2L8IWON

Hey Guys,

My name is Jesse and I'm a gear head. Currently my drug of choice is the Ford Mustang, I have had a love affair with that car since high school and have owned many. However due to “means” I have denied my love affair with Porsche. When I was in middle school I went to the 24 hours of Daytona and really feel in love with the 911s and slant nose cars. My uncle was so kind as to buy me a Porsche T-Shirt that day. I am approaching retirement from the Navy in the next few years and as a gift I want to reward myself with a 993.

I have chosen the 993 due to its classic looks and sexy hips. I am looking at getting a car in the next year or two, in the interim I would like to learn as much as I can about the cars and what to look for when purchasing. Thus far this forum has been a wealth of information and has pointed me in many good directions to seek that information I’m looking for.

With that I have a ton of questions I was wondering if you could help with;

1.) Is there a master list of acronyms that are used on the board? As a new guy I have been able to decipher most of the commonly used ones (also thanks to my Military background of course) but there are still some that escape me.

2.) Is there a resource that shows what colors the cars came in by year? I am thinking about getting a 95 since it's the year I joined the Navy but like the 97/8 (I think) because of the C2S/C4S being offered those years

3.) When looking at used cars what are the most important things to look for

4.) Of all the trim models what is the best bang for the buck

5.) I have my mind pretty much set on the 993 but with the prices of the 997s that might be a viable option as well (hopefully they don't continue to depreciate like they have) but also the new Boxster Spyder is appealing to me. I’ve read the 993 v 997 thread and got some good info from it.

6.) What other forum resources are there beside this one

7.) Best place to look for used cars

8.) When looking for a pre owned 993 how long (time wise) do you think the search will take? Is there a best time of year to look?

9.) What is the proper pronunciation of rennlist?

I’m sure I have more questions, most with more meat than these. In the time being, thanks to everyone for having this forum, it seems like you have a very tight community. I look forward to gaining knowledge.

Thanks

Jesse

porschemikeandnancy

I too have owned Mustangs over the years as well as 8 used 911s. When you use a car like this as a daily driver (all of mine have been) the 993 has a couple of significant advantages over a Mustang (other than perhaps the Shelby Mustang):
-handling: no American car handles (we're talking street cars not those set up for the track) like any 911. There is a feedback through the steering wheel that no other car I've driven has. A BMW M3 comes close, but is not as good.

Year: I prefer the '95 as it does not have the dreaded secondary air injection issue that sets of a check engine light (with which it being on you will not pass the local state inspection). It is only 270 hp vs. 282 for the 96-96 variocam engine. I don't miss the 12 hp. Frankly, the 993 is still fast enough to get you into serious trouble on public roads.

Where to find one: There are always cars for sale here in Rennlist. Also in both the Porsche Panorama magazine (monthly to PCA members) and the local magazine from your local chapter. I've found asking prices typically are quite a bit higher through these sources but also these cars are generally much better looked after.

Pre Purchase Inspection: this is a must. Any private party or used car lot that will not let you take the car for a pre-purchase inspection (by an independent Porsche mechanic) should be avoided. Expect to pay anywhere from $150 to $300 for this inspection.

I've found my used 911s all over the place. 20 years ago, mostly through newspaper classified ads. Last 10 years or so, through Autotrader.com. Often you will find a used 911 on a used car lot which has been purchased at an auction. These cars (my most recent one a '95 cabriolet) must, repeat must be pre-purchase inspected.

Model: You can find a 993S model and/or a 4 wheel drive model. I prefer the rear wheel drive model. 993s came with 6 speed manual or for '95, a 4 speed tiptronic. Later '96-'98 had 5 speed Tiptronics. These trannies are bulletproof and I prefer them if your daily drive includes lots of traffic.

All 15 year old used cars are going to have problems that need addressing. You may find one that is "perfect" (such as a Rennlister owned car or PCA member owned car) but expect to pay $5k to $10k more for them.

I've found, over the years, a used 911 if properly maintained, can be an excellent daily driver. I took my '95 last year from Seattle to Monterey for the Monterey Historics. About a 2000 mile round trip (with all the side stops). So far, my car has not failed me (that is failed to get me where I'm going). I did have to have the (still under factory recall) wiring harness replaced. When it started to fail, the car ran roughly and gave a clear indication something was amiss. But it did get me to my independent mechanic without stranding me by the wayside - something I can't say for a brand new '02 BMW 325i I owned. That car stranded me twice - while still under factory warranty.

If you're interested in a cabriolet, late Fall into Winter is the best time to buy -as prices seem to be a bit lower then.

MDamen

Glad you're interested in a 993. You do have a lot of questions, and some can be answered by searching, while others there is no right answer.
1) A few posts have compiled some lists. Search on acronym.
2) You might find this.. Try Googling it. Porsche published brochures with colors, but they did not always build cars with all the available colors every year.
3) Search
4) There aren't really trim levels like American cars. You may want to search on best options. If you are asking should I buy a Turbo a C4S or a C2 or C2S, that is a personal preference that goes way beyond trim levels.
5) Buy a 993 if that's what you want.
6) Pelican is very popular, so is Sixspeedonline.
7) Look everywhere. Nationwide.
8) It takes as long as it takes to find the right car at the right price. A year or more is not uncommon.
9) Just like it looks Renn list. Renn like wren, like wrench.

Makmov

1. Not that I am aware of. But just ask... what the heck a DME is or what is a DMF, IVS

2. Colors there are standard colors, special order colors and color of your choice so it's open. Although being flexable on color and getting the best possible car is perhaps the best way to look at it. I looked at cars that were the color I really wanted but not that nice of cars.

3. There seems to be a direct correlation between the guy selling and know what he or she is talking about and the condition of the car. I looked at lot of cars and the guys or gals who said or clearly showed they didn't know anything about the car... well their cars generally reflected that.

4. I am sure some will say Turbo but I say an S.

5. unless it's a GT3 I am not that interested in a 997, but maybe you will be. I'd stay away.

6. I don't know if you can say here.

7. All over, Autotrader, Cars, Craigslist, Ebay, local PCA, clubs, someone you know personally.

8. I window shopped for a couple years and it was about 6 weeks to land on a car when I got serious, another couple 3-4 weeks to close the deal.

9. Rennlist.

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Thats some truly excellent advice. A PPI should be carried out by people who are very experienced with 993's as well.

cgfen

you will learn here, but IMO the accelerated route to learning would be to meet some locals and chat with them.

post where you live, perhaps you can meet someone.

Craig

matt777

A list of acronyms (and what they mean of course) in the FAQ section is a good idea. Perhaps there is something there already. I've never looked.

ande5000

Welcome to Rennlist. Not much to add to the good advice already offered. You'll probably spend more time here than you'll want to admit soaking up every bit of knowledge you can about these superb machines. For sure, can't think of a better reward for you to give yourself for a long, successful military career than a 993. Enjoy!

Being retired Navy myself, I will offer a hearty "BZ" and "Fair Winds and Following Seas" in advance of your retirement. And, a heart-felt "Thank You" for your excellent service to our country.

7S5

Hi all,

This my first post here, but thought I would chime in since I'm at a similar point to Jesse in terms of looking for a 993. I thought I would pass on some things that have been useful to me in beginning my search for 993s as well as research.

Below are my links for looking for Porsche, and more specifically, 993 classified listings:

Autohaus West
Cars.com
Chequered Flag
Craigslist 911
Craigslist 993 C4
Craigslist 993
Craigslist All Porsche (no Cayenne listings)
Euromasters
European Collectibles
Holt Motorsports
Park Place
Rennlist Classifieds
RPM Sports Cars
Sloancars
Smith Volvo
Sport Haus Reno
Truspeed Motorcars eBay listings
TruSpeed Motorcars
Willhoit Enterprises
Yahoo! 993

Here are some additional 993 overview sites:
1995-1998 Porsche 993 Overview
Deutschnine Porsche 993
Oregon PCA
Pacific NW PCA
Wikipedia 993

And lastly, the forums:
Rennlist 993 forum
Pelican Parts 993 forum
6speedonline 993 forums

One cool thing that you can do with your searches is to use Google with the "site" keyword. For example, to search all craiglist cities for any listing of "Porsche" and "993", you would enter "Porsche 993 site:craigslist.org" into the Google search field.

Google is also a really great way to search the Rennlist forums, just use Rennlist.com after the "site" keyword. Another advantage of this, is that you don't have to conform to the specific forum search criteria, such as number of words, and the security image which you have to re-type.

You can also search for pages that don't contain a certain word. For example, one of my Craigslist searches is just for "Porsche" but I don't want any Cayennes showing up in my results, so I would use the "-" before Cayenne as an exception to the search: "Porsche -Cayenne site:craigslist.org"

I would have to say that Rennlist forums are the most beneficial to me so far in learning about Porsches in general and 993s specifically.

I have also learned a lot about engines and acronyms as well. However, I have found all of the acronyms through Google searches. I haven't come across a list here that lists all of them yet...

Good luck in your search and I hope that you find a great car. I agree with the above post that you should meet some fellow owners and start talking. I hope to visit my local PCA club and start actually seeing some of these cars up close and getting to know them better. So far my only experience is a few months on these forums and the Internet. Studying up on these cars is so much fun! I'm between Seattle, WA and Portland, OR and hope to meet some 993 owners in WA or OR as I continue my research into owning one of these cars. I've never sat in one, let alone driven one, so I hope to do so in the near future.

Eric

2L8IWON

Thanks a ton for everyone's positive feedback and help.

Another question I came up is (as absurd as it sounds) are the back seats large enough to for a kid to sit in?

porschemikeandnancy- I have a 05 GT right now, how, in your opinion. does that stack up to a 993?

MDamen

Another question I came up is (as absurd as it sounds) are the back seats large enough to for a kid to sit in?

My 16 year old daughter fits in the back seat. She is 5'2 and 130 lbs. It helps to move the front seat forward.She sometimes sits sort of sideways to get knee room.

2L8IWON

Oh sorry, I forgot to add that I am in Virginia Beach Va

mongrelcat

+1, and thank you both for your service.

OP, since you have plenty of time just read here (best resource for the 993 on the planet,) and check out and drive every car that comes up for sale in your area. When it comes time to purchase, widen your search nationwide. You can get a 'lister to scope the car out for you, and get recommendations to find a good local indie shop to do a PPI on it.

Enjoy the search, and be sure to post your story/pics when you finally find one you like.

porschemikeandnancy

Re back seat. I've sat in the back of most of my used 911s. As pointed out, an adult may have to sit with their legs sideways in the footwell in the opposite seat from the one they're sitting in. My two granddaughters, 4 and 7, are quite comfortable back there. The longest I've ridden in the back of a 911 was a two hour trip. I was happy to get out after that. But you could take two couples to dinner - although I wouldn't want to climb back there after a large dinner.

Re an '05 Mustang GT vs. a 993, apples and oranges. The most recent Mustang GTs (2010 and newer) handle okay for the most part. The solid rear axle will still move sideways on a rough road. Frankly, for most day to day driving, virtually any car is fine. The 993 is a completely different animal when it comes to handling towards the "edge". When they say "there is no substitute" they are correct. Also, no matter how long you would own a 993, it will always draw stares. Even a 50 year old type 356 will still attract attention - even though they are ill-handling (terminal oversteer) and underpowered. But even a 356 has that indefiniable feedback through the steering wheel. It's as if your fingertips are skimming along the pavement "feeling" your way along. Even the 993 with its power steering, has that feedback.

Last point: re maintenance: Every Mustang I've owned (and earlier 911s as well) I did most of my own maintenance. Change oil & filter. A simple 20 minute job once you jack up one side of the car. The 993- forget it. Just to get at the most accessible oil filter (there are two) requires some disassembly of the side rocker panel. My inde mechanic never bothers to change the second oil filter except with a major (every 30k miles) service. There are 12 spark plugs - two distributors with a belt that drives one from the other. Changing the belt is not a simple procedure. For most people, other than Rennlisters, you will probably have to rely on an inde mechanic to do most stuff.

Re resale: I've owned my current '95 almost 4 years. It is worth several thousand more than what I paid for it. I look at it this way (the routine maintenance is way expensive): I've had the pleasure of driving a truly great reliable road car for 4 years (now) at virtually zero cost. You can't do that even with a Toyota Corolla or Honda Accord.

Mike J

You got to be kidding me, solid axle???

Do not agree here. The large oil filter is about 2 mins away, just 5 10mm plastic nuts and three phillips. I feel you should never skip the small one, and since I pull the main oil feed line to the oil pump every time (to make room and to make sure I get out all the oil I can), that might add 5-10 mins. Most of the time on oil changes I do is letting the oil drain out. Even a DIY should be able to do an oil change in 30-60 minutes, depending on the pace. Easy stuff.

Distributor belt change is NOT scheduled anywhere on Porsche's maintenance schedule, and proactively you only need to do it every 60-80K miles. I have done distributors with 120+K miles and the belt was fine.

I would not take any maintenance as a negative since most people would not lay a hand on their cars anyways (us DIY'ers are a dying breed). Those people have to pay for servicing with a Lexus or Honda as well...LOL! Jesse, if you are a gear head, can you handle a wrench? These cars are not that hard to work on.

I suggest you troll around www.pcarworkshop.com to get a feel for the mechanics of the car. Lots of articles, technical service bulletins, etc.

Cheers,

Mike