944 Hooligan

hi all,

it's been awhile since my last post (not counting the computer war) seeing as how i have been porsche-less for some time now. things have changed financially, and i have started "browsing" the classifieds and considering putting a porsche back into my life.

i would like to move up from the s that i owned to one of the models posted in the topic title. i was hoping some owners out there that have owned/driven at least two of the cars i mentioned could feed me some info about maintenance differences and costs, driving differences, etc.

i have seen a few nice 968 cabriolets, but i am still a little unsure how i feel about owning a convertible. i would really like to hear how some cab owners feel about their cars, escpecially if they went from a coupe.

thanks everyone.

uli953

In the new "911&porsche world" issue there is a comparison of 3.2 C1 targa with the 944 S2 cabrio

In my opinion, it say´s the truth

Doug&Julie

If you can only get one....go with the 911, if only because you have experienced the four bangers. My first Pcar was an '88 944 n/a. Great car. Owned it for over five years and put over 100k on it. I sold it when I bought a 911 (same one I have now). I've bought and sold a few other 911s and will always want to have one in my stable. I honestly can't say I've ever gone back to wanting another 944. I've considered it...but never WANTed it. I think that's the difference.

I would try to get the latest 911 in your range, especially if you can get one with a G50 trans. Smooth. Of course, get the best example...thorough PPI...blah blah blah.

My $.02.

P.S. I anxiously await the new 911 & Porsche World to read this article! We tend to be about a month behind here in the states, even with a subscription.

adsc4s

I had a 964 cab prior to my current 993 C4S. The cab was a lot of fun with the top down. The sun, sound and shape were stunning. IMHO, I do not think a cab would be a great daily driver in rain/snow. The top may leak and it is noisy at any speed. Fun factor is a 10. Practicality is a 3.

John in Norcal

My vote is:

1) 911
2) 951
3) 968

Nothing beats the fun factor of a 911. I owned a 993 prior to my 996 and while I love my 996, I just recently picked up an '87 Targa because I miss the raw, edgy feel of the old school air-cooled 911s. No matter which year and model, you never get tired of driving a 911.

The 951 would be my second choice. My first two Porsches were an '86 and '87 951. IMO, you cannot compare a N/A 944 to a 951. With some simple bolt-on mods, a 951 can run 300hp safely. Add a turbo upgrade and you can reach 400 hp+. The acceleration you can achieve on a modded 951 is the best performance bang for the buck out there. The only drawback is a little turbo lag. But at speed, a modded 951 is a rocketship. Just like the 911, the 951 is a super fun car to own although maintenance cost is VERY high.

I cannot say anything about the 968 since I've never owned one. I did own a Boxster at one point but I sold it after only 3 months. While the Boxster was a very balanced and well engineered car, it didn't do anything for me in terms of fun factor. I think that's where the 968 may fall short when compared to a 911 or 951.

Good luck with whichever choice you make!

g-50cab

87-89 911 and don't look back. Simple to work on - bullet proof engine. Easy to get 200K on an engine, even if driven hard - look for maintenance and records and of course a ppi yada yada yada.

87 is the start of the G-50 transmission and hydraulic clutch - a worth while upgrade IMO.

cab&coupe

Jason,

Count me as another vote for the 87- 89 Carrera Cabriolet. While the rag top can be an item of care and wear, if taken care of one of these topless beauties will give you years of simles for the miles. There's just something about open air driving in a 911

Good luck and good hunting.

944 Hooligan

thanks for all the info everyone, funny how this topic has received more responses here than on the 944 board...

anyway, are the operating costs associated with the 911's similar to what i was paying with my 944?

say for example the expensive 30K and 60K service update, clutch costs, etc?

i can see spending slightly more on a nice 911 if the operating costs over time are lower than those of a 951/968. catch what i am saying?

thanks again!

fluid15

Ditto. The experience of hearing that air-cooled engine behind you when the top is down is hard to describe, and difficult to beat. The top down experience is fantastic. For the track you can't beat a coupe. But for the street, back-country, mountainside enjoyment the cabriolet is the right choice.

If you want to bypass any finicky cab motors, search for a manual top. That was recommended to me when I was searching and I lucked out and found one. Mine was an '87 so I had the G50 and hydraulic clutch to go with it. That car would be 16 yrs old if I still had it and I know it would provide just about the same fun-factor as my 993. Pure driving enjoyment.

On the flip side, I agree with Adscab911 - if you're using it as a daily driver in harsh conditions (snow, rain) there are specific attributes you need to consider.

uli953

I would not overstress the G-50 gearbox. The older 915 is good as well and to repair a clutch cost only half the money than the hydraulic operated G-50 clutch .

Doug&Julie

Mid 80's Carreras are probably the cheapest Porsches to own and maintain (not counting the "new" cars). If you buy a good example, probably $1k - $2k a year unless you do your own maintenance. In the five and a half years of owning the 944, I spent around $14k in service and maintenance. (Granted, I had a valve job done, and couldn't do much on my own but change bulbs, but...)

Even though I recommend the G50, I would also agree that the 915 in the Carreras isn't that bad. I had an '84 with 75k+ miles on it and don't remember it ever being a problem. The G50 is just smoother, especially if you have to spend a lot of your day in traffic.

Doug H

I agree with John in Norcal, I love my 996, but there is something about driving that 87 - 89 or older range of 911s that cannot be beat. I recently bought an 88 911 cab to be a garage queen. I, however, cannot stay out of that car because it is so fun to drive and I am driving much more than I intended or anticipated. Cabs are great, but they are hot, a bit loud and etc. I do drive the 996 on really hot days due to AC. Its is great dropping the top and going for a spin though when the sun is going down and it is cool out.

fluid15

I believe the U.S. '87-89 Carrera also had a bump in hp from 200-217. Not much, but thought I'd mention it.

Stuttgart951

Jason,

I owned a 951 before I bought my 88 as a replacement. Since I dont have any 968 experience, Ill just sompare the previous two;

87 951 - mildly modified. Bought the car in 1998 with ~70K miles, near perfect paint, near perfect interior, near perfect mechanicals. I ended up having to throw a clutch in it - that was the major expense, and I did alot of preventative maint - water pump, belts, rollers, etc. I had an unfortunate incedent with a bad ground in the bell housing that fried my computer - that cost a pretty penny as I went through 3 shops before the problem was found.

The car was easy to drive, very balanced, and compared to my Carrera, VERY fast. The brakes were excellent and the car itself was comfortable.

88 911 - stock (so far). Bought in January of 2003, I spend around $150 to diagnose and replace a bad injector. Thats been my only problem thus far. The car was purchased with 97K miles and currently has 102K miles. Its used an 'almost' daily driver. I have much more confidence in the 911 as a daily driver as it just feels more solid and Im not worried about things constantly breaking as I was with the 951. The design is much simpler and there is much less that can go wrong.

Its much slower than the 951 in the acceleration department, and is more difficult to drive at the limit, but after my first DE in the car, I learned to appreciate the handling attributes (problems if you talk to some) of the rear engine setup (although it still scares the **** out of me).

Bottom line - I do miss the boost of the 951 and will probably end up buying another one at some point in the future, but were the 951 is a remarkably fast and capable performer, the 911 is a 911. Theres just 'something' about it. The 951 will do just about everything better, but you will pay for it in maint costs - the maint costs were the primary reason I sold the car - in the 4 years of ownership I spent what I bought the car for in maint - thats a bit much, IMO.

Youll be happy with whatever car you choose, just drive multiple examples of each and decide which one does it for you.

Good luck!

Memphomaniac

Having owned first a 88 951, then a 88 911, I've got to say that I for one would never go back. I now own a 993, which I love, but the 88 Carrera was one sweet machine. Depending on your interests, there are certainly good reasons to own a 951, but to be honest, I found the 911 just one hell of a lot more fun to drive. I wound up racing the Carrera in F class, and found that I was normally quicker than the 951 cars, even on the horsepower tracks. 944S2's are normally quicker than the 951's by the way. 968's also. Turbos "feel" fast, but unless you are boosting the hell out of them, they are no quicker than the n/a 911, 944S2 or 968. I would choose the 911 first, the 968 second, and the turbo 3rd, although still a really neat car.