agent325

I had a '85 Cab that I recently sold because I could not stand the wind noise, creeks and Rattles, I'm looking to get in to a Coupe. I have a Budget of about $20K-25K. I have looked into the late 80s 911 with the G50 tranny, but I drove a 964, and liked it alot more. The 964 is alot more car for the money and the price difference is not much. I found a 1990 C2 for $20K, but my mechanic did not recommend me purchasing the car. He also said there is a big price between maintanece of the two cars, with the 964 being the more expensive of the two. I have also looked into 930s in the same price range. Can anyone give me some advice to help me make a decision or recommend a particular model. I liked my '85 cab, but it seems so outdated compared to the 964. Also I was told to stay away from the early 90s 911 to due oil leaks......PLEASE HELP

Adrian

Purchase a 964. Do not believe all that nonsense you read in the magazines.
If you check the archives here and the 964 rennlist you will heaps of data.
Your budget is the major determining factor and you do get what you pay for.
Ciao,
Adrian
911C4

PS: Oil leaks are, no comment. The main expense issue is the Dual Mass Flywheel and the Clutch. A vent kit installation is nice but you can do this yourself anyway. The VAST Majority of 964s do not leak oil and have never leaked oil. The ones that do the problem normally shows up around 75K miles. Called wear and tear really.

Randall G.

Hello agent325,

Yes, the 964 will cost more to maintain, but only because of the reasons that make it more powerful/comfortable/safer than a 3.2L Carrera:

-Twice as many spark plugs/plug wires/rotors
-HVAC that works, but more complicated and expensive to fix
-Air bag/ABS warning lights/faults to contend with
-More electronics in general

So ... you pay more in maintenance, but in return get a more modern/comfortable/faster car.

Incidentally, a 993 will cost more to maintain than a 3.2L Carrera, for the same reasons I listed above for the 964--i.e., twice as many plugs, more complicated HVAC, etc. The hydraulic lifters don't reduce service costs as much as one would think (hope?), because of the added labor needed to change the plugs and oil in a 993.

You might want to think of it this way ... the 964 gives you (very) near 993 performance & comfort, for significantly less money

Good luck!

Jay H

It seems like you already have your heart set on a 964. I feel that is a good choice if you want to get a different feel than what you had in your '85.

I also agree with Adrian on the oil leak problem. Seems to be a very overblown fault that has been unfairly heaped upon the early 964's. Certainly have the PPI look for this 'dreaded' cylinder to head leak, but don't be suprised if the engine on an early 964 is bone dry.

The Turbo's are wonderful cars. There is something about having the boost come on at 3k to shove you in the back. But, if you feel your '85 was outdated, the Turbo's of the same era may feel the same to you.

The performance of the 964 is quite close to the Turbo without having the lag or wide 4 speed trans (1989 Turbo model excluded). Factory figures claim 5.5 secs from 0-60 for both models. I really enjoy my 964 in town traffic and don't think a Turbo would be as flexible when off boost (but I'd still like to have a Turbo in my garage next to my 964).

The 964 is a more complicated car than the earlier Carrera's. Hence, the maintenance costs may be higher on a 964, depending on the condition of the car and how you use it.

If you buy a 964, get the distributor belt replaced, vent it for $12, keep some cash around for a potential flywheel replacement (if it's not already done) and start enjoying the car like the rest of us early 964 owners do.

I'll say it again: all of the mechanical faults of the early 964 models have a permanent, reliable fix available.

Hope this helps,
Jay
90 964

MelissaM

EEEEEE!!!! Could we start suing these people for slandering our cars and bringing down the resale price????

OK, I feel much better now. (Perhaps this is what Adrian was thinking when he gave his "no comment" about the oil leak.)

The early 964's did not have a head gasket. Some -- a vast minority of all the cars, but some of them leaked oil. Of the small percentage that did leak oil, many were fixed by Porsche under warranty. Of course now the warranty period is over, so Porsche will no longer pick up the tab.

I've never seen a car with this leak, but I can't imagine that it would be that difficult to spot. Hardly a reason to stay away from all early 964's.

Other than that...yes, the 964's cost more to maintain than the 911's. Randall did a great job of describing why this is. OTOH, so do 930's. You might ask your mechanic about the maintenance cost differences between the 930 and your '85 cab.

It seems that you liked the 964 quite a bit after driving it. You should also drive a 930 and see if it is that much more fun to you that a 964 is.

But don't stay away from the early 964's just because they have their issues. As Jay said, "all of the mechanical faults of the early 964 models have a permanent, reliable fix available."

Just go in with your eyes wide open!

-- Melissa