what's wrong w/91 964's?

[hrscrk]

i'm looking at a 91 that has about 160000 miles on it

some of the pelicanites tell me that the car's a recipe for bankruptcy, and provide a very long list of things that go wrong; especially leaks, servos, twin plugs, etc etc.
here are some examples:
Major work at 100k miles on these C2 model years if they have never been done.
1. Clutch, PP, fork upgrade and new DMF flywheel
2. Distributor belt
3. Alternator VR, belts and bearings
4. Torn CV boots maybe
5. Rear wheel bearings
6. If it smokes on decel, valve guides
7. Power steering drive seals
8. Oil leak at breather, oil pressure sensor
9. Oil tank hoses
10. Spark plug wires and coils

others say: The rest of the naysaying in this thread is "worst case scenario" stuff. Do your homework and get a proper PPI, and you won't look back. A well maintained 964 is the BEST buy in the Porsche world right now. Bar none. Check out Rennlist's 964 forum and ask the folk who live with them everyday, rather than relying on other folks' second hand opinions.

car i'm looking at has been babied and serviced regularly but has no major work done...

any suggestions about what the future might hold since a PPI is only gonna tell me what's goin on today.

thanks!

[umgang]

Ed_ you need to go to the 964 forum on Rennlist and the 964 forum on Rennsportsystems
there is a much bigger crowd over there for you to query.

I recently bought a 1991 964C4 with 165,000. I have put 10,000 miles on it in the last 5 months.
The car is a gem. Still has that connected driver's feel while being an easier car to drive on a daily basis.
I gave up a 1999 BMW m3 which i loved; but the 964 is so much better.

The list you have is a worst case scenario.
By 166,000 i am betting the engine has been opened and sealed.
The vent for distributor is cheap and easy - send it to Steve Weiner @ Rennsport Systems if it needs a belt; otherwise you can do the vent yourself.
Everything else you listed are SOP maintenance item you would do on any aging 911.

The HVAC is the only other Achille's heel- and even when it is wonky it is still better than previous model year heat systems.
You get Adrian Streather's book on 964 - Enthusiasts Companion- it will tell you everything you need to know.

These are fantastic cars. The last of the hand built cars with engineering in the forefront.

[KNS]

I'd follow along with what the "others" said. All those things might be required on a car with 125,000 miles as well.

[175K911]

Similar lists could be made about certain year Carreras, but we still buy them.

Find a nice car, get a PPI from a qualified Porsche tech, then don't look back.

[iamtheari]

The 964 is slightly more prone to meteorite strikes than earlier models, too. There are a million things that can go wrong. Don't worry about those. Get a PPI done and decide if enough is likely to go wrong soon to steer you away from the car.

I bought my '90 C4 in April 2011 with almost 150,000 miles on it. I had a PPI done which identified a few issues. I discussed those issues here, had the PPI shop replace the torn CV boots before I picked it up, and then drove it home through a Wyoming blizzard. It's never needed a thing that the PPI didn't spot and estimate a repair cost on.

It's not as easy as owning a Honda Civic for the same price. But it's a hell of a lot more rewarding. The only thing wrong with the 964 is that it has been on the road for 24 years so all the things that can go wrong have been discovered and discussed at length. The 991 is presently a flawless car for the same reason. Get the PPI and, if the car is mechanically sound, get the car. You'll have a hard time coming up with a reason to dislike it later.

[porterdog]

Originally Posted by iamtheari

The 964 is slightly more prone to meteorite strikes than earlier models, too.

Aw, h e l l... I didn't realize that!

[bazar01]

Originally Posted by hrscrk

i'm looking at a 91 that has about 160000 miles on it

some of the pelicanites tell me that the car's a recipe for bankruptcy, and provide a very long list of things that go wrong; especially leaks, servos, twin plugs, etc etc.
here are some examples:
Major work at 100k miles on these C2 model years if they have never been done.
1. Clutch, PP, fork upgrade and new DMF flywheel
2. Distributor belt
3. Alternator VR, belts and bearings
4. Torn CV boots maybe
5. Rear wheel bearings
6. If it smokes on decel, valve guides
7. Power steering drive seals
8. Oil leak at breather, oil pressure sensor
9. Oil tank hoses
10. Spark plug wires and coils

others say: The rest of the naysaying in this thread is "worst case scenario" stuff. Do your homework and get a proper PPI, and you won't look back. A well maintained 964 is the BEST buy in the Porsche world right now. Bar none. Check out Rennlist's 964 forum and ask the folk who live with them everyday, rather than relying on other folks' second hand opinions.

car i'm looking at has been babied and serviced regularly but has no major work done...

any suggestions about what the future might hold since a PPI is only gonna tell me what's goin on today.

thanks!

LOL, I was the one who came up with that list.
You omitted the line with the recommended PPI.
I also mentioned if you do not diy, you will spend a lot of money.
But if you diy, it is like a stress reliever whenever you work on it and will put a smile on your face whenever you take it out for a spin.

You mentioned, no major work on the engine, so we cannot assume all the major items have been addressed.

Get a PPI and decide from there.

So did you buy it?

[ricerx]

I have a 1991 964 C2 with 128K miles. i use it as my daily commuter car, traveling 22K miles per year, and have only one complaint. The seats.
I am looking for a more comfy seat with some bolster and of course, recline.
Any suggestions? I am 6' 1" 210 and have pressure on my thighs and upper back.
Recaro or similar, but not racing seat. (touring)

On the car's reliability:
Utterly reliable, starts ad runs strong, tight and fast, amazing road feel and handling.
I love it. Automatic, great for traffic / commuting.
Some quirks I have experienced:
Replaced fuel cap with non vented type. old one did not seal well. (fuel smell in cabin)
replaced brake lines with braided cables. no leaks
Power steering needs top off quarterly.
Oil needs watching, uses @ 1quart to 2 qt quarterly.
Only had to do tires and pads and oil change for maint.
Everything works.

Once the car is properly sorted you should expect basic stuff only. My experience has been awesome. The car is stock except for a sport exhaust system.

[hrscrk]

damn! my plagarism busted.

not sure if i'm gonna buy this car but i'm convinced there's a 964 in my future

thanks for all of your input.

[tomcat408]

Hey Ed, did you buy your 84 black Carrera from me? I sold one to an Ed from Bozeman some years ago. Tom from Alabama

[hrscrk]

tom..........that's the car..........she was becoming a garage queen so i've decided to buy something less 'special' that i'll drive more.......she was a good car.....had to spend a few bux on her, but that's a 911 for u.......

[tomcat408]

So she's not runing anymore? Sorry to hear that, sweet car. I'm buying a black964 cab next week, that's how I ran across your thread here.

[hrscrk]

tom---ran like a rabbit -- especially after i replaced the original coil, plug wires and all that stuff...she's a real hot rod...good luck w/;the new car......i've been thinking about a cab but think i'll stick w/a coupe.......

[peritus]

I've put ~20k miles on my 964 over almost 3 yrs. Bought at 95,000 miles. I've done reg. maintenance, but the unexpected was a new steering rack, drop links, HVAC bugs and the latest is a leaky diff slave.

My much newer Audi has cost 10 times more to keep up.

The 964 is totally reliable if you get a good one. You should get one. 964s are awesome.

[peritus]

I've put ~20k miles on my 964 over almost 3 yrs. Bought at 95,000 miles. I've done reg. maintenance, but the unexpected was a new steering rack, drop links, HVAC bugs and the latest is a leaky diff slave.

My much newer Audi has cost 10 times more to keep up.

The 964 is totally reliable if you get a good one. You should get one. 964s are awesome.