Why remove the immobilizer and OBDII? First time I've heard either of these suggestions.

 

He's suggesting to find a car without them, not remove them on your own.

 

I didn't know that was even possible. Why would you not want to have them in the car?

 

OBDII causes the car to throw a CEL related to issues with the SAI (secondary air injection), which makes it difficult to pass emissions. I have a 1996, but I don't have to worry about emissions, so it's no problem for me. Some people find the immobilizer annoying, and there are some cases of it leaving drivers stranded. When shopping, I absolutely wanted a 1996+ because of the increased midrange torque and top end power of Varioram (~12 hp), the deletion of the ugly basket handle brake light, and the ability to replace the standard, dual mass flywheel with a lightweight flywheel when changing the clutch.

Also, I live in Atlanta and drive the car on short (~1.5 mile) commutes. It's actually my only car. You can do it.

 

I'm learning more everyday. Someone else told me to always keep a spare one in the glove box so you are never left stranded.

 

They are probably referring to the DME relay, which can also strand you.

 

964's are not nearly as plentiful as they once were; probably due to the high prices of the 993's pushing buyers to the 964's. To find and acquire a nice example of a 964; IMHO, you are right next to 993 C2 pricing. All previuos comments considered, the 993 may very well be the best choice, considering your stated driving as a weekend car. The bottom line is, the only finger on the trigger will be yours.

 

Respectfully, and acknowledging my bias as a happy 964 owner, this mentality is really outdated (I'm talking about your mechanic's mentality, Scott).

The 964 suffered from an image problem because of oil leaks associated with the early gasket-less cars, and because of the community's resistance to change. After all, it was the first modern evolution of a 25 year old car.

The 964 is now proving itself to hold up as well as any other generation over time. Mechanically, there's not much in it between the 964 and the early 993s apart from the valve adjustments.

Have you read Evo magazines take on driving the different Porsche generations in the current issue? The 964 came away as the preferred driver.

Total 911 magazine's cover for this month -



16 months ago, I had the opportunity to buy an average 993 or an immaculate 964. For me, it was a no brainer. These cars are more similar than they are dissimilar, and aesthetics aside, they should both warrant the serious consideration of anyone looking at a 911 of this vintage.

 

Wasnt the 993 suspension re engineered to avoid the rear engine tail happy feel which was apparent in 1993 and under 911? Wouldnt this make the 993 a little more driver friendly when comapred to 964?

 

Let's see:

HP
Torque
6 Speed manual
Hydraulic values (which you mentioned)
Rear Suspension
The AWD system is lighter and much simpler

Of course there is also the visual aspects to consider.

Not to say the 964 is not a model to not consider...but the incremental gains with HP/torque/6 speed/hydraulic values/rear suspension for me make a much more drivable street car. If you want AWD (which I did) then it becomes much more of a no-brainer. Then there is the visual...for me it's the 993...and I think the broader market in general has spoken as well to the 993.

 

The new issue of Total 911 also has a great article on the 993 C4S with the rare X-51 engine option. Basically it was a factory 3.8 engine that replaced the 3.6 engine. Not trying to take away from the 964 discussion.

 

Think of the 993 as the last, best, most beautiful (and most sophisticated) in a long line of air-cooled (real) Porsches. It is the Gisele Bundchen of Porsches.

 

Article on a 993S 3.8L

https://rennlist.com/forums/8101791-post25.html

 

Having owned both, I would suggest getting the model you find most attractive. Of course the 993 has improvements all over the place and when reading about them they sound like a big deal. However when you dig a little deeper or spend time in both models you quickly find that the performance differences are so close in most cases it would come down to the driver.

This is my take:

• The 6 speed is not geared that great, the extra gear is more like an overdrive. 1 to 5 is almost they same with the 964 actually having slightly better gearing.
  
• With a G-pipe, Hi-flow Cat and Wong chip the 964 gets a nice bump in HP and Torque. My 964 is quicker than my heavy c4s, I am sure it has something to do with my 964 only weighing 2900 ponds.
  
• The 964 interior build seems a little nicer. I like things like the door panels being stitched.
  
• The 993 back suspension is a little more refined but the only time I notice the improvement is on the highway when hitting expansion joints, it is just a bit quieter and hits with less of a thud.
  
• To me the 993 sounds better, I had had a 200_cell X-Pipe with Motor Sound and it was amazing. The 964 with a 200_cell Cat and G-pipe sounds a bit more like a muscle car or a WRX. I did have a Cup-pipe on the 964 for about 100 miles and it sounded better, more like a flat6 than the G-pipe but was a little to quite for my taste.
  
• If the 993 did not have Litronic headlights it's easy and cheap to retrifit HIDs. The 964 has options to improve the headlights but they are costly and more involved.
  
• Looks are totally subjective, I like both so much. My wife was never a fan of the 993, she likes the classic lines of the 964 or something more modern like the 991.
  
• If you do not DIY the 964 will cost more to sort out. If you get a pre 92 the AC will be on r12 and need to be switched over to r134. The valve jobs will coast around $600 every 15,000 miles. Some parts are expensive and will need to be replaced due to age, an early 964 can be 8 years older than a late 993. My bet is that once you get done sorting out both models the 964 will take a bit more money than the 993. When it's all said and done the price % between the 2 will not be that far from each other, especially if you start adding Wheels, Suspension and other mods to the cars

.

So back to my original thought, buy the model you find most attractive, there is no bad choice.

 

a WB 964/965 is a beautiful thing.
i even once explored the idea grabbing a cheap-ish 964 targa
and flaring it out.