What year 993?

[phheitlinger]

I am looking for a 993. Does the year matter. What is the preferred year and why?

[EMBPilot]

any year 993 is going to be a great car. however, 95 and older have OBD I, which means there's only like 8 sensors on the engine. OBD II cars have a lot more emissions systems and sensors that will trip CEL. this doesnt mean 95 and older cars are immune to problems, it just means you wont get CEL for a host of emissions systems and carbon build up. also if you disconnect the battery, you'll need to complete OBD II readiness prior to having the car inspected by the state.

...after 95 Porsche started installing their immobilizer. depending on how you look at it, they can be problematic and fail... or they can save your car from being stolen.

95 and older cars get the basket handle, some people love it others dont. later cars have the 3rd brake light in a upper window spoiler on the rear window...

[Traveller]

Originally Posted by EMBPilot

95 and older cars get the basket handle, some people love it others dont. later cars have the 3rd brake lite in a upper window spoiler on the rear window...

Not all 1995 993s have the basket handle. The 1995 993s towards the end of the production year have the third-brake-light mounted on the back window. Mine is a 06/1995.

[EMBPilot]

For brevity sake I did not differentiate between late model 1995 change over. Just the gist of things

[craig001]

95 has no Varioram. But depending on your state - OBD-II (96 & later) cars may get plugged in for inspection with your ECU faults and flags read. 95's (at least here in MO) get safety inspection only.

[Jim Richards]

I don't think the year matters all that much, phheitlinger. I think the condition is the key thing now that they're between 15-20 years old.

[EMBPilot]

good point Jim,
add bonus points for cars without accidents, refreshed suspension and other bushings as those will likely need to be done, as well as recent services.

[Traveller]

Originally Posted by EMBPilot

...add bonus points for cars without accidents...

That is the first thing I look for when I view a car.

If it has been in an accident, I walk because there are enough cars to choose from. And if the repair is so good that a pro cannot tell, then you might consider it, even though it has a history.

[P-daddy]

95s are narrow-bodied cars. Wide-bodies are avail from 96-98.

[aigel]

Gong from memory here:

95: Basket handle, OBDI, cheaper, no Varioram (less low end torque and power)
96 and up: No basket handle, OBDII, more expensive, Varioram (more torque and power). Some minor suspension upgrades.

I really think the pros and cons balance each other. When I was shopping I was looking for the best car, not so much a year in particular. There are only a few 993 for sale at a time, so I would not limit myself to 95 or 96-98 unless you are looking for an S.

Georg

[TriTom]

I tend to think a "refreshed" 1997 model (C2 coupe) is likely the best year...as is a 1998.....just my two cents---

[RegFour]

What about the 964? They seem to be a little more trouble free by the sound of it.

[aigel]

The early 964 had their share of issues. The later ones are a good cars, but with every new car came significant improvements. The 993 was no exception.

Here Bill's thread that has more on the differences than you may care to know!
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-964-993-technical-forum/399143-964-vs-993-systems-analysis.html

Cheers,

George

[Bill Verburg]

The main thing that makes owning '96-98 US cars a PIA is the legal environment wrt annual inspections, some jurisdictions are far more strict wrt compliance w/ the Clean air regs than others, Ca among others comes to mind.

In my section of NYS all '96 and newer cars are plugged into a DMV owned computer, all codes are reported directly to the state and any one of them is reason to fail and then spend $ to repair said code, and no you can't just clear the codes, as all the readiness flags have to be set which is an involved process all in itself for most owners.

[aigel]

Originally Posted by Bill Verburg

The main thing that makes owning '96-98 US cars a PIA is the legal environment wrt annual inspections, some jurisdictions are far more strict wrt compliance w/ the Clean air regs than others, Ca among others comes to mind.

I agree it potentially is extra hassle. The readiness codes are something the DMV has caught onto in CA now (in a positive manner) and you can pass smog without them set. Best is not to disconnect the battery shortly before smog testing however.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-964-993-technical-forum/260106-ca-smog-993-obdii-readiness-sai-2.html

G

[RegFour]

Originally Posted by aigel

The early 964 had their share of issues. The later ones are a good cars, but with every new car came significant improvements. The 993 was no exception.

Here Bill's thread that has more on the differences than you may care to know!
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-964-993-technical-forum/399143-964-vs-993-systems-analysis.html

Cheers,

George

Wow, what an interesting thread. Thanks for linking that. And thanks for taking the time to post it Bill, that stuff is way over my head, but something I should learn more about if I ever get the time!

In conclusion, I don't see a huge difference between the two cars from the eyes of an average driver. I can see advantages and disadvantages to each one, particularly if you're planning on racing. But for the people who have driven, or even owned both, how big are the differences between the two cars on a daily basis? Obviously the essence of the two cars is going to be the same, but from an objective standpoint, is the 993 worth the extra $10k that they usually demand over their 964 counterparts?

I'm also curious because I own a beautiful 964 cab that I'm trying to sell, and I'm just curious what everyone else thinks about the 993 in reference to the 964.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by RegFour

But for the people who have driven, or even owned both, how big are the differences between the two cars on a daily basis? Obviously the essence of the two cars is going to be the same, but from an objective standpoint, is the 993 worth the extra $10k that they usually demand over their 964 counterparts?

I'm also curious because I own a beautiful 964 cab that I'm trying to sell, and I'm just curious what everyone else thinks about the 993 in reference to the 964.

I previously owned a stock '95 993 and I now own a stock '93 964. I prefer the 964. I never cared for the 993 6-speed. I also prefer the 964's more classic appearance. This is just my opinion, and YMMV.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

I previously owned a stock '95 993 and I now own a stock '93 964. I prefer the 964. I never cared for the 993 6-speed. I also prefer the 964's more classic appearance. This is just my opinion, and YMMV.

That's why folks spend bib bucks to regear or install a /3x, but if you compare a 964 5 sped to a stock US 993 6speed here's what you'll see

/05 is 964 /20 is 993, the 964 gearing is worse from a performance and flexability perspective

[Jim Richards]

I agree that a well-geared 6-speed should be more flexible than a 5-speed.

Bill, I might be wrong but I believe the '93 964C2 should be a /03. I don't how much that will matter. I don't have any track experience with either my old 993 or my current 964, so my subjective opinion is one based on the driving I do (large city, suburbia, and rural twisties). I never warmed up to the gearing of the 993. I'm more comfortable with the 964's 5-speed. YMMV.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

I agree that a well-geared 6-speed should be more flexible than a 5-speed.

Bill, I might be wrong but I believe the '93 964C2 should be a /03. I don't how much that will matter. I don't have any track experience with either my old 993 or my current 964, so my subjective opinion is one based on the driving I do (large city, suburbia, and rural twisties). I never warmed up to the gearing of the 993. I'm more comfortable with the 964's 5-speed. YMMV.

/3 & /05 are so close to the same that they show up as the same line, even the /10 964RS while better than the street 964 gearing is worse than that in the /20
here's a slightly cleaned up version