98_993_cab

WHAT??!!! Simple solution: ditch the minivan & get something you like to drive better. For example, our A6 is the daily driver, and the 993 gets occasional quality time with everyone... sunny weekend drives in the wine country, etc.

But if you're determined to sell, dibs! I'll offer $50 (CDN - it's more stable) cash.

obchuck

Yes, I sold my first and only Porsche about a year ago and SERIOUSLY regret doing so. I was OK for the first 8 months or so but now I realize it was a serious mistake. Biased I may be, but the 993 will - in my humble opinon - ALWAYS be a beautiful car, and thus, a classic. I'm an idiot. Don't be one to.

ljugete

The hell with your bosses, I say let them see you in the 993 (they may find you more interesting).
I drive my Cayenne S during bad weather and in the Winter and drive the heck out of my 993 in good weather (top down as much as possible).

Enjoy her while you can. Life is too short!

JDS

I agree with VNTGSPD. If you drive it a lot more this fall and really like it, then keep. If you're still thinking of selling afterwards, sell. You'll miss but not regret.

I did exactly that with my last two cars: dinan e39 m5 (only really miss the steering input and exhaust note); modified 86' 930 (miss the brutal acceleration), but don't regret selling either. I kept my C2 993 and drive it 40 miles a day. It has the solid feel of the m5 and the handling the 930 lacked.

I think 993 TT's are different in that they are more of a Ginger than Marianne though. More of an immediate appeal but cost more in the long run... IMHO of course...

kuhl 993

Sold my 97 C4S after 7 years because I thought I wanted something new. Had to listen to my two sons say "dad, there goes a Porsche" evertime one went buy. Or, "Dad ...do you miss your Porsche?"

I lasted 18 months and went out and found my current 1997 S. These cars form a bond with a driver like none other.

Kuhl

kuhl 993

Sold my 97 C4S after 7 years because I thought I wanted something new. Had to listen to my two sons say "dad, there goes a Porsche" every time one went buy. Or, "Dad ...do you miss your Porsche?"

I lasted 18 months and went out and found my current 1997 S. These cars form a bond with a driver like none other.

Kuhl

TMc993

As an old guy who's done raising kids, I'm going to pose a rhetorical question...

Is it possible that some or all of the urge to sell your 993 is related to some guilt/agnst over having a young family that requires the bulk of your attention/resources while you hold onto what can be considered a "luxury?"

If you can honestly answer "No!" to that question, then you need to do as stated above and drive the car as much as possible until you decide whether or not you want to keep it.

If, however, you answer "Yes" or even "Maybe," then you need to take an honest look at your family situation and determine whether selling the 993 will make it better or worse.

Family responsibilities are tricky deals...I've known guys who have hobbies but get the guilts so bad about leaving their families that they can't enjoy themselves. I've also known guys who gave up hobbies or possessions (Cars, boats, motorcycles) for family reasons, then essentially blamed their families for not being able to enjoy something they liked. Neither is good for the person or their family.

If family, and not just the car, is the issue, you need to resolve that completely before you act.

Just MHO.

Good luck,
Terry

Kika

The only Porsches we have sold have been replaced with something newer.
sold 68 912 (actually it was totalled) but we had a 80 911SC Targa to carry on. Then bought the 96 993 and sold the Targa, note i bought the newer car, THEN sold the older one, not vice versa. I have no regrets about moving forward, although I wish we had kept the 68 912, that would have been a cool project for me and my son to do.
as long as you are prepared to move on, I see nothing wrong with it, but from the sounds of it, and by posting, it seems that you have your doubts, thus I would say, keep the car. When it stops exciting you AND something else does, then it is time to move on.

fast_freddy

Hard to diffuse that bomb as it's already gone off. They know... It's even more conspicuous that you don't drive it to the office.

Just drive the thing. I drive it every day and enjoy every minute of it. I feel a little guilty when I'm away from my family doing an Auto-X, De or another car oriented event. However, thats all I really do to be away from them. I don't play golf or have a mistress that otherwise would consume my time. Simply put thats my vice. My wife's vice is horses which is far more expensive and time consuming than these things.

Enjoy!

TMc993

Yep...My father-in-law once told me if I wanted to know what it was like to own horses, just go out in the pasture every day, take a match and burn a $50 bill!

VNTGSPD

I pretty much agree with this and much of what else has been said. Take the family out in the car, not the minivan! Your three your old should just about be old enough to fit in a booster seat in the back. I know my kids LOVE to ride in the Porsche. I now have three kids so we can no longer all go together but there are many trips I take with a couple of the kids and when I say we are taking the Porsche, they immediately get excited.

I also understand about the perception of co-workers. I know when I first pulled up in my red 993, many people thought this was a high dollar luxury. The reality is that there are several cars in my parking lot owned by blue collar workers that cost more than mine. I just subtly drop the hint that it's 13 years old and cost less than an Accord. Yours is a bit more spendy than mine but most people have no idea.

Another thing not yet discussed in this thread is realizing your own mortality. Most of us know someone close to us who is terminally ill or already passed. NOW is the time to live and these Porsches we have are meant to be enjoyed. To some, that means cleaning them, to most that means driving them. While my 993 is not impractical, I did not base my decision to drive it daily on how practical it would be - that's what Corollas are for. I based it on the fact that it is something that provides enjoyment every day.

Terry Adams

I sold my 993 in March '08 and started putting miles on the 997 TT instead. Daily driver, occasional canyon carving, and a couple long trips. I had both for 3 months, but put so few miles on the 993 that it pained me to see it sit. In the past 19 years and 290K miles in 3 Porsches, I always sold a Porsche to drive a newer Porsche, never a non-Porsche.

What I miss about my 993, in no particular order:

The shape.
The simplicity.
The compact cabin.
The gauge layout.
The build quality.
The weight, or 400 lbs less of it. The 993 danced from one corner to the next, whereas the TT is more planted.
The exhaust note (just a mild Motor Sound). No need for a fancy sound system. I could listen to that air cooled flat 6 for hours.
A headlight replacement lens cover for $75, instead of a $1400 headlight sold as a single unit. (Just got smacked, the clear bra on the HL has saved me a replacement.)
Almost zero further depreciation and low operating cost.
18" PS2 that are about $400 per set cheaper than the 19" on the TT.
Replacing just the rears at 9K and fronts at 18K, as opposed to all 4 every 12K.
A trunk that can hold a real suitcase, as opposed to barely a 22" carry-on.
Not having a coolant level to check.
The 993 forum - so much busier than the TT forum, where I doubt I will ever see a story about a blonde in SF putting her 993 spoiler up and down.
The wave, as 997 drivers generally don't care.

What I like better on the TT, compared to the 993:

Roomy cabin with 2 people on a long trip.
A rear shelf that can hold a real suitcase, as opposed to barely a 22" carry-on.
Oil use of 1qt/10K.
Oil and filter changes that cost $100 less.
Windshield that was $200 less (some things are cheaper in volume).
No windshield creak - yet.
Quieter exhaust on a long trip.
Sat radio on a long trip.
Tip in manual mode. I have a left knee problem and had to go to a Tip. Now I have brain cycles to spare on canyon drives.
Brakes. Huge difference, and not just because of PCCB.
Reduced unsprung weight of the PCCB. You feel it in the turn-in.
No more wheel dust to clean.
Little stuff wearing out. I know, the TT warranty will run out and I will have the same problem.
The torque. It helps in all kinds of driving, not just straight line acceleration. Comforting though less exciting, when you can pass 3 cars at once, rather than barely one at a time.
Built-in Nav. Not as easy to use as Garmin, but built in.

There is more, but I do not regret selling the 993. It went to a good owner.

fixedgame

If finance is not an issue, you can make time to enjoy the 993. I am in similar family situation...wife two kids (5 and 2), minivan.. so i understand. Make arrangement with the wife on dropping off and picking up the children so that you can drive the 993 a few days out of the week. My 5 yr old loves it when I take him to school in the Porsche.
As for the boss, he probably has some hobby that's a lot more expesive to keep up than the 993.
My boss drives a Camery but lives in a 2.5 mil house and has a boat so he understands.

AGC

Thanks for everyones opinion, really appreciate it.

I agree with everyone about driving it, because the more the drive the car the more I like it (or fall in love with it), I just feel as if it's too much car for just the weekend.

At this time I have decided to keep the car (my wife is also very happy with this decision). I will definitely keep you all posted if I decide to sell in the future.

Man I do love the car,

kjr914

Someone once wrote in the pages of this forum "Happy wife, happy life" Heck if it makes her happy..... She's a keeper!!!


1. They make kid seats for the back seat of the Porsche. Get some!
2. I've made more friends at work by having the Porsche.... I got to know my company's CEO, as well as others, due to our shared love of Porsche.