Tom T.

Hi,

I have convinced a good friend to look at
some late 80's and early 90's Porsche 911's
instead of him buying a Honda S2000. Since I own a 1995 993 and being somewhat familiar
with all 911's it was easy for me to offer my help.
In this month's local regional newsletter there is an ad for a 1990 C4 with 10,xxx miles. Despite the miles being quite low for an 11 year old car we still want to look at it. The asking price is $33,900. This is probably fairly accurate if the mileage can be verified and some or all of the problem areas associated with the early 964 series are already done. These include the dual distributor belt, dual mass flywheel, and the oil leaks in the cylinder heads. We do plan a PPI if my friend is serious about buying it.

My questions are: What specifically should we look or listen for; and how are the 4-wheel drive systems in terms of reliability?

Any addition advice or comments are welcome.

TIA,

Tom

horst

I have a 90 C4 and am quite pleased so far. Have had it for 2-1/2 years, and main problems have bean of my own fault- bleeding brakes is impossible, leak in the the pressure regulator of the pump for the 4 wheel drive system ( expensive). I would not give a huge premium for low milage. In fact if this car has been driven that little, it may not be a plus at all. I would not be hesitant in buying a Porsche with 100K+ mile on it if it had been properly maintained, and had records to document that. Actually, I would PREFER that, because the price would probably be lower!

Bob D.

Although Horst's points are good ones, and I agree it couldn't hurt to try to use the low miles as a bargaining chip, in fact the low miles are probably a pretty big plus.

In January of this year I bought a 1992 C2 with 16k one owner miles. With the exception of a climate control unit problem that was easily fixed, the car has been absolutely perfect.

And I have to tell you, sometimes there is just no substitute for a low miles car! No rock chips, no fading, no wear and tear anywhere, no squeaks or rattles, everything works perfectly and just feels tight and "new." No one who is not a Porsche afficianado can believe the car is not a 2001 model. To me, not having to worry about replacing wear items, and driving what in essence is a new car, has some real value.

And finally, although I prefer the C2, that seems an excellent price if the car is as described.

Good luck and let us know the outcome!

Tom T.

All,

I want to thank you for the help. it turns out that the car was sold before we got to see it.

Tom
1995 993