So what next....

[timbarber]

Like many of us 964RS owners, I am using my car less and less. I worry more about whether it will continue to be a fantastic investment than siting behind the wheel and driving it. I'm fortunate to have other toys to play with and while it's an appreciating asset, it seems to make sense to keep it. I've had a bit of work done to restore the paintwork and to ensure it's corrosion free before looking at putting it away in secure storage. Now of course it's looking so good, I'm asking myself how I can be considering stopping using her and locking her away in the dark. If anyone's interested I'll pull her out on a sunny day and take a few pictures, but I've embedded one with this post taken just before she left the paintshop. Are we all in the same dilemma, or are others considering other options?

 

[Steve Brookes]

Nice pic of your great car Tim. I'm glad I got to experience it from the passenger seat while you were still happy to chuck it around a slippy Oulton Park RS day. Hopefully that won't be the last time! []

 

[h_____]

Nah! no plans to sell or really use less. To be honest, I only really used mine on track. Living abroad doesnt help, but trackdays and hopefully racing seem the life it will lead now.

Paint looks nice Tim.

 

[Yoda]

Use it. You can always repaint / refresh it again but you'll regret not having driven the car at some stage.

 

[Hacki]

ORIGINAL: timbarber

Like many of us 964RS owners, I am using my car less and less. I'm fortunate to have other toys to play

Same here. But I´m still driving her from time to time. No intention to sell, she´s almost 23 years in my hands. The fun on the open roads is history now, too much traffic and speed traps. So, it´s some mild hooliganism and occasionally (rarely) a track day. Knowing this car is a good investment is fun, but as long as life doesn´t force me to sell she´ll be a keeper.

ORIGINAL: timbarber

while it's an appreciating asset, it seems to make sense to keep it.

Yes!

ORIGINAL: timbarber

Now of course it's looking so good, I'm asking myself how I can be considering stopping using her and locking her away in the dark.

Maybe she´ll get a place, where you can see her? E. g. the living room?[] Or a garage with a big window? Seeing her on a sunny day means taking her out for a ride.....

So, my option is : Keep her, drive her (less and in a different way, but still in anger sometimes), store her so that I can see the car and enjoy!

 

[Burzel]

Get it out and spank it again,or let spud borrow it for a season,hope you are well.

 

[Barty964rst]

Tim,
My best ever laps were in the passenger seat of your car at the Ring and Spa. Realisation of how great the 964 RS is, IF you can peddle it at pace. If you want to relive a lap with Tim type this in to you tube 'Porsche 964RS Ring Lap'
A great car! Still looks amazing as well!

 

[timbarber]

Hey Paul, lend it to Spud - are you mad [&:]

ORIGINAL: Burzel

Get it out and spank it again,or let spud borrow it for a season,hope you are well.

Thanks all for your thoughts and feedback.

I'm lucky to have been able to drive my 64RS on the Nordschleife and at Spa on numerous occasions over the years and learn the circuits well enough to put in some respectable lap times. The 64RS felt as though it had been designed with the Ring in mind and is its spiritual home in my opinion. These days the opportunity to drive at the Ring as we did ten or more years ago has gone, with it nigh impossible to get insurance for track days and the risks you have to accept if you use it on public days. []

Fortunately it is still relatively easy to drive at Spa on well organised track days, but I'm not good enough (or perhaps brave enough []) to push the 64RS round there at its limits. I remember a Spa visit back in 2007/8 being approached by a someone I'd not previously met who was enthralled by the car and pestered me for a few passenger laps. I obliged and we did three of four laps (lapping between 2' 55" & 3') with a couple of sage suggestions coming from the passenger seat in the latter laps.

When we returned to the pits, it transpired that my passenger was none other than Richard Williams, a Porsche Supercup driver from that era. With my heart in my mouth and knowing that I wouldn't be covered by insurance if anything happened, I asked him whether he'd like to do a few laps with me as passenger. We were on the pace from the first lap and for much of the first two or three laps my overriding emotion was one of terror []. Richard was reeducating me in what the car was capable of doing, and in a car I thought I knew well, that was quite an unsettling experience! Then my nerves began to settle and I was able to enjoy and watch in awe as Richard threw the car into corners at unimaginable speeds and manhandle it perfectly through the apex and on.

We returned to the pits after a total of six or so laps with Richard effusing over how great the earlier cars were compared to their modern counterparts. It was a humbling experience, but one I will remember. With the 996 GT3RS I now share and race in the Porsche Club Speed Championship, I have a very capable RS to use at Spa without having to risk using the 64RS. It will also be the GT3RS that gets taken up to Oulton again for this year's March RS track day event.

In the meantime, I think my 64RS has a pampered retirement to look forward to, although I can't see my wife agreeing to keeping her in the living room! []

ORIGINAL: Hacki

Maybe she´ll get a place, where you can see her? E. g. the living room? Or a garage with a big window? Seeing her on a sunny day means taking her out for a ride.....

 

[ian harvey]

What a great little story. I had a similar experience last July with Dan Gannon at Spa albeit in his car, not mine. It took a while to settle down, realise that he knew exactly what he was doing and enjoy the ride. It was fantastic and, as you say, humbling.

Dan is very modest and would probably point out that he would be nowhere near as fast as a Cup driver but he certainly seemed incredibly fast and approached corners at amazing speeds/angles, all calmly collected to perfection. I never timed him so I cannot comment on his lap times.

I appreciate that this is slightly sensitive but one or two people sat in with Dan who had previously had the privilege of doing so with Sean Edwards and I've often wondered how they compared. In fairness to Dan this is very high reference point so no offence intended to him or anyone that was close to Sean.

Ian

 

[rs phil]

I still remember olaf manthey pedaling my rs around the ring on one of their private trackdays,,,great memory my rs was on michelin cups on super hot day....will never be done again unfortunately due to values today

 

[Laurence Gibbs]

Tim , was it this Richard Williams
http://racecam.de/index.php?lang=en&site=fahrer&id=618&sid=18

 

[timbarber]

Hi Laurence

Didn't think I'd remember his face, but yes that's him. Well found!

ORIGINAL: rs phil

I still remember olaf manthey pedaling my rs around the ring on one of their private trackdays,,,great memory my rs was on michelin cups on super hot day....will never be done again unfortunately due to values today

Yup, that would be up there too Phil - I remember doing something similar with Sabine Schmitz []. Such a shame neither of us had the video camera running...

 

[oldtimer]

ORIGINAL: timbarber

Are we all in the same dilemma, or are others considering other options?

I was in that dilemma 3 years ago , when values were high but about half what they are now but still too high to use the car in the way that I bought it for and feel comfortable . I sold and replaced it with another 964 adapted for sprint purpose . In the hands of a slow driver like myself there is not a lot of difference in the driving of the 2 cars beyond the RHD power assist steering vs the LHD non power assist so I did not miss the RS or the loss of further asset appreciation. The cars look the same from the inside and the outside bar the colour scheme and badging . They both dreamed of having track wheels fitted once the winter hibernation was over []

You already have a competition car or two that can be used for trackdays so no need to use your 964RS for its design purpose [].

Leave it in storage , fetch it out for social runs eg with the L90 show cars , keep checking the HAGI index for asset appreciation...

 

[rs phil]

ORIGINAL: timbarber

Hi Laurence

Didn't think I'd remember his face, but yes that's him. Well found!

ORIGINAL: rs phil

I still remember olaf manthey pedaling my rs around the ring on one of their private trackdays,,,great memory my rs was on michelin cups on super hot day....will never be done again unfortunately due to values today

Yup, that would be up there too Phil - I remember doing something similar with Sabine Schmitz []. Such a shame neither of us had the video camera running...

Yes Tim a shame!! But Martin does have a photo of myself in passenger seat with olaf pedalling !! On 964rsdatabase

 

[rs phil]

ORIGINAL: oldtimer

ORIGINAL: timbarber

Are we all in the same dilemma, or are others considering other options?

I was in that dilemma 3 years ago , when values were high but about half what they are now but still too high to use the car in the way that I bought it for and feel comfortable . I sold and replaced it with another 964 adapted for sprint purpose . In the hands of a slow driver like myself there is not a lot of difference in the driving of the 2 cars beyond the RHD power assist steering vs the LHD non power assist so I did not miss the RS or the loss of further asset appreciation. The cars look the same from the inside and the outside bar the colour scheme and badging . They both dreamed of having track wheels fitted once the winter hibernation was over []

You already have a competition car or two that can be used for trackdays so no need to use your 964RS for its design purpose [].

Leave it in storage , fetch it out for social runs eg with the L90 show cars , keep checking the HAGI index for asset appreciation...

Your old rs is in a very nice collection!! []