canadian993

Good evening,

I am from canada and new to this forum. I have always dreamed about a 993. This with the NSX and Esprit V8 are the cars who kept my soul alive. I am now in the position to think about one of these icons. So i am going to see à 993 carrera with over 150000 miles. A california car that has been imported to Canada? The dealer is asking around 27000 USD. First of all, how long can the engine last? What should I be looking for? My budget is tight, max 30000$ USD. This or the Nsx?

Thank you for the answers!

Eurotrio

993 ofcourse.

KNS

My 911SC had well over 150,000 miles - never rebuilt - when I purchased it (my first Porsche). I drove it for another nine years with no issues. If it has been well maintained it should drive just fine past 200,000 miles or more.

ca993twin

Whether that 150,000 mile 993 is a good deal or not depends upon its condition. Some can be learned from the service history. A well-cared for 993 engine can certainly last for 250,000 miles. There is a pretty common issue with valve guides that normally requires a valve job and guide replacement before 150,000 miles. Has that been done? Is the car a 1995 (OBD-I) or 1996 or later (OBD-II)? The OBD-II cars throw a check-engine light when the SAI ports get clogged... this is a problem on normally aspirated 993s (ie, not the Turbos). If its not a Tiptronic, then you must be concerned about the clutch wear... totally dependent upon the driving skill of the previous owners. Another concern is steering rack leakage, which can occur on all 993 models.
This car might be a great deal, or may bury you in repair bills... we need more information to help you.

nesposito

They're both great cars. I've owned both but still have a 993 in my garage. That should say something.

canadian993

Thank you guys and ca993twin. I am waiting to get more infos very soon.

tcsracing1

The 993 is the timeless classic that is always fun to drive.

If you get it, plan on dumping $4k into the car for a proper service if it has not been already performed.
Belts, plugs, caps, rotor.... items such the radio, clutch and rack/pinion steering also can time out..

PRSWILL

If you're asking how long the engine will go for, I think you've heard it -- a long time if treated well. If you're asking if the 993 is a good deal, very hard to tell. If you're comparing the other cars to the 993, you're asking a biased audience. So what is the question.

TouringTeg

This car? http://wwwb.autotrader.ca/a/Porsche/...O&orup=3_15_38

If so it has been on the market for nearly a year now. I called them back in December 2013 when it was $32,999 and they were not helpful at all. It was on consignment and they said to call back in 2 weeks. I didn't bother.

It is a manual c2 coupe with black interior which are all great. I would get an inspection on this one and have them check for paint work. Might be some stories with this car.

tcsracing1

i figured that car was a scam....

saneproductions

I bought my 993 just over a year ago with 125k miles. I would absolutely recommend a high mile 993 as long as you find a good one. I happened to luck out and found a great car that was well taken care of by a Rennlist/PCA member who actively maintained the car and kept everything perfect even though it was a daily driver. That said, these cars are going on 20 years old and issues will begin to arise that you need to stay on top of. Before I bought the car, the PO had religiously done all the service including the 120k mile, fluid changes, replaced the dampers, distributer, wires, plugs, cap rotor, door seals, brakes, clutch at 70k miles etc.

Over the last year, I have continued the service regimen and fixed other issues as they have occurred. These include tires, alignment (very important on these cars), spoiler drive, spoiler relay control, sticky clutch pedal, 3 different HVAC servos and a heater flow vent valve/door, O2 sensor, head temp sensor, DME relay, front brakes, shift **** rattle, squeaky blower etc.

I would budget $5-10k to get a car right and another $5k a year (assuming you will need engine and gearbox at some point over the first 5 or 7 years of ownership and those items can be quite expensive). You could probably get away with much less, and you could spend much much more on the slippery slope of potential mods. This assessment is heavily colored by the way I want to keep my car and my personality so your mileage may vary.

I am sure there are tons of people who will just buy a good car, change the fluids and drive it for many years with very little cash outlay, but I like to plan for worst case.

earossi

I think that the responses above have been absolutely correct. What I can add, is to tell you that I just completed a total rebuild of my 993 engine at 110K miles. On teardown, the bottom end of the motor was absolutely perfect and could have easily made 250k miles. All bearings except the intermediate shaft bearings looked as if they had just been installed. The intermediate bearings did show some wear, but were entirely serviceable and would have made the run to 250K miles, in my opinion.

The cylinders were almost perfect. Still showed the hone marks everywhere. Measured for ovality and taper, they were well within spec and could have made the run.

But, as stated by others earlier, the heads were a different story. Porsche uses very soft valve guides and mine were totally shot (exhaust). The intake guides were worn but ok.

If the car you are looking at is a 95, than you will not have the complexities of the VariRam system. Nor, will you have a check engine light issue due to the SAI circuit plugging seen on all high mileage 993 engines.

I would say that the 993 engine design is the best 911 motor ever, and if it has been maintained, you should feel confident is buying a used high mileage car. Have a proper PPI done on the car including a leak down and compression test. And, ask for the records.

If at 150k miles, you have had a recent clutch and a valve job, you should be reliable to make that 250k mile mark.

But, I will warn you that parts for the 993 are much more expensive than for earlier, less complicated 911's. So, if you do need work, it can get expensive very quickly. The $3000 contingency you have in your budget can go away quickly, if you have to hire someone to do the work.

Good luck.

Spyder_Man

Having recently bought a '95 993 with comparable mileage, I'd warn you not to make the purchase unless you have some padding for significant repair costs. In my case, the brake system, suspension, and steering rack all needed a complete overhaul within a short time period plus some little stuff. I bought mine in January of this year. I probably have put about $13k into the car in repairs, parts and labor. That's shocking for me to even type...

I went a little crazy on my suspension upgrades having sport bushing installed (lots of extra labor) and I had stainless steel brake lines added when the brakes were overhauled. So one might be able to get these types of repairs done for less, but I'd doubt too lower than what I spent. My 993 lacked recent repair history so I knew I was taking a gamble when I bought it. I would have held off on the suspension longer for financial reasons, but when the steering rack sprung a leak, it seemed like the timing was best to take both repairs on at once.

The moral of the story, you might have heard/read the phase "there is no such thing as a 911 for less thank $30k," well at this point given the market value of 993s and the proportionate parts and labor costs I'd wager there is no such thing as a 993 for less thank $35k, possibly even $40k. This is all in USD btw. If you buy a 993 for less than that, expect to put the remaining about into repairs in short order.

In the end I'm still happy I went with a higher mileage 993 rather than waiting for a 60k mile example to come by that I could afford. The reason why is I bought this car to drive it and not just look at it. I feel a lot less guilty about driving a higher mileage example, and I'm enjoying repairing it back up to the specs that I want it to have.

Good luck! If the 993 bug has really bitten you hard, its going to very hard to not scratch that itch and buy one.

Washabi

having owned both an NSX and my 993 at the same time, I will tell you that both cars are amazing, but in very distinct (and different) ways. The 993 is a very visceral vehicle that almost forces you to admire its heritage and its rawness. The NSX, on the otherhand, is still a very driver-oriented car, but has characteristics that embodies the design and technology during its development.

You can't go wrong with either one. As for the high mileage, as most other people have already stated, so long as it has been maintained properly and has been taken care of, the 993 is a solid car.

pp000830

Here is the scoop on what has been done or is likely needed on the car you are contemplating: