All
I recently sold my 2 M3s to raise cash to buy my first ever Porsche. I've been going back and forth between the 997.2 and the 993. Leaning toward the air cooled 993. Do you guys think I can find a well sorted 993 S with approx 60,000 to 70,000 in the 60s ... or am I looking more realistically at a NB. Looking for dark blue. Thoughts?

 

Why 993? Have you driven one? Do you DIY?

Imo, 993 market is overvalued esp for WB cars so I would stick with high mile NB coupe that was well maintained and keep chunk of cash for repairs, maintenance and upgrades.

I got 993 because I couldn't affort 997.2, seems that tables reversed now.

 

I've driven a few and the 997.2 has the creature comforts and is a pleasure to drive. The 993 seems to me to be a bit more attached to the road and I do love that air cooled sound. Believe me, I really like both models for different reasons. Yes, I am a big DIY guy and really enjoy spending hours wrenching. I obviously have a lot to learn but am willing to listen to all sage advice.

 

Might be hard to find exactly what you want, i.e. 993S with 60K-70K miles in the $60K range in Dark Blue. That car with your exact specs may not even exist. The more specs you require, the less likely you will be able to find that 993.

You might find this recent 993 vs 997.2 read interesting:

https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...y-993-c4s.html

Either way, the 997 and 993 are very different cars. Drive both, and you may answer your own question.

Good luck

 

Thanks goof, great read. Didn't make my choice any easier.

 

This will give you an idea about a dark blue C2S........
https://rennlist.com/forums/vehicle-...s-6-speed.html
I saw a well maintained red NB 96 993 for sale here in Phoenix - 98K well maintained miles asking $52K

 

Yes I read all about that C2S in Canada. I wish I had the budget for it, I would buy that one in a minute.

 

Don't Underestimate a well maintained NB with mileage in the 70-80s. I paid 37K for mine two years ago and have probably put about 5K into it. Love it so much, it keeps me sane! Plenty of car.

 

I was in the same boat 2 years ago- I had owned an 85 targa for 9 years a while back and had a bias to air coolers - you really need to ask yourself what you want out of the car.
There are no economic benefits to buying one over the other except that there's a wave of increased valuations happening with Air coolers right now- frankly I think they'd just catching up to the market after the rise is stock prices and other economic factors.
Now- from a biased 993 c4s owners perspective-
These are awesome cars. Well built, visceral in the driving experience- modern yet really connected to the road. The newer cars are faster, more modern, quieter, super fun to drive, and well- a little boring ( there's the bias) .
Go drive a few - then decide what you can afford. WB or NB the cars drive the same - it all comes down to whether you like the wide hips or not and want to pay the 15k premium which is about what you see today.- my .02

 

Going to look at a NB this weekend.

 

You might be able to find a seller willing to give you a decent price before putting their car into storage (at least in the northeast). A lot of cars are "appearing" since the market has been hot.

 

Good luck Finding your first Porsche. The exploration can be part of the fun. Unfortunately your exploration is during a time when air coolds are thru the roof. However, who is to say they won't be further out of touch in 5 years. I only know air cooled, having grown up around VW's, then around 356's (believe it or not they were once cheap) that my buddies owned, and then 2 air cooled 911's. To me there is a difference in the "souls" between the air and water cars. There are also social or "cultural" differences that come with hanging with the air cooled crowd, which also draws me to these cars. These are my experiences at least. Now, as others have said, you must drive the cars to see what you think. The reality is that the 997 will outperform the 993 in all areas. Maybe you will prefer the more connected, analog/mechanical feel of the 993 or maybe the fantastic performance of the 997. The 993 NB is the one 911 that has great coke bottle curves so you get a great car at a lower price than a WB, yet still retains that curvyness. WB cars are great but as you know command a premium.

 

Seeing you're from Long Island, regardless of which Porsche you decide, don't purchase it from Lux Sport. Use the search feature here to find out all the horror stories that people have experienced.

 

these threads.....

https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...me-decide.html

 

I never saw this thread. Good entertainment. I did find this to be a good shot: