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A year and half ago I bought a '95 C2 because it was in great shape and was the color I was looking for. I thought I wanted '97 but I just could not pass on this particular car. I'm laughing seeing these guys 'in the know' saying to put aside 10k for this and that, because that is about what I have spent messing around, modding and sorting little things out... and I started with a very nice example. Tweaking these cars is addictive, but it is definitely part of the fun.
I have the fast, modern sports cars (M3) that could run circles around my 993... but honestly the old Porsche is SO much more fun to drive. It feels slow for the first mile or two, but then everything that makes the 993 so special kicks in and you just want to drive the thing all day.
Def drive one before buying one. Def find and befriend a good air cooled Porsche mechanic before buying one. Be careful, lol. One may not be enough.
Have you actually driven a 993? If not, I would do so before purchasing to see if it's the car you really want to own.
I mention this because its performance is underwhelming to say the least, and can/will be a huge disappointment if you're used to modern sport cars.
Don't let yourself be conditioned from the drive feeling, don't do it: if you buy the 993, whatever 993, you must look at very few aspects, but not the driving feeling.
Maintenance records help you to know what has been changed just o avoid redoing things done few weeks before you become the last owner, just to present a paradox example.
No accident, no important accident involving the structure of the car, is a very important aspect
Conditions of the exterior paint and eventual point of rust, the classical points or others: if you like a car, you can make an offer motivated considering the cost for the restoring work
Engine and gearbox: compression test for the engine, eventual oil leaks, suspensions plays, shock absorbers conditions.
Let the car be inspected from a mechanic expert of 911. Also the gearbox and trasmission component, from gearbox exit to the wheels are important, if the asking price is not considering the real conditions of the car, again, then you reduce your offer, not to get the car in perfect conditions, because the price should consider the wearing parts, but one cannot ask 100k for a 993 4S that isnt in overall good maintenance and efficiency of the various elements conditions.
meaning with that, service intervals are ment by Porsche for granting safety, active safety especially, through the years.
Basically buying a 993 must be an emotional purchase, otherwise I would give you the advice to avoid it and go for a 997 or a 991, which are available for the same budget or even something less.
Without emotion carried through passion for the model, your interest for this model will crash very soon: it is not a question of cars that are bought as if they were a dress ... or, someone does it, for an aesthetic choice as to show that they have taste.
Apart from the fact that I fear such a person the only satisfaction he will have from having owned the car will be when he sells it, but only if he earns on it ... a very short satisfaction however.
As for my 993 when I bought it, it was in order, no accidents, always with the wax underneath as if it were new, perfect body, nice paint, but it did not go in the least as I would have expected a 993 should go.
Maybe I let myself get carried away a little with mods going through restoring process: infact, while restoring a car the question is...why not improve it with a small upgrade for the same price?
I don't think I am saying anything strange in saying that on this forum there are the fastest 993s on the planet as well as more pleasant to drive.
In such a place you will not have problems, if passionate, because there are people who can make it become a rocket, let alone if they are not able to give you advice on ordinary maintenance.
Good luck with your search
Last edited by nothingbutgt3; 10-13-2020 at 04:09 AM.
I almost sold my 458 Italia daily for my 993 C2S (now have both but drive the C2S much more) ...and 4 months later i can tell you i don't miss the 458 much , the 993 WB is plenty quick and you can have a lot more fun in it without going crazy fast compared to a modern more powerful car. I don't think any 911 looks as good as the wide body 993 and this is coming from a 964 guy...The 993 is just PERFECT for daily driving , the mix of Modern Classic is unbeatable.
As many have mentioned, suspension, Golden Rod / SSK & Fister exhaust (Fister 2 in my opinion) are a must..i also did the Wevo engine mounts and that made a big difference.
In the looks dept, a WB N/A 993 is one of the sexiest cars made..C4S or C2S, you won't go wrong..
If you have money, patience and a good mechanic -- there is nothing you can't handle. Sounds like you're set.
To be honest, when I bought my car I didn't do a lot of research. I just jumped in. I was prepared to spend time and money and was ok with that. The biggest mistake I made was assuming my local Porsche dealer's master tech was good enough. I was pretty ignorant about how tricky these cars can be. I eventually found a great shop 2 hours away, but needless to say, it's a hassle. Zero regrets, all that said. Rennlist has been a lifesaver in owning this car -- I would be utterly lost without the accumulated wisdom in here.
Many, incl myself, mention the importance of a PPI.
Irony is some specialty dealers have the most 993 inventory (TopGear Imports, Victory Motor Cars, Chequered Flag, Sloan Motors, Holt Motorsports, Marshall Goldman, ... come to mind). They usually list for top or way over the top prices. Folks on this forum have very strong opinions about some of them.
Do a search and read up. Bad rep usually came from buyers asserting the dealers as misrepresenting the car (said to be mint but not really...). In reality, these are all very old cars age-wise and dealers simply sell what they can get their hands on. I don't think even the worst ones wake up everyday thinking how they can screw buyers...
I once said I won't rule out buying from any of them as long as they allow PPI at a shop of my choosing. Not all would play ball.
In your situation in particular, for out of town sales, if it is a dealer (or more likely, a consignment) car, the selling party may not allow a PPI; meaning Rennfax is your only inspection route before spending $$ flying on location yourself.
I've had 3 993's and always ended up doing the same mods. Exhaust, shocks, shifter, stereo, speakers, tires, gasket covers etc.
Had to address the steering rack which was a PITA on my second car.
Of the things I've had done, the one I enjoyed the least is definitely paint. Trying to get a GP white match on a Turbo S wing was time consuming.
One of the shops I talked to wanted to blend across panels. I didn't want this at all as the paintwork was perfect on both rear 3/4 panels so why eff with it if you don't have to.
Bumper cover front and back and front bumperette delete was much easier for whatever reason but if I were to do this again I would either get a car that absolutely didn't need any paintwork or that somebody else had already addressed.
10-13-2020, 02:16 AM
