Is a 964 the car that I am looking for?

[Guest]

Absolutely newbie here. Any help greatly appreciated.

I am toying with the idea of a practical classic or a car that has more or less stopped depreciating. Reliability is very much high on the agenda. Driving enjoyment is also very high on the agenda. I would like to use it day in day out, but will not put too many miles. Perhaps 6-7k miles a year. Each trip is likely to be 10-15 miles, fastish A/B roads. I do want to use the car all year round. Parking at home and work is "˜safe'.

Looks are not that important to me, but my wife is keen on good looking cars (marital harmony is important!). I am in my mid thirties and wife is in her late twenties, no kids "" yet..

My "˜car' background is as follows. Current cars in the household are an Audi TT and an E46 320D. If I do buy, it will be replacing the TT. Prior to this, we went through a number of E46s, E39, Z3 and two W203s.

Questions:
Is a 964 a potential candidate for my requirements?
What sort of capital requirements will I be looking at (bearing in mind that I am aiming for minimal depreciation "" so should I buy the oldest in the best condition out there?)
What sort of service costs will I be looking at

Thanks in advance.

 

[chrono]

Welcome ceejay to the nutty world of Porsche ownership (potentially). It's so much fun. you'll never want to go back... []

I know I'm a 996 driver, but I'd go for the 993. More expensive, but boy do they look good and have that "classic" status already but without the age.

Could be a shy too much if the TT is designed to be a straight-ish swap.

[]

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

I'm a bit worried about a couple of things you mentioned. First, journeys of 10-15 miles ain't great. The 964 takes a fair while to warm up and it's only really just getting into it's stride after 10-15 miles. If you took it for a longer run now and again I'm sure it would be fine.

I was more worried about the comment "Looks are not important to me"!! That just doesn't sound like a 964 owner to me - you'll find a good number of 964 owners just take pleasure in looking at their car when they can't be driving it!!!

On a slightly more serious note, the 964 IS pretty reliable and, with the sort of mileage you're anticipating you should be able to get away with one decent service a year - cost alternating between £400 and £800 every other year. On top of that you've got tyres - probably every 2 - 3 years - and, of course, there is the unknown demon of "What shall I do to it now?" Add in the invariable fix here and there for the odd things that can go wrong and you've got a reasonable recipe for 964 ownership.

If you haven't driven one yet you'll find it a little "different" to an E46!! I've also got a 330i and they are like chalk and cheese. The BMW is like silk - the 964 more like toughened denim!! Both are very, very good at what they do - but the 964 just wants you to know about it more!!

Good luck with your search - you won't be disappointed.

Regards

Dave

 

[Guest]

Many thanks for the replies

I was more worried about the comment "Looks are not important to me"!! That just doesn't sound like a 964 owner to me - you'll find a good number of 964 owners just take pleasure in looking at their car when they can't be driving it!!!

What I meant to say was that my wife is more concerned about looks - not that looks are not important to me. Also, like I said I have only begun to explore the whole idea of a oldish Porsche.

I can see a forum member is selling his 964 for £17k. Is this the 'normal' going rate for the 964s in good condition.

What sort of mileages can the 964s give without needing major engine work? Bearing in mind any car is likely to have covered 120+k miles already, are there any specific hidden dangers in the near future that I should be aware of?

Last but not least (perhaps I shouldn't be asking this question on this forum), for a newbie like me and considering my type of usage, is a 968 a better bet? They seem to be whole lot cheaper, and I presume a whole lot cheaper to maintain. Would a purist say that to have owned a Porsche is to own a 911 of some incarnation?

 

[chrono]

ORIGINAL: ceejay

Last but not least (perhaps I shouldn't be asking this question on this forum), for a newbie like me and considering my type of usage, is a 968 a better bet? They seem to be whole lot cheaper, and I presume a whole lot cheaper to maintain. Would a purist say that to have owned a Porsche is to own a 911 of some incarnation?

No. I consider the 911 the "holy grail" of Porsche ownership, but whether you have a 924, 944, Boxster or Cayenne it doesn't matter - we're all mad for the badge and with that in mind, everyone gets my equal respect! []

 

[chrono]

Just noticed this.

http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=265410&mpage=1&key=&#265410

It looks a beauty for the money and mileage! []

 

[turbo jonny]

Looking at your wishes i would stress the importance of a good PPI and add that buying from an enthusiast who has owned the car for a long time is a plus.A 964 can be reliable but one with work needing doing can shock with big bills!Oh and your Porsche is only as reliable as its mechanic - find an good independent who knows the model.

 

[Guest]

Ceejay,

I have been running a 1989 964 C4 daily now for the last 8 months. I bought for £16k with 60,000 miles on the clock. I spent about £3k getting her perfect and wanted to make sure she was right for daily use. I drive 12 miles a day and then blast her over the weekend on a longish run. I have had NO problems so far and it is one of the best experiences I have had with performance cars to date ( i have had TVR's, Lotus ( or is loti?) ,Audi TT etc). The running costs have been okay. A small service at my local porche garage was £500 plus a small top up with oil.

Highly recommend a 964. I prefer the looks to a 993 ( less hippy at the back) the only niggle i have is with the understeer with my C4.

david

 

[Porker993]

Check out pistonheads - prices these days stretch from £9,000 for LHD to double that for something a bit special - low mileage/anniversary models etc. I'd be looking to spend something in between on a car with full history - and a pre purchase inspection, of course.

PS - who said 993s look "hippy" ?? Graceful curves more like.[]

 

[sailor]

Orgasmic in my case.

JohnC
993turbo

 

[Helen Goff]

ORIGINAL: ceejay

Absolutely newbie here. Any help greatly appreciated.

I am toying with the idea of a practical classic or a car that has more or less stopped depreciating. Reliability is very much high on the agenda. Driving enjoyment is also very high on the agenda. I would like to use it day in day out, but will not put too many miles. Perhaps 6-7k miles a year. Each trip is likely to be 10-15 miles, fastish A/B roads. I do want to use the car all year round. Parking at home and work is "˜safe'.

Looks are not that important to me, but my wife is keen on good looking cars (marital harmony is important!). I am in my mid thirties and wife is in her late twenties, no kids "" yet..

My "˜car' background is as follows. Current cars in the household are an Audi TT and an E46 320D. If I do buy, it will be replacing the TT. Prior to this, we went through a number of E46s, E39, Z3 and two W203s.

Questions:
Is a 964 a potential candidate for my requirements?
What sort of capital requirements will I be looking at (bearing in mind that I am aiming for minimal depreciation "" so should I buy the oldest in the best condition out there?)
What sort of service costs will I be looking at

Thanks in advance.

short answer to your questions is................YES. although not a huge amount of luggage space as an "only"car for stuff like taking things to the tip and the like.. if you need it to lugg loads then i'd recommend a 944

 

[Helen Goff]

ORIGINAL: generalbelgrano

Ceejay,

I have been running a 1989 964 C4 daily now for the last 8 months. I bought for £16k with 60,000 miles on the clock. I spent about £3k getting her perfect and wanted to make sure she was right for daily use. I drive 12 miles a day and then blast her over the weekend on a longish run. I have had NO problems so far and it is one of the best experiences I have had with performance cars to date ( i have had TVR's, Lotus ( or is loti?) ,Audi TT etc). The running costs have been okay. A small service at my local porche garage was £500 plus a small top up with oil.

Highly recommend a 964. I prefer the looks to a 993 ( less hippy at the back) the only niggle i have is with the understeer with my C4.

david

being a girl...i rather like the big arse look[] (makes myown look smaller[])but, have to say my 964 is wonderful...love the exhaust noise[8D]

 

[Steve Brookes]

I've owned a boxster for a while now and wanted another Porsche to go with it. PCGB friends took me out in both a 968 and a 964. The result was, I pick my 964 up on Saturday![]

Prices vary quite a lot but I went for a high mileage, lots and lots of service history car in GP white which meant that I got a bargain and saved some cash for looking after it. I highly recommend you get someone to take you for a spin in one. I am sure you will find the whole experience, particular the noise of the engine, highly addictive![8D]

 

[richardheeley]

Personally I would go for a 993 in your situation. It's actually cheaper to maintain that a 964.

I may have been unlucky, but the 964 that I had cost me an absolute fortune to look after. Mind you, even a Boxster and a Cayman later I do still miss the character of the 964.

 

[sbloxxy]

Perhaps the biggest potential concern is that after driving new-ish cars - like your TT - the 964 will be a bit of a culture shock. Compared to modern cars, they are kind of primitive (iffy heater, engine needs to be thoroughly hot to be at its best, etc). My Jaguar X-type diesel starts perfectly, runs perfectly (hot or cold), has a perfect climate control system, uses no oil, is perfectly reliable, looks really nice - and is still quite boring. My 964 is still probably the most exciting car I have owned but is a bit of an animal; Its loud - my neighbours complain that when its ticking over on my drive, it makes the windows of their house vibrate, courtesy of my de-cat exhaust. It also demands 100% concentration to drive quickly, especially in the wet. These foibles are part of its attraction and it is the most rewarding car to own but I think a thorough test drive is essential.
Certainly hasn't been expensive by the way.
Good luck with your search.
Good luck

 

[Steve Brookes]

ORIGINAL: ceejay

I am toying with the idea of a practical classic or a car that has more or less stopped depreciating. Reliability is very much high on the agenda. Driving enjoyment is also very high on the agenda. I would like to use it day in day out, but will not put too many miles. Perhaps 6-7k miles a year. Each trip is likely to be 10-15 miles, fastish A/B roads

As already mentioned above that's only just enough to warm it up (hence my test drive was nearer 25 miles[8D]). But don't worry, I am sure you will be able to find a longer route to work[].

 

[polar964]

From one newbie to another. (964 owner since October last year) For me first and fore most it had to be a 911 (a dream since child hood). Then the question was which one ! How much did i have to spend and which model and most importantly the condition would this allow me to buy. I spoke to a number of different people from 964 owners to reputable independant specialists also visiting their premises. Once i had armed myself with as much info as i could i started to look.
Obviously the car has got to appeal to you. Look at condition, service record, that it is complete and by Porsche dealer or reputable independant specialist, bills and receipts gives an idea as to what has been done and how much the car has been looked after; complete MOT certificates (mileage check/guide), i used mine as a check against the mileage on the service record; number of owners, not necessarily an issue but as some one else pointed out can give an indication as to whether the car has been owned by an enthusiast. Remmeber when these cars were new they were over 60k and in their early years possibly bought by people with alot of cash and who may well have changed for a newer model each year .... take it for a drive, make sure it's right for you... and before you buy have it independantly inspected by a reputable SPECIALIST. As i was told there are alot out there, make sure you choose the right one! good luck.

Paul

1993 - 964 Carrera 2 in Polar Silver
Absolute Awesome motor .... the Dogs Watsits !!!! to drive and look at!
Drive your passion .. drive a Porsche!

 

[sawood12]

The budget you set yourself should determine the model in that you should buy on condition and condition only - a bad 993 will be far more costly to run and give you far more headaches than a good 964. Obviously if your budget stretches well into the 993 bracket you'll be fine in finding a good 993 but if your budget is around the top end of the 964 and bottom end of the 993 brackets you might be better off with the 964.

 

[Fen]

Forget about a 968; unless you really want one you'd be better with a 944 S2 for 1/2 to 2/3 the money. In terms of a 964 I'm almost tempted to use mine every day, it's certainly capable. I didn't want a 993 because it's too much of a dilution of the "real" 911 shape in my eyes. In fact I wanted an older one, but they are too rusty these days so the 964 was a compromise. I do sometimes miss the anarchic layout of the earlier car's warning lights etc. The 964 will feel raw compared with a TT, but (and no offence) the TT isn't a sports car.