Which 'new' 911 to choose......?

Highfield · Post by **Highfield** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 8:29 pm

As you can now see from my signature, my 73T Lightweight 2.7 Carrera engined car has gone to a new home. Dan Squires of this parish has purchased the car is is having Tuthills work some magic on it for him. I will let Dan take that story up, but the car will be great, and I will look forward to seeing the build when I visit Tuthills to take a peek.

Our personal car situation has changed at home, and in a moment of madness I promised to buy my wife a car that we had often mentioned, but never bought....a car that reminds her of her early driving days.....a 1968 Renault 4 with 3 owners and 50,000 miles from new in lovely burgundy colour ----- subject to passing the MOT we are off to collect it from Cornwall this week.

So the Clio and Alfa will be sold and a practical car will be purchased that can be driven by both of us and our two sons (21 and 17) so it has to be insurance friendly - something like a 2.0 TDI A3 !!!

As to me, I am on the lookout for a 'new' 911 to use as a regular (not daily) driver to get to work, have some fun in, and do a few track days. It will live outside but can be covered in the worst of weathers, and will do perhaps 12 - 15K miles per year, so this is a key point. Mileage costs are a factor here, as the difference between 20mpg and 25mpg is a good £700 per annum etc.

I haven't really narrowed it down at all, so could happily consider any (or more) of the following with a maximum budget of circa £25K:-

911 3.2 Carrera
930 Turbo
964 C2
964 Turbo
993 C2 / C2S
996 Turbo
997 (just afford it)

Quite a range as you can see, and clearly all very different so for fun, and guidance from those of you that perhaps own one of the above, what are your thoughts and suggestions.

I really enjoyed my 4 years with the Early 911, and will definitely come back to one in the future, but for now I want a car that I can enjoy, perhaps do a few mods to my own liking, but most of all use regularly.

Oh, and did I say I hate losing money on cars, so low depreciation please.

I will continue to hang around the board as the Early 911 / IB scene is a great one, with great people and will look forward to catching up with you at various opportunities throughout the year.

Ian

Post by **Bootsy** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 9:11 pm

Errr.....

How about a 73T lightweight with mods?

If not a 993

chris68 · Post by **chris68** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 9:20 pm

I envy your predicament!

Has to be a 993 C2 manual coupe. It's the only car I still yearn for. A chap in the village here has one and I often detour just to see if it's on his drive. Built like a T-34 tank, deflation proof, not mass produced, air cooled (as they should be), six speed, no fundamental design flaws, beautiful lines, ......

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH0bH9h0PY4

Cheers,
Chris

Highfield · Post by **Highfield** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 10:37 pm

Bootsy - nice suggestion, and I know you have a 993.

Chris - agreed I always liked the shape of the 993, and do like the look of an Arena Red car on PH at the moment - high mileage, but does that really matter if it is OPC / Independant FSH ?

Link to PH advert :- http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2164245.htm

Ian

964RS · Post by **964RS** » Sat Oct 16, 2010 11:28 pm

If it's a daily driver then my money is on a 996TT

awesome point to point car and the number of times I got out of mine laughing at it's rediculous ability and fun factor was very high indeed

4wd so for all seasons, bullet proof engine, modern interior and not sure they can depreciate much below low 20s.

Can't remember mpg on mine tbh but then I did have it at 1.1 bar most if the time. Think it was probably around 20ish. Worth the extra fuel pennies though.

Your budget won't get you 'decent' versions of some of your list.

I've had most of them at some point and as daily drivers too and I'm aircooled through and through....still miss that 996TT most of all though!!

23e Heure · Post by **23e Heure** » Sun Oct 17, 2010 9:10 am

I was watching your R4 on eBay! Glad to say I wasn't bidding against you: would have had to be metallic blue and LHD for that situation to have occurred (similar nostalgia driven reason to your wife

).
Looks a lovely car, it sold a few months back thru the R4 forum, so there's an owner there you can look up if you have questions later.

Oh... and yes: The 993 on PH would be an excellent (colour) match in the garage!

richkaz · Post by **richkaz** » Sun Oct 17, 2010 3:54 pm

This is coming up for sale at Barons on the 26th October.
Looks nice to me at est. £9.5 - £12 K

http://www.barons-auctions.com/details. ... etrans.php

74rsman · Post by **74rsman** » Tue Oct 19, 2010 11:46 am

[quote="964RS"]If it's a daily driver then my money is on a 996TT

awesome point to point car and the number of times I got out of min laughing at it's rediculous ability and fun factor was very high indeedquote]

+10 on that a 996TT..

laugh out loud territory, especially slingshot up the on ramp and into the 3rd lane.. weeeee

and fantastic value!

Nige · Post by **Nige** » Tue Oct 19, 2010 11:56 am

Ian, I buy the best 3.2 you can afford/find and use it daily. Its old enough enough so you can do some DIY tinkering and feel like you still have a classic yet new enough not to worry about it being a daily. In fact I think they're bang in the middle of what you require.

Also bare in mind that most classic policies require the car to be over 20 years old, just in case that's a factor in your choice.

oldtimer · Post by **oldtimer** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 8:04 am

Hi Ian , my vote would be for a 964C2 .
I have owned a few of the cars on your list and also enjoy trackdays .
The 964 has a good torquey powerful 3.6 litre twin plug engine , ABS brakes and reasonable corrosion resistance. When you sit in the drivers seat you are looking down those classic 'stove pipe' lines of the front wings that disappeared with the 993 and the later water cooled cars . Values appear to have bottomed out for 964s and a good C2 car might appreciate as people turn them into 964RS replicas - a real 964RS is going the way of the '73 RS in value.
Have fun!

Bruce M · Post by **Bruce M** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 9:35 am

I would have said a Mk1 996 GT3 but that boat has probably now sailed (high 30's and up now).

When people realise that it doesn't have the same engine issues as anormal 996 and will leave a 964rs behind on a track, they will have negative depreciation for a while.

996tt is a lot of car (this months car on the calendar in my study

)

Much as I love the 964, it would need have had an engine rebuild with the important 993 bits fitted for me to consider it a 'safe' buy.

Enjoy the hunt!

impmad2000 · Post by **impmad2000** » Wed Oct 20, 2010 12:38 pm

Looks nice

http://www.ddk-online.com/phpBB2/viewto ... highlight=

Ian Donkin · Post by **Ian Donkin** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 9:07 pm

My 996 Turbo was christened a 'vomit comet' by someone on DDK during a passenger ride and was an absolute hoot in all conditions - I did 19,000 miles in about 9 months as my daily drive and averaged 27mpg unless I needed to be somewhere (very) quickly...

993's can take massive mileages (mine's at 142,000) and they are just so well built - I wouldn't expect the running costs to be 996 Turbo like with one of these and they certainly qualify for classic status (i.e. cheap) insurance with people like Hagerty.

Whatever you do, enjoy it!

Post by **Bootsy** » Sat Oct 23, 2010 9:24 pm

I got my 993 back today after spending a pretty penny on annual maintenance, some paintwork and 4 wheel geometry set up. Spent a lot more than I was planning but c'est la vie. It's worth it, they are wonderful cars and so well built.

Highfield · Post by **Highfield** » Sun Oct 24, 2010 8:26 am

Bootsy, Ian et al

Not rushing in to the next car, and am going to see a 993 owner near work to experience on of the C2S models.

Am also talking to an IB / DDK member re a 964 with RS suspension

Based on feedback it is also essential that I try out a 996 Turbo - Ian do you mean that the 993 is more to maintain than the 996 ?

As an aside we now have our 1968 Renault 4 at home after a straight forward trip home from Cornwall.

Ian