MECCDP

Hello all,

My local dealer called today and told me that they had a 1995 993 for sale with less than 6,000 miles on it, asking 36.5k. I haven't gotten any more details about the car yet, but I was wondering - with such low mileage, is there anything in particular should I be looking for? I know that various seals, etc. may degrade from lack of use; where exactly on the car should I be looking for evidence of this? Are low usage-caused problems visible or do the systems need to be torn down to find the problems? I'm guessing that it would be better if the miles were put on over the life of the car rather than in a short span. Yes, I would have an independent PPI done before buying but I'd like to have a go / no go filter before going that far, something like: oil leak = $$$ so no go. The car would be a (nearly) daily driver.

Thanks!
Mike

Drew_K

In addition to the engine, the brake caliper seals can degrade from lack of use, so check for leaking brake fluid or signs of a stuck caliper. For example, if the brake rotors have a layer of rust from sitting, the rust should be gone after an extended test drive. If it's still there, that indicates to me that a caliper is stuck and not pushing the pad against the rotor. Squeaking brakes could indicate the same, although 911's are notorious for brake squeal.

My mechanic has always told me that the 911's with the most problems are the ones that don't get driven often enough (or owners that neglect maintenance), but there's always an exception for every rule. This car could be a great find, and the price is outstanding.

Drew
92 C2

jhb

I agree with the above, when I had my PPI done the mechanic pleaded with me to DRIVE the car. My car was a 97 with 15k miles, and he noted that he has as many repairs for porsches from lack of use then use.

Bins

Binding Handbrake cables
Binding Calipers (already mentioned)
Totally buggered Air conditioning (compressor,condensor, evaporator, filter and evaporator pipe)
Dodgy tyres.
A good service should sort out the rest.

Anir

Mike,

I wholeheartedly agree with the others who point out the limitations of a car that sits idle too long, but let me play devil's advocate here.

I purchased my '97 993 in 12/00 with only 6,000 miles, and have driven it daily since then. In that time, it's been totally reliable and suffered no apparent consequences of the previous limited use. It now has almost 20,000 miles.

I love the idea of buying an out-of-production car that's almost new. Granted, an older classic, e.g. 356, with very limited use may suffer from leaky seals, gunk in the gas tank, etc., but I believe the 993's are new enough that you do not have to shy away from a low-mileage example.

Of course, once you buy it, you should drive the heck out of it.

SJM

Mike - I'll be the one to tell you your crazy if you DON"T buy the car. I posted my thoughts a week or so ago on buying low mileage cars. To me, there is 'no substitute'. My experience has proven to me that they are the best cared for cars and still virtually new in all respects. Call me lucky, but I have had a string of all sorts of cars with low mileage - some that make 6,000 miles seem excessive - and not a single problem. As to Porsches - my 'low mileage' trouble free examples include a 93 C2 with less than 1K miles; a 98 C2S with 9K and now a 97 C2S with 7K.

STLPCA

Mike
A point that hasn't been mentioned is tires. Tires degrade over time (oxidation, internal decomposition, ply separation, etc.) If the set on the car are near or above 5 yrs old, I'd replace them regardless of tread depth.

Under 6000 mi/7-8 yrs = 7-800 mi per year. That could mean either a life of short trips or long periods of storage. Neither is good for the car & makes preventive maintenance less obvious, but perhaps more important. Inactivity has been covered, but short hauls can be even worse with built up condensation, rich fuel mixtures, lots of starts & stops, etc. In short, the history of useage and not just the mileage is what's important. If it checks out as a well cared for car, with attention to PM, jump on it.

993,951,944

Mike,

I purchased an '88 951 with only 7,800
fully documented miles back in '99.
The car currently has 25K miles and
has had NO failures. The tires are
original Pirelli P7's and they still
look new. I recently had the timing
belts replaced and they even looked new.
Even at 25K miles, The mechanic said
everything, including the seals, looked
like they were new. Granted a 951 is not
a 993, but they both use the same materials.
I would gladly trade my 60K mile C4S
for an as new 6K mile upgrade.


All the best,

fbfisher

Do some detective work to confirm the mileage as ODO roll back is apparently very easy. Engine hours should be between 150-200 hrs. Once confirmed enjoy the car!

Speedraser

That's an amazing price if the car is as perfect as it should be with that mileage, even in this down market.
<img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Hammer

Bought my 98C2S last summer with 8,000 miles on it. It now has 18,000 miles and I can't find anything wrong with it. Nothing. 993 build quality is amazing to me.

Jan_M

I agree. tyres can be old, not really round and or dried out.
Belts can also be an issue. They might start to sound a little because they also need some exercise. Not a big deal though.
Engine oil needs to be replaced as water from combustion might have spoilt it.
I'd do a fullservice with all fluids replaced, around 1000 USD.

Jan
97 C2S

MECCDP

Thanks very much for all of the informative replies!

I went and looked at it this morning - outside, in the cold pouring rain. No drive due to the rain. My brief, wet examination of the exterior revealed no cosmetic flaws whatsoever, but of course that will have to be done again in better conditions. Car is white with a blue interior, 5400 miles, 6 speed, $36.9k. Interior was loaded with cobwebs - the salesman actually had to kill a spider while we were in the car - but otherwise it showed like a nearly new car. A bit of the paint on one of the rocker switches was rubbed off, but really it looked like a time capsule from 1995.

I started the engine - about 4 whirrs and then purrrrrrr. Smooth idle at 1k rpm for about 45 seconds then it settled down to about 700 rpm. Still rock steady. A/C blows cold and made no weird noises, although it was about 40 degrees outside.

Dealer had no problem with an independent PPI but does not offer the Porsche "certified" warranty on any used Porsche. Can anybody recommend a good aftermarket warranty, or should I just take my chances if the PPI comes back OK?

With some reservations about the color - I really would rather have black - I'm going to pursue this one further.

Thanks again!
Mike

jhb

My .02, if you want black, get black, unless you like white as well. I wanted a black Porsche when I bought my 86 911, but could not find one, so I bought a red one, which were much more common in the 80's. Never warmed up to it, I wanted black. Finally sold it and bought "the one", I plan to never sell this one.

Kevin Reilly

Wait for the color you want. There are lots of fish in the sea. For me, it was white with black. I'm glad I waited to find it, and have NO regrets about the car over a year later. Good luck...the hunt should be fun! <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />