1986 911 Maintenance

[TXGold]

A friend of mine is interested in a 1986 911 and is concerned with realiability and maintenance costs. Can anyone reflect on this specific to the MY?

[robert1965]

I'm a new 1986 911 owner, here's some info from the research I've done.

Yearly oil change about $200 at the dealer based on the vehicle's records, if you do it yourself aprox $100 in oil (10 litres at $10/litre) plus the cost of the filter($?.??).

Tires, approx $250-$300 each.

There have been cases of valve guide wear with the 3.2 litre engine, check for noisy valves, ask your local Porsche shop for estimate.

Replacing the valve covers with turbo valve covers (thicker and more ridgid), part cost approx $200 if you do it yourself, otherwise ask your shop for an estimate.

Engine tear down and resealing, the mechanic who regularly serviced the car I purchased said that its not a matter of if, but a matter of when (another Porsche mechanic I spoke to while researching my purchase, said at approx 200,000 km), at a cost of about $8000. Again, discuss this with your local shop.

My sources (other than the mechanics); "101 Projects for your Porsche 911" and "Porsche 911 Performance Handbook.

I'd also appreciate any comments on this topic.

[stealthn]

Deep question; it depends on what condition, shape, and repairs have been done to the car before you buy it.

If everything is well taken care of expect the car to last many many years as there are some very high Km/Mile cars out there. If you can do most of the work yourself costs are minimal, and the main thing is oil changes which is easy to do. These cars use a lot of oil and as such develop leaks over time, some small some not. Lower valve covers, return tubes, oil sender are just a few of the many areas that are common for leaks.

As stated get books and start reading, the Bentley Manual is probably the best for DIY's.

My recommendation would be find a well sorted, well documented car and anticipate keeping $2000 in reserve each year for unexpected issues. Valves, top end, tranny and clutch issues can add up quick.

My thirty year old car is unreal; drive it daily, take it to the track, and it's rock solid, but I do need to track down a small leak ;)

Happy hunting.