1989 911 C4?

[TerryH]

Hello, I'm not yet a P owner, but I'm trying like heck. I'm going to look at a car later in the week that says "all wheel drive" with 111K miles on the clock. Is there anything inherently bad about AWD? A high maintenance item? I wouldn't think it's really necessary in SoCal.

I'm enjoying reading dozens of posts here. Seems like a nice community for the most part.

Terry
Wannabe 911 owner

[Victor]

Buy it! We are defined by our experiences - Porsche gives you both and 964 was the first year where everything worked like a real car.

[stomachmonkey]

Start with this thread then do some searches on the individual issues.

longevity and reliability of 964s

Do some more searches on the 3 majors.

If you do your homework you can get a good deal.


Scott

[Kraftwerk]

Also: check out John's 964 web site, really amazing. www.porsche964.co.uk/
Lots of first hand accounts of ownership issues etc. Besides, I think he owns an '89.
A valuable rescource....

Although--
I settled for an '83, hey the price was right.

[Kevin Stewart]

The answer to the rittle, PPI, get one, Kevin

[Por_sha911]

Get a THOROUGH PPI. A few hundred dollars now saves thousands down the road.

[Par911]

Is there anything inherently bad about AWD? A high maintenance item? I wouldn't think it's really necessary in SoCal.

Nothing really bad, unless you are looking for a tail happy 911 like I was . A friend of mine has an 89 C4, that thing manuevers through twisties effortlessly. Make sure the 90K service was done on the 964 you are looking at. Oh AWD isn't really necessary in SoCal, but it's definitely fun to have on the track and it comes in handy in rain.(not that you would ever think of driving it in the rain) Welcome to the Porsche community, Enjoy!

[nostatic]

that is the first year of a MAJOR redesign of the car. They can be had for a song, but you have to be careful. Yes, the awd system is more expensive to maintain. You have to get a good pre purchase inspection from a good independent shop. The sites above have lots of good info on potential issues.

[TerryH]

Thanks so much, guys. I've been reading for the last couple hours at the sites recommended. A lot of help for sure. I already talked to a local P garage about PPI's, but I'll have to try and locate one closer to the seller that is in Costa Mesa, CA.. Any leads in that direction? Of course any PPI is based on passing visual, audible, and driveable muster first.

Not a real Porsche owner, but have played one in my dreams.
Terry