arr0gant

Hi. I'd like to introduce myself to the forum. My name is Gant and I'm looking for a 993 and hoping for a little direction as it's freaky buying such an old car for so much.

As far as P's go, In I've owned... a Boxster, 2 Boxster S's, a 996 C4S and a 996 Turbo and a current Cayman S. ALL of them were purchased with under 20k miles (Cayman S with 8k).

Anyhow, I'm thinking Cab or S (no C4/C4S) with around (or under) 50k. Obviously the less owners the better.

I've been looking on the forum and have already started learning so just a couple questions to start off with:

1. Should I worry about amount of owners on a car that's 16+ years old?
2. Once I find a car, If I get it to a stealer for PPI and everything looks good, is there anything else I should worry about (ease my mind).
3. Is the Cab as desirable as the S, how are the tops to operate?
4. Is it realistic to find a great 993 with 50k or less miles for under $35k?
5. Any other advice before I start burying my head in this forum?

I'm really excited to start the search for a 993!!
Thanks!

Kika

Hi Grant, welcome!

my opinon on your questions:
1. 3-4 is what I would call acceptable/reasonable. above that, I start to ask myself if the car has inhearant problems that owners are passing along. Not that it is necessarily the case, but, unless you are looking for an ultra rare car, I would move along to the next car.
2. I would recommend an independant. I simply do not trust dealers. Since you have owned several Porsches, I would expect that you know a mechanic that will do the PPI and give you honest no strings attached results. If you need a recommendation, someone here can certainly point you in the right direction.
3. Desirability is really in your hands, what is it that you want? C2Ss are a premium because there simply were not that many made. Some people LOVE cabs, there are 5 documented widebody Cabs that were ordered/built/ done by Beverly Hills Porsche. I think one or two may be owned by listers. 993s had electric cab tops, although I beleive people have converted them to manual operation.
4. Yes, but you may have to wait a while, deals do pop up and even rennlister cars exchange hands periodically. in the $35k ballpark, I would expect you will see a lot more in the 70k-90k mileage range. below 50K I think you are in the $40K+ range, for a C2, more if a C4S or C2S. Tiptronics tend to command a little less if you are so inclined.
5. Only you can decide for your self what your money is worth and what to spend it on. Personally, I started off looking for a C2S, I simply could not justify spending an additional $10K for wider fenders that I don't see when I am driving the car. sure they are great when you step away and or other people are admiring your car, but for me, the enjoyment of the air cooled 911 is in driving it. AND from the driver's seat, I can't tell if I am driving a widebody car or a narrow body car, so I put the extra money into suspension, which IS worth it to me.

will the car be used on the track? strictly a street car? how long do you plan on keeping the car? what are your expectations? Do you do your own work/DIY? What is your budget?

you don't have to post the answers, but I recommend you consider these things.

A well sorted 911 can be very low maintenance cost wise. It may take time and money to get to that point, but once there, a 911 is a very reliable car. They can also be money pits, if you have one with issues. The issues can be fixed, but all at a cost. If you have the means to do things your self, you can save a ton of cash by looking for a car that has issues and fixing them. There is plenty of information here, at p-car.com and pcarworkshop.com to do A LOT OF stuff. I have also found that the 993 guys are a social bunch, and LOVE to HELP! Most of them will jump at the chance to help another Rennlister. I have seen many of them drive hundreds of miles for a cold beer and a hot slice of pizza, to lend their advice, or simply hang out with other Rennlisters.

(Once you have a well sorted 993, you kind of look for any excuse to go for a long drive however!

"Honey, I'm going to have some free work done on my car with some Porsche guys, I'll be back in 8 or 9 hours!" These words have actually come out of my mouth.


The best thing to to is READ! I suggest starting with the 993 archives, look up:
SAI, CEL, P1411, P0410,
SAI Check Valve,
to get an understanding of the achilles heal of the 993. After you purchase a 993, then start searching on suspension, M030, M033, Sway Bars, Anti Roll Bars, Springs, Shocks, PSS9, PSS10, Koni, KW, Moton, RS, HIDS, Upgrades, Mods,

Use either the advanced search or the button in the upper right that says "search this forum" to restrict your search to the 993 forum, otherwise you end up with stuff for other models.

Good luck!

CarreraX

If the above car is $35k, that is a good deal as long as it passes PPI with no crash damage. Assuming it is in acceptable condition etc. For the record, I know nothing of the car. Just what was posted.

arr0gant

Great advice, Kika. Thanks!!

How much should I spend up to on a clean\clear '97 Cab with 50k miles?

Kika

There are 8 97 or 98 003 cabs listed on ebay http://motors.shop.ebay.com/Cars-Tru...sche&Model=911

3 of them have just of 50K miles,
1 has a BIN of $52.8K form Top Gear (Dealer)
1 has a BIN of $36.9 (appears private seller, tiptronic)
the other is at a current bid of $23K

The only other BIN price is a car with 84k miles for $35k

While advertised price is generally NOT selling price and online advertisements can be wild misrepresentations, I suspect the range for a 97 cab with <50K on the odo is in the $37K-45K range, depending on condition, options etc....You might find a motivated seller willing to sell for less, depending on how long you want to wait, if you are holding out for a particular color, specific options etc...
depends how far away you want to go to get the car too, and are you going to ship the car, or go pick it up and drive it. Shipping can be a couple of $k.

I like autotrader to look for cars: here are 27 97-98 993 cabs: http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...rch=true&Log=0

there are a few around $35K with 50+k miles, a few just over that, which you might be able to negotiate into the $35k or less range.

Personally, I would rate condition over pure mileage. A low mileage car CAN be in much worse condition than a high mileage one.

Mister C

Congratulations! You have taken the first (of 12) steps by admitting you have a "problem".

At first I was a little hesitant to move from a 997 to a 993 considering the age of the 993s. But the more I learned from this forum the more comfortable I became with the idea. They truly are a reliable car. A bit more costly to maintain than a 996 but the joy of ownership (particularly driving it) more than makes up for that.

I also recommend using an Indy for the PPI. A good inspection by someone you trust can make the difference between buying a money pit car and a good, well sorted car.

I don't track prices well enough to give you a ball park. My advice is to learn here first and be patient in your search.

Best of luck to you,

Michael

race911

I think here's where you've got to twist your head into a different reality. Let's put it this way--are you purchasing something that will depreciate to (nearly) zero during the time you're holding it? In other words, the Porsche water cooled universe, with rare exception.

Now as much as we might call the current market air cooled insanity, the good cars are always going to command a premium. If the extra $5-10-20K for a truly good car doesn't matter to your day-to-day living, you'll get it on the back end unless you either completely neglect the car or pile on huge miles.

RocketJohn

The upside with the Cabriolet 2 is that they sold the most of those, so your selection shouldn't be too constrained as it would if you wanted a Targa or a C4 Cab.

U.S. 993 Sales Numbers
https://rennlist.com/forums/3387192-post7.html

arr0gant

Bought a 1997 Cab with 50k miles!

Kika

Wow. Congrats. As my mom used to say, that money must have been burning a hole in your pocket.

arr0gant

Thanks, my mom used to say the same thing.

RocketJohn

wow that was fast... as in 4 hours or so fast?

Malibu101

What the....??? Four hours and already bought and in the driveway

arr0gant

Found it in Minn, made the deal. Having it inspected and wiring funds and having it shipped.

arr0gant

Anyone want some "CHROME" Turbo Twisties?