MLK

I have an oppotunity to sell my 01 Boxster and p/u a 93 911 Carrera 2 Targa w/ 38,000 miles for $38-39000.00 from a dealer. First I am having trouble finding the specs on the car such as horsepower etc. Secondly, how is this car, and is it worth making the change. Finally the color is signal green. Will it be tough to re-sell? Thanks to all who respond.

JonSeigel

Hi:
I own a '93 C2 coupe and love it. The classic 964 problems (flywheel, oil leak, distributor)had all been taken care of by '93 (although not until the middle of the year for the distributor--but that's a cheap and easy fix). I thought about a Boxster and, although they are sweet handlers, there is *nothing* ike an air cooled 911. VROOM! However, $38,000-39,000 is a bit steep for a non-concours 964, even a '93 or '94, especially a Targa (although I like Targas, personally). If you do want to make a swap, I'd sell your Boxster privately for somewhere in the mid to high $30s, and buy an excellent condition '93 or '94 964 in the low $30s or maybe even in the high $20s if you are very lucky. You should be able to pocket $5000 or so on the swap (for upgrades, a rainy day fund, or a very nice gift for the wife).

Good luck,

Jon

P.S. Check out Rennlist's dedicated 964 site.

MarkY

And where might someone find an "excellent condition" '93 or '94 in the low 30s or high 20s? Low 30s? Maybe, if the seller is desperate.

You're definition of excellent must be a lot different than mine. Or you shop on another planet.

Bill Wagner

MLK:

Out of curiousity, why do you want to get rid of a brand new Boxster?

FWIW, the 964 has 247 HP @ 6100 RPM, 228 ft. lb. torque @ 4800 RPM, Single overhead cam, a weight of 3031 lb., it uses 205/55 ZR 16 tires in the front and 225/50 ZR 16 tires in the rear, has a top speed of 162 MPH, can go 0-60 MPH in 5.5 sec. and do a 1/4 mile from a dead stop in 13.9 seconds, it's equipped with ABS, it uses a dual distributor and 2 spark plugs/cylinder, and it has power steering. Those are MY interpretation of the highlights of the car.

Needless to say, the prices a dealership offers something at are almost always inflated by at least 10%.

Bill Wagner
'91C4

J-RAD

Personally (and I know I say this at the risk of being flamed), I wouldn't do it. I just don't like the styling of the early model 90's (964's) enough. If you were talking a 993, the story would be different. I would keep the Boxster. It's still a very fun car and who can knock the style? Like Bill asked, why do you want to get rid of a new Boxster?

MLK

I like the classic look of the car.

JonSeigel

JonSeigel

Yikes, screwed up the quote thing, but I would like to reply to Mark Y's response to my message. First, please spare me and others the insults, such as I "must live on another planet." All we are doing is providing our opinions. If you have the need to insult others with whom you disagree, please go elsewhere.

Second, I purchased my '93 C2 coupe, black on black with 75 miles for $29k--which is KBB trade in on the car as equipped. The car was in excellent condition--the only inperfections were a few stone chips and one minor door ding. Two months prior to purchase, the PO had done the 75k service and replaced the clutch at the same time (no flywheel problems with '93s). On the inspection report, the shop mentioned that the front brake pads would need replacement shortly and a few other odds and ends would also need to be done. I had the seller do these things as part of the deal. The only outstanding issue was that the turn signals would not automatically go off after completing a turn. No big deal. So, in short, you are wrong that an excellent (not perfect) car cannot be purchased at this price. Yes, I got a very good deal, but they are out there for those who are patient (yes, even on *this* planet). No, the seller was not desperate. He's a wealthy guy who did not want to waste a weekend or two showing the car to people in order to sell it for another $2-3k. There are quite a number of people like this in the Porsche world.

Drew_K

MLK, I agree with Jon in that $38-39K for a 93 C2 coupe with 38,000 miles is too high. Jon got an excellent deal on his car (congrats, BTW), but you would be very fortunate to find a similar deal considering Jon's car had twice as much mileage on it.

For the car you're looking at, take Jon's great deal of $29K, add a 10% premium for low miles, and this brings the price to about $32K. I would consider this to be a good deal for this car. This is about the price I paid last summer for my 92 C2 coupe with 36K miles. Up to about $35K is an okay price. For $38K, the car should be FLAWLESS- not a ding, scratch, chip, or wear in the interior, and you're getting pretty close to the 993 price range.

If you're patient, you may be able to find a seller like Jon's. What will work against you is that about twice as many 964's were sold in the US in 90 and 91 compared to 92-94, and there were significant mechanical updates made starting in 92. Fewer cars with updated mechanicals means a harder to find car at a higher price, and I think this is reflected in the market. If you look at the market prices for 964's, there is a disproportionate price jump from 91-92 compared to the other years.

Boxster vs 964? There really isn't a right answer, IMO. It really depends on what you want and what you intend to use the car for. I bet one test drive will pretty much decide it for you. The 964 is definitely a much more raw sports car.

nostatic

The $38K price from a dealer is not too suprising. Consider that they probably paid either high 20's or low 30's for the car (I'd be willing to bet around $29K). If the car is a recent addition to the lot, a 30% markup wouldn't suprise me at all. Offer them a couple thousand over what you think they paid and see what happens (most probably whining and gnashing of teeth..."we paid more than that").

Was the car a trade-in? Do they have the complete history? Often used cars at dealerships (Porsche included) are purchased at auction, and my sources indicate that a substatial number are bought on the cheap due to frame damage. The dealers then clean them up, mark them up, and sell them (they are not required to disclose frame damage). Cars with especially low mileage are most suspect...frankly I'd worry about a '93 with only 38K miles unless you have the complete history of the car. That mileage is not unheard of, is a bit low unless it was a weekend car.

MarkY

Mr. Jon:
Don't be so thin skinned and take things too personal. I didn't insult you and since I was replying to you, I sure didn't insult others. I didn't say that you live on another planet, I only said that you must shop on a different planet, a bit different.

Sounds like you got a very good deal. That is great. However, I stand by what I said. IMO, based on what you wrote, the car you bought was/is in very good shape. IMO, it is not a car that I would classify as excellent. That is just a difference of opinion, nothing wrong with that. That is what I meant when I said you and I must have a different opinion of "excellent".

No offense was meant or intended. If you feel you were insulted, I apologize.

Mark

JonSeigel

Apology accepted.

KLehmann

Pushover. Just KIDDING (somewhat).

Barry Schultz

How can someone only do their shopping on another planet and not live there?

Does not sound very efficient.

Randall G.

Hi MLK,

A lot of owners on the 964 board feel the same way. Some owners could have a 993, but prefer a 964. Similar to the 993 mechanically, with almost the same performance, but retains the classic front fenders.

Considering that a 964 will run 0-60 mph in 5.5s (Porsche's figure), and that you have a non-S Boxster, the 964 should feel noticeably faster to you. Also, Porsche did a nice job of making the Boxster sound air-cooled, but it can't match the real thing.

BTW, I'm guessing a '93 Targa is a fairly rare bird. (Not that it will necessarily be worth any more as a result. ) The last year for the Targa was '94, and I remember reading somewhere that Porsche only made 50 of 'em that year.