Trading my 2011 BMW 328xi for 1995 993 4

[EMBPilot]

Hey guys...

the short story is this...
i sold my precious 88' 944 5 speed and bought a 2011 BMW 328xi last year. I had my 944 for 6 years and absolutely loved the car and enjoyed working on it. My 328 has about 17000 miles on it, and its an auto... i find myself using my pickup truck daily, and never my 328. having the 328 esp in auto has become such a bore.

I have found a 1995 carrera 4, with 30,200 miles on it. The car is in fantastic shape inside and out. the deal is going to be my car + 'some money'. prob less than 3k. which for getting out of my one year old car, i see as an advantage.

I drove the car today and i feel like its a match made in heaven. It runs fantastic, shifts smooth, clutch feels good.

My love affair with my 944 lasted 6 years, i regret selling that car. and have always wanted a 911...

i did not leave a deposit yet but told the guy i would talk to him on monday.
the car is dealer serviced, and single owner.

i need an education on 993s as my experience is with the 944 family when it comes to Porsche.

looking for any input from you guys.

[P-daddy]

Wow rare find with only 30k. Congrats on your new purchase. I just recently joined Pelican but have followed Rennlist religiously. Great sources of knowledge and a fun place to hang out.

[EMBPilot]

im def miss the 944 section. its not a purchase yet! i just wanted any last minute input before i make this very dumb choice haha!

[vintage guy]

Sounds like a great car but I would still have it checked over by an independent shop that knows these older cars. Could save you from an expensive surprise. Most dealers do not know air-cooled cars all that well. Someone here should be able to point you towards a good shop.

[wolf76]

Hello. +1 on getting a PPI done before you move forward. You can even tell the seller that when you talk him again. It will let him know your serious but taking due precautions as well. Is the car the averaturine (spellling?) grenn one in Greenpond NJ? if so you can go to Powertech in Rockaway for the PPI. They are excellent and know Porsche's very well-no affiliation etc. Best of luck to you. They are absolutely great cars.

Chris

[wolf76]

Forgot to mention R.O.C.S for te PPI as well. They are in Belleville but worth the trip. Rich is a grat guy and really knows his stuff. He is a member on this board-once again no affiliation etc. I have a 95' so if you have any other questions feel free to send me a PM if you'd like.

Chris

[EMBPilot]

thanks guys and thanks wolf, i might PM you...
i dont know what exactly to look for. the car is located at the Porsche dealer in Eatontown NJ. im sure i can get the car locally for someone to look at it if someone has a recommendation PPI.

one thing about the car, there was a red light on the instrument panel that was on, it was two arrows that pointed towards each other "> <". the dealer assured me that it would be taken care of. is that brakes or hydraulic pressure?

I asked for the paper work of any work the dealer has done to the car and heres what they gave me.
- all suspension and bushings replaced
- 4 new tires, balanced and alignment
- new belts
- W301 Campaign (replace engine wiring harness)
- Repaired side mirror wiring
- Replaced Rear Spoiler Wall <-- ?
- Replaced Front blower resistor
- Lid and hood struts replaced
- New battery
- Replaced sunroof motor
- Replaced lower engine cover
- HYD. Warning light on, "check for faults with PIWIS, No faults, Possible ABS Pump"
^^^^ i do not see a resolution for this line item on the dealer paper work
- Replaced fog lights
- Replaced Rear Stabilizer and links
- Replaced Windshield

all of the above work was one between sept 2011 and Nov 2011

the car is the only car on the dealer lot that is older than say mid 2000's. it sort of doesnt fit in with the rest of the cars and clients going into and out of that place with 100k + cars. but i feel like it has my name all over it. i would def feel better if i could find a local PPI as i dont specifically know what to ask for or ask about, like the 944, all the talk was "rollers, water pump, head and timing belt", does this car have big ticket items like my 944 had? the car idled so smooth, shifted so nice. i loved the way the clutch felt. Paint on the car is A+ so is the body. No rust that i could find without digging, i didnt see any.

Idle oil pressure was right around 3 bar if i can recall. i glanced at it, it was at the top part of the lower 3rd of the gauge. Idle was silky smooth and i love that its not water cooled.

It feels so good just to be talking about this car back here on Pelican. im really a fish out of water with my 328

photos of my really dumb idea

[plymouthcolt]

Why not read the free 911: 1989-98 buyers guide by Porsche guru Bruce Anderson. Excellence Magazine (highly recommend you subscribe) has it on their site at: Excellence : Buyers Guide : 911: 1989-98

Good luck

[EMBPilot]

Howard, thank you for that link, good find it was very informative

whats wrenching on the 993 like compared to the 944 / 924? i have tool arsenal and garage equipped to handle just about any job, properly, on my old 944.

While i prob wont be capable of ALL work id say i can complete basic to moderately difficult jobs in my garage. Since the car won't be my DD, the pressure is off to 'keep it running' if its down while i work on it slow and steady, like i did with my former 944. however, the engine's jammed into the wrong end of this car, so it looks very foreign to me right now.

[Harriet03]

Great sources of knowledge and a fun place to hang out.

[wolf76]

Helo again,

The 993 like many of the air cooled 911's can suffer from weak valve guides which would require a top end rebuild (not trying to scare you just naming one of the bigger ticket items these cars can have). Since this is a 95 you will avoid some other 993 maladies such as SAI which can clog and trow a check engine light and not allow you to pass inspection. The 993 was the last of it's kind meaning that Porsche got to work out most of the issues associated with the 911 up to that point. There is so much information on these cars it is amazing. I had an 84 before the 993 so I had somewhat of an idea but with each model comes new improvements as well as weak spots. I would read Zimmermans guide as well. He has some good info in his book. These cars also have much better HVAC than the ones before which is a plus in my book. The 6 speed trany is also very nice and prety robust from what I've been told. I don not have the eyes to spot anything major based on the pictures you posted (looks really nice by the way) but many others on here have tons of knowledge and will surely chime in. The car looks beautiful and i hope all goes well with it.

Chris

[wolf76]

Forgot to mention another good book. I think it is by Straether (spelling?) on the 993. It's also very helpful t drive as many as possible. It will help you develop a bit of a feel for the cars in various states. I am not familiar with any Porsche shops in south Jersey for a PPI but I am sure there are a few. You can ask the local PCA for a recommendation. I am in the Northern chapter and I do not think we are that far south (could be wrong though). I also forgot to ask if you had considered any of of the other 911 models ( 3.2 , SC, 964 etc).


Chris

[EMBPilot]

wow chris it didnt dawn on me to use the PCA as a referral to get a local PPI! thank you very much for that.

on my 944 there was lots of room (relatively speaking) to work in the engine bay, this car everything's really crammed in there, doesnt seem like much can be done with the motor IN the car.

hopefully it wouldnt come to that the car ran great, but i typically buy cars and hang onto them for a long time. my 944 had 170k, my explorer spent 215k with me

i emailed the guy to follow up about the "><" red light which i think is hydraulic warning and the notes on the maintenance log from the dealer, waiting to hear back. sounds like i need to go digging around PCA for a local PPI.

thank you Chris for all your help with this,

Kevin

[deekay911]

Also check the Rennlist board for local rennlisters who will do a 'Rennfax' for you..and a ton of info there too.