[Solus Moon]

I'm a humble cook, I work in Boston. What do I need to do to be able to get my dream car, a 968, in say, two years? If I had any more marketable (re: $$$) skills I would do that, but alas no big-time money making skils for me.

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[Samariter]

The 968 is a dream car which does not neccessarily have to remain a dream. It is very cheap to own and to drive.

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[Etnier]

...and you'll find many helpful people here who can provide advice and perhaps judgement on cars you're considering. Welcome aboard!

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[Duckman]

Everything is relative. 968s are relative bargains when compared to many cars currently on the market. Shop wisely and a lot.



You can find a nice coupe for about the same price as a 2000-2002 Mustang GT. Yes, the 968 will be somewhere between 5 to 10 years older but which would you rather drive? If properly maintained, 968s are 200-250k-mile cars. My '93 coupe has 125k miles and is very strong and very clean. Can you say that about a Mustang? Not in this lifetime. New cars of comparative price include the 2.5L Altima or a mid-level Dodge Neon. In general, 968 cabriolets are more expensive but so is the competition.



What's your budget? Do you have or plan to save the cash for an outright purchase? Do you plan to finance the purchase?



Loans are relatively cheap right now, so it's not a bad idea. Used car loans are more expensive than new car loans but still relatively affordable. Please note that I'm writing "relatively" a lot. If you plan to finance your 968 you'll probably need to save about $5-10k, depending on the lender, value of the car, price, etc. That's not an insignificant amount of money but you can do it.



Search everywhere: AutoTrader; ebay; cars.com; Panorama; watch the local papers. Whatever you do, keep your eyes on this website and on 968.net. Your car is out there waiting for you. Happy hunting and good luck.

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[ds968]

I've heard some people express concerns relative to cost of maintenance and repair of the 968, and that the current market prices which otherwise make these cars very "affordable" might give new owners a rude awakening when it's time to service or repair the vehicle. Perhaps with some parts that's true not only for 968s but all Porsches, MBZs, etc... but after learning from a few colleagues what they pay for service and / or repairs on their newer ( and just out of warranty, wouldn't you know it ?! ) "Non-European " cars I'm not so sure I still feel the 968 is THAT MUCH more expensive to maintain than cars which are not nearly as appealing as this one. Ahh, but do 968s require repairs more often that any given Toyota ? Perhaps. Some will ( majority may be.. ), others won't. But I would not let that alone discourage me from buying this car. I think most of us will look at the maintenance and repair costs over the life of this car as well worth the satisfaction we got out of having owned and driven this extraordinary machine.

If you really like the 968 that much, go for it - life is short. My $ 0.02





Solus Moon: remember that Alain Ducasse , Joel Robuchon, Paul Bocuse, Freddy Girardet, Nobu Matsuhisa, Wolfgang Puck, all started as "humble cooks" . May be

driving in a 968 will prompt some big restaurant owner to realize you have both skills and good taste ( pun intended ! ) and hire you for better and bigger things.

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[Duckman]

Check it out: http://www.kimmotor.com/detail.asp?categor...sche&Stock=1966



See. There are affordable 968s to be found, thanks to Roxie Laura of 968.net.

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[968Z]

Just be sure to go in with eyes wide open. I have well over 10K invested in repairs over the last two years. Pay attention to the various board discussions as to what to expect. General maintenance @ 60K (belts, tensioner pads), broken cab bows, flex/damper plate failure @ 85K, motor mounts, ect... It can be quite taxing! Sorry, just venting. Flex plate failed over the weekend, while in the shop, the steering rack let go, along with both hoses! To top it all off, the A/C compressor is making an awful racket. I'm selling my home to pay for repairs!



Needless to say, I having a bad week!

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[ccannon]

[quote name='Duckman' date='Feb 8 2005, 10:31 AM']Loans are relatively cheap right now, so it's not a bad idea.  Used car loans are more expensive than new car loans but still relatively affordable.  Please note that I'm writing "relatively" a lot.  If you plan to finance your 968 you'll probably need to save about $5-10k, depending on the lender, value of the car, price, etc.  That's not an insignificant amount of money but you can do it.[/quote]



Talk to your lender about what they consider a used car. My bank wouldn't give me the used car rate for my '92 as it was considered too old. I had to settle for the higher 'secured personal loan' rate.



This car : http://www.europeanlocators.com/hd968.html



(The asking price is on the high side, but if it really doesn't need any work and you want the things that have been done to it, it might be worth that to you.)



Is local to Boston and has been on the market for ages. If you haven't sat in or had a good look at a 968, perhaps you can talk them into a test drive. They're across the street from European Performance (EPE), one of the specialty shops that work on our cars locally.



If you want to come see 968s moving and talk to some owners, there are usually 3 or 4 in attendance for the Porsche Club Autocross events : http://www.porschenet.com/activity.html



(I've been the only 4-banger Porsche in attendance for a PCA Road Ramble, so I'd say you're less likely to find multiple 968s at other rambles or concourse events. I haven't been to a Drivers' Ed, so I can't tell you who goes to those.)



Chris

Quincy, MA

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[KensCab]

...try to think of it this way; you could go out and spend $20+k for some new Toyota, Ford, Honda, Chevy... Or about the same or less for a NICE 968. Which car would you rather have 5-10 years later?

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[Duckman]

That appears to be a very nice coupe. Of course, that's partially because I love the modifications.



If it's as well maintained mechanically as its appearance would suggest, I wouldn't worry about the high mileage at all. The price seems OK to me.

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[Larry Currie]

Some of the repairs on the 968 are expensive as with any Porsche. I don't think I would enjoy my car as a daily driver because sometimes getting parts takes days and even weeks. I've even run into one case where it was going to be months. I had to go with a used part. Used parts are hard to come up with because of the low number of 968's that were sold. I've even got some used parts stored in my attic just in case I need them in the future.

Larry

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[Duckman]

Larry's comment makes sense.



On the other hand, I use my car as my primary daily driver but I have a backup. If my car goes into the garage for any length of time, which it has done only once (clutch and torque tube) I have something else to drive. No problem.

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[Anchorman]

I use my 968 cab as a daily driver, and the only backup I have is either a rental car (which I've never had to do in nearly 2 years and more than 40k miles) or the OPC loaner (which I've used a few times - and it's a Cayenne, so I could get worse). No time to tell the complete story now, but I'm totally comfortable relying on my 968. Yes, I've spent some bucks because I can't have it idle, but the driving pleasure makes it worthwhile.

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[Virgo_Quinn]

Hiya SL, all thats been written above is very good advice - here's my two cents.



I, like you, wish to realize the dream of a 968.



It is, imho, the best value in a used performance car on the market.



But, it is true, while the purchase price makes the car very attractive, maintaining it might be in your case (and in mine) a relatively large financial burden. All the more important to find a car that is either low milege or a higher mileage car that has all its major parts updated.



But have no doubts - this car is a high tech performance automobile and costs much more to maintain than your average domestic. The good news is, things fail much less frequently compared to domestics since the car is so well built. Ultimately, like much else in life, you get what you pay for.



Needless to say maintaining this car as a daily driver (which many do) costs more than keeping it for weekend spins and 1 or 2 week vacation tours - this is how I'll be using the car. To get to work and back, since I live and work in downtown Toronto, I'll take public transit - the cheapest way to travel. Or if you have a garage and driveway or other parking spot, consider getting a good used runabout like a Corolla and using that for daily use. Then you can get the famous bumper sticker "My other car is a Porsche!"



As for getting the money together, save save save - save as much of the initial purchase price as you can. Put the money in guaranteed investments that pay around 3-5 percent like gov't bonds or bank certificates. Be perpared to make financial sacrifices to buy the car and to maintain it downt the road.



As I said, you get what you pay for. And even though its such an overused cliche -

Purchase price of Porsche 968: $25,000. Maintenence costs over the last year: $5,000. Driving down a twisty recently paved road with no cars around on a nice sunny day?



Pricelessss.......

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