964 C2 - Rolling Resto

[rhd racer]

So, I am feeling quite a lot of love for the 964, so not recalling a build thread on one, I might as well start one! I'm a bit of a story teller, and for reasons that will become obvious, this will be light on photos until it gets going in earnest, so the background might be a good read.

Or a terrible one.

[rhd racer]

I don't like buying or selling cars especially, and as a consequence most of them in my custodianship tend to be long-termers. I opted out of the co car scheme years ago, when my employer became an early adopter of low emission and increasing dull cars. I have unashamedly used the money to go racing. As a consequence, my diesel Passat has now completed 175k odd miles and it is too good to get rid of, but is starting to feel a bit old when I turn up at posh glass offices with visitor's parking outside the front door, which is part of my day job as what I describe as a corporate stuffed shirt. The rest of the time it sits on the drive outside my home office.

I have been lucky though to have several cars that I have long hankered for. The 914 was one, a car I longed for having seen one in the car park at the Volksworld show in the early 90s (a lovely black car, in right hand drive as it turned out). A volkswagen Corrado, the car I could not afford when I was young, became my first opt-out company car, but had to go when my 2nd daughter was born. A beach buggy, a string of Beetles and Golf GTIs, all itches scratched.

But, a 911, not yet.

[rhd racer]

Club racing is fantastic, in that when we go to a circuit there is often a track day prior, so long weekend opportunities can be easily created. As a result, I have been lucky enough to have fast passenger rides in numerous 911s; Paul Howells 993 GT2 at Castle Combe, Colin Belton's 993 RSR at Ty Croes, lots of early 911s of various capacities and I have competed in a 73E and a 924 as well as the 914 and Boxster.

But never a 964, I have never even sat in one.

But I have always loved the 964. Now I appreciate and understand the brand, I think of them as the pinnacle of the development of the original bodyshell, and so combined amazing looks with the most powerful engine, biggest brakes, best suspension and stuff that works.

But, initially it was the colour of the RS models that really got me.

I visited the Motorshow in 1990 at Earls Court (I think it may have been called MotorFair in those days), and there was a Rubystone Red 964RS and one in Peppermint Green next to it on a stand. I was smitten. Within 2 years I had painted my Beetle that colour, and my mate Rob who was with me went for the green.....(this is another theme, as I painted a Beetle Sepia a few years later too, a car I sold to buy the 914). But I digress.

I then met Brian Burrows at a VW show, and he had the super low mileage 964 RS (that I think was one of 2 based on a C4 if I remember correctly - a super rare thing with a couple of hundred miles on it), and he started it for us and I could not believe the sound. That was it, one day I had to own a 964.

[anglophone1]

This bodes well......

[chud]

I'd like a 964 **preps popcorn**

[rhd racer]

So, as I said I am not keen on buying or selling cars.

When selling, your mind cannot help but drift onto the next thing, and you soon find yourself breaking the internet every night refreshing searches on ebay, Pistonheads and the like. Oh, and News Now - it seems to trawl the next based upon criteria really strictly, so if you have a narrow search criteria it seems to turn up cars that your otherwise wouldn't find.

I knew from the outset I really wanted a 964. But the market was odd last year, and when I first put the 914 up for sale £40k would get you quite an honest car. In fact, I saw a couple sell and then reappear via a dealer for a few thousand more - some even with the same photos. I have no problem with anyone making a buck, so I took from it that the cars I had singled out as strong candidates proved to be so.

But then the market dried up, and lots of talk of Singer buying every 964 on the market (not proven by my research) pushed prices up and they still are in the same place, at mid 40s. That was beyond my reach, so I broadened my criteria.

What I had decided was that I was going to buy and sell in the same market. Then there is no remorse if things move away from you, no upside either unless you buy well or 2nd guess the next big thing. I also didn't want a convertible, had to have 4 seat-belts so the girls could ride with us and manual. SCs and 3.2s were marginal on that budget, and largely did not meet the seat belt criteria.

So I looked at 996s and 997s, largely those with an aero-kit and I learned a lot about the market. I looked at 996 Turbos and C4S too, and generally got a good feel for what was selling and what was not. The problem though, apart from the obvious that I simply prefer old cars, it had to make sense financially to spend that much on another car. And I wanted to maintain a warm feeling that all the years of financial sacrifice I put into the 914 left me with more than just memories........

[rhd racer]

So, back on topic - 964s.

If you have ever seen Dave Gorman's TV show, you will know he ends them with 'A lost poem, from the bottom of the internet'. Well this is a story about buying a 964 from the bottom of the internet!

No, as time had gone on even Targas were commanding my budget and I was thinking that the 964 thing would not ever happen. The cheapest car available looked a bit sus - amazing pics, flood damaged, engine in bits, LHD, £18k. I know some don't mind, but I didn't really want a left hooker.

But there was one car that caught my eye when it first hit the market because it was striking, and the photos made it look ripe for improvement. It had also 'had a life' and people were steering clear. I don't have a copy of the ad on PH, but it was broadly;

Late 964, 1993, 180k miles, two top end rebuilds, tired interior, poorly painted wheels in black, Carrera stripes looked too high, prev Cat C. No photos in the places you would want to see (engine, front compartment, dash, seats). But, on the plus side it had 9 years ownership and the same period being serviced by the same classic car garage and an enormous folder of receipts.

Now I was not so concerned about the Cat C bit. I remember them being <£10k for a rough car, and it would only take a minor knock to write one off. My Boxster racecar was the same - it had a £7k repair estimate and I put it on the road for £1k, painted and everything. As long as it was repaired well and no corrosion had occurred in that area, all should be good.

And it was cheap. I do not believe in getting people's hopes up when they are selling, so I sat on my hands and watched it drop from £35k to £30k, and then again to £25k......

Then it disappeared from sale. Opportunity missed.

[DustyM]

And a nice bright colour too?


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[rhd racer]

And a nice bright colour too?


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Spoiler alert!

[rhd racer]

So, as Jon (who clearly also takes a keen interest in the used market, but steered well clear ) alluded too, it was a lairy colour too, which depending on your standpoint is either a bonus or no-no.

I like a bit of orange. My 914 clearly had a splash, as does the Boxster;



But is this too much orange?



And how did it come to be mine?

(I'll wait a moment for you to pick yourself off the floor at the high picture content...)

[inaglasshouse]

Ooo, photos! Enjoying this already.
And there's no such thing as too much orange. Is that the original colour?
Cheers, Richard.

[rhd racer]

Ooo, photos! Enjoying this already.
And there's no such thing as too much orange. Is that the original colour?
Cheers, Richard.

No, and there is one of the dilemmas. Because I like the orange, although there are micro blisters in parts, a rough spot by the screen, and whilst the door shuts have been done under the F/R lids have not.

But more of that later...

[inaglasshouse]

Tricky. Although there is something to be said for improving a car in its new persona, if you like the new persona.
Thanks for posting!

[rhd racer]

Tricky. Although there is something to be said for improving a car in its new persona, if you like the new persona.
Thanks for posting!

That sounds like our local planners! Respecting the vernacular of the old and the new....but yes, I agree entirely, and I like the new persona, er, and the old. But despite a history of two tone beetles a two-tone approach won't work in this case....

So, how did it come to be mine? (apart from Jon having the sense to steer well clear, despite his love of the 964!)

Well, in early Feb the sale of the 914 was agreed and a deposit paid, and due to my impending holiday to Cornwall, collection was agreed for 3 weeks later. So, I obviously turned to the usual sites to see what was around.

Now, remember I had completely written off the idea of a 964. In fact, the most affordable RHD C2 coupe was a pretty fine looking RS tribute on C&C, with a bit of a history but a fine looking car, but this was out of reach. So, no 964s then.

Bizarrely the very next day, a car I recognised appeared not on PH, but on ebay. And it was with a 0 rated seller in London, rather than Lancashire. So it could be the same seller with a pied-a-terre in London, or the new owner had got scared and sold it because it was a right dog....

Could be either, or could be something else. So I sent the seller a message and asked him to call me for a conversation....

[DustyM]

(apart from Jon having the sense to steer well clear, despite his love of the 964!)

..

Only because I had another one on my radar in an equally bright colour. Although not at the absolutely bargain price that this orange had been reduced to.

Enjoying the story.


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