May need to sell the 911 need suggestions:

[futuresoptions]

Hey all,

I have been pondering letting my 911 go to a new home. The problem I am having mirrors a previous topic that has been discussed over what it would take for you to get rid of your car. I purchased this car knowing that I had a bad left ankle and that it would need to heal before I could truly enjoy the car. This has not been the case and the doctors are saying that they don't know if doing surgery on my foot will make it better, they say that it could end up making my problems worse than what they are now. I can drive my car in town for about 5-10 minutes before I am in really bad pain. On the highway of course it is not bad. I have thought about possibly installing a hydraulic clutch on the car but I don't know if this is even feasible on the car or if it would help my situation fully.
I have located a 928S4 locally and I am sort of leaning towards the automatic. Right now the 911 is a expensive piece of art sitting out in the car port... I feel that if I sell and purchase the S4 that I will be downgrading in overall value, but at least I would be able to drive the thing instead of my wife's suburban.... Any Ideas? Do you think my feelings of a down grade situation correct? Please feel free to talk me out of letting her go.....

[BGCarrera32]

Well, if you can't drive it and enjoy it due to the unfortunate foot/ankle situation, I would let it go if you don't see the foot stuff being resolved in the near future. Porsches were made to be driven and if you can't spank it, having it sit in the driveway for the occasional viewing is a drag. I would recommend finding a used Boxster with a tip or possibly a Cayman with a tip (would be my choice) over the 928...you'll get a car that hopefully is more reliable long term and more resonable on the wallet come maintenance time. A little bit more nimble around town and reflective of the attractive handling aspects of the 911...just an opinion.

[carnutzzz]

Um, what? I don't see the dilemna.

It's just a car man. Go drive something that doesn't hurt! Drive something that's right for you- if it's not a 911, so be it.

Step-up to a newer 911 with tiptronic, or the 928 auto as you said is a great drivers car.

Tons of options... When your ankle is ready to work a clutch these cars will still be around!

[motion]

Get a 993 tip! Great prices since they aren't really in demand.

[futuresoptions]

Good Points!, Well taken... I might wait and see if there will be a surgery and what the outcome of the surgery will be. I have been told that it will take six months of healing if the surgery goes well.... I have been told that this will be an exploratory surgery if performed, so I do not know what it entails or what exactly they would be looking for....

[rammstein]

I might get flamed hard for this, but style-wise the 928 has always been my favorite Porsche. Getting an Auto should be easy. There's just that FEAR, the fear that former 928 owners will put into you.... if you do it, get the best one you can find and change the timing belt(s).

Definitely get something you can enjoy. Sorry to hear about your ankle, but it sounds like the 911 is just going to aggravate it.

[Rot 911]

Like the others have said, it is just a car. Sell it and buy something you can have fun in now, not something you might have fun in 6 months or a year from now. I've driven several nice 928's and could easily fall in love with one. Same with a Boxster.

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by rammstein

There's just that FEAR, the fear that former 928 owners will put into you.... if you do it, get the best one you can find and drop in a ZZ4.

Fixed.

[rammstein]

What's a ZZ4?

[futuresoptions]

Thanks for the replys guys, but I have to ask what is a ZZ4 and has anyone driven a tip? Isn't it a push button manual with a clutch?

[Shawn 357]

I was having a similar problem with my 911 and my left knee. One of the first things I did was replace the clutch cable, springs, etc and it helped out a lot. It sounds like your ankle is worse than my knee was so it might not help you out.

[Aerkuld]

When I was looking for my 996 I drove a tiptronic, out of curiosity, fully expecting to hate it. I have to say it was suprisingly good. It is a fully automatic but with a push botton shift override option. NO CLUTCH PEDAL! I reckon I could live with one everyday no problem, I just prefered the six speed. If you find a Boxster or any variety of 911 with a Tip, drive it - i think you'll love it.

[Aerkuld]

Originally Posted by Shawn 357

I was having a similar problem with my 911 and my left knee. One of the first things I did was replace the clutch cable, springs, etc and it helped out a lot. It sounds like your ankle is worse than my knee was so it might not help you out.

My right knee is playing up a bit at the moment. It's worse at part throttle cruising. As long as I keep the gas pedal planted it seems OK though !

...and that's why I was doing 175 officer.

[Noah930]

The Tiptronic transmission, which came out with the 964 model line, is really just an automatic with a separate "gate" off to the side that allows you to select the gears yourself, if you desire. But you can drive it like a regular autobox, too. There's no mechanical clutch (or clutch pedal)--just a torque converter like all other automatic transmissioned cars.

This is an easy answer, if you don't expect your ankle pain to resolve in the near future. Like everyone else says, just sell the 911 and get either that auto 928, or a Tiptronic 911. Drive them both and see which one you prefer.

[SlowToady]

Don't really see anything wrong with an auto 928, except for maybe the timing belts and possible electrical issues. Although if you find a good one, you shouldn't have too much trouble.

Downgrade? The 928S4 isn't exactly a slouch with 316HP out of a 5.0L V8, although it's a bit heavy at ~3500lbs. IIRC, the 0-60 times is around 5.5s and it runs out to about 165. Not slow. Especially for the money.

I don't think you'd be "downgrading.."

[Gogar]

S4's are awesome cars. Get it and have some fun. Change your mind? Sell it and get a 911 with a tip or . . . god forbid . . . . a sporto. Change your mind, sell it and get something else. It's the joy of cars that don't depreciate (much.)

[carnutzzz]

Originally Posted by rammstein

What's a ZZ4?

355 HP/400 TQ GM crate motor. Quite popular one at that.

[futuresoptions]

Thanks for all the great replies and support, I think the S4 will probably be the way to go for me right now.... I figure I can drive that even if I am back on crutches so in a way it is a no brainer... The only fear that I have with the 928's is the horrible resale depreciation that I have seen within the 928 circle. I figure I wouldn't have that potential problem with the 911. Anyways, it is probably what I will need to purchase. If I decide to pull the trigger I will offer her up on Pelican at a discount prior to Fleabay. Once again thanks for the support and replies. P.S.- If there are any ankle doctors in the house I would appreciate a PM so that I may ask a few questions....

[tcar]

Look for a used 87-89 911 Carrera w/ G50 and hydraulic clutch.

It's a world of difference and it might make enough difference.

Maybe you can test drive one for long enough to see...

Just a thought.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Like everyone else said, it's just a car. The S4 won't be a step down, in fact I'd say it's going to be a much faster car than your current '77 911S, even with a Carrera tail. Less isolated, more of a GT than a sports car. Still, a lot of fun.

Find a really good 928, WITH RECORDS! It's even more important with a 928 than a 911, because there's more that can go wrong. A neglected one can be a nightmare, so for the love of God, get a PPI. Related to the depreciation, we're talking about a 20 year old car that once sold for over $50k brand new. I assume you're looking in the $10k range, +/-. That value is not going anywhere, they've pretty well bottomed out. 928 prices don't seem to have really changed in the three years since I almost bought one, so don't worry about it.