Buy the best you can find & seek out options like Lsd & MO30! Great cars.

 

i agree about the LSD but i would steer clear of M030 - antiquated rough riding stuff - M030 is also very expensive to service, and at this point every seal in there that is original is way past its life expectancy and headed for repair - it was fine in its day, but there is better aftermarket stuff out there nowadays for a lot less - as a daily driver, i would save yourself the unrealistic markup of the M030 car, apply that to a decent aftermarket setup and a better condition car

different story though if you are looking to mothball a collectable

 

had one as a DD for three years and loved it! aftermarket warranty though is a MUST with these as fixing some items are $$$$. G/L with the search.

 

I once owned an 87 944 that was one of my favorite cars. However, one of the things that disappointed me was a very rough idle that was normal with the 944 and then the 968. I'm thinking of buying a 968 and was wondering if time has fixed the problem through some type of engineering fix from the after market. I'm thinking of a chip change that may have been developed to fix the problem. Is there such a thing? If so, I'm going to start the hunt.

Jack

 

that's strange; i had my 968 for three years and never once experienced rough idle.

 

I owned an 87 944 not a 968. The 944 had a rough idle. Every one of them that I test drove had a rough idle. I was asking about a 968 assuming that the had a rough idle also. If they didn't as you say then that's great.

 

the 968 is somewhat lumpish, but the idle in the manual version is fairly smooth when things are right - it doesn't take much to upset that though - the tiptronic version is a bit rough at idle even when things are right

 

I drove my father's 968 a good amount when my car was down and I wouldn't mind DD'ing it. Drove smooth, was comfortable enough, and had a descent amount of trunk space.

 

I've had my 968 for the better part of a year now and in my opinion - in terms of classic porsches - this is far and away the best DD you can buy.

The major potential issues have been outlined already (cam tensioner + timing/water belt service), and perhaps the pinion bearing, but aside from that it's just a matter of basic upkeep and checking on stuff from time to time.

Driving-wise I find the 968 to have a tactile handling feel unmatched by cars 10+ years newer.

For example, though it's obviously not as powerful as an E46 M3, I actually find it handles better (at the limit). The 968 really shines once you start lightly drifting out of corners. Perfect balance - awesome feel.

You'll fall in love with the engine, too. It's a car where you can either drive it "normally" in the lower rev range without it feeling "laggy" - OR - you can wind it up and pound the snot out of it, and it feels just as comfortable doing either.

I think it's amazing this naturally-aspirated 4 cyl car is nearly 20 years old and can go head to head with cars like the S2000, IS300, etc.

I drive it, and quite honestly enjoy it on a daily basis far more than I did driving my 996TT as a DD. More fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow...

Get one.

-Chris

 

having also had an E46 M3, i completely agree - the 968 out-handles it, and as ours was a convertible, and the 968 has a chip and airbox mod and such, it keeps up with it

the thing the M3 had, in spite of all its modern technology and features and such, was that feeling of inspiration that the 968 gives you - the bmw was a great car, but it lacked the tactile feel of the 968

as for daily driving, i see no reason that the 968 would not be a great car, as long as it is maintained properly - this is no different than any other 15 year old performance car, and in fact may actually be better at holding up to the use

 

Flash - what year is your 968?

Mine is chipped and has exhaust (and some suspension mods), and would definitely keep up with an E46 M3 once it was up to speed, in terms of handling and roadholding, but I'd still say the M has quite the edge in terms of acceleration.

Perhaps the M3 Cab is more on par, though. Haven't driven a cab...

Do you think the aftermarket airbox makes a big difference?

Cheers!

-Chris

 

i have 2 - both cabs - one is a 6 spd early 94 with about $75k in mods on it - the other is a very low mileage Tiptronic late 94, nearly stock, but about to be supercharged just like the other one

the airbox modification, combined with the K&N filter made 10.8 peak hp in the extensive dyno testing i did (about half that with the OEM filter but with the box mod) - the results and such were published in a magazine article

 

Oh, sorry I thought you meant your e46 m3 was a cab (which is about 400 lbs heavier than a coupe and less tactile, which I assumed was the explanation for the comparable performance to the 968).

Meh, regardless the 968 has way more class than an M3.

Re: airbox mod, very cool I will look into that.

Thx

-Chris

 

that was a cab too - i don't own any hardtop cars - they are against my religion - even the SL550 is a convertible - lol - i caved in on the denali though because they don't make a convertible tow rig that can drag my 18' enclosed trailer

 

That's awesome LOL :-)

Hardtops would be against my religion too, but I live in the rainiest place on earth... could probably only drive the damn thing 10 days a year (exaggerating, but not by much)

Re: Convertible tow rig - depends on your level of window-tinting and/or lack of concern for public opinion... but where I grew up (redneck Alberta), one of the most common towing vehicles were big-block muscle cars with a retrofitted hitch...

...many of which were convertibles :-)