whiter

newbie here looking for advise form the more expireinced on this board.I am looking for my first P car. from a stying standpoint I love the wide body and rear wing ie 993 tt or the 930. Most folks I have talked to have tried to discourage the 930.That being said the 993 and 930 run about the same price with the twin turbo about double. So from a cost standpoint longevity and maintenance and repair standpoint will you pay expotentially more on the average for the turbo cars? All things equal I guess we would all take the turbo.What can you guys add to this for me.I do know I want an air cooled car I just prefer the visceral sense. I have driven a stock 993 but not the other 2 mentioned here.Thanks in advance RW

justin993

What other sports cars have you owned. The 993 is more than enough car for the driving abilities of most people. The turbos do have awesome power. Yes you will pay more for turbo ownership.
What did you think of the stock 993? Did you really get some time with it, or just a little test drive. I personally think you need some time with the car to fully appreciate it. I have owned one for 5 years and am still building an appreciation for the car.

I consider myself to be a pretty good drive. I have been driving p-cars since I was 18, about 12-13 years. I do drivers ed. I own a construction business, so I am always operating some kind of machine, or trailering something, which makes the 993 feel like a toy sometimes. However, If the 993 is a "10," I'm a "4.5" maybe "6" max. I think there is a lot of car there. Once you drive the 993 on the track you realize the potential of the car is hard to meet on the street, unless you are going straight for long enough.
That being said, I did drive a friends 993TT a month ago. The power is awesome, and I do have it in my head that I am getting one at some point. Contingent on keeping my current 993 of course.

Fahrer

If you are considering a pre-3.6L turbo, the car will have significant turbo lag. Those cars are appreciated for their relativel simplicity but will not have the responsiveness of the 993TT with its smaller tubos. Good luck on the search.

JDHertz11

I have owned the three cars mentioned. I prefer to drive my 930 over the 993 TT because it is a much more involving experience. I absolutely loved my previous 993 NA but I sold it because I bought the 993 TT. The 993 TT is an awesome car but it feels somewhat watered down and numb due to ABS and AWD. I am not personally a big fan of the wide body cars' look so my latest project is a narrow body car with big HP kind of a Yellow Bird in stealth. There is a big price difference in the cars that you are interested in. You can buy a beautiful 993 NA for roughly the same price as a 930 with similar miles however, a 993 TT will cost nearly double. Buy the nicest car that your wallet (or wife) allows. None of these cars are inexpensive to own and operate. Good luck.

Martin S.

"That being said the 993 and 930 run about the same price with the twin turbo about double." Out in Central Coast of Cali, a clean 993 TT is seeing upwards of $60,000. A 996 TT can be had for about 40% less. The 930 is "old" technology, single turbo with an established reputation for turbo lag. The suspension was initially seen on the first 1965 911.

If you want rocketship performance with 400 HP, the 996 TT is a hell of a deal, a steal...and with all the creature comforts. If you want a car that will hold its value, the 993 TT is the ticket...down side, you may not want to drive it...keeping it clean for eventual placement in a Porsche museum? If you get a 996 TT, you can drive the wheels off it...then sell it later to some other speed demon...after your license is suspended

fiftyfive

Excellent comments by Justin and Fahrer. You should drive as many air-cooled 911's as you can to see where they point you. Two big dividing lines are turbo-NA and coilover-torsion bar; actually with a 993TT you need to include AWD-rear drive, too. I own a 993 NA, a 930, and an '84 911. Each is excellent in its own right but quite distinct from the others.

The only way to know is extended seat time. If a 993TT's the one for you, the 2x price factor is worth it in the long run. All of these cars are in the same depreciation ballpark: minimal. Look at total cost of ownership = purchase price - (selling price + maintenance).

Regarding maintenance differentials, a turbo probably costs more to maintain on average. However, maintenance and repair comes down to the particular car you buy; generalities are just that. Especially with turbos, get the best unmodified example you can.

fiftyfive

Two more good posts came in while I wrote mine; these guys are giving you good advice.

I was going to mention a 996TT, too. A friend recently bought an '01 with 41kmiles, absolutely pristine, for $40K. It was the only car I've ever driven that had too much power for me, indeed a rocketship. No better bang for the buck out there for outright acceleration in a practical all-year driver.

Boston911fan

I originally was looking for a 930 Cabriolet because I grew up in the 80s and that was one of my favorite cars back in the day. I got scared when looking for my first 911 due to the myths about the dangerous handling. Plus, I was worried about maintenance costs, so I ended up with a 993, my other favorite 911. I recently met a guy who owns a 1979 930 at a PCA show in NJ, and he was more than kind enough to let me drive it. What a blast! It was easy to drive, easier than my 993. I noticed that the steering was lighter even though it was not power assisted like in my car, and the clutch was way easier to operate, which is not hydraulic like in a 993, but rather cable-operated. The turbo lag is predictable enough so you know when to expect it, and even though it's not any quicker than a NA 993, it's fun to get that jolt of boost. If I knew then what I know now and test drove both cars, I might have stayed with my original plan. I have no regrets though, since I absolutely love the 993.

As for the 993 Turbo, I recently got into autocross, and made a new friend who has one in matching colors to my Cabriolet. He has sort of become an autocross mentor to me, and I've been in his car several times. It is quite fast, but it has very little lag if any, and you can't really even hear the turbos (or maybe it's because I was wearing a helmet). Sure, the AWD helps it stick better, and it's much quicker than a 930, but you don't have that untamed feeling of the 930.

Dunno, you should definitely try and drive or ride in all three. You can't really go wrong, and 930 prices aren't too bad, even the Cabriolets. Hey I wonder what a rare 930 Targa goes for. There's one that shows up in Boston that has the Slantnose delete option--super rare car! Targa to begin with plus the fender grilles and huge running boards from the Slantnose but with the normal fenders. Anyway, good luck deciding!

whiter

thanks for the reply I did like the NA 993 when I drove it just was thinking ahead a bit with the idea that if I had the turbo to begin with I woulddnt ever be tempted to trade or get sucked into the mod trap. However what can you really do on public roads. You are probably right

avidtest

Not all of us.

4-wheel drive is not appealing to me (in a Porsche at least). Plus, the standard 993, set-up properly, is plenty of car to handle and have a ton of fun with imho.

whiter

thanks for some great insight! I am just going to have to drive them all to decide

tcsracing1

the 993 is the jewel of all the 911. For everyday use, resale and to look at the 993 build quailty cant be beat.
A 993 carrera 2S is what you want for wide body. 4S if you want the big brakes.

A turbo 993 is the great one to own, but if you got to ask how much to maintain, then it is not the car for you. If you can afford one, then definitly buy one.

A normally aspirated 993 has enough power to keep you smiling for the next 20 years. The turbo is just excessive power, but nice too.

993's when cared for will last a long, long time.

dcdude

Where do you live?

I can't think of how to properly stretch the legs of a 993TT anywhere near where I live, except a track...

Edward

Ask 5 guys, get 6 answers

To Turbo or not, and even with that Q, to go 930 or modern...there are n rational answers to these questions because none of these cars are "rational" purchases. Yeah, I said it. That coming from a guy who loves his 993NA so much I stopped tracking it to buy a stinkin dedicated track car, a 911SC. All the cars you mention are solid performers, none the dog of the house (you are choosing among only the air cooled 911s, afterall ). But none are your ubiquitous utilitarian Accord or Camry: buy the car that makes you thank God you are alive to enjoy it ...really.

The bottom line, IMHO, is that the 911 you buy must meet all those intangible "feel good" points to you, or it isn't worth the time, energy, and money you will spend on it ...and you will.

FWIW, I went through the 930 vs 993 dilemma, then the 964/993, then he "maybe I could make the stretch a 993TT" internal dialogue. In the end, the 993NA won out for reasons that fit my desire for style, classic lines, modern 911 development, cost, and of course overall fun factor while still being drivable on a daily. But that's all me as I was purchasing my "Dream Car" (yeah, I had 930 posters on my wall as a kid!) that would also be my daily driver. If I were choosing a fun-only car, perhaps I'd have chosen differently.

Best advice to you has already been mentioned: drive them all, and hopefully for more than a few minutes. Ask yourself which model serves your 911-mission best, and once you narrow it down to one model, search creation for your car. It's not a task, it's an adventure!!

Edward

Richard Kent

I currently have a 95 993 Cab and made the mistake of driving a 993TT a few years ago, I wanted one bad after that, I searched and searched and had one lined up in trade and the deal fell through. I hate to say I still think about the TT but still enjoy my 993 NA cab. After driving the TT my NA Cab felt like a slug...