if you have a specific question you're welcome to send me an e-mail at Mikkel@porschezone.com. Some of the text deal with some rather obvious questions which some buyers will already know the answer to. However there are still potential Porsche owners who can benefit from that information. Therefore you can skip certain parts depending on your Porsche knowledge. However finding out a car's identity is very important when it comes to Porsche 911s. Therefore I advise you not to skip the parts about the registration documents and the chassis number.

1. Registration documents

Always request to see the registration documents for the car you are looking at. If these are not present something might be wrong. Depending on what contry you live in the lack of registration documents can be an indication for several things. The car could be encumbered with dept, or even worse, it could be stolen. Therefore you must be most cautious if the car you are looking at is lacking its registration documents. In some contries there's only one registration document. However if you are going to buy a 911 in Germany (like I did) there must be 2 registration documents. The "Fahrzeugbrief" and the "Fahrzeugschein". German banks often take the "Fahrzeugbrief" into custody if the car is encumbered with debt. The "Fahrzeugbrief" is also very important since it can tell you how many owners the car has had.

Always make sure to check the first time registration date. Also check if the chassis number is the same as in the car. To find the chassis number you have to remove the carpet in the luggage compartment. It is stamped into the floor near the socalled "smuggler room" which is used to store the aircondition in cars with aircondition. At this point you should be able to reveal the most dishonest seller. Sometimes an old 911 has been rebuilt to look like a newer model and therefore advertised as such. So if the advertisement said: 1983 911 SC and the registration document has a first time registration date that says 1975 something is wrong. Another potential "problem" can be a lately registered car. For instance a 1985 model could have been first time registered in 1986. To find out about that you must check the chassis number to see the model year code. An F would indicate that the car was really a 1985 even though it was first time registered in 1986 and therefore advertised as a 1986. The same goes for early registered cars, although the opposite way around. My own car is a 1984 model (an E in the chassis number), but has a first time registration date of december 1983. This is possible because the Porsche model year periods go from october to october.

2. Chassis number

Many would be Porsche owners are not aware of the importance of the chassis number. It can tell you a lot about the car you are looking at. The chassis number is located on the type plate on the right (in the driving direction) front fender. It is also stamped into the luggage compartment floor as mentioned above. The chassis number will tell you if the car you are looking at is a normal 911 or a 911 Turbo (930). Also the chassis number tells you what model year the car is and if it's a Coupe, Targa or Cabriolet. You can even see if the car is a Euro or US model type. In the 70ties models the number 911 is to be found in the chassis number. It tells you that the car is a normal 911. A turbo will have the number 930 instead. The next number in the chassis number indicates the model year. For example the number 7 means that the car is a 1977 model year. From 1980 the chassis numbers are a bit different. Now the 911 and 930 numbers have been changed to 91 (a 911) and 93 (a 930). These model codes are follwed by 3 letters, for example ZES. The Z is unimportant, but the E is important. The E indicates that the car is a 1984 model year. Had the car been a 1980 model the letter would be A. This way it goes up through the years, e.g. B for 1981, C for 1982, D for 1983 etc. The third letter (the S) tells that the car is built in Stuttgart. That way a chassis number could look like this: WPOZZZ91ZES104033. All european model 911s begin with WPOZZZ. The last 4 numbers are the serial number. The number 10 (in front of the serial number) is the model type code. 10 means that the car is a european Coupe. A european Targa will have the number 14 and a Cabriolet will have the number 15. So there is a way to check if the Cabriolet you are looking at is really a rebuilt Targa! A US Coupe will have the number 12, a US Targa the number 16 and a US Cabriolet will have the number 17. That way you can also spot a reimported US model which can be quite different to the equivalent Euro model!

3. Which model is the best

It is impossible to say which model is the best. It really depends a lot on your personal taste and economic situation. The newer the 911 is the bigger the chance is that you get a good car. Yet sometimes it is better to buy an older car in good condition rather than buying a newer car that is in poor condition. All 911s can be a very expensive acquaintance if you are not careful what you buy. An original unmolested car is the best, but that does not mean a modified car is bad. Again it depends on the condition of the car, the economic situation you are in and your personal taste. A Targa can be noisy and leaking. Fixing a leaking Targa means adjusting the roof and maybe changing the rubber seals at the roof. This is not cheap. A Targa is less desireable than a Cabriolet and Coupe fans would not dream of buying a Targa. Therefore Targa models should be a bit cheaper to buy than the other model types. However a Targa is not necessarily a bad choice, especially if you live in a warm contry. The 1974 to 1977 2.7 liter models are not the best either. The 2.7 liter engine is prone to oil leaks and is generally not as robust as the later engines. If you possibly can you should strech your budget and go for the 3.0 SC model. Those of you who are dreaming about a Turbo should be aware of the fact that a Turbo is demanding in many ways. First of all it is extremely expensive to service and repair. Second it is more expensive to buy and more sensitive to care and service. Last but not least the Turbo can be a real handful to less experienced drivers.

4. What to look for

Being a mechanic does not mean that you are immune to the dangers that are connected to buying a used 911. If you do not have "that special Porsche knowledge" you might overlook something. Any mechanic knows how to use a spanner, but not necessarily where, when and how much. Therefore you should consult a professional before handing over any money. For the exact same reason you should always go for a car that has a substantial service history. A Porsche service booklet with stamps from an official Porsche dealer is very good. However service/repair bills from a well known independant Porsche specialist are not bad either. Cars without history can be dangerous even if they appear to be in good condition.

With the 3.2 liter Carrera engine came the hydraulic timing chain tensioners. Those are much more reliable than the old tensioners. The older 2.7 and 3.0 liter engines can be retrofitted with the hydraulic tensioners from the 3.2 engine. It is easy to see if an engine has the hydraulic tensioners. Look for small oil pipes on the chain covers. While you are looking into the engine compartment you must also take a look at the engine number. The engine number contains the same model year letter code as the chassis number (goes for the 1980ties cars). If the chassis number contains an E the engine number should also contain an E (if not the engine is from another model year). The engine number can be found on the engine block in the area under the characteristic airblower fan.

You must also make sure to look for traces from any crash damages. A 911 that has been involved in an accident and repaired is not automatically a bad car. Unfortunately many crashed 911s have not been repaired properly with galvanised parts. Therefore it is important to look after. Any large front end crash will make an impact on the luggage compartment floor. Therefore look at the floor near the chassis number and check if the "smuggler room" lid can open and close easily. Check how the bodywork fits. Can the doors open easily and without scraping onto the paint? Are the gaps between the various body parts the same? Are there color differences in the paint? Generally you can follow the same rules that goes for any used car when looking for crash traces.

When it comes to rust there are many different places to look. Many people believe that Porsches do not rust because they are fully galvanised. This is a myth! A Porsche 911 can rust. The models before 1976 were either not or only partly galvanised. Pre 1976 cars rust just as much as any other car. The fully galvanised models are much better. They do not rust much and it will take a lot more time for them to rust. However small "cosmetic" rust damages can and will come with time. Therefore you should look a certain places that are prone to rust. Look around the headlights and at the front bumper. Also check the area where the front fenders meet the front bumper. The areas around the fuel filler cap and the battery can also rust so check them too. Look at the door cases and especially around the engine lid pull handle. The door cases are weak at the rear (in front of the rear wheels) and can be rusty for example around the door lock mechanism. The rust is often coming from inside due to the build up of dirt and moisture behind the metal. Beware of this area since it can look fine and still be in poor condition. The doors themselves tend to be quite resistant towards rust, but check them anyway. Look around the rearlights too because the rear fenders tend to develop small rust spots there. A Targa can be rusty around the base of the Targa roll bar. That is not a good sign. In general when checking any 911 for rust you can follow the same rules that goes for any used car. However you must always make sure to look at the car from below. Ask a workshop if you can borrow/rent a lift. It is important!

Examine the general condition of the car. How does it look? Are there any small "supermarket parkinglot" dents? Are there stonechips in the windshield? What tires are on the car and are they badly or uneven worn? How does the exhaust and heat exchangers look (you must look at the car from below since these items are expensive)? How does it look inside the cabin? Does all the electrical equipment work? Check the ventilation system, the electrical mirrors, windows, sunroof etc. etc. Remove as many carpets as possible to examine the condition below. Will the engine start without problems? How does it sound? Excessive noise for example around 2500 rpm could be an indication for worn timing chain tensioners. If the engine stalls shortly after being started it is likely that the warming up regulator is faulty. This item is not exactly cheap so do not ignore the problem. The oil preassure should be at least 1 bar when warm at tickover and at least 3-4 bar when cold. At high revs under load it must be at least 4 bar. A good reminder is that the oil preassure should read at least around 1 bar for each 1000 rpm. Notice if the clutch feels worn. A new clutch is expensive. Check how the gearbox works. Is it noisy? Does it feel "tired" and can you engage the gears without problems. The old 915 gearboxes (replaced by the G50 gearbox in 1987) can feel a bit "loose" without being in need of repairs, so don't panic. Make sure to look for oil leaks under the car. Does the engine leak (a tiny bit of oil leak is acceptable), does the gearbox leak? Follow the oil lines to the oil cooler in the front fender (not all models have an oil cooler). How does the lines/connections look and how does the oil cooler look? Corrosion can have taken its toll on these parts. Check the condition of the brakes. Will the car brake in a straight line? Has the car been standing unused for some time? If that is the case the brakes might be in need of attention. There can also be other potential problems when a car has been standing unused for a period of time. I know from my own car that the clutch arm on the gearbox can make a squeking sound every time the clutch is operated if the car has been standing unused for some time. Luckily the problem solved itself when I started driving the car more often. If a car has been standing unused it will most likely be in need of an oil change too. Remember that 911s need around 10 litres of top quality oil for an oil change (NEVER TRY TO SAVE MONEY ON OILCHANGES).

If the car you are looking at is equipped with airbags and ABS brakes you must look if the warning lights are on. The same goes for any other warning light. A faulty ABS or airbag can be expensive to repair.

5. Model history and interesting details

1974 - 1977

The 911s from 1974 to 1977 were equipped with the less desireable 2.7 liter engine. It had 150 HP in its basic form. With the 1976 model year it was increased to 165 HP. In 1977 the dashboard was improved with ventilation openings in the middle. A 911S was available with 175 HP until 1976. A special Carrera 3.0 model was available as a top of the line model. It had 200 HP. The 911 Turbo came along in the 1974 model year with a 3.0 liter Turbo charged 260 HP engine. In 1976 all 911s were fully galvanised (IMPORTANT).

1978-1983

The 911 now got the name SC. The 911 SC was a 3.0 liter car with 180 HP. The SC was a large improvement over the earlier models. Now it was standard equipment to have a brake servo. The ventilation system was also improved and got an automatic control. In 1980 the SC got an additional 8 HP. In 1981 the engine ran on high octane 98 fuel (earlier it ran on 92 octane) and increased its HP to 204. In addition to the power increase the fuel economy got much better. In 1983 the first Cabriolet came along. It had the same technical data as the other SCs. No 911 Cabriolet were available before the model year 1983! The 911 Turbo was vastly improved in 1978. It now had a 3.3 liter engine with an intercooler. HP was now 300. The rear spoiler changed its looks over the earlier Turbo. The brakes were huge cross drilled items from the 917 racing car (a good way to spot a genuine Turbo). A boost gauge is incorporated in the rev counter. Better equipment in general as was the case with the SC too.

1984-1989

The Carrera name returns. The 911 Carrera is now the base model 911. A new 3.2 liter engine comes along with 231 HP. This is probably the best engine ever because of the good combination of power, reliability, economy and driveablity. The 3.2 runs on 98 octane fuel like the last SCs did. It has hydraulic timing chain tensioners and thereby put an end to a weak point in the 911 history. The engine has DME electronically controlled ignition and injection system. The electronic control box is located under the driver's seat. DME control improves the driveability and fuel economy. The 3.2 engine looks a lot different to the earlier 911 engines. The new manifolds are very characteristic and makes it easy to recognise a 3.2 liter engine. The brakes are thicker and better, the ventilation system is improved, the equipment is better and the performance is very good. In 1985 the old 3 spoke steering wheel is replaced with a 4 spoke steering wheel. Also the seats are changed and now have higher back rests. The radio antenna is incorporated in the windshield and makes it easy to spot a 1985 or newer model (no antenna in the front fender). In 1986 the Carrera becomes available with catalytic converter. This lowers the HP to 217. On non european markets the Carrera already had a catalytic converter in 1984. Here the HP was 207. With the 1986 model year the gearchange was improved and the gear lever travel was shortened. Again the ventilation system was improved. This time with extra air outlets in the outer sides of the dashboard. In 1987 something big happens. The old 915 gearbox is replaced with the all new G50 gearbox. This also means that the old cable operated clutch is replaced with a hydraulic clutch. This new gearbox is easier to use and the hydraulic clutch is a bit less demanding than the earlier clutch (which was a bit heavy). Overall the driving pleasure is enhanced. In 1989 the Carrera is only available with the 217 HP catalytic converter specification. The 1989 Carrera is considered by many to be the last of the real 911s. Later models have much more electronic equipment and a more modern look. In 1989 the Turbo finally gets a five speed gearbox. The earlier Turbos were only available with a 4 speed gearbox. This model year also present us to the new type of 911. The 911 Carrera 4 (internal Porsche model name 964). The Carrera 4 was more aerodynamic, had far more electronic gadgets, a new suspension with traditional springs and most interesting; 4 wheel drive. The engine was a 3.6 liter with twin spark plugs and a HP output of 250.

1990-1993

The 964 type now comes along with normal rear wheel drive. So now the 911 is available as the 911 Carrera 2 and the 911 Carrera 4. You can still get them in Coupe, Targa or Cabriolet shape. The rear spoiler is electrically controlled and raises itself at 80 km/h. In 1991 a new 911 Turbo appears. It still has a 3.3 liter engine, but looks like the 964 models although with a traditional Turbo rear spoiler (a 964 Turbo is often called a 965). The HP output is 320 (could be ordered with 360). In 1993 the Turbo finally gets a 3.6 liter engine. It has 360 HP and can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds according to the german magazine Auto Motor & Sport. This car is the last of the classic rear wheel drive Turbos. It is instantly recogniseable by its 18 inch split wheels.

1994-1997

With the 1994 model year a new version of the 911 is presented. This model is called the 993. The looks is all new. The suspension is new and vastly improved. The 3.6 liter engine now has 272 HP. In 1996 the engine is optimised with the socalled Varioram system and the HP output increases to 285 (could be ordered with 300 HP). The traditional Targa is no longer available. A new concept with a back sliding glass roof is introduced instead. A completely new Turbo comes along with 4 wheel drive and 2 turbochargers instead of 1. It has hollow spoke 18 inch wheels and 408 HP. It was possible to order it with 430 HP or even 450 HP from the "Sonderwunschabteilung". This Turbo (often referred to as Turbo 4) can brake from 100 km/h to 0 in 2.5 seconds and 35 meters!

6. Where to find additional information

Das Grosse Porsche 911 Buch, german language, HEEL Verlag GmbH
Porsche 911 Der luftgekühlte boxermotor, german language, HEEL Verlag GmbH
Porsche 911 in all its forms, english language, Haynes
Porsche 911 and derivaties, english language, Motor Racing Publications Ltd.
911&PorscheWorld Magazine (The best Porsche magazine around)
Excellence (Another very good Porsche magazine)

© 2000 Mikkel Levinsen and Timo Pantsari. All rights reserved.