968 as a daily driver?

[David E. Clark]

My current daily driver, a 1993 Lexus SC400, is on it's last legs with 250,000 miles and I'm looking for a fun reliable alternative. I drove a 1994 968 this weekend and was amazed by the leg room - a major issue for me (36" inseam). The car I drove was a Tiptronic (I'd prefer a manual) but it still had plenty of power, terrific handling and an acceptable ride. My question is how reliable are these cars and what are the major issues I should look out for if I decide to buy? I searched but did not see any specific buyers guide to the 968 on either this site or 968.net. If there is a specific buyers guide online please point me to it. Thanks. Any help is appreciated!

[nynor]

don't do it. you will become addicted. um... i am late to the next meeting, i guess i better drive the 951...

[jgporsche]

I use mine for the track now, but it's reliable if maintenance is kept up. Belts etc are a big deal with these cars

[Panzer909]

Its not the Japanese car you've been used to for the last several years. This in and of itself speaks volumes

That being said, I drove my 944S as a daily driver for many years on horrific PA roads year-round - and we can get some downright nasty winters here. So long as you're religious about belt maintenance and the usual suspects others here will fill you in on, you can certainly do it. A tiptronic would be easier for a daily driver, IMHO. My current daily driver E30 is an automatic and I know I need it these days......maybe I'm just getting old.

[pdx944]

The 968 is the ULTIMATE 924/944 series. A quite sophisticated car. 3.0L 4 banger, 16V, Variocam, to name a few. This is a different car from a regular 944.

[elevationHIGH]

lol, I drive a Sc300 as my daily and use the 951 as a weekend car

[David E. Clark]

Pretty sleepy around here - I guess I'm used to the 911 technical forum! Johnny, I've got about half a century (more or less ) on me. Do you think that the 968 will be appropriate for about 12 miles of good roads each way to work and weekend trips? I don't mind searching and waiting to find the right car as long as I know what I'm looking for. I searched for 5 years to find my rust free 911!

I found this site: 924/944/968 Frequently Asked Questions - First Time Buyers Questions. Does anyone know any other buyers guides or a checklist similar to the Porsche 911 Buyers Checklist?

[bearone2]

it's perfect for it.

i'm 60 and use the 951 as a dd.

[nynor]

i use my 951 as my daily heroin, er... driver.

[Panzer909]

Originally posted by David E. Clark
Pretty sleepy around here - I guess I'm used to the 911 technical forum! Johnny, I've got about half a century (more or less ) on me. Do you think that the 968 will be appropriate for about 12 miles of good roads each way to work and weekend trips? I don't mind searching and waiting to find the right car as long as I know what I'm looking for. I searched for 5 years to find my rust free 911!

Go for the gusto, Dave. You should be fine with a commute like that and weekends. Sounds like you are already committed to the idea and now the searching/buying process begins. I'd be willing to bet that you'll have some fun in the process

[jwade944]

Try www.968forums.com also. Some of the same membership as 968.net, but some different people too. I used my 968 as a daily driver when my commute was 23 miles on country roads and it was perfect. We moved "into town" and my commute shrank to 6 miles with traffic and I sold it - in part because it was frustrating not to have a chance to play. If your daily drive includes some open road, I would be hard pressed to suggest a better car.

[JivenJim]

The Belts are very important as stated +water pump. This Car should get Vario Cam Tensioner replaced ~150Kmiles, Chain ~110K Miles, And Probably the pads 80K. If the Pads break or chain = broken Valves and bad day. Everything else wears great. Do a quick compression on your PPI. These should be around 170-180 PSI.
Tranny can have Pinion problems on 92-93's but if it's got more than 30K miles then it's probably good.
Look for Broken Engine Mount and Sway bar bushings on passenger side cause by leaking powersteering reserve (same as 944’s)
The 968 (944S3) is a great ride with timeless lines.

[SolReaver]

Get the car inspected professionally before making an offer, that should let you know what you are in for. Also look to see what documentation has been done on the work that has been performed. A major item is the timing belts, which have to be done religiously. They are "similar" to 944s and there is an excellent "what to look for in a 944" on Clarks Garage which should be worth a peek. Sweet cars. Very addictive. I would prefer the 6, but for a daily driver the trip might be the way to go.

Just curious, at 250K what is the SC400 looking like? I had one for a short time and loved it. I heard that they hold up well with time. What is making you say it is on its last legs?

[elevationHIGH]

My last sc had 205, and was still running strong. So i dunno

[David E. Clark]

Originally posted by SolReaver

Just curious, at 250K what is the SC400 looking like? I had one for a short time and loved it. I heard that they hold up well with time. What is making you say it is on its last legs?

I have a 600 mile round trip that I take six times a month which will be ending next May. Unfortunately, all the parking in hotel parking lots, rock chips etc is making the SC400 look pretty rough! Both front seats are torn and last year a tanker truck backed into me to the tune of $4,000.00. Since I know I'm selling soon, I fixed the dent myself (a so-so job) and pocketed the $4,000.00 toward my next car. Overall I agree that they hold up well over time. My car has been absolutely trouble free. Seriously, I think nothing about jumping in and taking off for the 600 mile trip. I'm not sure I'd feel that way about any other car with that many miles on it. If money were no object I'd upgrade to a SC 430 in a heartbeat! I still might but I was really impressed by the 968 - especially the leg room which, as I said earlier, is a really big issue for me. If you are considering another SC400, I wouldn't hesitate at all - I've had mine for eight years now and love it.

[josephsc]

My question is how reliable are these cars and what are the major issues I should look out for if I decide to buy?

As with any car, reliability depends on maintenance, but I've found them to be pretty reliable given that we're talking about 15 year old cars.

All the issues relating to 944 apply to 968's (get a PPI, check for recent timing belt replacement every 45k, water pump 90k, cam chain inspected at maybe 100k). If you get a manual, pinion bearing is a common failure point at the time of manufacturing, but if a car made it to say 75k miles and the tranny hasn't blown up, then it's probably fine.

For some strange reason, clutch hose line bursts more easily than in a 944 -- happened to 2 of my 968s. The heater control valve also blows easily (they moved it forward for the 968 so it sits above the right front wheel, so when it fails, it pours coolant all over the wheel). As with any rubber/plastic parts on a 15 year old car, preventative replacement of these parts will solve that.

If you go for a cabriolet, the b-pillar has a nasty tendency to self-destruct.

As been mentioned before, 968.net is dying due to neglect and being overrun by spammers. Most 968 owners now roam 968forums or Rennlist.

[Aerkuld]

I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be an excellent daily car. My '84 944 gets used every day for driving to work and back etc. That said, it does take a fair amount of work to keep it in good order, probably more than a 'normal' daily driver, but being able to work on it myself keeps the running costs in check. I would like to think that a 10 years newer 968 is a magnitude better in terms of maintenance work, but don't expect a trouble free ride. I see you have a 911, so you know what I'm talking about.
At the end of the day what do you have to loose? Get it, try it, if you don't get on with it day to day then sell it, probably for close to what you paid for it...

...or keep it and get another daily driver!

[idesign635]

I drive mine 500 miles a week now that I started a new job. Its great, but clutch gets tiresome after 30 mins of stop and go traffic.
I also autocross it on weekends. For me its a great car with good reliability.

[toolboy62]

I think, but am just going on what I've heard, that the torque tube was redesigned on the 968 to actually make clutch changes easier on the 968, so that is one area where buying a 968 over a 944 could result in some savings down the road (although the 968 is still commanding a higher price on the used car market.)

nate

[jwade944]

Nate is correct. The bell housing for the clutch was split on the 968. You can remove a portion of the bell housing and replace the clutch without removing the transaxle as you have to do on 944 models.