Brentflyfish

okay - I have been wanting a 964 coupe pretty baddly for awhile now. I finally decided I could sell my restored 1973 Land Rover series III 109 for cash to help me get a 911. I may have found a car here in the nashville area for a very good price (lets say under 20K and more than 10K...) that appears to have had a lot of work done in the last two years including nearly $10K in engine work (I have not actually seen the receipts yet). The owner told me that the car leaks marginal oil at the most when sitting for a long time. All the oil lines and oil cooler have either been replaced or repaired by a reputable mechanic here in the Nashville area.

My question............He said that when he started it up after sitting for nearly 6 months it created a lot of smoke. Then he stated that when starting it once a week it does not smoke at all. Is this of concern? I would think not, but want your opinions.

tbennett017

There are lots of potential reasons for this, a common one being too much oil in the system. Please search here for oil change, and checking oil level.

I would STRONGLY recommend a proper pre-purchase inspection. Don't hurry to hang yourself from the first tree you find. 964s between 10-20K are plentiful.

mr pg

Also a good chance after sitting for 6 months that some oil has seeped past the rings, and is being burnt off after starting. Not uncommon.

911Jetta

It's part of the engine design, as mentioned above (even the new GT3s still do it). Totally normal. I usually daily drive my car, no smoke at all. However every year I go on a trip or two where the car sits for a month or so, boy do I get the biggest cloud of smoke upon starting it up. I filmed it last year... I make sure none of the neighbors are outside due to embarassment.

Sounds like the owner is being very straight and upfront with you. No one wants to tell a prospective buyer that his car leaks oil? Only 911 owners would understand...

Looks like he doesn't need or want the car if he hasn't driven it in so long? These things are living creatures that need exercise. His recent bills suggest he's kept good care of the car?

Most sellers say:
doesn't leak a drop (most do somewhere)
everything works (really, everything... these are old cars)
car is totally stock (that's good or bad)

Enjoy the search... at these prices I wish I could buy another one!

Brentflyfish

Thanks for the info guys. He seems to be very honest. Bad ankle injury makes it hard for him to drive a stick shift, or so the story goes. The real key is finding a buyer for my other car...

Do any of you have or know of other 964 coupes in the $15K range (PM me)? This car is red and I would prefer another color - especially one with lighter interior.

Thanks!

BlueHeeler

Spend some time searching on autotrader.com, cars.com, craigslist, and eBay. You will quickly get a feel for the market. The more you know pre purchase, the happier you will be with the car.

dfinnegan

A $15k 964 will likely still cost $20k in the end.

aviation_infadel

I just read this book, and although I'm not in the market for a 964, a considerable part of the 964 section was dedicated to the oil leaks prevalent in that type. I would really have a solid ppi done, the $500 could save you many many thousands!

Wachuko

There is a guy selling his 993 for 15K. Looks like a killer deal. 993 for sale