Trading in 997tt cab for 930
 

i love my 997tt pdk. i don’t have experience with porsche’s before 993s. but the style, the elegance, the sound, the cosy and simple cabin, the fun in the lag is extremely tempting. i found a 930 near where i live which is perfect for me. it is recently completely restored in-out that it hasn’t been properly broken in. I drove it just to check if it runs. these cars are now serious money. if i take it, has to be at the cost of my dear 997 (and a lot more extra). i read many forums trying to find answers to my not very clear questions. one member mentioned the day he traded in his 996tt for a 930 in bad taste. i know this is a very personal subject. but all i want is a very cool and fun porsche i want to grow old with. i don’t feel the same way to the newer machines. they are unreasonably fast but lacking something. and every now and then an even faster one comes out. maybe soon they will be all electric. on the other hand handling risks are worrisome. more so for my wife. is the aircondion that inefficient ? can you rely on it making long road trips ? what would i miss not having after 997. i need feedback. any thoughts ...

mbirand~ I own 2 early Turbo's a 1991 and 1981 Turbo, both are very comfortable in long distance trips and a joy to drive... Hope this helps, bol to you...

I've owned several early turbos. If you're going to use it a lot you need to become handy with common fixes, relays, fuses etc. Yes, the AC sucks, there are a couple of companies that can update the AC and even convert to 134, but it will never be like a modern cars AC.
A long trip is one thing I wouldn't routinely do in a 930, especially at extremes of temperature. The cars are 30 yrs old and so are all the components and electrical, with use they will need repair more frequently than a newer car. Keep in mind, its not if they eventually need a rebuild but when, and that can be an expensive proposition. They are great cars, nothing like driving one that's for sure, just go in with eyes wide open. Good luck on your quest, I've been looking around again myself.
c

A 930 will loosen the fillings in your teeth on most roads. There is nothing more tactile. No power steering and a suspension stiff enough to put you into back surgery. If you want raw, you are gonna get raw down to the nub. These cars are dinosaurs with early 70s technology and feel/drive like it. I dont drive mine a ton so it does have that sense of occasion and is thrilling. Ive driven it on 3hr getaways. But honestly after about an hour Im ready to get out of the thing. Loud, hot, rough-riding, hates idling if you hit a traffic snarl, etc. -- and mine is a garage queen. Everything is a major compromises where a modern Turbo you just get in and let it rip. If its 100F outside or raining, you arent worried whether the A/C is adequate or your window seals are gonna leak. Unless youre in the '89, the 4-speed feels like you're shifting a Freightliner. Every tranny is different and has its "way you gotta row the gears" methodology to it so it plays nice. Ive never driven two 930s 4-speeds that shifted the same. That said if you want to throw stupid BHP at the car, its the gearbox to have. Its built like an Alabama shythouse it just doesn't like to be rushed to go #2.

I drive my Cayman S as a daily. Its no less fun to drive IMHO because I can drive it every day w/o needing to talk myself into it. Part of the fun is it doesnt fight back. Comfort wise its like living in a Bentley Continental compared to the 930.

Any money is probably safe in a 930 if you get out of your 997. These are long-term steady stocks like Coca Cola. The first widowmakers that changed the game in high-end turbo sports cars. But, honestly the 964TT is a way better car in almost every way. More rare too. You can probably have one for the same money. I get that its not the first iteration and doesnt have quite the profile, accordian bumper, Miami Vice persona, but the leap from the 930 to the 964 was like going from b/w TV to 4K. Im not saying Id rather have a 964TT over my 930. Im just trying to add some context to where you're coming from and where you're considering heading to and what options in between might be a better fit. You can spend a lot less and find equal or better joy. So many great bargains out there in the Porsche world. To me, a 6-figure+ car better just about walk on water. I got in when these things were in the low $30s (and that was realllllly stretching for a good one). I dont think I could be talked into buy one now where values currently are, not when I can buy an early 991 Turbo S or GT3 for the same dough.

The 993 Turbos are floating for similar money and Ive had thoughts of more or less swapping into one of those -- for similar reasons -- its a monumental leap in livability and reliability yet better performance and fully depreciated so similar long-term upside. Whats holding me back is 15yrs of ownership in the 930 so we've gotten close to one another. And Im really not interested in anything different than what I already have unless its a PTS car and those are hard to find in 993TT's and bring a premium.

When the fricking snow melts and I pull my 930 out of the garage and go for a drive for the first time in 5 and a half months, disregard everything I just said.

This has got to be the BEST POST I HAVE SEEN IN A LONG TIME!!! .... it brought back so many memories of 14 yrs ago when I was test driving 930's, and decided to buy my 964T.

Thanks for the great read. Truth.
=Steve

Don't go into culture shock when you drive a 930. I would really recommend you test drivie a 930 and see if you can "appreciate" the more mechanical feel of the drive. I love the 930's because of that throwback "feel"... more mechanical, not so much electrical. You cannot compare a 930 to your 997 in ANY way, I think the only common part might be the "Porsche" shield on the hood. Expect to see cracks in the dash, maybe big wrinkles in the leather seats, yellow or faded interior parts, faded lettering, ragged carpet... all things I LOVE about owning a 930. Expect to "hear" the car more, with less insulation, you will HEAR the engine more, you will FEEL the road more, and you will WRESTLE with the steering wheel more, and you will step on the accelerator and feel the rush of the turbo...... unfortunately 3 seconds after hitting the gas. But it is an experience you cannot have with a 997.

good advice

I'd just trade it for a manual 997tt. There will never be a car like that built again. Mezger motors rule! Chris is a wise man.
And to a casual observer my 930 is said to look brand new. Really It's a tatty 2 on it's best day.

A 930 does not in any way replace a 997TT, and the opposite is true as well. They are different cars that deliver different driving experiences. Ideally, you'd have both.

Well said!


-Jason

Sorry - I know this is an old thread! We are looking to do the same in the NYC/Hudson Valley area on 10/28/21. We don’t need to drive the car, just shoot it and can pay for flatbedding.

We have tried Turo, Vinty and Hagerty without any luck.

Any help or leads would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

The thing about a 930 and old threads is they never get old really. So I'll add to this one .... I'm lucky enough to have a highly modified but streetable (barely) 930 and a highly modified but very streetable 991TT (insert 997 here). My 5'2" wife does not like either but would prefer the 991 if given the choice. I would think she'd like the 991 but she prefers cars she doesn't have to fall into or climb out of. She doesn't appreciate BaT or the car vid's I share with here either. Wonderful woman but not into cars like me. I'm also lucky that she's very curvy. Not in a fat way but in a Porsche curvy way. I always appreciate looking at both. But enough about her. I love the short wheel base and grittiness of the 930 ... except when I like the smoother ride and overall refinement of the 991. The 930 is an icon. I love both cars but differently. We all need at least two 911's ... until we need three.

I have both a 930 and a 997TT 6 speed. Very different cars, although the lineage and underpinnings that connect the 2 together is very perceptible. The 930 is an old classic vintage German muscle-car, whereas the 997tt is a modern-era very useable and practical supercar. I drive my 997tt to work many days. Each time I drive it, it’s an experience. But the 930 is a weekend driver only. It’s absolutely raw and unrefined, but in an awesome way. It’s difficult to summarize the experience of driving it in words in a post!

Just as a caveat though- my 930 has ported heads, a k27-7200 turbo, sc330 cam, and a larger intercoolers. My 997tt has a built up 3.8l forged motor with big conventional turbos and is heavily tuned compared to stock. So neither of my cars are stock. I suspect stock examples of each would be less exciting to drive.

Best of luck in your decision and quest!