tangram

I have owned my Iris Blue 993 C2 since 2002. I am the second owner. I've been good about maintaining the car and it has 80,000 miles on it. I had some work done on the car this year including getting the top end rebuilt. Clutch is original and like new. I'll be keeping the car for the foreseeable future and use it on weekends, holidays and the occasional DE weekend. The car is stored each winter. It is stock except for being lowered (H&R springs). It has 17" Cup wheels.

My question is: What modifications would you recommend, given the car's age, use and condition? I am thinking about new rims (black or anodized) but beyond that, open to suggestions. Brakes? Suspension? Exhaust? Not too concerned about the cost. Track performance is not that important - I go out to have some fun but nothing too serious.

Thoughts? Thanks.

PS. the bars on the door are just the reflection of a gate if you are wondering!

goofballdeluxe

Upgraded suspension. If you're on the stock Monroe's, they're shot, and a new set-up would transform the car. That, and new rims.

Also, get some Fister mufflers. Stage II or III, whichever you prefer.

Both of these are great upgrades that would really make the car feel, and sound, much better.

Thanks for letting us spend your money for you

timothymoffat

I concur with Goofball on the suspension. A complete refresh of the suspension will make it feel like new again (check all bushings etc while you're at it). You say you've got H&R springs but don't say anything about shocks.

Wheels? Completely personal opinion. Me? I prefer a narrow-bodied 993 on either the 18" Hollow Spokes, 18" MY02s, 18" Speedlines, or the 17" Cup IIs as your car is already equipped. It looks great! More pics wouldn't be a crime.

Hank Cohn

tangram:

You are going to get answers all over the board here. First, I would say do what you like. If you want to add more focus to that, there are about four areas of improvement to help focus your purchases:

Aesthetic

• Interior (seats, wheel, shifter, e-brake, gauges, etc.)
• Exterior (RS mods, Wheels, Porsche/ Other Aerokits, etc.)

Performance

• Engine (DME Chip Upgrade all the way to 3.8l build to several specs)
• Suspension (PSS9/10 Upgrade all the way to full-on race)
• Tires

Sound

• Intake (Motor Sound)
• Exhaust (RSR, Fister, etc.)

Driver

• Hiring a driving coach
• More track time

Most people are going to tell you to identify the mission of the car and do or do not upgrade as appropriate to meet that goal. I can't seem to stick with that all the time but I do have a general idea of how I want the car to look and perform. I generally upgrade the look of the car first which forces me to upgrade the performance to avoid being poseur.

Hope that helps a little,
Hank

hchc

Is that the tail pipe sticking out quite a bit?
Now I look how my car will look when lowered

matt777

If you're not concerned about cost go for a regear . Suspension, short shift kit, Walrod control arm bushings, exhaust are all popular upgrades for good reason.

Speedyellow993

+1

MY02 18 inch wheels too

IXLR8

Brakes: I consider the stock brakes for street use just fine...maybe pads? New OEM discs if yours are done.

Suspension: I drove another 993ers car with Bilstein HDs and M??? springs. It was very nice, but I will be going with Koni FSD suspension when the time comes.

Exhaust: Everything I have read points to no power gains, so if all you want to do is make noise, fill your boots. On longer trips, the noise can wear thin after a while.

Personally, I prefer to get any car bought used to showroom condition first, cosmetically and mechanically. Suspension is as far as I will go.

And your Cup IIs are perfect on the 993. They look "correct"! If your rims have some rash, maybe have them refinished and pick your color while you are at it. If you do go with 18 inch wheels, make sure you limit the steering travel a bit as the tires will rub on the inner body panel.

skywachr

You would get a great look with the wheels you already have by having the spoke section of the Cup IIs powdercoated flat black and having the outer rim sections polished by someone who really knows what they're doing in both processes.

haygeebaby

This would be my list of best bang for buck / day and night difference upgrades:

Upgrade to HID lights - stock halogens are terrible. HID greatly improves night vision.
SW chip - more responsive, little more power, better fuel economy. An upgrade that pays for itself.
Wevo engine mounts - smoother shifting and a day and night difference in handling feel.
Good alignment - was a night and day difference when I had mine done.
6mm spacers - gives your lowered stance the right look when the wheels fill out the wheels wells.
Decat - turns the noise up to the right db level.
Keep it stock looking - 993 nb is a classic looking beauty.

Be careful if you turn your 17" cups to a darker colour - it may make them look smaller. 18" would be nice - but with it lowered already - stock 17"s look spot on.

tangram

Correct, they are aftermarket tips ("CPX" FWIW) the previous owner had installed. They don't actually stick out too much.

Floodj

If you do both DEs and normal street driving an adjustable suspension is a great choice. Personally I went with PSS-10s, but there are some other good choices out there.
--Joe

Floodj

The best recommendation I could give about updates is to take your time. Hang out here, but not only here (we tend to like the same things), and see what other folks report about their upgrades. Talk to folks at DEs. Ask guys like Joel Reiser or Bruce Anderson their thoughts on upgrades. They're not Rennlisters and can provide invaluable advice.
--Joe

tangram

Thanks for the great advice. I've actually been on Rennlist for as long as I've owned my car but haven't been too active a poster. I'd been thinking of moving to a newer model (in fact for some years) but "breaking up is hard to do". The color, at least in my parts of the world, is not that common but really quite beautiful. What put a pin in it for me (i.e. to keep the car) was a) seeing the INCREDIBLE photos of 993s at the Rennsport Reunion that people have been posting recently and; b) consistently seeing that on Rennlist, the 993 "community" is by far the most vibrant and active. 993 owners seem to have a level of maturity and knowledge that some (not all!) 996 and 997 owners lack. Given the age of these cars, most 993 owners are true enthusiasts; the same can't be said for some of the newer car owners.

tangram

Hank, you've summed it up really nicely. It is probably worth describing the "mission" for the car as you put it.

I've always felt my car was a bit underpowered. I don't know if that is a function of being a '95 or not.

My '95 has, to me, quite a classic look and that is something I would like to preserve. The '95 basket handle is often not to people's tastes but it has grown on me over the years and adds a subtle, classic queue which for those in the know recognize it as a '95. So cosmetically, I will probably do nothing more than the rims. Furthermore, I had the front bumper resprayed last winter so I don't feel inclined to swap it out now. There's something about adding go-fast bits to the body without doing much to the motor that doesn't sit right with me. On the other hand, I think putting in new seats could be worthwhile and would be curious to know people's thoughts on short shift kits.

I like the idea of putting in an adjustable suspension. Currently the car rattles your kidneys going over things like bridge expansion joints, much to my wife's chagrin. I can also see getting some more aggressive tires (currently Potenza RE050A's), especially given how I use the car.

Any specific recommendations regarding suspension, short shifters, tires, rims, and seats are very appreciated.