
I’ve preached for years about early Carreras being my personal favorites of the “Impact Bumper” era cars. Although the later G50 transmissions are stronger, the last years of the 915 gearboxes are the best of a 15-year run and were much lighter. As a result, these cars feel quicker and much more responsive than the heavier G50 cars. The gearboxes are very strong and durable if you shift them properly. They force you to learn how to correctly drive an air-cooled 911. I love this generation of 911s so much that I have one of my own.
This Carrera was built on June 27th, 1985 and sold new by a local Southern California Porsche dealer. It was ordered with the following factory options:
- California Emissions
- Central Locking System
- Leather Sport Seats w/Electric Height Controls
- 16” Fuchs Forged Alloy Wheels
- Cruise Control
- Sport Shock Absorbers
- Goodyear Tires
*7×16 and 8×16 Factory Fuchs were added at a later time.
Although we don’t have early records of ownership, based on CarFax®, this Carrera spent it’s whole life in Southern California and most of it in Orange County. We believe based on interview with the recent mechanic/vehicle owner, this 911 lived with the original owner for the first 15 years/88k miles before being sold in March of 2000 to Kim Joslin of Newport Beach, California. Ms. Joslin apparently used it initially as her daily driver for her first decade of ownership. During that period she added over 80k miles. There is a note on the CarFax® report of a possibly accident sometime between 2002 and 2005, but not confirmed. Further inspection by the recent mechanic confirms no visible signs of any prior damage.
In 2012, Ms. Joslin began taking this Carrera to Don with D.D.K. Motors of Newport Beach, California. D.D.K. is an expert independent specialist that has been around for 40-years. Besides normal routine services, they did send the transmission out to CMS (California Motorsports) in Havasu for a complete rebuild. Between their work, the installation, and a new clutch, the total bill was nearly $8k. The work was done in August of 2013 at 171k miles.
Highlights of service during D.D.K. service and ownership include:
Major service and other misc. services (7/12 @ 171,295 miles)
- Valve cover gaskets
- Adjust valves
- Replace spark plugs
- Replace both license plate bulb housings
- Repair left taillight housing and brake light
- Front brake pads
- Repair radio
New alternator, rear brake pads, idle control valve, tighten front wheel bearing (7/13)
Major transmission work (9/13 @ 171,395 miles)
- Remove and send transmission out to CMS for rebuild
- New clutch kit
- Pressure plate and T/O bearing
- Gear oil flush
- Shift boot rear
- Oil service
- Machine flywheel/balance
- All new gears and syncromesh rings
- New shift sleeves
- All new bearings (diff thrust, ring and pinion thrust, main shaft)
- 1st gear mainshaft
Oil service and inspection (9/18)
Interior refurbishment by Roberto’s (3/22)
- Leather dash
- Front and rear seats
- Targa top including headliner
- Repair paint on Targa top and roll bar
- Repair trunk carpet
- Dye interior carpet
A/C system refurbish and misc. repairs (5/22)
- Replace A/C compressor & receiver/drier
- Replace drive belts and expansion valve
- A/C blower motors in dash (both)
- A/C hose/lines and recharge/dye test for leaks
- Hood and decklid shocks
- Replace driver door check strap/stay
- Steering column bearing and bushing
- Replace windshield including inside and outside seals
- Shift coupling (WEVO) and all shifter bushings
- Adjust shifting mechanism
- Oil service (most recent service – 1 year/600 miles ago)
Ms. Joslin didn’t drive it much after that and in 2017, she sold it to Don, the owner of D.D.K. Don was planning on making this his forever car and decided to bring it up to the next level and take care of some cosmetic needs. He had the hood and left rear panel repainted/blended to repair some scratches, dents, and chips. Next, he had Roberto’s Upholstery perform a refresh of the interior, which included reupholstering of the leather sport seats, replace factory leather dash, and dye original carpet to correct stains. Furthermore, they did a complete restoration of the Targa top, which included the headliner. Lastly, in 2022, new Michelin Pilot Sport tires were installed.
When discussing services with Don, I asked him about the engine and if it had ever been rebuilt. He said that it probably had not been, but didn’t need it. Besides going through everything around the engine and servicing it for a decade, he also drove it for several years and said the motor was very tight and dry with no signs of major repair needs. He attributes it to the excellent routine services the car received. Alas, one of his best clients caught him on a week day last year and pestered him to sell her the car. He agreed.
This owner also lives in Newport Beach and has been a long-time Porsche enthusiast. Recently, an opportunity to purchase one of her dream Porsches (RS America) popped up and she realized that something had to go. This was not an easy decision because she too agreed that it was one of the best driving air-cooled 911s she’d experienced. For the past year, she’s only added about 800 miles of local driving. However, during that time she wanted to further improve it. She had the front and rear bumpers as well as lower valences refinished and the front bumper holes plugged. D.D.K. replaced all the shift bushings as well as a service. Furthermore, Doctor Detail performed the following services on 8/22:
- Complete detail including paint correction
- Remove any/all dents
- Color sand rear decklid
- Refinish the painted part of the Fuchs wheels (16×7 and 16×8)
- Powdercoated the aluminum lug nuts
When we received the car, we had Ed Shine detail it even further and ceramic coated the entire exterior with CQuartz.
The exterior of this Targa looks very clean and obviously well looked after. The paint was mostly refreshed over the past several years and shows minimal signs of use. All the exterior lights work. The rear light lenses have superficial cracks on them from tightening them too tight. All the trim and rubber, including the Targa bar, are in incredible shape with no major blemishes. The glass is in good shape with no chips or scratches. The windshield has been replaced. The upgraded 16×7 and 16×8 Fuchs appear to have been installed at another time and polished. The satin black centers have recently been restored. The Fuchs are wearing near new/full tread Michelin Pilot Sport tires. The brakes have about half-life remaining.
The interior is equally as exceptional and very fresh. The sport seats look new with no tears or cracks. The carpet has no visible stains and looks good for the age/miles. The headliner of the Targa top has been replaced and looks new. The door pockets are in great shape with no sagging or flaws. The leather dash is also new and has no warping issues. All the gauges work properly except the clock. The A/C system has been gone through and it does blow very cold. The electric windows and mirrors work. Although, sometimes the mirror switch sticks a bit. Even the cruise control works as does the CD player/radio.
This Carrera starts easily on the first try and holds an even idle. Once warmed up, it revs nicely through the entire rev range with no hesitation or issues. The power is impressive and feels like it hasn’t missed a beat despite the age and miles. The transmission is one of the best shifting 915s I’ve experienced. It easily goes in and out of gears with no grinding or slipping. The clutch engages properly. The handling is very responsive with great turn in. The car tracks straight. The brakes have excellent initial bite with no fading or pulling. This example is a great way to get started in the air-cooled Porsche scene. It’s well sorted, looks great, and drives tight.
This 911 is currently California registered to September of 2023 and it passed California’s smog inspection.
This 911 comes with two keys, original owner’s manual with vinyl cover, Porsche build sheet, space saver spare, factory jack, and two Targa top keys.**Note: VIN and other numbers withheld to protect against fraud. All numbers including VIN, Engine, and color will be provided to serious buyers.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Paul at 714-335-4911 or paul@autokennel.com
This vehicle is sold “as-is” with no warranty, written or implied. In some cases, the vehicle does have the remaining factory warranty still in place and will be described above if that is the case. All taxes and fees are the responsibility of the buyer and are not included in the listed price. All vehicle sales will require a $170 administration fee. The vehicle listed is described to the best of our ability. The information is based on our own research and statements made to us by the previous owner(s). To the best of our knowledge, the above information is accurate. We are not responsible for errors in our description of options or any other details. The above-mentioned vehicle is used and can be expected to show some wear and tear. It is not a brand-new vehicle. We do welcome all local pre-purchase inspections on vehicles in order to verify their condition. For payment, we accept bank transfers, cashier’s checks, or cash. Check’s take up to 10 business days to clear. The vehicle and title will be held until all funds are cleared and verified. Bank transfers usually only take 24 hours.
Note: For out-of-state buyers, California does not offer temporary tags/registration. Each State typically has a grace period to allow buyers to drive their new out-of-state acquisition to their local DMV for registration. Please check your State’s DMV website for more details. Also, California requires us to surrender standard plates less than 30 years old back to the state and will not be delivered with the vehicle. Personalized plates stay with the seller.