What 911 to Buy

[jeffporsche]

I have had a 914 and a 80 911 and now I want a third generation 911. Have been looking at the 1999 to 2001 C2 or C4 Cabrolet. Was just wondering on the C4 if the 4 wheel drive has any mechanical problems. In my mind 4 wheel drive sounds like it would be prone to issues. If you have any insight on what one to buy I would appreciate it.

Thank you,

Jeff

[stormmaster]

personally i would only have a C2....too many issues to worry about...and doubt the improved hadling in the wet is worth the extra money or complexities....but that is my worthless opinion as a non owner of either....im happy with my 87

[Zef]

My vote go for the C-2 as well...

[Don Plumley]

The general concensus is the C4 is better suited for snow. The much simplier system in the 993 C4 is better suited for street/track use. That being said, you should drive a C4 and a C2 and see if handing is an issue for you.

The 964 is an under-rated car. Unfortunately, many are very tired and will be expensive. But a well-maintained 964 is a very civilized car with working AC, strong engine and solid gearbox. If you don't mind the "full diaper" rear end, it has the traditional front fender with nicer aero. Sitting inside, you'll feel at home.

PPI and good PO karma are essentials.

[450knotOffice]

I've got a 1984 Carrera and a 2000 996 C2 and love them both. Have you test driven a 996 yet?

[MotoSook]

C2, but 2000+ (maybe '99 are OK too. Can't remember exactly). The early 996 had problems (968 too) with cylinders dropping into the case. Do a search here. It's been discussed.

[aigel]

Unless you need 4wd for trips to the snow, go with the C2. 4wd always adds more stuff that can go wrong.

Also look at the 993. It will hold it's value better and is a direct evolution from the earlier cars. The 996 is a completely redesigned car.

George

[hytem]

The C4 isn't really about driving in snow. It's about better stability driving fast. These cars are all good in snow or wintry roads--with engine (weight) over rear wheel drive. The weight is in the right place. Use all-season tires and watch your ground clearance in deeper snow.

[lateapex911]

I wouldn't want the drive system messing with my steering feel....

[aigel]

Originally posted by hytem
The C4 isn't really about driving in snow. It's about better stability driving fast. These cars are all good in snow or wintry roads--with engine (weight) over rear wheel drive. The weight is in the right place. Use all-season tires and watch your ground clearance in deeper snow.

Well, I can tell you that I have driven a C4 fast and it sucked. It may be okay for average higher speed road driving, but if you do any autocross or road course track driving , I'd stay away from it.

When I mention snow, I imagine two things: Trips to the mountains, where you are not required to put chains as early as a 2wd car will (very common in the Tahoe area here) or if you live up a steep driveway or your cabin is up a steep driveway, in the snow.

Just my two cents.

George

[tonythetarga]

The 99 to 01 cars are 993's and, in my opinion, a better choice than the 964 as a car that will be recognized as a major change in the design and performance of the traditional torsion bar cars. That said, either car will be awesome compared to the SC and both have advantages. My personal choice would be the 4, designed for better control in cornering.

[targa911S]

Both are butt ugly.

[jackb911]

993's are '95-98 models.

964's have coilover suspension, not torsion bars. They are also the first 911 with "real" air conditioning.

The 964 is the best "bang for the buck" 911 you can buy at the moment. Look for a nice '92-later C2, and you'll avoid the issues some of the earlier 964's had.

[petrolblue83911]

Some miss info going on here!

-He's looking for a 3rd gen, IE 996, not 964 or 993,

993's were 95-98

964's were 89-94

So- were talking 3rd gen. AWD system not the early 964 system or the improved 993 C4 system either.

-I haven't heard much about specific problems with the 996 C4's, but in general sure there are more parts where problems could occur, what are you going to do with the car?, cruise in warm weather?- if so C2, or C2 cab would be my choice, if you plan on using in cold winter climates, with snow ice etc... a C4 would be useful if it's a daily driver, and from a few brief stints behind the wheel of a 996 c4 I though it handles great

[hytem]

I asked this on the 911 vs 928 thread--perhaps this is a better place.
Can anyone comment on the key differences (other than more power and luxury) driving an SC vs the later 911s: 964, 993 and 996? thanks. Anything that stands out in these other models?
My SC is tight, strong and basic. Feels like a machine. What do the others feel like?

[Don Plumley]

Originally posted by hytem
I asked this on the 911 vs 928 thread--perhaps this is a better place.
Can anyone comment on the key differences (other than more power and luxury) driving an SC vs the later 911s: 964, 993 and 996? thanks. Anything that stands out in these other models?
My SC is tight, strong and basic. Feels like a machine. What do the others feel like?

I've owned an 87 Carerra and now a 96 993. My Carerra was well set up with Bilstein Sports, RA-1's, lowered, c/b, etc. I can't comment on 996's.

As Porsches have become more contemporary (every year since the 70's), they have added more features. Power Seats, Power Windows, etc. With more features, comes weight. More weight takes more time to accellerate, transition, and brake. To some extent, this is overcome with more horsepower and bigger brakes.

The biggest change from the 89 and earlier era is suspension. 964's introduced coil-over suspension, and 993's introduced a very complicated multi-link rear suspension with kinematic toe. Unfortunately, at the same time, the average Porsche customer was also looking at big MB's and BMW's, so Porsche made the ride softer and the cars quieter. So an out of the box 964 and particularly the 993 will in general be a softer riding, quieter car. But they also have highly functional AC and a host of nice features that make driving a pleasure.

The tradeoff is this elusive quality called feeling. A lighter car with non-assisted steering (like on your SC) provides great tactile feedback to the driver. You generally would not call a stock 993 a "Machine".

The biggest difference for me between the Carerra and the 993 is the power and brakes. With the Carerra, at times when you hit the throttle, you wait for the rubber band to wind up. With the 993, you just go.

If you search the threads on 993 owners - you will generally find they are delighted with the car. It's the ultimate evolution of the original 911 design. 964's sit somewhere between the 993 and the Carerra, and as I said before, they can be exceptional values.

In my case, my 993 is set up for the track, so it not only weighs less than my Carerra did, it has pretty nice suspension. So it feels and sounds like "a machine" on fire. It has more power than I know what to do with, and handles like a dream. It is also noisy and raw. So you can have it all.

[rscredon]

Drive a Carrera in the '87 to '89. You might be surprised. Disclaimer: I'm a air-cooled junkie, and owner of an '87.

[aigel]

Don said it very well.

I just moved from a street/track SC to a mildly prepped 993. It is the best of both worlds for me. 3000 unlightened pounds are not bad, if you weigh them against 300 horsepower. And while the (upgraded M030) suspension feels softer when going down a crappy part of the interstate, it sticks at least as well as the mildly reworked torsion bar setup the SC had. The car has more rubber and together with the big reds, that makes up for the weight penalty. And the weight in the end is a bonus, if you drive in the central valley at 105 degrees and you have the a/c cranking.

George

[caliber60]

A friend desribed this scene at the Laguna Sega race track. The first Torsion-bar Porsche came in the corner, slow down, brake with caution, finish the turn and acelerate out of the corner. A Porsche 935 came next, fire came out from the exhaust, 500+ hps, brake hard and carefully drove through the corner and accelerate. The third Porsche came into the corner, it's a multi-link 993. It cut into the turn with precision, lot of traction and minimum body roll. Thew newer Porsche has much better suspension. I would pick 993 as a over-all best Porsche.