I don't have my 993 yet. But I do have a 997.2 C4S and another aircooled (88 930, not really a compare to a 993 though) among others. I've had my 997.2 since Feb 2012, it had 13,000 km when I bought it and now has about 39,000km. It's been a solid car with nothing but routine maintenance per the service manual. The 930 was sorted when I bought it but has required some breakdown work end of last year, the expense of which when spread over 2 years of ownership was about $1500/year + oil changes.

 

I will add .... With a proper Transmission “Re-Gear” it will feel like you added an extra 50 hp

 

My 993 has over 130k miles and I would drive it anywhere. Dead reliable. Once sorted (mostly suspension in my case) it's only needed regular maintenance, which has mostly consistent of oil and tires. Probably a tad less than $1k per year.

I've driven my share of narrow body and wide body cars. They are both great. I prefer narrow for the driving experience and wide for the looks.

 

Hi Mr Dega,
If you can't find one to rent you probably can find a Rennlist member here or a PCA member that will swing by let you drive their car while they ride shotgun and articulate the unique driving characteristics that explain the 993s loyal following.

The two cars you express an interest in provide radically different driving experiences. The 993 is for someone who enjoys an old-school compact sports car feel with adequate power, good handling, and a minimum of active driver aids intervening when pushed too far. It's is not ergonomic as the interior layout is from 1962. It is all about an all-involving driver experience. The newer cars feel a lot more powerful, are a lot bigger inside and out, and are a lot more comfortable for both the driver and the passenger giving up a little of the all-involving driver experience in the trade. A six-hour drive in a 993 may leave you a little saddle worn, not the case in a 996/997/991.
A 45 min. romp on back roads in a 993 will probably be more satisfying than in one of the newer cars.

Both cars have Bosch Motronic fuel injection, the 993 an earlier version that is much simpler in design but receives the reliability gained by not being mechanical. All 993 have onboard diagnostics, 1996-on cars have OBD-II with a very limited set of diagnostic codes involving the engine, HVAC, ABS, and one or two more modules that make diagnosing issues simpler, the later cars have hundreds if not over a thousand diagnostic codes covering a much greater number of modules.

Since the 993's engine does not have variable valve timing it gives one the wonderful feeling of the RPM winding up in power and sound as torque builds. The later cars with variable valve timing don't really wind up as they have maximum torque on tap from a few RPM above idle but by the numbers simply outperform the 993.

In the long run, owning a 996/997/991 out of warranty or w/o a service contract will be substantially more expensive to own because of the greater difficulty in physical access to components on the car to service, the vastly larger number of and more complex operations of the engine, and other systems and a water cooling system that seems to need a good bit of service due to water leaks as it ages. These items reduce the number of items that one can service as DIY projects on the later cars.
Opinions, opinions, others may disagree,
Andy

 

In my experience the 993 is a fantastic long distance road car. I drove a big chunk of the country over two long days and emerged from the car feeling refreshed at the end of each day. Maybe all the nvh translates into a back and leg massage!

I was surprised to find I felt better than I do after a long day in my Audi.

 

I did 4 hours in my 993 right after buying it. Was very comfortable. More so than my particular previous 997.2 (the sport seats squished my shoulders)

 

I should add that this dynamic changes as soon as I put another person in the car. Solo it feels good. With another person (unless they are small) it feels a little cramped.

 

Many good insights here.

993s (or to the same extent 964s and earlier Carreras) are addictive. The air-cooled sound is intoxicating and simply can't be had anywhere else (OK, perhaps a VW bug). The metal-on-metal 'clunk' when you open and close the doors... Its looks are breathe-taking (WB and NB), there is no angle from which the car looks bad. It's imperfection (you'd notice the driver's seat and the steering wheel are not sync up, the outside mirrors are shaped and placed differently left vs right, the barely there A/C, the smell of the oil embedded in the leather seats...) only adds character. We can go on-&-on...

SAI issues can happen but it's not a foregone conclusion. And it's not like it will happen overnight. You'll see warning signs (i.e. gradually increasing oil consumption) and (more knowledgeable members can speak to this) over time, folks seem to discover that top end isn't always a must. And the silver lining is that you'll get back what you pay for, should you need to pay for a rebuild, as cars w/ top end done by reputable shops command higher prices.

As to maintenance, in general most years are nothing more than oil change, but every few years it can be costly. Again, major issues, when fixed, will be rewarded at sale time or will provide you with years of relatively fuss-free driving enjoyment.

Last but not least, 993s don't depreciate. Try that on 911s produced after 1998 (unless it's a Turbo, GT2/3, speedster...).

 

Also, if you are in a state without emissions testing (like me), SAI is a total non issue.

 

Glad to hear about your maintenance experience. After reading so much stuff in the forums and elsewhere, it seemed it was a constant money pit (but worth it). Good to know that once sorted, it could potentially be pretty normal wear and tear.

 

I've screen shotted this. THANK YOU. Wealth of knowledge here. I have read parts of these bits before but great to have it all in one place.

 

Cannot be further from the truth. Have you worked on M96/97/9A1 cars? They are much easier to perform basic maintenance tasks.

 

Yea I def plan to drive the sh*t out of it. My ideal dream would be to find one in California, fly there and then drive it back home to the East Coast.

 

I think it is easy to get that impression because the forums are where people talk about problems. But the reality is that the cars are simple, robust, and reliable. I spend less yearly on the 993 than I have on Subarus I've owned. Granted it gets less use, but far fewer things go wrong. The 993 was built to a very high standard - more like an airplane than a normal car.

They can get expensive if neglected, but that's true of any older car. I have an old Vanagon that I put a similar amount of miles on and I've spent 2-3x more on that than on the Porsche. The other thing that comes up is that some of the regular maintenance can be expensive - especially if you try to get dealer service or have an expensive indy.

Twin plugs and hard to access wires, so when that needs doing, it takes some time. Rare service though. Once done, you are set for a while.
Oil changes take a lot longer than standard because of the twin filters and sumps and you need a lot of oil. I do oil changes myself which keeps the price down to a couple hundred.
Suspension, if not already done, costs some money. I spent 10k and did most of the work myself. That's needed once every 25 years though, so once you do it, you are set for a long time. Get one that's already been done if you can. Original rubber and shocks are going to be shot by now, even if the seller doesn't realize it.

If you get a car that's been taken care of, you won't have much in the way of unexpected expense. If you buy a car that has deferred maintenance, it'll add up quick. You can price it in, but I found most sellers don't like to think about it that way for some reason. They sometimes want to avoid doing the maintenance, pass it off to the seller, but not discount to account for that cost. Go figure. A good PPI can help you argue your point.

 

For what its worth, my 993 is considerably more reliable and durable than my 997. 993’s are probably the last cars designed and built to last forever.
When you buy an older car, it’s inevitable there will be some sorting out, and its rarely cheap. Once resolved, air cooled cars are pretty reasonable to maintain.