blackland

I sold my 992 C2 and I have been thinking about getting an older 911, something I can actually work on myself. I have narrowed it down to 1995 Carrera, manual and preferably a cabriolet. It looks like an average car is in the $45 to $60K price range. Is there a buying guide or some good resources you can point me to so I can learn what I need to know before purchasing one of these cars? I have done research on the internet, but I have not found a site that has specifics about what to look for as far as issues with a potential car.

Thanks,

strandGTS

Congrats and exciting time to be looking at 993s!

This video was really helpful for me during my search -
Feel free to ask any questions here as well, everyone is very helpful!

rich c4s

I'm happy to send some PDF magazine buying guides I've collected over the years. DM me an email address.

pp000830

Hi Blackland,
The major difference between 1995 and later year 993 are changes to the intake manifold and compliance with OBD-II standards. So really any car from any model year 993 should be on your list and will increase the number of available cars to consider.
Here are some thoughts on evaluating an example for purchase:
https://993servicerepair.blogspot.co...-purchase.html
Best of luck on your hunt for a car.
Andy

fatmike

Why buy a '95 specifically? I don't see why that matters.

A 993 comes down to a few key things:

- the original factory suspension doesn't last. So any 993 will need to have the suspension refreshed. This means the struts/coilovers, and all the rubber bushings, etc.
- the cars are old. So maintenance is important. Service records/history matter.
- Some cool features on these cars are low volume colors, hardback sport seats, and shorter gear ratios (available custom or via some rest of world cars). A car with those features is desirable if you can find it!
- Do a Pre-Purchase inspection. Select a mechanic who knows these cars to go over it before you buy it. Don't sweat the small stuff (like my valve cover gaskets are leaking). That's deferred maintenance.

Once you get these cars sorted out they are very solid.

Come back and ask some specific questions as you get into your search.

Good luck.

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blackland

Thanks, I read that the OBD-II cars have emissions issues and I live in an emissions testing area. This is why I am looking for the OBD-I car. Am I wrong about the emissions issues?

pp000830

Hi Blackland,
I have a 1996 OBD-II car with 120K miles on it with before and after CAT oxygen sensors & the Varioram Intake system.

The only repairs to the system I have had to do are:
--Replace the 4 oxygen sensors due to OBD codes related to the CAT that cleared after replacing the oxygen sensors.
--Replace the air injection check valve, an inexpensive part that suffers from internal corrosion and need to be replaces every few years.
-- Replace the Varioram & heating system vacuum actuators do to thier leaking. The replacment ones are made of a different material and are a lot more durable.
All of the above are not difficult to do on a DIY basis.

Getting the Readiness status flags set for a tailpipe inspection has not been an issue for me.

I believe the key to avoiding having to have the air injector ports cleaned due to an OBD Code is to not overfill the oil.
This was a common problem for many until the community of owners understood how properly fill the oil.
Properly gauging the oil level at a fill is described on this page:
https://993servicerepair.blogspot.co...nsumption.html

Andy

fatmike

The 993 doesn't really have any more OBD-2 issues than any other car from that era.

You're not wrong - a '95 is OBD1 - but that shouldn't be a deterministic factor in buying these cars.

I'd buy the best car I can find. For example, I think you'd be way better off buying a '97 that was owned by an enthusiast, has a modern suspension and 15 years of maintenance history compared to a '95 still running the original Monroe struts and no paperwork.

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PFDGSB

The 96+ 993s have significantly more torque in the exact RPM range you'll do all your driving in. If you drove a 95 and a later car back to back, you would notice a large difference.

gavonder

Significantly? I thought the difference was less than 10lb-ft.

Seattle 993

blackland, along with the other guys, I’d say purchase the best example you can find. Definitely enthusiast owned if you can find it. Some say buy the owner as much as the car.

i have a 1995 (actually produced in 1994…one of the first) that I purchased from a dealer but previous owner was pretty well known enthusiast. I happened to like the 1995 because of the OBD-1, removable chip (although I’ve not removed the stock chip), M030 suspension (from the turbo), ABD/LSD, full leather interior and Speed Yellow. It was the combination that did it for me compared to the other 993s that were available. The M030 suspension is really tight, even now at 63,000 miles.

So, like the other guys say, find the best combination in the best condition that you can find, do not fill your oil to full (rather at the halfway mark), do a PPI and enjoy. Great cars and you’ll love the 993. Best of luck in your search.

PFDGSB

Not peak torque, but the curve.

https://drives.today/posts/34/tech/t...-donoghue.html