2ndof2

My friend gives me a hard time since I've been so picky about finding the right car. I don't want to overspend and not have cash for mods, maintenance or unexpected emergencies. I see cars that are within my budget but the miles seem kind of high to me. (looking at '95 & '96 coupes)I know the longer I wait the higher the average mileage will be on the cars out there in the market. I have a fear of buying one and running into expensive, unplanned maintenance issues above and beyond what should be reasonable. I'm not expecting a maintenance free vehicle. I would really appreciate testimonials from higher mileage 993 owners and a top 5 list on what is really crucial in terms of things that (should have) been done to a car around that mileage to ensure I don't wind up dropping big $$ on maint/repairs the moment I buy one. I assume some things are not really considered by people doing PPI's and although a PPI will tell if things are working and looking good, but I doubt it will reveal shocks/springs/clutch remaining life. At this point anything will probably have less issues than my 25 year old 928. It looks good but could easily eat up $3,000 for maint and repairs. I'd rather spend that $ towards a 993 instead.

akolodesh

Personally I would purchase (and did) 911 Secrets Revealed for the 993. Here is the link: http://www.performance2and4.co.uk/guides993_n.htm. I thought it was highly informative and really went into a lot of detail on what to look for (and what to discuss with your mechanic before the PPI) on the car. I purchased mine with 27K miles (now 31k miles) so I can't address your concerns regarding higher mileage cars, but I can highly recommend this manual. Good luck with your purchase.

akolodesh

that link didn't seem to work. Lets try it again: http://www.performance2and4.co.uk/

Suwipin

I did (about a year ago, ~60k miles)... so far it's been very good (it has 72k miles now)

Rolo

I got taken to a sexual performance address???? Did my wife put you up to that?

Phil

Your car was/is special!! High modification content
it was......celebrity owned!!
and hardly ever "Droven"

Suwipin

Hahaha LOL, Phil

I didn't know DJ is a celebrity?

JasonF

I bought a 60k mile '95 C4 back in October. The car has 66k on the clock now. The PPI shop said that the car "desperately" needed it's 60k service and some brake work, but other than that the car was in good shape. In other words, the car was not pristine. The PO purchased the car as a certified pre-owned vehicle, and had a lot of work done on the car that another owner may have skipped if he/she had to pay for it out of their own pocket.

After getting some maintenance work out of the way, and some mods (new suspension, etc...) the car has been very reliable. Bear in mind that the older 993's are in their 10th year of service and things will go wrong with the cars. I probably will need a battery soon, just put fresh tires on, etc...As for the things to look for, it's very subjective but start with:

1. Indication of leaks
2. Indication of body work
3. Compression/leak down test
4. Uneven tire wear (or worn tires for that matter).
5. Suspension issues (oem shocks have a pathetically-short life)
6. Drive lots of cars, does one feel "different" than others?

Most of these issues will be hashed out in a good PPI, but don't take the word of your PPI provider as gospel. The shop that did my PPI in Boston is widely-regarded as the most respected shop in the area. Some things the shop thought were "issues" weren't, and others that they missed had to get fixed. Of course I'm Monday-morning quarterbacking, but suffice to say, no matter what car you purchase (low miles/high price or vice-versa) budget several thousand dollars at the outset as a "just in case" contingency fund. Then plan on spending around that amount each year for mods/maintenance, unless of course you're a pretty good wrench.

Good luck, they are overall very reliable cars, just getting a little older.

Phil

Oh yes....
He will be featured in the New Celebrity haiku death match movie.....in theaters soon......
He's best known for his work in the 70's on the tv show "Hai-Ku"
"It will be time for you too drove, when you can ****** the pebble from my hand grasshoppa"

Arrwin

Thanks for the link! There's some really good tips and info there.

Ash

This past spring I bought a 97 C2 with a little over 70K on the clock. It was a local car so I had convenient access to prior service records, owners, etc. It was also in the specific color combo that I had wanted as a first choice. The car was serviced locally almost exclusively at a Porsche dealership. Hunting down the service records revealed that the dreaded carbon build-up problem had been done only 8000 miles earlier under a 'Good-will' warranty. This was my biggest fear since it seems fairly common in 96-98 models and is a pretty expensive repair. I was glad that it had been addressed. A new clutch was also replaced at that time. All scheduled maintenance had been stamped in the books with a couple of oil changes done at an independant shop. The PPI checked out clean but the suspension was shot. I recently had ViperBob give it a 75K service and this weekend am having PSS9's installed. Based on the advice that I had read in this forum, I budgeted an additional 3K for mods and service that might crop up and I have spent that. At a miniumum these cars are now 6-9 years old but a good PPI will go a long way towards alleviating concerns about potential problems. That said, you ARE buying a used car so be ready to spend some money on fixing things that will probably crop up. From what I've read, however, it seems that these cars are very well built and with the attention to regular maintenance can deliver lots of problem free miles. To be honest, I looked at the purchase of this car as something well beyond your typical used car purchase (ie. pragmatic transportation) and I expect that when 'issues' arise, I'll learn a little more about what makes this fabulous automobile tick...it's part of owning something distinctive and is less of a hassle than a pleasure in discovery.

Good luck in the hunt...it's all worth it the first day you get behind the wheel!

Nemick42

Hi,

I purchased a '97 cab recently with a little under 60K on the clock. I have since put on another 3K and everything has been fine.
My car had its 60K service done prior to purchase and so far, the only issue to arise has been the dreaded driver door strap issue. This may have been a problem when purchased, but it has only recently been obvious.
Personally, I feel that these cars are quite robust for the most part, and as long as you get one checked out and can do a good deal, I wouldn't be too anxious about the higher mileage.

vuugti

You'll be fine, don't let the milage scare you. I bought a 95' with 78K miles off of Mike W and it has been fine. I had to replace plug wires and reseal the cams and fix a paint issue on the hood but big deal, the car came with like 10K in extras, I paid 31K for it. Have a mechanic buddy check it out for you, I have been fortunate enough to purchase enough garbage in the past to be able to identify problems, esp. paint issues they can be quite costly unless your the guy doing the painting.

Read, read, and keep reading, but buy a 100K mi car if everything is in order. Don't ever let mileage scare you.

I consistanly buy Toyota trucks (multiple due to rust) with over 130K mi on the clock, never a problem mechanically.

You can't tell my car from a 30K mi car.

PULL THE TRIGGER!

Andy

Mike W

Andy, I 'm glad the car is serving you well. I would rather have a well maintained and modified high milage car then a stock lower milage car without proper records. Mike W

Adrienne

I bought mine with 79k miles, but I had a succession of problems for a while. Most of mine were related to neglect and the previous owner's lack of driving skill (ie, I replaced 1st and 2nd gear about 6 mo. after I bought it). Now I've worked out most of the issues, as I just got a clean bill of health from the shop at 105k miles. So moral is, do a very very good PPI at a reputable shop and ask them lots of questions. Check over the car's records carefully. But keep in mind that problems could arise regardless.