BUYERS’ GUIDE: PORSCHE CARRERA CLUB SPORT
Buying Porsche’s lightweight CS
It took Porsche many years to build a successor to the original ’73 2.7 RS, but in 1987 it came close with the 911 Carrera Club Sport, based heavily on the Carrera 3.2. This purists’ machine was the cheapest in the range and flew under the radar for many years. Now, though, in keeping with its lighweight status, it’s flying
Probably one of the first things those new to classic Porsches will learn is that in Autumn 1972 the carmaker unveiled the 911 Carrera 2.7 RS, featuring a 210bhp, 2.7-litre engine and weight-saving measures unprecedented for a road car, including thinner glass and body panels, nominal carpets and the removal of the rear seat. A run of 500 for race homologation was planned – until the avalanche of orders burst in, resulting in production more than trebling that.
What may be less widely appreciated is that it took Porsche 14 years to build a successor to the show-stopping original RS, and when it came it adopted a new title, “CS” (Club Sport), however the (usually) white paintwork, red script along the side and the red wheels were a tribute to the original. Porsche didn’t say much about the badging at the time, but the logic seems to have been that it was a car made for track use (trackdays as we now know them didn’t exist back then), rather than one homologating a race car.
At the time the 911 Carrera Club Sport slipped under the radar, Porsche mounting little fanfare for its arrival in September 1987, indeed more or less blending the announcement in with that of 1988 model year tweaks to the 924S, 944, and targa and cabriolet versions of the 911 Turbo. For some years it did not have a value appreciably higher than a regular Carrera 3.2, some even writing it down for its lack of creature comforts; it was priced at £36,000 when it appeared on Porsche’s UK price list in August 1987, actually the cheapest 911 available.
But in the last decade it has come to be regarded as very special, and if not in the same league as the hallowed RS, it commands £150,000, values also spurred on by the general rise in air-cooled 911 prices. In fact it’s little different to a regular Carrera 3.2, which has its known mechanical and bodily weak points, so if you are going to spend all that cash on one, here is what you need to be aware of.
DESIGN, ENGINEERING
The exterior of the 911 Carrera Club Sport – white with red script on the doors – was certainly in the RS tradition. So was the interior, which lacked a rear seat, central locking, electric front seats and windows, sound insulation, and radio (all of which saved around 50kg).
But the only specification changes to the 911’s 3.2-litre flat-six were revised engine management and induction: hollow intake
valves were fitted, and a modified engine management control allowed the air-cooled, flat-six 3.2-litre engine to be revved to 6840rpm rather than to the normal 6500rpm limit. All components were “blueprinted”, and a CS engine can be identified by the “SP” stamped into the crankcase.
The engine changes didn’t increase output, which remained at 228bhp and 210lb ft, although Porsche said the Club Sport accelerated more quickly, 0–62mph down from the regular Carrera 3.2’s 6.1sec to 5.9sec. Top speed remained the same, at 152mph.
It ran stiffened suspension, 16- rather than 15-inch wheels (six-inch wide at the front and with 205/55 tyres, and seven-inch rears, with 225/50s), while the feeling of added tautness was enhanced by a shortened gearshift and also solid engine mounts, as on the 911 Cabriolet. In the original specification, weight-saving measures included leaving off the PVC rustproofing from the underside, hence the anticorrosion warranty was cut from 10 to two years. However Alan Cordery, of the Club Sport Register at Porsche Club Great Britain says Porsche had a change of heart. ‘We think the first five or six into Britain were not undersealed, but chassis six onwards were undersealed,’ he said.
Peel away the hype surrounding the Club Sport, and the truth is that it feels very like any other Carrera 3.2 of the late 1980s. A little bit tauter all round, slightly noisier and more basic feeling due to the lack of central locking and electric windows. But being an air-cooled 911, it’s an addictive experience, with the screaming engine, communicative steering, and gearshift and floor pivoting pedals that require full concentration for harmonious operation. In this form it is perhaps the ultimate air-cooled 911 experience.
AVAILABILITY AND PRICES
Production was during two model seasons, from August 1987 until September 1989, and is believed to have totalled 340, with 53 of these right-hand-drive for the UK. The survival rate has been remarkable, in the mid 2000s 52 cars were on the Club Sport Register, and the whereabouts of the other one known. ‘There are less than 52 cars on the register now, but we assume they still exist somewhere,’ says Alan, a Club Sport owner. ‘Many cars have been bought by collectors and tucked away, so rarely come out to play. I’m aware that two cars were exported to Australia, and one to Hong Kong.’
Although Grand Prix White is the colour associated with Club Sports, other colours were available. According to Alan, one UK car came in Guards Red with white graphics, and colours for European and US cars were Dark Blue, Diamond Blue metallic, Black, Silver, Gulf Blue, Yellow and Irish Green. The Fuchs alloys were painted red, black or white, and interiors were black, blue or burgundy cloth or black leatherette; leather wasn’t an option.
Determining the exact value of Club Sports is tricky because so few come up for sale, and some sellers’ asking prices are clearly over ambitious. ‘In the last few years I’ve never seen one sell for more than £200,000 and I’ve never seen one sell for less than £150,000,’ Alan comments. However it’s only in the last five years that
values have been so hot, a trend revealed by Alan’s price tracking since 2010.
His file of advertisement cuttings show that in 2010 the typical asking price was around £50,000. The next year it was closer to £60,000 and in 2012 he noted a £66,000 price. Prices went through the roof in 2013 when a 19,800-mile car was reported sold by a Porsche Centre for £105,000, while in 2015 London-based premium classic dealer Hexagon advertised a 40,900-mile example for £179,995. In that year supercar specialist Top 555 in Leicestershire asked £249,950 for a 6521mile car.
However, the highest price Alan has spotted since then has been £199,000 for a car on ebay last September. And sellers’ expectations can be shown to be too high: in December 2016 auctioneer Bonhams offered a 48,342-mile car expecting between £180,000 and £220,000 but did not find a buyer.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: IS IT THE REAL THING?
The first step is to check that the Carerra Club Sport you are looking at is actually what it’s claimed to be, and not a “tribute”. ‘The VIN and engine number will prove this,’ advises Mark Peters of specialist Precision Porsche in Uckfield in East Sussex, which looks after a number of Club Sports. For the 1988 model year the chassis numbers are WP0ZZZ91HS105001 to 05300, and for the 1989 model year WP0ZZZ91JS105001 to 05300, he tells us.
‘Check the VIN and engine numbers are the same as on the V5C, the service and maintenance book and the identification sticker on the vehicle, as well as on any service invoices,’ Mark adds. ‘Call your local Porsche dealer or specialist and get them to check that the paperwork ties up with the car.’
ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION
Identical to the normal Carrera 3.2 engine apart from its tuning, the dry-sumped unit suffers that model’s well known problems. At anything over 100,000 miles it is likely to need a partial rebuild, at which point it will be smoking, particularly on the overrun. Some Porsche specialists offer a rebuild package, for example removing the cylinder barrels, renewing the seals at the base of the cylinder liners, fitting new piston rings and checking the valve guides and oil seals.
‘Before buying, have a “leak down” compression test carried out, and check for broken cylinder studs, particularly where the car has been stored in humid climate,’ Mark advises. It’s also likely that nuts securing the exhaust heat exchangers to the engine will be corroded on, which can substantially increase the labour charge for fitting a new exhaust.
It’s important to establish in how many places this famously leak-prone engine is oozing black liquid. ‘Check carefully for oil leaks,’ Mark recommends, ‘particularly looking at the valve covers, the timing cover, the timing chain housing, the engine crankcase breather cover, the cylinder bolt O-rings, and the rear main flywheel crank pulley seal.’
Leaks aside, the engine breather hoses may have cracked with age, and the oil tank to cooler ‘S’ hose age hardened, while
the fuel hose across the engine could have deteriorated. The engine mounts settle, causing the large washers to rub on the metal outer part of the mount.
TRANSMISSION
All Club Sports have the later, G50 fivespeed gearbox with an hydraulic rather than cable clutch, and this is generally reliable, though watch out for synchromesh wear. ‘If the limited slip differential clutches wear, this can affect handling,’ Mark points out.
SUSPENSION
Shock absorbers lose effectiveness, fluid and/or gas leaks causing a noticeable drop off in handling. Mark suggests a particular check: ‘It’s unlikely for such a rare car, but it’s as well to ensure that the Bilstein gas shock absorbers have not been replaced with standard items.’ The rubbers in the anti-roll bar links to the chassis are prone to wearing out.
Suspension top mounts can wear, allowing play between the strut and body; this can usually be felt when driving. Worn steering parts can cause unequal tyre wear, and steering and handling problems.
BRAKES, WHEELS AND TYRES
Most Club Sports spend a lot of time in storage, resulting in seized brake calipers, causing the brakes to stick. If you can’t push the car, at least one caliper is affected. Tyres may be past their sell by date: ‘Always check the dates of the tyres, using the code on the sidewall,’ Mark says. If they’re more than five or six years old, it’s time to change them.’
BODYWORK
Most Club Sports have covered lower mileages than regular Carerra 3.2s, but the lack of underseal means corrosion is a distinct possibility, particularly in the “kidney bowls” either side of the underside that provide chassis strengthening. ‘Underbody cleaning and treatment with a wax chemical such as Tectyl ML, Wurth or Dinitrol is a good idea,’ Mark says. Other rust spots are the wings under the headlamps, the fuel filler on the front wing, which rusts on the surface where the filler mouth is located, the fuel tank itself, the metal just below the windscreen, the B-posts around the door latch striker plate, and the metal around the rear lamps.
Door fittings can be bothersome: ‘You may find worn door hinges, which are meant to be lubricated during service work,’ Mark explains. ‘Door locks can be stiff, lack of use or lubrication being the usual cause. Depending on mileage, door window regulator and guides can wear, and the door window felt seal can split.’
VERDICT
The 911 Carrera Club Sport is a legend, but at the same time little different from a normal 911 from the late 1980s. You would have to be a 911 connoisseur to tell it apart, and can more noise and a harder ride be virtues? But that’s probably irrelevant, because it’s no longer a car to enjoy, but one to lock up as an investment. And as an investment, it’s probably one of the best aircooled 911s to buy, even with prices now well into six figures. PW