Hello,

I'm new to this forum. I'm going through a mid-life crisis and have decided to buy a 993. I drove my first Porsche a week ago a 996. It was a blast to drive, but after reading the forums I'm convinced I want a 993. My price range will be in the 30K-35K range and I'm hoping to get as close to stock as possible. So I'm looking for a good 993 buyers guide and any other information that will help me find the right car. Any recommendations? I basically know little to nothing about 993's but I'm reading the forums daily to get up to speed.

Thanks

 

Welcome! The hunt for the perfect car is one of the funnest parts!!! I'll be the first to tell you to drive as many cars as you can. This way you'll be sure to weed out the things you like and don't like about the different models, and even the way the different cars of the same model are setup.

The 993 is a very different car than the 996. There aren't as many creature comforts as the newer cars, but most of us find it does the job ok. As for info on the 993, there's a lot of it around. This is probably the best place to find out the latest info on the cars. You'll soon be reading a lot about CELs, valve guides, SAI, Kinematic Toe, RS rideheight, and check valves. Just sit back, read through the archives and try to absorb as much as you can. If you have a specific question, use the search function, because chances are someone else was wondering the same thing at some point! If you are still itching to read more, the best book out there is Adrian Streather's "Porsche 993 - The Essential Companion." It's kind of pricey, but it's exhaustive in its info. Another book you may want to pick up is "The Porsche 911 Red Book" by Patrick Paternie. It details all of the production info for the 911s and can help you figure out what years had what options and production numbers. Pretty cool.

I'll also be the first one to tell you to be sure to take your time. Once you settle on what color combo you want and the options you want, do your best not to stray. When you settle for something you're not 100% on, sure enough the car you really want will come up for sale! So be patient!!!

Here's a checklist of things to go over on a PPI for any 993 you find. It was put together by one of the 993 gurus in SoCal, Tony Callas. I would take this checklist with you to any mechanic that may be looking over a car for you. Good luck in your search!!!

 

"So I'm looking for a good 993 buyers guide and any other information that will help me find the right car. Any recommendations?"

You are at probably the worlds best source of information reagrding buying, owning, maintaining & modifying 993's.

No matter what you find for sale there will be one or more long term owners on this forum who can advise you on things you need to know about that year & it's quirks and help you make informed/educated decisions on your purchase.

After you purchase your 993 you can find information on any kind of improvement, repair or darn near anything else regarding this series of 911's.

Best of luck with your purchase..................ZP44

 

I don't claim any expertise, but from reading posts it seems the late '95 model year may be the least trouble free since it has the OBD-1, hence no check engine light (CEL) from supplemental air injection (SAI) clogged ports. I gather that the Vario-ram in later cars is of questionable value. The late '95s have the integrated 3rd brake light rather than the easter basket handle, your call of the look of that.

I have over 70k miles on my 95 (70% winter driving), very few troubles. Still stiff and tight, no rattles or creaks.

 

The SAI code issue on later cars is not nearly as big a deal if you don't have emmision testing. Drive as many cars as you can before deciding what you want. Try to be objective with this....not easy. Where are you located? I'm sure Rennlisters in your area would be happy to show you their cars.

Not to derail this but where does "bmw323i" come from? I lived in Europe during 1985-87 and owned a 1979 323i.

 

Disclaimer, no relation, and I am not incentivised in anyway from this. I found Adrian Crawford's buying guide very helpful for a 996, he produces them for all 911s so may be worth having a quick look. He also provides actual advice by email if you have questions on a particular car that you are looking to compare vs some of his recommendations, etc. All in great service. At the end of the day though, think it comes down to buy the best example you can afford and have a PPI run before buying.....

http://www.performance2and4.co.uk/#1

 

PM sent. Good luck with finding the car of your dreams.

 

Don't be hung up on the "stock" thing. Most of us here have tweaked our cars to some degree. You will at least want a better suspension set-up, even if it is Porsche M030 or ROW. Modified mufflers and different wheels are very common.

If you want to drive the car, these definitely enhance the experience. If you want a museum piece...

 

Thanks everyone for the information. I have much more reading to do . Any recommendations good dealers on the East Coast (I'm in NC) is also appreciated.

 

Andrian Streather's book is quite expensive, but has some good overall info I think:

http://www.amazon.com/Porsche-Essent...7147720&sr=8-5

 

While I have no personal experience with them, I've heard nothing but good things from those who bought at Holt Mororsports. They tend to have a number of very clean examples.

http://www.holtmotorsports.com/

 

bmw323i,

Re. earlier posts - I used Adrian Crawford's buying guide for 911s before buying my first car, and it was helpful. No knowledge about his 993 guide however. If you are pretty certain that you want a 993 I also recommend Adrian Streather's book; it is really worth the money.

Re. dealers in NC - the official P-car dealers would be unlikely to have 993s very often although the Greensboro dealer (Foreign Cars Europa) took in a '96 C4S with 24K miles in trade a few months back. I have a good friend that has bought several cars including a 911 and 2 Ferraris from Sport Auto in Greensboro, http://www.sportauto.us/01_home.htm . In each case the owner did a search for a specific car and located them elsewhere in the US. Searching for cars here on Rennlist and also Pelican would also be good strategies.

Previous posters discussed during the research up front; that is great advice and exactly what I did. The result was I could decide exactly what I wanted (and could probably afford); then I would be ready to act if I stumbled across the right car. In my case, the right car was in the same city I live in, and after a few months I learned it was about to go on the market. I bought the car while still owning another 911, which made my wife think that I had officially gone off the deep end. But it all turned out fine in the end, got down to only one 911 in several weeks, and 2+ years later I am still very satisfied with the car I bought.

Good luck with your research!

Regards,
David

 

I do not think that the SAI issue on the later cars is a reason to reject them. The SAI flush procedures demonstrated on this board have shown that replacing guides can be prolonged, even in states with emissions testing. I have not driven a non-varioram car, but I do appreciate the low end torque of my 97. I also understand that the later cars have suspension arms from the turbo cars for added strength.

As far as stock, I agree with hal m that suspension, wheels and muffler mods are common and safe. I think it even goes further to indicate the pride of ownership of previous owners. Myself, I would probably stay clear of cars with engine modifications unless you know they were done by very reputable shops.

This forum is by far the best repository of all things 993. Also, the members are very helpful to help out with even the simplest questions. Case in point:

https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...ight-****.html

A PPI by a good shop is mandatory.

Documentation is also critical. Service records, shop receipts, window stickers etc... tell the story of the car (or lack thereof!). You want to buy the latest, low mileage car that you can afford. It may be tempting to buy the rough car and "fix-it-up" but you will be sorry in the long run - unless you want to and enjoy working on cars.

There are a series of normal things that need to be dealt with such as DME relays, immobilizers, cabriolet top controllers, shocks etc... These things are all well documented here, and most are not serious, but they do cost money. I'd say that you should expect to spend another $3-5k over the price of the car to bring it up to snuff - unless you find a nice car from an R-L member that has already done it (like I was able to). I have really enjoyed my car.

The fact that you have narrowed it down to a 993 is much of the battle. The 993 is a much different car than the 996, so be sure you drive one before getting to hot and heavy into the search. The noises, feel, smell are different than the newer cars, but it is the sensation of a true 911 (IMHO). Also should note that the 996 has some reliability issues (search IMS failure) - though somewhat rare - can be quite expensive to fix.

I originally wanted to buy an early 911S (72-3), then moved to considering the 993, then looked at 996s and finally settled back to a 993. I do not regret it one bit. The car is modern enough to have a working AC, pretty nice stereo, modern reliability, improved suspension and driveability, yet retains the true heritage of the rear-engined, air-cooled dream of Ing. Porsche first embodied in the 356.

You have a reasonable budget and should find a nice car. Be patient.

Cheers,

Vince

 

+1 on Streather. Good luck in your search, and take your time.

 

FYI, I have two copies of the book (duplicate presents). I'll sell the spare copy for $50 shipped to your door (lower 48) if anyone is interested.