10-04-2006, 05:13 PM
Well, after several months of lurking around 968forums.com, researching 968s, and second-guessing myself about the wisdom of buying a sports car while only a few years away from retirement, I finally did it: I bought a triple-black, 1994 Cabriolet last week.
The car has 91k miles, and is very good condition overall. And, boy, is it ever a strong runner! It's a "718" car, having been manufactured in May 1993, but sold and titled as a 1994 model.
Not many options of note, except the 220 LSD. The clutch and pinion bearing were replaced 2k miles ago by the previous owner. The interior is nearly perfect -- no tears in the seats, no dash cracks, excellent carpet. Ditto the canvas and headlining of the soft top. A few minor dings in the paintwork (primarily a few re-touched stone chips on the hood). The timing belt is nearing replacement mileage, so it's off to the shop soon for that work (and for a VarioCam inspection).
There are no fluid leaks of any kind, the oil pressure is excellent (2.5 bar at hot idle; 4.5 at speed), and the coolant temp runs just below the first white mark when cruising. Everything works, too, except for the top, which is in manual mode. The PO acquired the car that way, and doesn't know the history of the top problem. But...the main bow is fine and the top fits snugly and operates smoothly by hand.
The PO had just put new 17" rims and Michelin Z-rated tires on the car, and included the nearly perfect original 16" rims (with Yoko tires mounted) with the sale. New battery too. Also included was the orignal DME chip (he'd installed a performance chip).
Sorry for the long post, but I had to share my find with the forum. Thanks to the expert knowledge on this board, I was a well-prepared, educated consumer when I began my quest for a 968.
If there are any 968 owners in the Washington DC/Baltimore/Annapolis area who would like to get together sometime and compare notes about these wonderful cars, send me a PM.
The car has 91k miles, and is very good condition overall. And, boy, is it ever a strong runner! It's a "718" car, having been manufactured in May 1993, but sold and titled as a 1994 model.
Not many options of note, except the 220 LSD. The clutch and pinion bearing were replaced 2k miles ago by the previous owner. The interior is nearly perfect -- no tears in the seats, no dash cracks, excellent carpet. Ditto the canvas and headlining of the soft top. A few minor dings in the paintwork (primarily a few re-touched stone chips on the hood). The timing belt is nearing replacement mileage, so it's off to the shop soon for that work (and for a VarioCam inspection).
There are no fluid leaks of any kind, the oil pressure is excellent (2.5 bar at hot idle; 4.5 at speed), and the coolant temp runs just below the first white mark when cruising. Everything works, too, except for the top, which is in manual mode. The PO acquired the car that way, and doesn't know the history of the top problem. But...the main bow is fine and the top fits snugly and operates smoothly by hand.
The PO had just put new 17" rims and Michelin Z-rated tires on the car, and included the nearly perfect original 16" rims (with Yoko tires mounted) with the sale. New battery too. Also included was the orignal DME chip (he'd installed a performance chip).
Sorry for the long post, but I had to share my find with the forum. Thanks to the expert knowledge on this board, I was a well-prepared, educated consumer when I began my quest for a 968.
If there are any 968 owners in the Washington DC/Baltimore/Annapolis area who would like to get together sometime and compare notes about these wonderful cars, send me a PM.
1994 Porsche 968 Cabriolet
1997 Mercedes S600 V12 Coupe
1964 Chevrolet Corvette convertible
1969 Morris Minor Traveller
1946 Ercoupe 415-C
