shiro666

Hey P-Car fans,

I have been reading up on 911 ownership over the past couple of weeks. I am coming from the Subaru world and I would really like to believe that I could year round DD a C4 with the correct tires. I have had a fever for the 964's since they came out. I also have a '67 Camaro project car, so I am used to a car that has "quirks" but I would like to be fairly confident that it will turn over every day.

Some questions I have:

Is the AWD system in the 964 cars really as problematic as I have been told? Enough to want to avoid the 4's entirely?

I know that this is the 964 forum, but would a later car be preferable for reliability? I really am in love with the 964 body style.

I am a big dude (6' 3"@280) and I have never sat in one. Will this be an issue?

How many grocery bags can you fit in the trunk?


Thanks for looking. Any advise or comments are welcome.

Cheers,

Nick

freedog009

Others will be better to reply but I"ll start....

1. I've found that they are not necessarily problematic...more a matter of getting comfortable understanding what the system needs....I know mine has to have the brake fluid closer to the top to make the light go out. However, from what I understand, the actual mechanicals are built like a tank.

2. Any Porsche post the 2.7 Liter engine is going to be very reliable if you keep on the maintainence...but it's not a Toyota. You can't drive it for 3 years without lifting the hood up. I had a 1977 Targa with a 3.0 engine and put nearly 300k on the car before I sold it with very little maintenance beyond the schedule (suspension parts wore out, mainly). It was running strong and looked great the day I let it go. Porsche is known as the utlimate and mayb the ONLY daily driver SUPERCAR.

3. You're a big dude, it will be a tight fit....but you'll get used to it very quickly. At you size you could probably wave out of both the driver and passenger window and you will need to get use to the windscreen being so close. Also, there is a technique for sliding in and rotating out of the vehicle when you are larger...you'll learn.

4. You can put a couple bags in the boot...more if you can stack and certainly a couple in the back seats.

Quit waffling and buy one you won't regret it....just keep on the maintenance like a hawk and you'll be fine.

justin-in-athens

Heres a good one. http://89c4.com/

August West

+1 on freedog.

Legroom won't be an issue but you may need to consider different seats especially if your C4 has sport seats. I'm 6'0", 185 lbs., and my car has sport seats that wrap your legs pretty good and I found that on long trips my legs would feel like the blood supply was being compromised...

shiro666

Thanks for your input!

That IS nice. I kind of hate Gaurds red(I know) but I could learn to like it with that deal...

-Nick

altarchsa

I've owned 3 mid 70's 911's, including an SC, all obviously 2 WD. I have had 0 problems with the. AWD system on my 89 C4 since I bought it 4 years ago and I would never buy another 2 WD 911 after experiencing the handling of the C4. Sure the track guys will harp on understeer as compared to the C2, but for an everyday driver, I don't think you can beat a C4. It also weighs a little more than the C2, but performance specs on stock cars are almost identical.

As for your size, I'm not that big, but I find that the seat bottom bolsters are really tight and hurt my butt on longer drives. My seats are pretty worn out though.

If you like the 964 you should go for it. While the 993 is a little more powerful and civilized I understand, the 964 is the last 911 with the tall fenders. I would not buy anything after a 964 or 993 cur until you get to a later model '04.

Good lu k!

freedog009

FYI...i agree this car is definitely worth a look and the owner is definitely an enthusiast who looks as though he's taken care of the vehicle.

newsboy

I'm 6'2", and have no problem with fitting in/driving my 964. If your planning on autocross/or track, your helmet may touch the the headliner. Mine comes 1/2" shy of the top with a standard seat, with sunroof.
Non-sunroof's are rare, but would give more headroom.

campoj2

Before you buy one make sure that there are no caution lights lit up. The system is rock solid but maintenance must be performed in order to keep system trouble free. Bleeding the system every 2 years is a requirement, and most shops do not know how to do it properly. Anything with an ABS light is a source of concern, while they may share the same ABS pump (I think) they have different ABS ECUs and they are hard to find and expensive on the used market. Other than that it's nice to have an AWD 964, especially if you live in Maine. I saw one for sale in Autotrader about 2 month ago up your neck of the woods.
Search this forum, you'll find a ton of information.

shiro666

Awesome.

Thanks for the guidance.

Greg964

If you are going to drive it daily and can stretch your budget the 993 C4 has a far simpler AWD system.

Jackfre

Excellence mag has a write-up, with values, on the 89-98 911's.

tbennett017

I'm interested to see you workin' an air hammer. You have the right temperament for the C4 already.

I have had no problems with the PDAS/AWD in 4+ years, and it's possible to mod the suspension to dial out the understeer with a few swaybars etc.
The stock seats are pretty open, compared to the sports or others, you should be okay, and you can move the seat rails back one stop with four allen screws. Plus the motorized seats are pretty adjustable.
I ran my C4 in Oregon as a daily til my son got too tall. It works great in snow, as long as it isn't too deep. I still take it out on snowy days just to mess with the SUV people. The only caveat is that you want to warm the engine up fully, otherwise the oil soaks up a lot of moisture, and you need to change it more often. Oil changes are a slightly bigger project with this car. Not just a drain/refill.

shiro666

LOL, thanks!

I was welding up a billet of damascus at the local metalworking school. I am a bladesmith whenever I am not at my day job. Here is what the billet looked like after it became part of a titanium framelock prototype;


Anyways,

Thanks for sharing your personal experience and tips. I made the typical N00B mistake of not searching. I am currently trying to absorb the wealth of 964 info on this site.

Cheers,

Nick

frankvan

reliability of awd:
https://rennlist.com/forums/964-foru...989-911c4.html

The AWD system has never let me down. In fact i was able to limp home a few blocks because of it (rear CV joint let go, engaged awd lock and was able to drive - a c2 would have been stranded)

At your size i would definitely recommend against "sport seats". I have em and a friend who is not quite your size doesn't fit in them comfortably.