Bogwan

Good choice, no way to regret that one. As for a second car, I would be hard pressed not to get a brand new Civic Si, not old but will do the duty you need it for, for 10 years minimum and be fun at the same time. Or maybe a slightly used WRX, both have the most important aspect, FUN to drive. Beaters are just that, beaters. Have some fun, you only live once!

doberdog

Good choice on keeping the car.
I'd go for a E39 BMW 540 6-speed. (1997-2003) It is the poor man's M5, with almost 300 hp it is a lot of fun to drive. There are a ton of them out there.
I'm at the other end of the story, having had 5 BMW's and getting ready to take the plunge into a 993. I'ts funny but the add for your car had me drooling, I just couldn't pull the trigger yet on the P-car.
If you are in the market for a 90s 5 or 7 series (I've had one-5 and two-7's) the biggest problem is the cooling system (not a problem on a 993!!!). When I bought mine I just had the rad, water pump and hoses changed for piece of mind. Shouldn't cost too much, about $800-$1000

mrsullivan

would most agree that the reliability and cost of maintenance in a late 1995-2000 BMW or Audi is poor compared to a Honda/Toyota/Lexus? Sure, of course I would rather own the German brands, but for a car that is purchased to be trouble-free and cheap, seems hard to do better than the Japanese cars... even though the fun factor won't be there as much... the new Civic SI is interesting, but a little too small for my purposes and also way over $10k....

thanks for all the input

993Dave

I can't believe you were going to sell your car after all the work you put into finding it in the first place!

Don't worry about your son. Both of my kids love my car; your son will learn to love yours. It's the best "family" sports car you could have.

Good luck with the beater search.

Bogwan

OK, for just plain Jane vanilla, get around, commute, incredible reliability, economy in every aspect, get a three to six year old Honda Accord, they do come in 2 door 5-speeds for a bit more fun(not much). Boring but bullitproof, and $10k gets a good one. Just my .02.

steve g

My 1991 BMW IX and 1981 MB 240D are my seasonal daily drivers.
Both are just right when I drive with my favorite/only granddaughter/in carseat and my wife.
BMW is driven fall/winter and the MB is driven spring/summer.
Good luck with your search for the everyday car.

David in LA

Had you sold your car, in 15 years your son would be in tears...."What?!?! You sold the Porsche that you were going to hand down to me so you could buy a 4 door sedan (which you would likely have sold by then)!!?!??!"

The "hand-me-down" line of thinking is a good excuse why you should buy another 993 (993TT ) to keep for yourself

LT1

My brother is selling his modded 2002 GTI. Great daily driver (he used it to drive to the train) and when you hop on it it'll take any beater out there. He can keep up with my TT with a rolling start. Maybe a little more than you had allocated but there's nothing quicker on the road for $19k. You can even carry a couple of kids and a golf bag.

mrsullivan

thanks LT1, but I am going to stick to my 10k budget or really close... my wife drives an SUV and I am only home 3 days out of most weeks...with the SUV and my 993, this added beater is borderline unnecessary, so not going to spend a lot of money...just want to have something that i can put my son in back seat on weekends and also park at airport without hesitation... (no more taxis!)...

ARM993

Good choice to keep the car. Your son will thank you some day. I did it the opposite a month ago. Paid off my VW Jetta that is now my daily beater for work duty and probably will be for at leat the next 5 years so the 993 could be a reality. The VW is maintenance free and doesn't take much gas. Just change the oil and put new tires on every 40-50K. More money to put into the p-car. Good luck with your new search.

eloyex

100% correct ...

as i work in telecomm business, i have high speed internet access all of the time, and i use to check out a lot the pricing of 993s and let me tell you that a pristine 993, with low miles , can reach really incredable prices. Sure there are bargains and good oportunities out there, of course, but are the few. Sometimes, you see at ebay people getting nuts bidding on 993 and the final prices are jaws dropping ... as expensive as a good 996 with low miles.

Air Kuul TT

Jonathan,

I'm glad you decided to keep you pristine 993... My TT will be in Dallas in a few months and can't wait to meet you and the rest of the Dallas crew. BTW, I have a 97 540i and 94 Honda Accord for my daily drivers... they're both great cars. The Accord is pushing 240k miles and running strong and gets about 26 miles per gal (after 12 years). The bimmer is a safe and steady car but the maintenance is much more than my Accord. Good luck in your seach, I think $10k is a reasonable budget.

Do you really have bad weather in Texas?

zwoobah

Congrats on the decision to keep it. Money and other cars come and go, but a good air-cooled porsche is forever

here's my daily alongside the 993 that my dad and I share. It's a '95 S6, and cost me exactly $10k. it's far from a beater though, and is unstoppable in the snow. however, unless you enjoy working on cars, I'd advise against an older S-car...they're finicky and require tinkering. A late-90s A4 is a pretty good choice if you want something lower maintenance, just make sure the control arm and coil pack replacements have already been completed.


best of luck with the daily driver search

Ty Smith

I have the perfect beater.

1997 Lexus 300ES, 150k, plenty of dings in the door. Fairly clean, paid $6,000. Safe, reliable and good on gas.

It's ok if my son drops his drink in it or if I get a ding in it and I can still take my co-workers to lunch in it. I park it in the first spot available, something I would never consider with my 993.

My 993 stays in my garage waiting for the sunshine..

mrsullivan

that is what i am looking for!