Searching for 993

[MisterB]

Long story short, sold my 88 miss it and looking for a 993. Are any model years more desireable? What can I expect to pay for 50-70K mile car? Are there premiums for certain paint colors? Any and all advice is appreciated.

Ed

[herman maire]

I like the 95's because you have OBD1 VS the later cars with OBD2 easier to work/play with. BUT... the bigger Vram valves/heads on the 96-98 is a nice upgrade, not a huge deal though

You can fit the Vram intake to a 95 if you really wanted. There all REALLY nice cars though.

[dmwallace]

MisterB,

I started with a '89 3.2L and moved up to a '97 993. When I started looking for a 993 I decided to focus on the Varioram models (96-98) in part because of the increased HP (and it also looks cool). You can surf the Porsche Cars for Sale and Porsche Marketplace Discussion forums here on Pelican to get an idea about prices; the C4 and the wide-body S cars would be more expensive than a "regular" Carrera. Once you start driving 993's you will probably discover more comfortable seats, softer suspension, faster acceleration and much better A/C than your old car (at least this is what I discovered).

There are many experts on this forum who can contribute more details than me. You can also search or read through older posts as lots of folks have debated 993 vs. other generations.

Good luck on your search!

Regards,
David

[Anchor]

I just purchased a 95 993 coupe last April. I paid $37K with 37,800 orig miles. It had about $5k worth of performance suspension work done at Devek in NorCal. I looked for about 3 months all over the US (internet). I was very happy with what I got. Spend some time looking you will be surprised what you can find with some patients.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by MisterB

Long story short, sold my 88 miss it and looking for a 993. Are any model years more desireable? What can I expect to pay for 50-70K mile car? Are there premiums for certain paint colors? Any and all advice is appreciated.

Ed

I looked for 3 years before I bought. It depends on what you are looking for and how finicky you are.

JMO, a MY95 OBD1, w/ M220 is a great choice. The OBD2 cars can be a PIA to get to pass emissions inspections in those areas of the country that require them. M220 is LSD and 4 channel ABS vs 3 channel in non M220 cars.

Preparing these cars for track use is far more expensive than w/ older cars, but at the same tiome far more rewarding. If all you want is a dd than wait for the one that pushes your buttons

[aigel]

The 95 crowd will recommend the 95 saying that it can be brought to 96-98 power easily with a chip and that the OBDI is easier to cope with in general and especially concerning the SAI issue.

The later crowd will tell you that the VR adds a lot more torque down low, that it isnt' all just about peak power. They will also point to other improvements, i.e. the rear suspension and some other minor details.

In the end (in my view) it is a wash. I'd buy the best car for the money and would not settle for a year before even starting to shop. There are a lot of 993s out there, but you don't want to limit yourself to a subset right out of the hole.

George

[MisterB]

I appreciate the comments.... I am looking for a DD ....... the emission issues sorta scare me off.. I live in Ohio and hoping to get collector plates to avoid the emission checks, but I believe before getting my initial plates it will have to pass smog....

Ed

[Don Plumley]

There's a sticky at the top of the forum about the SAI issue.

Rennlist is a good source of cars as well.

[dmwallace]

MisterB,

If you were to decide on a 96-98 I believe you would just need to ensure that the mechanic who does your PPI includes using a OBDII tester to check for the possibility of CEL codes in the Motronic.

Regards,
David

[aigel]

The smog check can be a nuisance on these cars but none of it is a show stopper. You also have to remember that these cars are now 10-13 years old, so while they still cost some $, they are far from new. They actually make great used cars, IMHO.

Cheers, George

[fast_e_man]

MisterB,

I just bought a 96 993 with 80k mi --- for $22k. I posted "my new 993" in the later half of January. I wanted the VR (torque & HP), and I'm not at all concerned about the SAI issue. There are several threads here and on Rennlist that detail the DIY for replacing the SAI check valve and flushing the SAI ports. My wrench said he quotes about $1200 for the SAI flush procedure. With a little planning I figure this to be a weekend project when (not if) the time comes. I know removing the old SAI check valve will be a PITA & I need to fab a special tool. I figure all the 911 generations have their own particular issue(s), so it just comes with the territory. If mine does not throw the SAI/CEL code I will do this when I do a clutch job.

For OBD1 versus 2, I figure that's a non-issue. There is a company that sells a laptop driven OBD diagnostic tool for about $250 that allows you to read & reset the fault codes. Do a search for OBD diagnostics. I get the impression it will actually be easier than diagnosing 3.2L issues (my uneducated opinion). I'm kind of looking forward to hooking my laptop up to the 993!

For me, I wanted a car that checked out with solid engine mechanicals (minor oil leaks, good leakdown & good oil consumption), no history of body damage & maybe needed a little maintenence & cosmetic TLC. A PPI is mandarory to make an informed purchase. I have a full round of DIY maintenence planned this spring & need to spruce up the interior some. I was willing to trade some time investment from myself for a favorable price. I think I got lucky on the price, after looking for 2+ months.

So it all depends what you want in a car for condition versus price, and if you enjoy DIY versus taking the car to your wrench. If I needed to rely on my mechanic for most everything I'd probably pay the premium for a 993 with outstanding maintanence records (from my recent search --- guessing 50-60k mi at $30k +/-).

The Pelican cars for sale board is good for reference. I also looked at a lot of craigslist sites in major & minor cities. I had some good leads off craigslist. For me, AutoTrader was huge in assessing the market for used 993s. Set up a saved search on Autotrader for 993s (you pick the criteria) with email notification of new listings. Then log in at least 3-4 times per week to see what's comes on the market & save cars of interest. You can also see at what price point the cars are selling (based on how quickly they are de-listed). Make plenty of inquiries for the cars for sale & be ready to move when a car appears that matches your criteria. My car came from an Autotrader listing 1650 miles from home. I had a deposit on it within hours of its listing (contingent on passing the PPI).

Best of luck, be patient, and enjoy your search. This is just the beginning of the journey!!

Ed

[993inNC]

Did you give up on the one in MB Ed?

[Augustus]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1995-PORSCHE-CARRERA-3-6-272-HP-1-of-1-SPECIAL-ORDER_W0QQitemZ370025037329QQcmdZViewItem?hash=ite m370025037329
eBay Motors: Porsche : 911 (item 370025037329 end time Mar-01-08 10:37:02 PST)

[aigel]

Do a search on Victory Motors here and on Rennlist before you decide to do business with them.

I recommend you buy from private party. I got mine first owner through the local PCA chapter. Can't go wrong with that.

George

[MisterB]

I learned alot when I searched for my 3.2....... When you say Victory I wanna throw up

Ed

[aigel]

There is nothing an independent dealer does that you can not do yourself. Especially if you are an enthusiast and enjoy shopping around. Silicone the crap out of your engine compartment and a full detail? Not worth the premium IMHO. I would never buy a used car from a dealership - period.

George

[North Coast Cab]

Ed,
I had no problem getting my '95 through emissions. You can also register it as a Collector, as I have now done, so you won;t have to do it again.

[MisterB]

I found a 97 C4 cab with 65k miles, it is fairly represented as a solid car, only issue is that the CEL codes are not cleared..... assuming that the seller corrects the SAI/CEL what would be a fair price for this 993?

Ed

[dmwallace]

MisterB,

I can't help on the price but would advise that you ensure that either the car will pass emissions before taking delivery or else that the price gets reduced by the cost of doing a SAI fix, based on a quote from your mechanic or the mechanic you hired to do the PPI.

Regards,
David

[930gt-40r]

I am selling my father's silver 993 4S if you are interested. I just cleaned the SAI ports and she is ready to go. She has about 48,000 miles and a few mods: bilstien pss9s, sachs sport clutch/flywheel, evo intake, chip, and fab-speed exhaust (cat-back)
pm me if you are interested.
And yes the digital read out on the tach works as well