How long does a 3.6 964 engine last (PURCHASE QUESTION)
 

Would you buy a 964 with 140,000 miles?

I am a 951 person and have no idea if these engines run 200,000 miles before a rebuild or if 140,000 is flirting with disaster.

Please give advice on the longevity of the engine on 964.

Thanks for your help.

I depends on how it was used and how it was maintained. I would certainly expect a deep discount for taking a high mileage engine. How does it run, what does it sound like, and does it leak oil?? If the compression numbers are good at 140,000 miles, you stand a reasonable chance of getting to 200,000 miles provided you avoid abusing the car and keep up with the maintenance.

If it is leaking oil, sounds fishy, or has low or uneven compression values, you are already on borrowed time.

Well my 964 has well over 260,000 miles on her, I'm the second owner. The car still runs strong, doesn't smoke (unless it has been sitting for a long while), has the typical oil leaks but nothing serious. I am amazed with the condition of the motor with all those miles.

I can confirm that the 964 was dealer maintained but haven't been able to determine if it had a rebuild. I will be doing a leak down test in the next little while to satisfy my curiosity.

Blueman, I have never not purchased a car just because it has high miles....just negotiate a price you are comfortable with bearing in mind you might need to spend a few thousand on a refresh. I.E. take the price you would pay for a 70k mile car and deduct say $5K from there.....

Mine's at 157k miles and running strong on an original never rebuilt engine. I get a few oil drips now and again, but that doesn't bother me having been an Audi driver for 15yrs... It is a '90 C4 and I paid $11,200 after negotiating.

My piston rings were broken at 116,000 miles.... with a significant amount of track time during it's life.

My theory on broken rings is that the engine was babied, and a ridge formed lower than normal on the cylinder. Then the engine is run at full speed and load. A collision between the rings and the wear/deposit ridge is what breaks the rings. It was the top ones broken, no?

Don't baby the engine. Run at high RPM and full load regularly - every drive if possible.

BlueMan,

The 964 engine is very reliable for street usage if its maintained properly. I have 207K miles on mine and its running strong. It has a few minor oil leaks but nothing serious.

If I were looking at a 964 to buy, I would spend the money and get a pre-purchase inspection from a reputable P-car mechanic. I would focus on the overall condition of the car as an indicator to see how its been maintained. I wouldn't put too much concern over the mileage.

My 2 cents.

You know, it's definitely not a 90 c4 for $11,200, but it's the ebay one, with a 'rebuilt title' and 140k miles. The seller says the AWD can be switched to RWD.......that IS wrong on a 1989 right?

The rebuilt title is a bit scary...........but what do you guys think? Will a PPI pretty much cut through the crap, or can I get a good PPI that says all is well and still end up with a bum car?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1989-...QQcmdZViewItem

Nope, that is a C4 so it is full time AWD.

Marc

The pics show a pretty clean car for an '89 and 140k. The interior seems to be holding up quite nicely. Pretty car. $15,700 doesn't seem too bad IF the reason for the salvage title can be determined and it passes a PPI with flying colors.

If you are interested in the car, I would definitely have two PPI's done based on it's salvage title and higher mileage. Though 140,000 is only about 8200 to 8700 miles per year depending on when the car was put into service. One PPI for mechanicals (leak down test for sure) and then another by a very knowledgeable body shop for the body since it has a salvage title. You never know if this car got tagged hard, rebuilt and then put back on the road. Knowledgeable technicians can find most flaws in these cars, but there are zero guarantees with older cars like this.

If that's the original color, it's a pretty rare '89 since silver is quite rare in the 964 line and many 1989 964's were Guards Red (on purpose by Porsche). If I remember right, silver didn't gain huge popularity until the 993's and of course every 996 made was sprayed in one of two colors, Article Silver or Polar Silver. ;)

Those rims are definitely not stock in color. They have a little 'bling bling' quality to them, but it wouldn't bother me. The "4S" badge is from a 996 C4S. No air bags in this model and that would be a plus in my book. I don't mind the aftermarket wheel and it's nice to have the stock one too. The lower front valance is not all bent upwards (looks good actually for a car with that mileage). Distributor vent kit has been installed (that's good), but the option code sticker is missing from the front trunk.

Seats have typical, but not excessive wear for the mileage. Door pocket lids are amazingly straight for the car's age. Some of the dash shots make it look like the car is running when the pic was snapped, but the temp guage is measuring really high. Oil tank level seems O.K., but there are two warning lights on (and I can't remember what they are indicating based on their location in the guages).

The dealer's comment about switching from RWD to 4WD seems like an answer given by someone that is naive about C4's or unfamiliar with what the differential lock switch does. The owner doesn't seem to have a definite answer to why the car is a salvage title.

To me, it's worth a closer look and might be a nice car. It does not look like an abused car and I've seen tons of 964's that are worse with much less mileage. Seems like the owner/dealer is trying to be somewhat forthcoming. But, never trust anyone and do your homework.

Jay

Jay,

If the 4S badge is from a 996, would that not suggest that maybe the car was hit from the rear? Otherwise, why would there be a 996 badge on a 964 model?

BTW, Jay, you seem to really know your stuff. Thanks for you comments.

This sure looks like a nice car from the pics and the seller seams to be forthcoming with his information. My '93 has 136K miles on its original engine build, and runs and shifts perfectly with only the minor annoying cover drips. No case or head leaks. The illuminated warning lights appear to only be the washer fluid level and parking brake.

The oil temp does look very high, but maybe the thermostat is just about to open. Still, hmm... ? The oil pressure is lower than mine at idle at temp., but that too seems to vary among those on this forum with no issues.

It's worth a closer look! But of course, while cosmetic issues are expensive enough to remedy, drivetrain troubles will keep you awake at night!

Mike
'93 C2
'72T

Blueman:

The "Carrera" portion of the rear badge appears to be stock. The "4S" portion could have been easily added to the car since the rear badges are just held on by automotive type double stick tape. But, I would still have that car check out by a knowledgeable body tech.

Our911 is very correct in that the warning lights are a low washer fluid level indicator and the parking brake indicator. I checked my manual to be sure. I also agree that the oil pressure looks just a bit low, but this varies quite a bit between cars and might be just fine.

My oil thermostat will open just above the second marking on the oil temp guage. This one appears high... Maybe the oil cooler fan is not turning on while this car is idling for pictures...?

(thanks for the kind comments. I don't really know much, just have observed a lot of 911's over the years...kinda helps to be concours judge too since I have to view details on cars...).

If this is true, I'm driving mine perfectly. True story. :D