MarkD

OK, I have searched. I may have missed something, forgive me if I did.
I know this is the bazillionth post on potential purchases... but it is MY first

Looking at a 1995 993 for a Track/DE car... no varioram
About 100k miles on it. Need some input on a few questions:

Issue #1: Slight Vibration
- There is a vibration in the shifter that I don't have in my 964. The vibration is rpm dependent.
- I am fairly certain it needs a clutch, feels soft, not crisp on engage (that's OK, price allows for it). Could the vibration be due to the toasted clutch?
- Trans shifts fine, synchros OK. No grind.

Issue #2: Compression/Leakdown Advice
- Given the miles (100K), is a compression and leakdown really necessary? I have seen much advice on PPIs and comp/leakdown tests here. I understand the logic behind the advice. But if all other signs are good... ?
- The engine runs perfect through all RPMs. No smoke on a cold start, not even a whisp. No abnormal sounds whatsoever.
- I suspect the engine is just fine. The rest of the car is very well cared for, particularly given the miles.

Issue #3: Bumper/hood gap
- There is a slightly uneven gap where the front bumper meets the hood
- More evidence: The interior is in great shape, I am actually shocked at how good. It looks like a high freeway miles car. The 2nd owner drove the car!
- The front bumper is not chipped as much as a 100K car should be.
- I checked fender well and inside via trunk. All body seams look original, no concerns
- Clean CarFax (for what that is worth)
- I am suspect the bumper was resprayed and not reinstalled well

Thanks for any input on these!

Edward

Hi Mark,

No varioram simply means that you are spared the potential CEL headache of the OBDII cars ...rejoice!

With a nose that does not look like a 100K mile car, it has most certainly been resprayed ...a good thing if done well. If you know paint&body, look closely and poke around under the trunk carpet area. If you don't know what to look for, get someone who does. If the gaps along the hood/fenders look right, it's likely the nose was not refit with the greatest of care ...not hard to address, but will cost you a few hours.

Re: comp/leakdown ...these offer peace of mind so that's up to you. If the car feels strong, feels and sounds smooth at idle with your head in the engine bay, you may be ok. And as for "it doesn't smoke," cold start is one thing. Any 911 can blow a puff on startup and be completely healthy. A better test is to follow the car yourself while a buddy accelerates/decelerates, and your keen eye looks for that tell-tale blue-tinged smoke. If you know what you're looking for, it's obvious. While not a bad "test" in their own right, the aforementioned certainly are not compression/leakdown results ...but it IS cheaper It's really more about how much you trust your own judgment and how much you're willing to roll the dice. Confession: I did NOT do a comp/leakdown on either my 993/SC Trackmeister purchases ...but I trust myself ...for what that's worth. So do you feel lucky ...well, do you

Vibe in the shifter: not sure, myself. Could be the clutch as you say, or worn trans mount maybe. Prob the former if engagement isn't crisp. Since you have a 964, you know what a healthy clutch should feel like.

Hope this helps

Edward

BobbyT

IMHO, the best money you will ever spend on a used Porsche is for a thorough PPI. You found several issues, but on a car of this age (same as mine) and mileage, there may be more significant ones waiting to bite you. Here is the link to a great PPI guide written by our late friend Paul Lighthill:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...repurchase.htm

MarkD

Thanks for the advice.

Edward, yeah, I checked behind body panels. Everything original. Thanks for confirming what I thought... bumper respray, not well fitted. On the plus side the color matches well!

As for PPI, I did my own yesterday... I know what to look for and had a complete list (actually used Paul's as a foundation for mine). I fugure I care about this more than any shop or dealer does. I've been too disappointed by dealers and independants. My only limitation was the comp/leakdown. I didn't have anyone else with me to follow the car but that is a GREAT idea. I can have the owner drive it while I follow. Thanks!

Anyone have any other thoughts on the vibrations? I'd like to rule out trans issue if at all possbile. I haven't experienced a problem with these gearboxes so I don't know how problems start to show up. I am pretty sure it isn't the trans but looking for reassurance

DJF1

From my own experience with purchasing a higher mile car for the track ( about 83K at that time) you have to budget for suspension parts. Besides the obvious, when you change the shocks/springs have new tie rods and new bushings all around ( if you want to stay with stock, otherwise some nice ERP pieces) as well as check the rear drive shaft's for wear. All these items failed on my car due to stress after a few events so while you are there changing the suspension they are worth doing... Especially the tie rods are a cheap insurance, I had mine ( the right side) freeze completely and you dont want that to happen at speed. Also inspect your braking components, I had to rebuilt the master cylinder, again cheap insurance here...
Otherwise, I did not have any issues with the engine or the stock tranny. When you change clutch and the dual mass, its also worth to do the clutch slave cylinder and the short shifter while you are there

MarkD

Danny, thanks. Yeah, it will need springs/shocks. Thanks for the tip on the drive shafts.
Brakes were just completely done... he put a lot of $$ in the car recently.