1pcarnut

Just to add a little regarding squeeks, the windshields commonly do this due to flexing of the rubber seal. It's not a big deal, just annoying. Of course another likely culprit could well be the suspension.
Good luck.

PorkerNW

Thanks guys. Regarding the odometer 80k km is an approximate figure said by the seller. So yes that'd be an area of concern.

Seller bought it after the first owner has rebuilt the engine and air con in 2008. He has 4 cars hence this 993 is only driven on weekends and occasionally on weekdays.

Just got a reply from him and he appears eager to show the records to me on coming Friday night. Even driving over to show them to me. Hmm.

Powerup: yes I have checked 28car from time to time. Seriously not having owned a 993 before it's hard for me as an "outsider" to find out where are the good ones on sale. Sounds like u r in Hk too, right? If so I'd be most grateful if u can share Ur views on sources to which well kept 993s can be found.

power_up

Yes, I am living in the same places as you. To sources these cars normally from those online classify web site and friend's network. Find a good one is by luck and timing.
BTW, I pm you.

David in LA

Lets do some ballpark math on whether his odometer estimate makes sense....he bot in 2008, so about ~200 weekends since purchase. Estimated 43k km that he has put on since odometer broke. So avg of 215km per outing EVERY weekend. To average ~200 km a week for a weekend car seems high for Hong Kong unless you are on the highway all the time or live in NT...that implies over 10k km/year which is relatively high. Either he is overestimating the mileage or this may not be a "weekend car" IMHO. Hopefully you will be able to make sense of this once you see the records.

PorkerNW

Seller lives on HK island side and works in Tsuen Wan so there's a remote possibility....but well seeing the responses from you guys in a way actually freshened my brain and I am somewhat hesitant to even go check the records.

Also sorry for not bringing this up earlier and I recall that when I had the test drive, the steering wheel actually had some slight movements both to sideways and a bit up and down. I had test drives of other 993s and my understanding is that they tend to wobble a bit when u drive them...is that normal?

David in LA

I don't think it hurts to check the records...you are "dating" so have to give the seller the benefit of a doubt but also be wary that what he says makes sense. You should ask him what are his other cars...if he has pricey cars and is a car geek, it's somewhat strange to me that he didn't fix the odometer earlier. I don't think we are trying to be too negative, just that all used cars have a story, good or bad. It's like dating a 30 year old vs a 20 year old...you know the former has some kind of past...you just need to decide if you can live with it or prefer to keep skeletons in the closet

Could be bad/worn steering rack (check for leaks) or worn control arm bushings (can be replaced by Walrod bushing or ERPs) or bad tie rods. FYI, the standard repair for worn control arm bushings is to replace the entire control arm as Porsche does not sell just the bushings...this is what Jebsens will tell you to do! Otherwise you can go with aftermarket bushings (I went with Walrod PU bushings instead)...more labor cost but overall much lower all-in cost vs replacing entire arm. The up and down part doesn't sound good though.

Reddy Kilowatt

I wouldn't enter a bidding war on a car I was on the fence over.

berni29

Hi There

I am in HK and do not mind seeing the car at the weekend if you like. I know these cars pretty well. Why was the engine rebuilt and who rebuilt it. What documentation is there about the rebuild?

These cars will benefit from a suspension refresh if it has not been done by now. The rack shoud be fine, but as mentioned the tie rods and bushes may not be.

Do not rush into buying this car without a lot of further investigation.

All the best

Berni

PorkerNW

Thanks Berni. The engine was rebuilt by the first owner in 2008 and the seller bought it coz everything was fixed back then. Seller also said that everything is stock which is actually a bit of a concern to me - if everything is stock that may possibly mean some stuff which should have been replaced or changed (say bushings, shocks etc) are still on the car. Again this highlights the importance of full records.

Condition is key, whilst no. of owners and mileage are just preferred bonuses....

Still trying to see when is a good time to meet seller again. He seems quite eager to sell as he would like to order another car. Food for thought...

Will let u know if I need your help Berni, but thanks v much in advance

PorkerNW

Interesting development. After sending a follow up email reminding seller to bring ALL of the records he has, he then replied saying the other potential buyer has upped the offer and seller's wife is eager to see the sale done. Seller asked me for my price range but I said its a chicken and egg situation and I wouldn't be able to give a gd estimate without seeing the records. Intuition tells me to pass and I did.

Thanks for all the responses though.

chsu74

Keep in mind that it is also the oldest sales tactic in the book to tell a prospective buyer that there is another sale in the works so you will feel pressured to buy without completing your homework.

993 770

Defintly sounds fishy. Walk and I bet he calls over the next few days. Good luck!

e9stibi

WALK AWAY! A car with this history is not worth taking any risk.

p993enthusiast

Take it to Road and track for a PPI. They know these cars back to front. You can always give a range subject to a clean PPI. that way you buy yourself some time. If your range is too low anyway, then so be it and focus on another one.

Good luck!