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I wanted to share my "new" car with everyone here.
I actually bought it in November but have been lurking in the shadows and have only now gotten around to posting about the car. In that time though I have received some truly great advice from people on this forum and I can't thank you all enough for your helpfulness and generosity.
So... the car. It's a 1997 Midnight Blue, manual Coupe with (only) 170,000 miles. Yes, you read that right 170,000 miles! The previous owner (it was a 2-owner car) daily-drove the hell out of it but also took great care of the car and kept meticulous records. It was never tracked and the car is in terrific shape considering how many miles it's seen.
If it were't for some of the sage advice I received on this forum I probably would have passed on the car but boy am I glad I didn't. It's great. The top-end has not been rebuilt but it still runs like a scalded dog. The #3 cylinder does not have the best compression but I am saving my pennies to get it done next year. Everything is just as it should be; it pulls hard, shifts well, makes great noise and puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. It's everything I thought it would be and more.
I plan on keeping it mostly stock and driving it mostly on weekends and maybe one or two DE's a year. So far I have replaced the pads and rotors, lower control arm bushings, new AC compressor, belts, belt sensor, hood crest and given it a proper detail and some PDR. Next up is new shocks and springs, Fister stage II mufflers, and a set of 18" non-hallow Turbo Twists. (if you've got some, how you doing?)
Again, just wanted to share and express my gratitude to the community here for encouraging me to pull the trigger and fulfill a life long dream. Happy driving everyone!
Phoneyman, here are some shots of the interior. It's held up pretty well. Some wrinkles in the driver seat, some wear on the shift **** but overall very presentable.
Nice camera, i like the shifter shot. Your seats seem to have held up really well. I got super lucky and my 120k mile seats look pretty nice also. Have fun!
those seats must have been redone... how they look like new with 170k miles??? wowow!!
yes lowering springs and fresh dampers and bushings may well be your best mod for better driving pleasure... depends if the prior owner did those recently
John,
Welcome to the mayhem and expertise that is RL993! These guys allow us mere mortal mechanics to keep our cars going and not go broke in the meantime. I'm on 8+ years of ownership and my 993 (she's got 120k mi on the clock) keeps putting that big frickin smile on my face EVERY time I drive her. As you can see, these cars like to be driven and 170k mi hasn't had a negative effect on your new baby!
As for the seat, Leatherique does a fantastic job of keeping them soft and supple. If you have some minor damage/color loss, there are ways to deal with it that don't involve recovering seats (which never ends up looking quite right...).
DE is a good idea to learn your car, but I'd suggest Autocross if you can find something nearby. No substitute for learning the limits in a nice, safe (only hit a cone) environment before hitting the track. If not PCA, try BMW club, SCCA, Miata club, etc for AX nearby.
Originally Posted by Ed Hughes
Don't "ruin" it with twists, the one side being backwards will gnaw at you. Consider keeping the Cups and do a nice refinish.
Wait, Ed, my wheels are on backwards?
John, if you can find them, the 993 twists are stunning on the car....best wheel on a 993. Ed is partially right however, keep the Cups no matter what for "originality" in the future.
Don't "ruin" it with twists, the one side being backwards will gnaw at you. Consider keeping the Cups and do a nice refinish.
Don't buy into that, original 993 Twists look great on these cars!
As do a lot of other OE and non-OE wheels, one look at the "Who's got the coolest wheels" thread will prove that!
Congrats and enjoy your new ride!
05-30-2016, 03:52 PM
my "new" 993
welcome!
