Typ 964 Carrera 4 buying/maintenance advice

[iamtheari]

Hi there. My search has come full-circle! I don't recall if I've posted the story before, but last summer I decided I had spent enough years pining for the '85 Targa (Iris Blue) that I drove for a few years and that I had worked hard and it was time to buy my very own 911.

My search started with 911s and 964s, but then moved through the 993s to the affordable used 996s. I learned all about intermediate shaft bearing and rear main seal failures and decided that the right 996 for me was the Turbo. It's the perfect combination of reliability, luxury, winter drivability (here in North Dakota, that's a serious issue), and comfort (from available heated seats to a cup holder and remote keyless entry). I even nearly bought one in September, but got scared about having that much of a car payment (as I can't quite dish out $35k-40k in cash, no matter how hard I work).

So now, after drooling over 996 Turbo after 996 Turbo for the past 6 months, I have ended up back to the idea of giving up some of the creature comforts and getting an earlier all-wheel-drive 911. The 993 C4, C4S, and Turbo all seem to run at least as much if not more than the 996 Turbo does. So now I feel that the 964 C4 is probably my best bet, in particular with its 31/69 normal torque split.

I have a few Carrera 4 Coupes, mostly MY1990s and maybe a MY1991 or two in the mix, that I am looking at. Mileage runs from about 80,000 to 180,000. None of them are local, as this is hardly a mecca for used Porsches.

So the question I have is this: What should I be looking for in a used 964 Carrera 4? I have the 911 Buyer's Guide and reviewed it along with lots of information online, and it seems that the biggest issues come from the dual-mass flywheel, the lack of a head gasket, the oil cooler thermostat, and not enough attention given to the hydraulic fluids that control the running gear. How will I be able to tell whether these items have been sorted out? Are they quick for a PPI technician to spot? For a layman like myself?

Also, what maintenance concerns should I be worried about? Most of the normal work on the 964 seems to be the kind of thing I can handle in my garage on jack stands, possibly with a Durametric and a couple of different wrenches and sockets. The exceptions are clutch/flywheel jobs (for which I may need to invest in a good ATV jack and maybe a portable car scissor lift like those I've seen some members posting photos of) and hydraulic maintenance (the bleeding step for which apparently one needs some impossible-to-find specialized equipment). Who can get me on the right track with these concerns?

Thanks in advance to anyone who answers with even a small morsel of advice. I am very excited about being a real Porsche owner in the near future, hopefully in the next month or so as my birthday is coming up and I really feel that I deserve to give myself a nice gift this year.