Autobahn

I bought a sub 20K miles 993 four years ago. First thing I did, after receiving a spectacular PPI, was to send it to my mechanic to replace the a lot of wear & tear items, e.g. engine mounts, transmission mount, suspension, valve cover gaskets, various other gaskets, etc. Car has been bullet proof.

Peteinjp

Tlaloc75

mpruden

Go for it. You seem to have reasonable expectations about the effort involved.

I've now rehab'd two german cars from the mid 90s to daily driver levels of reliability, a Porsche and a Mercedes. Relative to the Mercedes, the Porsche was hands down easier, mainly because it's a simpler car. My thoughts after getting up close and personal with both:

Good:
* It has a manual gearbox - no pesky ATF leaks from about 10 little seals.
* Simple steering system - pretty much just a pump, rack, and tie rods. None of the complexity, parts count, and slop of a recirculating ball system.
* Much better wiring harnesses - aside from the one engine harness recall, 993s have rock solid electrical systems (way unlike MB of the era)
* Simple climate control - sure the servos go out, but they can be replaced without taking the entire interior out of the car. Evaporators require more disassembly, but it's not terrible compared to other cars.
* Simple cooling system - You know, no water pump, radiator, coolant passages to clog, fan clutch to go bad, etc... Just a few low-speed fan resistors are the only common failure points on the Porsche.
* No driveshaft - that means no flex discs to wear out, no center bearings, diff / transmission / engine mount alignment issues, etc.
* Simple exhaust - No heavy pieces of metal running the length of the car. The exhaust of a 993 can come off with one person in about 20 mins, or maybe 5 min if you've done it enough times.
* Simple engine removal - Anyone can do it in a weekend in their garage with just jack stands.

Bad:
* Parts cost - Some (not all) Porsche parts are expensive.
* Ignition system - The 993 uses a complex electronically controlled, mechanically distributed system with a dual distributor, 14 wires, 12 plugs, etc. These are a pain to change out.
* SAI system - 96+ cars will throw a CEL if the system detects a fault. This doesn't affect the car, but will make it fail some smog tests in some states. Fixes can be expensive if...
* Valve guides - If your engine is burning a lot of oil, that's not a good sign. Valve jobs are not cheap on these engines.
* Oil leaks - Old engines will leak some oil. It's just part of it. My 150k mi engine had a valve job at 100k. It's still dry, but I'm sure seeped like crazy before the valve job.

Mark in Baltimore

I'd go with a sorted, higher mileage 993 for a DD.

I never spent close to $2,000 per year in repairs for my previous 993. Almost everything I spent on it was related to oil changes, plug changes, new rotors/pads and tires, not to mention the cubic dollars I shoveled at it for race mods. IIRC, the only times it let me down was when I broke a third gear shifter fork and probably a second time, the exact details escaping me at the moment. Had to have the ABS unit rebuilt to chase a soft brake pedal that was ultimately fixed with a pedal adjustment, so that was actually an unnecessary repair.

Blue Ocean

I agree. Being semi-retired, having multiple cars, ability to wrench a bit and resources to buy whatever you want sounds like the perfect time!
I bought my 993 in 2005 with 27,000 miles. It is my DD and now has 142k.
No major engine repairs yet. Just now leaving larger oil spots probably due to chain cover gaskets. But hey, most of the oil drips onto the heat exchanges and burns off :-D

Tlaloc75

ehanauer

Blue Ocean

No top-end yet, but it's time. I add a quart about every 800 miles so it's probably time for new valve guides at least.
(But that cuts down on oil changes. I figure my oil is actually being changed every 8k miles this way )

Tlaloc75

993c4_Toronto

It seems that you love a Porsche and that you can afford the car. If there is some sorting out to do,it won't cause you any financial worries. So, buy a 993 and enjoy the experience. Super fun, great looking car.

pp000830

Ok, low miles, things that will need fixing are things that are age-related failures, plastic drying out etc:

• Leaking steering rack, any time now
• Failed seals on the lifter cartridges, any time now
• Failed strut seals (leaks), look for oil leaks now
• Failed vacuum actuators on the engine, replace once as diaphragms fail and replacement ones much more durable.
• Dried out high voltage ignition wires, replace once
• Failed seals on valve covers, if leaking on the exhaust and burning oil smell is present.

Things you will need to replace over time due to use:

• Brake Pad/Rotors somewhere around 40K for a street driven car
• Clutch package somewhere above 80K for a street-driven car
• Caps Rotors, when misfire code is thrown, every 5K -10K miles in my case
• Belts at the back of the engine, every 40K miles or so, keep a spare set in the frunk.
• Power steering belt (once), good item to do at the same time as the clutch.

olsonreels

I bought a 96 cab last April with just under 67k miles. I drive it as often as possible, daily when the weather allows but not my commuter vehicle. Have put 5200 miles (adds up quick) so far and with spring around the corner I bet I'll get it to about 6k for my first year of ownership.

Have put about 3k into it with tires and front brakes being the major expenses. This year will be more by desire (wants) as the suspension 'must' be upgraded!

All rubber components are suspect so watch em. Convertible top has a bar that is supposed to pull back by elastic straps (they lose their spring so you have to help it along when lowering or you drive alignment pins through the top) which are likely shot. Suspension is functional but tired and not as sharp as it could be.

You will find the car slow as molasses in January v the 7tt you had. A bit slower than the 996c2 but not much.

Classic minimalist interior. Those 5 glass faced instruments tickle my amygdala. A joy to cruise around with the top down. Tremendous fun away from civilization on empty canyon roads.

Based on my limited sample size- wholeheartedly recommend a 993 for what you are describing. Be prepared for niggles here and there and since it's a used Porsche if something major goes wrong the repair bill is large.

pp000830

Excessive Oil Consumption - Is another reason owners consider a top-end rebuild under the assumption that the valve guides are worn to the point that excessive oil is slipping past them and burning. The logic in this seems sound. Then again I recently ran across the following comment in the 993 Rennlist Forum in reply to an oil consumption concern:
“How full do you keep the oil tank? When I kept mine at the full level I'd go through easily a qt. per 600 miles, now I keep it at min - 1/4 I use barely a qt. every 2500 miles. Even now, after spirited driving, the oil can expand to over 1/2 full.”
The implication here is that a true measure of a full oil tank is somewhat variable and overfilling may be contributing to the perception of excessive oil consumption where none may exist. Could burning the ingested oil over-fill over time explain the clogged secondary air injector ports, potentially a self-inflicted service issue caused by simply overfilling the oil? Who knows?
Andy

golfnutintib

^^^ so important so true

over filling oil is key contributor to real and perceived oil leaks and consumption

keep it on the low end of the range, barely have the oil level needle move off the lower peg WHEN ENGINE IS HOT, more than that is too much