Tippy

First off, I have to say I am on a forum that is impressive to say the least, with tons of information to soak in! I came from the flat-6 forum and all people want to talk about is how to shine their cars.

Anybody can wax a car, I need to know how to work on it.

I am mechanically inclined (it is my job), but I have only been around Porsches for a year now and these cars are totally different from American cars I have worked on all my life.

Anyways, I want to purchase a 930 in the future as soon as possible. I have a 2000 996 w/GT3 aerokit now, but can not take not having the widebody and the whaletail any longer, so my question goes as is:

1. Can a 930 be a daily driver? 20k miles a year I average, almost all highway.

2. If so, how many miles can you expect from the engine before overhaul?

3. The whole gre(a)y market situation, can you register a car in the US if it is and what about emissions?

4. Are there years of 930s to avoid or common problems throughout the 930's relating to parts that have to be replaced at given mileage?

5. Can you get the handling around 1G and what are the common parts to jack the HP around 400-500 and their pricing. ( I know some of you guys like to keep secrets to yourselves and I understand )

I am excited to be on this forum and will have a ton to read to learn more about the 930 and hopefully you guys will give me tons of info relating to my questions. Thanks in advance, Tippy

JoeMag

SEE CAPS FOR THOUGHTS ON A FEW ITEM...
~~~~~~~~~~```
First off, I have to say I am on a forum that is impressive to say the least, with tons of information to soak in! I came from the flat-6 forum and all people want to talk about is how to shine their cars.

Anybody can wax a car, I need to know how to work on it.

I am mechanically inclined (it is my job), but I have only been around Porsches for a year now and these cars are totally different from American cars I have worked on all my life.

Anyways, I want to purchase a 930 in the future as soon as possible. I have a 2000 996 w/GT3 aerokit now, but can not take not having the widebody and the whaletail any longer, so my question goes as is:

1. Can a 930 be a daily driver? 20k miles a year I average, almost all highway. SURE.

2. If so, how many miles can you expect from the engine before overhaul? DEPENDS. NEED TO DO LEAKDOWNS AND COMPRESSION CHECKS. ...DON'T KNOW WHAT PREVIOUS OWNER MAY HAVE DONE.

3. The whole gre(a)y market situation, can you register a car in the US if it is and what about emissions? YES, I OWN ONE. THEY CAN PASS EMISSIONS EVEN WITHOUT CAT IF SETUP. ...I TRANSFERED COLLECTORS PLATES SO DIDN'T NEED TO DO EMIISOINS :-)

4. Are there years of 930s to avoid or common problems throughout the 930's relating to parts that have to be replaced at given mileage? HMMM. NOT SURE.

5. Can you get the handling around 1G and what are the common parts to jack the HP around 400-500 and their pricing. ( I know some of you guys like to keep secrets to yourselves and I understand )
1G -- OH YEA.
I'D RECOMMEND JUST READING OLD MSGS AND YOU'LL FIND TONS OF INFO ON THE HP THING...

I am excited to be on this forum and will have a ton to read to learn more about the 930 and hopefully you guys will give me tons of info relating to my questions. Thanks in advance, Tippy

125shifter

While I love my 930, I can't imagine going from a GT3 to a 930. There's a few 930 folks from San Antonio on Rennlist and Pelican. I'd trade cars for a test drive with a 930 owner from there and see how you like it. It would be a hoot for both of you.

youngkang

Well, I drove both 996 and 930. If you want daily driver which my 930 is, I rather have 996 instead. Also, you have to consider MPG, if you drive alot. ~20mpg for 996 to ~13mpg for 930. Heating and air conditioning are an issue if you live in cold or hot climate.
But, I love my 930. Everything is very mechanical, direct, and burly.

WHB Porsche

i believe he's saying he has the GT3 aerokit, not an actual GT3.

125shifter

OK, but I still can't see going from a 996 daily driver to a 930 daily driver.

Tippy

Can you give me reasons why? I see that you too live in Texas, so is it because of the weaker A/C, possibility of the air-cooled to get too hot in traffic, or etc.?

125shifter

A/C, ride, wind noise, gas mileage, clutch weight. With that said, I drove my 280Z for 6 years as a daily driver and it was getting pretty stiff and loud by the time I got ride of it. The biggest problem I had was getting projects complete by Monday morning. If you have another car that wouldn't be that much of a problem.

Have you thought about a C2T. The ride and A/C would be a little better.

nathanUK '81 930 G50

Don't forget about the scary handling

Tippy

I am ignorant to what a C2T is and I like the scary handling characteristics of the 930, call me crazy but I think it is kinda' cool.

nathanUK '81 930 G50

Cool, me too

The C2T is a 964T. The next turbo 911 after the 3.3 930 which is also a 3.3

sand_man

I've been meaning to respond to this, but needed some time to formulate my thoughts. Here's some background: I grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida...IT'S HOT THERE! I've owned more 1950s and 1960s British and German "sports cars" than I've owned new ones. Partly out of necessity, partly out of desire, partly out curiosity, and partly because these are the cars I was raised on...my Father is a car nut, too. Above all, these kinds of cars are just *ME*. All of these cars were daily drivers. All of these cars were worked on by me. None of them had A/C or heated seats. Some were nice, some weren't. Some were so bad that if you could start them you couldn't stop them. Tires so bald that when it rained, I could see my reflection on where the tread *SHOULD* have been. In short, I'm a different breed (like many of the other die hards in this forum). I'd turn my head to look at a nicely done 1960s VW Beetle before I turned my head to look at a vanilla-run-of-the-mill Boxster. I'm warped, I know.

So what does this have to do with driving a Porsche 930? I guess I was conditioned for this sort of adventure. No lie, this morning I was up at 5:00 AM adjusting my valves so that I'd have enough time to button everything up, check for leaks, shower, get my son to school and my sorry @ss to work.

How did I get here? The car I owned right before this was a highly modified 2002 VW GTI VR6. I voided the new car warranty on it during the first week of ownership when I cracked it open to install more aggressive cams and a chip. Then came the lowered coil-over suspension and BBS wheels. Then came the EIP Stage 2 turbo kit. It was at this point that I realized that this was the wrong car for me. I could throw $$$$ at it in mods, but at the end of the day, it was still a VW Golf. I needed a sports car, not a sporty car. And so I yearned to be back in an old car. When I started my search, I originally wanted to be back in a 356C as I had owned one before and adored the experience. However, I knew the lack of HP would be an issue over time. My neighbor has an '84 930 that he's owned for 19 years. It's his daily driver. Rain or shine, snow or ice, he drives this car. It has been BULLET PROOF for him. He has 60,000 miles on his second engine (the first one was sabotaged by his ex-wife) and well over 100,000 miles on the car in total, and the thing has tons of life left in it. The interior has rips and cracks, there are scratches and dings on the body, the engine is dirty, but this god-d@mn **** car refuses to quit! It's more solid than a Swiss sewing machine! This was the "hairy chested" sports car that I knew I had to have.

And so the search began. I wanted the nicest low mileage example that I could find and afford. As soon as I saw the ad for my '87, I just knew that was the car. There was not a mark on it! She was/is in perfect showroom condition. Someone had lovingly cared for this car...just not driven it much. She passed PPI with flying colors. As I took ownership and began the daily drive adventure, things started to break: starter, clutch, turbo, plug wires, etc. The engine leaked oil like the Exxon Valdez. Then disaster struck, the engine began running horribly - much like an early VW engine. Enough was enough, this car and myself deserved better and so the engine was rebuilt. Though I'm still fine tuning, the new engine has been fantastic and has rekindled the fondness I have for these cars.

I know that many of the oil leak related problems were due to the fact that it wasn't driven enough. I've also discovered that one of the previous owners had installed a larger waste gate spring...this might have led to the demise in the first engine. At any rate, I love driving a car in which I won't see another (other than my neighbor) on the road for weeks/months at a time. I love driving a car that makes incredible sounds. I love driving a car that is an icon with a somewhat dubious reputation. I love the simplicity.

Here's what I know: these cars love and demand to be driven! Driven hard (responsibly) at times and driven regularly. I think they do very well on long commutes. My total commute is pretty short, so I'll often stay on the interstate for a few extra exits just so that I can exercise her. They demand to be maintained properly and the parts ain't cheap. When the mechanicals are sorted out (I think mine is very close) they will reward you with many trouble free miles. However, at the end of the day, these are old cars based on old technology. CIS fuel injection can be frustrating to work with...when it's tuned properly it is a pretty robust system, for what it is. It's hard for me to sell someone on these cars - it all depends on your experiences and what your expectations are...they aren't for everyone. For example, if I didn't have kids, the other car on my short list was an Austin Healey 3000 MKII...a car so basic that roll up window become a luxury!

The nice thing about buying a garage queen is that everything is so new and pristine. The bad thing is that you pay a premium and at the end of the day you might not have the $$$$ to sort it out. That was my dilemma. I blew my wad on the nicest car I could find...I didn't bank on having to sort so many things out in such a short while. Hopefully all that is behind me...

UDPride

If I had to drive one daily, Id be in a C2T every day and twice on Sundays over a 930. I prefer the 80s looks of the 930 but the C2T, stock for stock, is so much a better car its not really up for debate. More power, less lag, better ride, better handling, smooth 5-spd and clutch, A/C that works, more reliable, better creature comforts (actual dash warning lights and stuff), probably better fuel economy based on better aerodynamics and ignition. Whats not to like.

Personally it would be a no brainer. A 930 is like driving a Mack truck with Yosemite Sam Back Off mud flaps. Loud, obnoxious, chest-pounding, and somewhat self-absorbed. "Like me the way I am or kiss my ***." C2T is more like "Im here to work with you, not against you."

Once a weekend, I prefer a "kiss my hairy ***" kind of attitude. Every day, "with you, not against you" would be the flavor Id recommend.

jimculp

Great write-up Sandman.

Tippy

Damn Sandman, thats what I needed to hear, I am willing to put up with a few hassles just to have what I want. If I wanted a trouble free car, I would of bought a Camry, but I didnt. I come from American muscle cars with no A/C and loud exhaust, that is what I like. When I rode in a '87 turbo, it felt so damn raw, I couldnt stop thinking about how simple and cool the car was, it just had a lot more character than my 996. I dont think I can find a 964 T in my price range though and it may be a little too "refined" like my 996. Thanks for all the input guys.