14 replies to this topic

[aajr]

Hello, I just registered and am new to the forum. I have read all of the relevant posts here about 968's and what to look for as well as in some of the other 968 forums and they have been very helpful. I am interested in getting into Porsche 968 ownership.

I have a the following questions that I hope you can help me with:

1. I am intending to use the car as a daily driver. Is this practical and how many of you drive you 968 on daily basis?

2. I am debating between a coupe and cabriolet. How noisy is the cabriolet when the top is UP? Can you hold a conversation at normal volume? Can you have a conversation on the cell phone on a hands free speaker with the top UP? I own a Mazda Miata, so I am familiar with convertibles. For reference, I rate the Miata as relatively noisy with the top up.

3. I travel frequently and golf occasionally. Is there any difference in trunk sizes between the cabriolet and the coupe? Do they both have "adequate" luggage space (meaning, can they hold a roller carry-on bag)? How about a golf bag, will it fit in either one?

4. How well do the electric tops on the cabriolets work? Are they reliable or they a source of maintenance/repairs?

5. I live in California. Are all 968's 50 state compatible, or do I need to look for a California specific car?

I am sure that I will have many more questions during my search. I hope you will bear with me.

Thanks in advance.

Alberto

[SANDOVAL]

I have a the following questions that I hope you can help me with:

1. I am intending to use the car as a daily driver. Is this practical and how many of you drive you 968 on daily basis?

Excellent choice for a DD. A couple of the members and I were discussing this at a car show today. With out a doubt a great reliable vehicle and the gas mileage is good too! What a blast to drive every day.


2. I am debating between a coupe and cabriolet. How noisy is the cabriolet when the top is UP? Can you hold a conversation at normal volume? Can you have a conversation on the cell phone on a hands free speaker with the top UP? I own a Mazda Miata, so I am familiar with convertibles. For reference, I rate the Miata as relatively noisy with the top up.

This is a subjective opinion. I personally think cabs are noisy. Especially the 968 the insulation is not that thick. However it is a trade off you live in CA where you can drop the top most of the year. It is a great state to enjoy the cab the majority of the time you use it. As a DD I would pick the Coupe. The coupe is also stiffer and if you are patient, lucky and willing to spend a little more you can pick up a ultra rare M030 coupe. It all comes down to what you want and what you like. Some guys are "Cab guys" and others like the cab experience but could never do it every day. This one comes down to your personal opinion. BTW the Cabs for the most part will cost you a bit more.

3. I travel frequently and golf occasionally. Is there any difference in trunk sizes between the cabriolet and the coupe? Do they both have "adequate" luggage space (meaning, can they hold a roller carry-on bag)? How about a golf bag, will it fit in either one?

You can get clubs and a small suitcase in the Cab trunk. It is not huge but it is a good size. One of the guys here has a great picture of a fully loaded coupe trunk demonstrating it's capabilities. You can get a ton of cargo in the coupe prob. 5-7X what you can carry in the cab.
4. How well do the electric tops on the cabriolets work? Are they reliable or they a source of maintenance/repairs?

5. I live in California. Are all 968's 50 state compatible, or do I need to look for a California specific car?

All US 968's will pass smog. So don't let distance limit your selection. Most guys on this forum did not find their car locally. Since the 968 is so rare you will be forced to look out of state to find exactly what you want. Search the Buyers guide forum to find all of the important buying tips. There are a lot of dogs out there so be patient and find the one that is exactly what you want (within reasonable expectations)

Bob aka Flash coordinates 968 meets often so shoot him a PM he will be more then happy to help you out. I know he has helped many of the newer CA 968 members. The CA group is very active so you should have a blast! Good luck!

[Larry Currie]

I agree with Eric, although I use a bluetooth ear piece with my cell with the top up and down with success. Not too much back ground noice, but my Son can tell when I've got the top down when he calls.

[bob blackwell]

My 968 Coupe is my daily driver and it is just great. Lots of luggage space in the hatchback and not noisy at all. Good luck with your search. Bob Blackwell.

[Etnier]

My 968 Coupe is my daily driver and it is just great. Lots of luggage space in the hatchback and not noisy at all. Good luck with your search. John Etnier

PS: the photo referenced above:  RemoteRec.jpg   116.9KB   55 downloads

[Seric]

My 968 Cab is my one and only daily driver and I love every minute of it. It gets as good as gas mileage as my old Civic Si Coupe. My girlfriend drives a Miata and she always mentions how much less wind and noise the 968 produces over her Miata. I would agree, since I drive the Miata regularly. As far as reliability and overall maintenacnce cost, the 968 is a wonderful choice. Cheers!

[Anchorman]

My 968 cab is my daily driver in New Jersey. During the winter I put on the 16" wheels with Bridgestone Blizzak tires, and I've driven it in every snow storm for the last two years. At all other times, I use 18" wheels with Yokohama tires. In about 26 months of ownership, I've driven nearly 52k miles. Never gotten stranded, stuck, or otherwise disappointed. I've spent some bucks on preventive maintenance and upgrades, but there's not $1 that I regret. This car still makes me smile. The only car I'd rather have is an Aston Martin.

[aajr]

Thanks for the great and considered responses; Sandoval, thanks for taking the time to respond in detail, I greatly appreciate it as well as the reference to Flash.

I am very strongly leaning towards a Coupe for practical reasons. I will have to read a little more on the M030 option, since I'm not yet sure what it is. At this point, it seems that there are not that many coupes out there to select from (it seems that the coupe is more rare than the convertible, at least based on what is being sold at the moment).

Given the mileage that I see on the cars currently for sale, it looks like a LOT of people have used the 968 as daily drivers, with many of them well over 100k miles. I am also very impressed by how much luggage you fit into the car, unbelievable.

Anchorman: Funny you should mention the Aston Martin; that's the other option that I have considered. Unfortunately it is a bit more money for the same vintage, and my impression is that it would be a little less reliable than the Porsche. Is that your impression too?

I intend on contacting the local Porsche dealers (I think there are two in San Diego County) as well as a couple of independents to put my name in front of them in case one shows up at the dealer. I also asked a buddy of mine who is a member of the Porsche club to keep an eye out for me.

Alberto

[SANDOVAL]

check out the technical section there is info about the M030 package Sport suspension, LSD, Bigger brakes.

Tell us what you are looking for and we can keep an eye out for you

Color int. ext., Tip, stick, miles, budget, etc.

[Anchorman]

I never gave serious consideration to the Aston Martin - I'm pretty sure that maintenance would be an issue, at least in terms of finding a place to have work done, plus the potential for the rarity issue meaning long waits for parts. In terms of looks, though, it's the only alternative that I think rivals the 968. Some day, when I have the space - and money - for a garage queen.

[Etnier]

I intend on contacting the local Porsche dealers… as well as a couple of independents to put my name in front of them in case one shows up at the dealer.  I also asked a buddy of mine who is a member of the Porsche club to keep an eye out for me.

If you watch this site, the .net forum, and http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=71, you stand a very good chance of learning about the best examples when they come to market, accompanied by knowledgable discussion of the cars' strengths, weakenesses and often their particular histories.

[coloradocab]

I drive both a cab and a coupe, and here are some thoughts:

Cab:
I can get two sets of golf clubs in the trunk. This was important to me. For a convertible, the trunk space is fabulous, but if you need truly voluminous storage space, it can't compare with the coupe. Noise is a little more than in the coupe, but not bad at all, due to the high quality cab roof material.

Coupe:
I can fit four track tires/wheels, jacks, cooler, etc. in the back of the coupe, which is terrific. I'm not sure if it's actually stiffer (Porsche insists that their extra reinforcing panels address this on the cab), but the coupe just feels a bit quicker to me. Probably due to weight, which is quite a bit less on the coupe.

Having said all of this, the coupe is my daily driver, and the cab is reserved for weekends, PCA events, etc. However, the cab began as my daily driver and did fine.

Maintenance on both is higher than on many Hondas I've owned in the past, but it's really quite reasonable providing you keep up on the prescribed preventative maintenance.

As others have said, it comes down to personal preference. I predict you'll be pleased with whichever you settle on. They're both superior cars, and loads of fun.

I am about to post info on a guards red coupe for sale over in the appropriate forum, so check there for a nice one.

[SANDOVAL]

Here is a low mile coupe on ebay It is a Tip not sure what you are looking for.

http://cgi.ebay.com/...5&category=6435

[aajr]

Thanks for your continued input. Based on various factors, including the input received here, I have concluded that the following is what I would like to get:

Body Type: Coupe
Ext. Color: prefer dark blue, any other color considered, not black
Int. Color: if blue ext. - tan or gray, if other ext. color - ???
Miles: not more than about 25-30K
Trany: manual
Records: recent work more important than early work
Price: TDB commensurate with condition, but willing to "pay-up" for right car

I think this covers the basics.

Alberto

[RPM]

You are definitely on the right track! I suggest Amazon Green Metallic.

Just checked the Porsche Club of America online ads. No low mileage coupes, but several nice cars in the 60-80k range. If you are interested I'll post the info on them.

You can join PCA under the Quest program while searching for the right car. Lots of great resources, a good magazine, and fabulous people.

PCA Quest membership

... And 968s make great daily drivers and have lots of luggage space. There were only slightly more coupes than cabs - about 2200 cabs and 2400 coupes total came to the US in 4 years, making this a very rare Porsche. For comparison, there were over 2600 944S2s imported in 1989 and 7500 944 Turbos in 1986. In 2001 I think Porsche sold about 40 million Boxsters - at least from the looks of the roads around my house.