993 or 996

[mb986]

interesting thread. i just got out of a 993...it is one of the best looking cars ever made, and the feeling you get while driving it is completely different than a 996/986 (or other modern car). the 993 is truly a throwback. it was designed in a different time; the floor boards are made of wood (really, they are). however, even the newest 993 is now 10 years old. so you need to ask yourself: do i want to buy a 10-12 year old 911 and am i ready for the things that will go wrong? to begin with there is the issue of the valve guides (and SAI ports on MY96+ cars) which will run you $6k to fix if you have clogged ports or if you are consuming too much oil. after that you can fix the steering rack ($1.5k), the brakes ($2k), alternator ($600), control arms ($1500), new clutch ($2-3k)...and that is not including scheduled maintenace, or tires (figure at least $1k for each of those). i am a little jaded my 993 had every problem a 993 can have...even so, i'd probably still get another 993 before i got a 996. if you are gonna get a modern porsche i think the boxster is the superior car...maybe you should look at a cayman? i think a boxster and a cayman would make great garage mates.

[silverboxter]

I'm kinda in the same boat. We need to replace the honda...it's not doing a thing for my self esteem! ; ) We bought our Boxster last September and we're still in honeymoon status. Anyway, after consindering a multitude of car makes I had an epiphany last night and decided that all we really needed was another Box. I placed the order with a professional car finder a couple of hours ago. Can't wait to see His & Hers 986's in the garage.

[yellowboxster01]

993 will have a better resale value. my dad has an 01 turbo he purchased with 10k miles for $70k from champion. they had a 993 turbo on the lot but, wanted 20k over the 996 and it had 50k miles.

[David N.]

It's a minor thing, but try the 993 out personally, and make sure you like the interior too. It's quite a change from the 9x6, 9x7, and you might not be a fan, I wasn't...

-David

[yellowboxster01]

993 interior is classic 911 interior except with a center console.

[2000SoCalBoxsterS]

I am a huge fan of the 993. I want a 1998 C2S or C4S. The "S" model get's the widebody rear end. I almost bot one in January of 2006 with about 25,000 miles on it. It traded at $52,000. I missed it because I thought I could get it cheaper. I've seen them with low miles <30,000 mi. offered between $55K and as much as $70K. Of course you can find an older 993 non "S" with higher mileage for much less. Yeah, the prices on these are outrageous.

[racer_d]

The base 996 has superior performance to a base 993. Lets just get that out of the way. Sure, each car has its own maintenance issues - 996 has the RMS and coolant tanks - same as your boxster. 993 has Valve guide wear (which can mean a $6-8K top end rebuild.

The 993 and 996, however, are VASTLY different in feel/sound. Steering. Brakes. Exhaust. Suspension compliance. All make these cars incredibly different. IMHO, the 993 is still "overbuilt" in its build quality feel. The 996 feels "cheaper" in comparison.

Test drive em both and make the call your own!

[Boxter]

Here is another one....

If only I could swing another one...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1996-PORSCHE-911-CABRIOLET-993-CARRERA-2-205-276-1918_W0QQitemZ110134646128QQihZ001QQcategoryZ10156 QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem