Goughary

So there was this thread recently. It was, let's say, minty....

After reading, and watching, and reading...I vomited a little. Not much. But it wasn't fun.

It got me thinking- might be time to review a bit about how to buy one of these cars, for those that maybe are new or unfamiliar.

I'm not going to make a list of everything to look out for...the thread can go that way if people want to chime in and add along the way.

But here are the basics.

1. Come here. Participate. Tell people what you are looking for and ask advice. There is a lot of good advice here.

2. After you get your bearings, keep an eye on what's available and don't buy anything.

3. When you feel like you aren't going to rush into something, and a car comes up, get in touch with the owner or seller and have a conversation.

4. Don't rush.

(If the seller says "my appraiser" or "i hired a professional appraiser"....this is where you laugh, and as you hang up the phone, the seller should hear you say something like "dude, it's not a house and there is no official licensing exam for 964 appraisals".

Here is where number 5 comes in. The most important step.

5. If the car and the owner or seller aren't turds, you send the car to a good shop that knows 964s specifically for a ppi. Instruct the shop to do a leak down and to make a list of, in their opinion, all the things that should be done to make it right, or right enough. This will give you a sense for the health of the motor and how much money, on top of your purchase price, you will have to spend.

6. If you don't understand what you are now looking at, come back here for more advice. Figure out who you trust and listen to them. No one here wants you to fail.

7. If the ppi went well and the price is commensurate with the condition and current market value- proceed like you are buying any other used car. Because- it's a used car.

8. Enjoy. You are now on the road to happy destiny.

Also- fwiw. There are two books - Adrians 964 companion, and the 964 buyers guide. Both are "good" and basic. But. A bit of searching rennlist will give you a million times more info...with a little dis-info mixed in. So spend time and do some learning. It'll save you a lot of time and money.

yyz89

This is my first post here- I've just discovered this incredible forum and made my account only a minute ago.
Thanks so much for making this thread. I've been passionate about cars since I was a kid and now, aged 30, have decided to start the journey to getting/owning my first sports car; a Porsche 964.
Just browsing this forum for a few minutes has seriously humbled me and proven to me that I don't actually know a thing about these glorious machines, so I'm looking forward to absorbing all the info I can before committing to anything (which is at least 1.5 years away anyways).
The prospect of buying my first Porsche- an old 964, no less- is extremely intimidating, so this really is a whole new world for me and I've got loads of research to do.
The only thing I (think I) know for sure is that I'll be looking for a C2.

Matt Andrews

some days, I want to quit the internet.

Hem

This isn't going to get me any street cred here, but I went the reverse route. I didn't even know what a 964 was. I was actually trying to buy an Acura TL that had about 20K miles on it from our retiring president of our company, was going to flip it, but the dealership was giving him a great trade value so I passed. So he asked if I wanted to buy his Carrera 4. I had seen it, but didn't know anything about it. Asked what he wanted for it. He said $12K. I was like, ok..sounds good and bought it without any knowledge of anything. Kind of got lucky I realize now and it's been a super fun experience. My dad owned an auto repair shop so I grew up wrenching, and these rigs are somewhat simple to work on which is cool. But I just dumb lucked my way into a well maintained 964 and I'm happy I did.

spartansix

GentlemanRacer

That’s a great idea Rob. For us that frequent these pages, there is no substitute for advice that people here on rennlist. I do hope prospective buyers find this post.

P-daddy

Somewhere between steps 4 and 5, post up a thread seeking a Rennfax from a Rennlister local to the car. It’s important that someone familiar with these cars lays eye on the car before spending your money on the PPI, if you can’t be there for a visual. Goughary pre-PPI’d my 964 several years ago during my search. Thanks again Rob!

Goughary

Yours is still one of the cleanest cars I've ever seen...Hope it was good as it seemed when i went over it with Danny at Stahl Motorsport in West Palm...how long has it been? 3-4 years?

mac109

Thanks for this Rob. I found this site after I bought my first 964, so I did this backwards. Have been a faithful daily visitor ever since and admittedly don't have much to contribute here, but the knowledge I have learned here is invaluable. Which has led to a very confident recent purchase of my second 964. I appreciate all of the participation and sharing on this forum.

Recent resident in Milford, hopefully will get to meet in person at some point.

cjoenck

I sometimes overthink something and have to remind myself or read here what I originally wanted - a mechanically sound car that is fun to drive and enjoy. Just as important I remember what it isn't about for me - I don't track it and it's not a concourse car in a time bubble.
What makes this forum so much fun and enlightening is the diversity of opinions and knowledge, even when it can be overwhelming and maybe even confusing at times.

P-daddy

Yep, that was March 2016.

2swoosh

Out of 100s of forums out there I'll say this is the best!

Marine Blue

Agreed, there’s no other forums that are this informative and diverse at the same time.

As far as buying a 964 as someone already mentioned, regardless of what you spend and how low/high the mileage I would budget at minimum another $10k to get everything right. If you add wheels and other upgrades into the mix then add another $5K.

I’ll admit, I didn’t have first hand knowledge of the 964 when I bought my Targa but I’ve owned several Porsches and spent tons of time reading and learning. I still think I got lucky

Choester

Great post. Will use this info in my search!

ForeverCar

Bumping this fantastic thread that I just discovered. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the amazing contributors on this forum. I am just beginning my search, research, and planning journey and have learned a lot from the generous and knowledgeable members of this community.

One day, I hope to share my journey with a 964 and contribute where possible.