jeff968

Here's an interesting one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...id=p2759.l1259

First off the seller calls the color amaranth violet, it is Amethyst.

The car has a number of interesting things about it:

1) There are 14 Amethyst 968 coupes in the 968 registry (but I'm not done)
2) It is the only 94 in that color (I do have all the 94s)
3) It has option code 900 which is tourist delivery, rare
4) The sad part, it originally came with the multicolor fabric interior, it is the only 94 with this interior in any color and one of 6 (of any color) in total for all the coupes (so far). Either they wore out or someone didn't like them and replaced them with the 993 style seats.

169K miles, wow

Jeff

Damian in NJ

And the seller says it's a five speed.

rickb20

Judging by the tops of the rear seats, the fronts were probably completely worn out.

What did the originals look like anyway? How hard would it have been to source new covers to fix them?

rgs944

The engine compartment looks very clean. What's with the cover around the airbox. I thought that was only in "92 cars.

odurandina

Jeff,


great find ! you really got me going with your comments about the car being "a shame..." we need to have lunch again sometime so we can argue the merits of keeping our cars 120 % stock, vs making a few changes... i believe that both schools of thought have merit.


considering that you have such a vast knowledge about the cars, i am not only grateful, but always look forward to hearing you explain all about a particular car that any of us might find -- just before, one of the guys purchases (said, fifteen year old P-car) and RETRO-MODs the f_ck out of it !!



in the case of this wonderful find, perhaps you can reconsider that it's still a great car !!


i'm not sure the Porsche 968 was ever built with the expectation to be taken so seriously.


perhaps this is what happens when you have a car who's color is as extraordinary as your car is.



i believe when the 968 was rolled out, they were perhaps, just a couple of years away from making them perfect !!


Porsche 968 can be made to perform as some kind of supercar, just a few ticks short of a Carrera GT, so i hold what might be considered by some, to be, a somewhat, extreme, contrarian opinion about the cars: "why not demonstrate the outer limits to where one of these cars can theoretically go ?"


you can go to 350-450 hp either in the form of turbo w/ 2 or 4 valves per cylinder, or face the scorn from the P-car brethren by dropping in an LS 1... or you can really go crazy and build an LS2 or LS3... and after installing any of the above engines, you would be best-served to set up the transmission for real P-car top end that extends beyond 155 mph where mere "mortal" 968s run out of gear...


the cars have amazing road manners at 150 mph... i can imagine they can be made to go a bit faster without flying away.



the interior of the 968 compared to say, a Carrrera GT, is about the same as comparing a can of budweiser to a fine merlot from france.


an original cobalt blue car, or any of the "green" variants are pretty sweet... i would never change the color of any such car.


my car's white color is quite dull. i would change it to "Merlot," (like the car we're discussing in this thread) -- in a new york minute.


i argue that once you change one thing, why stop there ? -- there's so many areas where these cars can be improved, and not only improved mechanically, but astetically as well. in my opinion, there's absolutey no reason - not only from the $$$ point of view, but also from the "classic car" motif - not to do either !


before i read your post, i looked at the photos, and i immediately noticed, that not only is this one of my 3 or 4 all-time-favorite P-car colors, one of the owners had decided to add what i took to be either 993 or 996 seats... and i said to myself in the space of about a milisecond... "sat in THOSE before... very nice, 100 % leather on those, comfortable, nice improvement, over stock..."


"black sports seats out of a 996 Twin Turbo, not to mention a completely black interior, would be even better," (was my next thought).


i believe when it comes to keeping a car 100 % original, we better be talking about a flagship Porsche, like a 928 GTS or 993 TT, or going back a bit further, you would never want to so much as get your thumbprint stuck on the paint of a nine-five-nine.


i think if we're talking about the classic muscle cars from the '60s, your arguement holds a lot of water... there's a guy here in town with 2 hemi cudas, 1 challenger and a superbird.


they've all been restored and some items that had, at one time or another been removed, were RETURNED.


there's a reason for doing this... not just the astronomical values of the cars, but because, for that type of automobile, there is an aesthetic value for keeping them stock, built into the cars..... but even still, they're HARDLY, all-out-performance machines.... hell an old girlfriend had a '67 mustang and that POS was, despite being reasonably-well maintained, simply, dangerous.


there's nobody that would ever be able to tell me that keeping a my old '79 malibu stock would ever be worth while....

i added a chrysler 440 with and sophisticated exhaust, chrysler 727, bigger driveshaft and changed the rear-end gears for top speed.

added a bigger radiator, custom, lowered suspension, giant oil pan, oil cooler, the list went on an on...

the car could be driven at 125 mph, at 3,600 rpm, all day... the car was very safe... and though it was slightly loose, it could take corners on the interstate at very high speeds with confidence.... in my opinion, as far as the pure enjoyment was concerned, there was very little on the car that should have ever been left stock -- unless of course, i was preserving the car in it's pristine state to present to my grandmother...


there's only the smallest amount of people even remotely interested in purchasing a 968... and most of those folks already are way upside down with their 944s... $$$ is never going to be much of a consideration for doing either (staying stock or modding). the 968 is never going to sell for 80 thousand dollars at an auction in Monterrey, CA...


it's not a classic around the automotive community to anyone - but us...



when i finish my car, i'll have spent about 70 thousand dollars getting it the way i wanted. how much would i get for it if i sold it ?


20 grand ? 25 ? i'm ok with that.




.

jeff968

Hi Alan,
I hear you and respect your opinion however this is one unique car and the seats were its most unique feature. Someone special ordered this car, flew all the way to Germany to pick it up and enjoy it for a week or so, and then shipped it to the states.

The car had the seats in the photo below except in light gray, the only North American 968 produced with them and they are gone. Have you ever seen them before? They are that rare. I find it interesting that the seller doesn't include a picture of the rear seats. Maybe they are still original.



I'm cool with all your neat modifications, but there are many red, black and white cars out there that definately not one of ones like the car for sale. Granted, everyone can do what they want to their car but I'll be leaving the mint green cab 100% stock rather then dropping in that 426 hemi.

Jeff

odurandina

wow !! amazing seats, i forgot it was THOSE seats. wow. they really are great !

wasn't there a guy who actually had these same front and back seats for sale ??


or perhaps they were purple....

rop3

Hello Jeff,

I know we spoke last year and you helped me out with photos of what an original leather interior should look like.

I finally had my custom seats completed sport/leather/crest/12way/heat etc. check out the post in the 944 turbo forum.

We discussed the benefits/drawbacks of buying a kit and how install quality and fit can vary. These covers were cut by hand double reinforced seams and fit perfect etc.

Bob

rop3

Interesting topic, I am always in the middle of the whole modification deal which makes it more diffucult. Modifying yes but with a high degree of originality to it.

On my 944 cab, full turbo S conversion in planning such, main thing was to get "more" power out of the turbo drivetrain yet keep the look original under the hood and under the car right down to the fasteners.

Same with seats, wanted to go with "sport" and ideally 12 way power and heated not a factory option but still looking like such. Worked hard right down to the grain/texture of the leather to look close to original.

A few of the vendors putting the car together challenge me on this. "why not use something better/more modern etc".

But it is that fine line of wanting to improve yet at the same time look or keep the spirit of originality and time period correct. I understand both points of view probably easier to go one extreme or the other.

RajDatta

+1 on modding using factory parts as much as possible.
Raj

Dave in Chicago

I take it as a great compliment to see my Midnight Blue car pictured above. You have brightened the day for my 160k mile race car.

odurandina

when it came to my seats, the old seats were just too heavy for what i was looking for...


there were only two seats that i found that i actually liked... found a set of perfect cond. 996 sports seats that were $8,000 dollars at L.A. Porsche Dismantler's... i didn't think the seats were too much money, as they were pristine... but, too much $$$ for a 968, and i had other places i wanted to put all that money...


i do like the older sports seats that a few 968s have, but i wanted to be cradled by a newer interpretation of seat design... i hated all the other seats out there except one.


i discovered the Sparco Milano Prestige seats and fell in love. but at just south of $4,000 dollars for the pair, including the sliders, i would have to wait for a few more paychecks...


searched ebay for some nice seats, from my short list for 6 months... then, to my shock, the factory store let two sets (in a variant called the "Demon" which are basically just the Milano leather offered in two-toned and an even more durable, quality leather)... they offered them @ a "make offer price" to me and my low bid @ just below $ 2,000 was not only the high bid, but to my great surprise, accepted. the list price for the seats is around $4,000. when i called the factory store, they had never done a price break like this before, and informed me they wouldn't be doing one again ! i assumed the two-toned colored seats hadn't been selling...


instead of buying the Sparco sliders for 450 dollars more, i simply modded my recaro sliders to fit the Sparco's, saving more $$$.


the thing that's important to remember is that my seats, while not Porsche, are very similar to 996 sports seats, and are also extremely comforable... a joy to sit in, in any kind of driving. and, not a permanent modification to the car.


they can be replaced with Porsche seats anytime.




.

rop3

Very nice seats are personal preferance, body shape comfort adjustabilty use look etc. Sounds like you did good and can be used for track as well.

FRporscheman

Looks like someone thoroughly enjoyed the car, nothing wrong with that.