JLD Posted 20December, 2015 Report Share Posted 20December, 2015 I've always wanted a Porsche, particularly a 911. But prices are just ridiculous now so I think that dream will be put on hold. I spoke with a Porsche mechanic about a 928S4, but he recommended to stay away as they will be costly to maintain...So this leads me to a 968. It seems that these can be had for around the $20k mark, (eg http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/samford-valley/cars-vans-utes/1993-porsche-968-coupe/1098546137 which is a 1993 manual 968 coupe for $19500) so it seems pretty good value for a later Porsche. Can anyone who has one relay their experience? Are they any good? reliable? It's such a dilemma, I'm thinking maybe I should look at 996s instead? Note a Boxster is out of the question as I need a rear seat. I'd prefer a manual, but won't rule out a TiptronicI'd be grateful for any advice..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANF Posted 20December, 2015 Report Share Posted 20December, 2015 Buy which ever one you like the best! For me that would be the 928 S4 all day long (and a 928 could find a home in my garage soon....)Sure it could cost you money but so can all the rest....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted 20December, 2015 Report Share Posted 20December, 2015 There are currently three 968s on CarSales - from $24,900 to $39,500. As with the A/C 911s, you pay more for a decent example these days. The Gumtree one at $19,500 is too cheap... probably for a reason. Panel work is suspect, judging by the pics, with front panel gaps all over the place and suspicious mis-shape to the front section of the sill panel. Even considering this, I suspect the pics are doing it some favours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1q2w3e4r Posted 20December, 2015 Report Share Posted 20December, 2015 If you want a 911, you should get a 911. That's my take on it, the 996 is a great car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turboT Posted 20December, 2015 Report Share Posted 20December, 2015 996 for sure but going to need a bit more than $20k as they haven't dropped that far yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevMcRev Posted 20December, 2015 Report Share Posted 20December, 2015 If you want a 911, you should get a 911. That's my take on it, the 996 is a great car.^^ What he said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLD Posted 20December, 2015 Author Report Share Posted 20December, 2015 It seems 996s are getting closer to the $30k mark, and I know that's a lot of car for $30k.. But my worry with them is that I've heard they can be a lot of expensive trouble. On the other hand, everyone i know that has had air cooled 911s say they are cheap to maintain as they are very reliable. Hence my thought of getting a simpler front engined Porsche...My ideal Porsche has always been air cooled, but prices have gone stupid on even a basic 2.7 and so are out of my budget Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByronBayChris Posted 20December, 2015 Report Share Posted 20December, 2015 Cheap to maintain is a relative term. Just like having sure plums is better than no plums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLD Posted 20December, 2015 Author Report Share Posted 20December, 2015 lol I meant in Porsche terms... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzieman Posted 20December, 2015 Report Share Posted 20December, 2015 Costs depend upon how much you drive it , and under what circumstances. I would think a 928S4 , 968 and 996 would be much of a muchness , though perhaps the number of cylinders is a factor...The "cheap" 996 would scare me as much as a "cheap" 928. They are getting a bit geriatric now, and stop/start driving , hot climate and thin interior finishes might bite you. Like anything find a cherished one (which has had buckets spent on it and/or driven kindly) and you'll be good to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarreraG50 Posted 21December, 2015 Report Share Posted 21December, 2015 If I was in the market for a PORSCHE atm I would be seriously looking at this, (if it's still for sale) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coastr Posted 21December, 2015 Report Share Posted 21December, 2015 The price of a starter air cooled is not that different to the price on a decent 996.They might all be advertised at $70k but I have reason to doubt they are all trading at that. Especially the 2.7s.having said that it depends on what you want it for. If you're daily driving I would find a nice 996 or 968. But if your budget is under $25k it's been a while since you could find any reasonable 911 for that.Buy once, cry once as they say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edgy Posted 21December, 2015 Report Share Posted 21December, 2015 If you want a 911, then buy one!I do think the 968's are a SUPER cool Porsche, especially in the CS format... sweet looking ride with the performance & handling to back it up. RE: 996's I think their values long term be supported by the air cooled and GT pricing madness of late, so not a bad buy at all if you can buy a good one now! From the cheapest 996 Carrera ($30K?) to the Cheapest 996 GT3 ($150K) there is a $120,000 delta... I can assure you the GT3 is NOT 400% better than the Carrera by any objective measure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9fan Posted 21December, 2015 Report Share Posted 21December, 2015 Drop me a PM with your contact and we can talk all day on 968's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buchanan Automotive Posted 21December, 2015 Report Share Posted 21December, 2015 The cheapest to run by far is the 968. Parts are a fraction compared with the 928 and 996. (given that all 3 cars are in similar condition, obviously if you buy a ratty 968 that needs 40k spent on it then it will be the most expensive, this goes the same for the 928 and 996). The 968 is also the simplest out of the 3. They are great to drive, particularly if fitted with M030 and an LSD, even better the CS.The 928 and 996 are very close in maintenance costs. A well maintained 928 will go forever and a day. They can easily do 500,000kms without a reseal, I say reseal because even at these kms when you open these up the mechanicals are still in very good order.(this is given if the car has run on a good last century oil, 20w50. If its been on 5w40 or similar you can expect wear). The one thing we are seeing now is that 928's, even with low kms, are needing to have their original head gaskets changed. At 30+years the organic material of the gasket is simply decaying. Electrically they are brilliant, the entire electrical system so well laid out and easy to follow. The Merc/ Porsche auto will also last forever if it has oil changes. I guess its all going to come down to condition, don't buy a doer upper.The 996 is the newest of the 3 and possibly the most expensive if things go wrong. Their are a myriad of problems that can be a bit of the luck of draw with purchase. What i mean by this is that you may get a very nice one with minimal problems, and it can easily go the other way and have IMS,RMS, auto failures and even cracked heads in these things. There are many reasons for this the first is the that there were issues with manufacturing, small but none the less still present. The next is maintenance, We can tell you from experience that we have seen so many of these for 10+ years without a coolant change or transmission oil change done at the dealers. For some reason the dealers just dont regard the auto and coolant in their servicing. We would only see the coolant changed when a water pump is done. Its not good enough and now we are dealing with black auto oil and brown coolant! Driving wise they are all different, The 968, particularly the CS is a nimble sports car. Its got 250hp and loves to rev. The 928 is the GT car out of the 3, fantastic on the highways, its a shame we cannot use 240kph+ because this is one area the car excels. It can be used as a daily but not its intended roll. The 996 really fits between the 2, not quite as nimble as the 968 and not quite the GT car the 928 is (btw this has changed now with the 997 and even mores with the 991 as they are quite heavy and have lost that touch the 964 and 993 had with the original 911. The 991 really is a GT car these days. Not that this is a bad thing at all).The one thing we always say to customers looking to buy though, is buy what you want to own. If you are after an early 911, say a 3.0 or 3.2. then thats the car you need to purchase. If you get a 968/ 928 or 996 you will still want the 911.RegardsSean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coastr Posted 21December, 2015 Report Share Posted 21December, 2015 Funny how the professionals always give the best advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByronBayChris Posted 22December, 2015 Report Share Posted 22December, 2015 Sean should write a book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLD Posted 22December, 2015 Author Report Share Posted 22December, 2015 Sean,Thanks so much for taking the time to right such an informative response. The world of Porsche is an exciting one, but an unknown one to an outsider. I'm guessing the Ferrari world would be similar... My heart is really set on either a G series 911 (coupe, targa or convertible) or a 964 (coupe, targa or convertible), but my preference is a Targa (weird, I know) All these are now above my budget thanks to the surge in prices in the last few months.I got offered a 928S4 from a friend that needed work, but got scared off it by a Porsche mechanic who told me that it would need at least $30,000 to make it perfect and his words were 'don't buy a 928S4 unless you really want one or if it has sentimental value', so I didn't go through with it.My thought with buying a 968 was that I'd be getting a later Porsche with lower running costs as a good introduction into the Porsche world, and in the meantime save a bit more to upgrade to a 911 at a later point. The risk with that though is that 911s will keep going up and up in price thanks to the dealers out there putting $100,000 (or worse, POA) price tags on cars. This then raises the private sale market, and fairly so. So entry into the aircooled 911 market is getting harder and harder... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzieman Posted 22December, 2015 Report Share Posted 22December, 2015 If you get a 968/ 928 or 996 you will still want the 911.If you get a 911 you may still want a 928 I have found both are fine daily drives , not that I endure bumper to bumper heatwave traffic down here.Plus , I would put an equal value on them , engineering & driving wise. The upshot is that the 928 is an incredible bargain for what it is. Notwithstanding all of the above , the 968 is vastly underrated . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9fan Posted 22December, 2015 Report Share Posted 22December, 2015 Quick word of advice with 968 - for Auto, time in acceleration is much slower (by 1.5 secs to 100kph) ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buchanan Automotive Posted 22December, 2015 Report Share Posted 22December, 2015 9fan has a point , the 968 with its Auto Trans ( ZF Tip ) was / is a nice drive around the suburbs auto trans , easy to drive & like all auto's you could just leave it in "D" and stop at as many traffic lights as you like , all very easy But like the tips in the 964 & 993 its just an auto with a torque convertor , so a bit more relaxed in driving & greater driveline losses , but that is not the whole story , the relatively small diff that is grafted onto the side of the "Tip" Auto Trans is quite small( by comparison to the manual trans) & a bit fragile if driven a bit too harshly , meaning its much smaller than the manual trans diff in the 6 speed manual trans in the 968 , same thing goes for the 964 Tip & 993 Tip , compared to their manual trans versionsBut the best thing about the manual trans 968 ( other than its very strong ) is there is a good selection off different types of Limited Slip Diff centres available , but then the same goes for the 951 , 944 / 944S2 , 911 G50 . 911 915 etc What I find interesting is that Porsche debuted a 6 speed manual trans in the 968 before any other Porsche model sold to the public as a standard road car at the time ,( 1992 debut year ) the 964 & the 928GTS were still 5 speed manuals & the 968 was the first to get a form of variable valve timing , but the one thing I really like about the 968 ( like all 944 variants from 1986 ) is that the A/C has the potential to be fantastic , meaning simple ( for us anyway )things like Parallel flow A/C condenser etc makes these cars a fridge in summer with the most powerful interior climate control fan( interior air flow from vents) of any Porsche at the time RegardsBruce Buchanan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted 22December, 2015 Report Share Posted 22December, 2015 OP, if you haven't already, try to get a ride/drive in an AC 911 - I'm sure someone on here and local to you would love to show off their baby. But - not everyone is like the denizens of this forum. Some get caught up in the legend, the 911 shape and the noise, only to find that their spouse or significant other is not happy about the harsh ride, interior noise and smell of oil and would prefer to take the Commodore to visit the in-laws... Then see if you can get a ride/drive in a 928/968 and compare and contrast.Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coastr Posted 22December, 2015 Report Share Posted 22December, 2015 OP, if you haven't already, try to get a ride/drive in an AC 911 - I'm sure someone on here and local to you would love to show off their baby. But - not everyone is like the denizens of this forum. Some get caught up in the legend, the 911 shape and the noise, only to find that their spouse or significant other is not happy about the harsh ride, interior noise and smell of oil and would prefer to take the Commodore to visit the in-laws... Then see if you can get a ride/drive in a 928/968 and compare and contrast.Good Luck!wise words are speaketh here....about noise, smell and ride. Many decades have passed since the 911 torsion bar setup was designed and even the simplest hatch these days has 4 independent suspension arms.it takes a special type of spouse to enjoy a ride in an a g-series and if that is important, worth checking out. For many (spousal reluctance to ride shotgun) is part of the appeal, though, so horses for courses.not sure what your budget is but I'm sure that an imported targa is probably the cheapest buy when it comes to a 911, so you're kind of not far off unless you have a low mileage oz delivered car as a cutoff point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
333pg333 Posted 23December, 2015 Report Share Posted 23December, 2015 Interesting conversation. I remember back in 2006 I had decided that I was going to look out for a 911SC or 3ltr Carrera. Back then you could pick one up for about $40k in good nick. My intention was to re join the PCNSW and do a few track days. I knew it would need some mods to be able to handle this. In my head I was allowing about $5k....hahahaha...I laugh at my naivety back then! As it turns out, I was recommended to speak with Buchanan Automotive by club legend Ray Fowler. That was the beginning of a slippery slope and a massive learning curve that hasn't stopped yet. Essentially Bruce Buchanan gave me the sage advice that if you want to track the car a 911 is a nice option but in reality you will have to spend significantly more than I had budgeted for. Suspension, tyres, brakes would be one thing. When discussing options to freshen or even modify the motor a little, things became daunting. Without missing a beat he segued seamlessly across to the front engine models. My previous time in the Porsche club had been back in the 1980's when I had a modified VW Golf and the 924 turbos were first hitting the scene. I recollected that they were virtually as fast as the quickest 3ltr 911's of the day and had always liked these front engine models offered by Porsche. Incredibly long story short, I wound up buying a 944 turbo which was a fantastic car and great introduction into the marque. I realise that it seems that club track days may not be what you want from your car, but still thought it worth mentioning how good these oft forgotten and misunderstood cars can be. I'd heed Bruce and Sean's advice re the 996. You would need to budget for a total engine rebuild before you'd get me into one of those. Heard too many stories of the RMS bearing failures. There is mean to be a partial 'cure' but I'd investigate that before laying down any cash first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeM Posted 23December, 2015 Report Share Posted 23December, 2015 Sean should write a bookThink he just did! :-) Maybe I'm just being selfish, yet I wouldn't buy a car to keep anyone else happy. Have you thought about a 944? There's an import thats been fully restored for sale on here somewhere thats a relatively cheap entry into a Porsche. Yeah, its not Oz delivered and have the right valve caps fitted from the factory, but if it were me, I'd buy an entry level car and keep saving ya cash for what you want later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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