BUYING ONE
The 3.6T marks a landmark in 911 production; behind the scenes, Porsche was moving towards twin turbocharging and all-wheel drive and plans were afoot for water-cooled engines. During 14 months of production a mere 1,500 3.6Ts were built. The model combines immense performance with robust build: the flat six required relatively little modification to withstand the stresses of turbocharging and (in 993 GT2 guise) reliably produced over 600hp in competition engines that could perform a whole season with little more than routine maintenance.
Mike Northway of Northway Porsche observes that unlike the 964 Carrera, 3.6Ts are almost all collector’s items. The pair that he maintains is typical: the cars materialise once a year for an MOT and oil change. Porsche’s service schedule specified intermediate attention every 12,000 miles and a major service after 24,000, but on a car travelling barely 1,000 miles per annum, maintenance is more inspection than service. As a rule, spark plugs and brake fluid are never left in situ more than four years and other consumables, such as tyres, batteries and windscreen wipers, are judged on age.
Buying a 964 3.6T is then a very different proposition from a 964 Carrera: plenty of these will have covered well over 200,000 miles and often will have been rebuilt. The 3.6 Turbo was clearly a low-volume, run-out model and like any limited-edition Porsche, it attracted the attention of collectors, becoming weekend rather than commuting cars. Some did see use such as the Irish example which had covered 60,000 miles in its first few years, but many will show lower mileages. Problems are related to lack of use which particularly afflicts air-cooled engines where seals dry out, become porous and start leaking; unlike the turbocharger bodies of the water-cooled 911 Turbos which rust through, the heavier design of the 964’s single blower resists corrosion, but its seals can leak oil if the car lies unused for long periods. The bigger Turbo brakes on the other hand do not seize in their calipers as the stock 964’s tend to. Often the air conditioning will have ceased functioning, and many owners simply neglect to have it repaired, as it's an expensive rebuild. Sunroofs jam (usually a cable has failed) or leak, requiring a time-consuming intervention to fit new seals. Unless panels have at some point been replaced incompetently, neither the 964T’s body nor its chassis should show any sign of corrosion. The striking threepiece Speedline rims are prone to deterioration.
On a purchase running well into six figures, a buyer might expect the car to be in perfect order, but this is not a given. These details as well as the service history need to be checked, especially if purchasing from a private owner, and an independent inspection is always advisable.