Another vote for Macan S if you've never tried one. You will find the Tiptronic on a 993 or 964.....amusing.

 

I'll suggest the unicorn if you can find one - a 964 Targa with a tip. With the top off the targa will be easy to enter and exit (easier than a cab because of the Targa bar). With the top on you still have the targa bar to assist if you have use of your left upper arm and shoulder. It will be stiffer than a cab, noisier than a coupe, is less likely to be heavily modded, and a car that just screams leisurely afternoon drives. The only real down side is they are the unicorns of the 964's. Fewer than 10% of the 964 production was in Targa form and only a portion of those will be tips. However, the tips will usually be lower priced. If you have the energy to monitor a rehab - don't shy away from one that needs significant work. Find a PPI shop that can provide a realistic view of the rehab costs and go. I bought a Targa that hadn't been registered since 2000 and sat outside in a parking lot for 3+ years with a broken engine. Long story short - I was enjoying the car $25,000 later including the cost of the car (full disclosure - I bought the car 6 years ago and had it sitting idle in my garage for 5 years but the rehab only took about 5-6 months after I jumped in). It will be more expensive now but you'll have a car that allows you to own the repairs and have a relationship with the shop that should stand behind them. You can pay big money for a 964 and it will still need attention at some point soon (it's a 30 year old car). There is an Ultimate Targa Thread here on Rennlist and the group is generally very helpful. Just a thought from a happy Targa geek. As for the Macan idea - I think that's the car you buy down the road after you sell your Targa for a profit .

 

Definitely onboard with this, although as you say Tiptronic Targas are rare - haven’t seen one.

 

I have a friend who was in a bad motorcycle accident years ago. It damaged both his arms and lost his left leg using a prosthetic leg to get around. He has a 964 targa/tip with sport seats and can get in and out easily even with the top on. He has a very hard time getting into a coupe.

I have to admit if you manually shift a tip it is a fun car and I wouldn't sell them short.

 

I had a 993 c2 and kept my 964 c2

964 seemed harder to replace some day but the 993 isnt exactly easy to find again but she wanted less “stuff” in our life 😕

964 is more hot roddy feeling and fun below 100mph. The 993 was faster but didn’t feel like it. Engine was smoother. 993 more stable and better on big tracks IME. 964 gets way more street cred if you care about that. Neither car is modern and I find the steering of the 964 to be less numb and less rubbery and some friends with similar experience have echoed all of this fwiw

both cars are low miles and well maintained so that doubt can be ruled out from my statements.

but I miss that damn 993

sorry I didn’t read all of the OP

I don’t recall any comfort or access differences

but the AC in the 993 was much better. Crap but better

 

This Tip Targa has been relisted many times. Never got above $40 or so but now .... https://www.ebay.com/itm/174898691558

 

did i see that correctly?? a 113k mile tip targa is currently at $70k with 2 days to go on ebay?

even with the market where it is, this is very surprising to me. that seller is thrilled!!

 

I had this conversation yesterday with a friend about the value of a 964 Targa. Average day you could have expected an average Targa to trade at $40 - $50K max. These days they just don't come to market very often so if you happen to catch a day when 2 or more buyers who have been looking for a long time go after the same car - the price can swing quite high. If you watch Pano and other publications months can go by without a single 964 Targa getting listed for sale. If a Targa is the car you want you'll probably need some patience and luck. Keep looking for a car and try to find one that isn't for sale in some public forum that drives the price through the roof. Good luck.

 

you hardly ever see 964s in general in Pano. 964s and 993WBs all but disappeared some time ago.

that said, a 113k mile tip targa @ $70k is a premium, but it only takes 2 interested parties as you said. i think the price is nuts.

just for reference, here is the recent history for 964 targas on BaT. most of these are 5 speeds, btw.
https://bringatrailer.com/porsche/964/?search=targa

 

You have to throw out everything we knew about this market a year ago.

I have seen Targas sell as high as $85k and that was a month or so back. The market continues to climb for any air-cooled 911 at this time. Although it is not limited to just Porsche's. Nostalgia and 90's era cars are quite popular and even Integra's are selling for $80k. There were only 1033 Targa's imported to the US so by now they are very hard to come by.

 

but, i feel certain the $85k targa you're referencing was a manual. correct? what was the mileage?

my point is that we're talking about a 113k mile TIP model here. i doubt anyone here is going to suggest that TIPs are now on par with 5 speeds. factor in mileage and tranny and this is a great price for the seller.

 

Bullfighter,

If you are interested in a well maintained 1991 Tip (not a Targa) PM me. I would like to sell this car this year when my C4 is finally back together. Look at my posts on Rennlist and you will know my car is well maintained. Its coming up on a oil change and valve adjust.

 

C4 slightly less miles. When you look at pricing from a year ago a targa in average condition wouldn't fetch more than $45k now we are seeing them bring $80's and cabs nearing $70k. Tips will bring around 20-25% less than a manual so that number doesn't seem that out of line for what appears to be a relatively clean rare car. There are a lot of people looking for targas lately and for some reason many were tips. People seem to be paying up for anything clean these days.

 

$80k would be all the money plus for my Targa and I'd be crazy to keep it if someone put that amount on the table and yet - I might just be crazy enough to keep the car. Why - because doing a barn find rebuild was one of those things I read about and dreamed about doing for years. This was that car. ALSO - what alternative Porsche could I buy for $80k? Maybe another 964 but then why sell and buy. I could buy a 996 or a 997 Turbo (maybe) but probably not a GT3. The special cars that I'd like to have are all in the same price category or more. I'd have to find something I wanted instead of the Targa in order to let the Targa go. The money alone would probably not make me sell. That's not rational but that might partially explain why 964's are so hard to find even with the prices in the sky.

 

with a 240Z, 964, and a 6GT3, you've already got a sweet line up. i agree that selling would mean swapping one out for something else or possibly cashing in your chips for a retirement scenario. plenty of other legitimate reasons to sell, but those are probably my two. a 240Z, a gtv or guilia, and a speedster replica are all on my short list, but i'm still very content to hold what i have.