Porsche 964 Repair Costs: Why You Shouldn't Blow Your Entire Budget Buying Your Classic Porsche 911

There's nothing worse than buying a rare spec Porsche 964 only to find it needs tens of thousands of dollars in repair. That's what happened to me. Find out what my 1992 Porsche 911 Coupe needed...and if I think I can get past it.
0:00 Start
0:21 Video Overview
1:15 Why the 964 Hasn't Been On the Channel
2:00 Background on my 1992 Porsche 964 C2 Manual Coupe
3:32 How I Bought My 964
5:15 Cost of initial repairs to my 964
7:36 Cost of new tires
8:19 How I figured out my transmission needed a rebuild
9:54 Cost of preventative 964 engine repairs
10:45 Porsche 964 transmission rebuild cost
12:30 Total cost of Porsche 964 ownership
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About My Channel:
Rennthusiast is an air cooled Porsche 911 channel centering on experiencing air cooled Porsches, but will also feature other vintage, analog vehicles I add to the collection. The channel is the result of my deep passion for air cooled Porsches, my interest in the air cooled Porsche community, my obsession with modding, improving, buying and selling cars in general and my desire to put myself out there on KZbin and share these passions with other enthusiasts.
Porsche 911's I currently own or have owned:
1986 Porsche 911 Carrera in guards red
1992 Porsche 911 964 in Amazon Green metallic
1995 Porsche 911 993 Coupe in polar silver
2007 Porsche 911 997.1 Turbo in guards red (SOLD)
2009 Porsche 911 997.2 C4S PDK (SOLD)
Please subscribe to my channel.
My website: www.rennthusiast.com/
IG: @RennthusiastTV
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#porsche964 #porsche911 #aircooledPorsche

[@Nord_Mann]

Good advice. After aquiring a -91 Turbo i 2016, I spent 50% of the purchase price on sorting it all out to museum grade condition.

[@eyesurgeon69]

Nice to see someone spending the money to fix all the problems instead of bandaid patch-ups. It's a beautiful example and in this current market it's probably appreciated half your fix spend already.

[@Georgebarber1]

I love that you spare no expense in sorting your cars, you are the perfect guy to buy a car from. Your collection is a credit to you.

[@allanlai_]

Man I would be so angry with the shop that did the ppi. Can definitely relate to the feeling when you had to dump so much money into it immediately after buying what’s supposed to be a sorted car. Glad to see she’s finally turned the corner though. Absolutely gorgeous. I think she’s a keeper!

[@Rennthusiast]

I definitely had some emotions about the discovery but I have put the anger behind me. Life’s too short to be pissed off. Thankfully I am on the other side of it and am excited about the car. Thanks for watching!

[@dedwardmalick]

Agree...The shop did not do you right; especially for the cost. Live and learn.

[@JR-fj8ym]

@@Rennthusiast Yolo. Never said it better.

[@petermacgregor9805]

$900 for a PPI and they didn’t notice the noise or drain a bit of fluid to see the filings, etc. insane. Nice video.

[@Rennthusiast]

Yep. Convenient, huh? 🤔

[@PaulLukeBonenfant]

I know exactly how you feel- the first 6 months of my 996 ownership were just as frustrating, with it being away getting fixed, not starting, or just plain costing me a lot more than I would have wanted. It’s been a year now, and all the pain and frustration was well worth it. A well sorted 911 is worth anything IMO!

[@OS993]

You have done very well, it takes 2-3 years to get the car 100%, as it takes time to understand its issues and lack of previous owner maintenance

[@massimilianomicor8775]

Really interesting man! Thank you for sharing costs and details of your adventure: it’s similar to many experience here out and help via community is best thing ever.

[@TheDG836]

All the wait and the investment adds value to the relationship to the car. You stuck through it. And now you have a strong foundation to go do the fun stuff. The color combination, stance and stock wheels look perfect! Thanks for the content.

[@TrackMonkey327]

More power to you for being able to move beyond all the bad stuff that happened with this car. But it's all good now. I look forward to more videos on this car. It is beautiful!

[@roninsc]

Another great video. Maybe not for your pocketbook...but valuable 'real world' experience in the air cooled community. Thanks for documenting your journey and I look forward to seeing more posts featuring your great looking Porsche.

[@christianloher150]

Perfect colour- stunning interior. Great car to drive. Always excited to see a 964 in top condition. Looking forward to some more videos on it. 👍

[@mikenorthern1024]

Very cool Will! Thanks for sharing the details. Enjoy the drive now.

[@pswienton]

Glad she's sorted. It took a while for mine to get to a point where everything was perfect. Definitely brings a smile everytime I go for a drive now.

[@nickrapitis4896]

Great video, thanks for letting me know..I hope you enjoy it now that you got up to do everything that needed to be done.

[@TobyD]

Thanks so much for being so open and sharing this story Will. I’m totally with you on the emotional side & relationship with the car. Very hard start, although as you say: sometimes you get lucky, sometimes not. Like your other cars. It’s the luck of the draw. And now you have 3 awesome cars up to your standards and as a 993 owner I’m really looking forward to seeing comparisons and your views on the merits of each. 👍

[@Rennthusiast]

Thanks for the support!

[@jbear7580]

Will., Love that video, thanks for sharing your journey with this fine machine. I glad you got it sorted out to the point where you can really enjoy it. That's what it's all about. I look forward to your next post. ,Jeff

[@gregsaga682]

Another great video. Looking forward to the next one on the 964. No more oil leakage or any rust around the windshield!

[@leealan1]

I admire your passion and thank you so much for sharing It helps me a lot on buying my 964 that is on my collection list

[@geterdunn2733]

Great video, appreciate the candor and real world expectations and how one might manage potential challenges.

[@peterpoppe4855]

Thank you for sharing and indeed very good advice. I'm also happy that you take very well care of the 964, they are worth being treated well. Now you have many years upfront to enjoy it ;-)

[@seancain7305]

Thanks for your film, and sorry to hear of your initial issues, hope all will be smooth & fun from now on. I'd be seriously questioning the PPI company 'cause they've got to hold their hand up for at least some of those issue not being identified prior to purchase..... thats the whole point of using them!

[@michaelschmalz8722]

I so get where you are coming from. As a Porsche enthusiast and owner of an ‘87 930 and a ‘96 993 turbo I too have experienced the emotional an financial rollercoaster these cars come with. PPI can only go so deep and unfortunately even a stellar report card cannot predict issues that can present themselves after a purchase. I took delivery of my 993 and one week later I developed a bad injector and my odometer stopped working. In order to diagnose the bad injector they had to re-pin the OBD connection which had corrosion. The joy of finally owning can be tempered by buyer’s remorse if you don’t prepare yourself for these surprises. It’s all worth it though when you finally get one of these beauties sorted and can enjoy them in all their glory. Love the channel and keep up the great content. Mike from Wisconsin

[@baselhaykal7739]

Great video. I went through a similar experience on my 1990 964 C4. Owned a 94 993 C4 as well. Good advices you gave in this video. These cars are simply unique, but it comes to a cost, like everything in this life.

[@Oranjenl1976]

Great video, great content, love it!

[@mikefire9626]

I’ve got a 91. Totally, love it. It would take a lot of money for me to part with it. I’ve had it 15 years and haven’t turned on the radio once.

[@Rennthusiast]

That’s badass 🙌🏼

[@santiagoantar1199]

Excellent video! Even though 20K is a lot of money, at least now it is fully sorted out and you know it is done the right way. Looks like a beautiful keeper example. Congrats!

[@bostromberg4704]

Great info for someone thinking about a 964. I bought one about 10 years ago with 50 000 miles on the clock and spent a good deal of effort and money fixing oil leaks about everything you can do without the engine out. +many small things needing replacement It still leaks but much less. 15 000 miles later I recently for the first time did the big service with valve adjustment, restoration of the ignition system and transmission oil change. It runs so much better.

[@cmartinez1012]

Excellent video!! Thank you!

[@PPlowcake]

Love your videos since you started promoting them in the FB group. I was going through the same disaster a couple of years back. Maintenance for the 964 ist super important but at the same time expensive. Many of the pre- owners simply didn’t care.

[@y0057]

Thanks for sharing your experience, I’d be beside my self with anger after the PPI turned out not totally correct considering the cost. Good luck and yeah very beautiful car indeed.

[@davidsherley2652]

Great video Will! Excellent job of sharing all of the issues, emotions, costs & fixes. That being said, you truly have my sympathies - you really got hit hard on that one. It’s almost hard to believe that the previous owner had no idea of the issues with the car. I think you said in an earlier video ‘your buying the previous owner as well as his car’. With your experiences and mine, I think we can emphasize just how valuable it is to communicate by phone or Skype with a previous owner, so one can get an intuitive sense of his attitude toward the car, how tuned in he is to the car’s condition and how sincere he is in his dealings.

[@Rennthusiast]

I have definitely gone through the course of events leading up to my taking possession of the car over and over in my mind but at the end of the day life is too short to dwell on this. I am fortunate to have the car and the means to deal with it and I am at peace with it…plus the recent jump in values has ended up getting me right side up in the car $-wise. Can’t beat that! Thanks for your comment and support 🙏🏽

[@MeteCanKarahasan]

Sir, hi! I'm so happy you kept the 964 and sold the 997's. The halo wheels on that alone is so retro, the bubble form is so exotic. I feel so joyous to see these cars as living classics and they deserve to be maintained in rebellion to our throwaway culture.

[@Boxsterox]

I always look forward to your videos. What a gorgeous 964. I”m jealous having a boring guards red 3.2. I’m looking forward to your upcoming videos contrasting the air cooled cars. I bought my 41k mile G body 89 a year ago and it’s been great-nothing but a couple minor repair issues. Like you, I’ve been lucky, or maybe the 3.2 is really the best of the air cooled 911’s!

[@Rennthusiast]

I feel the same about my GR 86, so I am doing some funky reversible mods and will cover them in upcoming videos. There are some things we can do to take the standard issue guards g body and make it unique and stand out. Stay tuned.

[@thinktin9196]

I also had to sort my red 87 with 46K miles… I said it before, every time I buy a “mint” vintage car I know I will be in for at least $10k in repairs. It’s just the way it goes.

[@andrewstevenson6540]

964 is the business ❤️😍 I'm sure it'll give your channel a boost. Good luck from here on in Buddy and enjoy!

[@davidpope327]

Interesting video...I bought a 1993 Carrera 2 Cabriolet in 1998 for $42,000, with 37,000 miles on it. I kept it for a year and a half and put 40,000 more miles on it. I did the services recommended in the maintainable manual and a front brake job.. no other problems. I consider myself fortunate!

[@leonardoluc6362]

Thanks to open up on cost on this 964 beautiful car, my fav the 993 by far the styling is just stunning.

[@glennpcarver1]

Fantastic video

[@KevinFlory993]

Glad to see you have that behind you and can now just enjoy the car which is looking quite sweet by the way.

[@afeudale]

This makes me feel a lot better about the thousands I've spent on my 944 in the last 2 years 👍🙂

[@eddylauterback1312]

You are one of the best car guys on KZbin. Voice, vocabulary, common sense 5 STAR

[@Rennthusiast]

Man, that’s a really big compliment. I can’t thank you enough. 🙏🏽

[@chuckvickrey120]

Great info. You have great looking car. I love color combo. If it my car I upgrade seats to sports seats. Super video.

[@morizumimike3306]

Glad to hear you got your car back to tiptop shape, and that you are through the negativity which came with the cost of all the repairs. Now with all you've done, the 964 should be trouble free for a long time and a great drive for you hopefully, they are great cars.

[@johnwilliams7530]

Good video here Will. These cars are definitely emotionally roller coasters! My first one caught fire which took 2 months to get fixed and about 2 weeks after getting it back all of a sudden it sounded like a hammer was hitting the block. I took “a break” and simply parked the car for several weeks. Thankfully I called my trusty shop and the car simply needed the chain tensioner upgrade. Can’t agree more about the planning on it breaking part of these. My 993 has been better than the two previous maintenance wise but you just never know that’s for sure.

[@Rennthusiast]

Yes…but in my view it’s all worth it

[@radeon08]

I had a similar relationship with my 997.1 which had a full reputable engine rebuild in the UK. The first year just felt a little upsetting where I've basically forked out about £6,000 just sorting what seem like small issues. The car is getting to a much better place now slowly, I have some weird creaking appear in the right axel when I turn full right which I've been told will be a roughly 2k to fix (this is pairing it up with lowering springs and geo etc) Coming from a more modern DFI porsche (981 Cayman). I had to spend a total of £2000 in the 3 years of ownership.

[@billbligh4547]

Great attitude! BZ

[@redtestarossa]

Great advice. My ($36k) 1989 Speedster cost me $8k to sort out in 2002 and my 997.2 cost me about $18k to sort out (but I knew it needed some work). They are used cars after all so budget accordingly.

[@cartbeforehorse898]

Just purchased a sister car from BAT. Amazon Green 92 with Tan supple leather. I’m in Greenville, SC. Glad you got your 964 sorted and are enjoying it.

[@homefink2235]

Thanks for telling the truth about your repair costs after purchasing. I had the same experience with my 964 targa 4 in 2008. After purchasing I had to repair big parts of the oil system and completely repair the engine. It tooks more than 20 k Dollar. But since them I enjoy and love to drive my 964 when ever it is possible. And I'm sure you will love to drive your 964 as well.

[@TxGerman]

Well, we have had some similar experiences. My '82 had a PPI done but "somehow" some large issues were "missed" that I then had the privilege to sort it out. After an engine out service, a slew of normal refreshing (for a nearly 40 y.o. car), she's strong and ready to roll for many, many miles. I hope you can get out and truly enjoy your 964 now. You've paid the gate fee, now go and play.

[@davidmorais2394]

And what a beautiful car you now have. It’s perfect!

[@AtypicalDriver]

That is a beautiful 964! I've been casually eyeing one to compliment my 991 but prices are too high now. I snooze I lose I guess.

[@365_Mike]

Love the color combination. I missed out on a similar one from California at around the same time you bought yours.

[@jeholloway2]

Great story!

[@jonathanyarwoodgolf]

You must have a very understanding wife Will! 🙌🏼 Glad it’s sorted! You’ll recoup it in price rise! 🙌🏼

[@std882]

One of the most frustrating thing about this is the PPI. It makes one wonders whether it's worth getting one. It's not just a couple of hundred bucks but over $900!! It's crazy and they can't find all these major problems?

[@stejacjam660]

Wow I wish I had that sort of money just sloshing around. Great honest video thank you.

[@Rennthusiast]

Set goals, visualize success and achieve them and you’ll get there 🙌🏼

[@salangchoi02]

I understand the feeling with this car. I would say I love my badly behaved son, but it takes a lot of effort, patience, and frustration from a psychological perspective. But we never know that son becomes one of the most incredible humans down the road.

[@damage98]

I paid 24,000 for my 2001 996. Since I've owned it, and that's only since February I've spent $12,000 on much needed maintenance bringing it up to my standards and I'm not done, not nearly. there's still more so it's not just 964. With any Porsche it's a labor of love. You're a really good sport for not being a little more upset about the PPI and ultimately what that cost you. Good on you mate.

[@xplane7523]

Thanks. Agree never blow full budget to acquire. Wow, some car now man.

[@xavierwarren9799]

Lovely ride, in those shifting clips were you demonstrating normal shifts or the malfunctions?

[@scottdunavant345]

@93amethyst964 I just bought my 964. Probably my 20th one. Did a Tip to Manual Conversion in my garage and found a Practically new 5spd G50 for the conversion. No limited slip. But those can be trouble if they are too tight. Yes Added Fd Shifter, Single Mass flywheel, Wong Chip, CAT delete, 2nd Delete, New everything. Car drives better than new at 54,000 miles. Easily threw $20,000+++ along with new interior. Paint is next. Never stops and items are breaking all the time with a 30 year old car. But I'm the mechanic, lol so I can somewhat afford to own a 964. As for your transmission, a couple track weekends will destroy a transmission $10,000 later.

[@ALiCKSMERRY]

Great video - really enjoyed... nerdy but that's what we need! I have a 1990 C2 Cab and addressing similar "new car" issues... but looking forward to it all being sweet - which it will be. Really interested in a review of 964 vs 993... I'm told the 964 was the "aircooled rubicon" for Porsche... where up to 964 not much has changed in the earlier 911s and then 964 changed lots and then 993 didn't change on from that... ? Apart from 964 being the best looking - it also might be the pivotal air cooled? (Outside of the specials and one offs of course... 959s etc)

[@Rennthusiast]

I’ll compare the 964 to the 993 as well as the 86 3.2, so hopefully you’ll catch those when I get them done.

[@jeffryrosen3438]

Your videos make me want to get an air cooled car more and more. I am looking forward to your comparison videos.

[@Rennthusiast]

Haha! Do it! Buy one!

[@jeffryrosen3438]

@@Rennthusiast You are a bad influence, haha

[@jasontaylor2237]

I'm not the owner of one yet. These things are good to know as one would definitely want to factor in these things when negotiating a purchase.

[@JoeDjoep]

Since 2014 I own a Carrera 3.2 from 1989, and one year after my purchase, I had to do a full engine rebuild because of a broken piston ring. At the same time I replaced the clutch with a 964 RS lightweight clutch, and all together that set me back around 34,000 Euro (a little under 40,000 US$). That was a bit of a nasty surprise of course. Next project was to do a full suspension overhaul with new Bilstein shocks and new wheel alignment. Finally I did an upgrade of the brakes with 930 Turbo brakes (discs and rotors). With all of that, I'm now at around 50,000 Euro (almost 60,000 US$) after I bought the car, so yes indeed, you've got to foresee some extra cash for all those upgrades we like on our cars...

[@Rennthusiast]

It really begins to be more about the bond with the car vs ROI. It has to be at this type of dollar amounts 😄

[@kamuelalee]

Great video and very informative. Can you say how much you paid to just buy this 964?

[@rulez-sm9je]

Thank you for sharing your costly experience with this wonderful Porsche model. I would say the PPI failed. Best practice I found up to now: 1. First get qualified mechanic/workshop and let them do everything: from the PPI up to other works, 2. don' look for shortcuts or savings with the works and replacements of everything needed and 3. keep such style with the maintenance. Got 964 1992 C2 Tiptronic (wrongly neglected!) for 60 K € with 100 K km in 2017 and after another 5 K € (KN sport air filter and sport cat included) and 35 K km it has been my best Porsche (accompanied with 1986 3.2 Carrera Targa G50 and 2007 C4S cab) and unlimited joy.

[@goatcoffee]

@rennthusiast thanks for sharing. That’s a heafty price tag to get that beauty back on the road correctly. Do you think your’s is on the high end and what do you think is the average cost? Thanks 👍

[@Rennthusiast]

I think the prices I paid were fair.

[@paulo7200]

This is really another gate on the price appreciation: the rarefied parts and high cost labor needed to maintain and repair these things.

[@Capital993]

Very typical for an air cooled Porsche. The transmission is a real bummer but realistically it would be hard to catch that issue on a PPI because of the other noises the car was making. The vehicle had old noisy tires as well. Techs doesn’t spend a ton of time behind the wheel, Most of the techs time is spent inspecting the vehicle for condition problems, safety issues and in your case doing the compression and leak down test. There is almost always something that will be missed during a PPI. It is very unfortunate and maybe a more experienced air cooled tech would have noticed the noise but that’s the risk with these older cars. Love the videos and the channel, can’t wait for the 964 videos!

[@Rennthusiast]

Thanks! Not even worried about it anymore. It’s a beautiful car and I can’t believe it’s mine.

[@enchantedlivingofnewmexico7001]

I've owned my 964 for 20+ years and simple put just love it. I had an unexpected 3.8L motor rebuild last year, upgraded suspension, brakes, and other stuff. Invested $35k, I understand your sentiments.

[@soisaidtogod4248]

Having an old air cooled that just had the engine gasp it's last breath, am mentally getting ready for the pain to come. Cash will fix all!

[@tystaviski7562]

You have to wonder what they look for during PPI? Often they miss oil leaks too. I just bought a car from a guy in Charleston, Sc and it was serviced at Autometerics. They do great work.

[@fredpinczuk7352]

Worth every dime.

[@charliechan8214]

great .. I got 3.2 .964 and 993 as well. my 993 targa was worst had to change so much rusting all underneath the car but I think I pay much less then market prices ...

[@greggbull9543]

Great video Will, I think you’re absolutely correct when you say prospective buyers need to set aside funds for unforeseen circumstances. When I bought my 993 I had put together a spread sheet with known issues and the PPI I had done outlined a few issues that I needed to be aware of. In true Engineering spirit I created an excel spreadsheet with a 0-5 year plan and I’m okay with that outlay of money. I guarantee you, you cannot wipe the immense smile off my face I have ever time I drive my car.

[@smote911]

Enjoyed the video this morning but I'm sure you paid a premium for that car and for you to hear and notice noises as you drove it for the first time just doesn't settle well. I have to believe that did not all occur on the trip cross country. You did the best due diligence you could for being so far away but seems like SOMEBODY would have noticed same thing before it was loaded up. Anyway, I really hate that you had to spend so much right off the bat but it sure is a beautiful car. I hope your repairs on that car are done for a while!

[@Rennthusiast]

I can’t disagree with anything you’ve said but I am at peace with all of it and am just looking forward to enjoying the car. As always, thanks for watching!

[@allpointsorganized]

Beautiful Porsche. Obviously discretionary income is there so you can do this. Great. However, I have 21,000 reasons why I own an MGB. I bought my current MGB Roadster in 1999. I was no mechanic at all. My very first MGB, a 1976 B I bought in 1984 & drove it 3,000 miles across the country from Indiana to Oregon to live. I didn't even know how to change a spark plug, but I made it. The alternator was going out, leaking radiator & water pump and the brakes were just okay. I proceeded to log 100,000 miles on that car here in Oregon until 1994, and along the way I learned how to work on it if I wanted to drive it & keep it. I had little money but I figured it out, I couldn't afford any shop mechanic. That 76 B's floorboards were rusted through as well. Fast-forward to 1999, after that 76 MGB was parked for 6 years, worn out rings, burning a quart of oil a day, I bought another MGB in Oregon and traded my very rusty '76 B for my 1979 MGB with a bit of cash to do the deal. This time around, I had a rust free B! I reverted it to dual HS4's, lowered it properly, all black poly bushings, removed the entire suspension, cross member too, cleaned & painted. I put in an Overdrive, blue label from a '77 B. I did a lot of might-as-wells too. New front & rear main seals, speedi-sleeve on the rear, no more oil leaks! Pertronix ignition, timing chain tensioner, all new clutch parts, rear main on the OD, front gaskets & so much more. I drove the car the whole time, during the renovations. Sometimes it would be off the road for 2 weeks other times for 3 months. But over the course of 8 years, I did it, successfully. My 1979 MGB became what I always wanted one to be. I cleaned and painted the entire engine bay and interior metal surfaces. No rust anywhere. I spent 125 hours just on the engine bay alone. Every single surface is shiny or painted where it should be. Definitely as the original slogan goes, the poor man sports car. I probably spent a total of $5,000 on it from 1999 to current date. The gearbox shifts as smooth as butter. There was a top-end rebuild in 1994. Other than that, original five main bearings, and I still get 65 to 75 PSI oil pressure at speed, and 30 to 50 psi at idle. My B starts with a half turn of the key and really is a blast to drive!! Just drove her a couple days ago. I forgot to mention, the paint. The paintwork was very oxidized, so I got a Porter Cable 7424 oscillating buffer. I learned how to remove years of oxidation on the very nice Sunset red paint. I spent well over 100 hours, over about a year-and-a-half, and got the paint to where it was shiny as could be! Fortunately, for a one stage paint, that works really well. I also wet sanded the polyurethane bumpers to bring back the black color. As well, I got a special template for the rostyle style wheels and redid those as well. Safety fast gentleman! Safety Fast!

[@jeffwing8857]

Reading this on Halloween and it’s one of the scariest stories I’ve ever heard! Given the current over inflated prices and having to add another $20k, frightening! Being a new 3.2 owner, it concerns me big time.

[@Rennthusiast]

Yes, creepy tale indeed but thankfully I snagged the car before it got to the top of the market. I am not selling but if I had to, I think I could recover every dollar I have in it. Depending on how long you’ve had your 3.2, anything truly horrible would have shown up.

[@richardfarra9849]

I bought a 1980 911SC and when I got it I heard a tapping noise coming from the engine. I thought it needed a valve adjustment-nope, two head studs were broken, it needed a top end rebuild, and the transmission had to be completely rebuilt-diffential, sliders, dog teeth, bearings, and synchros. Total cost after purchase was $26,500 (top end rebuild $20,000 and $6,500 transmission). Needless to say, I had the dash and windshield replaced and put H4 headlights on it for another $2,300. Moral of the story is air cooled 911s cost a few coins to get sorted to the way you want them. Unfortunately, I paid top dollar for mine, I was attracted to the glamour photos of the car on an online auction like a moth to light at night.

[@Rennthusiast]

Man. I am sorry to hear that, but thanks for being honest about it. I think people tend to brush experiences like that under the rug bc frankly nobody likes to to be seen as being taken advantage of. Sellers can be unscrupulous bastards at times. Thankfully, there are also phenomenal ones. You just hope karma takes care of the ones who do that kind of thing to buyers.

[@hotshot409]

I have found that PPIs are far over rated and almost a sell point. You will need to spend something on these cars no matter how “ sorted “ they appear, mine included. The 911 community is super tight and share a lot info. Wrenching on them your self to a level you are comfy with is paramount for me. Learning the systems and how the car works etc. This way, when you hear “ engine drop “ “ head stud “ and rebuilt, one is aware of what that actually entails. Also that it’s not that scary. Time / Labour is always the most expensive part in the 911 world. Hats off for posting this vid, and being open to discussing the not so great side parts of the obsession. Live, learn, move fwd.

[@Rennthusiast]

Yep. Good points all around. Thankfully I have picked up some mechanical acumen about these cars so have a decent idea of weak points, maintenance needed, etc. Here’s a good tip for any PPI: independently from the seller find your own shop. Don’t use a shop recommended by the seller 😄

[@cw5865]

Well, yeah I get, it as I named mine Pandora. I too went through a list of items and upgrades in correcting deficiencies were addressed. Let me know if you end up with a relay #48 failure, as there are several items along the way to the start sequence. She didn’t leave me stranded and if a vehicle breaks at Home or gets me back home, they get a pass...

[@kszendi]

Great video man. Good looking out. I live here in Charlotte NC and have a 1990 C2 Targa with 54k miles. I've been a terrible human being and have let it sit for 7 yrs in my garage without starting it.(ran perfect when parked) Do you have any recommendations on where to take it in my area to do do the valve adjustment,change all fluids, tune up etc? Thanks

[@Rennthusiast]

Shoot me an email at [e-mail] and I can give you some info on where I would go.

[@markherrmann9398]

Hey I live in Charlotte too. Have a 95 993. Have used several indy shops in town but cannot say enough about Connelley Motorsports in Hickory. All vintage air cooled. 1 hour drive but worth it. There's a shuttle back from Hickory to Charlotte for about $20-$30.

[@elvincuevas1727]

Greetings from Pennsylvania! I am a 993 guy over the 964. Love them both but if I can own one in the future I will go 993 basic Carrera with the handle bar all original. In other words the way your 993 arrived in the truck from what I can see in the pictures you showed us in other videos. :) If you want me to pick from your 993 and your 964 today; I will choose the 964. The color is kind of exclusive not only for a 911 but even for any car on the road today. That green with the light tone of grey is amazing! I love how the interior color matches the wheels from the distance when you see the top of the seats through the windows and the wheels in one sight. I hope you keep this car all original in terms of the look. If you need to upgrade some mechanicals with parts from newer 911s or some aftermarket parts for real reasons of usability I can go with that - fair enough! But the looks of the car I really wish you keep the original classy look of this marvel. Back to your 993: I remember you wanted it to be a bit more flashy and more special ( I agree to some degree that silver paint with all black inside can become a bit boring with time) so I can understand your desire to customize it to your taste and dialing in (as you say). You changed even the steering wheel with a newer steering wheel from a 996 if I remember correctly - I hope you do not commit that crime with your 964 :) haha... Both of those cars are great; if your 993 was the way you bought I would probably pick it over your 964 but given the fact that it is not original anymore I would pick your 964. Having said that, because of your specific 964 color combination I could see myself having a hard time trying to pick between your 993 in the all original state and the current all original state of your 964. If I could buy an air cooled Porsche today and it was right there the way I wanted- I really wish it was a 993 with the handle bar basic Carrera all original with the 17 inch version of the Cups II wheels in Riviera blue with the light grey interior. Thank you for your content! The thing I can appreciate the most from your videos is the good information that you provide with your transparency about everything. Even if I do not know you in person I have the sense that you are a decent and honest person and besides having a channel to show off your cars in KZbin (nothing wrong with that) your are more about the Porsche community and the enjoyment of the Porsche culture. I see it myself as a Porsche way of living. I love Ferrari because I am watching F1 since I was a kid watching Senna and then Schumacher. Ferrari has a special part in my heart. Having said that, taking F1 out of the picture and going by real life - I like the enthusiasm of Porsche owners to drive their cars and I hate Ferrari owners keeping their cars in the garage because it is a sin to take them out for a drive. It is like having a wife that you cannot make love to her because you cannot pound her every other night because she will be hurt (forgive my use of words here - but it is the best way can explain it to really express my feeling with Ferrari owners). This is a very long message here so I will be wrapping this... God blessed you with a wonderful life! Be grateful! Enjoy your cars! They are all great - Including the Land Cruiser! I grew up with 5 Land Cruisers at home. My dad had the FJ 40 (2 of them), then he bought the FJ60 in 1986, then FJ80 in 1993, then FJ100 in 2000... I lived in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for about two years. Nice state! Great experience in those 2 years! Loved the mountains in Ashville region. The Blue Ridge Parkways is beautiful! The beach in the Wilmington area is nice as well - Carolina Beach, etc... Have a great day and God bless you! God Bless America!

[@Adn476]

Very nice 964 ! Will you get genuine cup 1 wheels ? Genuine cup 1s have the width and offset casts near the valve stem hole

[@Rennthusiast]

Negative. I have a set of 18” RUF’s inbound.

[@Adn476]

@@Rennthusiast tasty ! 8.5" front 9.5" rear right ?

[@norevlimitr1602]

I think its worth it, beautiful car..

[@Synchromesh123]

I can't imagine how much money I saved doing most of the work myself. :) A good friend of mine did engine + tranny rebuild for about $11K and that included a full block split and all original Porsche parts. There were tons of other things I did with his help or on my own but I sorted my '84 Targa out quite well for about 100% of the purchase price.

[@Rennthusiast]

Yes, those people out there with mechanical skills are lucky. But there are plenty of us who have to farm it out, so I hope this video helps them.

[@Synchromesh123]

@@Rennthusiast I wouldn't call it "luck" per se. It's not like we were born with them. How do you think people acquire those skills? By working on their car of course. It's the only way to learn. But I hear ya. There were some jobs that were too big even for me like engine/tranny rebuilding. Those I had to farm out as well. I just go lucky I have a friend who's able to do it at a much lower rate than the shop.

[@banhmi8122]

Just discovered your channel nice. I have a 1972 911 targa, she’s vintage but still fly through the mountains 🏔️

[@NZotyoka81]

In the US it’s quite common to meet with mechanics hands in the air in service shops and shouting “Dealership!”when you have a European car like that. Get a Jaguar and it will be more intensive. 😀😂I found it awful in the country where the majority of the people is have to relying onto cars to get from A to B since the mass transportation system is almost not existing outside the major cities like New York City. I went into various shops and almost everyone wanted to ripping me off. The worst was the firestone. Got the quote for the repair, i agreed and later got a phone call my car is ready. I asked once more for the final amount of the bill and the service agent told me a higher amount with around $200 more. I told him that’s not the right amount what we have agreed and it’s suddenly whent back to the original price. Wow!!😅 I saw on him he felt himself busted. Needless to say i have never returned to this shop again. Others tried to trick me like kept draining my coolant liquid, asking $80 for the ecu firmware update and telling their internet connection is not working so i have to come back next day. Telling that because they knew i was a busy guy and can’t just driving around back and forth. So i had to pay another $80 for the update because i was not able to go back just a week later. How nice ! Isn’t it? I hated to see how this industry is working overthere. They know exactly people would pay any money just to get their car back onto the road since they don’t have any options like mass transportation like here we have in Europe. Not to mention about their skills. Many of them just started to working in a shop without any education therefore they barely recognize these kind of situations like you have shown in the video. Here in Europe you would be told instantly not to drive your car with a bad transmission like that. I don’t trying to be a smart ass just telling you the differences. Here they telling you what exactly is happening and what is the cause of the problem and how much does it cost to fix. That’s it. Just because he sent you videos and pictures that doesn’t makes him a good mechanic. I hope you will find a shop where they have skills and willingness to fix your cars so you can keep enjoying them without constant headaches and regrets.

[@youtuber901]

Thank you for sharing! would you say the various 100-150k sales going at Bring-A-Trailer would have similar issues re- you may be out another 10-20k for "issues"? I'm budgeting to buy one but want to just keep open eyes that the beautiful listings / 100s of pics aren't masking some serious potential post-acquisition costs that don't really get discussed in the bid comments section. I guess another way of saying, did you spend 21k on all these repairs because you paid much, much less than the going rate of 100k+ for 964s on BAT (if i may ask, how much did you spend on the 964 itself)?

[@Rennthusiast]

Oh man…this is a topic I could go on and on about. It’s like anything else…you just don’t know. I have heard from buyers that they have gotten exactly what they thought they were getting but also some buyers who got a horror story….and still others who got cars somewhere in the middle. I would urge you to try to get a physical evaluation of any car you’re bidding on regardless.

[@neilfisher7999]

It seems like whomever did the PPI could have noticed that the transmission was having some kind of issue. Part of doing a PPI is to drive the car down the road, listen for and feel anything that doesn't seem normal. That being said, you now have a well sorted, super nice 964 you can drive the hell out of and really enjoy. I never like buying a car for an investment. I have to buy a car to drive and enjoy the experience.

[@Rennthusiast]

I agree with each of your points but am now really, genuinely focused on being connected with the car. I also believe the market value is aligned with what I have in the car so that’s not a bad thing.

[@neilfisher7999]

@@Rennthusiast Yep, the value of these cars keep going up, so that should make you feel better about spending the money anyway. Can't wait to here your stories about driving it and the experiences.

[@miltona09]

Interesting that the oil level gauge needle is above the stop during driving.

[@tombrown5508]

So many people think “it’s an air cooled engine, it’s simple like an old vw and it should be cheap”

[@element720]

She’s worth it!

[@claudiodiez55]

When looking to buy a 993 a PPI is a Must and If the AC Blows warm have it leak tested Mine blew warm and It turned out to be the Evaporator its a big job.

[@Rennthusiast]

Yes I want to say it’s close to $3000 to have a shop do it.

[@count1958]

Got my 964 C4 six years ago. Spend 30k since to fix all the problems. Now it is perfectly fine. How long, I don't know.

[@muratpolat9398]

all this extra labor spent on the car really goes to show how much you love this car

[@jeffreyb.1657]

Failed PPI and the real issue is that now to unload it you'd lose so much that the issues of fixing it become doubly an issue...you sort of had to fix it.....or get killed selling the car. And in that process, get a reputation for selling a junky 964. This is a grea video about the hidden costs of the air cooled cars....and it just keeps coming. Had one. Sold it. Miss it in my "ideal" mind...but not in my wallet mind. Good luck.

[@Rennthusiast]

All I can say is thank god for the rapid, insane appreciation in the air cooled market.

[@KevinSan88]

I had a 964 C2. One time I was parked next to another one at the annual PCC concours, and I complimented the owner on the super-clean engine bay. He gives a big sigh, and says that one day the engine just stopped in traffic. It was regularly maintained, but it was a crankshaft failure, just one of those random things. $25,000 later, including a new crank the engine is totally rebuilt, and that's why it looks brand new in there. After that, if ever my car stalled in traffic, I'd have a freakin heart attack :-)

[@Rennthusiast]

Man oh man. Don’t tell me that 😣

[@273VIPER]

😬wow!