mansueti

I am looking at purchasing a 90'964 with 25,000 miles on it. According to the seller it still has the original flywheel and it does not leak oil today. He is asking $25000. I will have a PPI done before purchasing to see if there are, in fact, any issues with the car. I have gotten lots of advice (thanks so much again) on pros and cons on buying this car. But I have followup questions:

1) Regarding the DMF. The car has only 25k miles. Is there a specific mileage level that the DMF will start failing. For example, if the DMF is going to fail, will it generally start failing around 40k or 50k miles? I made 40k and 50k up but is there a real mileage level that it will start to fail. Secondly, in what percentage of these cars has it been failing? 10%? 25%? 50%?

2) Regarding oil leaks. This car is not leaking oil today (I will verify this via PPI). But is it inevitable for this car to start leak oil from the cylinder head via the known problem on these 964 that I have read so much about? Again, will this leaking generally start at some mileage level? Same as above, in what percentage of these cars get this oil leak problem? 10%? 25%? 50%?

I am just trying to weigh the possibilites of running into these problems and having to pay for the repairs. If it is likely that I WILL have these problems, I may have a better chance of negotiating a pricing in line with having to pay for these repairs in the future. Conversely, if it is low odd of running into these problems, I can sleep better at nite......

Thanx......Chris

tafkai

didn't think 90 cars had dmf ??

DarrylH

My impression is that many of these failed early, but it depended on the driver. A gently driven car could have the original flywheel for a long time without issues.
Not inevitable. I've read pretty low percentages actually had the problem, but if it's yours, it's 100%. There was a good thread some time ago about this, try a search. There are many early cars that never leaked, including mine.
So I think 1) is likely, 2) maybe not so much. But unfortunately, it's a bit of a crapshoot.
Ian, it's the '89s that had the single mass.

mansueti

Darryl....Thanx

warmfuzzies

bargain that into the deal, these are things you can negotiate on price for and then get done, If you are considering paying 25k, and get it for 23k, that's 2k of jobs to get done from the off, less to think about some time down the road.

kevin

Rocket Rob

Chris,

My DMF failed at 60K miles but my engine is still going at 199,700 miles. I think you will find that the 964 is a very reliable car. Each 911 model has some problem areas. The 964's problems happen to be the DMF and rubber belts inside the distributors. Once you implement the factory fixes for these items, the car is very reliable.

dutchcrunch

1990 25,000 miles. is a great deal. your can buy any car that is not leaking today that can leak tomorrow. same with clutch, new one installed 1000 miles ago too could fail tomorrow. dont underestimate this car as that is a sweet deal if the wear and tear matches the miles it is worth it. hesitate and someone else will snap it up. people are always fearful of low miles car, get real. if it does not leak and drives like new what more do you want. want new, there is nothing on the market with classic lines and that one of a kind sound that you could even come close to in the new car market. i own 1990 c2 19,600 miles runs like a dream and no leaks. i have a new toyota corolla S too, but cmon lets not insult these great cars. i guarantee after your purchase you will be sitting in the car and saying gosh everthing looks like new i cant belive i got this bad as. car for 25 thousand. i will support this deal if the cars condition matches the miles, you bet ya. buy it and stop playing around, you will be glad you did. those that want a car that has high miles but have been maintained is alright too but 25,000 dollars for 25k car is a no brainer!!!!!!!

Rocket Rob

Dutchcrunch says it very bluntly. We love the 964! But what do you expect, on a 964 forum???

Jay H

Dutchcrunch is right on the money in my book. Nice 964 don't come around everyday, and if this car is mint, then snap it up, especially with only 25,000 miles on it. How much newer can you get for $25k??

Mechanicals can always be fixed (though I understand your hesitation about the cylinder to head leak which can be an expensive repair). But, it's only cosmetically original once and with 25,000 miles, it's like buying a new one...

I don't want to be harsh, but if you can't afford to put a $2000 dual mass flywheel in a 15 year old car, then you should not be buying it in the first place. Other items will also fail just from age. I've got 33,000 miles on my car and I'm getting to the point of having to replace stuff just due to age and not wear and tear or mileage. It costs money to run an old car (or leave an old car sit in the garage as a queen).

On the other hand, if you want something to drive a lot and use in inclement weather, leave in mall parking lots, etc, then a car with more miles on it that's been well maintained for a few thousand less might be more in line. Start driving this 25k car a lot and you'll see a bit of depreciation. However, if you want a car to show and/or drive on sunny Sunday afternoons, it doesn't get any better than a 25,000 mile car...

Good Luck,

Jay
90 964

Richard Curtis

You may also find that a car not driven very much ages differently than one that is driven regularly. Check for, and/or expect, seals to start leaking because -- without being driven regularly -- they're not getting lubricated. Hence, they dry out and begin to leak. Watch for leaks in the steering rack, for example. Other potential leak: power-steering pump seals. Dried-out fan belts, c/v joint gaiters (as the British call them; boots in the U.S.), dry-rotted tires are even a possibility, especially if new. I'd get that distributor belt changed immediately upon purchase (a $10 part but probably $200 in labor unless you DIY). Otherwise, a 25k mileage car is extremely tempting. I bought mine exactly one year ago with 48k on the odometer and haven't regretted it.

Chris M.

My 92 had DMF failure at 33K. No oil leaks.....yet. Original dizzy belt replaced at 80K and never a vent kit.

c

Colin 90 C2

Just do it.

As far as I've read, any leaks will start off as seeping. It may take anouther 25,000 miles before you actually see any drips on the floor. Mine still has a slight drip after I have pulled the engine to reseal, but it certainly does not stop me from driving it. And I dirve it pretty hard.

As far as the DMF, I just replaced my perfectly good Luk flywheel with a lwt flywheel. Who knows when you will reach the top of that slippery slope, and you start needlessly spending money to replace perfectly good items.

Good Luck with your purchase.

Marc Shaw

DMF replaced at 34k miles by PO and, after my recent service with a power-steering seal replaced, my car is leak free at 58k miles.

Marc