DHI

It all started with the August 1979 issue of Car & Driver... 930 Turbo.
That magazine with it's prominent green front cover, incredibly, changed my life.

uicnick

I've been into cars my whole life. When I was really young I remember having a collection of matchbox and hotwheels cars. In grade school I was building/painting those "Revell" 1:18 scale models. I built a Hasegawa model type 968 kit when I was in fifth grade. I remember building a Type 996 model when it first came out, I always liked Porsches. I fondly recall going to the Chicago auto show when I was 12 years old, at that time the 964 models were being exhibited and you could pick up sales brochures. I would always colllect the sales brochures and bring them home and read them over and over even though they were only like 15 pages long. I still do the same thing today with car magazines. Hell, I pretty much learned how to read from Road and Track. My friends dad had a 964 RS America and I would race with him and his son as a guest at PCA autocross. He took me for a ride in it and I really liked the sound and appearance. Fast forward a few years and after my civic was stolen, I purchased a 1982 Mercedes. I was struck by the timeless design and extreme quality and reliability and I wanted those same qualites from a sports car. As I did some research, I really liked the Aston Martin DB7 for it's styling and V12, the Ferrari F355 for the styling and V8, and the Porsche 993 for it's styling and small proportions. In the end, the F355 required engine out maintenance every 15k for belt service so I decided against that. The Aston V12 seemed unique but I already own a camaro which I consider to be a touring car and wanted something of an all out sports car. I did some travelling and the GF thought it would be nice to stop in Stuttgart to check out the Mercedes museum since i'm a Benz freak. Of course since Porsche museum was down the road, it made sense to stop over there. I was very impressed, and I think that trip is what ultimately swayed my decision. Funny thing is, I never drove a diesel Mercedes before I flew out and bought one. Same is true for the 993, I had driven a 996 but wasn't impressed. In the end, it was a fantastic choice and I'm very pleased. The car is very reliable and the quality and finish is very good.

95_993

I had grown up with VW bugs being the car of choice in my house, '57 Oval, '61 slide roof, VW Bus, several tricked out '70 bugs, I guess it was a natural progression.

For me, the day I knew it was THE CAR I HAD TO HAVE was on a drive home from work in 1995. I was a little pissed off and driving my SAAB 9000 Aero SPG with a bit more enthusiasm than usual when a bad *** black 930 w/tinted windows passed me like I was standing still. As we moved through traffic at triple digit speeds, the 930 spit flames at me and then left me in the dust. I HAD TO HAVE ONE. Started the search.

I came very close to buying a 1985 triple black 911 cab in '98, but hesitated and missed it. Life, work, house and kids put my search on hold for another few years. I then found a triple black '95 cab in '07 that I test drove. I was hooked. I passed on the cab because it was too rough, but my search was own nationwide. I found my Black '95 C2 a few months later.

tangram

As a kid I used to build plastic model cars, one of which was a yellow 930. That started a lifelong love affair. I am attracted to the engineering, racing pedigree and the iconic look.

uicnick

Forgot to mention, who played need for speed Porsche unleashed? that was my favorite racing game of all time!

chaoscreature

My wife... seriously.
I wanted a Lotus Elise but she HATED the car so she bought a 993 on Ebay while I was at work. She's the best wife ever!

race911

Always love to hear stories from those of us who were able to get one young and be "lifers." Waited to post until I got my act together with Rennsport Reunion photos since that's the easiest way to tell my story.

First, I saw the IROC series on Wide World Of Sports when I was 11. Then, a couple of years later the factory introduces the 930. A couple of years after that a 935K3 won Le Mans overall.

So now I'm a senior in high school, and this teacher who'd inherited the computer lab got me as an independent study student. (I'd basically run out of classes to take.) He happened to have a T5 Super 90 Roadster. And a whole bunch of Panorama and Golden Gate Region newsletters laying about. So I'm reading about Bay Area time trialers who helped a Le Mans effort. OK, this is accessible.

My search began in earnest in the spring of 1980, a couple of weeks after I got out of high school I found a '68 911 that a grad student from Cal was selling so he could take a job in France. Little did I know this car had a screwball of a set of parts to make a wannabe S engine, and it failed on me three months later. Utilizing the brain trust of those Golden Gate Regions guys I'd met (Anderson, Woods, Pasha, etc.) and a seemingly always drunk German guy with a little Porsche shop who'd tell me stories of being a tank gunner for Rommel in Africa, I rebuilt it. Total life involvement in Porsche since then, and last weekend sure was a culmination.

(The photos below are only representative of the cars that made the above impressions. I'd certainly never pick the beige IROC, given a choice. And the odds of finding another Slate Gray 930 like McQueens would be next to zero. The 935 I was first exposed to was the similar yellow one of Bob Garretson, thought it wasn't at RR, at least not in it's ~1982-3 livery. When it was at the shop apart and they'd have tech sessions no one cared if you climbed in/over it. I probably do have significant "seat" time in that car!)

plymouthcolt

I won my 993 in a card game of Texas Hold'em. He did a total bluff and threw in his car title AND his wife-he lost. I got rid of the woman as she was high maintenance and kept the car

RS man

I got the go ahead by my wifey

Watson

993 Brochure brought to my by my old man. I was amazed by the quality of the brochure (hard cover), the colors of the car, all the technical details and most importantly, this magnificent body styling - Thank you Tony Hatter.
I foolishly waited too long to buy my '95 C2 coupe (should have bought it in 2011-2012 ).

Gbos1

You do realize you revived a 13 year old thread

IXLR8

And I bought a 14 year old 993.

I could never figure out why reviving an old thread and sometimes with very good information, is a bad idea. Imagine if threads older than a year or two were automatically deleted.

mike cap

I bought my ‘97 C2 in 2002, so 22 years of ownership. Wanted a sports car and was frustrated by the car of my dreams and youth that i owned and hated - a 1967 Corvette Stingray - beautiful in the garage but unfriendly to drive with no AC. No PS or brakes, noisy and hot. Not to mention it’s desire to go airborne at 80 mph+.

Knew zip.about P cars - as close as I got was my ‘66 Beetle 1300. Read an article on something called a 993 and started hunting around. Became friendly with the owner of the P dealer in Buffalo (Williamsport) at the time - Brian Culligan, a real gentleman and enthusiast. Middle of December 2001 he calls me, “Mike I’ve got your car - it’s sitting outside my window and we just got 8’ of snow and we’re in the middle of another recession and I’m going to own this car till spring - give me your cc for a deposit - it yours for $48,300”.

The original owner had just traded it in on a 996 GT2. The 993 was a 17,000 mile, Arena Red beauty with good options. Picked it up a week later and have had a smile on my face every time I’ve driven it the last 22 years.

thanks for reviving this thread. It’s fun to reminisce. One of the nicest things about owning a P car is the people you meet - Alex from Canada, Mark from Baltimore and many others.

Clark Addison

I was born in Stuttgart, so once I got into cars, Porsche became aspirational. Unfortunately, they were always just out of my financial reach. That is, until the 914 was announced. I saw my first one at the LA Auto Show, The Datsun 240z debuted at the same show, and truthfully, it looked more like a Porsche than the 914. It was ahead in all power specs as well, at the same price. However, I was so focused on Porsche that soon afterward I put my $3700 down on a basic orange model. It was like driving a go kart, and I loved it, despite the lack of power. However, that car was cursed. The third accident within 2 years totaled it. Fortunately, the other person was at fault, and her insurance gave me a generous payout. My indy Porsche mechanic suggested looking for a used 911. I bought a 3 year old green coupe, but soon lusted after Targas with Fuchs wheels. When I found one, I kept it 25 years and 245,000 miles. Fast forward today, there are two Porsches in my stable: a 1995 Carrera 4 that I've owned a dozen years. The latest addition is a 2023 Macan. That makes it my 7th Porsche in 54 years of Stuttgart horsepower.

996scott

Not a bad idea at all, I always wonder how you find a thread that's been dead for 13yrs? None the less, i'm glad it is revived!

For me it was a freind of the family that had a 74 carrera when I was in highschool. He would take me for a drive every now and then, and he eventually let me drive it. I knew i would have one at some point in my life.