NY9934s

Hi everyone,

Just bought my first Porsche: a 993 4s. Took me two years to find the color combination and spec I was looking for (and 20 years to save up for it!). 100% stock, low miles. It had just one issue which was the hardened stone guards, I read all the horror stories on here but I spoke to Larry at Ammo and he will work on the car at the end of summer to remove and replace them. He's also going to take care of the other minor imperfections in the paint. Before and after photos to follow.

The Rennlist community has been super helpful in getting me here so just wanted to share my experience with others, and also wanted to ask for some advice.

I ended up finding my car on PCA.org and had a Porsche dealer do the PPI.

* Insurance: Chubb ended up being the only provider (I called 6) who could do a stated value policy with the car stored in a NYC public garage. Rates were competitive but you do need to have another policy with them, they won’t only insure the car. I used a broker and they emailed me the cards the same day so I could get the car registered. Highly recommend them, PM if you are in NY and I can send contact info.

* Shipped the car using Rob at Number1 Auto transport (Rob@number1autotransport.com) he came recommended by the Porsche dealer in NJ and was awesome. Car was picked up the next day, delivered within 24hours, enclosed, single truck car, Rob gave me the cell phone number of the driver and cost the exact same as the big guys. I got 4 quotes from the usual suspects and their pick up windows were two weeks, car would have to change trucks to make it into the city - this was a far better experience

* I had the PPI done by a Porsche near the seller and it was not great, cost $600 and though they ticked all the boxes they missed a bunch of things - not deal breakers but would have preferred to know when I purchased the car. Mostly though, it did not give me the confidence to pull the trigger and hence it delayed the transaction by a couple of weeks.

* Took it to Porsche Manhattan for the NY inspection but the check engine light went on as I drove up…so have yet to do it. Would much appreciate other suggestions of where I can get it done in NYC.

Couple of questions:

* The car needs a new battery and I read here that Interstate is the way to go but there seems to be no consensus on what the correct model is for this car. Thoughts here welcome. The battery place recommended the MTP91.

* If I drive the car once every ten days, will I need a tender?

* The car is 100% stock, but I do like those oval exhaust tipped you can buy from Porsche - not originally specced on this car though – shall I make the change or keep all original? Exhaust is still original, how long do they last anyway, maybe wait until I have to replace the whole thing?

* Same question for changing the switch blade key to the lighted key cap and remote – an improvement or not period correct?

* Same question for the blue tooth conversion of the radio, Becker in NJ does it for $200- better to keep it all original?

* Leather is in great condition, but bolsters on driver side starting to show beginnings of some cracks/ageing - how best to protect them against that?

* Planning a roadtrip from NYC to Montreal – too long or doable? How long a trip have you taken in yours?

* It has the standard alarm, do I need any additional anti theft devices for when I take it on longer drives

Below the issues that Porsche found and the cost to fix them (note other than pan missing, PPI had not identified any of these issues)

Annual oil change service, including topping off fluids, replace oil filter, set tire pressure, clear drains $690.00

Brake fluid service $229.99

Fan belt tension monitor noisy, needs replacement $298.96 + 1 hour

Replace ac blower resistor $697.00 + 2.5 hours

Replace oil cooler, ac condenser and DME relays $370.00 + 1 hour

Front stabilizer bar links ( both boots torn ) $ 824.00 + 2 hours

Porsche OEM battery $476 installed

Wiper blades $65.00

Trunk light bulb replacement $65.00

Lubricate seat tracks $82.00

+ Lower engine pan cover is missing, front strut bump stops torn.

Hope the above was helpful and look forward to hearing your thoughts!

fatmike

Nice car.

My thoughts:
- Stone Guards are a PITA. Be happy you have someone else doing it for you.
- definitely ditch the switchblade remote.
- original exhaust is typical. Look into Fister if you want better sound.
- original suspension is not typical. Expect to need upgrades.
- I have no radio at all, but if you insist a Bluetooth would be fine.
- Montreal no problem. These cars are meant to be driven and are reliable once you get them sorted out.
- recommend leatherique. Conditions, softens and cleans - will help your seats last.

All of those inspection items aren’t unusual or scary, but the dealer prices sure are!

Good luck.

/

rk-d

Personally, I wouldn’t worry too much about originality unless it’s a concours garage queen. If you swap out parts just store the original if you want to be exacting to the original spec when you sell. I don’t think modding the Becker is anything to worry about.

Engine pan - I’d not replace it. A lot of people leave this off for access and reduced heat (in theory)
Torn bump stops - likely original shocks and the bump stops are almost certainly disintegrated. Shocks may be toast.

L39E

Congrats!

The wide oval exhaust tips look great, are a pretty easy DIY install, and are easily reversible to stock. They are not cheap but an essential upgrade IMO.

I recently changed a switchblade to a normal remote. I can’t stand the switchblades, and I can’t imagine anyone would complain about this. The normal remote is period correct.

The Becker conversion should be invisible, and sounds like a great option if you want to add Bluetooth and don’t want to spend a grand on the Porsche classic radio. The classic radio looks great, I have them but the only thing I really care about is the Bluetooth and looking period correct so it’s a bit of a waste.

clean and condition those bolsters asap with something like Lexol, Leatherique, or get it to a detailer ASAP.

NYC to Montreal is nothing. I drove my first 993 about 1000 miles home right after picking her up. These cars are pretty much bullet proof when set up and maintained properly. Get that check engine light looked at quick and you should be good to go. Buy a spare DME relay and keep it in the car, that is one of the only things that could leave you stranded.

NY9934s

Thanks! Just ordered the 2 stage leatherique!

NY9934s

Great - did not knwo about the DME relay, ordering one now.

NY9934s

Thanks - will leave the engine pan off in that case and save a few hundred bucks.

JimPA

Congrats on your purchase. It appears to be Ocean Blue, my favorite 993 color. In the 17 years and 90,000 miles that I've had my car, it has made multiple lengthy trips, summer and winter (with appropriate tires), including several from PA to the midwest at 1500-2000 miles per. Drive it.

I'm getting ready to replace my battery. Search the 993 Forum for information. Some owners have chosen AGM-type batteries rather than traditional lead acid. If you're driving infrequently, I'd definitely use a tender.

I thought Interstate MTP-91 batteries had been discontinued. The Interstate replacement is MTP-48 H6, which has a list price of $174.95. Costco sells them for $113.99. Dimensions for an MTP-48 should match the Porsche OEM battery (which is about 1/2" taller than an MTP-91, I believe). Make sure the vent tube is connected.

The bolster cracks may not be very deep. If they're still there after you soften the leather with multiple applications of Leatherique, re-dye the bolsters. Order dye and get DIY instructions from Leatherique or from Joanne at Color-Plus in Pennsylvania.

Churchill

Those prices are absolutely insane. To give you an idea of just how magnificently they're proposing to bend you over, consider a couple of items:

"Fan belt tension monitor noisy, needs replacement $298.96 + 1 hour"

That is an $85 part and takes, at most, 5 minutes to change. I also love this one:

"Trunk light bulb replacement $65.00"

$1 bulb and also takes 5 minutes to change. Did it not set off your BS detector when they proposed $65 to change a light bulb?

OP, congrats on buying a great car. Ownership is going to be very, very expensive if you don't price out stuff like this yourself.

NY9934s

Thanks Jim - very helpful. Let me know what battery you decide on? Are you going with an AGM?

NY9934s

Thanks - thats why I posted it here

HelpMeHelpU

Instead of Manhattan Porsche, try Gaspare at Gaswerks Garage in Paramus (NJ) but contact Tony at Lamborghini of Paramus to set appointment.

Or try Mark at Formula Motorsports in LIC.

AFAIK, they are the two best air-cooled shops closest to the city.

Chuck W.

I would hope that during the PPI they checked to ensure that the trouble codes hadn't been cleared. An unscrupulous seller could easily have cleared the codes before selling it. It just seems odd that the check engine light would come on so soon after buying it.

Anyway, welcome to the madness and enjoy.

aircooledpurist

Congrats on the purchase! Your car looks beautiful. How many miles are you talking? I just bought a narrow body car (that's what I could afford) with 17,500 miles on it in Polar silver with a black full leather interior. My seats aren't cracking but do have more creases than I would like. I ordered the leatherique rejuvenator oil and Prestine clean too. Have not used it because I am waiting for a warm sunny day.

Those prices you quoted are scary. No need to get taken advantage of by the dealer. There are a lot of good Porsche shops around (several here in CT) and there are so many folks in the know on this forum.... just ask for suggestions of reputable shops in your area and I'm sure you will find the help you need. I was very lucky. My car had a tremendous amount of maintenance done just before I bought it.... including a Porsche classic battery. The receipt I was given with the car list the Porsche classic battery, part number 999.611.070.21, at $239.18.

I want to keep mine stock too. We'll see how long that lasts. I want to keep the miles down to preserve value, but it's hard to look at it in the garage without going out for a ride. I have a feeling my car is about to make up for lost time in the milage dept.

Good luck with your new toy. Enjoy it and keep in touch.

NY9934s

No codes for the PPI indeed..