Yes, that's what I mean by a few tweaks. Don't need the twin plug though or cams. Turbos, injectors, exhaust should make a perky ride.

 

We all know this sort of discussion will never really conclude - everyone will come at it at a different angle, but the fun is in reading the different points of view. I like Brandon's point as it was one I had not brought out explicitly.

All these cars for me are more than fast enough for non-track duty, actually overpowered for the city and take-away-your-licence speed on mountain roads. That is why the pure HP argument for me really has no bearing.

So for me why the 993TT vs any of the other "TT"'s, given they all have the basics (like high HP, AWD, great handling, etc.)?

The 993TT

• is the pinnacle example of the air-cooled era running back 30 years
• has voluptuous curves, one of the best looking cars Porsche every produced
• has simpicity in ergonomics - no fancy save-your-*** electronics, has an intimate interior, dashboard that captures an age, big focused-use gauges
• produces a rapsody of mechanical sounds, doors closing, engine running (no muffled mechanical due to water jackets)
• is unusual, rare and unique, small volume produced compared to later generations
• has great road feel through the seats, constant feedback through the steering wheel
• has a windshield that is close enough so you wear it like glasses, narrow pillars that really all you to see to the sides as well
• has a high quality carved-from-granite feel of construction with long lasting materials
• is the last of a generation where a DIY'er can service everything, I know I can tear this engine down to the crankshaft because the design is not much different for the previous 30+ years, and for me working on my cars is part of the pleasure of ownership. On the later cars, the engines are black boxes to be replaced as a unit
• has virtually no depreciation (and in fact has been appreciating over the last year or so]

These are all subjective reasons that I chose the 993TT over the 996TT and 997TT's - the overall package is way more than just 0-60 times or skidpad speeds - like Brandon said, its also the "capture of an era" before Porsche evolved into more of mass-producer it is today.



Cheers,

Mike

 

You had me at voluptuous curves :-)

Not to be crass but the car has a nice butt

 

Perky, sure...but probably equal in speed to a tuned 996TT.

Mod for mod, the 996 will produce more power, by a healthy margin.

Mike,
I've seen your engine rebuild series. You really feel as though 4v heads and water jackets make the engine unfixable DIY for you?

I think the forced dichotomy of fully diyable to undiyable is a bit strong. Yes, the 993 is probably easier to work on, but I still think a lot of things can be done on the water cooled mezger engines.

 

I have owned 993TT,996TT and 997TT. IMHO the 993 is the most beautiful. The 996 was ugly and cheap. And the 997 has it all.

 

What he said

 

Yeah, that was a strong statement, you are right in that there is a lot of stuff that can still be done.

There is much less available documentation and support around rebuilding 996 engines - and from reading the documentation specialized tools as well. I am not saying it cannot be done, absolutely it can, but its definitely seems harder for the top end. Of course, not having done one, its all opinion from me. There is also a lot less forum/web support, strong sources like the rebuilding forum on Pelican Parts are all around the air-cooled engines. Also, the experience base on the DIY community is much less on the water cooled engines, so its harder to get support for the average DIY'er.

External components like brakes, turbos, etc. are fine for DIY - the 996TT systems are also more computerized and complex so reliance on PST-2 tools and electronics/computer knowledge may be higher as well. When you get to the 997 it gets more complicated, and the diagnostic tools more money and out of the range for a DIY'er.

For myself, I feel confident to crack open an air-cooled engine and take it apart. For a 996TT, the bottom end is the same so that is ok, but the heads would require some research on how to do it, etc. For the NA 996, it's all different and I would not go there at all. Check out: http://www.flat6innovations.com/engine-assembly to see what a 996 type rebuild looks like.

 

So you are saying that the 997TT has the 993TT beat in every category since "it has it all"?

 

All other points mentioned in other posts I totally agree with: style, decent performance, ties to history of the 911, rareness etc.

I might add, I feel it's a perfect mix of old and just enough modern 911.

You get a lot of the old school charm everyone mentioned:
- visceral feel, traditional interior, compact sport car size, air-cooled engine, widebody styling and of course the well known whale tail etc.

At the same time it has or you can easily add some of the modern car touches:
- Litronic lights, power steering, decent options like sunroof, alarm, keyless entry, heated sets, reliable AWD system etc.
- Daily driveable car, it's raw in feeling but not overly raw like older Porsches.
- You can still add plenty of today's style into it, without it being so out of period (3 spoke steering wheel, Carbon Fiber, vast assortment of seats and wheels ...lol even 19's too etc). Imagine how silly a CF SW would look in a 1980's Porsche.
- To the average Joe on the street, most are amazed it's a car from the mid 90s. I get it all the time, when asked in parking lots etc.

And bluntly it's the super car of the 90s, was seriously in my eyes the "coolest" car on the road and at the auto show back then etc and I simply had to own one!

C'mon everyone has to remember that Arena red TT poster or had it on their wall at one point!

And Tiff nailed it down in his Top Gear review too:

 

Got the poster on my wall - and the car in the garage too!

 

had both and daily drove both.if its to dd 997 hands down.for a weekend car 993 a little more special and looks better imo

 

I would love to have every version/model of the 911 turbo starting in 1976.

However, the 996 turbo would be at the bottom of my list.

 

To me, owning the 993TT is like being married to a gorgeous Super model that's Aging and constantly requiring high level of maintenance to sustained.

I had owned and loved my 993TT for more ten years.
The amount of money I had to put into the 993TT to get the engine, tranny, suspensions, exteriors and interiors etc.,, up to update is probably equivalent to the price of my 997TT.
The little gremlins keep popping up that made me no longer enjoy its true beauty. Finally this year I had to accept the fact that she's aging and gave up the love affair to get the 997.
It's just as beautiful and comes with a warranty.

 

Sad to hear you sold your 993TT. Did it go to a Rennlister?

 

Hi Scott
It was a sad decision. I believe it was sold to a local guy.