964 Turbo 3.3? - Page 3 - Porsche General - PistonHeads UK

Trying to do some research on these models and wondered whether anyone could shed any light. What are they like to drive and live with? What would you budget for a good one?

Great old school turbo fun, but not as laggy or tail happy as a 930! Great ride once the boooost comes in, and pretty quick in a straight line! Still require respect if you want to push it, slow in and fast out as long as you know you don't need to suddenly back off once the power is on. A bit like Marmite, you either love em or hate em! They start from £20k for a rough one, and £30k + for a nice one. A mint low mileage one with good history will be nearer £40k. Nice silver one at JZM at the mo if I remember for £35k ish. Theres also a low mileage white one advertised one for around £30k. Anyone know if this is the damage repaired one that was up for sale a couple of years back? Edited by Sifly on Sunday 11th November 18:27

Cheers S. I used to have a TVR series 3 and loved the rawness and noise but it lacked power and the brakes were not great. A Porsche just holds some thing special and I keep flipping between various models based in the 20 - 35K mark. I saw the 964 Turbo at JZM and went a little weak at the knees. I have the feeling that depreciation will be the biggest cost and this is putting me off the modern 997. Also I am concerned the passion will fade faster with a modern 997. The budget I have is picking up GT3, 996 turbos and 997 C2s. But seeing the 964 turbo was a little like when I first saw my wife! Enough said really, but wanted to at least get some head advice before my heart runs a muck and empties my bank account.

964's stopped depriciating about 4 years ago, and nice ones are on the up. The only costs will be maintenance and up-keep, how much depends on how good a car you buy.

Taken at face value the JZM car looks good. They are great cars and feel hewn from granite. Zero depreciation and good ones will only appreciate. Leave it on 17" wheels, rides much better than the 964 3.6 on 18" speedlines.

Sifly said: Great old school turbo fun, but not as laggy or tail happy as a 930! Edited by Sifly on Sunday 11th November 18:27 same engine as the 930 with a bit of fettling no?

PDenyer said: same engine as the 930 with a bit of fettling no? Not much fettling other than a larger intercooler. 330bhp over 300bhp for the 930. Boost does not come in strong much before 4000rpm. On the 964 3.6 it's about a 1000rpm lower. Making it a bit more tractible and less likely to make the passenger feel sick. With a little fettling my own 3.6 would be on full boost with every gear change. With the JZM car. Firstly I'd sort out the rediculous 4X4 ride height. Then tweak it so the boost comes in lower and that it maintains full boost between shifts. They are an awesome weapon and truly one of the last great hand built 911's. I'd have one again in a heart beat. I know it is a law of build numbers but a 964 3.6 in its viscerall experience is not worth 2 and a 1/2 times a 964 turbo 11. In truth what you get for your money are 18" speedline wheels. Big red calipers that from memory give you 10mm more disc diameter and pad depth area. Yes they fit under 17" wheels. Can't remember if the 3.3 has adjustable platform height suspension. 964 RS rear bumper centre section. The 3.3 is far more tunable than the 3.6. Now if only the missus had a manual license. If it is a good rot free car in good condition get it bought. They really are one of Porsche's finest.

graemel said: Not much fettling other than a larger intercooler. 330bhp over 300bhp for the 930. Boost does not come in strong much before 4000rpm. On the 964 3.6 it's about a 1000rpm lower. Making it a bit more tractible and less likely to make the passenger feel sick. 320 bhp for a 3.3. Not 330bhp. Boost should come in strong below 3k if it's running properly. Great cars but they're old and they're getting expensive to fix but you can balance that off with zero depreciation. I've had mine for 12 years and it still brings a smile to my face. It would be a sad day if I ever had to part with it. Duncan

Fattrader said: Trying to do some research on these models and wondered whether anyone could shed any light. What are they like to drive and live with? What would you budget for a good one? Hard to budget for a good one as that is subjective to how fussy you are..50k buys a really good one (i think)..to live with they are no problem as very reliable if they have been looked after properly..to drive..it depends what you expect..better than an Austin Maxi but only 10% of a 997tt imo Edited by kayc on Monday 12th November 15:59

..to drive..it depends what you expect..better than an Austin Maxi but only 10% of a 997tt imo Edited by kayc on Monday 12th November 15:59 [/quote] Cracking cars. Great build quality and reliable if looked after. I'm sure a 997TT is much better to drive, but that's not really relevant is it?

porkey said: ..to drive..it depends what you expect..better than an Austin Maxi but only 10% of a 997tt imo Edited by kayc on Monday 12th November 15:59 Cracking cars. Great build quality and reliable if looked after. I'm sure a 997TT is much better to drive, but that's not really relevant is it?but maybe it is as that's what the Op was asking!

kayc said: porkey said: ..to drive..it depends what you expect..better than an Austin Maxi but only 10% of a 997tt imo Edited by kayc on Monday 12th November 15:59 Cracking cars. Great build quality and reliable if looked after. I'm sure a 997TT is much better to drive, but that's not really relevant is it?but maybe it is as that's what the Op was asking! Sorry, I missed the bit that said how does 20odd year old car drive compared to something a year old. Anyway I seem to remember the Austin Maxi having a very smooth ride, adequate performance coupled with class leading interior space.

porkey said: Sorry, I missed the bit that said how does 20odd year old car drive compared to something a year old. Anyway I seem to remember the Austin Maxi having a very smooth ride, adequate performance coupled with class leading interior space. The Op asked how they are to drive..and they actually dont drive that well by the standard we have become used to..i think thats what he needed to know

kayc said: The Op asked how they are to drive..and they actually dont drive that well by the standard we have become used to..i think thats what he needed to know No doubt about that. They were hardly state of the art when new. I know what I'd rather have though.

I can understand the drive is subjective to the driver. A 997TT is a little over budget and the depreciation and servicing costs would be higher than the 964 T2. My heart is turning my head and I am getting a little more information about the car. What is the driving position like in the 964 and what is it like on long drives.

Fattrader said: I can understand the drive is subjective to the driver. A 997TT is a little over budget and the depreciation and servicing costs would be higher than the 964 T2. My heart is turning my head and I am getting a little more information about the car. What is the driving position like in the 964 and what is it like on long drives. It is difficult to sum up the driving experience as everyone is different. Having owned a 964 turbo before I would say they are an easy car to drive around town or on the motorway. Require a bit of skil on twisty roads as you dont want boost coming on mid corner. They are very quick cars even by modern standards and even quicke if the car has had a few mods. Like all 911s, its key to get a geo done from a decent place who kno these cars as just the slightest adjustment can make the difference between an enjoyable car to drive and one that feels like its about to crash. I had the sport seats (recognisable by there large side bolsters) and they are still my most favourite sport seat in any 911. Never had any issues with comfort even after a few hours in the car. The offset pedals take a little getting used to but again i didn`t suffer any pains/cramping like some people have mentioned over the years. A comon mod is a cat bypass and the turbo sounds glorious with the crackle on overrun. They are beautiful cars to look at and you certainly shouldn`t loose any money (read as much money) if you bought a well maintained turbo which required no work(eg sounds engine, new suspension, recent clutch etc etc), drive for a couple of years and sold on after c5-8k miles. the key is to buy a good one otherwise they an cost a lot. If you like the old school look then personally i`d must rather have a 964 turbo (power steering, air con, looks) than a 930 but everyone is different.

Magna said: It is difficult to sum up the driving experience as everyone is different. Having owned a 964 turbo before I would say they are an easy car to drive around town or on the motorway. Require a bit of skil on twisty roads as you dont want boost coming on mid corner. They are very quick cars even by modern standards and even quicke if the car has had a few mods. Like all 911s, its key to get a geo done from a decent place who kno these cars as just the slightest adjustment can make the difference between an enjoyable car to drive and one that feels like its about to crash. I had the sport seats (recognisable by there large side bolsters) and they are still my most favourite sport seat in any 911. Never had any issues with comfort even after a few hours in the car. The offset pedals take a little getting used to but again i didn`t suffer any pains/cramping like some people have mentioned over the years. A comon mod is a cat bypass and the turbo sounds glorious with the crackle on overrun. They are beautiful cars to look at and you certainly shouldn`t loose any money (read as much money) if you bought a well maintained turbo which required no work(eg sounds engine, new suspension, recent clutch etc etc), drive for a couple of years and sold on after c5-8k miles. the key is to buy a good one otherwise they an cost a lot. If you like the old school look then personally i`d must rather have a 964 turbo (power steering, air con, looks) than a 930 but everyone is different. Agree with what Magna says. I can't think of another car that is a more comfortable drive. You need to go drive one and form your own opinion. Owning a 997tt would hold as much interest for me as owning a chocolate tea pot.

The trouble with modern day high performance cars like the 997t is that they are too easy to drive at silly speeds. You don't know your doing 140mph until you look at the speedo because all you did was accelerate as you would normally in your ford focus! Yes this is amazing technology and allows biblical performance, but it's actually not much fun! Have you ever tried driving a crap car at a good pace? You have to think ahead, place the car carefully in the road, and strategically plan the gear changes!! You become 'involved' with driving the machine, and it is fun! An old school performance car still requires you to think ahead, and work the car to get the best out of it with the understanding that if you mess up, it could well hurt! But when you get it right, it's an absolute blast! And when you get the car up to speed, you know about it, not because you've seen the speedo, but because you had to work to get it there, and the car gives you the sensation of speed and performance back through the seat. I get to drive an Audi RS4 from time to time. It's bloody awesome, it's comfortable and smooth and amazingly fast in all conditions. A fantastic piece of engineering. But, it's also too easy to drive fast, it's doesn't make you work, the steering is feather light, it's even quiet appart from the engine growl. It's verging on boring because it is too capable. You don't need to be doing 200 mph to be having fun. For a lot of people the fun comes from taking something that requires a bit of hard work to master, but that then repays you with great feel when you get it right. The old school cars like the 930 and 965 do exactly that, because they can be a handful and they arn't overly smooth or over powered. They require you to drive them not just operate the controls!! Now that is what I call FUN.

Thank you for your comments.

Need to sleep on it.

Have you seen the car and driven it?

porkey, you have a 964 T2. Can you expand more about your experience with it?

Fattrader said: Trying to do some research on these models and wondered whether anyone could shed any light. What are they like to drive and live with? What would you budget for a good one? Have you found this website http://www.964uk.com/html/964-1k.htm Somewhere on this website is a DIY guide to do a 100,000km service, if you were thinking of taking on some of the servicing your self to reduce costs. I must admit I like the one on the JZM website as well not sure I'd want a dream car in silver though.

kayc said: The Op asked how they are to drive..and they actually dont drive that well by the standard we have become used to..i think thats what he needed to know I think you are mistaking 'ease' of driving with 'involvement and fun' of driving. Of course a 997TT is much faster and much easier to drive fast. But it's also a lot more refined and the OP enjoyed the rawness of his old TVR. An old school 911 can be a very involving and challenging drive, particularly if you are approaching the limit. By comparison a 997 would be like driving in a video game. Which is better depends entirely on how involved you want to get in the actual driving experience. Both have their place, but to say that an old 911 doesn't drive that well is totally missing the point. They are still great cars for those seeking an occasional break from the Playstation era of modern motoring.

I have had 964 3.3 Turbo for going on for 9 Years, working with Porsches every day and getting the chance to drive all Models, I must admit the newer Models are easy to drive with all there aids and systems. My head is still Old Skool prefer the older models more charater and challenging, a good example is holding premium value and are always going to just because of low build numbers and in my view (only my veiw) better quality. As an example Old 3.2 100000 on the clock few oil leaks Rebuild go for another 100K easy, they are so easy to tastefully modify to bring the handling up to date. We have experienced allot of customers returning back to Air Cool. Going back to my 3.3 brilliant fun and drivers Car, if your serious take one out for a blast you will deffinately buy one.

My old 3.3 with just over 40k on the clock. I wasn't a fan to be honest. They're reasonably quick in a straight line but like all old porsche single turbo's you have to really want one to get the most out of one. All the on off power delivery is okay at first then it just becomes tiresome and boring really long-term.

I went from a 997 turbo to a 3.6 turbo. Both brilliant cars. Everyday the 997 is hard to beat, but as fun goes and driver involvement the old air cool cars are so much fun. I must be driving the cars different to most of you because I find the 3.6 seriously quick even through corners. You know when the turbo is coming in so make sure the car is relatively straight. If not the back comes out, but if you know what the car is like you will be ready for it. They take skill ( and I am no Tiff Neddell) but they follow the basic laws of driving. Isn't that what people want from a drivers car. And keep it straight and you will never lose money either!!!

I am with you there some mint roads arround here full of twisties really good bike roads but thoroughly enjoy going quick in my 3.3. Slow in fast out running through your head. Must admit altering the exhaust by running no cats and a GPipe has altered the response from the Turbo.

Driving nearly every car that wears a Porsche badge day in day out at my business from 997 Turbos, 996 gt3 Rs to stripped out air cooled to Boxsters/ Caymans etc,, all great cars in their own way... To be honest though every time I jump into my 964 turbo for a spin it reminds me how great these cars actually are and I can't think of anything that's as much as an all round great car to have, total blast to drive when in the mood for some serious fun and also a great cruiser for longer journeys etc, all this can be had standard and properly set up and even more with some simple bolt on mods, then you can see the turbo starting to spool around 2k revs and onto full boost under 3k.. Set of bilstein coil overs then set up to near 964 Rs geometry settings then even more controlled fun can be had on the corners.. A point also worth noting its probably one of the best built cars ever to come out of the the Porsche factory

Mine is running no cats with a g pipe and it makes a big difference, also on bilsteins too :-)

Change front bushes to Power Flex Bushes that transforms the front end and steering, well has on mine. Running standard shocks with H&R Lowering Spring Set works for me.

I bought the JZM 3.3 and love it. Agree on ride hight.

Congratulations

Congratulations, sounds like I missed out! I was so close on that one but hesitated and a little GT3 popped up and took me. Tell us more what is it like, and get some pics up?

ashbrown said: I bought the JZM 3.3 and love it. Agree on ride hight. Excellent! I love 964 Turbos and only parted with mine last summer after 5 years. I kept looking at that silver one over the winter when I was suffering withdrawl symptoms, as I was thinking of chopping in my GT3 already. Would be a bit daft though since I've hardly driven my '3 yet. Great summer road cars. Enjoy it!

ashbrown said: I bought the JZM 3.3 and love it. Agree on ride hight. Good choice of car and top lurking too. 1 post in 70 months. See you again in 2019.

ashbrown said: I bought the JZM 3.3 and love it. Agree on ride hight. Great choice and when i seen it for sale I thought it wouldn't hang about for long,thought would be great buy for someone! For me 964 turbo is still the best buy air cooled out there,,that's when you see one for sale,which ain't very often,if at all :-)

Heres my old 964 3.6 Turbo II, stunning car, worse mistake I ever made selling it! :-( Have seen it for sale since at twice what I originally bought it and sold it for, still cheapest car I ever owned, didn't lose a penny on the car and ran it for a year for virtually free! Still gutted I don't have it now though. It was a brilliant, lovely car to drive, easy to power slide, Turbo comes on strong quickly but is easily catchable.

Congratulations Ashley. They are iconic cars and one of the best looking 911's ever produced. Build quality is superb.

London GT3 said: ashbrown said: I bought the JZM 3.3 and love it. Agree on ride hight. Good choice of car and top lurking too. 1 post in 70 months. See you again in 2019. Agreed. Great first post.

What an Amazon Green gem this is. https://www.elferspot.com/en/car/porsche-964-turbo...