Bearclaw

+1, this is what I was thinking. Even if you got it for the heavily discounted price of $49K (), you're still going to drop about a buck a mile for the for at least 20K miles - and most of that will be weighted towards the first 10K. It's a head-scratcher, sorry.

I'm less worried about the potentially dried-out stuff. I'd look for anything obvious, then do a major service (like a 60K) and change all the fluids, run it for a couple hundred miles, change it again and call it good. There's a guy on the board here who bought an '89 C4 a couple years ago with 2K miles, and he ran into very little trouble with that sort of thing.

Though this would be an anathema to some, I think this car should continue on with absolutely minimal use. If you're looking to do 4500 mi./yr., there are better choices out there.

dfinnegan

Even I would agree that this car should not be driven . . . Wait, I can't believe I just said that! Eh, screw it, if you've got the money, drive it! My goodness, a brand new 964 C4; I'm envious as hell!!

SuperUser

I bet it is cheeper than leasing a new 997 for 36 months.

TNR911

One can think "it's only money" and enjoy it as you please. Stating the obvious, if it's an investment, do the servicing as suggested and store it. If you don't care about the money enjoy it. I just picked up a RSA with 22k miles. While it's not 100 miles it's still a low amount. Im doing the 60k service and im going to enjoy it as I know in my heart I will never sell it. At some point in time I will replace my 06 997 C2S, which is my daily driver, but not the RSA. So I'm not confronted with a resale dynamic. As I said, I am stating the obvious whatever it's worth.

Markusc

Have to drive the car! I'm blown away from the passion about how many people I have spoke to about the 964 and the flip side the amount of conern about keeping it up. I have a 95 993 C2 which is Concourse Winner 2010 and not a single problem. Agreed, normal expense to keep up the car is part of the experience and "investment"

Both cars I would drive. No point keeping it in the garage.
I saw another 90 964 with $1,750 miles just sell for $48,000. Odd that I see alot of these cars selling around $30K with 50,000 miles (clean of course) and I see these fix it concerns. Much appreciated with all the feedback. Gives me alot to consider if I move forward. 77.3% i'm going to do it.

Markusc

Thank you

LastMezger

Had to add a story to this thread. A nice young man is looking at buying my car. He's a parts guy at the local Porsche stealership (a good job to have if you're buying a 20-year old Porsche) and he loves the 964. He drove the car and was amazed by how solid and planted it felt. He loved it! But the techs at the dealership are pressuring him to get a 993 because according to them they are so much better. Nice, eh?

canuck964

99c2:

I faced the same advice before I bought my 964.

Everyone was telling me to stick to a 993. It is the best air cooled ever produced by Porsche. It will keep the highest resale value and therefore well worth the 30% premium in price over the 964 etc. 964 are too much trouble to maintain.

Fortunately for me I fell instantly in love with my 964 and just had to buy her.

I get a lot of attention and complements, whether it is filling up gas or just parked at the side of the road and haven't regretted the purchase one bit.

LastMezger

My favourite question is "What year is it?" because it's hard to tell. It's got the classic lines but there are the modern bumpers...

tcabler

I also heard all that noise about the 993 being the best investment of the later air-cooled porsches. That's funny considering the 993 is depreciating at an alarming rate, while the both 964 and 3.2 have reached the end of their depreciation cycle, and are great, affordable 911s that will start rising in value in the near future.

ACSGP

You'll also find that you can pick up a 964 with the engine rebuilt for less than the price of a 993 which still needs the rebuild. No brainer with me.

tcabler

Absolutely right. In fact, I just bought a 5spd coupe with 93k miles with a new $9K engine rebuild and clutch replcaement for only $18,000. That price won't touch a unsorted 993 in need of a rebuild.

braol

The greatest thing that ever happened to the 964 was the 996. Now I all I hear from my Porsche friends is "Don't buy the first gen water-cooled Porsches." Whew. The only thing better about the 993 when it came out was the 6-speed trans., varioram intake, and the swoopy lights...but not for almost 2x the price in some instances. I got my car for 15k eight years ago and a guy down the street got a 993 convertible for 48k just this year...now who's the winner in that deal?? Hell, for 48k I could buy my car, an old Boxter, and have plenty of spending cash left over for vacation.

ThomasC2

I think the "bad talk" is fading out. More and more magazines are writing that the 964 is a solid car and a great platform for track days and that the old myths aren't anything to be afraid of anymore. More people are interested in the model, you can really see it on forums here in Sweden, and prices are going up in general. At least in Europe.

Thomas

Porsche964FP

I completely agree, seems usually 2 of the 3 UK Porsche monthly magazines have articles about the the 964.

I think it's completely turned around, true enthusiasts know the 964 is a definitive Porsche to have. They all say it.

From a technical stand point the 964 is also the best built of the lot, built at a time when huge amounts of money were available to Porsche, which included the birth of the 959.

The 993 was built at a time when Porsche was struggling and huge developmental and manufacturing cost were slashed.

Don't get me started on the 996..... Ok fine! The 996 is an exercise in great margins. Enough said.

Besides truly the 993 is ugly, the wheels look lost within the body, the result is a car that is unbalanced, that looks bloated. Porsche noted the enthusiasm for wide body cars and translated it mindlessly to the styling of the 993. The rear looks overly rounded, making it look sluggish and indecisive and front looks bloated also, without purpose.

To me it's styling is without conviction, just muted.

As for those trailing arms, I believe they detract from the handling.

Of course this is all objective and that's not to say I don't appreciate Varioram. And the 993 is great daily driver but as weekend car, as a true proper sports car - 964 every time.

All in all I just can't see simple 993 Carreras holding any value and there's a reason.