I'm thinking of selling the 911 to get a 968. Seriously!

[R22tech]

Before you guys rail me-this is the truth. I seem to be spending waayy to much time with 911 related stuff, like now, I should be in bed with my wife. I think I might want to "downgrade" to a car that doesn't command my attention all the time. I'm not talking problems, just the normal clean it, look at it , drive it , wax it , buy stuff for it kind of stuff. And PCA weekend stuff. I have 3 kids as well, so I really need something I can have fun with but not obsess over. Is the 968 a decent car? Trouble -free? Any Help would be greatly appreciated.

[R22tech]

Let me just add. I have alot of respect for the Porsche 911. I feel it is trully the the only "real" Porsche. The 968 interests me only because I want a convertible and there aren't many 968s out there. Yes, I have driven one and I was impressed at the power and acceleration, as well as the handling. Very easy car to drive at all speeds. "HO-HUM , But LOTS 'O FUN".

[Jack Olsen]

I'd let my 911 get a litle dirty and suffer from a lack of my complete and full-time attention before I traded it in on a lesser car. A 968 is a nice car, but it's got just as much potential to become an object of your obsession.

It just doesn't have the sportscar purity.

I'd say get the wife involved in D.E., and teach the kids how to buff.

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Jack Olsen
My Rennlist home page • My Pelican Gallery page • My Porsche Owners Gallery page


[This message has been edited by JackOlsen (edited 07-29-2001).]

[rstoll]

You are going to obsess over something. It might as well be a 911. This is a requirement.

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Robert Stoll
83 SC
83 944

[orbmedia]

Yea, if you obsess over a 911 you're considered a "purist", but if you obsess over a 968 you're considered a "freak".

[R22tech]

Guys, I appreciate what you're saying. However, I'm about 88.5% I want to sell the Carrera, a.k.a. "my significant other". I don't want to get into too much detail, but I feel it has become a thorn in my marriage. I will not give up having a sports car altogether since it is a passion of mine and I think my wife understands this. I would like to stay in the Porsche family and after researching, I believe the performance and price of the 968 cab. (95) would be a good fit. Especially since my wife could drive it very easily and comfortably without me watching over her like a hawk. Do any of you have experience, directly/indirectly, with this car and if so what would be the pros and cons?

[davis911s]

I really agree with Jack and the other guys, if you HAVE too, let your obsession slide abit (we know its hard), and get the family involved if you can.

My wife just says that its better that I obsess and spend money on my Porsche than on smoking, drugs, gambling, etc??

[Obin Robinson]

R22tech:

968s are pretty good cars. they are not even 10 years old, and they are all still looking great, and have relatively low mileage. even Ferdi loved them:



i have a few friends with 968s and NONE of them has ever had anything bad to say about their cars. all of them praise the handling, the power, and the practicality... just think: no more oil slicks in your driveway! no more mystery gremlins, and no more high mileage repairs popping up. most 968s i've seen have less than 60,000 miles on them (they are fairly new cars after all) and they were reprted to be trouble-free miles. these awesome cars will set you back between $20,000 and $40,000 (or more) depending on variant. considering what they cost new, this shows that they are holding their value well. they made only about 13,000 of these cars in the 4 years they were made. the parts are mostly 944S2 (except the bodywork) so they are tried-and true.

the 968 was the culmination of almost 2 decades of Porsche making high reliability water cooled engines. they make power similar to a Boxster. no "run of the mill" styling either. a 968 is that nice oddball in the mix. rather than a ho-hum assortment of 911s, 944s, and 928s... it's nice to see them at the car shows and concours. people who don't know a lot about Porsches will always ask you questions about it... and people flock to 968s because they are fairly uncommon.

parts and labor? not nearly as much as you are paying now. practicality is right up there with a 993, 986, or 996.

for more info, check out http://www.968.net/

obin

[R22tech]

I just can't let the obsession slide. I put a ton of work bringing this car to concour standards and I don't have bottomless bank account, so to relax about it is not really an option for me. The funny thing is when I bought it, I originally just wanted a cream puff daily driver. Then at tha car wash, I met a porsche concour person who looked at my car and said "with a little work, this car could be a contender!" I took it to heart and also to a 2nd place finish on my 1st outing. IMHO it would be wrong to just drive it and not worry about it.

[Obin Robinson]

forgot to add, the comfort of these cars is about 4 billion years ahead of almost any other Porsche i've been in... which is pretty much all of them from the 356 to the 996TT. if your wife is anything like mine.. she loves sports cars but she doesn't dig a 6 hour ride in a street-legal race car. at our concours last year, a guy drove 5 hours with 3 people in the car. his son was in back. i asked him "was it uncomfortable back there?" and he said "no, not at all".

obin

[ras911]

Que Lastima. But if you have to , the 968 is a quick well balanced automobile. I would like to have one in my garage but it is already full. Maybe the 911 obsession will cool a bit. How long have you owned it?



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Bob
1982 911SC Targa
PCA - Founders Region

[RarlyL8]

Your wife's making you get rid of the car so you want to replace it with something she can beat on that has a Porsche crest on the hood.

Get something cheap like a 944. I learned my lesson on buying expensive cars that the wife wouldn't take care of or repect. The 968 is an expensive 944 with 928 headlights. It will suffer the same depreciation as all the other water cooled Porsches.

If you forgo the Porsche crest there are many good sporty convertibles out there that are less expensive in every way.
Don't lie to yourself - when the wife and kids get ahold of it this car WILL be a beater.

[john walker's workshop]

if you think 911 repairs are expensive, wait til you get a 968. besides, part appropriation is a hassle. nothing in stock. 911 parts are everywhere. take 2 aspirin and rethink it in the AM.

[Joe Bob]

About the only good looking 968, is the cabriolet.....

Of course I am a little biased....

Mike Z

70 914/6
83 911 euro cab

[paulhagedorn]

I would have to agree about keeping the 911. The 968 is not all that common of a car. Therefore, there aren't many parts in stock for them and the parts are very expensive. But, I have seen the pricing on these cars and would have to disagree with Obin. I have seen a cab go from $16K to $28K. I have never seen one for sale that is above 30.

They are pretty cool cars, but if it is going to be a beater, I don't think I would buy it.

[wdarner]

I agree with John Walker. When I am going to make a big desicion, like buying or selling a car, I let it "fester" in my head for at least a month before coming close to a decision. I sometimes find my self considering swapping my pristine, garage kept, weekend driven '87 cab for a new Boxster S. It is the long term $$ perspective that causes me to lean towards staying with the 911.

[carnut169]

I might be wrong- but remember reading that the two cars 944 and the 968 share almost no parts.... they look very muck alike, but it ends there.


I felt the way you do about 2 years ago... my 911 was eating up my time and money, I had to worry about where it was parked, etc- so I sold it. With the Porsche $$ I purchased a 95 Trooper, a 94 Jeep Wrangler and a 96 Sunbird Corsair bow rider ski boat.... but my baby was gone. I felt miserable. Everytime I saw one on the highway I wondered how mine was doing. I wrote the guy who bought it monthly. Then, beginning of this year I sold all of my toys and got another 911- back to the worry, time, and money- but life is short. You have to do what makes you happy because you might not be here tomorrow.


I say keep your 911 until you are ready to buy a better one. If you are only 88.5% sure there is still hope. Just think about the people who will be comming over to your house, driving your car, picking it apart. Then think about how you will feel as it drives off w/ the new owner. It is a horrible feeling.

[Obin Robinson]

yeah, as for 968 parts... there are quite a few common engine and trim parts between the 944S2 and the 968s. these aren't super expensive, but they're not as cheap as 924 or early 944 parts. they aren't astronomical though. the cars are straightforward and parts placement is logical. think of it as a revised last-generation 944.

one more item... "depreciation and future value"?!? since when should you care about depreciation? as a friend once told me "if you're worried about depreciation then you shouldn't own a sports car." anyone that worries about what their car should be worth isn't out enjoying it TODAY. if everyone worried about depreciation then there wouldn't be a single Saab or Lincoln on the road (those are the two brands worst hit by depreciation). at last check, seems like the Saab owners are happy with a fun car that's worth next to nothing after a few years... why can't the rest of us.

if you want to invest in Porsches... you might as well be investing in fresh fruit.

obin

[This message has been edited by Obin Robinson (edited 07-30-2001).]

[ljonespwc]

We own a 1992 968 coupe. Love it, love it, love it. It's tight, perfectly balanced, and with the optional sport suspension kit, handles like a dream at the limits. And I'm comparing it to my 911 Club Sport. Can't do much for power upgrades--Porsche wrung pretty much every horsepower out of those 4 cylinders (of course, there's always supercharging or turbocharging). The biggest image problem for 968s is early wear of the pinion bearings--listen for a "jet engine" type whistle from the rear of the car while driving. And remember, you've now got to worry about a water pump, additional seals and belts, and replacing cam chain tensioner religiously. There were almost no changes for the 4 model years of 968--so production year doesn't matter so much as condition and mileage. I believe some cabs have back seats and some do not (optional?). At www.968.net there is a FANTASTIC price survey, based on 570 responses from 968 owners. There is no better site out there to learn about this model. Good luck with your decision.

[Blackfoot]

if you think you might want some big power down the road, consider the 951. ultimate upgradeability, less costly.

if not, the 968 is probably the next best car. and 968.net is an incredible rescource. either way, you'll have a big grin on your face.