[pacman]

I am looking for a 968 and I will be at the first Prosche driving day at the local track. Ok this is not racing I know.



Also intend to drive on the local track on open days.



My view is that if you can not use the power and handling why buy a Porsche? You certainly can not do that on our New Zealand roads and keep your licence.



But I would not race a daily driver or buy a raced car.



Not sure what you mean by DE??? Please explain.



Paul

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[94SilverCab]

I would like to add my $.02 as an owner of a "non-tracked" '94 cab.



Now that I have the benefit of hindsight I would say the question I would ask if buying my 968 today is how and who maintained the car, rather than whether it has been tracked.



I am not mechanically inclined and so am forced to refer anything outside of tire pressure and gas to a professional. The 968 was not my first "Performance Car", but it was my first Porsche, which I have learned the hard way is a different creature.



I had the good fortune of finding an expert in the care of 968's and after spending a week going over and replacing all of the items that should have been done through the years that were or would have broken or caused things to be broken. I realize that my"corner mechanic" didn't have the knowledge to double check power steering hoses, HCV, DME, and all the other things we (avid 968 Forum members) take for granted as potential trouble. Now I believe that my car is as good as any that you will find anywhere, and now that the maintenance items are up to date I can concentrate on making car even better.



My conclusions:



Just because a car has been tracked, doesn't mean it isn't sound in every way



Just because it hasn't been tracked doesn't mean that it is.



Service records and receipts from a TRUSTED professional are the best evidence that a car has been maintained and can be enjoyed at it's best.



A PPI is an absolute must for any used car purchase.

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[Anchorman]

Paul, "DE" stands for "Driver's Education". At the beginner level, it's instructed driving on the track. What it is NOT is racing. As one's skills (and degree of addiction) increases, so does the overall event - but it always remains NOT racing.

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[flash]

here's where i depart for the "service records" thing



it has been my experience that the guys out at the track are far better mechanics than the guys at the shops, especially the dealerships



a guy who is nutty about the car, does DE events, and maybe even races, generally speaking, does his own work - no records there - he will pay close attention to detail, and in most cases, will do a better job - after seeing way too many shops now, who claim to be "experts" screw things up on even simple jobs, i'm not likely to go to any of them for anything, and would first seek out a track guy



we're talking in generalities for sure, and anybody can find exceptions on either end of the spectrum, but it doesn't take much to figure out how well a car is maintained, and that is the key, whether by PPI (and those are often just as questionable as the above mentioned "experts") or by talking to the 50 other guys at the track who know the car you're looking at, have seen it every weekend, and know its history



i bought my car primarily because of the conversations with other people who knew the car - the PPI showed nothing, yet i found plenty (like the car had been mostly repainted, had replica wheels, and soft struts and shocks) - complete waste of money for me

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[94SilverCab]

Flash,



Not intending to start a rift, but $$$$$ in parts installed by me would render the car a 3,000 lb paperweight. I have come to recognize my limitations and prefer to rely on "experts".



Even if I didn't have service records to rely on, receipts should still be available on parts, and I would want to meet the seller where I could visit their "workshop" (Wish the wife could see the wisdom of buying Eric's former car)



Back on topic...Tracking/not tracking a car would not be my determining factor.

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[flash]

no - no rift



i understand that some people are not up to the task - knowing your limitations is good - however, knowing your car is better - i'd seriously recommend spending some time at a shop learning about the car, if only to have a better understanding so you don't get screwed



it has been my experience though, and perhaps it is a california thing, that the overwhelming majority of guys at the track do their own wrenching, do a better, cleaner, and more complete job, do it before it is needed, consult others who have done the same thing, and generally maintain their cars better than those who just drive the car and take it to a shop for repair - you can pretty much eat off any of the engines of the guys i have hung out with



i'll bet that if you poll the owners here, ask when the last time their engine compartment was detailed, and compare the guys who track with the guys who don't, you'll find a much higher percentage of track guys who did - this is a good indicator of how much attention track guys pay to their cars and the condition of them - maybe it's a desire to stay on top of things - maybe it's just not wanting to be laughed at by the ohers - either way, it is what it is



also, we would all see each other's cars regularly, and therefore have a real sense of the condition of the car



hence, why i would choose a car that was tracked over one that was not

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[Bob Kovacs]

I'll go on record as preferring a car that has not been tracked. Most important, I will pay a premium for a car that has good maintenance records, although it's not important if the car was professionally or self maintained.



I've not had my 968 on the track and don't plan to. I do drive it in rush-hour traffic for several months of the year and agree that can be punishing, too. However, the one time I had a car on a track (my old 924 at North Carolina Motor Speedway in Rockingham), I was appalled at the wear and tear on the brakes, bearings and tires. The tires -- which had plenty of tread -- were mostly shot after my hour or so of track time. Rear wheel bearings were also shot and the car needed brakes all around. I had a blast but I don't feel like spending $1,000 to get my 968 back into shape after a hard-driving track event.



This is not intended to disparage anyone who enjoys driving his/her car in track events. I know that it's fun and I'm glad that you do it. However, don't expect that I will pay the standard market price for your car unless you demonstrate some comprehensive maintenance records. Even then, wringing a car out on a track tends to make everything get a little loosie-goosie, from shock bushings to door hinges.



My bottom line is that I look for cars that have not been tracked when I shop for a Porsche. That doesn't happen too often, so you're probably all safe.



--Bob

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