le3

I am looking to buy a996 turbo, but can't help being distracted by a 1991 964 turbo I saw. I used to own a 1994 c4 widebody and just something about the shape that draws me in.

Scare me with maintenance issues and usability since I intend to drive this car when ever it isn't raining or snowing. Or tell me i am not crazy....

MechanicalEng

Buying a 911 is an emotional decision, just follow your heart with your eye$ wide open...

nick49

I take it you have $50k or there abouts in your budget. That should keep the '91 on the road for a while. I love the looks of the older cars as well, thankfully there are some people out there that still want to own one. I'm not one of them. I have a '48, '65, '71 and '91 Harley Big Twins and '75 and '86 roadrace motorcycles. That's enough for me.

Ask yourself if you want a car to drive trouble free or if you are looking for a hobby?

C2 Turbo

I have a '91 C2 Turbo and have recently acquired an '07 997 TT and to tell you the truth, the 965 Turbo has a lot more character and gives more driving pleasure (raw feel of the road) not to mention the looks the car gets

Having said that, 965 Turbo isn't very practicle as a daily driver especially when a 996 TT is in the picture.

For me i am keeping the '91

Santerra

Strong argument FOR a 996tt. Just went through a 4 month search and purchase cycle like you're starting. At first, I wanted a clean manual late 928 GTS, then a manual late air-cooled 993, but finally decided that an early manual 996tt REALLY made the most "sense". My GR coupe arrived yesterday and since it touched ground I've been driving and driving and driving ... so glad I got this car. It's awesome - it's everything, and more, I could ask for.

SSST

Not as a DD, but the 964 turbo is a beautiful car. If you are going to drive it every day, go with the 996.

Hoosier_Daddy

Will holding value play any part in your decision?

le3

Value is important, but so is usability. I don't want a garage queen.

When I say drive every good weather day, understand I work out of my house so it will see under 4k a year when I combine driving by truck.

What is the maintenance difference? The 964 turbo I saw just had a rebuild engine, new suspension, tires, etc..

pcar964

The maintenance on a 964 Turbo isn't that bad! It's actually one of the most well-sorted 911s ever produced - they perfected the 3.3 turbo engine over 15 years of production. The engine is overbuilt and under-stressed (7.0:1 compression), the transmission is over-built, etc. The only problems you may find maintenance-wise would be rare parts specific to the 964T if they need replacement. But most of the parts are shared with regular 964s anyway. Regular maintenance is the same as any other pre-993 car, valve adjustments every 15k, oil changes, etc.

In my experience it's not much different to maintain than any other air-cooled Porsche. And you can work on it yourself for the most part. If you're only putting 4k miles/year, I'd recommend getting a car that will put a smile on your face every time

ltc

Sorry, I can't in good conscience help you then

As for mainteance and suitability as a daily driver, search for some posts by T2, whose 03 996 X50 Turbo has ~350,000 miles ... as a 4 season New England daily driver. His maintenance has been very routine.
As mentioned many times here before, the engine is bulletproof.

The 996 Turbo is without a doubt the world's greatest daily driver capable/reliable supercar. I don't know of another one that comes even close.

doubleurx

Agreed on the daily driver aspect. If it is not, I would hands down get the 964. The build quality is much better than the 996. My 20 year old C4 cab feels so much more solid than my TT. Oil leaks are probably the biggest issue to look for. Other than that, my 964 was a daily driver for 4 years and is still a blast to drive.