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.

Damian in NJ

Find a good one, and both the coupe and cab are great cars. I had great coupe, bought it with 34K miles and sold it at 75K to buy a 18K mile cab. My cab is rather special, being one of only a handful made in Speed Yellow, and you can read my sig for the goodies on it. I drove to Boston for the Rennlist gathering last Saturday, and if I had Pamela Anderson topless in the car it couldn't have had more attention during the roundtrip. And only a few teenaged ricers passed me during the 8 1/2 hour round trip.

Buy the best car you can afford, and if that's enough for a nice example you won't go wrong. If you're going to track it a coupe does feel tighter, but for smiles per mile you can't beat a cab. Mine is garaged and not driven during the week, so coupe would be a better year round choice of course.

Jake951

Check out the Road & Track article comparing the 911 and 951 here .

fluid15

As Damian mentioned, buy a good example of any of them and you can't go wrong. They're all old enough that you won't take a depreciation hit when you sell it. My vote is for a cab, but buy any of them and drive it for a year. After that, if you have a craving for a different model then sell it and buy another!! If you find a good deal you could easily break even, or better.

Luis de Prat

Damian has pretty much summed it up -it really depends on what plans you have for the car. Generally, coupes are better track cars. OTOH, if you don't plan on tracking it, the 944/968s are great value in cabriolet form, considering the prices of current Porsche convertibles (Boxster, 996).

Coming from a coupe which I still own, the S2 cabrio felt like a huge improvement in all respects with the added bonus of open air motoring. This is kind of like motorcycles -the more you drive cabrios, the more you feel caged in when driving a coupe.

dualblade

some cabrios lose all their stability when the top is cut off. the 944/968 cabriolets are not these types of car. i'm not sure about the 68, but the 944 cabriolet is the best handling of the 944's because of where the extra weight is. the chassis needed to be strengthened to prepare for the roof loss and all the extra metal that does this is at the lowest point in the car.

if you're worried though, just drive one and see what it feels like

Robert D

The 951 can be made very very quick....I still prefer the 911 for the way it handles...but the comforts of the 951 are going to be lacking in the 911...such as a great A/C unit (the 86 has a new one and it still doesn't compare to a 944 A/C), and the dials are of course spread out...

However, the car just feels tighter (suspension does help though ). If I were to buy one of the three for a daily driver and occasional track car. I'd get the 911, pure and simple. It will expose you to a different car, where you can learn more (since you've been exposed the 'pumpers' already).

Red1

here's my opinion:

951 - If you want to tinker with it, modifications are plentiful. With the ages of these being what they are, expect maybe more maintenance. That certainly has been the case for me. Boost can be addictive.

968 - A cleaner, more modern look. (Again, just my opinion) An excellent all-round car. Very capable for auto-x or DE events. An awesome car really, in stock form. Not as easy to modify as a 951, but few cars are.

80's 911 - A true classic in every sense of the word. The interior gives away the age of the design. The other two will seem plush by comparison. Requires a greater degree of driver skill to achieve similar lap times, but has characteristics many find addictive. The 87-89 cars have the later G50 transmissions, which I believe some people find superior. Unbeatable in terms of style and panache. Everyone will notice, including your boss, who may decide to look at your upcoming raise with suspicion he's paying you too much already.

You really can't go wrong, with the exception of a poorly maintained 951. Any poorly maintained porsche can be expensive, but bringing a neglected 951 back up will make you pay in spades. That opinion is from my own experience.

As far as cab/coupe options, I'm afraid I have no experience with cabs.

fluid15

The only weak point of a 3.2 Carrera is the A/C. In the hot AZ climate it didn't do well on hot days. From your signature it looks like you're a DE resident, so that probably won't be an issue for you. But if you want a daily driver that will be used through the winter, I wouldn't recommend a cab. But other than the A/C, the Carrera is great in every way. Especially in categories that don't show on a stats sheet (0-60, skidpad, etc) - that's the true Indicator of how great a car is.

Robert D

They are tight handling cars, not to mention the 911 from 87-89 is rock solid and quick!

BruceWard

I bought a 94 968 Cab about three months ago. I love it!

I was considering 968 vs 951 vs 993 with cash in hand to cover any of them

In my opinion their strengths were

968 Looks, Balance, Torque and limited availability

951 Upgradeability

911 Its a 911, mid engine handeling and good looks

Cab vs Coupe was a big question for me. I wanted a coupe for the extra seats and its easier to meet DE qualifications. But my wife and several of my friends kept reminding me that they preferred the looks of the Cab. In the end the car that I decided to buy was a Cab, and it has been great fun driving around with the top open.

I think you will be happy with any of them. Just pick the one with the features you want.