plaborde

I am in the market for my 1st Porsche. I have decide on a 993. I have been advised to try to stick to a 1995 model because of the CEL problem on later models. My budget is $25 to $30K. I am haveing trouble finding cars in that range with less that 70K miles on them. Ideally, I want a car with 50K or less. I have also been advised to stick with a black interior, although not my 1st choice in the DEEP south (love the tan/camel interiors). This car will be a weekend driver only. I thought about a 996 car, but the resale doesn't seem to be holding as well and they appear to have more problems and maintenance. Also, the 993 is an old school car, which is what I want. Drive it 100 miles on a weekend and that would be huge numbers. Any help would be most appreciated. My friends has a 993TT he picked up at the factory, drove around Europe, brought home and parked it. The car is loaded, down to leather wrapped guages, and has less that 7,500 miles on it. That is my dream car, but I don't have the 6 figures he wants to part with it. I will have to settle for less, but am looking forward to settling with someone. Any suggestions anyone has on what to look for and what to avoid would be MOST appreciated.

993Brendan

I think you've come to the right place- spend some times reading different threads and doing searches and you will find out everything you need to know about a 993 before buying one.

You should definitely be able to get into a nice 993 for close to $30k. I'm not sure whether you'll be able to find one with less than 50k miles for that money, but I encourage you to look more at the condition of the car than the mileage. When I was looking I really wanted something with 40-50k miles (this was 6 years ago), but settled on a car that a fellow Rennlister was selling with 72k on it and it has given me nothing but trouble-free motoring for the last 6 years/25k miles. These cars are made to be driven, so you should beware that some low mile cars that have been used only on quick trips to the store may develop oil leaks and other issues that would not have occured had the car been driven.

There have been several nice 993s for sale on Rennlist in the past few months, so I recommend keeeping an eye on this board and the member classifieds.

Good luck- and remember, the search is half the fun.

matt777

With these cars being 15 years old now I would be more concerned about getting a car with full maintenance records that can pass a PPI rather than focusing on mileage. There is always some deterioration with just plain aging. As for interior/exterior colors I think this is purely personal preference. I would also do some reading to figure out what mods you might like so you can try and buy a car that has them already (suspension, wheels, stereo, etc.) as this will save you some $$$ in the long run.

vincer77

Ditto as far as mileage. Bought mine with 74,000 mi last year and have absolutley no regrets. There are cars on this forum with well over 100k on the clock going strong - there's also one RLr with a 250k car and I believe original engine w/o even a top end rebuild!

Also, though the 95s do not have the CEL issue, immobilizer issue, I would not discount the later cars. The SAI can be cleaned out and the added midrange power of the varioram is nice. I also understand that the later cars received upgraded suspension components off the turbo - but have not verified this.

You want to find a car that has been well maintained with verifiable service records. You can read all about what to look for on this forum and a PPI by a reputable shop is a must. In fact, there is a great thread with a pretty well documented story of how the purchase process can work.

NC TRACKRAT

Stay the course! I, too, started my quest to find a low-mileage '95 about 5 years ago and, after 2 years of searching, found it in, of all places, Florida, with only 11,000 mi. on the odo. It's a gem and everything I'd hoped it would be. No OBDII, no IMMOBILIZER...just get in, turn the key and drive! We took it back to FL for RENNSPORT REUNION III in '07 and were invited to display it in the Heritage and Historic Display at the Charlotte Parade in '08. I'll give it up when they pry the keys from my cold, dead hand!

kjr914

+1 on the above advice.

Search here on rennlist. Infinite info and wisdom.... I spent a year reading threads while looking and thinking about what I wanted.

High mileage NOT an issue, as long as its been maintained properly. Porsche builds its cars to LAST. My first pcar had 100k on it, second had 175k (yes, that's correct) but was well maintained 1 owner car, my 993 had 88k on it (now 102k). Due diligence on the 993 showed it had a top end rebuild and SAI clean out before I bought it, so that was worth a premium to me....wasn't even known to the seller, but i found it calling the shop that used to work on the car. And the 993 was found right here on RL.

Most importantly, don't rush the process, but figure out what you are after and have some fun learning about these cars. It is an older car, so requires a bit more TLC (easy with RL help), but a rewarding journey.

993/907

I'm in a bad mood because of immobilizer problems.
Just spent several thousand fixing it, but still wish I didn't have one.
Most of the early '95 cars did not have immobilzers, I think they started about mid model year.
Generaly, the basket handle cars were without.
I suggest the early '95 cars are best of the best...no SAI and no immobilizer.
I've had my '95 since new, now have 73k miles.

Immobilzer has been the biggest problem; steering rack went loose about 40k miles ($1000), before that it was the clutch slave cylinder at about 20k (under warranty)....otherwise dang near bulletproof.

Gordo

RDS928S

Dont fret so much about mileage as long as it's been maintained. (oil.oil,oil).

The 95 motor is great for mods & allows ECU upgrade.

Bought my 95 cab for 29k.

Drive it everyday except snow/ice etc.

Drive it regulary 100+ miles to MMC, NY-then thrash all day @ the track. Drive it home.
Does not puff any smoke or leak a drop of oil. Really needs no work either-exept for my crazy mods.

Has 97k on the clock and feels fresh as a daisy.

Good Luck
Rich

Reddy Kilowatt

I wouldn't sweat ODBII, black upholstery, 50k miles, or MY95. But that's me.

tbil

Varioram and no basket handle on the later cars is a big plus for me. Possible SAI issues with OBD II can be a PIA DIY, but not that big of a deal.

95 NC 993

I agree about your search criteria but don't understand the black interior part. I have a cashmere/tan interior on my '95 and LOVE IT!! I keep it looking great with Meguiar's products and it doesn't show dirt or discoloration or have any issues. It is also really nice when parked in the sun with the top down. It doesn't burn your butt or my wife's legs when you get in. I found my '95 in April '09 after looking a long time. No immobilizer or CEL issues. A real pleasure. As far as mileage I agree with the above post that finding a sub 50k mileage car for under $30,000 may be a stretch because you want one with full documentation, etc.. You can rest assured that if you buy one for less than $30,000 with no repair records you will soon have money into your car that will exceed the $30k mark. If you simply can not go over that money then I am in full agreement with so many others. Find that '95 993 that just turned 60,000 or 65,000 miles that just had the major service done. You probably will be very happy with the car provided it had a happy life. Good luck!!

iluvrots

I may have what you are looking for. My wife recently lost her job and I've been thinking about selling the 993. I just bought the car late last summer and had a PPI done by a Porsche dealer in Phillly. It's an early 1995, tiptronic, well sorted no stories, white cabriolet with tan interior. Just turned 51k on the clock. It's a super fun car but just trying to generate a "rainy day fund". Title in hand. If interested send me an email and I can get more info/pictures to you.

deadhead1960

I'm no rocket scientist but I'm thinking he's looking for a 6 speed coupe based on his "dream car" TT reference. But I could be wrong

RDS928S

The market for a tip is very hard these days. I know no one who wants one.

Mabe a 968 or Box tip is another story!.

Rich

Paul902

I have a black interior and love it, but if I wanted a tan interior, I'd get tan. Buy the car that makes YOU happy, not somebody else happy.