ayw

Hi all,

I am searching for my first Porsche, and after a little bit of research, I've settled on the 964. This will be my first car purchase, my first used car, and my first sports car. Basically, I'm a giant newb - I have a few questions, and would appreciate any help, especially with the last one...

1. Is the 964 a good choice for my first 911? I've seen debates regarding the 993 vs. the 964, but what about the 911 3.2 vs. the 964? I'm pretty set on the 964, but as it will be my only car, my daily driver, and I'm not terribly rich, I really need a reliable, solid car that will not be obnoxious to keep in good shape.

2. I've seen ppl here suggest Heyer Performance and RMG Enterprises in the Bay Area, CA (I'm in Palo Alto) - any thoughts on which one is better in regards to service, cost, honesty, etc.? I'll probably take my prospective 964 to them for a PPI and for all service, parts, etc.

3. If there are any 964 experts in the Bay Area with a spare weekend that's willing to lend me a physical hand, I'm eying the 1992 964 C2 in the Craigslist ad below. I checked it out once a couple weeks ago and have looked at a few others. My main concerns with my limited knowledge are the transmission and the power steering (both seem a bit stiff). If anyone can help me take a more qualified look at it this weekend or the next, I can offer a free meal and my everlasting gratitude

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/car/470797598.html

Many thanks. I look forward to your responses and to joining (hopefully) the 911 community as a whole.

Best,
ayw

1990-964

Hi,

I was in a similar situation 5 yrs ago. The 3.2 Carrera is an old design that pretty much drives like one. That siad they are very good cars just based on very old technology. The 964 on the other hand is much more modern and powerful. 964s have developed some very bad and not necessarily deserved reputations over the early years. Generally speaking most early problems especially on a higher mileage car like the one you are looking at have been corrected like failing dual mass flywheels, oil leaks and distributor belt breakage/venting. Without exception DO A PPI. i have spoken to Heyer on the phone and he comes on pretty strong. I did a ppi at DM Motors in Palo Alto and it kept me from getting into trouble. I have had my 964 for 4 1/2 years put over 55,000 miles on it and Love it. No real issues other than normal wear items. There is so much that I can cover about the whole topic might be better served by a conversation. PM me and we can go on from there. Even if you don't, Good Luck with your search and remember DO A PPI on any car you are considering!! Sometimes even the seller does'nt really know what may be going on with it.

Regards

sundog

The choice of a 911 is generally buy the newest you can afford. if 16K is your price range then the 964 is a good choice, as you will not find a decent 993 for that price.

Not familiar with either of those shops. There are a number of independents that are good in the south bay, BTM motorwerks, Jerry Woods enterprises.

Have you driven a few to see the differences? It's possible that with a 150K car you will be in for a little more maintenance than a lower mileage car. In mine, 170K now, a lot of the HVAC, and little things are needing work.

Indycam

"1. Is the 964 a good choice for my first 911?" You are asking a bunch of 964 owners if the 964 is the car to buy ?

"2. I'll probably take my prospective 964 to them for a PPI and for all service, parts, etc." Mail order works for parts .

"3. If there are any 964 experts in the Bay Area" I'm no expert , but I'll look over a car / drive it and tell you what I think .

ayw

Hi 1990 and sundog,

Thanks for getting back to me, really appreciate the help...

1990 - Really stupid question, but how do I PM you? I would definately like to get in touch.

sundog - Yeah, the south bay is a bit further for me than I'd like. I'll probably looking into Heyer or DM that 1990 mentioned above. I think i'm willing to spend up to $19-20k on the car and any maintenance to get it fully functional. I'm just hoping to not end up spending $5-10k more on top of the price of the car fixing major issues.

So far, I've driven 3 964's - this 1992 C4 that I'm looking at, a 1992 C4 targa that had 120k miles on it, and a 1990 C2 Coupe with 45k miles. I drove both 92's, and sat in for a test drive on the 90 (I'm not comfortable enough with stick to drive it at night in hilly streets).

The transmission on the low mileage C2 felt really buttery smooth compared to the two older mileage C4's. The steering on the C4 targa felt lighter than on the C4 coupe (it was work to steer through corners with one hand). I didn't play with the steering wheel on the C2 unfortunately.

Is the HVAC work going to cost you a lot? I live in a condo and don't have a garage, the tools, or the time to be anywhere as handy as I see you are (with your head sticking out of the engine compartment).

Once again, thanks so much for you time!!

a

rodtds

I have a '91 C2 Cab, from what I hear, C2 is the better choice and it hasnt snowed in the bay area since time began. For me, I wouldnt be afraid of miles on these cars. My car is not my DD. you will need to drive the car though, they need to be driven. they like to leak and budget 2k per year for stuff.

stevepaa

If you don't do your own wrenching, these cars can be quite expensive at higher mileage. Was oil leakage apparent on any of these cars? A PPI is must.

RMG is a good shop, honest and fair.

sundog

hvac work is expensive, as new parts are very expensive. There are a lot od little things that can go wrong, blowers, control units, ...

With the PPI, you should have them read all of the error codes with a Hammer, and that will give you a good idea if there are any issues.

ayw

Indycam - yeah, I know about asking which is the best 911, but I was hoping to get some logic supporting why the 964 is good for my price range. I'll definately take you up on your offer to test drive the car as you're definately more of an expert than me. What kind of 964 do you have? Year? Mileage? etc. Thanks!

rodtds - Yeah, the C2 was definately nice, well taken care of, and in great condition, but it was red (I'm really looking for black), and it was $23.5k, significantly more than the $16k one I was looking at. I'm impartial to the C4 or C2, just looking for a black 964 coupe with the tan interior in great condition at a price I can afford.

Indycam

89 C4

C4s are good for rain slick roads and for going up in the hills .

deep_purple

My two cents...

Regardless of the PPI, remember to budget for repairs. These cars do need repairs, and parts are quite expensive.

I lived in Palo Alto as well! Will you need the car every day? If you can take the train/bus every now and then you'll be able to get to work when the car is in the shop.

I had a cabriolet, and the top alone cost me over $4K over four years. $1K a year for tires alone was normal for me given that I also took the car to autocrosses.

Here are some expenses I remember - the amounts are not exact...
- Some long oil line was leaking - ~$700 labor and parts (or was it $600 for the oil line alone..)
- 4-way buttons for the seats failed twice - $100-$150 each time, parts only
- A Misfire / backfire - $600, including $200 in towing (get the AAA plus)
- 90K service - $900
- Starter replacement (refurbished) - $3-400 IIRC

Note that none of the above repairs are major ones, re-building engines, top-end jobs, transmission work, etc. etc. will send your mechanic to Hawaii.

I was living in an apartment building as well, and did not have the tools and the knowledge to do the work myself. I wish I did have access to tools and a shop. Would've saved a bunch...

Overall, owning a 964 was an expensive proposition for me, depreciation and all. However, these decisions are driven by passion instead of logic, so I am still glad that I did it when I could : )

parsecnc4

I agree with deep_purple and would not suggest a 964 for a new driver, especially if one were to have limited wrenching experience or funds available for unforeseen repairs potentially costing into the thousands. Also, I don't know how expensive insurance may be for a new driver in a 964. Perhaps a 3.2 or SC might be better choices before getting into a 964 or even a 965.

My 2 cents...

john.ratelle

congrats on selecting the 964... i don't think you'll be dissatsified, all things equal. I've honestly scared the ****e of myself on 280 - PageMill to Woodside up in the hills - WOW!

I'm in mv, and have used Heyer exclusively, and absolutely can't say enough good about Tony. I've owned two bimmers, my weekend car is a minivan (don't laugh), and Tony was the first mechanic to actually show my used/replace parts and explain in detail what was done.

Check cl, cars.com. autotrader.com - mine's org. from va, but well worth it. - cars.com without the pics was worked with me. Just checked cl - there's a '94 targa, black and tan in mill valley (dang!).

good luck...jjr

race911

Absolutely concur. Something with low miles for not much more WILL pop up.