993 vs. 930

[Leland Pate]

I debated a long time before posting this thread. Some people will say it is not technical in nature, and for that, I'll appologize ahead of time.

I'd like some feedback from the field on this one.
If you had about +/- $30K to spend on a Porsche, and were in love with both the 993 and the 930, what would you do?

The obvious answer would be to drive them both and decide for myself, but alas, in Montana, that is just not an option. I will most likely end up traveling to Portland/Seattle/Denver (when and If I get promoted) to look at a potential car.

I decided early on that a 930 was for me. But you know, it is aweful hard to resist a 993. They are just... well, a 993.
It is perhaps an amature opinion that maintenance on both are roughly about the same. Turbo parts are not cheap, and neither are 993 parts.

A big part of this question would be insurance premiums... What do you guys think... would a mid eighties 930 be more expensive to ensure than a mid nineties 993?

I have been putting off calling USAA to get a rough quote because I don't want to have to be carried away by EMT's, my eyes locked into a stare, my hand still gripping the phone that was ripped out of the wall... ok, you get the picture.

I love 'em both, but unfortunately cannot own them both.

We need not get into a debate over the obvious... newer car/ creature comforts vs. old, no power steering/AC etc.

I could live very happily with either one, I just wonder which one it should be?

And, if and when the time comes, would any of you Denver/Seattle/Portland P-heads be willing to inspect canidates for me?

Cheers,
Leland

[Leland Pate]

"Que Homer Simpson slobbering sounds"

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...



mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

[glee911]

I have a 993 C4S with all the performance options but for some reason I don't feel it is that exciting to drive versus my earlier '87 Carrera. But I can't get myself to sell it either because it is so beautiful and perfect. So I guess it is rotting away under a cover. Without a doubt, I would get an '89 turbo again without hesitation. Depends what you after. Civilized performance or a raw driving experience. I prefer the latter.

[Joe Bob]

930s pin ya back in the seat.....

993s do so, but in a more sedate manner....

Take a look at the insurance....the turbo will probably be 30% higher....

[rick conrath]

I think that you ultimately have to be honest with yourself and decide what your performance goals are now vs. what they will be in the near future. They are both truly beautiful cars with very different driving characteristics. If you are interested in a car you can drive anywhere with creature comforts and reliability , then the 993 is probably a better choice. If your goal is to immediately go into high gear with a high HP transformation, then the 930 would probably be the most cost effective alternative.

I belong to USAA, and I would bet that the premiums on a 993 will be higher. The true replacement value may also be a little easier to establish with the 993.
In my perfect world , I would have both. The 993 to drive daily, the 930 to get my adrenaline rush.
Rick
'78 930

[5axis]

Some people are turbo people some are not. I checked out a C2S and it was great except for not having a TURBO.
david 89 turbo cab

[porschenut]

Go for the turbo, turbo, turbo! The 993 is more refined, which means less fun!

[maxnine11]

get both at once


993 Twin Turbo:




ps. did the old "SC" emblem ever show up??
i had a tracking stub...but am not sure where it is. ( i need a tracking number for my tracking number )

max

[Beethoven]

I still think you'd be VERY lucky to get a 993 without any issues for +/- $30k. You'll want a late model year. And you'll find it much harder to work on, and more expensive to run. I'd go for the Turbo, or even a souped up n/a late Carrera.

[89turbocabmike]

Leland, what are your plans for the car? Daily driver or weekend toy? I drive with a bunch of 993 Rennlisters, everything from your basic coupe, tip cabs, C4S, TT, you name it we've got one in our group. My observations from driving both iterations and our discussions at our post-malibu canyon run breakfasts are that the 993 is a wonderful car. If I didn't own a 930, a 993 would be the way to go. They go like stink and make anyone a better driver, especially the C4/TT. One of our members though wants to trade his 993 cab for a 930 to get more of that raw feel. I definitely work much harder to keep up with the pace in my car(turbo-lag aside) but I enjoy the challenge. The suspension on the 993 is just worlds apart handling and comfort wise, the interior is more refined, air bags, A/C that works... Downsides? well the CEL issue from carbon build up is a major issue. Generally the less expensive cars haven't had the problem addressed which can be pricey depending on how you choose to resolve it. Even if you dodge the bullet with a car that's been repaired, be prepared to do it again down the road! If your an upgrade junky, there are limited horsepower improvements for the NA cars short of supercharging.
Now your familiar with the platform of the 930. You could get a nice one for your price range, they're pretty reliable when taken care of. The turbo rush is addicting, there is no end to the upgrades you can do(possible down-side). It's generally going to be 10 yrs older than the 993 so expect to change out some rubber parts even on a low mileage example. Mine is 15K a year daily driver, so I have a lot of seat time to speak from. If you like your '82 you will feel right at home in the 930.

[Leland Pate]

930 it is.
Gosh 993's are so beautiful though.

Now, I just wonder if I can afford the insurance while living in Montana.
You wouldn't believe how expensive it is in this state.

Thanks for the thoughts guys.

[k9handler]

damn...no more EOD pay, must be doing some side deals secret agent man! Ha Ha 993 would be my choice. Oh...met a SMSgt here you worked with you back in your EOD days, I spoke of you and he said "the trouble maker with a 911"...Ha Ha that's what he said!

[Jack Olsen]

You can check insurance rates online, pretty easily. There are some sites that will get you rates from a handful of different carriers.

930 owners and 993 owners are different types of people. Generally speaking, a lot of 930 owners end up making modifications to their cars, where this is generally less common for 993 owners (where the motor is already pretty well maximized, except for exhaust). Of course, there are loads of exceptions to any rule, but my guess would be that 930 owners would generally end up spending more on maintenance and modifications -- although they're doing it voluntarily, since the go-fast crack stuff is so hard to resist.

I think a 993 would make a more comfortable family car, and/or daily driver. But then again, there are lots of bone-stock Turbos out there that have lots of leather and good AC.

[Leland Pate]

Good greif H.D. who have you been talking to?
I'm not even sure if I know any Seniors who are still in... must be someone who got promoted... hmmmm...

I may do just that Jack.

Thing is, there are aspects of "both 930 and 993 that scare me... guess I'll have to get used to that.

Right now, I'm leaning towards 930. Those cars are just "me". Whew...

[techweenie]

I've owned a 3.3 Turbo and two 993s.

In my opinion, for equivalent money, you'd be foolish to buy a 930.

However, for equivalent money, you'd get a very nice 930 vs. a 993 with 'stories'. So it's a closer call.

[k9handler]

I am bad with names...but I am doing some mass training with them in a couple days so I will get his name when I see him. Good luck on the hunt for 930/993....either one is good. I was told once that sex is like pizza...when it's good - it's GOOD and when it's bad it's still kinda good. So maybe that can apply to the cars we all drive?

[jryerson]

Depends what you want from the car, a daily driver I'd pick the 993 otherwise go for the 930 its the best value in a performance out there, my 930 will waste most any car it comes across as far as performance, 0-60 in less than 4 seconds with around 370 hp in a 2600lb car, its a total rush to hit the boost and rap it out to 90 in second gear which happens in an instant, its motorcycle fast, I have driven several 993s and 996s and their is no comparision to them not only are they much slower but they feel heavier which they are, the 930 is a raw, visceral car very similar to an SC in how it drives with the exception of massive power and stunning looks.

[dickster]

Leland

you dont muck about do you?

you've only had your current car a short while. but i cant say i blame you, the 930 is what i have my heart set on - one day. nothing else will do for me....

good luck.

[rboylan]

Leland,

There is nothing like a 930, except maybe a 965. After owning a few 930's, I got curious about the 993 myself. A friend had a 993 Aero with 12,000 miles. I went and drove the car and was pretty unimpressed. The obvious stuff like power delivery and raw sportscar-ness made another Turbo a better option for me.

I made a compromise of sorts buying a 1992 C2 Turbo. This car has the comforts, ride, transmission, etc. of the 993 and the balls of the early 930's . I am so impressed with the 965 that I know the next buy will be a newer Turbo, maybe '97.

Go for the Turbo. No other option.

[Matt Holcomb]

Leland,

A friend of mine owns a '97 993 Carrera, which he races in club sprints. He's owned many 911s over the years, including a '67 2.0 S, a '72 911 E, a Carrera 3.0, a 924 Carrera GT, and a 934.

This guy also knows how to steer: he's won a couple of club championships, and has been runner-up countless times as a result of misfortune. He's had a lot of success in his 993, finishing 1st in his class last year with it as his weapon of choice.

He's selling the 993 because it's "boring". He says it's a capable car, but it's just not making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. I'm not sure it ever did, and neither is he.

Some food for thought.