Advice Please on 964 purchase

ascarswell · 02-28-2009, 10:45 AM

I need some advice - I've got two very strong options for cars I'm considering, and need some help. They're both clean, both at dealers on consignment from private owners, both have had major services recently done, and both are nicely optioned and clean. Here they are...

'89 C4, red sunroof coupe, tan interior, no airbag, 85k miles, seller will come down to $17k

'90 Carrera 2 Targa, silver, black interior, airbag, 48k miles, seller will come down to $20k

I must admit, I'm a huge fan of a guards red porsche, but the silver looks great, too. I like the lines of the coupe better than the targa. I do, however, love taking out the targa top and driving semi-topless. I like the black interior over the tan - shows wear less. The mileage advantage is obvious, but is it worth the extra $3k?

ANY advice you have would be greatly appreciated...mechanical things to look out for, market value info, C4 vs C2, price point (is it a good deal, or should I shoot for lower?), etc. Please email at ascarswell@yahoo.com - and as usual...thanks for all the help from you PELICANITES!

Cheers,
Adam

Chris Wiles · Chris Wiles's Garage

Do your homework. Both of these cars are good ones, but make sure you take which ever car you are interested in most to a good mechanic and get a through check out. When my car was up on the lift we found all sorts of things that needed attention. It cost a few bucks to get it done, but in the long run it saved me thousands of dollars. Also remember to check the books. Tune ups on these cars are pretty pricey.

CW

941MXVET · 02-28-2009, 07:37 PM

In my personal opinion, I prefer the C2's to the C4's. I also prefer the coupe to the targa. Good luck with your decision, life's good when we have these as our tough calls.

Don Plumley · Don Plumley's Garage

Price seems in the ballpark, probably a few K higher because of the consignment.

PPI is a must. I'll take a higher mileage, better maintained, complete records, fewer owner car than one with less miles. However, be careful with the C4 - there are some really spendy parts if the AWD goes haywire. With the Targa, check carefully for signs of cabin leaks.

Condition and records trumps price. Do you have records of a new clutch/flywheel on the 85K car? Was the distributor vent done? How do the cylinder heads look (weepage)? On one had, $3K of price difference can disappear in one trip to the mechanic. Arguably, these cars are the same age, differ by less than 40K miles, in both case are very, very low. Especially with the 48K car, I'm worried that it was not driven. What seals/bushings/etc are dry rotting?

PPI, PPI, PPI.

Oracle · 02-28-2009, 10:30 PM

C2 has less things to break.. No brainer

gizmofixer · 03-02-2009, 06:25 AM

+1 on the C2.........
Targas are the best of both worlds!
and 964's are undervalued compared to many other models.

lucittm · lucittm's Garage

Newer is better. Less miles is better. Airbag is better. But you already know this. Will this be a daily driver or a weekend car? The mileage probably reflects the PO's use.
Do you do your own work or send it to the P-car shop? C2 is better for us DIY'ers.

I vote for the C2, but it would depend on the better PPI.

Mark

deep_uv · 03-02-2009, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don Plumley

Price seems in the ballpark, probably a few K higher because of the consignment.

PPI is a must. I'll take a higher mileage, better maintained, complete records, fewer owner car than one with less miles. However, be careful with the C4 - there are some really spendy parts if the AWD goes haywire. With the Targa, check carefully for signs of cabin leaks.

Condition and records trumps price. Do you have records of a new clutch/flywheel on the 85K car? Was the distributor vent done? How do the cylinder heads look (weepage)? On one had, $3K of price difference can disappear in one trip to the mechanic. Arguably, these cars are the same age, differ by less than 40K miles, in both case are very, very low. Especially with the 48K car, I'm worried that it was not driven. What seals/bushings/etc are dry rotting?

PPI, PPI, PPI.

Excellent advice! I'd make sure the PPI includes a compression/leakdown check too.

ascarswell · 03-02-2009, 05:40 PM

Wow - as usual, I'm overwhelmed by this website - by the fact that there are people out there who are good enough to give their time & thought to some shcmuck like me! Thanks!

I get you about the C2 being less complicated...and I am a bit of a DIY'er, so that may certainly make life easier. I do like the targa, for sure, but I also like the lines of the coupe better. Also to keep in mind - I'm moving back to Canada and will be using this car fairly regularly...mostly just short trips back and forth to work in the winter - but in the winter nonetheless. That being said, the AWD may be helpful in the snow, plus the coupe will be more practical when it comes to brushing the snow off! It will be garage kept, but if it snows on it during the day...I know y'all just cringed! :-)

So...at risk of sounding girly...my heart's telling me to go with the red coupe C4. And to make things worse...er...better...another vehicle has entered the realm of possibility...an '89 red C4 that's got all of the good stuff of these other two cars (just shy of 50k miles, lots of recent major service, nice 'n' clean, etc) + a black interior + 17" 996 wheels + Fabspeed exhaust! All that, and I think he's going to be willing to be close to the $17k of the other guy. It's by owner, so no commission. He's getting a PPI this weekend. Oh - and by the way - why would someone have the engine tray sandblasted & painted? Not sure what that's all about. Anyhow...thanks for the advice...keep it coming!

Don Plumley · Don Plumley's Garage

There are a few good cars, and lots of bad ones. If you let your head rule your heart, you'll find the right one.

You didn't mention Canada before. Then I'd stick with a coupe, AWD would be nice. Just look for records of lots of brake fluid changes from a mechanic that knows how to work with the high pressure system.

A caution - you want to pay for the PPI. I would not want the current owner to take care of the PPI. Find your own mechanic (one that did not work on the car before), tell them what you are concerned about, and pay them - they work for you, not the original owner that has a vested interest to sell the car.