butzip

I have owned almost every type of Porsche, but never a 964. Can ya'll give me some insight before I buy this one. What should I look out for? Common problems? upgrades? mileage limitations i.e. is 115K high? for most carrera and SCs it's not considered excessive. Are the C4s proving reliable? I know they tend to leak and the 4wd sensors are $$$$$. I would be letting my 1988 carrera cab go for this, so I want to be informed before I let a perfectly good and reliable car that I've owned for 7 yrs, go.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...link:middle:us

Brgds, Peter

KirkF

I have an 89. They are a good car.

Like all 911 motors they leak once the seals get old, especially if the car isnt driven regularly.
The AWD sensors rarely fail. They are expensive if bought new, but every time I have heard of someone having a problem with one, they just cleaned it and it was fine.
The car in the picture is sporting 928 rims. Maybe the originals were stolen?
115k is not high mileage for one of these cars.

The price seems to be right. Like all porsches a good PPI is well worth the money.

Best of luck

Kirk

vitaminC

I would ask him if he knows about the special caps-lock fix that is very important if you want to make a quick sale.

Spare tire and some belts, but not tools or compressor?

Get a PPI if you're really interested...

Greg964

These cars rarely meet reserve so I would wait until the auction ends, then make the guy an offer PENDING a clean PPI. Suffield is only 2 hrs from White Plains so drive down and take a look, if you still like it there is an excellent Porsche specialist called Rennewerke right near White Plains (in Elmsford,NY IIRC). Of course the buy it now is low so someone may snag it before the auction ends, but there is too much downside involved in buying this car without a PPI.

993TurboS

My 89 was delivered with those rims. . .in chrome. . .for about 2k extra. I have the original sticker, etc. There is no accounting for taste as they say. I, of course, replaced them with the cups.

butzip

Thanks for the Rennwerke lead, PPI is a must as parts alone will add up quick. I agree on the wheels, I think a 964 lowered with cup ones is unbeatable. What do you recommend for lowering. Is it just a matter of changing the springs? How about the ABS light that he mentions? common? sensor?

Thanks guys!! I welcome any and all info.

Brgds, Peter

911URGE

A few notes based on the photos:

Looks like the distributor vent update has been done
E-Brake - that thing is sky high. Should only be 4-5 clicks. Adjustment?
Full power seats both sides - nice
There is one photo of the guages that shows the car is running (RPM's at 800) and at normal operaing temp and the oil pressure is a hair above 1 bar. This may be a little low - Oil change may cure this. Mine runs at 2 bar at idle.
The next photo of the guages you can catch a glimpse of the oil level and its way to high - overfill condition going on?
Noted the ABS light comes on - could this be the brake pad sensor or is it ABS?. ABS pump may have had the connector bumped loose near the battery which will cause this error. New battery recently?

Looks nice overall but this car needs a PPI. As a comparison I have a 89 C4 with nearly 150k miles and a virgin motor. The 89's had leaks around the head/cylinders. I would check to see if that has ever been done in service records.

doug751

I am always suspicious when I see over waxed cars with too much armor all nonsense in the interior.

As for 1989's... I like mine. The 1989 offers more leg room and a simpler interior than the 1990 and later models. There is no airbag, and therefore the Glove box is where it should be and that lower dash trim that you find on later cars is not there. It is easier to work on the interior and both driver and passenger have a lot more leg room. You can sit closer to the wheel for track events and not worry about a 20 year old airbag blowing up in your face.

Be careful, these cars are money pits, and a good inspection plus a few bucks spent up front to get a nice car will save you thousands and lots of agony later.

TR6

+1 Buy a car with an engine about to go south, and your $15K 964 will quickly turn into a $25-$30K 964. PPI and thorough research. Leakdown/compression tests, etc. I might even go as far as to ask for a sample of the oil to send out to Blackstone Labs. An oil analysis report can be very revealing about the wear condition inside the engine. Oil for a sample can be suctioned out of the dipstick tube or from the filler neck without draining the oil. You'd have a report back in a few days. I had never considered this before, but after my engine shelled a rod bearing after owning it one year and then finding out that the bearing wear had been there for a while, I would now probably do this.

butzip

Well, that really applies to any car doesn't it? I could spend $25k on a car and have the engine crap out on me..... All used cars are a gamble unless you know the car or previous owner very well. Truth is, I don't trust anybody especially a dealer. I sold my 83 SC back in 2001 for $15k 2 days later I found it for sale @ a local dealer lot!!!! I asked the sales man what the story was and told me all sorts of bull**** about the previous owner. Little did he know it was me!! He handed me pics the 'previous owner' took when he did the clutch, all the parts receipts with, my name on them. Title, with my name on it. I expected an asking price of $17k or something but to my surprise they were asking $13k. I talked him down to $12.5k including dealer/title app fees etc... and bought it back. The day was September 11, 2001. True story. Apparently his wife sent him out to get a family car. I guess their idea of 'family car' should have been discussed ahead of time.

But I'm getting of topic. You all being owners, what should I be looking out for in a used 964?

Brgds, Peter

kgorman

+1 for the '89 as long as the motor is sound. It's lighter than the '90+. ;-).

Mine has 75k and I have put a great deal of work into it, but no rebuild yet. Check to make sure the diff lock switch works, get a good PPI, and have fun.

butzip

OK all since this car has been relisted on Ebay and I did go see it I feel obligated to report the following:

Car was running when I got there. I like to see and hear cold start up always.......
- the left side of the engine makes a ton of noise.
- When you shut it down and start it up again, the left side of the engine makes a pinging noise like pre-detonation.
- various lights no working
- tail does not raise and lower
- heat does not work
- Seller was not very co-operative towards a pre-purchase inspection. He said "it would be a waste of time and money." and he would not bring it the 1.3 miles down the road to the shop during business hours.
- He also did not let me drive the car because I had my daughter with me?!?!?

Thanks for wasting my time @$$hole!!

Stay away unless you need an expensive parts car............

tbennett017

I am at 176K miles and counting... these can go for a while (knocking on wood)

TR6

That alone would be enough for me to move on.

GG Allin

No compression test, no deal. Anyone selling a car should at least allow that to be done.