Jim Harding

I am about to purchase my first Porsche Automobile. I drove over to the local exotic car dealer ready to trade my 82 Vette in on a 1990-1997 911 C2 and he directed me over to a 1993 968 Cab/Tip with 60k. He told me that the 968 was a better driving car, more reliable and better balanced than the 911. He went on to say that the 968 offered better value when you consider the price of the car for what you receive. How many 968 or 911 owners out there agree or disagree with what my car dealer is saying? Thanks in advance for your help. I know it comes down to a personal decision but I would really like to hear from some experienced owners.

Chris_924s

Drive both then decide. Personally I like the handling better in the 924/44/68, more even weight distribution means better handling. Both have their quirks, but if you hang around this board long enough you will find out we are all in love with our watercoolers, despite the aggravations, pm, expense. But you will get that in either Porsche. Make sure a full PPI has been done, pay attention to the timing belt, balance shaft belt and water pump on the 968, and ask the dealer if and when these werereplaced. The C2 is classic porsche styling- everyone knows what it is. for some different opinions, post this on the 911 forum as well- welcome to a new obsession, lifestyle and Rennlist!

Jim, what a tough choice to have!!! And the dealership by the Westroads? I stopped by there on a Sunday a few months ago and all of their P-cars are inside.. heated air controlled garage. I agree with the dealer's statements, BTW.

Dave

Just a guess, but I think all the 944/968 owners will agree with him and the 911 driver's will wonder what he's been smoking. We're all pretty loyal to our chosen P-cars.
With the above disclaimer I'll add my .02; The 968 will offer equal or better performance at a lower cost. The 993 (964s just don't do it for me) will offer more if you are looking for a Porsche as a "status symbol". Either way it sound like you are on the verge of a giant step forward, good luck with whatever you choose.

Oh yeah, get a PPI, worst case it's ~$100 for peace of mind, the other end of the spectrum...

Jim Harding

Hi Chris, yes the dealership is near the Westroads shopping center. The dealer seems like a good guy and has done a good job so far in answering all of my stupid questions. I have owned Vettes, 240-Z's, an array of British cars, RX-7's and other assorted black holes. Porsche cars have always been where I wanted to go and I am very excited to be owning one very soon. Thanks so much for your terrific input. You must have been to Omaha?

</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 Chris_924s:
<strong>Drive both then decide. Personally I like the handling better in the 924/44/68, more even weight distribution means better handling. Both have their quirks, but if you hang around this board long enough you will find out we are all in love with our watercoolers, despite the aggravations, pm, expense. But you will get that in either Porsche. Make sure a full PPI has been done, pay attention to the timing belt, balance shaft belt and water pump on the 968, and ask the dealer if and when these werereplaced. The C2 is classic porsche styling- everyone knows what it is. for some different opinions, post this on the 911 forum as well- welcome to a new obsession, lifestyle and Rennlist!

Jim, what a tough choice to have!!! And the dealership by the Westroads? I stopped by there on a Sunday a few months ago and all of their P-cars are inside.. heated air controlled garage. I agree with the dealer's statements, BTW.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">

Damian in NJ

The cab/tip combination is by far the slowest of the 968's. Drive one and see if you like it, but I don't know if I could live with a +8 sec 0-60 time. Handles like a dream, though.

Chris_924s

I was in Omaha the 2nd week of November 2002. Nice city, easy to get around and very clean.

AndyK

I wouldnt want a P-car with an automatic. How much was that 968 at the dealership going for??

Dave--I emailed you about driving my car for me to give me an opinion!?

Jim Harding

Andy, We are working a trade with my 82 Vette so the numbers get a little garbled. I would say we are at or near a $23k figure. How does that sound to you? Is the 968 cab/tip really that slow? We have tons of snow here so I can't take it out for a few days yet and test it. -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 AndyK:
<strong>I wouldnt want a P-car with an automatic. How much was that 968 at the dealership going for??

Dave--I emailed you about driving my car for me to give me an opinion!?</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">

OC Porsche

OY!! I know you asked Andy, but 23k for that seems a bit high given that fact that it's a 93 and is tiptronic. I would value that car not having seen it at a very respectable 17-19k. To each his own though, a car is always worth what someone is willing to pay.

my .02

P.S. welcome to Rennlist

AndyK

I am not a 968 price expert, but Damian is selling his super-nice 94 w/5 speed for $19k...of course there is no trade-in at Damian's house...but the price sure is right!

The automatic slows the cars down. That said, if you are not into shifting...why not get an auto!?

Damian in NJ

From one book 0-60 cpe 6.5, cpe tip 7.9, cab 6.6, cab tip 8.3. Cab tip is listed as 390 kilos more than cpe 6 speed.

joseph mitro

Jim,
it depends on what you want the car for. if it's solely for fun cruising, the cabriolet would be nice to have. if you plan on autocrossing or racing, the 911 would probably be a better pick. against early 90s 911s, a 93 968 is a hard decision, although against a 993 (911 years 94-97) i would definitely go with the 993.

for what it's worth, i think the asking price of $23k is too high, assuming your vette is in good shape.

JKC-JD/968

I've got to agree with Damian and OC Porsche on this one... 23k is probably too high for a cabriolet tiptronic, and, I'll bet you think it is too slow for you.

That being said, I agree with the dealer that 968s are a great value. However, 0 to 60 punch is not the car's strong suit. (If you want that, buy a cremepuff 951). Also, just me, personally, but you might consider holding out for a coupe. They've got a lot of room in them. (I just recently purchased a cabriolet and I wish I had had a shot at Damian's coupe).

I don't mind sharing that I paid 15k for my '94 cabriolet. 80k miles, body in very good shape (no collisions), interior has slightly worn driver's seat, and several minor repair issues. (Broken glove box latches, needs a new center arm rest hinge, needs a few plastic trim items, and stuff like that). Otherwise, very presentable car with 60k service done, fresh tires, decent brakes...

I'm telling you, you will love these cars. No doubt about it.

Jim Harding

A big thanks to all of you who have taken time to respond to my question. I am still in the process of "negotiating" with the dealer but he seems to be a bit stuck right now. I don't plan to race it rather it will be a fair weather driver just as pure enjoyment. I do like the fact that it is a rare car and should hold it's value over time as long as I take good care of it. All the suggestions on what to look for mechanically are a huge help so thanks for the head's up in that area as well. This is also my first exposure to the Rennlist which I think totally rocks! Thanks to all. -Jim

jim968

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!)