10 replies to this topic

[jpapanas]

I'm looking at this 968 coupe that seems to have a good body, good interior and seems to be well maintiained, but has 148,000 miles. Is this considered high mileage for a 968?

1993 968 on Autotrader

Also, I had someone run an Autocheck report for me and it lists an accident record in 1995. I havn't talked with the owner yet, so i don't know the extent of the damage.
Event Date, Event Location, Odometer Reading, Data Source, Event Detail
12/01/1995, ALBANY COUNTY, NY, -, Accident Source, COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE (Case #:56929360)

I would definitely consider going to look at the car if the price was down around the $10,000 range, but the current asking price seems very high considering the mileage and accident record - not crazy about the blue interior either, but it does seem to be in very good condition.

Any opinions appreciated.

Regards,
Jim

[flash]

mileage is not nearly as critical as maintenance, though 148k is up there - you can assume that every rubber part in the car is about done if it's still original, so i would be looking at that kind of stuff in the repair records

accidents are not necessarily an issue, if the repair was done well

price is really dependent on condition and options and such - they are pretty much all over the map

but you can check out NADA for an appropriate pricing guide

[Johannvb]

Nice looking car, if you're not going to drive it everyday don't worry about mileage. If the PPI is good make an offer.

I have a midnight blue interior. In the beginning I did not like it very much, but it has grown on me over the years and I now prefer it over black. It is very much in keeping with the period of quirky interior colours...although I still have issues with amethyst interiors.

Edited by Johannvb, 05 February 2010 - 08:20 AM.

[josephsc]

Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. There are some 968's pushing 200k miles around here -- and with maintenance, you should be able to push 250k. Some of the earlier 944 models have gone as high as 350k.

That said, it's definitely a buyer's market -- so you should be able to afford to be more picky at that price range.

I'd also find out how much snow this car has seen.

[rxter]

So, at the end of the day, what is it that finally gives up on this car? Seems like if you are willing to spend the money you can refurb or replace almost all of it. Does the block itself actually die, or does it just become a question of ongoing spend vs. utility?

[Anchorman]

Really hard to say. My car is approaching 180,000 miles; the car has seen snow for years, hasn't been garaged for the 7 years I own it, has been on the track for several multi-day events in each of the last five years, and I think it's fair to say that the condition is generally as good as, and in many instances better than, new. (It's appropriate to thank RS Barn for much of this.) Yes, the seats show some wear, and I've had the engine bottom and top redone (bearings on the bottom, head on the top), and most of the suspension and brakes have been upgraded, but I see no reason it won't keep going well for another 180,000 miles (but some of that will have to be put on by the next owner - I'm getting too old, and not adding mileage as quickly as I used to). It used to be that body rot ended the life of many cars, but there's not even a hint of any, so I guess advances in metals and coatings has addressed that.

[ds968]

Snow is a bigger problem if the car was driven in those cities, counties, etc. which pour salt on the roads. I think that expedites the rust and the severity of it by 2 to 3 X .. The underside of the Maserati I had when I lived in Cleveland ( I bought it just five years after the PO had taken it off the showroom floor but he drove it almost every day throughout winters as well ) looked as if giant metal-eating moths had a buffet day with it. That's why I could afford to buy the car.. looked decent on the outside, with only faint signs of some wear on the bottom edges of the body, but as for the underside, that was another story : the exhaust
had to be replaced completely, as well as with many suspension components, plus all the rest of it was so worn out that you could put your foot right through the floorboard if it wasn't for the carpet

I'd say even at 250,000 miles with proper maintenance and if driven in decent climates, the 968 should still be able to hold up quite well..

[Fox944]

all depends on how the car is maintained.

Whats percieved as high mileage for any car is also relative. 147 may sound like a lot, but for a 1993 model year car...thats low mileage.

@ 15K a year that car would have 255K
at 12K it would have 204K
and @ 10K it would have 170K

Because its a Porsche it may be considered high by many people.

I'm in the auto business. For many sports cars like Porsche's, NSX's, etc...they should cover no more then 6K miles a year. When purchasing cars or taking trade ins (depending on the car) you add or deduct for over/under mileage. An example would be $200 deduction for every thousand over or a $100 addition to value for every thousand under.

@ 6K a month it would be at 102K miles.

I guess none of this matters as it is not what you were asking and i'm in work mode.

[Anchorman]

"...put your foot right through the floorboard..." reminded me of a VW Rabbit I had. The floor on the driver's side was constantly wet, and I couldn't find the leak. That is, until I pulled up the carpet and found that there was no metal under the carpet - and this was a car I was driving back and forth between central NJ and Washington DC every week. Once the missing floor was discovered, though, I had to change cars.

[flash]

lol - in one of my chargers, i ended up giving up trying to stop leaks, and drilled a drain hole in the floor

[Cloud9...68]

Gven that pretty much everything on these cars is replaceable, and, with the availability of all the braces, metal fatigue brought on by chassis flex shouldn't be too much of a problem, it seems that a 968 should be able to last indefintiely. I think the limiting factor is the electrics and wiring, and this is more an issue of time than mileage. Too bad wiring harnesses are no longer available - hopefully they'll come back one of these days - because replacing the harness every, say, 20-25 years should allow the car to run basically forever. Replacing a harness is extremely expensive, it's a lot cheaper than buying a new car.