Hey all,

Love reading the forum. Always dreamed of owning a 993 and am closer to getting into the game. I previously owned a 2000 Boxster and have been on a waiting list since 2002 for the Lotus Elise, but am having second thoughts about the Elise and may purchase a 993.

So I've been reading about the CEL SAI issues and am wondering if there is any way to inspect for this when purchasing a used car. Besides having an inspection done, any other recommendations on how to pick up a car? Did I also read correctly that a CEL job runs $6K?

Finally, Willhoitenterprises.com has a 96 C4S blue/blue with 30K miles for a list price of $53,500. Partial power seats, Litronic, Aero Kit, 18' wheels and 30K service and inspection complete. Can anyone give me a gut check that this is a reasonable car for the price? Sounds like the CEL issues are less with a 96?

 

Zero, welcome to the board and the quest for the ultimate 911, the 993!

I know of many P-car owners who had been on the Elise waiting list and ended up cancelling for various reasons. All seem to think, myself included, that the Elise is a wonderful track toy, but not the best car for typical street driving. If I had the space and an extra $40K, I would give the Elise some serious thought, but as it is now, my 993 offers the best of three worlds, so to speak. It quenches my thirst for a sports car with VERY strong genealogy and glorious racing heritage, it can be the daily driver if needed with reliability, and its not too shabby on the track

SAI issues have cost owners big bucks in the past, but as time goes by, many discover better, cheaper ways around taking the engine apart just to clean out these ports, which costs owners less. In addition to a PPI, make sure the CEL illuminates when you turn the key to the 'on' position. There have been cars that people have removed the bulb to hide these issues.

Drive all that you can, and be patient. The more you look at, the easier it will be for you to know, this is the one

 

I don't think the CEL issue is detectable without some effort and cost. Chris is right. Hergesheimer in OC and other independents can flush and scrape the deposits out for $1k or so. Here is one example https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...75#post1650675. Some on the board have had that done, some have done it themselves. Check out p-car.com where a rennlister posted his method and pictures. Steve Weiner, who is a site sponsor, has spoken before about how, in his opinion, the valves should be tested as part of a PPI to check for amount of play, an indication of worn valve guides. Others can chime in here but my guess is this will not be a cheap procedure for a PPI and is definitely not normally done. Call Steve and speak to him about it or search under his name and valve guide. Here is one post from Steve on this topic https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...er+valve+guide. In spite of the amount of coverage on valve guide wear and the "inevitability" of it, there are many, many rennlisters on this board with high mileage 993s that have lived up to the reputation of being "bullte proof". Search, learn, and make an informed decision when you buy.

 

What my predecessors have all said?

Get a thorough PPI!! Here in EU, we have no OBD issue. Has something to do with the emission for CA.

Good luck in your hunt.

 

96 and afterwards are all OBD II cars, so you have it backwards--you theoretically can have more CEL issues with a 96+ than before with the 1995 OBDI emission control system. Also keep in mind that a lot of people post on the board because they have issues with their cars, so those cruising around happily [at least some] don't bother to post unless there is a problem.

As for the widebody, that price looks about right for one of those at that mileage--think long and hard if you really really like the widebody that much [I definitely love the way they look but you have to spend $10K+ more for it]--Narrow bodies still look "wide" compared to the 996s and older narrow body 911s, and you will find a generally much lower asking prices....and if you're in love with the big reds [brakes], you can get yours powder coated red or go for the real thing at around $2,900 with stainless steel lines and still save money!

...Certainly not discouraging you from getting that Widebody if you have the Cash, just letting you know that there are many fine narrow body cars out there with low mileage for a lot cheaper [I paid $38,500 for a 1997 with 30,000 Miles with a new clutch and flywheel, 30K service done and great condition]--that leaves a lot of cash on the table for MODS!!!!!

Also, keep in mind that every Porsche has its "known" issues, from the early cars to the 964 oil leaks to the 996/986 Rear Main Seal [RMS] issues...as long as you get a thorough PPI you can help avoid many of the costlier problems with these cars.

My $.02

 

I agree with what is said above. If you ever read the Audiworld forums, you would wonder why every Audi doesn't just automatically pull over to the side of the road, eject all of their oil, blow their turbos skyward through the hood, and suck every dollar out of your pocket. People rarely post "everything is great with my car, no problems, just wanted to say that". People post problems on this board because they know they can get lots of help from others.

On the last point, my p-car owning friends told me, when I was searching, to budget a few grand for things that might pop up in the first year. After all, a PPI cannot catch everything. Good luck with the search and consider becoming a member. You will earn considerably more searchng the archives as a hunter of a great car than the annual membership dues.

Last but not least, where are you located? Lots of times when members come across cars they think are nice or priced right they get posted and knowing where you are would help.

 

Thanks for the advice and feedback everyone. I recently relocated to Northern Virginia from Seattle.

I won't be pulling the trigger probably until the end of January, which will give me a lot of time to look around do my homework to make an informed decision. I keep flipping back between the lotus (which should be here in May) and the 993, but with a 2 year old daughter it sure would be nice to have the extra 2 seats.

I'll definitely get a membership if I decide to go with the 993!

 

As my user name indicates, I have 3 kids, 8, 6, and 3. They literally fight to see who gets to ride with Daddy. The 8 year old fits very nicely in the back seat still with the front seat pulled up a bit. I've also invested in an airbag on/off switch (www.airbagonoff.com) for the passenger seat so that I could take all 3 in a pinch. I wouldn't particularly want to drive my kids in my car on a long distance trip but for tooling around town and drop off/pick up, it is actually quite fine. Good luck.