nodnarb204

If you don't have any of these things already, then you should be looking at 996 or 997:

• Limited Edition Diecast of 993
• Hot Wheels of 993 in different colors that you scoured GameStop and Walmart
• Lego 911
• Bentley Service Manual bought with the idea of looking through before you buy the car. "Sure I've never used a wrench, I can change the oil."
• Drawing of a 993 on your wall
• Bookmarks of every marketplace of 993 search results

993 is something people lust after - and can take months and months to find the right one. So much so that when a myriad of things break - large and small - you will just shrug
996 or 997, unless the engine seizes up in the 996, you'll be able to buy and sell with minimal loss and ROI for enjoyment.

Now, I have to go back and smile at my 993 in the garage, maybe check the tire pressure or battery tender. Because why not?

Good luck!

cgfen

oh, a wise guy.......................

goofballdeluxe

^^^^^ And that's always the angle wise 996 owners post pics of. Because you sure as hell don't wanna see the fried-egg front! Just kidding! Kind of....

misterdega

now I'm googling for those items....

Toddster

When I was searching I thought I wanted a 997. Then I drove the 993 on a test drive at the suggestion of a used sports car dealership. If you can find a dealer set up a test drive or two. Most will let you test drive if you are serious but aren’t sold on the model yet.
good luck with your search.

HelpMeHelpU

I echo last comment. Before I bought first one, I sat in and drove a half dozen or more. I highly recommend this and wouldn't recommend buying one without driving several. I, too, am in the NYC area, so I'd be glad to have you spend time in mine in a few months.

misterdega

THANK YOU. That's amazing of you. Let me know, I'd happily get nose jabbed with a test.

Now when you say drive several, is that because each 993 feels vastly different?

gavonder

I'm in the Danbury area, but any excuse to drive!

HelpMeHelpU

AFAIK, each 993 was hand built, they are about 25 years old, have had differing degrees of use and maintenance, and have all worn a little differently. Every 993 I drove felt different. It could be the clutch or the transmission or steering or brakes or suspension or tires--just about everything. "Good" for me was not always correlated with mileage. In one hour I drove a 70+k car and a 30k car and the higher mileage car felt better. Also, each 993 has different interior wear characteristics, primarily based on use, care, storage, etc.

It really pays to get to know what you're looking for before just buying one. Also, don't underestimate the value of a car that's "fully sorted."

If you don't have ANY experience in 993s, which I did not, I believe you will be shocked just sitting in one. They are very small cars, which I like, but feel very different from cars of today. For example, the dashboard is about six inches deep compared with 18 inches in modern Porsches. Also, sitting in the driver's seat, you can practically stick your hand out the passenger window. No way that happens in a modern Porsche.

Also, the hunt is part of the fun. One issue I encountered, though, is even if you find a great car, you might not know it. I still kick myself for not buying one of the first ones I drove. It was a '97 C2S in Glacier White and black with 25k miles I could have bought for $99k. Funny thing, I actually drove that car once in NYS and then again in CA--yes, the same car. Only the second time the ask was $115k (and by then I had already bought a few).

misterdega

Some great insight. It blows my mind how tiny you are describing it! I've been in my buddy's 997 and 991 and definitely never felt it was mega compact.

My brother has an S2000 which might be closer in size. Like you said, I just gotta sit in one and get the full experience.

BTW, I see you used to have a 993 4S. Was it miles better than your coupe now? Is the premium worth the extra curves? Also did you suffer from the SAI issues? That's one of my biggest concerns is just how much maintenance I can expect. Reading through the forums, seems like I should expect a lot (anywhere from 5k - 15k/year?) compared to a 997. I just want to be able to take the car up to Maine or similar road trips without fear of getting stranded - but I totally understand I am dealing with a 25 year old car... so there's that.

HelpMeHelpU

Personally, and there will many haters for this, I do not believe the WB cars justify the premiums they command, which is why I sold my WB, after buying both (...at the same time). I sold the WB for more than 2x what I paid for the NB. (There's some fuzzy math in there, which I did for effect, but it's true.) The WB did have 15k fewer miles than the NB upon purchase, but still....

jnc576

You mean like this? No 993 yet, but I am heavy into research on chasing down what was my dream car in college.

bbs993tt

No, mdude is right. You won't be shunned and I wasn't trying to be funny. As you can see from the responses, most Porsche owners are very helpful and willing to help "convert" people to the brand. Our local PCA chapter has monthly meets and all are invited - owner or not, member or not. It sounds like you've gotten some very generous offers from folks nearby but if for some reason those don't happen, I'd see if your local chapter has meets and start going.

Can't speak for the 997 but based on my 15+ years of owning 993s, my annual expenses weren't even close to your expectation.

INTMD8

I wouldn't say it's quite that simple. Hard to see the difference in the cars until you're next to them and driving them. 997 isn't so modern or fast anyway. Sure, faster than a 993 but not like you're buying a 997 because it's ultra modern and twice the power.

aircooledpurist

"Modern and fast or old and slow".

Obviously not getting it...

The 993 will reward you in so many ways that a 997 or 996 simply can not. There are more "fast" cars than you can count. There is only one Porsche 993. There is a reason the 993 has received Icon status with so many accolades and Porsche number next and next and next that followed are just another in a long list of aging, depreciating cars.

Lastly, don't be fooled. While the 993 is not a stoplight racer, once in second gear a sorted example is anything but slow.