john981

Coming from the 981 world, looking to get potentially into a 964 convertible (93 carrera 2). Is that true that for the 964s every once in a while, the engine has to be completely rebuilt and if so could you please tell me how much this all would cost? The car I am interested is in great shape and has 60k miles. With the 981 we are kind of spoiled, you go from 10k service to 10k service and there are usually no major surprises.

thanks in advance

newsboy

Your talking about a 27 year old car. That is why it is important to get a PPI from a knowledgeable independent,which includes a compression and leak down test. Not sure what a complete rebuild would cost, depends on what needs to be done, upgrades etc... A top only rebuild, which is more common can be $10K+.

cobalt

As newsboy said you need to have a PPI done by someone who is familiar with these cars. Although Porsche supports the classics prices for parts have gone up exponentially and can get expensive. Hopefully the car has a complete set of records which helps. The later built cars mid 91 through 94 had most of the issues updated and don't need as much work as the earlier cars. I see a lot of the later cars with little issues in the 120k mile range if properly maintained. At 60k miles you might have some minor oil leaks or other issues needing to be addressed. Rubber degrades over time just as it will with your 981 in another 15 years or so. (I have a 981 BGTS Great car but even that will need the intake blasted soon) As said you should have decent leak down and compression numbers if not then move on there are many cabs for sale. Although check to see if the valve lash was done recently it should be checked every 15k miles most neglect it due to the cost.Also what if any seals have been replaced the rubber grommets on the timing chain covers have a tendency to dry out and shrink by now causing leaks. Easily done with the engine out much harder with it in. In either case figure 10 hours billing to R&I an engine plus what it needs while you have it out but IMO worth having done early so you know where you stand and can have years of driving pleasure.

Navaros911

All comments above are great advice... but a lot also depends on how willing and capable you are in doing things yourself.

There are lots of jobs that are not so difficult, and plenty of analysis you can do at home with these cars (unlike a 981)... this can reduce the cost of ownership a lot. If you are really willing to roll up the sleeves, you can save a good bit on labor.

That said, and I don't want to put you off, just sharing my experinece, the 964 has been the most costly car to own of the Porsches I've had, yet still one of the financially more sound choices due to the resale value holding and even increasing. So look at both sides of the equation.

Goughary

Don't take this the wrong way...
But if the question "how much maintenance" is indicative of a real concern....stick with newer cars. A newer boxter would cost less and be a "better" car. They are a bit apples and oranges,

But unless you are ok to spend what ever amount of money needed, or spend whatever time needed to do the work yourself, or are ok to hand it to the right shop and say "do what needs to be done"....a 964 isn't the right car.

A sorted out 964 is a very good very reliable car. But every car that you see for sale, won't be a sorted car (most likely), and so there will be a lot of cost to get it where you want it to be, and a fair amount of headache. Passion and love of the car has caused most of us to dive in., but it's also caused a lot of people to run for the hills screaming "never again".

Lose the concerns and dive in. That's my advice.
But if you can't lose the concerns, go with something fun that isnt going to drive you bonkers.

As always- I'm happy to talk offline about this stuff- and having just spent a half year sorting a cab- if you need cab specific advice , pm me.

Fwiw- my 964 has been my only car for 10 years, winter snow ice rain and sun. I'll never tell anyone the real cost. Mostly because i don't know. Because i would be an idiot to calculate the actual cost. Lol.

jeff33702

Lol - ^^ Great post. Never add it up!

cobalt

Amen

blomman

Made a total rebuild of my engine in my 964rs by 120000km. New Pistons/cylinders (bit oval/out of tolerance) work on all heads. New studs, etc. Labour about 4500$, parts about 7000$.
Now it's like new. Pedal to the floor😉

cjoenck

Couldn't agree more. If you are looking for a car that gets you from a to b without having to think about the car, a 964 ain't it (or any other 25 year old car). But if you are looking for character and unique personality you are in the right car. They become an obsession (in a good way) that can spoil you for any other car out there.

Sirenty

I think that depends on the car. My car is super solid underneath and inside. I have no qualms driving it anywhere, and actually drive it more than my “daily.” Need to do a quick errand or go see a car two hours away? Always take the 964.

And I’ve spent less than $500 sorting it out after I bought it, and most of that was little cosmetic things that only I notice. It doesn’t need anything currently, except a respray if you’re picky. Right now, I can drive it without worrying about it, so kinda putting that off.

Marine Blue

This is a very good point. As already noted, 964’s are 30 years old now and it is inevitable that plastic and rubber will age and require replacement. But if you find a car that’s already had all the work done I would expect to spend about $1000/year on maintenance going forward.

My Targa’s a good example of this too, when I bought the car the previous owner had just replaced the fuel management, clutch and he had the engine out for reseal and replacement of all soft parts. When I received it I knew the suspension and top needed attention as the previous owner had mentioned it to me. I rebuilt the suspension including a new steering rack and a proper alignment to the tune of about $6500 with labor. I’ve also had the top rebuilt and replaced all the soft parts and truthfully I don’t want to think about the expense I’ve paid for that. But now the car is totally reliable and I would have no issues driving it as a DD or taking it cross country. I haven’t had to spend very much this year on maintenance because it’s all done.

The point is, if you buy a 964 that’s had most of the aging parts replaced then you should have something reliable for at least 10 years. Don’t expect the car that’s been rebuilt to be a bargain and don’t expect a cheap 964 to be a cheap car to own if it hasn’t had the work done.

Good luck and I hope you don’t get scared off.