So Long, Farewell, auf Wiedersehen, Adieu…

[Lil bastard]

Yes… I’ve gone and done it now…

I’ve crossed over to the Dark Side.

Today, I became the proud owner of a 1990 Porsche 964 Carrera 4 Cabriolet.



I know… I know… But an air-cooled classic has always been on my ‘Bucket List’ and this one popped up a few months ago.

It is a one-owner car w/ complete Dealer service history and 20,736 actual documented miles.

And tell me that Fate didn't play a role... the car's Build Date in 1990 was my birthday! This was destined to be MY car!



Champion Porsche in Pompano Beach (World’s Largest Porsche Dealer) did the PPI on this car for me yesterday and passed it with Flying Colors. In fact, the Service Manager and the Tech who did the inspection got on the phone together with me and said it’s: “The cleanest, most Original example we’ve ever seen”

The only noted deficiencies were a bent wiper arm and a bad battery (it was the original Porsche Factory Battery from 1990).

The Service Manager said: “You definitely have to buy this car! The interior shows no wear at all, everything works, and there has been absolutely no collision or paintwork done to this car. It has all the proper stickers (even the original purchase sticker), Owners Manual, Maintenance Manual (with all Dealer stamps), and Radio Manual w/ Code Card. The Toolkit is intact, including the air compressor, and the spare has never seen the road. There is no curb rash on any of the wheels. It drives beautifully and it still smells like a new car!”

In addition, the car comes with a Bra, the Tonneau Cover and a Porsche all-weather car cover.









The Tech said the engine is intact, no leaks or noises. Compression, Fuel flow, Oil flow, Engine Electrics are all 100% within specification. Brakes are within spec and all tires are at 7/32” tread depth or greater.




And they have no vested interest whatsoever. This is a Private Party Sale and they have never seen or serviced the car before. It has lived in West Palm Beach and had all it’s service done at Braman Porsche in West Palm. Braman does not do PPI’s, so the owner, at my request, had to drive 30 min. to Pompano Beach to have Champion do it.

The negotiating was difficult as this was a Forced Sale. The Private Party was down on his luck (like many in South Florida) – 2006: Net Worth=$14M, 2010: Net Worth = $0. The negotiations were full of Drama and Emotion; clearly he did not want to sell the car.

The car had been for sale since March in an obscure location. I watched it over the months and even suggested it to a couple friends a month ago, but nobody bit on it, so I decided to chase it. The owner did not get his asking price, but it did sell near the top of the market as it is a special car. I got it for slightly less than the avg. market price of an ’03 Boxster S w/ similar mileage.

The 964 is not the last of the air-cooled Porsches, that was the 993. But it is the last of the original body 911’s and so it is bound to appreciate with time, hopefully as hot as the 356, 914-6 or the 911 T. But who knows, if it appreciates, great, but I bought it to enjoy it and I’m sure I will.

I’ll be flying down to West Palm or Lauderdale (then West Palm by train) next week to pick-up the car and then will bring it North over the next 7 days. Haven’t decided if I’m heading straight North, or going along the Gulf and turn right at Dallas. I may go through the Smokies, or up the Seaboard. Might even give the ‘Dragon’ another go.

That means I will be selling my 1999 Boxster. It will not be an easy parting, because it’s been a tremendous car and a joy to drive.

This is a virtually perfect car with all the ‘right’ accessories. The only issue may be that it’s a Tiptronic S. It has 27,8XX mi. on the clock. Everything works, Interior/Exterior virtually perfect. I have my wife’s boss interested in it and it will probably go to him.

But, in the event it doesn’t, I will offer it for sale. I have a fact sheet w/ pics available if you, or someone you know, may be interested. If you want one, email me at 98699@live.com. I am asking $16.5, which I realize is high, but this car warrants it. It is a no-stories car with no known deficiencies and will stand up to any PPI. Of course $16.5 is my asking price, the actual purchase price is still TBD.

All this means that I will become a less frequent visitor to this site, though I promise to lurk occasionally. I want to thank Brucelee, Randall, and too many others to mention, for all your assistance and encouragement through the years. My parting is just another confirmation that the Universe is indeed in Flux and all of us along with it.

Wishing you all Free-breathing MAFs, leak-proof RMS’s and Robust IMS’s! Keep promoting the dream of Boxster Ownership and keep the shiny side to the Sun!

Cheers!

[944boy]

Wow! Very nice!

I wish I had money, there are some good deals on nice cars.

[eightsandaces]

That's a nice unit Lil B, good for you! Enjoy it!

[Bradster]

Awesome. Great color combination. Have fun!

[Dragonwind]

Very nice, congrats and remember, don't let off on a corner!

Chris

[ekam]

Man, what a great car...


There's WAY too many deals to be found in Florida right now.... cars, watches, everything...

[Topless]

Sweet! I have salivated over a few 964s also but none so pristine, enjoy.

[jmatta]

Congrats LB...I've always been a 911 guy, having owned countless examples and variations. 964s have been somewhat unloved, but they are great cars to drive, though the C4s can have their issues (what Porsche doesn't?)

You probably know already, but the car doesn't appear to have the vent hose update kit on the dual distributor; a known weak point on the early cars. The drive belt can break causing the second unit to freeze in one position causing spark havoc with the second set of plugs.

You've found a magnificent example, though at the expense of someone whom was a great caretaker.

You'll enjoy the car, the 3.6 power and continue with top down driving pleasure!

[mikehkang]

I will start saving now.

[davemon]

Definitely a nice ride, I'd take that over the '99 986 too, good choice. But oh the difficulty of letting a loved car go.

Originally Posted by ekam

Man, what a great car...


There's WAY too many deals to be found in Florida right now.... cars, watches, everything...

I pulled mine out of Florida, IMO it would have fetched another $3k or more in various other locations across the US.

[Pat]

Wow, incredible opportunity to own such a nice example. Excellent find!

[Lil bastard]

Originally Posted by Dragonwind

Very nice, congrats and remember, don't let off on a corner!

Chris

He...He... But, that's actually one of the advantages to the Carrera 4. The AWD helps mitigate the tendency to snap oversteer. But I admit that if you're not careful it'd be like riding a Tiger. I plan on doing a local PCA chapter DE to better learn the car and it's quirkiness.

Cheers!

[97 Boxster]

Lil B

That is a sweet car for sure. Glad to see its going to somebody who will enjoy it. Keep us updated on your drive home and be safe.

[Lil bastard]

Originally Posted by jmatta

Congrats LB...I've always been a 911 guy, having owned countless examples and variations. 964s have been somewhat unloved, but they are great cars to drive, though the C4s can have their issues (what Porsche doesn't?)

You probably know already, but the car doesn't appear to have the vent hose update kit on the dual distributor; a known weak point on the early cars. The drive belt can break causing the second unit to freeze in one position causing spark havoc with the second set of plugs.

You've found a magnificent example, though at the expense of someone whom was a great caretaker.

You'll enjoy the car, the 3.6 power and continue with top down driving pleasure!

Thanks. Yes, I've read about the tendency for Ozone to buildup in the dizzy and destroy the rubber drive belt to the 2nd distributor, and that the fix was a simple vent kit to vent the ozone away, but didn't realize you could visually detect it in photos - thanks for that... any source for the kit?

Also, the AWD is actually pretty robust, it's known weak link is the front diff input shaft seal sorta the 964 equivalent of RMS (what is it with Porsche and shaft seals? The Rest of the World doesn't seem to have trouble with them!), but the front diff on this car is dry. Also, reputably, the AC system isn't the best in the world - bad hose seals, etc.

I have the full 964 Factory Manuals, which have been my bedtime reading the past couple weeks. My wife remarked:"You're such a sexy man!" (of course she's right about that... though I'm pretty sure she meant it facetiously).

You seem to know these cars pretty well, any other pearls you'd like to share? TIA!

Cheers!

[clickman]

It'll be good if you can keep your head in 986forum. I'd miss your common sense, intelligent commentary.

Good luck with the new love...

[Perfectlap]

well any unpainted, pristine-like Porsche is a find. The year in question is interesting since that's when Porsche was close to falling off the cliff. I remember seeing the PCNA Chief on TV talking about how they barely sold any cars, like barely any at all.
The AWD seems a little weird on a garage queen. I doubt you'll endanger that by putting it near SUV's on snowy roads. Excellence had a nice RS clone in AWD a while back. Congrats but I think you'll be back in the Boxster fold at some point, well if you're a roadster guy at heart.

[jcb986]

Hey, it's a Porsche, who cares what number it is....desserter.

[Lil bastard]

Originally Posted by jcb986

Hey, it's a Porsche, who cares what number it is....desserter.

Ha...Ha! I know you're kidding, but for me it's a sickness, an OCD if you will.

There are so many great cars out there and so little time. I want to experience them all.

Given my limited means, I have to keep the 'stable' in constant rotation.

This 911 will be the 49th 'fun' car I've owned in my life and with very few exceptions, they've all been great to drive and a pleasure to own.

Face it, we never really own the classics, we're simply their current caretakers and will, someday, pass them on to someone else.

And, in a sense, you never really sell a car. They're all still locked into the 'ol memory banks. I remember how my Datsun 'Z' would toss it's back end around, or how my AH Bugeye would grunch in 2nd gear (no matter what you did to it), or how the my XJ 120 would fry your feet through the floorboards, and on and on.
The Boxster will be archived the same way. Someday, the 964 will too.

Cheers!

[fusionist]

Congrats!!!!!! Nice ride! That's no reason to leave though. We'll talk about your ass-engined Nazi slot car too.

I've thought about a 964 many times. I'd love to hear a full comparison with the boxster. I believe they are almost exactly the same speed.

[Pat]

I test drove a 964 before buying the 986. I tend to be very rational, practical and unemotional. Performance is a driving factor for me. I saw no benefit to owning the 964 vs the 986, other than it was a coupe (personal preference). The 986 is just as fast in a straight line (I think), handles better, has more modern design and functionality, is more reliable, has a higher fun factor, is more ergonomic, etc. The only benefit I saw to the 964 is the "moxy." Air-cooled, 911, "classic" status, etc. Those don't mean much to me. My decision was easy.