Which Porsche 911 Should I Buy 84-89 or 90-93
 

I know all the basic differences of the two designs, but I just wanted to get some opinions from some actual Porsche owners. I just got rid of my Range Rover and I'm ready to get a nice used Porsche 911. I have heard that the C2's have some problems with oil leaks more so than the precious 911's. Let me know what you guys think. I like the look of the C2 body style, but I just want to know which of 911's is more reliable. Thanks for you help!

RE: Which Porsche 911 Should I Buy 84-89 or 90-93
 

The C2/4/Boxster all use a similar case depending on the year. The early ones (99-00) are the ones that have an occasional rear main seal leak, but it is not as big of a problem as the internet makes it out to be. Some of later cars have the leak as well, but it doesn't seem nearly as prevelant. I don't see many rear main seal leaks come through the shop that is anything to worry about, and I shove these cars in day in day out. Get a PPI done on the car, and specifically check the rear main seal to make sure it is dry. Other than that, nothing really leaks oil on the cars.

RE: Which Porsche 911 Should I Buy 84-89 or 90-93
 

I completely missed the title of the post, I for some reason was thinking you were looking at the 996 line.

Both are excellent choices, both are prone to oil leaks from various places in the engine and transmission if they are high mileage or have not been properly taken care of. I think you are looking at 2 different price ranges as well. You really need to go out and drive a couple of examples of each, and see which you like. The 964 is a much more updated car than the 80's 911's, but they are also quite a bit heavier as well. A good PPI is a must on the older 911s, if there are extensive oil leaks, then you need to check for broken head studs as well. Keep in mind, that the purchase price is only part of owning the car, you need to budget in repairs as well, which are going to be a little higher on the older cars (sometimes you get lucky, find a jem that doesn't need much, but that is pretty rare). I have a customer who buys and sells porsches, his latest is an 83 911. Very nice car, except the engine and transmission are leaking oil very badly. I can get the bulk of his leaks in about 8 hours, as it appears it is all external seals such as the oil thermostat seal, and nose seal on the transmission. It will still be over a $1k bill by the time it is done.

Me personally, I would look at a 964 (ok, I lied, I would actually only consider a 965 with the turbo on it, but I am a power junkie). But your opinion may differ, so go out, drive a couple, find which model you prefer, and then go looking for that model.