993

[mrtian97]

Need advice, new to Porsche. Love the car since I was a kid. In a market for the 993 model, maybe 1996 or 1997 or 1998. Any experience such as:
1. How expensive is the regular maintenance, let's say I drive the car about 5K miles per year.

2. During these 3 yrs period (96-98), is there any special problem or they are pretty dependable?

3. I am looking for a used car with about 20K to 30K miles on it, what do you think, will this be a good mileage car or too high if the price is reasonable?

Thanks for any comments

[Emission]

Welcome to the Board. There is a 993 forum - try this question on them. Here is the link:

Pelican 993 Forum

Good luck with your search!

[don911]

Wish I were looking for a 993.

I think valve guide wear is an issue. There a very good article in the August issue of Excellence mag. about buying a 993. It talks about what to look for and some market values. There are some great deals on 993's. I'd suggest a C4S just cause it's one of my all time fav. cars.

[dad911]

1995's had a wiring harness issue, but I wouldn't rule them out because of it. More info can be had by searching this board or at http://www.pcarracing.homestead.com/wiring_harness.html

IMO 20-30k miles is not high mileage. Look for good condition cars with owners that cared enough to maintain service receipts. Get a Pre-purchase inspection, by an experienced shop, even on these newer cars.

[Rick Lee]

I'm a few weeks into my 993 ownership and researched them very extensively. Don't worry about the wiring harness. The dealership will replace it for you for free, though they sometimes tend to find things that need attention "while they're in there". '95's are very well-priced these days, but '96-'97 are a bit faster with the Varioram engines. The S's are sweet, but I'm not sure bigger brakes and suspension are worth the price difference. No one who has seen my car will say, "Yeah, but it doesn't look as cool as an S". The biggest problem with some of these cars are those that were garage queens. The dreaded carbon build-up issue (96-98 models) can turn into a $5k nightmare and it's more likely to happen to cars that were underdriven. I have 30k miles on mine and usually shift at redline, rarely use 5th gear, have never used 6th gear and take it over 100mph every time I drive it. Let these cars sit and they will exact their revenge on you! Clutch slave cylinder is a high failure point on these cars. I've had my car for 3 wks. and plan to flush clutch and brakes next weekend, just to say I did it and for peace of mind. As with all 911's, the bug to modify these cars is inevitable and ain't cheap. I swore I wouldn't do a single mod on my car for 3 mos. after purchase and I'm already lining up stuff on eBay. Check for worn suspension boots/bushings. I missed a few when I checked my car out and now have to spring for new tie rods, rear control arms and another alignment. But I shall enjoy the work. Check out www.p-car.com for all the dirt on 993's.

[mrtian97]

Thank you for all the replies. Really helpful.
I will look patiently for the right 993 and will avoid "Garage Queen"

[adscab]

For me, the turbo brakes, suspension, wider rear fenders and the 4 wheel drive were worth it. Use techron, shift at higher rpm's, not necessarily redline and hope for the best. Good luck in your search.