RobP

I'm planning to buy a 993 in the next 6 months or so and I've been researching 993's for the last few months. Today I finally had an opportunity to drive one and it left me with a few questions.
Does the steering wheel have no adjustments at all? I'd thought it moved up/down, but it had no forward/backward movement?
Should the brake pedal have VERY little travel?
Should the clutch feel VERY stiff? For reference my last car was a E39 M5, so that's my point of reference.
The 993 I drove had 71,000 miles and maybe it just needed new brakes and a clutch or maybe it's normal? I'd just thought I'd ask the experts!
Any help is greatly appreciated.

P-daddy

Steering wheel is non adjustable
Compare to my BMW, the brake pedal travel is less but boy, does it brake!!
Clutch shouldn't be butter soft but feels comparable to my last BMW manual. Do you know if the clutch is oem spec?

TRINITONY

Welcome!

No adjust for steering wheel - it's an old a** car..lol..just kidding.

Drive a few examples and compare...

tian647

Hi Rob,

As a long-time BMW fan, former E39M5 owner and recent purchaser of a 1995 993 I can say that the brakes on a 911 are very, very firm relative to even a freshly bled bimmer. To my great disappointment every time I go autocross my Z3 M Coupe :/

The clutch on my 993 is no stiffer than that on my M Coupe and if anything lighter than the M5 was so that may bear some investigation on the car you drove. Otherwise just test drive a 915-tranny 3.2 Carrera or SC if you want to feel good about the clutch action...

I am not aware that 993s offered any adjustment in the steering wheel position, even optionally.

While I still enjoy my BMWs (E30iX snowmobile, E36M3 cab cruiser and M Coupe track rat) I adore my brazillion mile driver 993, no regrets at all making the jump.

pp000830

Does the steering wheel have no adjustments at all?

Nope, My wife is 5'3" and I am 6'0", we seem to be able to get comfortable.

Should the brake pedal have VERY little travel?

Have just a little travel, should feel very firm,stiffer than other cars, once you get the feel for the brakes they are very impressive.

Should the clutch feel VERY stiff?
The clutch is firmer than most.
It can become very hard at the end of the clutch's life..
I would have someone who owns a 964 or 993 drive the one you are considering to give you feedback on this.

The key issue is how may miles on the car. at 80 to 100K miles lots of items tend to need to be refreshed. So if you are looking at one with these miles see if you can find out what has been replaced. Things such as:

Clutch,
Synchros - ST and ND gear
Coil-overs - A good DOY project
Valve lifter cartridges - done when engine is out for clutch
Ignition wires - done when engine out for clutch
Steering rack - leaks

Pricing should reflect these items.

Andy

nile13

Understand that 993 is very old tech and should and does feel like a non-modern car. That's kind of the whole point. If you want a Porsche to be similar to your E39 M5 you'll be better off looking at a 997 or even 996. 993 is sort of an E28 M5 equivalent if that gives you a point of reference.

No, steering wheel is not adjustable. yes, brake pedal travel is short. Brakes being the greatest feature of a 993 in my opinion. Clutch can be blead and slave replaced to make the feel softer. But i refer you once again to an E28 M5 and that clutch was truly a bear.

So the question you should ask yourself is "Why 993". And unless you can answer it honestly it'll be hard to live with one.

race911

Which, if properly adjusted, has been throughout its working life, and has not been abused they work fine.

Other than the race car we were out testing Monday having no 1st gear (there is a 2nd gear ratio installed in the slot), I could not believe how magical a 915 can be. Probably on the order of 200 shifts for my time in the car, zero misses or even glitches.

TravisB

Agreed - when I was shopping around, every cable clutch car felt varying degrees of horrible, and since it was basically every single car I drove I wrote it off as a quirk of the 915 cars; until I drove one that was actually properly set up. Felt great!

RobP

Wow! Thanks for all the replies! The car I drove today is not for consideration to buy, but was just to start to get a feel for 993's. The steering wheel position was actually fine, if a little high, but not an issue. The brakes were very stiff with minimal travel, but they did stop the car quickly! Just something to get used to. The clutch was original as far as I know so there was certainly an issue there.
Thanks again for all the help!

tcsracing1

the wheel is in the perfect position. dont need to mess with it.

the clutch is soft in my 96 c4s. a dream to drive. perhaps the car you tried had aftermarket?

Brake pedal is something i would have to see in person. My pedal stops the car when i want it thus no issue.

solomonschris

After you get used to your soon to be purchased 993, you will find all other cars sloppy in their reflexes, distant in their controls, and downright clumsy in their appearance. Plus, you will really enjoy this community.

Toddster

just a quick note on the clutch
My 993 is new to me since march and the rotation point on the pivot of the clutch pedal is very different then other manuals I have driven, it did feel firmer but also the angle at which it travels was foreign to me. Don' t notice it at all anymore but it was a new sensation when I first drove one

Enjoy the search, that is as much fun as owning it

RobP

Fair question. This will not be a daily driver for me, but I DO enjoy the rawness of the 993, just not the clutch of the example I drove today. Of course it's also, IMHO, the most beautiful 911 ever made. I currently trade driving duties between a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and a Jaguar XF S/C. I LOVE my Jeep but the Jag is mind-numbingly boring to drive outside of it's crazy power and I plan to replace the Jag with the 993. I've also considered a 996TT or a 997s, but after seeing them all together at a local Porsche event last weekend I'm 100% sold on the 993. I could just stare at the lines on the 993 for hours (and I plan to when it's sitting in my garage ).
Thanks again!

nile13

Completely untrue.
Very true.

nile13

You, sir, are a 993 candidate. Seriously.

Where are you located? Usually there are enough Rennlisters around and you should be able to cop a few ride for comparison purposes for different 993 examples to get a better feel. Also, have a Rennlister do what we call "Rennfax" - look at a potential car for you and give an opinion on what's right and wrong with it.

Literally, the best part of the experience is people. Which was surprising to me 8.5 years ago and is a joy and reason for still owning my second 993 now.