1990 Carrera 4 info?

I'm no expert, so I can't really help you on the problems with that particular model, but 29,900 is getting into low 993 territory. There are few local Carrera 4's at an independent (but very reputible) shop in Raleigh that are in the high teens and low 20s, including cabriolets. As noted by your book value, that price is extremely high. When you have owners who price their cars that far above the market value, they usually aren't too willing to come down.

 

It's late, and I have some free time, so get a snack and sit down.

While the price is approaching 993 territory, it is a low mileage car for its age, and could be worth the asking price if the condition were in keeping with the miles, which it sounds like may not be the case. Early C4s are holding their value well, and probably won't fall off very fast from here on out. According to the CPI (Cars of Particular Interest) book, the value for an excellent condition car is $29k, while a good condition car is about $20k. Of course, a poor-fair condition car is worth about half that. There should be plenty of nice cars priced reasonably out there.

Things to watch for:

It's a twin spark engine. Make sure it's had the distributor vent update, or else you'll have a burned up belt on the dual distributor, and will only be running on half its plugs.

There were some issues with leaky heads on the early 964 C2s and C4s. Find out if the heads were replaced, and when. The problem was a gasketless seal on the heads, and some cars (less than half, I heard) had poor sealing and had to have the heads replace with a corrected piece (with a gasket, IIRC). It didn't affect all the cars, though, and may not be an issue.

Hydraulic valve lifters didn't arrive until the 993, so find out when the last valve adjustment was done. Should probably have one every 30k or every few years to keep it running just right.

The heads and the distributor issue were handled on later production cars from late '91 on or so.

The dual mass flywheel also had some issues early on, but I can't recall exactly what the problem was. Also corrected in later production.

The '89 model (C4 only) has no airbags, and has a different clutch setup, and for some reason, earlier tests showed it to be a little quicker than '90 and newer cars. I beleive the engine management was a little different as well. The '89 would be my choice for these and other sentimental reasons. My mother had the first C4 in town in '89.

The 964 C4 is a great car. The technology for the differential system and electronics was very similar to what was developed for the 959. And it is a quick car. It will also handle mild snow with ease. My mother and father moved to Illinois after she got her '89, and I had the chance to drive it back from Chicago to Peoria in a light snow (about 3-4 inches on the ground and falling). My mother was riding with me, and decided we were going to stop for the night around the time I caught up with the snow plow / sand truck and was considering passing.

I'm tired of typing now. Good night.

 

It was my second Pcar a couple of years back..main inherent problems were :

1. Flywheel. It uses the 2Flywheel system to reduce shock/vibration in the drivetrain. They tend to fail and you'll be stranded!!. Check whether it's been rectified with the 'LUK' units or better still, upgraded to a single RS type...and being a Pcar...solid motor mounts ala RS..

2. Vent hose for the dual distributor ( twin plugged). Yours is an early model and they had the problem of one distributor failing (current arc reacting with the metal, resulting gas !@#$s up the distributor). When it happens you'll get only 6 plugs firing which in really bad cases can result in a holed piston. Rectification by way of attaching a 5mmID vent hose to the distributors to bleed the gas.

3.It's 4WD set-up may not be everyone's cup of tea. You'll experience understeer and the steering feels funny at first. Lowering the car and fitting RUF ARB makes a world of difference. 17" wheels a must and the Cup 1s are the best factory style.

4.Don't believe the horror stories you hear/read. It's a great car and IMO the best 'affordable' modern Pcar. Dunno about US pricing but even in MY it's bordering on the cheap...

BTW , if you're into tuning, you won't be dissapointed. They're very 'tunable' these 3.6L with 'solid' lifter units....eg : Change the flap type AFM to the MAS type, as found in the 993...

Good Luck.

 

I sold my '89.5 for $20k in April with 106k miles on it. It didn't leak oil (contrary to popular belief about the 964s). I liked it for what it was, but it was no Ferrari. I knew it would not last long once I bought the Mondial, when the 308 showed up, it was time to sell.
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I really love 964's

 

I use a 964 / Ruf RCT Evo everyday, great car and the last of the Proper 911 shape.
as has been said before the barrel / head seal leaks on some of them (like all air cooled Porsches they do leak a little oil, when the heads go they leak more )
C4's understeer a bit but you can dial it out with different anti roll bars (sway bars) and decent shocks/springs
The distributor needs to have a vent installed or the belt replaced, if the belt snaps you only loose a small amount of power so may not notice it, in some cases this lead to engine damage from pre ignition
The steering rack seals tend to let go so look for signs of red fluid under the drivers side front wing

All in all a fantastic useable car, with the right mods they'll frighten the hell out of most Ferraris upto the 355 (or in the case of the Ruf's anything bar F40/F50/Enzo)

 

I had a 1989 C4, the 964 are very understeery compared to the 993's....