First-time Porsche buyer's guide: 5 models perfect for scratching that itch

Porsches. They’re pretty popular. Have been for decades. And they’ve racked up track records around the world. 

Many of us have admired the brand since we were young. “Having grown up with Porsches in my favorite movies and hanging on my bedroom wall, they have always been special to me,” admits Vu Nguyen, executive director of the Porsche Club of …

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Not to nitpick, but the 3 liter started in 1980.  1975 to 1979 was the 2.7 liter.  They had head stud problems but most should be fixed by now.

The 3 liter was nicknamed the Corvette Porsche since it had enough torque that Corvette drivers could drive one (if they know how to shift gears).

In reply to Mel9146 :

Wrong.  3.0 started in '76 and came to US in '78.  I got a '78 3.0 SC motor in my garage.

I would put the 2012-2014 991 in this list.  The prices for the early 911s are so ridiculous right now, I couldn't get a decent one for what my 991S sells for...  I know P "purists" think they are too big, too roomy and too comfortable, but it's the best thing I've ever hustled around Sebring and with the DSC upgrade it's nice on regular roads too.

Depends on the experience you're looking for. 944, even in S2 form, is vintage feeling and looking. 986 is very modern in comparison and still looks contemporary. Porsche makes a drop-in infotainment system for the 986/996 as well that's based on the latest PCM.

Mel9146 said:

Corvette drivers could drive one (if they know how to shift gears).

 LOL 

I'd have the 996 on there. IMS be damned, and it's probably sorted by now, if not repair it then flog the thing.

minor detail: the article states 2009 Caymans got direct injection, but only the S model got DI, the "base" 2.9 engine did not.

I keep feeling the 944 is going to be a don't meet your heros type moment for me. It was the Porsche I loved as a kid and everything, but then the more I read about them the more hesitant about pulling the trigger on one. The 07k swap feels like it solves a lot of what I worry about maintenance wise but I am also not in a position to do another motor swap.

And Facebook must be reading my mind, but 996s are still appealing to me, especially the early boxster shared headlight models. 

aw614 said:

I keep feeling the 944 is going to be a don't meet your heros type moment for me. It was the Porsche I loved as a kid and everything, but then the more I read about them the more hesitant about pulling the trigger on one. The 07k swap feels like it solves a lot of what I worry about maintenance wise but I am also not in a position to do another motor swap.

And Facebook must be reading my mind, but 996s are still appealing to me, especially the early boxster shared headlight models. 

if you're prepared for it to not be quick, then a 944 is still really nice to drive.  i want another one.

Oh no mention of the 924S.... Lighter and faster than the 944 from the same year and more off the shelf Volkswagen parts that you can still find for cheap :)

Going to give this a healthy bump. Good info.

no mention of the 928 S ?

I have it from several places I trust I have been told that the high end of the market is losing 1 1/2% per week in value.   Maybe a GT3 will become affordable. . .  Ok, I can dream, can't I?

I have a 968 from 1994. It is plenty fast and it handles very well. My neurologist  took my license so I am thinking about selling it. I was thinking maybe 15,000. I Hope I have not broken any rules by putting this here. 

Dwight Anderson 

In reply to dean1484 :

We have a 996-chassis GT3 buyer guide coming up in the May issue of Classic Motorsports. (And I should have bought one when they were only $45k.)

Of course there will be models left put, but the information in this article is priceless!  Thank you so much for creating it!  

944s have certainly become more manageable with expectations than when I started with my first in 1997.  There is sooo much great info that for an inexpensive classic, you can't go wrong! 

951 is a wild ride when pumped up!  Love the sudden boost at 4k!  

I too have become a fan of the 996.  Why is is that when we really don't like something for a very long time that all of a sudden we fall in love with it? 

Where I'm at now and loving it all!  

My first (and only) Porsche is the 1979 928. I'm not sure I'd recommend it as a good first Porsche to buy as it seems to be the most unloved and undervalued Porsche is the stable. I keep hearing "they're just starting to appreciate" for the last 5 years, but have not seen the valuation increase much. The only price increases I typically see is the cost to maintain and repair. Anyway, my 928 is fun to drive, gets a lot of attention (especially from motorcycle riders), and has been in the family for years. I think she's a keeper.

1972BluBGT said:

I have a 968 from 1994. It is plenty fast and it handles very well. My neurologist  took my license so I am thinking about selling it. I was thinking maybe 15,000. I Hope I have not broken any rules by putting this here. 

Dwight Anderson 

Dwight - You are welcomed (and encouraged!) to post your 968 for sale. Simply create a post in the Cars for Sale section of the forum. Link below.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/cars-sale/

My 2005 997 just rolled over 100k miles. It has been the most reliable and fun car that I have even owned, including a couple of earlier 911s. It is a car that you can drive everyday, almost year round and have fun doing it. It is not a difficult car to work on for the average DIYer by modern standards. I would argue that the 2005 model with the (easier) replaceable IMS bearing is more desirable than later cars. There are a several good aftermarket IMS bearing replacement options that totally resolve this issue. Bore scoring is something that it has been blown out of proportion. By all accounts only a relatively small number of cars had it to the point that the engine needed immediate attention. I think there is a lot more fear mongering than reality here. In engines that suffered from revere scoring, the car's owner often had a lot to do with it. Like idling a cold engine for a long time, pushing the car hard before the engine had the chance to properly warm up, not changing the oil regularly, using the wrong type of oil and skimping on maintenance.  The first thing that I would suggest to someone who is contemplating buying a 997 is to do an oil analysis. For less than $100 it will reveal more about the health of the engine than anything else sort of a complete engine tear down.  

I have recently seen two complete 912s in the mid to high 20s. Both need some work but I wish I had the space and extra dough.