User 41221

Hey Jim,

Its a matter of opinion, of course, but lots of folks will bash the "Porsche with an automatic" without ever having driven one. As for me, I LOVE mine, and if you are not going to be tracking the car, then I would definitely recommend the tiptronic over the 6 speed. Its a blast to drive, and when you shift it into "manual" mode, it goes plenty fast enough to not have to make any excuses for itself.

Unless you are drag racing, the 0-60 times are meaningless anyway, and who drag races a 968? Yes, the tiptronic will slow you down from 0-20 compared to the 6 speed, if you want to abuse your tranny by revving high and dumping the clutch. But make sure you read all the posts about the ring and pinion problems with the 6 speed, too! Once the car is moving at speeds above 15-20 mph, trust me, they aren't that different, and there are a couple of 968 6 speed owners in the the KC area that can vouch that they didn't run away from my lowly 968 cab w/tip from a rolling start.

If you want to come down to KC (maybe a 3 hour trip, right?)I will let you drive mine and check it out. Mine is VERY nice, 51k miles on it, totally stock and close to perfect. I tried to sell it last summer, during a moment of stupidity on my part, and wouldn't have taken less than $20,500 for it. $23,000, if its in great shape, with ALL maintenance records, and needs nothing, is not out of line. And for me, I would pay a premium for the tiptronic. Lots of folks will bad mouth it without ever having owned one. Its one thing to say you prefer the 6 speed, but a whole nuther matter to say that the tip ruins the car. Trust me, it doesn't.

Let me know if you need any help getting the car checked out, or if you have any questions. I would be happy to help out.

Regards,

Jim Harding

Thanks for the great advise! This Rennlist board is fantastic. I really appreciate everybody helping me out. I am very excited about becoming a "P-car" owner myself. Thanks Jim968....I will be sure to have the timing belt issue taken care of first thing. -Jim

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by jim968:
<strong>Jim, just to add a little here...
A) that's a spring-time car price the dealer's asking, for a winter sale. Keep beating on him.

B) The timing belt issue has been mentioned, but needs emphasis to a newcomer to these cars. You absolutely _must_ know when it was last done, or plan to have it done as soon as you buy the car, or as part of the negotiation, if you'e buying at a P-car dealer.

Even if there are records showing it was done recently, you need proof that the balance shaft belt was retensioned 1-2K miles after belt replacement.

Repeat, this is an _absolute_ must, not a 'nice to do". If the timing belt has more than 40K on it, or is more than 4 years old, it's gotta be done, unless you feel like taking a $3-$4K crapshoot. All 944-series cars have this issue; it's just more expensive to fix with the 16 valve cars.

Yes, the belts have been known to last longer in miles & time; they've also been known to fail earlier.

And my 968 6-speed coupe was a _great_ daily driver for 2 1/2 years, until I bought a beater to keep the miles off of it.

BTW, if changing gears in traffic is the reason you're looking at a tip, be aware that the 968 isn't some peaky little Japanese wind-up toy; the torque curve is almost as flat as a table top. You can spend a lot of time in third or even fourth around town if your left leg is lazy.

Jim, oh, s*&t! I missed the Daytona race!!!! The horror! The pain! The humiliation! (NOT!)</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">

Jim Harding

Scott, Thank you for your thoughts on the 968 and the tip transmission. I would like my wife to be able to enjoy driving the car and she does not like to drive a manual. I will not be racing either on a road track or a drag strip (I have friends with a top fuel dragster for that) I appreciate your offer to assist in my purchase. I am going to try and find a local Porsche mechanic here in Omaha that would do a PPI for me and perform the timing belt operation. Thanks Scott and GO CHIEFS!! -Jim

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by sh944:
<strong>Hey Jim,

Its a matter of opinion, of course, but lots of folks will bash the "Porsche with an automatic" without ever having driven one. As for me, I LOVE mine, and if you are not going to be tracking the car, then I would definitely recommend the tiptronic over the 6 speed. Its a blast to drive, and when you shift it into "manual" mode, it goes plenty fast enough to not have to make any excuses for itself.

Unless you are drag racing, the 0-60 times are meaningless anyway, and who drag races a 968? Yes, the tiptronic will slow you down from 0-20 compared to the 6 speed, if you want to abuse your tranny by revving high and dumping the clutch. But make sure you read all the posts about the ring and pinion problems with the 6 speed, too! Once the car is moving at speeds above 15-20 mph, trust me, they aren't that different, and there are a couple of 968 6 speed owners in the the KC area that can vouch that they didn't run away from my lowly 968 cab w/tip from a rolling start.

If you want to come down to KC (maybe a 3 hour trip, right?)I will let you drive mine and check it out. Mine is VERY nice, 51k miles on it, totally stock and close to perfect. I tried to sell it last summer, during a moment of stupidity on my part, and wouldn't have taken less than $20,500 for it. $23,000, if its in great shape, with ALL maintenance records, and needs nothing, is not out of line. And for me, I would pay a premium for the tiptronic. Lots of folks will bad mouth it without ever having owned one. Its one thing to say you prefer the 6 speed, but a whole nuther matter to say that the tip ruins the car. Trust me, it doesn't.

Let me know if you need any help getting the car checked out, or if you have any questions. I would be happy to help out.

Regards,</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">

Brent 89-GT

Nobody has mentioned the 968 ring and pinion problem yet. It can be a very expensive failure. I do not know if it applies to the auto trans though. Maybe a 968 expert will chime in. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

rpm's S2

Jim,
Welcome!
Don't overlook the fanatics at <a href="http://www.968.net\" target="_blank">968.net</a> . Their extensive (well, for 968s at least) classifieds may give you some idea on reasonable prices - thought their ideas of the value of their cars may be a bit high. One other source for very good classifieds is Porsche Club of America. There is a new associate membership available for those looking for a car, though you must own to have full membership. The online classifieds are extensive and reliable.
Find yourself a copy of the most recent Excellence magazine as it has Bruce Anderson's 944/968 valuation guide. He values a 93 968 cab at between 15k-23k, depending on condition. Of course to get top dollar the car needs tobe near perfect, cosmetically and mechanically.
Good Luck!

waybrig

Another take on this: It sounds like you were originally intending to buy a 911. Do you have a preference style-wise between the 911 and 968?

If you really love the shape of the 911 and it's within your planned budget, then why not go for what you really want and eliminate the expense of upgrading later?

I was in the same situation recently. I really loved the 993's, but the extra $20-$30K over a 968 or 944 made me seriously think twice. I decided to get what I really wanted rather than buying a 968, owning it for a few years, then trying to sell it to buy what I really wanted (993). In the long run I think it's cheaper to go straight to the 993 if you can swing it now.

It sounds like for the type of driving you'll be doing, the balance of the 933 will be fine. If you're still worried about that, a 993 C4 (4 wheel drive) will improve balance greatly. You could also get a tiptronic cab to have the full package that you're looking for.

Also, do yourself a favor and drive a 968 and 993, this may make up your mind for you.

I just brought home my 993 cab yesterday, and although my wallet is quite a bit lighter, I couldn't be happier.

FYI, you should expect a nice '95 C2 Cabriolet Tip to cost in the mid to upper $30's.

jim968

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by Brent 89-GT:
<strong>Nobody has mentioned the 968 ring and pinion problem yet. It can be a very expensive failure. I do not know if it applies to the auto trans though. Maybe a 968 expert will chime in. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">While I'd hesitate to class myself as a "968 expert," the answer to this 'un is "No." Getrag overtorqued the pinion nut on some (apparently about 10-15%) 968 six-speeds; no automatics involved. I think they even come from a different company.

Dealerships & the factory have, according to my reading of tales posted by others, taken every possible stance on this issue, ranging from 100% coverage & profuse apologies, to basically "F*&k you. Go away." I bought my '94 with 55K miles on it; looking at the tranny case fasteners, it's been apart some time in the past, but I have no way of verifying this or knowing the cause.

While I don't reelly think that the 968's will ever appreciate, I thnk they'll hold their value as well as any 944-series car except for the rare unmodded 944 Turbo S.

Jim, as always, YMMV....