[flash]

over the last few weeks i have been pondering the journey i have taken with my 968 - it got me to thinking - with all the work i have put into it, and all the time and money sunk there, knowing that i would never get out of it what i put into it, and can't even begin to insure it for what i have spent, what would i do if i totaled it?

while i will have to wrestle with that demon myself, i thought i would pose the question to others to see what they would do

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[Johannvb]

I miss having something to restore, so I would probably buy a pre '73 911 that needs TLC.

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[ds968]

I swore if my 968 was totalled, with the $ 35 k agreed value insurance proceeds and perhaps another $ 10k - $ 15k on top of that
I'd buy another one and then have the engine rebuilt and "blueprinted", dyno-tuned, rebuild the tranny, get a top of the line suspension, restore it to perfection / new inside and out, with the color scheme I want and have the 968 of my dreams... but as time goes by and prices of serious sport cars - and dare I say better looking ones as well - ( Ferraris, Astons ) cars keep dropping as fast as they do, I'm staring to doubt the wisdom of my plan.. if it wasn't for the maintenence those cars require, for $ 50 k it's hard to turn away from a Ferrari 355 or a Maranello, or a DB7 ( or even a high mileage DB9 ) and spend it on a 968.

No certainty as to what it is that I will do, and I still think of the 968 to be in my top five cars of all time ( regardless of price !! ) ,
but temptation to consider something else as a replacement gets stronger and stronger with each passing day..

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[Jamie '92 968]

What you get for the money with the 968 is unbeatable IMO. The cost is in the parts, maintenance and repairs.
Having RS Barn within an hour's drive makes the car is reasonable to operate.

I would want another one.

With a better dash, and I would install the nav system I want , and without the faded carpet in the hatch, maybe a cab, and I'd save the sport seats, but lower mileage, and maybe the SC kit from day 1, midnight blue maybe, and ...

Jamie

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[kwikt]

I don't know Flash. I've owned my 72 911T since 1985 and I can not even the imagine amount of $$$ spent in those years and currently I believe I'm finished for now. NOW with my son starting his 2nd year of college with the 968, I'm leaning towards buying a beater car and using his 968 as a project car. Here I go again!!!! So by the time he graduates law school, the 968 would be complete. At least that's the plan!

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[flash]

lots to think about

the SL550 got me thinking about what a proper car feels like, and while i've done a lot to get the blue 968 there, it still misses in some areas - i also realize the limitations of even a supercharged 968 with all the mods i've done to make it handle like a modern car - that took me to "what would i still need to do?" and "what still bugs me?"

while i love the 968, it still falls short of what i envision as "the perfect car"

1. it's too heavy to toss around like the mgb, and i could build a brand new 225hp 1800lb mgb complete with AC for about $35k and be a lot faster in the corners with little loss in top speed, and about the same acceleration as a supercharged 968

2. the 968 is still not going to be rocket fast, and i could also get a 355 ragtop for about $50k

3. with all the suspension mods, i now have noises i can't stand

4. with the solid flywheel, i have more noises

5. do i love the 968 enough to do it again?

6. do i want to deal with all the things associated with the 968 if i have to start all over?

7. with the ever falling prices of the 968, there is the introduction of a different type of owner than there used to be, and one of the things i enjoyed about the car was the absence of "rubber band and bubble gum" mentality of what you find in many of the 944 owners - i realize that the success of this site is a very real reason that we now see so many new owners that are much more budget limited than we used to, as they come here to figure out how to fix things and such, whereas other sites are more social in orientation, and that's great, and why we took over this site, but i find that as i get older and i refocus my priorities, that the DIY area is one i would rather leave behind - were there a decent mechanic around here, i would never pick up a wrench - this is a very real complication of owning a 968

8. i ended up having to make parts myself, because nobody else did - this has been an incredible distraction from my real life, and while it has had certain rewards, it has not been without cost - it also has prevented me from driving my own car, as it is constantly being used as the development mule - this i need to stop one way or the other

9. i still don't have a track toy, and i am a firm believer that if you have limited time to spend on the track, you should have a street version and a track version of the same car - this allows you to work on timing, rhythm, and lines in the street car, and have less "adjusting" to do when you hop in the track car - do i want them both to be 968s?

10. the wife is abut done with this whole "car" thing (this should probably be #1)


as i said, lots to think about

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[gryphon]

The good news: I wouldn't have to replace a hacksawed console and a missing radio.

Tom

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[968Syncro]

I marked "fix it at all costs" since that is exactly what I did a couple of years ago with my totaled one and very happy with that decision.

However, probably the real answer is not fix it at all costs, but replace it at the lowest cost. In my case "replace" meant fix it, since that was the lowest cost. But hands down, if the repair costs were in fact greater that the street value I would find another one. I do really like these cars.

Roland

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[kwikt]

So I picked "Turn Amish and give up on cars altogether". But in the meantime you have to keep yourself occupied besides work.

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[rxter]

I just went through this calculus and came up with 'buy another one'. The insurance company did not total my car - just decided I wanted one that was a bit fresher. I drove everything that was within a reasonable price distance that I could find (a $40K 2007 987 at the top end) and I decided to stick with the 968. This was clearly not a logical or rational decision. Love driving this thing - period.

I think that for those of you who are looking for max performance out of a street car and don't go the whole racing route, that this car must be a challenge. It is so capable, so just a tweak here or there will make it perfect. Must be a bit like golfing. For those of us who enjoy the car as it was designed and built, we can cherry pick the best of the best that Bob, Pete, and others have done in the pursuit of performance, and have a car that is unique, fast, swift, and a decent ride all at the same time. I appreciate the work that you've all put in every time I crank the key.

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[Cloud9...68]

Boy, that's a tough, tough choice. I marked "other", because I'm just not sure. Given that I'd probably get, oh, maybe $8K, tops, out of an insurance settlement, that wouldn't leave a whole lot of options other than buying another 968, and as much as I like the car, the reasons I bought it don't apply as much today as they did then. I'd probably use the cash from the insurance settlement to pay off my current car loan (on the '03 BMW X5 we recently bought). This would leave four cars in the family, so I don't think I'd feel too compelled to replace the 968 anytime soon. I think I'd rather build a dedicated track car, but probably not a 968 or 944, over a 1-2 year time period. I'm thinking a 2nd generation Toyota MR2 turbo. If I could have this, I would truly be on Cloud 9, and wouldn't give a flying hoot what I drove on the street.

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[mike]

Interesting topic flash. I had an unfortunate incident that totaled my '95 968 M030 car on July 4th, 2007. I still lurk on the forum almost daily and have asked myself this question many times. I have owned Porsches since 1983 and imagine that I always will. My 968 was my 7th that has included 924, 944, 944 TS, 944 S2, 911 RSA, Boxster S, and my current car which is a '93 964. There is something about that 968 that I really enjoyed and has gotten under my skin. You have alluded to the fact that the 968 doesn't quite have that modern car feel and I think I know what you mean. But I don't see it as necessarily a bad thing. You have also alluded to the fact that the 968 is underpowered and overweight. I agree on both points and yet, there is a balance that is hard to find in other cars. It is hard to put into words, but the 968 was so enjoyable to me that I keep holding on to the hope of owning another even though the logical argument doesn't make sense to me. I have searched for another ever since I lost mine and have been close on a couple of occasions to pulling the trigger to buy one. However, on each occasion, something has held me back. On most occasions, it has been that logical argument that holds me back. The latest logical argument I had with myself was that I can get an E46 M3 for almost the same money with gobs more HP and newer, nicer amenities too. But I haven't pulled that trigger either because I am at this mental stalemate over what to do. I still search all the for sale sites for 968s many times a week and could probably tell you what cars are available and how long they have been advertised. My heart says "go for it" but my head says "there are lots of other options out there for comparable money". I apologize to anybody who reads this if I ever showed an interest in a car you had FS and then had a change of heart. I really do hope to own a 968 again and I think it is just a matter of time.

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[Chris Vais]

I voted "buy another" mostly because that would my emotional response to loosing something that I really cherish. But I doubt the insurance settlement would permit me to buy another that didn't require a lot of additional work to get up to snuff. Because the car is my daily driver, I don't have the luxury of a 6 month or longer restoration of the replacement car.

I came within a hair's breadth of getting hit going to work the week before last. Had my evasive action failed, I would have been hit on the drivers side by a vehicle that easly weighted a 1000# more than the Porsche. I don't know whether it would have been a survivable accident or not, but at the very least I would have ended up with some debilitating injuries. So if the 968 were totaled I'd probably opt for a newer Porsche, one with a bit more in the way of driver/passenger protection.

I recently drove a Caymen S and I liked it a lot.

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[flash]

i recently drove the twin turbo manual trans Z4 convertible - wow, what a car

if i were to replace the 968, which is more of a GT car, even in cab form, and go out and buy a new sports car today......... ("sports car" being defined as a pure toy 2 seat convertible with no intrinsic value beyond pure fun, as opposed to sport coupe or GT)

but then, the $60k that car would cost would get me an awful lot of car with a lot more pedigree

as for the E46 M3 - just unloaded one of those - manual trans too - fully loaded - boring car

i'm just not sure what i would do - having a great 968 is like being the smartest guy on the short bus

still, i like the car, but it has been interesting to do a little introspection

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[94SilverCab]

Acura NSX...then I would show up at Hershey and screw up al the pics [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]

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[rhudeboye]

I cant decide. Part of me says get another blk on gray but a cab this time. while another part says try something new. I like the NSX, 993 Supras etc. so I would have a lot to choose from in the 25 - 35K range.

Hmmm, I'll vote later.

Damn Jay, as I was typing you stole one of my car choices [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img]

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[Fox944]

i'm with Jay on this.

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[Cloud9...68]

The NSX crossed my mind, too, but I just don't care for the cartoonish, faux fighter jet styling, with the huge overhangs. Great car, though.

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[968Oz]

I love this car but as I'm converting mine into a club track car it would make much more sense to get a 944S2 or 951 to build up for this purpose. Down here 968s command a premium and their rarity means getting parts is a pain. Very nearly sold my car for that reason.

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[biotechee]

Didn't vote but would probably not get another. I'm wishy washy with cars.

I hardly drive my 968 as it is, and am currently thinking of moving on...

I've always wanted a 993, but I'd be in the same boat (end up wishy washy, now I got, what do I do? type of thing) and a decent 993 with no issues costs way more than a similar 968.

Recently I've started to believe that having two cars is really not what I am comfortable with... I have very limited garage space, limited time and energy to maintain one, let alone two, cars, and with two young children, I really shouldn't get into a situation where a major repair has noticeable impact.

Oh well. So if I had to answer, I would say get a different car. I would probably take the cash, trade in my daily and get something new and different.

EDIT: Just voted. Picked higher value car as that would be what I would have to do.

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