frappold

I'm new to the forum so please be gentle.
I'm considering a 1995 993 with Tiptronic that has a positive PPI. My question, as a fomer 3.2L owner, what is typical maintenance to expect on an 80K car? Are there any big services to expect or need in the very near future? All of the basics are solid, brakes, tires,oil etc.
Also, is the tip a mistake? I work in Chicago so trafic can be horrible. I'd ideally love a manual but the traffic would stink.
Any input would be helpful.
Thank you.

Jim @ EuroWerks

They are great cars. I've only seen two failures on tips. One was due to the collision and the other was a solinoid in the trans. The services are about the same as you are uesd to because the plugs are just as time consuming as the valve adjustments. Ofcourse now you have hydrolic rockers. Your 15k services just got alot less because now the hardest thing done @15000 is changing the oil. Which is fun. Remember don't replace one tire unless you want shift problems. When you replace one on one side of the car the control unit thinks you are turning and won't upshift correctly.you'll love the car!

Jim @ EuroWerks

Oh, welcome to the board!

Adrienne

Service intervals are every 15k, although you might consider changing the oil more frequently than that, especially if you are in traffic. You'll have the 90k service coming up of course. Mine is a daily driver and if I am in stop and go traffic requiring a lot of clutching, my toes on my left foot go numb. But I'd much rather have a 6 spd than a tip. Personal preference.

On another note, at that higher mileage you may want to get some feedback from the current owner and the PPI shop regarding the valve guides and carbon build-up. Find out from the owner how often they add oil. At that mileage it is quite likely that the car has worn valve guides, and that will be indicated by high oil consumption. Not to scare you, but it's an expensive fix and you should find out as much as you can prior to buying.

Check PCA technical section for 993 longevity and typical maintenance/repairs. That may help. Do a search on the archives here, you will find gobs of info.

Good luck!

williet1342

I have a 95 Tip. I love the damn thing. Weekend Driver. I keep it up but I also drive it hard and once in a while in the rain. I'm one of those people who would never have some thing I had to keep in a safety deposit box etc... I use my stuff. Also if you think a tip would suit you better...get it. Riding a clutch in traffic isn't worth it to me if you aren't racing the car every week etc... Whatever you do with the car the most (i.e. Street drive etc...) buy the car with those options. P.S. Today my wife's Toureg was having the oil changed so she drove my 993 Tip and allowed our standard poodle to get in the back seat. Needless to say my wife has been locked in the closet since I found out. A dog in my car? Who is she kidding? The gall.


BUY THE CAR !!!!

paradisenb

Welcome to the board frappold, well almost anyway. Your welcome with or without a 993. Many more smiles with tho. The cars have strong engines. IMO oil should be changed every 6k or once a year. Check all the service records on the car. From new to now. How many gives you an idea of how loved the car has been. Muy important.
What Adrienne says. How do you that, A?

rcwelch

frappold...I have a Tip and really like it as does my wife, I just grin when I am stuck in our bad traffic. It's a hair slower than a manual, but plenty strong and fast for my taste...Buy the car and enjoy. Welcome to the board also!

akolodesh

Gentle? Gentle? On this Board? Are you kidding? No really, since you have gotten some good advice in the previous replies I just want to welcome you to the board and post a pic when you get the car. The most important aspect to evaluate (as you have done) is a good PPI from a trusted source. After that drive the hell out of the car and she'll treat you well. The TIP is something only you will be able to decide.

chris walrod

First off, welcome to Rennlist. You are in good hands, just ask my wife when we go over the monthly Visa statement

I never hear of Tip trouble with 993's, much less 964's. I wouldnt worry too much about that.

Just have the car PPI's at a minimum and think long and hard if you really want a TIP. Most that do have Tips, love them.

Most importantly, make sure this is the car you want as it should fit your preference of color combo, options etc.

Look at and drive as many as you can so you can get a good idea to what the good ones drive like and how they feel.

Good luck!!

RJT

I have a Tiptronic and I love it. It's very rare for me to just put it in drive. I love to 'tip' the poop out of it! Don't let my Arkansas location fool you. I was born, raised, and lived in Los Angeles until just four years ago. I also know what traffic is and how hard it can be to be stuck in it for hours at a time. I've been to Chicago too. I was in tons of traffic and it wasn't much fun to drive around in. Believe me in an urban traffic setting a Tip will make your driving much more pleasurable.

BTW: I did notice that when my car is in the automatic drive mode it almost immediately gets to 4th gear and rarely over 2000rpm, where as, if I were to be in control of it at that particular time I'd be in 2nd and maybe 3rd gear. In my book to be driving any Porsche in 4th gear at around 2000rpm's just about all of the time is not good for the car over extended periods (dare I say... dreaded carbon build up??).

Buy it. Enjoy it and TIP THE HECK out of it!!!
JoAnne

Oh, I forgot..... WELCOME to the Board!!!

dp2boy

Another vote for the 993 tip. This is the first tip I've owned in a Porsche and it will take a lot of abuse. My mechanic verified that he had never heard of tip failure and he said he likes the crisp shifting of the 993 tip vs. later model 996 tips ? I say buy it !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Forever993

Welcome to Rennlist Frappold! My girlfriend, Chris who is on Rennlist (CEBOYD), has a Tip that she tracks heavily with no problems. I cringe a little when I hear her car working at the track but it's holding up well. It's a hell of a lot of fun to drive and is great fun to get sideways at the autocross. When I changed the fluid I was surprised to find that it wasn't very discolored. As far as 993's go they are pretty durable. I track mine with 97k on it and it couldn't be more reliable.

Chuck W.

I have a Boxster S with a 6 speed for my Sunday car. My 97 993 with a tip is my daily driver. The tip is great for the LA traffic. Unless I am in heavy traffic the 993 I don't use the auto D. The auto position shifts too early and runs at too low an RPM.

pjc

I'm surprised by the "little difference in service cost" comment. In the UK you can expect to pay a big wad of notes for a 24,000 mile service compared to a major on a 3.2.

I also have a '95 Tip and love it to bits (goes well with my '76 Sportomatic!)

PJC

TomF

Having gone from an 87 cab to a 95 C2, I can say that the there is a definite difference in service cost with the C2. The parts for a tune end up being more than double that of the 3.2 and the time it takes for a full service is significantly longer.

That said, my C2, with 84K miles on it has been totally reliable and total pleasure to own. It is a more complicated car, so if you are not a DIY person, the maintenance costs will be significantly higher. If you enjoy working on the car yourself, then you are in for a fun time working on one of the best engineered cars ever built.

Welcome to the board!