993...
 

I've started looking at a few 993's lately...wife said "whatever, if you want one get one"... I never really had the bug, but they are really sweet cars. I have no interest at all in a newer 911 and I like my Boxster very much.


There seem to be a lot of cabriolets out there. But I think I would want a coupe. Need to figure out the "2" or the "4".


Wondering if it would be giving up too much as a daily driver (vs. the Boxster). I drive my cars every day rain, shine, snow, etc.



Just thinking out loud.



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Can we clone her, please? :cheers: :D

I've owned all 3 cars at one time or another -- 993, then a Boxster and now a 997. Loved all 3, each for different reasons.

Sold the 993 to get a Boxster which I reasoned was a better daily driver. Bought the 997 when I wanted room for my little kids, and a daily driver.

Be aware. If you drive a 993 you will fall in love. You can not beat the great air-cooled cars. The reason I did no get a 993 again was because they have started to cross the line and become a collectors car. Not something I personally feel comfortable using as a daily driver at this stage of my life. Also, the pricepoint of the 993s is such that you can get a heckofa nice 997 for the same pice, althoigh I understand its not your cup of tea.

If you can afford it, a 993 is just a great car. But as a daily driver -- hmmmm, depends!

Yep - this sums up the dilemma. But I figure if I don't buy one soon then I will probably never own one because the collector premium will make them impractical as a DD. I don't want to have 3 or more cars -- just no space.


The cabs seem to be the most available and affordable -- meaning they have the lowest "collectors" premium. Ironically that makes them more affordable as a DD, but the cabriolet is clearly not as good of a DD in the northeast. I am leaning toward a coupe. Ability to put children in the back is part of the reason to make the move.


My Boxster is coming up on 10 years old. I figure I'm dealing with an "old" car -- I may as well drive one that is 15 years old. At some point soon it really won't matter.


One of the things in favor of the 993 is I have an excellent local independent who specializes in air-cooled cars. I trust that he can keep it on the road for years to come. That is a big part of the reason I'm even thinking about it.

Actually, you can just take her...



(please)

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From what I have heard, the 993 has a harsher and noisy ride compared to the more luxurious and smoother Boxster.

The Boxster is a much better daily driver. If you get a 993, I think it should just be a weekend car. If you can afford two Porsche's.

This is key. Excellent point.

I have a 2006 987S and a 1997 993 Turbo. Both cars are excellent. Both cars are worlds apart. A great combo to own & drive.

If your budget allows get the C2S or the C4S. The wide hips are amazing. The C4 or the C4S will help you as a daily driver.

You should visit www.Rennlist to learn more. A very active board/forum for the aircooled owners.

A mid mileage 993 cab can be had for the high $20k's. The same coupe will be $10k more. A mid mileage C2S or C4S will be in the low $40k's. A Turbo will be in the mid $60k's for similar mileage.

A very qualified PPI is a MUST.

HENNY YOUNGMAN LIVES! :D :D :D

if you want a coupe but can only afford a cab, check this out ...

http://d-moris-equipments.com/

follow the links (in french) as follows:

'francais' - 'catalogue' - 'porsche' - 'hardtops' - 'hardtop 993'

what's cool is that with the added hump on the back of the cabs, the hardtop gives it a real fastback look; i like.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of premium due to collectors in the cabriolets. There are a lot out there and they are inexpensive. That hardtop is fantastic.

If I buy the same color, I bet I can get the new one in the garage without her even noticing...

That "noise" is music to my ears. Its more of a snarl really. The Boxster is more like a violin. Both nice in different ways, the Boxster is more civilized for sure though.


The Boxster is a great daily driver. I have no concerns about putting miles on it and it's fairly reliable. I wouldn't call my car luxurious though - the 986 is simple (maybe even spartan).


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The 993 C2S is one of the most beautiful Porsches ever built. One of my friends had a really nice one, stripped her out and painted Martini Racing livery to take her club racing. That is just plain wrong.

I may own a very clean one some day... daily driver? Nope. She is a mistress and not a workhorse.

I agree with all of that, and unfortunately your probably right about it not being a DD too.





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Topless and Fatmike, you guys need to get out a little more. Read other Porsche related Forums. Live a little!:)

The 993 is a fabulous daily driver. And a stunning performer on the track. When properly set-up, it is amazing what these cars can accomplish, even after +14 years.

Topless, in today's dollars, a very clean, low mileage (<20k), well documented, 1998 C2S (made 1996-1998) will cost mid $50's. Save up. Priceless.:)

I had a 1997 993 Cab as a daily driver for a while. It was a great car and made going to work much more fun. When it was done being a DD, I moved over to a '97 993 Turbo. 993s are great.

I have had my Boxster S since 2001. For a DD, I believe the Boxster would be a better car. It is more comfortable, the air conditioner works better and it has a better ride. They are just two very different (& great) cars.

Take a look at the Rennlist 993 forum. There is a lot of great information there; http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/993-forum-58/

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1/P1140555.jpg

I guess I don't see the DD argument. Any car can be a DD.

The 993 mechanicals are basically re-worked 964 mechanicals - no valve lash adjustment, no double-distributor, designed for easier maintenance, making it a good DD. The Motronics allow it to be used with various quality fuels. It's really as corrosion resistant as any current car. The AWD system is far less complex than the 964 too.

They're current popularity stems from being the last of the air-cooleds. But I believe this will wane because Porsche made so many of them. Despite this premium, there are many 'driver' quality cars to be had for the price of a well equipped Camry.

I think in time, the 964 will move ahead of the 993 as a collectable because Porsche made far fewer of them.

Cheers!

Any car? Would you DD a Ferrari F40, Daytona or a Bugatti Veyron? :p

Beautiful 993 TT, Chuck W.! What a great combination with your Boxster. I aspire to have a 993 of some sort one day too.

I've seen pictures of Flavor 987S' 993 TT and Boxster S as well and admire them greatly!

ddb
:cheers:

993 = beautiful car
as far as I know the only Achilles heel are the issues with the secondary air injection, which can turn out to be very costly

Personally, I would, especially if I am able to afford something that expensive, then I should be able to afford maintaining it. And more importantly, I want my money's worth. I don't really like the idea of a car sitting around collecting dust instead of miles. I wouldn't be buying it for its potential collector's value, I'd buy it because I want to drive it.

But that's just me... :rolleyes:

I'm sure there are some who do...

Cheers!

Jim, your incorrect here. The 993 motor has a double dist., 12 plug engine. The 993 Turbo is single dist., and 6 plugs. Also the Turbo engine does not have a belt driven dist. like the n/a 993 engine (with 2 belts).

Yes, the SAI issue can happen. It may take $1k to repair (by cleaning, piano wire and solvents) or an entire top end overhaul for north of $10K. Can happen at <50k miles, while others have gone over 200k miles with no issues. Still, a very-very robust car and motor. If this is a concern, a potential owner can either buy a 1995 or a 96-98 with a fresh top-end.

A quality PPI (leakdown & compression) can also give assurances against this SAI issue. The issue will throw CEL codes.

Yes, Chuck has an awesome 993 Turbo and is a very knowledgable 993 owner. A great fellow Rennlister, too!:)

Thank you for the compliments, ddb. Very kind.

Here I am at a PCA DE at Road America in late May:

Haaaaaaaaa..... small world. If you look on Rennlist there are several of us that have 993s and Boxsters.

My dad has a '97 993 TT, and he absolutely hates it for some unknown reason. I think it's his age. He complains about the low driving position, the "horrible" HVAC and stereo and the ride.

It's also been a PITA to maintain from the start. I don't know all of the details about every single repair, but I do know that it has a rebuilt engine (under warranty) and the air bag was one dash cover from deploying.

So, for those reasons, he doesn't drive it much, and it surely isn't his DD.

Personally, I LOVE that car. It's quite different from the 986, but it is most definitely a Porsche. In fact, concentrate and amplify the essence of the 986 and that's the 993 (TT at least). The suspension is stiffer, a little noisier, a lot more stable, steering's a little tighter and it definitely accelerates faster. My only minor complaint is that the pedals are a little shifted to the right so you feel a little contorted after driving it for an extended period.

So, with the exception of my dad's I would really consider if this is a suitable DD, but it is definitely worth driving a few times a week.

Just sold my Boxster in favor of a 993, but both are/were non-daily drivers for me. If I had to pick one as a daily driver it would probably be the Boxster. More modern, creature comforts etc.

BTW, the 993 I bought is a Targa. They are pretty rare, but also like the cabs (at least at this point) don't command the premium that the widebody S model 993's do.

Good luck in your search.

I know a wealthy Italian guy with an F40 (one of many exotics in his collection), who showed up to a cars & coffee and wouldn't walk away from that car for more than 3 feet. He stood right next to it the whole night (3 hrs) and only left for 5 mins to take a leak.

People who owns those cars don't DD them trust me.

Hey Promark, please tell us more about your father's Turbo! Color combo, options, how many owners? I'd love to learn more.

There are some great air-cooled indy shops in the Atlanta area. Your father needs to find one. Don't go to the dealership. They don't know these cars very well. They are rare (less than 500 1997 Turbos in North America), and dealerships have not seen them in years, if ever.

Yes, the radio sucks, but with the windows down, sunroof open, and Fab Speed bypass, you can't hear it in my car anyways!:):)

The HVAC system is EXCELLENT! The little I've driven it in cold weather, the heat is almost "instant on", due to the heat exchangers on the exhaust system. As for the AC, I use mine less than 1% of the time, and it has been fine in +98 degree weather.

The pedals are great in the Turbo, but I also have a very custom set-up for my style, and performance clutch and LWFW.

Got some pics?



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After living with the very slick Boxster top for the last 4 years I just couldn't bring myself to do a 993 cab. I actually like them, just knew I wouldn't want to consistently mess with the plastic rear window and boot cover all the time. The Targa certainly isn't a convertible, but I find it to be a decent compromise between a cab (I am generally a rag top guy) and going all the way back to just a couple with a sunroof. Plus, the Targa has the coupe lines which I favor vs. the 993 cab. To each his own there. The Targa's weren't widely produced in the 993 line. There were about the same number of them made 1996-1998 as there were the limited edition Boxster S models produced in 2004 (the car I sold).

I'm changing the suspension and wheels out next week along with lowering the car a little. It's sort of considered sacralige in the 993 community to change out the stock Targa 17" wheels, but I'm just not a big fan so I am going to an 18" offering. I'll post some additional pics once I finish.

Silver with gray interior, original owner, as for options...I don't really remember since I was all of 13 when he got it. You do the math ;-) To my knowledge, it's fairly standard, but I do know that he got the full leather interior and the 6 disc CD changer; it gets fuzzy after that. I'll have to take a good look at it next time I'm at the house. Every year he threatens to sell it to get an Audi R-8 or Lexus LFA, but I end up talking him out of it. At this point, I like it more than he does. I want him to keep it even though I never drive it because it's my brother's inheritance and that is, to him, the most perfect car he's ever driven.

I never remember it having a weak A/C, and as far as the audio goes...does it really matter? It doesn't to me. I have "just" a 986, and I've been known to turn off the audio for weeks at a time. It's my daily driver...in Atlanta's traffic.

He hasn't gone to a dealership since it was out of warranty because he found a good indie shop in Anniston, AL (Southern Star) ever since my stepmother's 2001 Mercedes S-500 started having issues that the dealership couldn't fix yet they did. Imagine that... It turns out that one of the technicians there is Porsche factory trained, so they took her 2000 Boxster (now my Boxster) there for maintenance.