manitou202

What do you guys think of this 97 C4S? It seems a bit over priced but I love the Pastel Yellow with the Aero kit. They've had this on their lot for almost two years. It's a one owner car.

https://www.porscheofcoloradosprings...-4s-c-1529.htm

ace10

I think there's something hinky with the car. Aside from the color not being one of the super-popular ones.

The carfax shows that it's been there for coming up on two years. When it was taken in, it hadn't been serviced. That's a bad sign, especially for a one owner. Did they defer everything, or just this final service that was due on mileage? The car was listed at $89,9 last year, when the market was still hot, and yet the car sat. Carfax shows a PPI a couple months ago, resulting in no sale. What's the deal with the parcel shelf split? A pic would be nice. Is that a common issue?

I kinda like it. Pastel looks pretty sweet in low light. Not so much otherwise.

I don't know if the P Dealer would allow an outside PPI, but that'd definitely be on requirements list. And the selling price would absolutely have to start with a "7."

$0.02

dave morris

"Dealer Handling" is only $600.

MarinS4

Worth a closer investigation. I imagine it sat due to price. Even at market peak it was a strong ask.

Good luck!

manitou202

I'm going to a road rally on Saturday that starts and ends at the dealership. I'll take a closer look and maybe go for a test drive. My SA has been very honest with me in the past on which cars to pass on.

P-daddy

It's not a bad looking car. I actually love the yellow/black combo. Three things you may want to look into:
1. Rear lid/spoiler fit issue. Maybe it's not closed completely?
2. Driver's door check strap looks like spot-welded
3. Oil pressure shouldn't be pegged above 5 at idle. More like ~1.5 - 2.5

manitou202

Nice feedback on the rear lid and oil pressure.

Can you explain your second comment? Not sure exactly what you are referring too. Thanks!

Spyder_Man

As one of those millennials who drives both an EV as a daily driver and a 993, I can say there will be demand going forward for classic Porsches like the 993. Demand will likely contract as my parents generation gets too old to drive these cars (heaven forbid) and fewer younger drivers see the appeal of driving something as ancient as a 90's 911. While I would much rather commute in my EV through Bay Area traffic, there is no question which car I'd rather be in when I want to go drive for the sake of driving.

Its going to take the right types of people to keep the culture alive. I grew up around vintage Porsches. My father restored, showed, and hobby raced many 356s (one at a time) before they appreciated beyond his financial grasp. Growing up attending track/concourse/Monterey Car Week events, I can pretty safely say my Pcar culture enthusiasm is here to stay. I am sure there are others like me that have grown up in-and-around car culture who will always crave it.

Sure many millennials will want the latest and greatest automated technology-loaded transportation. For starters, with autonomous cars you'll have even more free time to mess around on your smart phone...! But honestly those sorts of cars are boring. They will be about as engaging as riding around the back seat of a taxi. I look forward to the dawn of widespread autonomous zero-emission vehicles, because our environment will be cleaner and there will be fewer cars clogging up my favorite back roads.

The 993s are always going to be special cars: 1) They are the last of the air cooled, old-world 911s; 2) They have a balance between analog feel and more modern/streamlined aesthetic; 3) They have minimal electronic nannies, so it is really just you, the car, and physics at play.

For those that want to experience the waltz that is driving a 911 regardless of your age or generation, you will be hard pressed to find a more engaging dance partner than the 993.

P-daddy

Mani- when you open either door, you'll see the check-strap support poking out of the jam. The actual strap located inside your door is attached here. The weld inside the fender/jam securing the support is notorious for breaking, causing a nasty clicking or clacking sound when opening or closing the door. The correct repair is pricey. The cheap repair is a quick spot-weld on the door jam. But this is only temporary as the cheap spot weld will crack again. The photo resolution isn't that great but it looks to me it has the cheap spot weld.

L39E

This looks nice

https://www.pca.org/classified-ad/322244

'97 Carrera
Black Metallic / Cashmere
6-speed, Hardbacks, Bilsteins, top end done
130k miles, $43k

M. Schneider

+1. Agreed. The Porsche dealership's description of the coupe calls attention to a singular defect of concern, a 10 inch torn parcel shelve. Yet glaringly omits a photograph of the 10" torn parcel shelve. Okay, color me stupid.

The Colorado Springs area has grown in population exponentially over the past couple of decades. Adjacent to C. Springs is the Air Force Academy operations and Fort Carson Army Base both of which anchor the region.
FWIW ... back in the '90's I looked over a few Porsche's For Sale which were Grey Market status.. Just an aside.

M. Schneider

+1. Agreed. Great starting point for a daily driver 993 coupe. A 2-owner coupe having lived its life in the southern states goes easy on the exterior finish. All disclaimers apply.

The north Atlanta area Jim Ellis Porsche dealership once had a few air-cooled Techs worthy of working on a 993..... Not so much currently is my $.02.

gmorat

I talked to this guy a bit about the car. It looks nice. hardbacks are great. The mileage is big but for a daily driver it would be good. I offered him $40k for it but he wanted more. It was on Autotrader for months and months at $45k.

M. Schneider

Hey gmorat -
By chance,,, have you viewed this ^ '97 993 coupe in-person? As for your offer of $40,000 ...

Presumably,,, any long term Porsche owner/seller would have factor'd in some percentage of leeway from their asking price. As the PPI of a 20 year old Porsche is bound for some discovery ... Spending $2,000 or more $.. is cake.

gmorat

I didn't go and see it myself. I was looking for a 95 and I saw this one and said 'maybe?'. The mileage is huge and in the end, I'd rather spend more and get to 130k miles myself. The reality is that car is a great drivers car which will probably maintain it's value. The guy seemed honest and straightforward enough but I offered him $40k because in passing he mentioned that some guy offered him $38k and he was considering replying with a $40k counter-offer. I emailed him a few weeks later and said I'd give him the $40k he wanted and let's arrange a PPI. At that point, he'd talked to some dealership/consigner in Arizona or something who told him his car was worth a mint and now he was looking for more. As I wasn't really looking for a 97, I decided then to continue on my way.

I ended up buying a 95 with 78k and an engine rebuild. As with the other car I bought, stuff is in need
of fixing or customization on these cars so whatever you spend, you have to figure up to $5k to get the car the way you want it to be.

I may easily break that figure as the suspension in the car was a rock hard H&R setup and the A/C is acting up without going into what I spent on new mats, LED lighting, HID's and a good detail to knock out the last vestiges of the prior owner.

Having bought two of these cars now I can say that PPI's don't catch everything so be specific with what is important to you. If you want a cosmetically sound car then stress that to the shop doing the work. I was obsessed with the quality of the engine rebuild as he lacked proper documentation for the actual work. The compression numbers came back super consistent across the board and the leak-down was less than 2% per cylinder. When I got the car here I wish I had asked about a few other areas where money needs to be spent (seeping steering rack on drivers side for instance) but in the end, they are 20+ year old cars. My experience is that the people selling these cars either aren't aware that there are issues, long got used to something not working and now think it's just a quirk or knows there are issues and are hoping you won't ask or notice. I looked at 7+ cars and every one of them just needed the freon recharged