Porsche street cars had a very strong reputation for excellent durability-Turbos broke that rule



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In order to compete against bigger-engined rivals, Porsche homologated the type 934 race car in 1974 and embarked on an entirely new phase in race car development. As word spread about the incredible performance, the initial run of 500 cars disappeared like Houdini. They made another 800 that year, yet didn't satisfy the demand.

Porsche transferred the lessons learned from their turbocharged race engine to a 3-liter, heavily reinforced version of the light-alloy flat six, and inadvertently discovered they could sell lots of cars in the supercar league.
It was introduced to the U.S. as the Turbo Carrera in 1976 and was up-rated in 1978 to a 3.3-liter intercooled monster that could do 0-60 in five seconds with a top speed of 165 mph. From 1978 on it was called simply the Turbo, but emission control requirements forced it to leave the U.S. market after 1979.

Europeans continued to enjoy the car, and so did American buyers by way of the gray market. It took a while for the factory to realize that the flagship front-engined, water-cooled 928 was not the car U.S. Porsche enthusiasts wanted. In 1986, the Turbo was reintroduced into the American market and sold more than 1,400 copies.
It was much the same package as before, although the emission controls applied to the U.S. version made it a bit slower than the 1979 Turbo. That didn't seem to matter, as there were few cars that could outrun a Turbo in 1986. Not much has changed 20 years later.
This 1987 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe was a U.S.-delivery model, purchased new in Columbus, Ohio, with special order coral paint, an interior trimmed in oxblood leather, and fully optioned with factory alarm system, AM/FM Blaupunkt, CD player, air conditioning, cruise control, power locks, mirrors, seats, windows, rear window defroster, and tinted glass. The car was later sold to a Colorado resident and was a part of his private collection for many years.
It has just had a full inspection and service completed by 9 Lives Racing of Denver and has no known mechanical flaws. It is in immaculate condition with not a chip or dent to be found, and is complete with tools, books, and records from new. This Porsche is very near the top of the supercar league, and will be willing to take you wherever you want to go.


SCM Analysis

Detailing

Number Produced:23,217 (Coupes, Targas, and Cabrios)
Original List Price:Base: $48,000 (1986 Coupe)
Tune Up Cost:$700
Distributor Caps:$35
Chassis Number Location:On horizontal bulkhead under front hood
Engine Number Location:Stamped into alloy engine block near right side of cooling fan
Club Info:Porsche Club of America 5530 Edgemont Dr. Alexandria, VA 22310
Website:http://www.pca.org

This sharp 1987 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe sold for $36,500 at the Worldwide Auction, Houston, TX on May 6, just a bit above the low estimate of $35,000-$40,000. I judge this to be fair to both buyer and seller, and indicative of a modest turn-around in Turbo prices.
Turbos have long been the unwanted stepchild of the used 911 market. Even when just a few years old, Turbos would sit unsold on exotic car dealers’ lots for months, collecting dust. I can remember visiting Fantasy Junction in the mid-’80s, when Turbos were no longer being officially being brought into the U.S., and watching ones on consignment there hang around often for years before finding a new home.

As Porsche’s great supercar, I just couldn’t understand why no one was interested. It wasn’t that the price was high-they were all asking well under new-car prices and all were “open to offers.” Part of the problem was that many new Turbos in the late ’70s were “kept” cars with low or no mileage. This is a problem for a Turbo. They need to be driven regularly, as does any Porsche, but the Turbos more than most.
The seals that keep oil out of the intake tract on the turbocharger have to exist at super-hot temps and super-high revs. Driving your car regularly keeps the tips of the seals lubricated. Letting it sit for months or years doesn’t. Many turbos in the original cars were replaced simply because they weren’t used frequently enough.
So while that seller was bragging about how perfect the car was with low miles, many owners have discovered how expensive it is not to drive their Turbo. Remember that, among the cognoscenti, Porsche street cars have a very strong reputation for excellent durability. Turbos broke that rule.
Then there were the rumors of extreme undrivability, fanned by over-excited and inexperienced automotive writers more interested in selling magazines than understanding what they were driving. It did make for a great story: “Porsche Turbo tosses itself backward off the road while turning into McDonald’s at 15 mph.” But mostly it was a bunch of nonsense. Yes, the power comes on fast, and yes, there is loads of turbo lag, and yes, if you are drunk and stupid, it will bite you. But unsafe? No.
The rumors of turbo lag were not fiction, and if you drive a 4-speed Turbo (1976-88) back-to-back with a good 5-speed 911SC (1978-83) the normally aspirated SC will feel faster in all situations except foot-to-the-floor top-fuel-dragster acceleration runs. This made the Turbo a one-trick pony, well in contravention of the multi-purpose nature of most other 911s.
The 1987 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe here looks very nice, although I don’t prefer the later wheels to the correct period Fuchs. Among hard-core Turbo fans, most would rather have either the 1979 or the 1989 models. The 1979 models are generally the best running of the original body design, and the 1989 ones have a properly strengthened 5-speed transmission. Given the serious amounts of Turbo lag all these early cars have, the 5-speed makes a nice difference. But then, the 4-speed cars are already so fast, I’ve never quite understood where anyone can really use all this straight-line acceleration.
Assuming the mechanicals are as represented, the price paid was market correct. However, there were many Turbos made, and this has been a very quiet market for the last three decades. Do we have a turn-around in values here, or are Turbos just benefiting from the general up-trend in vintage Porsche values? Only time will tell; but do note that Porsche Turbos of all flavors will never be rare, with over 23,000 cars produced to date…and still counting.

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