Daily Driver - motronic carrera vs. 964???

[greenjt]

I am trying to figure out which 911 will best suit me and could use some help. I am looking for a daily driver so reliability is VERY important to me. I normally put about 10,000 on my current daily driver - MB C class.

Right now I am trying to figure out whether it makes sense for me to be looking at a motronic carrera or a 964. I have heard the mantra of buy the newest 911 you can but am also familiar with the step up in complexity and corrosponding pitfalls of the 964. Can anyone compare and contrast and help me round out a list of pros and cons????? Thanks! (and i will be posting this on the 911 forum as well to round out the opinions)

964
Pros: more modern car with airbags, abs, updated exterior, optional Tip
Cons: early head gasket & DMF issues

Carrera
Pros: dunno
Cons: older so likely more wear on parts like fuel lines etc, no abs or airbags

[Jay H]

My previous 911 was an '86 Carrera. I drove it for 4 years and 25,000 miles in almost all conceivable street conditions except for heavy snow. I currently have a 1990 C2 964. I've put only about 5000 miles on this car in 4 years (for various reasons), but I've driven it in a lot of different conditions as well (though no snow). I'll give you my 'compare and contrast'.

The 3.2:

The '86 was definitely more raw in feel. The older 915 transmission was fun for sunny Sunday type of drives, but fighting with it was not so fun in rush hour traffic after awhile. The A/C was more like a dehumidifier than an A/C unit. On hot, humid 95 degree days that we get here in SE Wisconsin, it did keep the cabin liveable, but nowhere near even what a new Chevy can do.

Brakes were great and there was plenty of power for everyday use. The suspension was definitely choppy and the car rode hard on very broken pavement. The non assisted steering was fantastic on back road driving and on the freeway. It was a pain in slow parking lot type driving.

The car was light, nimble and quick. A blast to drive on the back roads, but a bit tiring in heavy traffic. High speed driving was rewarding but you could toddle (is that a word?) along at 30 mph in town and still be enjoying the ride.

The 964:

Much more useable power for everyday driving (lots more torque). The 3.6 pulls like a freight train and is just a bit more linear in power delivery than the 3.2, but you still get the 'on the cam' feel as the rev's sling past 4000 rpms like the 3.2 cars. All the traditional 911 cues are present in the 964, but they are much more muted. You have to wring the car out a bit more to get that sound and feel.

The A/C actually will cool the cabin, but it's still not like a modern Chevy... It is more effective though. I've always thought heat was very good on 911's, even the 3.2's heat could melt my feet.

The 964's assisted steering is better for low speed driving, but I miss some of the connection that the older car had on the freeway and such. Brakes are fantastic and ABS is helpful for poor road conditions or quick stopping (though the '86 brakes never left me wanting for more anyway on the street).

The G-50 trans in the 964 shifts wonderfully and makes you not want to put up with a 915 if you do a lot of in town driving. The clutch is still heavy in feel as compared to more modern cars, but it's a 911 and we like things like this...

The 964 is more confortable, though it still rides rough on broken pavement. Handling limits are much higher and it's much more stable at high speeds as comparted to my 'clean' (no spoilers) '86. The 964 feels more refined and has higher limits.

Parts are more expensive for the 964, there are 12 plugs verses 6, exhaust has to come away for valve adjustments, etc. The 3.2 seemed to be a bit more fuel efficient. The 964 is screwed together just as good as the 3.2 was. Very high build quality. The 964 is more complex, so common sense will tell us that it will cost more to maintain.

In summary, the 964 is probably easier to live with on a daily driver type basis verses a pre G-50 Carrera (or even a G-50 Carrera). If I was looking for a strictly fun car, I'd probably look for a 3.2. For daily driving, the 964 would get my vote. Both are fantastic 911's, though each are vastly different from each other.

Hope this helps,
Jay
90 964

[lvc2]

I would second Jay's comments. I had a great 84 targa but it was a beast in traffic and a/c was not good.
I went a step further and got a 1991 C2 convertible with tiptronic--first ever on my 14th Porsche. Over the first five thousand miles it has been an exceptional daily driver. Not quite as quick as my 3.4 but still faster than 95% of other cars.
As much as I liked my 3.2, I would never go back. I really like the power steering and decent--though not lexus quality--a/c. Also, much better ride.
Ray

[Victor]

I have had a 3.2 for almost 6 years as a daily driver and occasional track car. It has been great but for all of the reasons so well described above I have decided to change for a 964.

Check out my (similar) post to yours here for some further opinions:

Probably swapping my trusty 3.2 for a 964 tomorrow....