964 Cynics, Get Real!

A personal Review of the 964 by Simon Galbally

It’s about time the 964 model 911’s record was set straight. Too often we read cynical comments about this outstanding iteration of the everlasting type 911, which like all 911s before and after it, has a special place in Porsche’s remarkable history.

First and foremost, the 964 is not necessarily any less or more reliable than any other 911. It is certainly much more complex than all before it and therefore, requires knowledgeable maintenance and careful evaluation when buying. These areas of careful attention relate to some of its new features and benefits, of which some involved later factory enhancements.

Hock the House

To put the 964 into perspective you need only quote Car and Driver’s preview test drive (Jan. 1990) when it first appeared in its C2 guise: “Enthusiasts rejoice: the 2 means twice the fun”. Bissoon-Dath also wrote: “Not only does it build on the traditional appeal of the 911, but it is faster, gutsier, more stable and more satisfying”. “The Carrera 2 can be driven at the limit with none of the sweaty-palms theatrics required by older 911s”.

He closed his review with: “Porsche’s prices may see astronomical, but if you ever have a chance to drive a Carrera 2, you’ll probably want to hock the house, the dog and your favourite aunt to buy one. So unless you have an appropriately large bank account – or you like to torture yourself - stay away from this automobile. Otherwise the house is history”.

Of course, any evaluation of the 964 today (as with all other 911 iterations), needs not only to look back at how the car was received, but also forward to the vehicle’s longevity and maintenance and repair issues. But we should be careful not to fall into the trap of expecting of it what we might expect of later iterations. Sure, the 993 has improvements over the 964, but so it should – for the extra money, and simply because it came later.

But the 964 has a special place in the ongoing development of the 911. It was the most modern expression of the concept until the 996. It was about 85% different – yet retained the classical 911 envelop that started to become overdone in the 3.2 before it. Porsche resisted the temptation to over-cater for the North American market!

Within minutes of first driving the 964 a number of things build your enthusiasm: the ultra sharp front end and its point-and-shoot dynamics – the 911 now had full coil front suspension and power steering; effortless gear changes – the 911 now had a truly modern gearbox; rear end stability and driver controllable rear-end-steer – an enhanced rear end; unbelievable torque that rushes from as low as 1,500 rpm – the 911 now had state-of-the-art DME matched to great engine design; mind-blowing breaks – could they get any better?; modern climate control – finally the 911 had air-conditioning that worked!; and the list goes on.

It’s inside the brilliant 3.6 litre engine where the real joy begins. It’s a redesign and enlargement overt the 3.2 before it, which included leading technology enhancements: new throttle-valve assembly; twin-spark technology: new idle-speed stabiliser; better piston cooling; increased oil flow rate; the use of new materials such as Aeterna and improved cooling fan performance

But of course today we now have the benefit of hindsight and yes it had some weaknesses that added to the 911’s running costs, but not necessarily detracting from its overall reliability.

The Best 911 to Date

10 years after the 964 hit the road, Peter Zimmermann with nearly 50 years experience (owner of arguably the USA’s most respected specialist Porsche repair and service centre for models from the 356 to the 993) wrote in his excellent guide to used 911 Porsches -The Used 911 Story: “The C2/C4 line of cars, even with their problems, are arguably the best 911s to date.”

Zimmermann introduces the C2/C4 as: “probably one of the most spectacular road/performance vehicles ever built to date….. it looked like a 911…. Changes were numerous …. Fitted with a 3.6 litre engine that is an absolute marvel…. Power and torque allow this car to accelerate all the way through the rev range in a way never seen before in a production 911. These cars are sensational to drive, and just might have the best brakes known to man.”

Yes, the 964 had issues ranging from trivial to very expensive, which may indicate an overly ambitious release date or a poor testing program. Whatever, most cars owned from new by responsible owners with sufficient liquidity to remain faithful to their authorised service centre, will likely have the weaknesses behind them by now. These weaknesses included: cylinder head sealing design; materials used in engine seals and o-rings; oil line connections; an alternative longer life dual-mass flywheel and adding a breather kit to extract moisture from the distributor belt housing. Such parts redesign/updates are not uncommon in any model as seen in the 3 litre’s clutch rubber damper and 944 cam belts.

Sure, the self opening ashtray and the crack-happy tail light lenses were issues not consistent with a frightfully expensive (in 1990 real dollar terms) German sports car. More seriously, the head gasket-less engine oil leaks were even more disappointing, but, were in most cases rectified under warranty. It was the other longer term oil leak issues discovered from the crankcase, chain box covers and oil lines that became expensive items to rectify.

Most, if not all of the engine oil leak weaknesses have been fully addressed by new seal kits, gaskets and cylinder refinements. So if a car’s history is unknown and there are some telltale signs, or the mileage / engine performance indicators point to the need for major work – take a burger with the lot and have the whole job done in one go. The rewards far outweigh the cost.

The new dual-mass flywheel that so effectively dampened gearbox noise and added refinement to the 964 also became an issue – of cost rather than reliability. So, most owners ultimately replace it with the lighter weight RS version when replacing a worn clutch – a 50% lower cost option.

However, these cars are significantly more complex than their predecessors and therefore, necessarily have a higher cost per kilometre to maintain. It’s simply a matter of checking before you buy; using experienced and knowledgeable repairers and investing in preventative steps such as obtaining the updated breather kit for the distributor belt housing if not already fitted. The reward is to own a stunning, high involvement and thoroughly modern 911.

So where does the 964 sit? For a little more money you get a much more drivable and higher performance car than its 3.2 predecessor. But, for a lot more money you could take a 993. In the Australian market and on a like for like comparison basis, a late 3.2 in top condition will cost you AU$65,000 on average. An excellent early 993 example will set you back about AU$105,000. But an excellent 964 with all its issues fully addressed can be bought for about AU$75,000.

About my own experience. I have had my 964 (1991) for about 3 years. The only failure I have suffered has been to replace headlight globes! I wanted the latest model in top condition I could afford (but even if I could afford a 996 – no way will I have water in my engine, a plastic dashboard, or conventional pedals!!). The 964 offered modernity not found in the 3.2 and affordability not available in the 993 at the time. The deal included full engine resealing (which was first done early in its life) with the new kits and a top end rebuild to be sure. The whole clutch kit was replaced with the flywheel which showed signs of wear. I opted for the RS flywheel for its weight savings and potential durability, but am unconvinced that was a good idea. My ashtray didn’t come with auto-open mode, nor did my rear tail-light lenses come with cracks, so no changes were needed.

Going to a light weight flywheel has the disadvantage of adding gearbox noise to the cabin (who really cares) and a tendency to stall on deceleration (more common if the climate control is running). It seems the stalling is due to the lack of mass (weight) and that the factory “hammer settings” don’t allow higher idle speed settings to counteract that occasional stalling. You learn to live with that, although I am told that fitting a programmable chip can deal with it (comments by 964RS owners would be helpful).

My C2

My C2 has covered 130,000 kilometres of which 40,000 have been since the engine re-seal and top end work. Alas, never a drip of oil and an engine bay to be proud of. Computer analysis shows the engine performance is virtually as per new car spec. Oil pressure when cold is 4.5 to 5 bar. When hot it’s always at 5 bar and pushing above the scale. At idle the needle sits between 3 and 4 bar! It fires up hot or cold in an instant. Not a rattle or creak can be heard even on the worst of our under-funded Australian roads. Because of our generally warm climate I had the sheet metal removed from under the engine. It ensures longer engine seal life through less radiated heat (and you can always be sure to notice an oil leak before it becomes too advanced).

The climate control system is excellent on heating and cooling cycles. But like (it seems) all Porsches the air-conditioning needs a rebuild after about 8 years and that is expensive. Mine was done the year before I bought the car.

Modifications I have made are simple: lowering springs (it now steers like a go-kart and looks brilliant); 17” Cup 1 wheels (perfect with the lowering springs); 964 RS full leather steering wheel (a joy to use); replaced the rear deck with the 3.6 bi-plane version, which I think adds to the flowing lines of the car without overdoing it; added a relay and installed higher output headlights (I think the originals came from a 1953 VW Beetle parts bin!); a sports exhaust has made the stereo system totally redundant! I am considering having a programmable chip fitted but am yet to be convinced of its benefits, but other than that I see no need for any other enhancements.

Finally, the fewer numbers of 964s constructed in comparison to the 3.2 and 993 is no reflection on the car’s desirability. It simply reflected the severity of the global recession from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s. Porsche was hit hard in all markets and worst of all in North America – the 964 was fiercely expensive and there were few buyers around. It was also under a lot of pressure to bring the 911 into the modern era. At that time Porsche knew the 928 was not accepted as a viable replacement for the 911 and so the 964 became the bridge between an icon and the thoroughly modern 993. For many buyers today, the 964 was the last truly classic 911.