mrsullivan

I am sharing this story in case others can relate and also as a market data point. It may be news to some on here that I listed my car about 3 weeks ago in Rennlist classifieds and autotrader with an intention to sell it and purchase an RS4 or M5 -- now that my 8-month old son is getting a little more independent of mommy, I enjoy spending weekend time together and the 993 just doesnt work for that. I have posted a few threads about this, so maybe some of you put 1+1 together...

Well, I couldn't do it... I tried hard to convince myself it was a practical necessity, etc...but I just couldn't do it. I love this car too much, I have decided that it will probably go to my son some day. This is a big deal for me because I usually get itchy about doing something different with my cars about every 2 yrs anyway, and both the RS4 and M5 are very cool cars.

I had several reasonable offers on the car and in the end (after I had pulled my advertisements) I had two (2) serious offers for my asking price in cash. So for those looking to sell or wondering what the market will bear, my recent experience is that people are still willing to pay top dollar for these cars if well-maintained, documented, etc. My 993 S now has 42k miles on it, so no powderpuff in terms of miles compared to some out there but it is (I think) in pristine condition. Not bragging or boasting about this, just thought I would share as a data point for those selling or buying.

I have spent the morning cleaning/polishing and look forward to my next country drive... I am very happy at the decision I arrived at for this...its like falling in love all over again. Now time to find the perfect beater car for about $10k....will only see duty to the airport, bad weather weekends, and when I want to whisk my son away somewhere without my wife...

Looking forward to many more years of friendship and knowledge sharing on rennlist...

cabrio993

Good choice!

You can get a nice 98-01 1.8T Audi A4 for around $10K. Put a chip in it and you'll get a very fun, economical, fast "beater".

DJF1

Cool story... thanks for sharing! I cant imagine ever selling it either. I'm out of a job now and finances are tight till I can find a new job, but I can tell you that I'm hanging on for dear life. 993's especially I think will do that to you. All my previous Porsches never had that megnetism on me...

texas911

Wow Jonathan, I didn't know you were so serious about it. Good call, now make sure you don't have anymore sons or they'll be fighting for that classic Porsche!

Father of 3

This is exactly the setup I have, except I was driving my $10k beater car when I bought the 993. You will see once your son is 3 to 4 years old that the 993 can work as a child transport car, it just looks tough now. My kids love driving in "Daddy's racecar". Two words of advice when your son gets older: Britax Starriser Comfy and airbag on off switch! Great decision IMO.

mrsullivan

For the beater, looking for the best compromise between safety, reliability and price. While I would love to get a late 90s BMW or Audi, it seems that a Honda, Toyota, or Lexus is probably the better choice (?)

I travel away 4 of 7 days during the week, so the beater wont see daily action.... key thing is that it is there for bad weather, short trips, baby son time, etc.

FredGarvin

In 1998 Motortrend (I think) after having pro drivers drive every sports car out there, including Ferrari and Porsche, named the 97-98 M3 "Best handling car at any price." I had one of these and they are truly amazing. You can pick up a nice one around 20k or less.

Dan V

I went with a 1.5 year old Mazda Protege, ex-Budget rental car, 10K Incl. tax for my beater. "Buy the newest beater you can afford"

ceboyd

yes, I can 2nd that they do sell.. HIS 95 993 sold at asking price in less than 24 hours of posting the ad.. it happened so fast, he barely had time to think about it... he had almost sold it 4 months earlier and backed out of the deal with a change of heart but not this time, the car is gone and is probably in the new owner's garage at this point since it was picked up just last week from InterCity.


...if you want to sell, as long as your price is not beyond reason and your car is up-to-snuff, you will get it! ...buyers ARE out there

MrRoboto

I second this...first hand experience. Although I wouldn't call it a "beater" per say. You will discover the car is too nice to be called as such. And the chip really does transform the car. Make sure it's a Quattro model (4 wheel drive).

Caveman

Hi Jonathan,

Good story! Another month and you can put your son in the back of your car in a Porsche child seat and he can start bonding with the car! My 21 month daughter loves going in my car and can already say Porsche (well more like "Porka") and recognises 911s ("Daddy's car!") so please don't get rid of it.

Cheers,

David

chris walrod

Nice story, glad of the outcome I did the same exact thing in 2002. Put my car in the Rennlist classifieds, got a full price offer in cash, in person but had to think about it. Actually had my first DE in a few weeks, so my entry was paid for already and I wanted to do at least one before selling.

Needless to say, that DE cemented the fact what these cars are all about.. I coudnt sell it. I felt badly for the buyer, but it worked out as he found another SY 993 before I called him back after the DE. He was happy, I was happy..

autobonrun

I think the 7 series makes a great everyday car. The e32's and e38's are now 10-15 years old so they do have some maintenance issues that do come up. If you are a hands on guy, there are lots of info sources to allow you to do your own work and the aftermarket parts supply is huge. Mine is a 93 with stock 282 HP. However, I've added a Dinan chip and modified the air intake so I'm closer to 300 HP from the V8. I also added a LSD with 50/50 lockup and use snow tires in the winter so it gets around year round. I've had my 1993 for about 11 years and the biggest issue now is replacing hoses and bushings. They just start to wear out after this period. The car should also have the Alusil engine rather than the Nikasil one. I have a newer engine (about 15k miles) and rebuilt the tranny valve body myself. I would want to know the valve body has been rebuilt. It's a common issue with these cars until it's redone. After that, no problems.

You can find an e32 or an e38 for the price range you're talking. However, if less maintenance is an issue, a newer Honda or Toyota would be better. But if you want to minimize your loss when you're not in your 993, the 740i or 740iL is a fun sedan with lots of room and around 17 mpg.

My '93. Not what'd you'd call a beater but it is my everyday driver.

993inNC

You did the right thing A good P-car is hard to find and worth holding. Beaters are everywhere!

chris walrod

BMW 5 or 7 series cars are great choices for daily cruisers, IMO.