Hello to all!
This is my first post, so I guess I should introduce myself before getting any further.
My name is George and I will be moving to LA (I currently live in Greece) in the coming August, where I will be staying for at least 4 years (PhD student at UCLA's Anderson School of Business).

Owning a Porsche - especially the RS and the 993 - has been my dream since I was a kid and I am planning to fullfill that dream!

My question to you is which one I should go for....
Here are my thoughts and options as I see them:
1. '96+ 993 Coupe with a budget up to about $40K
2. Early 996 Turbo with a budget up to about $50K
3. Early 997 with a budget up to about $55K
4. '05+ Boxster (S) with a budget up to about $45K

What I really want is a 993, but given the small difference in price, I am thinking that a newer model is a safer bet.
A 996 Turbo is probably too much, just as a 997, both in terms of speed and maintanance costs (19" tyres mainly).
Furthermore, I believe that the 993 having less mechanical grip and more awkward balance will have more to offer in terms of the driving experience.

I am also considering a latest model Boxster (either the standard or the 'S' derivative).
That should be the most reasonable choice and being open-top should come in handy at LA, but it lacks the 911 heritage.

Finally, I am considering a Lotus Elise and a Corvette C6 as alternative options, but they are not really in my shortlist.
A late model S2000 has also crossed my mind as a cheap alternative (around $20K), but insurance is more expensive than the 993 and overall it's not that special.

I have the following concerns in regards to my purchase:
1. I will not have a lot of free time at least during my first 2 years, so I would like to avoid a car that will need constant fettling.
I currently have a track-prepped MX-5 NC Limited here in Greece and I don't want to go through that preparation and maitenance process again (pads & lsd oil need replacing every 5K, monoballs making strange noises, etc...)

Reliability is a must and I am not sure if a 993 will prove reliable enough given its age. Furthermore, I would definitely like to avoid the need to rebuild my engine.

2. I assume that speed limits are enforced in CA and I don't plan to budget for fines. So I would want to be able to enjoy my car at relatively low speeds as well - I assume for instance that a Turbo won't be much fun at 60 mph, whereas a 993 or a Lotus Elise will have more to offer in terms of feel and feedback....

Additionally, I plan to attend a few trackdays annually (assuming that I will have the time), so I also need to take the costs related to wear on the track under consideration.
The 993 having 17" tyres should help a lot!
On the other hand, the Turbo being mechanically more complex, heavier, AWD and understeer-biased will likely prove neither very cost-effective, nor very entertaining.

3. In the cost of ownership, I am accounting for depreciation as well, which should be nonexistent for the 993, whereas it will probably be quite significant for the Boxster and the 997.
Is it a safe bet to assume that 996 Turbo's will eventually pick up in value just like all previous 911 Turbo's?

The way I see it is as follows: Will a '96+ 993 (Carrera 2 preferably) with app. 50K miles at under $40K offer me the 911 experience hassle-free?
It goes without saying that I will test drive any candidate car, have it inspected and make sure that service logs are available and consistent.

Thank you people for your help in advance and I apologize for the extensive post.

 

If your dream has been to own a 993, then that is what you should be looking for!

Good luck on your search!

Regards,
David

 

993's are at least as reliable as your other choices, I'd say. Get what your heart is telling you to.

 

Follow your heart and go for the car with real personality and soul.... 993

 

Get a 993, and keep 3-4k in reserve.

 

Finish your education, become established in your career and then buy all of them!

 

I like that one

I am not sure where Ed is coming from when he stated the 993 is the least reliable?? Edit: reread his reply -- never mind

Sure, the 993 is 12 years old and requires some sorting out, but once sorted, I feel, the 993 is super reliable. Once you learn the quirks, I think they are solid cars. Actually, much more so than the later wasser-pumpers

Best is to drive all examples on your short list, there are plenty of examples out here to do so.

 

Every used car can have maintenance issues, all the cars in your list are $ to fix.

Historically the 911 turbos have been a low production car, I don't think the same could be said for the 996, especially in california.

I say get settled and adjusted to LA, drive a beater then figure out what 911 you want.

 

I think if you spend the least money on that list you can buy a really nice mid to high mile 993 and still have money to do a few mods and required maintenance. The biggest thing to be cautious of, as I'm sure you either already know, or somebody else here will remind you, is the secondary air fault code associated with clogged ports related to the emission system in the 96+ OBDII cars. That happens and you may not pass a smog test without about spending 5 large. There are bandaids, workarounds etc. but finding either a '95 OBDI car, a '96+ with no issues there (good luck), or finding a car with all of that work done is key. After that there's really nothing too different than any 10+ year old quality car. Just be sure it was maintained well. Besides, you go with the newer cars more people are likely to have them, making owning one of the new ones a little less special. I find 993's pretty rare even here in So Cal. Good luck with whatever choice you make. The advice will probably vary depending on which forum you post this question but lowest cost and coolest car wins in my book any day!

 

Re Giorgo ti kaneis?
Try to find a late 95 993, no cell issues and easy plug in chip makes quite a difference.
Ama paris to 96-98 tha exeis pio pola problimata. Psaxe na breis kati me liga xeiliometra kai na min eine se agones kathe kiriaki! Ade Yasou! Xristos.

 

993, period. Last of the thoroughbreds, will hold its value the best over time, sounds the best, looks the best... am I being too biased? Had mine for 5 years and never had any significant problems... only very small stuff. Never regretted buying it and still enjoy driving it just as much today as I did when I first got it.

 

Thank you guys for your help!

Settling in LA first and taking my time to figure out which car I want sounds reasonable, but once school gets started I doubt that I will have the time to search for cars.
And besides that, I will need a car as soon as I arrive, so I might as well get what I want right from the start.

I have read about the OBDII problems on the '96 cars, but I didn't know that it was that expensive to fix and I thought that it had been resolved by '97.
I tried to search the forum for detailed information, but I couldn't find anything. Could somebody point me to the correct link?

So are you suggesting to stay away from '97 cars too? Is it likely to find an emissions-sorted '96 cars?
The reason I am (was) considering the late model 993 is the addition of varioram.

Yiasou Xristo!!! Thanks gia tis simvoules!!
Mexri posa milia proteineis na koitaxw?

 

Re. OBDII vs. the earlier 993s -- if you are interested in a Varioram car just make sure it will pass emissions before you buy it (I'm assuming you could have the person that does your PPI in CA do a test for you and check for any CEL codes stored in the motronic).

 

Get here & drive a few, then pic what YOU want.

The 993's are FAR more reliable then the 996's Yes, you can get speeding tickets in CA, but everyone drives fast on the Free ways, more like 70-80 mph.

 

I am currently driving a Honda S2000, sweet car, but that lasts for about two weeks then the honeymoon is over. I can't wait to get out of this car into a 911! If I were you I would check that off your short list. Next, in terms of a reliable Porsche? Well, that sometimes can be a crap shoot like with any car. Majority of Porsche owners are methodical when it comes to maintaining their cars. If you like the 993, than find a good example and enjoy driving it.