A4

Hello all,
I have been lurking here for a while (I think I was user 960 before the new format) and have recently heated up my search for a late model 964 C4 for a daily driver.

I have finally had the opportunity to drive one daily and have done all the research and know what I am looking for: non red coupe, decent shape, etc. I’ve been to John’s site, read the reviews, driven different models etc.

Unfortunately, I have had trouble finding a decent '91-93 C4 with under 75K miles, decent records and history within 500 miles at around $20-$25K. Many have been pigs or high mileage cars with zero history and many leaks or white cabs at $30K +.

I read the Rennlist classified daily; I scour PCA sites I’ve tried all the online services and even have been out bid on ebay a few times.

Am I being too picky or trying to spend too little?

Does anyone here have an honest car for sale at a decent price?

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance(flames included if any),

Dave

ChrisX2

You may be trying to spend to little.

I just purchased a 90 Coupe. Records, fixes done, needs tire and brakes, 92k miles. Mechanic who did the PPI said I wouldn't find a better example so I bought it. I paid $22,300 and I think I got a decent deal.

You're looking for a C4, newer model and lower muiles, so you may have to spend some more money. Or be more patient.

joey bagadonuts

I think your price range is about right. I paid $26.5K for my 91 C4 with 64K miles on it two years ago ... pre 9-11, pre-war, pre economic turndown, etc. I thought the price was fair, considering the stack of records and the relatively recent 60K service, which ran the PO $1,500.

I think the 92-on models garner a premium since they usually come with 16" cups, aero mirrors, upgraded flywheel and reduced oil leak probability. Aside from being newer, they're also relatively rare.

Don't overlook a well-kept 89-91. My car's PO spared no expense when it came to maintenance and had the flywheel and oil leak addressed by a top Porsche specialist. I still have the $4k receipt for that work in my files. That was 10 years ago and my baby is still running strong.

I think the PCA Mart is your best bet. You stand a better chance of finding cars with history there. You might also keep an eye on the ads at Roadfly. My car was actually listed by the PO on Autotrader, so you never know where you'll find the right one.

Good luck!

A4

Thanks for the input! I guess it's all part of the process.

I haven't totally discounted the 89 and 90s. Thats why I threw the "anyone selling" question out there. Cup wheels and teardrops would be nice, however I can live without them untill the upgrade bug hits!

I can say that I can spot a dog much earlier in the inquery process than before. The shady dealers start to run when I drill them on thier spotty knowledge. (Thanks Rennlisters!)

I haven't tried Roadfly, so I'm off to take a look!

joey bagadonuts

Dave,

You piqued my interest, so I took a quick look.

You're absolutely right, there aren't many non-red, C4 coupes out there and the ones that ARE available have some less-desirable interior colors (sorry to all magenta, brown and light grey owners). IMHO, I think black is the color of choice on such cars--it just seems to age better and is much easier to touch up.

It's hard to figure. Either word got out that the 964 is an amazing bargain and people just scooped them all up or their owners are just waiting for the mercury to drop before parting with their beloved p-cars. Perhaps the economy is so bad, C4 owners would rather wait things out than take a "hit" in a soft market.

delhi

up where i am (Canada), it's hard to find anything 91 and above for 964s. So far it's 90 C4s galore. Not that there's anything wrong with them. Just thought there should be a good distribution that's all.

Eric Kessel

I was in the same boat last spring, and finally gave up on the C4. Got a nice 90 C2 with reasonable records/miles. In the Boston area, the NER/PCA site has some car listings, and I had reasonable luck with cars.com. In the end, my mechanic (had a couple 944's before the 964) pointed the car I bought out to me (it was also listed on cars.com, but for much more than I ended up paying).
-Eric
90 C2 (black)

(funny though, I just checked cars.com, and they are all red coupes, or cabs......)

therashman

Post 90s non-Red C4 coupe is also not that easy to find in Australia. I think around that time the imports for 964s were down dramatically due to the recessionary times and consequently my understanding is that Porsche did not manufacture as many units as it did in comparison to the previous years.

Jay H

Awhile ago we had a discussion about the build numbers of 964's and it was pretty interesting to find out that after 1991 (the peak of 964 production with ~ over 20,000 units worldwide by my poor calculations from various books commonly available), the number of units built per year dropped off significantly.

I'm sure Adrian's book will set the record straight on build numbers per year.

Jay
90 964

TS

Dave,

I just bought a 993 4S so I sell my 964 C4. It's a '89 model, 98k miles, dark grey, black leather interior, teardrop mirrors, sunroof, 17" cupII wheels and 16" mod90 wheels. All sevices was done, last big service (valve adjustment,...) was done at 96k miles. The car look and is like new.

I ask about 23000 Swiss Francs = about 17000$.

The car is situated in Switzerland.

A4

All,

Thanks for the reassurance, I thought I was just crazy. I'm not down on the color red either but my wife is giving me the Heisman on a "little red sports car".

TS, thanks for the offer, does the $17,000 include shipping?

Time to expand the search!

TS

Obviously, the price include the shipping made by Claudia Schiffer :-)

I don't want to ship my car, I don't want to have any problem with that.
So the buyer has to organise the shipment himself.

Ciao TS

BrokeAss

I'd recommend staying away from Cabriolet's - you'll just wind up replacing the top and lift motors/clutches. (go ahead, ask me why I know!)

If you're willing to spread your search out a little (ok a LOT further) you can find some great southern california cars that have never seen snow. Granted shippings going to be a bloody fortune, but they won't be victims of Boston's notorious winters!

joey bagadonuts

For our international brethren, here's what the Heisman Trophy looks like, annually awarded to the top collegiate (American) football player. I've only heard the expression used after failed attempts at wooing women, i.e. "Boy, she sure gave YOU the Heisman." Nice one, Dave!

TMH

Cost of shipping? That's not too much: Plane ticket to the West coast, fuel, hotel and food money, etc. And the opportunity to bond with your new purchase on the trip home? Priceless.

Expand your search area and road-trip her home! I think that you might find the most examples of C4's West of (and including) Phoenix, although you might also find some nice ones in the Denver area.

Good luck on your search,
Tom