Falling out of love

JamesBall · Jun 2, 2021

After 8 years of ownership I am falling out of love with my 964.

It doesn't help that I bought an Elise SC for track days 8 months ago and I love it. It makes the 964 feel boring and heavy. I now find myself thinking that the Porsche isn't a great GT car (not least because my kids no longer fit in the back) and it isn't a great sports car (it feels like a boat compared to my Elise).

My 964 C2 is largely standard apart from its on KW v1s.

How do I re-kindle the romance?

(Or do all good things come to an end and perhaps our time has come?)

Stephenjk · Jun 3, 2021

Have you had someone who drives a lot of these cars drive yours to see how it compares to other 964s? Think you'd want to check if yours is down on power or not handling well, you might not have noticed if it has gradually got worse over the last 8 years. i normally get my garage to do a compare and contrast every year or so to see how mine is performing.

If the car is fine and you drive it regularly and still dont think it is great then might be time for a change. if you haven't done a track day in your 964 that might be worth considering, I've been around the porsche handling track a few times on mine and helped me see what it could really do.

Values seem good at the moment, so if you do want to sell not a bad time to do that.

Stephen

mcgc0 · Jun 3, 2021

Usual horses for courses I guess. Very very much depends on what each of us gets out of driving and of classic car ownership. I know I am lucky and feel 'honoured' or privileged in having a few comparisons to hand. In the long past I had and drove many cars I always dreamt of as a kid (964 didn't even come into it); 308 GTB, 308 GT4, G-series Turbo, Jalpa, '74 AM V8, Elise, 2 x 928's plus a few less exotic others. Without doubt the Jalpa had presence and looks (and noise) the others lacked (although the GTB was the sexiest). All were/are great but all, apart from the 928's, were a pain in the arse to keep - don't start me on Italian build quality of the era

13 years ago I unexpectedly took a drive in a friends 964 and then did some homework. The answer was found - bullet proof reliability, obsessive German build quality, race proven evolution.

I'm on my second 964 (first one I wrote off!) but have added a 968 Sport with geo and handling setup curtesy of Centre Gravity. Couple of months ago I wanted more of a modern daily runner and now added a Mk5 GTi and love it - sweet spot of GTi's imho. The 968 handles so differently from the 964 - total predictability and feel in what the car is doing at any time making brisk driving and track days a hoot. However, when I get in the (tweaked) 964 and turn that engine over (supplied by Redtek years back and well up on std output) different feelings kick off that I don't get from any of the others - it just won't let you go. If I want only a fast car I'll jump in the GTi, if I want faster I'll Stage 1 it. The 964 demands concentration at speed - it's effort and reward. 3 full days and 700 miles of Scottish NC500 in convoy and full beans was an experience just another 'fast' track car would have never given. Now I understand more the obsession kids have, as I did.. https://youtu.be/RMiN8Fmxong

JamesBall · Jun 3, 2021

Thanks guys. Helpful thoughts. Whatever I do, with these cars the answer is always not to rush in to it. Fear of selling it and then regretting it is my main motivation for keeping it

I had the car checked over yesterday by Chris at RPM and he gave it a big thumbs up. It "drives well" according to him. I have done track days (inc the Porsche Experience thing) with it in the past but stopped doing track days when I got nervous about its value and its tendancy to behave in a way that exceeded my ability. So I am gadually returning it to road spec rather than track spec (just minor stuff - tyres, brake pads, seats).

I may replace my Elise with a Caterham (almost entirely for track days), which might give the 964 more purpose in my garage as it will overlap with a Caterham less than it does with an elise.

colin129 · Jun 4, 2021

I don't drive my car as much I ought to, but try to give it blast every couple of weeks or so, weather depending, all year round.

If the weather is bad for a while and it runs out to 3 or 4 weeks before I drive it, I start to wonder why I pay all this money for a car I don't use enough and, let's be honest, don't really know how to drive properly.

Then, finally, a dry Sunday morning, or evening, beckons and I remember exactly why.

pse_SC · Jun 5, 2021

colin129 said:
...I start to wonder why I pay all this money for a car I don't use enough and, let's be honest, don't really know how to drive properly...

Driving it more helps you realise that they these ‘older’ Porsches need that time to appreciate them, then the ‘driving it properly’ comes much more naturally [

]

mcgc0 · Jun 9, 2021

I think you've nailed it Colin

colin129 said:
Then, finally, a dry Sunday morning, or evening, beckons and I remember exactly why.

If your handy with the spanner, have the space and time then ownership doesn't become a bit of a money pit.

You located not far from RPM then James? I'm literally 15 mins drive from them.