Couple of 968 questions..................

[markys]

Thinking about a 968, what should I be look for when viewing one? What are the servicing intervals and costs? Do any child seats fit the rear seats, we have a 5 year old and a 1 year old.

Thanks in advance.

[doctorpepper]

Child seats a re a pain in the RS! I dont think any off teh shelf one s fit in the back of a 44/68...

Have you had a look at www.968uk.co.uk? there is a wealth of info over there and some friendsly owners too! If you've seen a car but its hours away have an ask on teh forum and if there is a local member they'll even go and have a look over the car to save you a wasted trip if its a nail!

As for a buying guide... there are a couple of things you need to be looking for: A well looked after car is a must, it doenst need to be OPC serviced but it does need to have some records of where its been and what its had done to it. regular oil changes are a must and a recent gearbox oil change shows a considerate owner. depending on the mileage you need to be looking for a record of the cam chains and slippers being changed, and its worth verifying that with the garage that did the work.
The main thing to keep in mind is that these cars are now "old" so things will have started to wear out, suspension, fuel lines, brake pipes, claipers... all of these could be "potential" £££'s worth of work but a well look after car will shine through the scruffier cars quite easily...
I'll upset a few people by saying dont buy red, its from an era when red turns to pink a lot and yes you can make it look red but it doesnt last long... and i'll upset some more by saying "are you sure you dont want a late 944S2/turbo for less than half the price?"

Check the original sticker is in place on the metal inside the rear boot, it will list the options the car had so check them and for any other general signs of accident as per usual.

There are some nice examples for sale in the classifieds area... Happy hunting!!

[zcacogp]

doctorpepper said:

"are you sure you dont want a late 944S2/turbo for less than half the price?"

Good question. Why are you seen to get a 968?


Oli.

[968csreading]

The subject of rear seats has been discussed on the forum, have a trawl around you will find the information you need.

www.porsche968uk.co.uk/phpbb/

Not much else to add to the above. Check that the brakes dont have problems with plate lift. Also, condition is more important than mileage. Even a low mileage car could need new cams and the head basket can stil go.

[framac]

You won't want a clubsport - they've no back seats. Desirable stuff on the option sticker includes 220 (limited slip diff) MO30 (brake and suspension upgrade). A lot of the 968 owners use the forum that Andrew has mentioned above, so your car may belong to one of them (or be known to one of them - small, fairly closeknit community). Later models benefit from enhanced antitheft plating on the doors, the well looked after ones tend to be very well looked after. Service history is important - you will not want bills for having the timing belts changed, or the clutch or dual mass flywheel - none of these are cheap.

[willdew]

And don't listen to the critics that often frequent this forum - 968's are an amazingly good car. The 944 may offer more bang per buck, but you'll pick up a decent 968 for a very good price, and get (in a worst case scenario) within 10% of your money back in 12, 18 or 24 months time when you want to swap again, so it's not expensive motoring.

Edited by willdew on Monday 9th October 16:00

[shoestring7]

...and clutch changes are around 1/2 the price of doing it on a 944!

SS7

[hartech]

Yes shoestring but you can also need a dual mass flywheel that is not fitted to a 944

Baz Hartech

[shoestring7]

hartech said:

Yes shoestring but you can also need a dual mass flywheel that is not fitted to a 944

Baz Hartech

True, but I think DMF problems are another Porsche maintenance myth. They were pretty much sorted by 1992, have been fitted to every Porsche built since & aren't a common 968 weakness.

SS7

[nick_968]

I wouldnt go as far as to say they are a myth.....

I had mine replaced with my clutch at 60k, and it also depends if you car has seen a lot of city driving. However I think the replacement ones made by Luk seem to be better, and I havent heard of anyone having to change it twice. They did cause problems on the 964 cars as well. My replacement Luk one will be in for a harsh test when we see exactly how much torque it can take from a turbo 3.0!

[Knackered dad]

Had a 968 Club Sport for 3 years and had to sell it when the kids arrived, gutted. it was a fantastic car, used it every day to work. Servicing costs were ok, had to have the diff bearings replaced but i think it was a problem with early cars. No rear seats in the cs so go for the sport not the lux. Took it on a track day in the rain, Great fun. KD

[MrHeed]

I have a 3 year old and a 5 year old. They fit in the back of my 968 Sport very nicely. There is a very limited amount of child seats available - I use Recaro Start (180 quid each). With a 1-year-old you will need a Start Impact Cushion (30 quid) and the seat belt lengthened (100 quid). Total cost of carrying kids about 500 quid. You need a Sport or a Coupe. The CS (no rear seats) and the Cab (smaller rear seats with vertical backs) are not suitable.

General running costs for me over 2 years about 50% higher than the family saloon - plus tyres (he he he - damned track days), so pretty low. Get a marchanically good example, well maintained, buy on condition, check the cams, use a good specialist for servicing - I drive a long way (220 miles to Hartech) to have mine serviced - should probably switch to JZM really. It's a good looking and realtively cheap sports car to own and run. Buy a 944 S2/Turbo if you like - they drive similar but look a lot more dated.

It has a big boot too - big enough for a buggy, hamper, change bag and a bit of shopping too.

I love my 968. I keep think about trading in for a 993, 996 or a Jag XKR - but then I drive it again and change my mind. It's a wonderful drive. Simply wonderful. Down-side - sounds a bit like a demented lawnmower.

[hartech]

Well I don't agree Shoestring but thats only based on my experience and yours mnay differ. I expect that we work on more 968's than anyone else in the UK - but I could be wrong and the comment is not meant to start a competition.

I am guessing that for most people who buy a 968 now - in the future a new dual mass flywheel may be needed (especially as most have exceeded 100 K now) and don't forget it does provide the other clutch face (like a flywheel) and they often become worn out or with hard spots, especially if they have been driven around with a clutch plate worn down to the rivetts before replacing it. I assumed anyone considering buying one of these (or any older Porsche with a DMF is on a relatively limited budget for which my comments may be relevant - anyway better to be cautious than sorry later.

Baz Hartech

[shoestring7]

Its always interesting to hear your experience Baz.

I don't want to turn this into stupid internet argument, but purely as a matter of interest I ran some quick searches on the 968uk site.

A search on 'chain' (as in the troublesome exhaust/inlet cam link) produces 105 hits. A search on 'pinion' (cf. weak pinion bearing) produced 63, and a search on 'dual mass' produced only 19. That admittedly unscientific analysis does suggest that the DMF isn't a major worry in the 968 world.

SS7

[softinthehead]

MrHeed said:

Down-side - sounds a bit like a demented lawnmower.

a sports exhaust will cure your only niggle - and its less than half the price of a standard porsche approved 968 exhaust

[hartech]

Hi Shoestring and thanks for the sensible approach - no chance of an argument because I am going to leave it at that - was only trying to offer some advice anyway.

Baz Hartech