944turbo vs 968 what to buy? advice please!

[pauljmcnulty]

ORIGINAL: Neil Haughey

ORIGINAL: Big Dave UK

Neil
I didnt say they dont rust, they just dont seem as prone to it as the 944,s...

Certainly not aimed at you Dave. ISTR several years ago the same was said about the 944 S2 and turbo. Basically just seems to be age related, I expect to see many 968's with rusty cills in the coming years. The cill and bottom of the rear quarter rusts from the inside out on series 2 944 shells, the 968 seems to be the same and I can't really see any reason why it wouldn't. The one good thing though is that all that plastic on the 968 does stop the bottom of all the arches getting stone chipped to death and rusting through. I don't really understand why they didn't just make the drain hole at the end of the cill much bigger and or point it down rather then back, or better still have a series of drain holes in the bottom of the cill. IMHO the problem is caused by dampness in that area not escaping, mine was actually full of dirt, it took me about 2 hours to clean out both sides, was a bit of a PITA really but has to be done.

Something else I forgot to say earlier, do you like elephant ears or aero mirrors? I love the aero or cup mirrors as some call them. I know many ppl will not like to admit to it but a lot of the 968 vs 944 thing does come down to looks.

2 things. Firstly the mirrors, if I change the car I won't be swapping the mirrors. Driving Peter Empson's 944S was a revelation to me, the field of vision from the flag mirrors is just in another league. To be fair, I'm a van driver during the day so I'm both reliant on and used to big side mirrors, but this a one case where I'm going to put real-life practicality over looks. Much the same as I do with the old beer-versus-belly dilemma we 40-somethings have to think about. [&o]

Rusty sills? Of course the 968 will corrode in the same areas as the 944 as they share the same design. Of course 968s aren't yet as rusty as 944s because they are younger, but only by a couple of years in the case we're talking about here, the S2 over the 968 as opposed to buying a turbo.

Every Porsche approaching 20 years old will need serious consideration given to it's bodywork. Did anyone read the article on the 928 with masses of structural rot last month? If you don't want to worry about rust buy a new car and lose £000s each year in depreciation. These cars will cost a lot to keep on the road over the coming years, but even the worst case restoration of a 944/968 will result in a better car than the Mondeo that will cost the same in real terms over, say, ten years?

I'd suggest that the skirts on a 968 might be hiding the blistering sills that is often the first sign of rot in a 944. That just means popping the vent and having a look, and that access helps to easily protect the sills. One thing to think about is that the design of all those vents airs the sills if the car is regularly driven. Garage queens might be liable to suffer worse corrosion if damp is trapped for weeks on end in a warm environment. As I said, buying the best car is far more sensible than getting hung up on whether you prefer the look of the headlights on a 968 or an S2.

 

[sawood12]

Lets not forget that 968's were made in much smaller numbers than 944's and due to that they have held their value better and as a result they have been molly coddled much more so than 944's and have not been exposed to winter salt and road debris that 944's have. However that said it is also a myth that if you use the car regularly then it will disintegrate in front of your eyes. I've had mine for 5 yrs now and is a semi-daily driver throughout the year and according to the three specialists who I use it is one of the most solid and rust free cars they've seen. I've Waxoiled the usual places and had to do some minor cosmetic bodywork due to stone chips, but the sills and wing bottoms are clean as a whistle - and I certainly don't wash my car that often. I think the key is to use the car - which afterall is what they were designed for. If it gets wet the worst thing you can do is shut it up in a garage. The sills are designed to have air flowing through them so if they get wet it is essential you drive the car to dry the sills out - or the water doesn't dry and just sits in the sill and munches away at the metal.

Glad to hear concours judges are downgrading cars for looking too clean and perfect. I often think that alot of concours cars look better than they did the day they rolled off the production line - which is sort of defeating the object surely? They should introduce a rule that says you have to cover at least 5000miles inbetween competitions! These cars are like fine wines - what good is a bottle of expensive fine wine if you don't crack it open and drink the stuff. It's just a waste otherwise!

 

[apw2512]

I'm nearly sure that I saw that registration on a little white Beetle at a classic car show here in N. Ireland last weekend

 

[Mr968]

Scott, you seem to be suggesting that a concours car can't also be used for more than 5000 miles, my own car is used for well over 5000 a year and also does track days so nobody can say that I don't use it like it should be used, but it was still downgraded for things like the seats looking too new, this is the reason I decided no longer to enter events, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Like many I would spend a day(or 2) preparing the car for an event to make it the best it can be. I don't mind not getting points for the preparation not being good enough but to be downgraded because the preparation is too good is just idiotic. Surely the effort put into preparation should be rewarded rather than penalised. Anyway that's all off topic.[]

 

[Big Dave]

Stu.
Just curious.
When was the last track you did,,, In the 968.???

 

[Mr968]

for what purpose do you want that information

 

[Big Dave]

No "purpose" at all.
Just curious.....
As i havnt seen or heard of you doing any recently..... But thats not to say you havnt....
Like i say, just curious...

PS, why are you so "defensive/mysterious" for want of better words..????

 

[Mr968]

because from past experience you usually have a hidden agenda and I have no reason to get into a conversation that will end in a lot of wasted time

 

[lali]

Step away from the handbags and play nice!!

IIRC Stu, wern't you at the PSCGB Donnington Sunday last year?

 

[Mr968]

for insurance purposes I would be reluctant to put anything in writing [][]

 

[Mr968]

Just in case anybody in the register is wondering, I am so busy at work at the moment and have been moving around on business quite a lot so I am not contactable at the office most days now. This is the reason that I have not been very PUBLICLY active. I still use the 968(on and off the track) but it tends to be just when I can get some time in the car at short notice.
e.g. last 7 days,
friday - Cheshire to sussex and kent, then back to sussex, until monday in cornwall then back to cheshire but out of the office until today.

Saw a horizon blue 968 cabriolet going northbound on the M1 on Friday at 2:30pm, anybody on here? I'll post it on 968uk as well.

Hopefully next year I will be able to start organising some more events as it seems to have died off a bit this year. I was hoping to be able to just 'dip in' to events rather than do the organising myself.

 

[Big Dave]

ORIGINAL: Mr968

because from past experience you usually have a hidden agenda and I have no reason to get into a conversation that will end in a lot of wasted time

As far as im concerened thats dead + buried...Water under the bridge etc,etc..
Lifes WAY too short for all that "palaver"....