Discussion
Considering getting back into Porsche ownership having owned 997 Carrera S & 964 RS I have been looking at SC's and 964 carrera 2's but I think the prices are a touch to high (and top of my budget) I have started looking online at 968's, and would like the opinions of any 968 owners what they are like to live with.
There are a few owners on here including myself. Ive got a 95 Sport with 94K on the clock.
The Club Sport is "the" one to have, but good ones are 30K+ and many have been used as track slags due to prices being so attractive some years back - that and its a fine handling car.
The Sport is probably the best bet because it came to the UK as a Club Sport and Porsche UK chucked in some rear seats, electric windows, sports seats and a few other bits.
There are number for sale in the classifieds, some bargains there too. Personally Id avoid a cab or an auto because they are hard to shift. Not many cars out there under 100K now either.
Maintenance wise, well its a 25 year old car so dont let anyone tell you they arent too expensive to run because youll always find something to do on any car that age but generally they arent too bad to service and run as a rule. Look out for cams/ cam chains / pads in particular - Google it or http://www.jackals-forge.com/968_cams_inspection.p...
PCGB community has mainly defected over to here: http://www.porsche968uk.co.uk/
Lots of guides all over the web.
This one looks like a bargain. Shed loads of money spent on it and imho should be more like 20K
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
The Club Sport is "the" one to have, but good ones are 30K+ and many have been used as track slags due to prices being so attractive some years back - that and its a fine handling car.
The Sport is probably the best bet because it came to the UK as a Club Sport and Porsche UK chucked in some rear seats, electric windows, sports seats and a few other bits.
There are number for sale in the classifieds, some bargains there too. Personally Id avoid a cab or an auto because they are hard to shift. Not many cars out there under 100K now either.
Maintenance wise, well its a 25 year old car so dont let anyone tell you they arent too expensive to run because youll always find something to do on any car that age but generally they arent too bad to service and run as a rule. Look out for cams/ cam chains / pads in particular - Google it or http://www.jackals-forge.com/968_cams_inspection.p...
PCGB community has mainly defected over to here: http://www.porsche968uk.co.uk/
Lots of guides all over the web.
This one looks like a bargain. Shed loads of money spent on it and imho should be more like 20K
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
8-P said:
Maintenance wise, well its a 25 year old car so dont let anyone tell you they arent too expensive to run because youll always find something to do on any car that age but generally they arent too bad to service and run as a rule. Look out for cams/ cam chains / pads in particular - Google it or http://www.jackals-forge.com/968_cams_inspection.p...
I wrote that inspection procedure many years ago after discovering 9 teeth missing from the inlet cam sprocket shortly after I bought my last 968 and the balance shaft belt snapped. It's good to see it's still out there on a few internet sites!The replacement balance shaft belt snapped on me again about 4 years and less than 20k miles later, despite me being pretty fussy about maintenance. I subsequently discovered that a Porsche independent specialist acquired my car after I sold it and he had to fit a another set of cams, due to the same problem (tooth wear on the transfer sprockets), around 30k miles after I'd fitted a pair of brand new genuine Porsche cams. The pinion bearings were also making a worse racket when I sold that car than the noise they'd been making 15k miles before when I had another very well known Porsche indy replace them! So two balance belts, two sets of cams and two sets of pinion bearings all within 30k miles!
On the other hand, my first 968 had never as far as I could tell from its history had any of these issues, even though it was around 125k miles when I bought it. However I'd had a few 944s previously and I found a couple of cam teeth in the sump on one of them (a 944S), indicating a similar problem earlier in its life.
One other observation I'd make is that clocking was rife when these cars were younger. Of my five 944/968 cars, I believe 3 had been clocked when I bought them around the age of 10 years. Not sure that this is such an issue with the cars at the age they are at now, as it's absolutely a case of buying on condition rather than mileage.
I really enjoyed the two 968s I had but having subsequently had a few 986 Boxsters, a couple of 987 Caymans and currently a 981 Cayman, for me, I think the 987 Caymans (both 3.4S) were the sweet spot.
Finding a good 968 that ticked all the boxes, even back in 2001 when I was living abroad and had the whole European LHD market to choose from, was tricky. I spent 18 months looking for my second one and wanted a high spec M030 sport chassis optioned car in Cobalt Blue. I bought only the second one I found, so rare were they even then. On the other hand, there are many more of the later cars around like the 987 and to be honest I think they drive much better too.
All that said, I've still got some of the special tools from my 944/968 days, just in case!
flatsix3.6 said:
Considering getting back into Porsche ownership having owned 997 Carrera S & 964 RS I have been looking at SC's and 964 carrera 2's but I think the prices are a touch to high (and top of my budget) I have started looking online at 968's, and would like the opinions of any 968 owners what they are like to live with.
I have had a 968 sport for coming up to 2 years. Before that I had a 944 and a 964 targa. The 968 is a good drive at a sensible price and in my view is one of the best value classic Porsches at the moment. Build quality on them is as you would expect pretty solid. Most are well loved, mine has over £50k of invoices on it, if you get one that has been kept in good condition you should not face big bills in the future. My car is at 200k miles, and still going well. Parts availability is pretty good for the age of the car. Lots of information available if you sign up on the 968uk forum. Happy to show you mine if you’re ever in Devon; it may go up for sale later in the year as I have a move coming up.
Edited by Biggles111 on Sunday 27th January 08:49
DRH986 said:
I wrote that inspection procedure many years ago after discovering 9 teeth missing from the inlet cam sprocket shortly after I bought my last 968 and the balance shaft belt snapped. It's good to see it's still out there on a few internet sites!
The replacement balance shaft belt snapped on me again about 4 years and less than 20k miles later, despite me being pretty fussy about maintenance. I subsequently discovered that a Porsche independent specialist acquired my car after I sold it and he had to fit a another set of cams, due to the same problem (tooth wear on the transfer sprockets), around 30k miles after I'd fitted a pair of brand new genuine Porsche cams. The pinion bearings were also making a worse racket when I sold that car than the noise they'd been making 15k miles before when I had another very well known Porsche indy replace them! So two balance belts, two sets of cams and two sets of pinion bearings all within 30k miles!
On the other hand, my first 968 had never as far as I could tell from its history had any of these issues, even though it was around 125k miles when I bought it. However I'd had a few 944s previously and I found a couple of cam teeth in the sump on one of them (a 944S), indicating a similar problem earlier in its life.
One other observation I'd make is that clocking was rife when these cars were younger. Of my five 944/968 cars, I believe 3 had been clocked when I bought them around the age of 10 years. Not sure that this is such an issue with the cars at the age they are at now, as it's absolutely a case of buying on condition rather than mileage.
I really enjoyed the two 968s I had but having subsequently had a few 986 Boxsters, a couple of 987 Caymans and currently a 981 Cayman, for me, I think the 987 Caymans (both 3.4S) were the sweet spot.
Finding a good 968 that ticked all the boxes, even back in 2001 when I was living abroad and had the whole European LHD market to choose from, was tricky. I spent 18 months looking for my second one and wanted a high spec M030 sport chassis optioned car in Cobalt Blue. I bought only the second one I found, so rare were they even then. On the other hand, there are many more of the later cars around like the 987 and to be honest I think they drive much better too.
All that said, I've still got some of the special tools from my 944/968 days, just in case!
Really interesting stuff. Oddly enough, the pdf is hosted by Jackals Forge - someone Ive recently started following on instagram and I later discovered had owned a rather nice yellow CS. Hes moved on to much faster cars, Ferraris etc and clearly does someo interesting road trips on some amazing roads!The replacement balance shaft belt snapped on me again about 4 years and less than 20k miles later, despite me being pretty fussy about maintenance. I subsequently discovered that a Porsche independent specialist acquired my car after I sold it and he had to fit a another set of cams, due to the same problem (tooth wear on the transfer sprockets), around 30k miles after I'd fitted a pair of brand new genuine Porsche cams. The pinion bearings were also making a worse racket when I sold that car than the noise they'd been making 15k miles before when I had another very well known Porsche indy replace them! So two balance belts, two sets of cams and two sets of pinion bearings all within 30k miles!
On the other hand, my first 968 had never as far as I could tell from its history had any of these issues, even though it was around 125k miles when I bought it. However I'd had a few 944s previously and I found a couple of cam teeth in the sump on one of them (a 944S), indicating a similar problem earlier in its life.
One other observation I'd make is that clocking was rife when these cars were younger. Of my five 944/968 cars, I believe 3 had been clocked when I bought them around the age of 10 years. Not sure that this is such an issue with the cars at the age they are at now, as it's absolutely a case of buying on condition rather than mileage.
I really enjoyed the two 968s I had but having subsequently had a few 986 Boxsters, a couple of 987 Caymans and currently a 981 Cayman, for me, I think the 987 Caymans (both 3.4S) were the sweet spot.
Finding a good 968 that ticked all the boxes, even back in 2001 when I was living abroad and had the whole European LHD market to choose from, was tricky. I spent 18 months looking for my second one and wanted a high spec M030 sport chassis optioned car in Cobalt Blue. I bought only the second one I found, so rare were they even then. On the other hand, there are many more of the later cars around like the 987 and to be honest I think they drive much better too.
All that said, I've still got some of the special tools from my 944/968 days, just in case!
I compiled this album recently - https://photos.google.com/u/1/share/AF1QipMQIQ0glK...
His car was here: http://www.jackals-forge.com/TMP/968sale/968cs_for...
8-P said:
This one looks like a bargain. Shed loads of money spent on it and imho should be more like 20K
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
This car appears to be well worth the asking price. £14k + in 5 years and 500 miles should be a wake up call for anyone thinking about buying a 944/68 that has been light on maintenance for 20 years. A good car isn't just a machine polish and a fancy showroom.https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
Edited by blade7 on Sunday 27th January 11:05
Biggles111 said:
I have had a 968 sport for coming up to 2 years. Before that I had a 944 and a 964 targa. The 968 is a good drive at a sensible price and in my view is one of the best value classic Porsches at the moment. Build quality on them is as you would expect pretty solid. Most are well loved, mine has over £50k of invoices on it, if you get one that has been kept in good condition you should not face big bills in the future. My car is at 200k miles, and still going well. Parts availability is pretty good for the age of the car.
Lots of information available if you sign up on the 968uk forum. Happy to show you mine if you’re ever in Devon; it may go up for sale later in the year as I have a move coming up.
Which out of the 968 and 964 would you say you prefer and your reasons.Lots of information available if you sign up on the 968uk forum. Happy to show you mine if you’re ever in Devon; it may go up for sale later in the year as I have a move coming up.
Edited by Biggles111 on Sunday 27th January 08:49
I’ve owned my 968 for 6 years.
They are very easy to live with. Great handling. Practical space. Not troubled by rust to anywhere near like the 944 generation but can still have issues like all cars.
The engine and gearbox are - in my opinion - much nicer to live with than the 944 s2.
Suggest you look for one with decent suspension, good recent expenditure inc clutch.
If it hasn’t had a head gasket then bear mind that mileage is no guarantee that the head gasket doesn’t need changing.
I’ve little negative to say that about them. Find a good one and enjoy it. Loads of little things can go wrong but overall I’d say they are incredibly reliable (if looked after) and brilliant value for money.
They are very easy to live with. Great handling. Practical space. Not troubled by rust to anywhere near like the 944 generation but can still have issues like all cars.
The engine and gearbox are - in my opinion - much nicer to live with than the 944 s2.
Suggest you look for one with decent suspension, good recent expenditure inc clutch.
If it hasn’t had a head gasket then bear mind that mileage is no guarantee that the head gasket doesn’t need changing.
I’ve little negative to say that about them. Find a good one and enjoy it. Loads of little things can go wrong but overall I’d say they are incredibly reliable (if looked after) and brilliant value for money.
flatsix3.6 said:
Which out of the 968 and 964 would you say you prefer and your reasons.
Difficult one; in an ideal world I would have both! A nice problem to have though.On the 964 I loved the level of feel and feedback from the front end, great power delivery and rasp from the engine, and generally the way it made me feel, every trip felt like an event. What was less good was the cost of parts and greater labour needed which meant I spent quite a lot to get it ‘right’. (Around £14k over 2 years, it was a great car by the time I sold it on).
The 968 is more accessible; it handles in a more conventional front engine-RWD way, is quite adjustable, and brakes well. You can have fun at sensible speeds, it is easy to work on, parts are generally cheaper, and it is the sort of car I use for a change from the daily driver but knowing it is fine to park anywhere. My kids love it.
The difference in values also mean if you want to track the car the 968 is a good option.
As always it depends on budget. A 968 CS is probably a good option if you have an eye on long term value, however values are quite strong now, meaning that Sports are good value if you want a car to use. If I had a large budget a mint 964 would be on the list as well, but at lower levels I would go for a good 968 over a cheap 964...
8-P said:
His car was here: http://www.jackals-forge.com/TMP/968sale/968cs_for...
That's a nice looking car! I bet it's worth a fair bit more than the £20k asking price back then. Would be even more if it had been a genuine factory M030 spec but I think they were like rocking horse poo, I guess because the CS (and UK Sport) were lower spec to get the price down in order to sell cars back when Porsche was on its knees in the early 90s.When I sold my factory M030 Coupe in 2008, I had four offers to buy it unseen from three countries within a couple of days of advertising it! All wanted it as a basis for a dedicated track car and the M030 gubbins and LHD (the brake m/c is directly actuated on the LHD) were highly desired for that purpose. I did find the M030 a bit harsh on UK roads but the wife and I both used it as a daily so not too bad.
Looking at the photos reminded me of the astronomic costs of the genuine M030 drilled discs, around £1400 a set back then if memory serves. I think the 928S4 discs were sometimes fitted as an alternative as looks like the case here, as they were the same dimensions but without the holes and much much cheaper.
I always fancied a yellow one after seeing this one at a Porsche Club of Sweden track day at Mantorp Park years ago:
Nice photo album you put together too!
8-P said:
And? He said anywhere near not never.
Blake7 is well aware the internet is awash with photos of rust on all cars. Having owned 8 (or 9) 944s I am well placed to say the rust issues on 968s are nothing at all like those associated with 944s. The 944 sills are legendary in this respect.simkin911 said:
8-P said:
And? He said anywhere near not never.
Blake7 is well aware the internet is awash with photos of rust on all cars. Having owned 8 (or 9) 944s I am well placed to say the rust issues on 968s are nothing at all like those associated with 944s. The 944 sills are legendary in this respect.
8-P said:
His car was here: http://www.jackals-forge.com/TMP/968sale/968cs_for...
AFAIK original 968 MO30 discs were drilled.... Gassing Station | Front Engined Porsches | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff