3.2 Carrera 1989 or 964 C2 Turbo look 1992 Please help ..

[Rad Hatter]

Difficult decision: Can experienced experts help

1992 964 C2 Very rare 1 of 60, im told Turbo body, brakes and suspension, Cabriolet, charcoal gray, grey leather(bit tatty), a/c, Cups with SO2s, 80k kms, Auto, Sport seats, Pounds 15,000
One Owner, specialist service all records
** This one I can get a trade in on my 94 840 BMW (value 7000 pounds)

or
1989, 911 Carrera 3.2 Very low mileage 36k kms, grey, black leather (excellent) s with Yokayama's, recent new clutch Dec 2005, new a/c pump, Single owner
specialist history, concourse condition, Pounds 15,000

VERY difficult decision.

1/ Which is a better car as far as long term reliability, maintainance costs
2/ Which will hold its value in the long term
3/ Which will be easier to sell on mid term 3-5 yrs
4/ Which would be a better 'investment'
5/ Which would YOU recommend I go for and why given the same price.

Both are very very excellent condition especially the Carrera 3.2 which is EXCEPTIONAL

PS I'm in Hong Kong


__________________
Richard Hatter

[Jascha]

A nice problem to have...

By coincidence (or intelligent design…) there is a very nice (down to earth) comparison of the two in Total 911 Magazine (February issue) –a must read for you


BTW, if the only requirements / criteria are as stipulated the ’89 will be the “better” choice

Good luck!

[stormmaster]

I prefer the 3.2...but I have one....I prefer the coupe....I prefer the condition...obviously the previous owner took somewhat better care of it due to condition....mechanicals are not mentioned so it is hard to tell...I like the wide body....but not in cab form.....that is just my personal preference....I am old school...You must factor into the price what it will take you to bring the wide body up to the condition of the 3.2

[Briana]

I'd take the C2 Cabriolet. Have always preferred the wide body!

[Rad Hatter]

Originally posted by Jascha
A nice problem to have...

By coincidence (or intelligent design…) there is a very nice (down to earth) comparison of the two in Total 911 Magazine (February issue) –a must read for you


BTW, if the only requirements / criteria are as stipulated the ’89 will be the “better” choice

Good luck!

Will see if I can get a hold of the mag here tomorrow...

Interesting that noone mentions the manual vs auto transmission as a differentiator...
Please keep the replies coming this is really helping me..howver the 3.2 seems to be out in front aesthetically the 964.
mechanically the 3.2 has had a PPI and has an excellent scorecard/// not done the 964 yet but only 80k kms..
enjoying the replies thanks..

[Briana]

I missed that the 964 was auto. Take the carrera!

[Rad Hatter]

What makes you change your mind Brian?

This is my first Porsche ...Im 47 and have been dreaming of one since my 20's

I was led to believe from the dealer that this TURBO body 964 was very very rare especially RHD and thu more collectible...ie. was only made in that year 1992 and the suspension and upgraded brakes...

I suppose being rare doesnt make it more sought after or valuable?

[89911]

Rare, 964, collectable, and "auto". Do not belong in any combination of sentences. I would'nt even look at an automatic Porsche, so that ends the comparison right there. If the transmissions were both standards, then the comparison could start.

[ChrisBennet]

IMO, even the "rare" Porsches aren't good investments. An "investment" has to be something that makes money and I can't think of any P-cars that will outperform "normal" investments. I don't think these guys that bought the 959's and put them in bubbles have made more money than if they had invested their money in a savings account.

I think the trick to making money in "rare" Porsches is to convince a buyer that they will be worth more later on - and sell them for more than they are really worth today based on that.

Don't buy a Porsche as anything but an investment in pleasure. Drive them both and see which one makes you smile more. IMO once you get past the initial "wow, I'm driving my dream car" stage, the 3.2 will give you more smiles per mile.

-Chris

[dmwallace]

Rad Hatter,

I can contribute a little bit of perspective as a recent first-time 911 owner. I was looking for a reliable and affordable 911 after wanting one for over 30 years. My research led me to conclude the the late 80's models would be right for me. I ended up with a 89 3.2 with 80,000 miles (Stone Gray) in excellent condition, and it is every thing that I dreamed it would be.

If the 89 you are looking at really is in exceptional condition, you should give it strong consideration. I can't comment on the investment potential beyond the fact that the last Bruce Anderson article in Excellence discussing market values had the 3.2s going up slightly in value. Good investment potential did not have much to do with my purchase decision beyond making the determination that I believed I could sell the car if needed and not take a financial bath.

[MRM]

"Rare" in Porsches doesn't always mean more valuable. There are many obvious examples of limited run cars, options, features and color combinations that are rare or unusual but really don't affect price.

It seems as though every Porsche around is advertised as rare for one reason or another. When you see one described as "rare", insert the word "unusual" for "rare" and see if the description still fits. If so, the car or feature is an interesting conversation point, and adds character and personality, but probably doesn't increase value.

As for the two cars you are looking at, the heavy bias on this board is likely to be the 89. That's because it is a great car, the last of the original platform 911s, is a coupe, and has a manual - all features the enthusiasts on this board value.

The 964 is a much more modern car in many ways. It will feel heavier, more cush, and will not be as much of a challenge to drive, especially with the automatic transmition. All of these things detract from it if you are looking at it as an enthusiast, but will make the car more desirable if you want a daily driver. The turbo body, brakes and suspension upgrades are very desirabe no matter what.

I like cabs, I love the widebody look and don't mind autos in a daily driver. If that describes you and you want the more modern car, the 964 is a good choice.

If you want a more visceral experience, a great track or road car, and one that you can do more work on yourself, the 3.2 sounds like the better choice.

In the final analysis, I would let the condition of the car and the use you want to make of it be the determining factor. To me, the near perfect leather interior on the 3.2 would be a great selling point. But leather can often be restored remarkably, be fair in your evaluation.

As they say, there is no wrong answer to this question.

[livi]

Presuming (after a PPI) they are both in a healthy condition, I would say the most important difference between the two being the fact that the 964 comes without a solid roof. Next auto or manual.

Apart from that the differences are not dramatic.

So, you want wind in your hair or not ?
Automatic gear or manual ?

[Rad Hatter]

Actually I have decided on the 1989 Carrera 3.2. Coupe
Ideally a Cab but there are NONE - well for sale here anyway that I'm aware of.
Yep I had always been searching for a cabriolet Carrera but unfortunately it seems Hong Kong has been raped of its early Porsches.

Expatriates - like myself who come here, find a low mileage P Car and export them back home when their contract is up - or to make a fast buck... ( its only a small Island) and most people use their sports cars weekends or even only for 40-50 miles on a Sunday !!)

Expats also tend to be enthusiasts and will "over-service" their cars as one P Car specialist put it to me recently.
Anyway I digress.

So for me it's the 3.2 1989 Carrera Coupe ...and this one is a one-off. I really enjoyed the test drive of the Coupe and already have an 94' 840 BMW if I want an Auto.

This P- Car is to have a bit of fun when the HK city goes to bed and I take her out for a spin at 11.30 pm at night or 5am...hehe.
and get to know other early Porsche guys here in Hongkers..
like Bruve who posted earlier.

The article in TOTAL 911 was great so thanks for the heads up.
Made me even more determined I had made the right choice. After the 8 series I have been looking for a motorcar that was more involving and I have found it ....thanks .

Many thanks and I look forward to being around here

[Bruce M.]

Good choice.

[Glasgow 911SC]

Richard
Is that Carrera a RHD model? If so, how much do they go for over there?

[schubee]

Chris,

You can tell it's a RHD by a couple things. The position of the side view mirror and the windscreen wipers are also "reversed" compared to the US models. I can also see the hump on the dash where the gauges are located.

Just my observation or guess!

Regards,

[reesestewww]

Congrats! That's a long raod trip back to the States.

[BottleNose]

An aquaintance of mine makes a pretty good living "raping" Hong Kong of slightly used exotics and exporting them to LHD places like Britain and Australia. I'll let him know what you think of him.

[Rad Hatter]

Originally posted by BottleNose
An aquaintance of mine makes a pretty good living "raping" Hong Kong of slightly used exotics and exporting them to LHD places like Britain and Australia. I'll let him know what you think of him.

Don't get me worng I was'nt being derogatory....hovever . Australia is where most end up as the VAT and import duty to the UK is around 27-30% then there's the the shipping will set you back 3,000 quid, so by the time you factor that in UK is not a good place to export to unless its a personal export and one is going back to live ...the Aussie market is much different as exotics fetch MUCH more.

But it's true, Hong kong has more Porsche, Rolls Royce & Ferraris per sq mile than anywhere in the world.
Once again thanks chaps
BTW yes its a RHD car...Im buying.

[Rad Hatter]

Hey Bruce
Thanks for calling me back today...very interesting chat from a
P - Car expert in my jungle here Hong Kong.

Brilliant feedback and I look forward to meeting you in person so we can hook up and you can show me some fun drives...
Can't wait to pick up the car...