Ed Hughes

Well, I guess that answers that question.

IXLR8

I didn't get a PPI either and it was my first Porsche.

gaby1088

mechanically the car is spectacular, now im not going to judge it just yet but i love my e46 WAY more than the porsche. only time will tell though.

ginch

Hmmm.... really? I've driven many e46 BMW's including M3's and, although they are nice, do not compare to the driving experience of my C4S. Did you drive the car before buying it or was it just a spure of the moment decision?

gaby1088

yea, it may just be that im nervious about recking the car, i didnt have my radar detector and i didnt feel comfortable driving it with an (expired) out of state tag (which is fine bc the DMV said i can have that on for 10 days so i keep a copy of the truckers delivery date) and then after i received a speeding ticket cuz i didnt see the correct speed bc the speedometer light was burnt out and it was night time.

Ed Hughes

My first one, I didn't PPI either. It was cheap enough and I felt I was mechanically inclined enough to not do it.

My only comment here is with regard to the discovered faults, and the fact they SHOULD have been picked up by a PPI. Let's hope these are all of the issues with the car.

ABCar

Sorry to hear that Gaby. I hope you grow to love your car like I have. Sounds like you are off to a rough start...

JDHertz11

I'm not sure that it's fair to compare the 993 to an E46. As you may already know, the air cooled 911 was already a 30+ year old design when the 993 was introduced. Even though it was thoroughly reengineered in 993 form, it is/ was a car designed in a time without computers or digital devices. From the beginning it was known to have strange handling traits and an *** happy demeanor. I'm sure that over time you will appreciate these traits and quirks like most of us do, but maybe you won't. Time will tell, but I assure you that the 993 will maintain it's status as a legend.

I think that your car may need to be gone through as it has relatively high mileage and has many unknowns. The idea of a PPI on a 993 is a necessity in my opinion. These cars were not cheap to buy or maintain when new and I don't think they will be in the future. Parts costs are expensive as is skilled labor. Don't expect to find any bargains while owning a Porsche, especially an air cooled one. I suspect that your car may have it's original suspension which will greatly detract from it's handling, search here for common suspension upgrades like PSS9's, HD's and KW's. You'll need to read up on this forum to educate yourself on what can and will go wrong. I hope you didn't jump into this without doing the research because it will get really expensive really quickly...

tdiferrari

Gaby, study hard for the MCATs. I did it years ago. Focus now, so you can reap the rewards later. And an e46 is only faster in a straight line. The 993 is much more mature... you'll find out soon enough.

gaby1088

Yea I've heard the 993 has great handling. I just have not
Learned what the car can do yet. I'm sure it is way not impressive. Then again I have been driving my e46 with kw's so I'm prob used to that handling.well see I love the car and mechanically and cosmetically it's in perfect condition.

pdemar

Once you're done with the MCAT you may want to get a PPI type inspection to know your starting point.

When I first got my 97 993, I also questioned the handling compared to the previously owned M3. I didn't fully appreciate the difference that the worn original Monroe shocks and an upgrade in suspension (Bilstein HDs and springs) would make.

Stealth 993

I come from owning many BMW's for years, almost all of my driving life was in a BMW. I love them, especially anything with a ///M.

That being said, the 993 is SO MUCH better in the handling & braking department it's not even funny. It should also be faster then the E46.

My guess is your 993 needs some work, I bet your shocks re blown, your bushings are worn, & you may need a good wheel alignment.

Really my stock 993 C4 handles far better then my old M3 with about $6k worth of suspension work. It is different, but the limits are much higher. I really have to work to get the 993 out of shape, the M3 didn't take that much work.

Brakes are on an whole other level.

IXLR8

Same here, at least the two-wheeled kind since 1991 and I still own three BMW GSes. I did own a 1995 318is that I bought new and kept for four years.

They are a practical everyday car, a car built the way cars should be built; solid!

Porsche advertized 5.6s and R&T, 5.2s. I doubt the top speed in the E46 is higher, not that it matters, to me anyways. I bought the 993 for the driving experience which I haven't even come close to experiencing the full potential.

gaby1088

the shocks are fine, its just that the bmw has a complete excellent suspension upgrade so i guess i was used to that. I was just driving it now and am starting to appreciate it a lot more, i just hadnt had the time haha. Im definitely loving the feel that the car has, it really is unique.