RonCT

To the "new car" comment - in 25 years I've probably had 15 new cars and 5 used including BMW, Porsche, VW, Mini, and more. Of all the cars, some well over $100,000, the one that's given me the most pleasure / pride of ownership is this current 1997 993 that came last month with 17k on the odometer. While this car was half what I paid for other new cars, it's probably delivered twice the fun. It's been a long time since I've detoured in my house to look in the garage just to see the 993...

Quadcammer

that may well be, but thats personal, and some people enjoy having a new from the factory car.

LeNoah

Thanks for all the replies!! Mostly reinforce my plan to go forward. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my 997. It is the only car I have ever factory ordered so it is spec'd out exactly as I wanted. I will miss some of the new technology like the GPS. Primary motivation is just that, having owned Porsches since the 1970's, I have never had a 993. A few buddies have them and I am always envious.

Going to look at a couple local 993's today. Maybe someone will want to work out a trade deal. Ya never know.

RonCT

Very true Quadcammer. Two of my Porsches were specified and ordered by me and it was a great experience and they were great cars. One never knows what one will get from a used car unless you knew the owner from day 1. I've been very lucky on two of my used Porsches, no so much on a 3rd. A 997 GT3 was represented as "perfect" with about 7000 miles and it truly was. Ran it through his original dealer to get CPO. A Boxster S I bought CPO directly from a good dealer arrived with more than I expected in the way of tiny stone chips from normal driving. My mental image was "perfect" and what arrived was "normal". This 993 C2S on the other hand arrived far exceeding my expectations. There's no road grime / dirt / dust / corrosion anywhere - not even in the nooks and crannies you can't clean.

mjsporsche

Ron,

You do have a beautiful 993 and I am sure you are loving it.

However, I would argue that buying it was NOT a hedge against future costs, which you have defined as depreciation. Whenever the financial analysis is mentioned in posts on this topic, it fails the sniff test, as badly as Madoff.

Most people would suggest that the depreciation costs on a newer 997 (BTW - you can buy a two year old one and reduce that number quite a bit) is as high as the expected repairs on 993s. I assume you are knowledgeable about the expected repairs. If you are DIYer, repair costs are fairly reasonable except for issues with SAI ports and future top end rebuilds. If you are like me who pays either my dealer or an Indy, the costs are up there. My experience with my 993 regarding muiltiple leaks, steering rack, top motors, AC, etc. was not cheap.

My point is that you should toss out the financial analysis. It is not the reason that one buys a 993. You buy it because you love it. And learn to be a DIYer.

Mark

RonCT

Please don't take my off the cuff remarks as any sort of analysis. My point was that either a 997 or a 993 is going to require service, maintenance, and repair cost. I was astounded at how much an annual service on a brand new 997 ran. Either way, you pay with Porsche. My point was more that for half the initial cost you can enjoy a "classic" air cooled 993, especially if you buy right and I suppose more importantly if you "get lucky".

LeNoah

Again, thanks to all for the great info!! This forum is great for 993 info. Before I take a leap that I might regret, I have a couple more questions. First let me say that I know these topics are covered in multiple threads here. I will get around to researching them. What I need is a quick.

Re the SAI CEL issue. What % of 993's will have this issue (no '95's I know) and at what mileage should it be expected? Are people OK with the "wire-around" fixes? If not what does a shop fix cost?

Re the valve guide issue. Same question as above?

Thanks again for the great responses. Looking forwar to joining the 993 owner's club.

77'3.6vram

I drive my 96' every day.Even in the snow.You can not compare the build quality differences.A 993 that has not been wrecked should feel more solid than any new 997.Make sure you get a car with LSD/ABD.If you budget in an extra 20k to the 993 you can address all the wear and other possible issues and have a 911 that you will enjoy for your whole life.No new cars needed in the future.Just as much fun to drive it today as it will be in twenty years.

Quadcammer

You will never get a percentage that is statistically sound for either.

There is no mileage either.

The shop fix of flushing the SAI ports is like $1k but is not guaranteed to work.

Topends are between $3500 and $6k, with the potential to go much higher with "while you're in there" stuff.

The best thing you can do is get a thorough PPI with compression and leakdown. If the combustion chambers are sealed up well, it is your best chance of avoiding SAI/valve guide issues shortly after purchase. Then again, even with the best PPI results, anything can happen.

NP993

Just for the data point -- I daily-drive my 993, bought it four years ago with 84K and currently have about 125K on it. Shortly before I bought it the PO did the top end rebuild and major service (wires, plugs, etc). I've only done scheduled maintenance on it and a few mods of my own choosing. Never had a mechanical problem or breakdown of any kind. It's like owning a Toyota.

agent325

I went from a 06 997 to 96 993. The 997 will do everything better than a 993 (Speed, Handling, comfort..) but the 993 has the feel and smell of old Porsche that cannot be replicated in a 997.

If you drive more that 10K a year, I would recco a 997 hands down. But if you are looking for a sunday cruiser go with a well sorted documented 993.

In 2008 I sold my 997 and bought a 993 for almost half the price. The 997 have depricated about 25% maybe 30% and the 993 has appreciated. Alot of people say do not buy based on deprciation. I disagree.. Thats why I never buy a new Car.

911Dave

Cast off your hesitation! My 95,000 mile '86 Carrera was the only car I owned for over 2 years and it never had a hiccup. Get a well cared for car and you'll find it's more reliable than most other makes, even when old. If I didn't need an SUV, the only thing I would own would be 911s.

And the more you drive ANY car, the more reliable they are. Cars of any make do not like to sit.

Richard Kent

I agree 100% except for the LSD/ABD.. not sure if that really matters as I bet in over 75% or more of the cars it isn't functional anymore and needs to be rebuilt.
Correct me if I am wrong.
Good luck in your search, it will be a fun one.

77'3.6vram

If the ABD is not working(four channel ABS as opposed to three Chanel)would the CEL light not come on?Unless the car has been tracked or abused the LSD should be fine.Mine is fully operational at 85,000 miles.I know because I was out in our snow storm three weeks ago.I have been told that the stock LSD does not last much more than 40k miles but I think that is bull.So does Scott McPherson and Jim Neuton at Auto Associates of Canton.Unless you own one that has failed I would keep my opinions to myself.

911passion

I have a similar thread open about going from my 997.1S cab to a 9934S. Almost pulled the trigger twice.
I am actually looking forward to go to a 993 and even a 964.
I really like my 997... I really miss the character of 964/993 era cars.
P.