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PORSCHE
968 CLUB SPORT
BUYING GUIDE
One of the greatest Porsches ever built and now rapidly gaining classic
status, the 968 Club Sport has always been a shrewd buy. Our guide will
show you how pick the best. Story: Chris Knapman Photography: Antony Fraser

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xciting, affordable, insurable,
covetable is the 968 Club Sport the
quintessential performance car? Ask
anyone to name a Porsche that stirs
the juices like no other that isnt a 911
and its the 968 CS that gets the votes.
First, a bit of history and for that we must
rewind to 1977 and the launch of the
Porsche 924 a car with its engine in the
front, a transaxle at the rear and an
unashamed focus on achieving the best
possible weight distribution between the two
(53/47 front/rear). The 924 evolved into the
944 in 1983, and the final incarnation of
this, the S2, housed a 3.0-litre, 16-valve fourcylinder engine. With 211bhp and 207lb ft of
torque the S2 had enough power to exploit
the perfectly poised chassis, but by the early
Nineties the old 944 silhouette, complete
with its square edges and pop up headlamps
was looking decidedly dated Porsche
needed a new car. And while today the
biggest problem Porsche has when it comes

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to money is where to store it all, a couple of

decades back things werent so rosy. The boom
and bust of the Eighties had left the company
reeling and its cars feeling dated. Without the
funds to develop something new it was forced
to update an old model and try to fob it off as a
new one or at least 83 per cent new, as the
marketing men put it.
So it was that teardrop mirrors disguised the
fact the doors they were attached to dated from
the late Seventies, while other additions
included polyurethane bumpers, updated wheel
designs, new corporate look front wings with
exposed headlamps and a flat colour-coded
panel between the rear lights hinted at a new
design direction.
Despite the effort early 968s werent met with
much acclaim. Competent but lacking flair was
the consensus, and far too expensive.
Undeterred, Porsche looked to its past and
models such as the 1973 911 RS, and later the
911 Club Sport. What if it could offer a similar
concept for the 968, making the car more

exciting but less expensive? So it was that it set

about removing anything that would save both
money and weight. Out went the rear seats,
electric windows, mirrors and boot release, the
sound deadening, plastic cladding around the
engine, chunky airbag steering wheel and
headlamp washers. As a result the Club Sport
weighed 1320kg, a useful 50kg less than a no
frills 968 coup, and probably more like 100kg
less than one with a few options fitted.
What was most amazing about the Club Sport
though, and most difficult to believe given
Porsches current pricing strategy, was that it was
6000 cheaper than a regular 968, costing just
28,975 from UK Porsche dealers. Finally,
Porsche had a hit on its hands a sub 30k car
capable of 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds, a top speed
of 160mph and handling abilities that even now
are capable of restoring your faith in driving. In
todays world, where the 911 rules the roost and
competition from within is actively discouraged,
the 968 Club Sport is exactly what Porsche
customers are crying out for.

SUSPENSION AND BRAKES

The 968 followed the conventional set up of
independent McPherson struts up front with
cast alloy lower wishbones, and semi trailing
arms and torsion bars at the rear. For the Club
Sport ride height was lowered by 20mm by
trimming the springs and resetting the torsion
bars, while anti-roll bars remained at 26.8mm
front and 16mm rear. In addition to this,
customers could spec their Club Sport with
the M030 Sport package. This included stiffer
springs, adjustable Koni dampers and stiffer
anti-roll bars.
While no major defects have arisen with the
968s suspension components you should
budget for general wear and tear due to the
cars age and the way it is likely to have been
driven both on road and track. Prime suspects
will be the wishbones and ball joints, which
when worn will cause a vibration through the
steering wheel. If this happens then

companies such as Hartech offer refurbished

wishbones that will save you a small fortune
compared to new ones. Other suspension
issues can be identified by a car that lacks
sharpness a sure sign of worn bushes and
tired dampers.
Also part of the M030 pack were cross
drilled disc brakes, 304mm up front and
299mm at the rear (as opposed to the
standard ventilated, but not drilled, 298mm
front and 299mm rear discs), and a Torsen
40 per cent locking limited slip differential.
This diff was also available separately under
the designation M220 so dont be surprised
if you find a non M030 Club Sport with a
diff installed.
Be aware too that brake callipers will need
to be rebuilt roughly once every two years
because corrosion between the steel backing
plates on the brake pads and the alloy of the

callipers causes the spring plates that hold the

pads in place to lift. If this happens it may
still be possible to remove old pads from the
calliper but you will find it difficult to slot
new ones into place. The solution is to
remove the calliper from the car and clean
them along with the spring plates before
reassembling them, which will cost around
60 per calliper plus VAT. Because of this you
should look out for botched fixes, where the
pads are simply ground down to fit into the
slot left by the lifted spring plates.

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EXTERIOR
Club Sports were available in five colours
black, Maritime blue, Guards red, Speed
yellow and Grand Prix white with either
red, white or black decals along the base
of the door, which could be deleted as a
no cost option. The Club Sports rear
spoiler is also colour-coded.
Wheels are 17-inch Cup alloys,
measuring 7.5J front and 9J rear. These
could also be colour coded but many
owners chose to leave them silver.
Standard tyre sizes were 225/45 ZR17
front and 255/40 ZR17 rear. Consider
track focused rubber such as Toyos R888
as a sure sign that the car has seen some
circuit work, but given that this is what the
Club Sport was built for dont let that put
you off. Similarly, if the car youre looking
at has had a couple of new front wings or
a front bumper at some point it need not
spell the end of the world or the sale. If
accident repairs have been carried out
properly and the impact was only light in
the first place then theres no reason not to
consider the car. And while 968s are out of
their 10-year anti-corrosion warranty you
shouldnt see any rust, save for perhaps
slight bubbling around the windscreen.

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ENGINE AND GEARBOX

Under the bonnet the Club Sport carried the
same tweaked 944 S2 engine as other 968s.
This meant a 2990cc capacity and although
Porsches engineers only had four cylinders to
work with they still managed to build an
engine that performed better than the six and
eight pots of most of its contemporaries. In
fact, with 240bhp at 6200rpm and 225lb ft of
torque at 4100rpm the 968s engine was
actually the most powerful naturally aspirated
3.0-litre in production. To ensure smoothness
throughout the rev range the 968 had a pair of
balancer shafts, and while it maintained the
S2s four valves per cylinder, improvements
were made via the fitment of forged and
lightened pistons and rods.
The big change though was the inclusion of
VarioCam a system that altered the overlap
between intake and exhaust camshafts between
1500-5500rpm in order to optimise torque in
the engines low to mid operating ranges
without restricting power high up. Motronic
engine management ensured that although the
968 was powerful it also returned respectable
fuel economy (30mpg on a run is quite
feasible) and improved emissions. A new two

into one exhaust system helped to free up

power but the 968s real voice came courtesy of
a revised intake system.
Because the engines roots lay in the 944 it
had already benefited from a decades worth of
development so problems are pretty rare. There
is one weak spot though, and it centres around
wear to the chain drive that runs between the
two camshafts. This is what operates the
VarioCam and is adjusted automatically via a
tensioner. The problem arises when the chain
stretches so that it becomes longer between the
teeth than the sprocket teeth themselves. At
this point it interferes with the teeth, which can
then snap from the camshaft gear sprocket
causing the chain to either slip or break
entirely. A slipped chain will throw the timing
out, at which point youll be looking at new
valves, and if youre really unlucky possibly
even cylinder heads, pistons and bores. Some
say that you can hear a dodgy chain rattling at
idle, but by the same token it will often be the
case that a worn chain will make no adverse
noises so dont rely on this method. The only
sure fire way of checking the condition of the
sprockets and belts is to remove the engine

cover. If any wear is found youll need to replace

not only the chain drive, but also the camshafts
at a cost of around 1200 plus vat. The general
consensus is that, as a precaution, camshafts,
tensioners and guides should be replaced at
75,000 miles (costing around 275 plus vat), or
even better, that you should renew the chain
drive when you do the belts every 30,000 miles.
This preventative step will minimise wear to the
sprockets on the camshafts to the extent that you
may never need to change them.
The story is much the same with the 968s sixspeed gearbox its a generally reliable unit save
for one major potential defect. In this case its
wear to the bearings and the pinion bearing in
particular, which was difficult to set for the
correct amount of preload and if too tight will
wear prematurely. After time this will result in a
whine or a harsh abrasive noise from the box,
particularly when you come off the power. If the
bearings do need replacing then the gearbox
will have to be removed dont expect any
change from 800. Some owners have found
that changing gearbox oil every 20,000 miles is
as good a way as any of delaying the problem
from occurring.

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GRANT PRITCHARD, HARTECH INDEPENDENT PORSCHE SPECIALIST
We tend to find 968s have very reasonable
long term running costs but this is generally
spread over years of low costs then an expensive
period when many things seem to come at
once, after which they are usually cheap again
for a while rather like a graph of peaks and
troughs with a reasonable average.
Unfortunately people usually sell the car
when the expensive period is looming so the
new owner inherits some of the previous
owners running costs. For this reason we always
say that people should budget an extra 2000 or
so on top of the purchase price to enable them
to get the car properly serviced and checked
over, carry out some important preventative
maintenance, and address the more important
faults that they may be inheriting. Its far better
taking this approach than spending your

complete budget on the car to find that youve

additional unexpected expense that you cant
afford. For example, unless theres evidence of it
being done recently I would always advise new
timing belts, tensioner gears and rollers (if
needed), and you will sometimes find that the
water pump needs doing too. This takes care of
the front of the engine.
For the top of the engine theres the
problem with the chain drive stretching over
time. Because this can be so catastrophic I
would always recommend having this checked
when you buy a car. A new chain and a pair of
tensioner pads arent too expensive and while
youre doing this you can measure the sprockets
and properly assess if they need changing. We
have a data base of sizes that work and fail and
so can easily determine the condition of those

we measure but we have seen engines that

needed this doing as early as 30,000 miles, so
we now generally recommend changing the
timing chain at the same time as the belts, every
four years or 30,000 miles. Its very rare to have
a problem with a 968 bottom end.
We are also doing a lot of clutches on 968s
these days and the occasional flywheel, while
fuel pipes and brake pipes can suffer from
corrosion. Its often a case of doing lots of little
jobs where the cost can mount up.
I dont want to make it sound like there are
lots of problems with the car though, because
in general the 968 is very reliable, and if
properly maintained the engine will easily run
over 200,000 miles. Even with budgeting that
2000 maintenance cost when you buy a 968
this is still a very good value car.

INTERIOR
Expect typically solid 1980s build quality in
here think Mk2 Golf and youre along the
right lines. Club Sports benefited from
fantastic Recaro seats (watch for wear on the
bolsters), their fibreglass construction saving
16.8 kilos per pair over the standard chairs
(which could be specified at no cost), and the
most perfect three-spoke steering wheel,
measuring 360mm.
All 968s have the familiar Porsche oval dash
design. To the companys credit this still looks
relatively modern and fresh today unlike the
weight saving manual window winders and
clunky switchgear. In place of the regular 944s
rear seats is a fibreglass panel with a net cover
to keep your shopping in place through the
Craner Curves. Air-con was an option for the
Club Sport. If the car youre looking at has it
fitted then bear in mind that, as well as the
weight of the compressor, youll also be losing
the advantage of the Club Sports smaller
alternator (1260w rather than 1610w) and
battery (50Ah rather than 63Ah) and simpler
wiring loom but obviously in the summer
heat youll suffer less.

OWNERS VIEW, PETER MURRAY

Having had a 944 some years previously I had
always hankered after a 968 Club Sport and
bought mine in December 2003. Im pleased to
say that the cult hype surrounding the CS
proved to be justified the steering, handling
and balance are sublime. My car, which was
completely standard when I bought, has since
been modified with M030 brakes (running
EBC reds) and anti-roll bars, plus a KLA strutbrace and Promax chip. Although I use the car
primarily on road I do enjoy track excursions
whenever possible and that was a big factor in
the choice of a CS over a regular coup or
Sport. Sadly, lack of time limits my fun.
Despite that Ive managed to rack up 35,000
miles in it, the car having now covered 107K.
All the known problems have been rectified.
There is no getting away from the fact that
Club Sports are now getting old, which has two
facets the need for proper maintenance (what
you cant do yourself, get done by a specialist
that knows the cars), and the possibilities of
getting up-to-the- minute technology when
replacing worn out components particularly
suspension. Mine will be getting KW V3 some
time this year.
Other than that theres not much I would
change apart from more power, which the
chassis can clearly handle (if I can talk my wife
into it, mine will get a Ninemeister
supercharger kit) and a quicker rack by 15-20
per cent. Having said that if you are very track

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minded the possibilities are just about endless

as long as you have the budget to cope.
You cant run one of these on a shoestring
but day-to-day its practical and very reasonable
cost-wise. I get 2230mpg normally and a bit

more than that on an almost non-stop run

from Skye to home near Bristol. It uses very
little oil and is not too hard on tyres, with a set
lasting around 15,000 miles. I dont think Ill
ever sell it.

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PORSCHE 968 CLUB SPORT

ENGINE
Capacity: 2990cc
Layout: Four-cylinder, in-line, water-cooled
Max power: 240bhp@6200rpm
Max torque: 225lb ft@4100rpm
TRANSMISSION
Six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
SUSPENSION
Front: Independent McPherson struts, lower
wishbones, anti-roll bar
Rear: Independent semi-trailing arms, torsion bars
BRAKES
Front: 298mm ventilated discs, four-piston callipers,
and ABS
Rear: 299mm ventilated discs, four-piston callipers,
and ABS
TYRES
Front: 225/45 ZR17
Rear: 255/40 ZR17

PERFORMANCE
Max Speed: 157mph
0-62mph: 6.5 seconds
Weight: 1320kg
Price when new: 28,975
RUNNING COSTS
12,000 mile service: 330-480
Cambelt change: 97
Brake fluid change: 60
Brake discs (each): 50
Brake pads (each): 50
Front shocks (each): 190
Rear shocks (each): 80
Oil filter: 8
Head lamps: 150
Clutch: 320
Timing change: 25
Camshaft: 450
(all prices courtesy of Hartech and exclude VAT)

CLUBS, CONTACTS, RESOURCES:

ORGANISATION
Porsche Club GB
The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club
Hartech
Ninemeister
Promax Motorsport
Paragon
Specialist Cars of Malton
Porsche 968 UK
Porsch-Apart
Porscheshop

CONTACT
www.porscheclubgb.com
www.tipec.net
www.hartech.org
www.ninemeister.com
www.promaxmotorsport.com
www.paragon.gb.com
www.specialistcarsltd.co.uk
www.porsche968uk.co.uk
www.porsch-apart.co.uk
www.porscheshop.co.uk

VALUES
Generally speaking cars start at the
9000-10,000 mark and go up to
15,000 for private sales, or a couple of
thousand more from a dealer. You are
almost as likely to find the perfect car for
12k as you are for 15k. The key
therefore, is to buy on condition. Seek a
car thats been lovingly looked after,
even if its been tracked, and keep in
mind those chain drives when looking
over the (essential) service history.
Because of its nature you should be
especially vigilant in tracing back
previous owners wherever possible,
finding out if the car has sustained any
accident damage and if so, whether it
was properly repaired. Find a good car
though and youll have an almost
depreciation proof classic thats more
fun to drive than almost anything else
on the road.

THANKS TO:
Steve Hurn Specialist Cars and R A Clark Trading Ltd for the loan the 968 Club Sport for this
feature. Log on to www.shcars.co.uk and www.ractradporsche.co.uk to find out more.
Independent Porsche specialists Hartech (www.hartech.org), Paragon (www.paragon.gb.com)
and Ninemeister (www.ninemeister.com) for providing information for this feature.

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