callipygian 911

+993

Mike J

And then there is the slippery slope - a recent medical study shows only 10% of males are resistant to the slippery slope - and out of those, most had extreme groinal itching.

I would say you have a good chance of hitting the plan with a lot of luck and good planning. It of course all hinges on the exact car you buy of which luck plays a large part.

I too track my costs to the penny, and my first 911 (a 83SC) was almost break-even after 9 years of ownership. My second 911 created a black hole that sucked money out of my wallet until empty for several years, and my third (993 Turbo) has just been maintenance items so far. All had clean PPI's and were reasonable deals.

Cheers,

Mike

Ponchobroke

I think the biggest point missed so far (the cost of ownership not withstanding and discussed above) is that these are not appreciating assets. Your car will devalue in the range, age, mileage you are talking about, even though we all think "our" cars are worth as much or more (just ask me!) than when we bought them... the market thinks otherwise especially when 996's, 997's and 901's hit the older used car market, the market for the 993 may only hold to a select fewer individuals that may only pay a premium for much lower mileage examples.

But I may be wrong... and DIY doesn't absorb catastrophic rebuilds... $10K in the last 2 years for LWF/Top End (RS cam and intake) just the labor...

Good luck

ble2011

I bought mine that was very well maintained (I thought the PO was crazy, when I looked over the receipts) and thought that there was little to nothing that it needed 2 years ago. I just spent $6500 on it getting it in top shape before my trip to the Porsche parade. I did take it to a shop and if I had done the work myself, I could have saved some money. My point is, it's a 17 year old vehicle and it will always need something because stuff will break no matter how well it's taken care of.

JoeFromPA

Would I wince at $10k expense? Yes. Could I afford it without hurting me? Yes.

I have owned and driven an e39 m5 for 10k miles and spent $2k so far on it - honestly, most items on a 993 are LESS than my current daily driver. The 993 has a few more expensive weak spots though.

Anything can go wrong - it's a used german car. I'm looking at "If this goes right" and if hell breaks loose I'll swallow it and consider it the lessons of life.

...

I know it's a depreciating asset, but 993's have been flat for a few years now so I feel comfortable. If I keep it for 20 years, awesome. If I ditch it in a year, so be it. I like financing for a number of reasons ($500/month instead of $30k upfront, low interest rate vs. earnings on the capital, etc.)

Guess we'll see what comes of this dream. No major objections noted here, so it sounds plausible at least!

vincer77

If you can suck the$10k, go for it!

CamsPorsche

Let's wait and see if 993 values continue to hold over the next few years. Only enthusiasts or die hard Porsche lovers know and love the 993 whereas most want a 997.

997 values are dropping quite quickly (heck I bought my ex-2006 Carrera for $41k back in 2009 from Champion Porsche) as you see values in the low 40's now.

Hmmm...most people want the more modern and "reliable" 911 whereas we 993 lovers want the 993.

Considering your cost of financing and depreciation you will be down and that's not including replacement servicing that will be required no matter how pristine your 993 is at the onset.

Steve 96C4S

Then... GO FOR IT!!! It could easily, EASILY cost you over $10k in repairs in 3 years. You won't care. You'll be smiling so hard your face will hurt. You'll be driving a go kart, not a regular car like a big BMW. These cars are fun, happy, sh*t eating grin cars.

Can't wait to hear back from you after you get yours. Despite the problems I've had with mine, I wouldn't want to trade it for anything else... right now.

coreseller

Howdy Joe, I remember you from the 986forum. I bought a 2 owner 47k mile 993 NB last fall, in VGC or better. The car wasn't really in "need" of anything aside from niggly items like spoiler apron, spoiler trans bearing, hood struts, etc. Well, that was about $5k ago but mostly by choice. I originally knew I was going to address all of the items I did (suspension, nose / tail respray, exhaust) and planned on spreading them out over the first few years but quickly figured on doing everything now rather than later and enjoying the car the way I wanted it to be. The one item mentioned above I wholeheartedly agree with is dealing with the suspension, if it is original it WILL need replacing. Figure on $2k right there which is what mine ran doing it myself, it is truly a different car now. Then if your experience is like mine, there will be a surprise or two a PPI didn't (and couldn't of) catch.

I applaud your decision, what really triggered mine was watching Boxster values (and 996 values for that matter) plummet, regardless of condition. While no one can say exactly where 993 values will be in a few years, my guess is they won't lose 70% (which is what my '02 Box S did) in the next 9 years, it took 16 years for the 993 I bought to lose 53% off of sticker. At the end of the day, you'll forget about the numbers, these cars are cool in a way the 986/996 series couldn't come close to, JMHO. Good Luck and Happy Hunting....

JoeFromPA

Thanks man. I loved my boxster mostly for sentimental value. However, when I drove a 993, it was a whole different world. It has a similar power to weight ratio as my m5, and I love it's driving position and engagement-yet-refined sports car feel.

One of the things I find interesting here and on BMW boards as well is many owners concept of what they "had to sink" right away in a car. Tires/massive leaks/major suspension components failing - makes sense.

But for me, pitted windshields/fraying interior bits/failing rear spoilers/weeping of RMS or other seals....these are the things you do when something else arises or when a car is being parted out and you can score some parts for pennies on the dollar.

Gotta be prepared for the worst I guess, but I try to break down "horror stories" into the truly nasty failures and the owners who decided to really refresh their car and count those dollars as immediate repairs needed.

JoeFromPA

I'll add that, to my financial detriment, I absolutely love the stock suspension and exterior look of the c4s in silver and arena red. However, I prefer the mechanical simplicity and greater power-to-the-wheels of the C2. And I don't want to do a conversion.

eddie_993

I would like to add to this the possibility that MAYBE the 993 is holding its value now due to the older generations that are familiar with the car and appreciate the uniqueness of it. Newer generations will probably not care about it being air cooled and whatnot so they would rather get a more comfortable/reliable(?) 996 or 997 because that is what they grew up or are more familiar with.

We'll never know for sure until we get there. I think the low mileage models will definitely go up in value but the higher mileage models, maybe yes, maybe no.

Regarding financing it, if you can invest your money in something that brings you a higher return than 1.49% (which you probably can) then finance it and invest the money. Makes total sense, you would be stupid to do otherwise.

Mine is 15 years old and averaging the cost per year comes out to a bit over $2,000. I've had the car for 3 months and have already spent around $1,500 to $2,000.

If you don't mind taking a potentially bad 5-10k hit then do it. I think you'll regret it later on thinking I've never owned a 993, should have done it way back when.

JoeFromPA

I think 993's will hold their value well. Look at the value of an 87-89 911, for example.

NY32

I have owned old cars and, even worse, old boats. The suggestion that you have 5 grand tucked away for the unexpected is absolutely correct. You can ( and should) do a PPI but it can't catch things that are about to happen but aren't showing up yet. If nothing bad happens before you sell the car, you can spend the 5 grand on your baby--now those are expensive.

goofballdeluxe

I dunno about that. The stock suspension on any 15 year old 993 is going to be long since shot and in dire need of replacement to make the car handle responsively.

If you like a stock suspension that makes the car handle poorly, wait 'til you try a 993 with a new suspension tuned to the way the car should handle. Yowza! Now that's something to love