1984 Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera

An original, UK-supplied, non-sport car, this 1984-registered 3.2 Carrera is a fantastic example of the breed, with only three owners from new.

Our vendor, the third registered owner, purchased the car earlier this year after seeing it in the flesh for the first time. It was so good that he put an offer in there-and-then, which speaks volumes about the quality of the car.

Part of this quick decision making was down to the history of the vehicle, which in recent years prior to the current ownership has seen extensive works at the hands of legendary air-cooled Porsche specialist Autofarm, who carried out an in-depth top-end rebuild of the engine.

Interestingly, the car was taken off the road in the mid 2000’s by the previous owner, and then re-commissioned in 2018/19, including the fitment of new suspension components, a brake system overhaul, new fuel tank and pump, new clutch, and the aforementioned rebuild work.

A serial Porsche enthusiast and owner, this Carrera was far from our vendor’s first foray into the world of 911 ownership, however they had been looking for a solid, honest 3.2 to use and enjoy, with the intention of long-term ownership.

As a result, after a few weeks of driving the car and enjoying it, the decision was made to send this 911 to well-known air-cooled Porsche and VW bodywork expert Matt Gill to bring the bodywork in-line with the mechanicals. This work totalled to over £15,000 worth of expenditure, with a full glass-out respray of the bottom half of the car (blended in to the A and C pillars) resprayed side window frames, windscreen frames and door handles and new bumper rubber strips.

Underneath, both kidney bowls, inner sills and lower B-posts were replaced, along with the outer sills. Any noted rust spots or damage was addressed, both heat exchangers were replaced even though they weren’t too far gone (an excellent sign of a fastidious owner) and the suspension re-built and lowered, within factory tolerances. The floor pan was deep-cleaned and coated with fresh under-seal, and the cabin clock was fixed.

The wheels were also stripped, refurbished and fitted with new matching Pirelli tyres, and a four-wheel alignment and setup was carried out.

With, as our vendor states, “all the heavy lifting and big-ticket work done” the result is a classic air-cooled 911 that is ready to use and enjoy, fresh from extensive bodywork and a top-end rebuild.

Naturally, you may be asking why the vendor is selling after all of this work has taken place? Well, it’s simply due to a change in plans, and - as they put it - the ‘end’ of their midlife crisis!

Finished in the unusual - but very attractive - shade of Slate Blue Metallic, this 3.2 Carrera presents in excellent shape, thanks largely to the aforementioned attention at the hands of Matt Gill.

The bodywork is lovely and straight throughout, and the recent work has taken years off of the car’s appearance. There are no notable scuffs, scratches or dents that we can see, whilst all of the light lenses are clear and free of damage.

The front end is remarkably good, without sign of any stone chips, given its recent paint work. If we are being really picky, we did notice a few very small imperfections on the bonnet. Possibly from tiny specs of dust under the paint, but these would likely be almost invisible in natural light. 

As the vendor puts it, the car “isn’t a 100-point concours example, but instead a wonderfully tidy yet usable and enjoyable example” and, from what we’ve seen, we reckon they’ve hit the nail on the head with that assessment.

Underneath the narrow-bodied arches, all four wheels are in pristine condition, wrapped in matching Pirelli rubber - an excellent sign of a fastidious owner, and always a big ‘tick’ in our book.

Inside, the cabin of this 911 is classic Porsche in its design, and one can almost smell that wonderful classic leather smell just from looking at the photographs - wonderful!

The seats are all in excellent condition, and are remarkably free of major creasing and bolster wear given the age and mileage of the vehicle. There are some light scuffs noted, but certainly nothing like we’d expect to see from a car with around 120,000 miles on its interior.

Speaking of the mileage, you’ll note that our above estimation is significantly higher than that indicated on the odometer. The reasoning for this, as our vendor explains, is that the speedometer was replaced during the first half of the 1990s, at roughly 70,000 miles (as you’ll see from the service history) in the years since, the car has covered circa 40,000 miles, so to play it safe our vendor has put the estimate at around 120,000 miles.

Up above, the headliner looks to be in very good shape and remains taut throughout, whilst there are no reported faults with any of the switches, dials, buttons or the sunroof.

Speaking of the switchgear, the high-traffic areas and touch points such as the steering wheel and shifter all wear a lovely light usage patina, which we feel adds to the character of the car.

Opening the rear engine lid of this 911, the 3.2-litre flat-six engine is displayed in all its glory. From what we can see, from a visual standpoint this engine is in excellent condition, backed up by the extensive works and rebuild by Autofarm. Our vendor reports no known faults or issues, and none were noted by our concierge or photographer - good news all round, then.

Underneath the car, the chassis is in splendid condition on account of the work carried out by Matt Gill Restorations, and as such we see no concerning signs, with the fresh underseal being a very welcome sight for any air-cooled Porsche enthusiasts.

Evidently, we’re on the right track with our assessment, as the most recent MOT exam - dated 20 August 2021, shows a clean sheet pass with no advisory items.

Spanning decades of work and attention, the history file that comes with this 911 is certainly impressive. We even have a memory stick from Autofarm with over 600 photos detailing their work on the engine. 

The original Porsche book pack is present, along with the stamped service manual which has been extensively used, with services after 1999 being recorded via invoices and other paperwork, though no stamps are present.

Numerous old invoices from Porsche specialists confirming servicing and other maintenance are included, though there is a large hole in the history from when the car was off the road between 2004 and 2019, though in 2018 we can see invoices from Design911 where the vendor was re-commissioning the car with his son, purchasing parts such as new suspension components and the new fuel tank.

More recently, the extensive work by Autofarm is documented with work totalling around £25,000 including a full ‘extended’ top-end rebuild, whilst there are other miscellaneous invoices and documents for any potential bidders to work through and familiarise themselves with.

Also present is a full tool kit (as seen in the photographs) and two keys, along with the all-important red key.

Extensively restored and benefitting from significant recent expenditure, we reckon you’d be hard-pushed to find another 3.2 Carrera in such excellent mechanical and aesthetic condition whilst still remaining usable - cars are meant to be driven, after all, and this classic air-cooled 911 is no exception.

Presenting in fantastic shape with an impressive history folder, low ownership and coming from a bona-fide air-cooled Porsche enthusiast, we reckon this gem of a 3.2 Carrera will fetch in the region of £45,000 to £55,000, with the lucky winning bidder getting a truly characterful and enjoyable 911 which is ready to use as they please.

Viewing is always encouraged and as stated this car is located at THE MARKET headquarters near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.