johnohara

I am thinking about buying a 993 2WD Coupe S or base, MT.... any recommendations about things to look out for ?

I already have a 2023 C2GTS so this is a tinkering car. Didn't see any appropriate threads on this topic. Any thing to look out for (kind of like the IMS or bore scoring on the 997.1)

Are nice 993's really more than a 997 ?

Merry Christmas fellow addicts :-)

fatmike

993 engines are bomb proof compared to the water cooled motors that replaced them.

The issues are: deferred maintenance on a 25 year old car, and known weak spots (like the suspension).

I recommend buying a car on Rennlist that was owned by an enthusiast with all of the obvious things addressed.

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jrmdir

Welcome in advance to the 993 world.

Plenty of threads on this topic but Google search is often better than the forum search. Try searching for "buying a Porsche 993"

Good luck finding a keeper.

Ron

fatmike

They have been now for a while (and that’s not going to change).

The 993 will be worth more than the 992 soon enough too.

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Gbos1

Some already are….

johnohara

Found a/the threads... Very helpful, for example:

https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...h-reality.html

And this one was extremely good:

https://luxurywatches635.wordpress.com/3570-2/


Happy new year.

fatmike

Let us know your questions after you dig in a little.

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pp000830

Hi John,
You may find this useful:
https://993servicerepair.blogspot.co...-purchase.html
Andy

Floyd540

All good advice and helpful. However there is one dangerous item could arise that you may not expect When you get your 993 "tinkerable" car what are you going to do when you find out the 993 is more fun to drive than your C2 GTS? The GTS may become the parts runner car.
Seriously, the 993 is unbreakable and since you are a tinkerer , they are ridiculously easy to work on. I just went from 997.2 to 993. The new cars are too big for sports cars. Probably OK for touring, but my new to me 993 will be going everywhere.
Report back.

crw

The nice things about the 993 include:

- minimal electronic nuisance
- with a little bit of skill, luck, and ambition to learn - very easy to avoid trip to the dealer/indy for service or many issues that may arrise
- no real blind spot
-very solid build quality

drodg

I just read in my most recent issue of Panorama that a 993 took 100 hours to build and a 996 35 hours. I know it rescued Porsche to build the 996 and the Boxster but what else is that saying? Good luck with your search !

wellcraft290

Depends on future plans. Leaving stock then low miles. But if plan on modifying then go higher miles and obviously effects the price.

also door straps are an issue and can be expensive to fix so check. Leaks. Rust.

I bought a 993 with low miles 42k. Clean. Minor upgrades like suspension and wheels. Nothing that can’t be put back. Been toying with selling mine but I know I wouldn’t be able to find one in such great condition again.

hexagone

Drive both before making any decision.

And that's 993 and 997 first + second gen.

I owned a 993 C2S, 996 C2, and a 997.2 C2S - the 997 is by far my most favorite in its all around usability (and reliability).

while 993s are overall reliable, they are inherently old cars and old parts wear out/break. I also got tired of sending my air cooled mechanic's kids to college with how much the car needed. The 997 on the other hand has been a toyota camry in terms of reliability and 40k miles of driving.

Floyd540

As always opinions are always right because they are opinions. But to simplify the discussion (simple suits me just fine), There are three distinct elements in describing cars that tickle our fancy.
1) Fun to drive
2) Fun to have
3) Fun to work on
In my case item 1 is the 993 is way more fun to drive. My 997.2 was perfect but without some of the soul of a 911.
Item 2; The 993 is more fun to have because it is smaller, looks smaller and more utilitarian in that I choose it for quick trips/ errands etc. The 993 just feels more ready for a "jump in and go" if that makes any sense. The 997.2 looks fancier and draws more attention, which I do not care for. I am too old to be part of the "hey look at me crowd" (The 997.2 is a beautiful car, I give it credit for that.)
Item 3 ; Since I do all my own work, always have and always will, the 997 was easy to do everything since it does have that 911 simple aspect that is baked in every 911. However the 993 is way more fun and easy to work on because of the total absence (save the DME) of computers and multiple microswitches to do anything. The 993 is analog and mechanical and all the parts are available and not expensive for what they are. 993 is a cheap car to own even after 100,000 + miles.
The OP is a DIY'er since he wants something to tinker with. 993 is perfect for that.
For those that do not work on your own cars, opinions will change drastically when you have to pay for everything.
Take the quiz; items 1 thru 3

swmic

The PCA Porsche 993 Model Guide covers a lot of info on the 993.