blaise

Hey all,

This is my first post, so please bear with me.

I am beginning to get serious about acquiring a 993, and I had a question about annual maintenance. The other Porsche under consideration is a 996. Does anyone know if the 993 will likely cost more/less than the 996 on an annual basis? I assume both cars would have around 50K miles on the clock at purchase, and I plan to use the car for my primary driver -- although I don't drive much (less than 5K per year). I take the subway to work. Other than some daily work and weekend excursions, I plan to use it a few times per year at DE events.

What would be a prudent annual maintenance budget? This would exclude any major repairs (SAI or valve guide rebuilds, etc.)

Relatedly, is it crazy to consider a 993 a primary car? Would anyone on this forum recommend a 996 over a 993 for that use?

Thanks, and keep up the great site! I love how much useful information is in this forum.

Blaise

palladio

Blaise,
I just bought a 993 C2 as a somewhat daily driver (I only live in Atlanta about 2 weeks a month). Originally I was only looking at 996's for their increased comfort, but a few minutes in a clean 993 just "did it" for me. I'm sure I made the right decision for me.

The 996 is a better choice in my opinion if you have to spend a lot of time in the brutal Atlanta commute. It has a lighter clutch, much better AC, and is just more refined. However, it's not nearly as visceral, and I far prefer the looks/sound/feel of the 993.

Since you take the MARTA to work, you probably could live without the extra creature comforts of the 996. You really need to drive both and see what moves you. If you want to spend some time in a 993, PM me and I'd be happy to let you drive mine when I'm in Atlanta next time.

I haven't owned mine long enough to give first hand information on your maintenance question. Others on this board are far more qualified in that regard. From what I've been told, the 993 can be a bit more costly to maintain but has what is probably a more bulletproof engine design for the long term. Also, you will probably take much less of a depreciation hit on the 993 over the near term, so if you decide to sell you will likely come out ahead of where you'd be with a 996.

If you can afford to buy/maintain a decent 996, you can do so for a 993 as well. The best advice I could give is to drive both models and go with what your heart tells you. Then search for a good one in a color combo you like and don't look back.

last toy

I had my 95 993 in dallas while I was working and living there temporarily and it was my only car. Drove it everyday except when there was an ice storm. Texans don't t know how to drive on wet pavement let alone ice. Honestly, the only maintenance was $500 for a 15,000 mile scheduled maintenance and $ 50 to repair a windshield chip. And I ran my AC daily as Texas gets hot in the summer so the top only went down in the evening. Drove it 1200 back to Cleveland and drove it another year in Cleveland and only replaced the tires. Other than a Lexus, most reliable car I have had. Although my 964 is doing great. Stay with the air cooled 993. I personally don't like the narrow body 996 but you can get a 996 turbo well below 964 and 993 turbo prices.

blaise

Palladio: Thanks for the offer to drive your 993. I have, in fact, driven several 993s and 996s over the past couple of months, and I think the real reason I am posting on this board is that the 993 does it for me much better than the 996. It's something about the way the whole car feels that is so much more distinctive than a 996. That said, I have no desire to pay dramatically more in $$ or comfort to go with the 993. But what I am hearing is that the 993 is marginally more expensive to maintain, but probably more reliable and certainly better on the depreciation end.
Btw: I love blue 911s. Do either of you have a picture of yours in Ocean and Midnight blue?

last toy

My 995 was midnight Blue and looked great. Unfortunately, don't have any pics. By the way, the $500 is not for every maintenance check up. lot less for the usual 7500 oil and filter changes and belt tightening. I had the Dallas Porsche dealer do a major maintenance check as a favor as they replaced my $4000 top for only labor cost ($750) as it was out of warranty. My top was in excellent shape until I wedged a driver under it and put a 4 inch rip in it. You can get a low milage 993 for $40k. or less.

Mike J

Estimating cost of ownership on a 10+ year old car is difficult. You can minimize your chances of higher expenses by a careful buying process but there are risks. Several people have had very good luck at minimal maintenance, other people on the other side of the bellcurve have spent significant dollars.

If you do not consider the valve guide/SAI issues, DMF failures, steering rack leaks, and other issues with 10+ year old cars they are reasonable to maintain. They are cheap to maintain if you can do the work yourself. However, one event like a top-end rebuild will put your maintenance figures through the roof and make the daily maintenance costs insigificant.

I guess what I am trying to say if you decide to purchase a 993 make sure you have the resources to handle the worse case. Then you will be comfortable with the car since its likely the worse case will not happen.

As far as 996's go I would not touch one...I do not like their shape at all and the best word I can fine to describe driving one is "sterile" (just my humble opinion...flame suit on). They are not as DIY compatiable as the 993, and certainly not for the serious DIY'er who might do an engine rebuild.

Cheers,

Mike

mrsullivan

i have thought a lot about this recently with my 52k mile C2S.... no mechanical problems whatsoever and very low annual maintenance...

here is what i have realized.... probably the absolute worst case scenario is clutch replacement (wear item) PLUS top end rebuild someday. These two things together could be between $8-10k. With both done, the car is probably good to 100k and beyond (with newer harder valve guides, etc.) So in the scheme of things, I guess the worst case scenario is not that bad...all things considered.

amfp

Check at Robin's website for his cost of ownership cost. http://p-car.com/temp/993service.htm As mentioned, it all varies, as to what the car needs when buying used, and how detailed you want to get in being pro-active with preventive maintenance

If nothing major occurs with the car, and it is mostly routine maintenance, I still would budget at least 2K a year. If you plan to start setting car up for at least safety with DE (1/2 cage, belts, seats) you begin looking at some serious money, and higher maintenance costs.

TMc993

There is a direct positive correlation between annual cost of ownership and how hard you use the car. Using the car "a few times per year at DE events" could significantly increase your costs in term of tires, brake pads and perhaps a clutch, depending on how skilled you are and how well your car was treated before you bought it.

My 993 is my daily driver and I put about 8-10K per year on it. It's all easy rural miles...No stop-n-go stuff...My costs last year were right at $1500 including pads and rotors which I did myself. Take out the brake rebuild and it was right at $600 (not including gasoline). This year I've put Bilstein HDs and M030 springs on it, so I'm already beyond $2000.

It is a slippery slope indeed.

Good luck on your search.

TMc

Ed Burdell

993's eat tires, but I imagine 996's do, too.

I spend a lot of time in Atlanta traffic, and the 993 is plenty comfortable, even with 18" wheels. I have a stock suspension, which is more forgiving, I understand.

My buddy has a 996 cab, and he remarked that he even preferred the seats in my car. Wouldn't have guessed that...

If this is to be a fun car, then don't sweat the ergonomics or creature comforts. Both cars get the job done. Go with the one that stirs you up more...

ZombiePorsche44

If annual costs are a true concern buy a Honda, otherwise the 996 is a better traffic commuter and the 993 is a better performance drivers car.

My 993 daily driver runs me about $250.00 a year in regular maint. to own unless I do something major (slippery slope) for it.

ZP44

95 C4 993

$6500 for me this year so far! 60k tune , Bilstein HD's, MO30 suspension, sways, KLA strut brace, Gert Protection Bar.

Unforseens--distributor rebuilt and ignition coil

On any given year for standard maintenance, about $230 per oil change (maybe 2 a year for me) and a set of rear tires ($300-$500 depending on size and manufacture). I would say between $500 and $1000 per year on your basics.

993C4Smontreal

If annual costs are a true concern buy a Honda

Zombie, nothing personal.....but that kind answer is so old and useless....

Baise is simply doing his research. There is nothing wrong with his question, and he doesnt sound concerned. He is simply looking to avoid any surprises.

It reminds me of the mechanic that answers me "..if u need to ask how much, this is not the car for you".

as a matter of fact, I always ask "how much". The answer will not necessarily change my mind, but I like to know.....

again, nothing personal, but wrong assumption.

To answer Blaise's question:
It is hard to put an annual figure on maintenance. it really depends on the condition of the car, and how you treat it....bottom line, the more preventative maintenance, the less repair costs in the future.

As you can tell from most replies, if the car is in good condtion and well maintained by PO, you shouldn't worry about much besides wear and tear items...

one very important X factor to consider is the slope...and as hard as you try to resist...ITS IMPOSSIBLE.

Marv

Depends on the cars! I have seen good and bad 993s and 996s. Personally, the 996 engine makes me a little nervous. It has a reputation for a number of issues that would make me reluctant to buy it unless you get a CPO warranty.
Otherwise, the 996 is a great daily driver with the 993 a close second when you consider creature comforts and performance.

The 993s are a little older so they have their geriatric ailments too. There are a few engine issues of their own, but the costs of those failures are less than a new 996 motor.

I bought my 993 with 12,500 miles on it and turned it in at 52K miles for a GT3. I spent the usual cost for oil, filters, brakes, tires, and wiper blades. I had one service issue. My clutch pedal rubber wore out and had to be replaced somewhere around 40K miles. The rubber split on the top of the pedal and slipped off when you put your foot on it.

Other than mods that I put on the car it was less than $1500 for five years. May your luck be as good as mine. Depreciation is another thing, but both the 9996 and the 993 are pretty far down the curve so that it will not be a major issue like a new car.

95 C4 993

From another prosepctive, its probably cheaper to maintain a 993 than it is to smoke a pack a day or drink 1 Starbucks Latte each morning.

There are several ways of justifying any expenses if you break it down and really analize it.

I prefer not to spends thousands on a rock from a womans hand. There's thousands of $$$ for Porsche upgrades!!

Ok, thats coming from a guy who will most likely never marry and if I ever do, it will be prenup. Again, potentially huge savings in the long run.