jbrob007

964's dont get bad press! 928s get bad press and take a beating by other Porsche enthusiasts... and, typically for the same reasons - ignorance. I've heard all the balogney about 928s not being a "real" Porsche, not rear-engined, not air-cooled, etc... who cares. I fell in love with it the first day my Dad brought a Demo home from the Dealership in 1979 - WOW, a factory V-8 Porsche!!! To tell you the truth, I'm GLAD they get bad press - I didnt have to pay $25, 35K or more for an excellent example with state of the art design & engineering, great handling & acceleration & a top end exceeding anything I'll ever push... I paid... what... for... it... $11K out the door ( wheels included I love it because its NOT a 911, doesnt sound like one, doesnt even resemble one... I love all Porsche cars because of what they are... a Porsche... I love my car even more because its a Porsche 928! Buy the car that blows your skirt up, floats your boat, flips your switch... whatever... maintain it... and DRIVE it... If that car is a 964, then by all means GET IT... you'll love it!

vbaron

I acquired my 964 last year after much research into them and I couldn't be happier! As stated earlier, many of the initial teething issues should have been sorted out of any decently maintained car.

Vin

marcel964

Own my 964 Targa for one year (bought in march 2010). I'm one of that european guys that bought a california car, low mileage, looked well after. And Yes, not cheap overhere in Europe. And my experience is that prices are going up. Similar examples at this moment (march 2011) are more expensive.
I drives briljant and is so much fun. I also drove a 3.2 targa. It looks great, but a 964 drive so much better. It has a complete history and flywheel switch has been done. No leaks and so on. So dont be afraid after 20 years, if there are problems, they will be fixed. Just look for one with a decent history. I think is the best of both, classic looks and briljant drive charateristics.

Dsqr964

I had sold my first 911 (77' Targa 911s) a few years before I got injured and regretted it. After my injury I knew I would not be driving a manual with much pleasure so my heart sank because I knew I would never have another 911.
Well started looking again for a classy car to drive and looked at Mer SLK's. I was seeing them under 10k but high mileage and interior looked like hell. Then I got a link form CarFax leading to my current 964. Yes it was an Automatic (tiptronic) but I could have another 911!!!.
Not really expecting some of the performance you get from the manual I was pleasantly surprised. She is more refined then my earlier 911 but still goes like a Porsche should go.
Other than taking care of little things here and there for a 20 year old car with 140K when I got her; she has been a very reliable car. She looks a bit tired some days, I don't wash her as much as would like and yes I have taken her through a car wash once or twice but she is my daily driver and I still get looks and compliments even with two weeks of road and rain dirt on her.

I am truly happy I found this car. She wraps herself around me and digs into curves with the responsiveness that just makes my morning start off right. If only I could find a woman as such .

All in all the only thing that concerned me before I purchased was if the Dist Vent had been done, the cruise control update done, and she had maintained well. I would take care of the rest.

Well got a little windy there, sorry, I have just become very attached to my 964! Even with my D-90's -D²

Bearclaw

Sharks are automotive icons, just like 911's. Nothing else like them.
Love it!

ACSGP

I guess the nay-sayers will say that the car is neither here nor there in terms of modernity (cosmetics due to the upright headlamps), nor are they true air-cooleds in being hard to drive and without electronic aids.

On the other hand, the enlightened guys (like us) believe that the 964 has the best of both worlds - trad looks + modern running gear.

I say stuff the nay-sayers, they prob haven't driven a 964.

Just got my car back from the mech today, and he said my car is one of the finest he's seen here. This from the guy who built roadsleeper's 964 RSR replica (the bumkin pumpkin he calls it) and who used to work at Autofarm.

Big grin on my face driving to work this morning. Nothing like a 964.

LastMezger

I agree! In 20 years the guy with a nice 928 S4 manual is going to have something incredibly rare and potentially somewhat valuable on his hands.

Regulatori

The part my friends don't understand is that I originally intended to buy a 993. I had an SC Targa before and was dead set on a 993...but that changed after I drove it. It just lacked something that I couldn't put my finger on. I ended up driving a 964 and just fell in love...it felt a lot like my old SC but with more modern features. Maybe it was something as superficial as not seeing the headlight/fender humps from the driver seat (haha) but the 964 just felt special.
I have a feeling down the road that the 964 is going to be a very popular car and elicit almost a cult type following with Porsche fans...and I'll be the guy saying "told you so." It's right on the cusp of being modern/classic and just fills the role perfectly.

Whenever I look/drive my car every day, I think, "There is no way I'm ever going to sell this."

911Jetta

Great story!

Whatever technology Porsche engineers into these cars has proven pretty solid. Somtimes it takes them a while to stuff it into a 911!

The 964 body was a big jump from the previous torsion bar cars..the shell feels so solid, its ABS rocks (Porsche waited a long time on that one), the power steering feels direct with lots of feedback, the 4 wheel drive system is so complex and yet incredibly robust and improves the car in another dimension...and then there's the Tip.

Something you wouldn't normally associate with an "old" 911. Here again Porsche engineered great performance into a new system. A feature most enthusiast don't look for, but here again it's a solidly engineered and delivers performance and feel that's at the top of its class (like PDK)...and more importantly it allows you do own and drive a 911 again.

911Jetta

+964 my brother!

LastMezger

No question.

Dsqr964

Here, here!! -D²

Makmov

I'v been very happy with my 964.

I used to drive a 928 S4 Manual. Nice car, not a 911, but a very nice car nonetheless. Too, bad mostly idoits ended up with 928s and it's very hard to find a decent one any more. They are almost as bad as 944/968. Yeah you could buy one for $4 or $5k but it was still a $75K car to takecare of so they largely didn't get taken car of at all and need everything.

I looked at a 944 Turbo a couple years ago. Looked okay, but it never had any Porsche updates, needed a waterpump, T-belt, balance shaft belt, the entire powersteering system, lower control arms, motor mounts, no boost on the turbo,and on and on and on. like $15,000.00 in just typical 944 maintance items that never was done, and they still wanted $4500.00 for it.

marcel964

a night out on a tunnel challenge with many 964s

morrisroad

I've acutally noticed quite a few recent articles highlighting to buyers numerous reasons why they should pick up a 964. The main point that comes across over and over is the high value these cars offer for current price levels that will invariably start to increase once the buyer market figures it out.


When I was researching cars, the 993, 996 and earlier porsches seemed to have about the same or more problems in different areas. I my experience with Jaguar, BMW, Japanese, they all have their problems. I think mag writers tend to over exagerate the repair requirements on cars when every by default requires a program that should be followed and a lot depends on how the care is maintained by the owner.

I think one earlier poster is on the mark, perhaps the people who are writing negatively about the 964 are not 964 owners. I totally see the value in all the modern features the 964 introduced. Its a great car that marries modern technology advancements and classic porsche lines.