palmxp3

Hi All,

I've been lurking on these boards for the last year and have been lusting after a 964 since my childhood. Just a little background about myself first. I'm 31 now and the 964 chassis is sorta nostalgic in the sense that this was the model I had posters up in my bedroom. I'm financially stable and feel I am finally ready in that regard to take the plunge on a Porsche.

My car history (starting with my first) have included Honda CRX, Honda Prelude, Acura Integra, Nissan 350Z, and currently a BMW 335i. The BMW is really a great daily driver but it is more GT like and I have wanted to get back into a small sports car for a long time. Over the last few years, I've added KWv2, 19" BBS, FMIC, Tune, BOVs, Downpipes, etc. The car is quick, but it is a very mundane drive.

My short list includes the 964 (Top of the list), Boxster/Cayman S, Lotus Exige, 993, NSX, BMW Z4M. Let me say that I am completely in love with classic good looks of the 964. What made you choose the 964 over anything else even if you had the money to do so? I've never driven a 911 so what is it like driving one compared to other sports cars and what makes it special?

Makmov

How long is a piece of string?

A Porsche, 964 in particular is nothing like the cars you have owned before.

You need to drive one to understand. It is pure driving bliss if you get it.

It is also the only sports car in the world with the engine slung out behind the rear axle which makes it a very different driving experience.

However, because of the location of the engine it has magical grip and acceleration properties, and when the car was released it had the best brakes in the world. It still has better brakes than a lot of 2012 model year cars.

The only other car in you consideration list that comes close is a 993, but it's a bit watered down to the raw connected feeling of a 964, but it is much easier to live with day to day than a Carrera 3.2 or SC.

Why did I buy a 964, because it's a 964. Not to say any of those other cars are bad cars they just are not a 964, and I can't tell why. It is just something you need to experience first had to understand.

Vandit

I've driven a friend's '06 Cayman S and he's driven my 964. The cars could not be more different. Everything on the 964 has a lot of weight to it, clutch is heavy, brake pedal is heavy and feels like it barely moves, the steering is not very assisted, the pedal box is offset to the center of the car ever so slightly. *Driving it feels like a workout. His Cayman on the other hand is very docile. His stock exhaust does not fill the cabin w/ all kinds of awesome sounds. All the driving controls have the lightness you'd expect from a brand new Toyota. The 964 driven at the limit is scary to me since I am still relatively inexperienced and my car's suspension needs freshening up. Search for my autocross thread under my username. His Cayman is straight up confidence inspiring when driven hard. You know that even if it gets a bit out of shape, it's easy to correct. The 964, no so much.*

As for 993 vs 964, a friend who was trying to decide between them told me he concluded that the 993 is probably the better car but the 964 is probably the better 911. He ended up going w/ a 964.

Go out and drive the cars on your list. You'll learn a lot about yourself just by doing that and it'll really help you narrow down your options.

koenig_roland

hi,
i´d same situation four years ago. I was 29 and thought that it was time for the first porsche. I drove some km with my farthers 64er Cab and was sure, the elise is the wrong car. I bought my 64er some days before i got 30 years old and i´m still happy with the car... only the 96 GT3 could be a popular update, but the insurance-rates are over the top for me, compared to the 964.

go for it!

groovzilla

i've owned early cars/later cars and many in between. IMHO, the beauty of the 964 for me personally is the design, the early feel of the road combined w/more comfort like better heating system, more comfortable seats, a bit tighter suspension and the most prominent a better transmission.
the 964 has a more early - go cart feel like a 911sc and also compared to the 993 which to me the driver feels farther away from the road. in the 996 the driver feels even farther away from the road but it is a smooth comfortable car.

i would buy a 964 as a 1st porsche...i think its a great choice as long as you have the car thoroughly checked out by a professional shop(PPI). there is a list of things to look out for and i am sure there are some i am forgetting:
1. 1989-1992 - oil leaks in general but these years oil leaks at cylinders and case leaks due to non use of seals in those years
2. electrical gremlins - airbag light, dash christmas tree light issue, door light switch issue, check engine light. *many owners have removed dash lights or bulbs are burned out due to remaining on constantly. PPI will address this issue.
3. overall servicing of the car. service records are nice but carfax can sometimes list dealer services if maintained at dealer.
4. things like clutch life, overall condition of the car really determine what sort of repair/replacement costs you will be looking at down the road.

*i've attached a photo of my 1990 C2 which i sold a couple of years ago...it had the typical case bolt/cylinder base oil leaks...i got tired of the oil smell and constant changing of the diaper i strategically placed in between the engine and engine tray.

palmxp3

Vandit, I don't plan to track the car and definitely wanted something more engaging to drive. At this stage in my life, I don't drive fast on public roads anymore and really want something unique and fun to drive without having to go insanely fast. All the new cars may be better overall packages but they are just so boring to drive and you truely need to break the law in order to have any fun.

Groove, your car is stunning! I think I've already emotionally committed to owning a 964 now. I'm just trying to rationalize it.

Goughary

"I've been lurking on these boards for the last year and have been lusting after a 964 since my childhood"

Go buy one. Get a PPI done first...Buy a good one. If you change your mind later, resell it. If you have wanted somehting all your life - just get it. Anyway - thats what I did. not the least expensive decision I ever made, but far and away the best one. Although now I want a C2 to go with the C4...slippery slope...

Mr.Spacely

I was in the same situation a few months ago. Finally arrived at a point in life when getting a special car was a reality, and made sense professionally. I'm 43, and have lusted after Porsches since I was 12. I cross-shopped some of the same cars on your list: Boxster, 996, Elise, M3, M5, plus some American muscle, Saleen, Corvette, etc. The Boxsters and 996's were very very appealing to me, but it ended up coming down to the 964 or 996 for various reasons. My brain was screaming for a 996, figuring there would be less maintenance and a more modern and reliable experience. My heart, however, was screaming for the classic lines of the 964. Everything I read about them convinced me a little more. When I found what seemed like the perfect specimen I pulled the trigger.

What appealed to me so much when I test drove it are some of the same things already mentioned: no-nonsense layout, heavy steering and clutch, the total lack of warning buzzers and chimes, the classic aircooled sound, the innate precision in all of the controls and road manners. I found out later that philosophically this was the right choice as well....at heart I'm one of those people who loathes needless technology, appreciates simplicity--and the 100% 'connection' this car offers me is all the justification I would ever need for making a similar buy.

Yes it has a few quirks, and I can already tell it will pretty much always be needing some kind of love and attention. Just like any 20+ year old car, in other words. At the end of the day, maybe that is the real question to be asking yourself: Do I mind giving this car regular attention? Because it is going to demand it from you.

Vandit

^This right here is so key!

These cars need to be enthusiast-owned, and not just a "Oh, I like to drive a nice car and keep it clean" enthusiast. You need to be the type of enthusiast who likes projects, who is willing to research issues and find solutions, someone who has higher than average mechanical acumen, a do-it-yourselfer attitude. Either you have those things and want that to face those challenges, or you better have a not-so-small fortune set aside to fund your trips to the dealer/independent shop that your car will be frequenting.

RW964

"I've been lurking on these boards for the last year and have been lusting after a 964 since my childhood"

Go buy one. Get a PPI done first...Buy a good one. If you change your mind later, resell it. If you have wanted somehting all your life - just get it. Anyway - thats what I did. not the least expensive decision I ever made, but far and away the best one. Although now I want a C2 to go with the C4...slippery slope...
........................................................................ .....................................................

Here is my .02 on this read above. I been driving my 90 964 for about a year now and to tell ya the truth I am going to keep it till the day after my last day.
Like posted before you do not have to drive triple digits to have fun. The connection with the car is great hands down.. I have a few years on you and what has been said "If you have wanted somehting all your life - just get it"
you want it the car should be sitting in your garage. Just get a good one.
My E model is fun to drive but the 964 has its own. My wife says all the time lets go for a ride. Never has to ask twice.

Just a few more thoughts in the edit mode now. I have been to the other forums here and Pelican just about all have said that this 964 forum is the best out of all.. The ppl are great just ask a question and you will get more than your share of good iinfo coming back. Just do search before and most likely you will find your answer. These cars are 20 plus years old but seems like there are more ppl on here than any other forum. Should tell ya something about how well every one gets along ..

Makmov

It's not just a car its a religion... if you don't get it don't get one.

tbennett017

Not to harp on any negatives, but if you're looking at a Boxster/Cayman, be sure to search the web for engine issues/failures. Unfortunately the M96 engine design is prone to some common problems that make the cars initially cheaper to buy, but maybe not so great to own in the long run.

911Jetta

You've got to listen to that emotion, end of story. That is what will carry you though the highs and lows that come with owning a 20 year old car. Fortunately the car is that good.

You have a "modding" background, that experience will serve you well when you finally get your 964! If you've been lurking on RL, you already know the 964 responds very well to the simple mods/upgrades. Since you haven't driven a 964 yet what you can't understand is how good of a platform this really is. I've been around all the cars you previously owned, they are all fun cars, but as they age they start to feel cheap and slightly worn out and not worth spending the $$$ to mod the car...not the 964 shell. I bought my car with 100,000 miles on the odometer and couldn't believe how solid the car felt. That feeling makes you feel like the car will last forever...so it's worth keeping and putting money in.

Drive them all and have fun searching for your perfect car. That's a great list, if the 964 wins out after all of that, you know you have a keeper. Practice the parking lot "look back" test.

I've been a Porschephile my whole life when the 964 appeared during my freshman year in college. My first reaction was, "they finally they got rid of those UGLY bumpers". I visited the factory the following summer and saw the 964 Turbo behind the factory gates...it was a done deal after that.

I'm sure you've seen enough pictures of both interior/exterior to know just about everything on these cars is a little different. All of this adds up to a car that completely stands apart from every other car on the road. Everything looks, feels, sounds and smells different about this car...it always stands out and never feels mundane.

mglassup

Hi Palm,

I'm 30 and bought my carrera 2 around 8 months ago now after having a string of vw's, audis and being heavily into american and old school ford also. I saw that the prices of 964s were on the rise over the last five years and it kind of got to a 'now or never' kind of situation. Initially motivated purely by looks having NEVER driven one, I made it my quest to find one. On my first test drive I was impressed with how quick it felt, and when I finally found my car and bought it - WOW.

Owning my own Carrera 2 has been incredible. It is really rapid for a 1990 car, and while 250hp seems a bit weedy, in the real world, it is much much faster than most cars with 300 plus. Maybe its the aero, maybe the gearing, but it is stunning to drive and a real unexpected benefit as far as I was concerned.

I had the pleasure of using porsche GB's Cayman R for a week while they borrowed mine for PR use, and while the Cayman R is ultimately faster and easier to drive from A to B, it doesn't have half the charm of the 964. If you took monetary value out of the occasion, I wouldn't swap.

I say go for it, my 964 is my daily, and after covering 10,000 miles, I can say it's the best car I have ever bought.

Jim Richards

I think the comments/advice in this thread are excellent. I'll chime in by saying that when I was looking for my first 911, my initial thoughts were to buy a 964. I really enjoyed checking out a few of them when I ran across a 993. For some reason, I immediately bought it. After a while, I felt that it was too refined and less engaging than the 964s I previously checked out. I also began to feel that it looked too much like a jelly bean. I then bought an early 911 ('73 911E). What fun that car was! I rebuilt the suspension and the engine (to 2.7RS MFI specs) and drove it on the track for a few years. Eventually the 993 was sold. The only problem I had with the early 911 was that I felt I could only drive it part of the year, when I didn't have to worry about snow and the resultant salty streets. I sold the 73E after a while since it typically sat idle for 3-4 months each year. My sights then drifted back to the 964, and quite frankly, I feel it would've been my only 911 if had bought one from the very start. Find yourself a good one and buy it. You'll be glad you did.