1987 Porsche 911 3.2 Sport Cabriolet

The vendor, who has owned the car for around 10 years, tells us that this very attractive ’Guards Red’, G50 5-speed, sport pack-equipped example was up and running before the current project commenced but, as it’s been off the road and in storage for quite some time, it will need finishing before it’s advisable to fire it up in anger again.

We know it turns over because we’ve seen a video of it doing just that.

It has been living on the Isle of Man since 1998 and, although prior to that it was in the UK, it will need to be MoT’d and re-registered for use in the UK. 

The car currently has project status and is a work-in-progress that’s gone a fair way to completion and now needs a little extra encouragement to get it back on the road.

The good news is that the car is very straight, and comes with its original paintwork plus everything needed to complete the restoration job comes with the car. 

And we mean everything - from new piston rings, valve guides, 4 new Sachs dampers, and full Dansk S/S exhaust system including manifolds and heat exchangers to a brand-new cabriolet hood, new Goodridge brake hoses, all manner of new gaskets and fittings, and a new nearside gearbox for the hood mechanism from a well-known breaker.

It all adds up to around £12,000-worth of new bits and pieces to fit to the car.

Already fitted to the car are a new VEMS ECU with lambda sensor (the original Bosch Motronic system is also included), newly refurbished, painted and lacquered genuine 16” Fuchs alloys (6" wide at the front, 8" at rear) with new brake callipers, and new, unused Bridgestone Potenza S0-2 tyres.

The bodywork is straight, true and, aside from one very small dink near the o/s/f indicator, devoid of any dinks, dents, creases, ripples or folds that shouldn’t be there.

The shut-lines and panel gaps are consistent and even, too.

We’d be surprised if they weren’t.

The build quality of Porsches of this vintage is second to none and, consequently, everything feels weighty, precise and over-engineered to a degree that manufacturers today wouldn’t even attempt to emulate. 

The 37-year-old doors close with all the Teutonic heft and certainty you’d hope and expect to find, and the whole car feels solid and thoroughly well-screwed-together. 

So, yet another fine effort from Gunther, Wolfgang and the rest of the crew on the production line at Zuffenhausen.

The Guards Red paint, the vendor tells us, is original, and we’ve no reason to doubt that.

Being original, it wears the signs of its long life like badges of honour.

There are a few flat patches here and there; a scattering of stone chips and light scratches that is entirely consistent with the car’s age and mileage; some lifting and blistering paint around the o/s/r wheel-arch and on the front bumper; some chips to the rear edge of the driver’s door; and various marks and signs of previous touch-ups on the bonnet, rear bumper and atop the rear wings.

The Fuchs wheels, being newly refurbished and with resplendent red-painted and lacquered centres, look stunning.

The car’s lights, lenses, badges and other exterior fixtures and fittings all look to be in good order to us.

The interior is simple, uncluttered, delightfully analogue and looks to us to be very original and authentic.

Very few manufacturers can compete with Porsches of this era when it comes to high-quality seats that are supremely fit for their sporting purposes.

Comfortable and supportive in equal measure, the front seats have a degree of creasing and signs of wear that are entirely commensurate with the car’s age and mileage.

The patina is just about right, as far as we’re concerned, but the seats could no doubt be freshened-up by a competent leather whisperer, if so desired.

As is nearly always the case with a 911, the rear seats don’t look as if they’ve ever been called upon to support much more than the weight of a Panama hat or a pork pie.

The black plastics on and around the dashboard, centre console and door cards have stoically resisted any temptations to fade or crack. 

The black carpets are reasonable as are the mats, which are piped red to match the piping on the seats.

The steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake are all decent, save for a spot of paint missing from the gear stick.

There’s a little paint missing from around the rim of the fuel/oil gauge, but

as far as we’re aware, all of the refreshingly analogue buttons, knobs, switches, dials, levers and instruments do what they’re supposed to do without complaint, delay or dissent. 

There’s never much to reward someone peering into the engine bay of a 911, but what we can see looks to be reassuringly dry, tidy and everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides look solid, secure and sound to us.

Certainly, we’ve seen nothing to make us question the car’s integrity or character.

The car comes with its original service book, which is bristling with main dealer and marque specialist stamps up until 2009.

There are bills, invoices and receipts aplenty attesting to work carried out since - on the Isle of Man - and before 1998/9 when the car was living in the UK.

We know that it had a new clutch in 2014, which is only 4,000 miles ago.

Together, the paperwork paints a compelling picture of a car that has been diligently maintained and cared-for throughout its long life. 

It comes with its original manuals and service books and, as already stated, all the parts needed to complete its restoration.

The vendor is only selling it because home renovations are making other demands on his wallet.

He has done 90% of the heavy lifting to get the car ready for the last 10% - the bit where you come in, finish the job, and claim all the glory.

It’s a great example of a rightly revered model that’s as good as bomb-proof both in terms of its build quality and its long-term investment potential.

We think this is a great car and a fabulous project.

We’re confident to offer this fine car for auction with an estimate of £25,000 - £30,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.