sacman

Hi,

I've been a lurker for a long long time after selling my BMW E30 car when my daughter was born to opt for a more family oriented car, a VW GTI hatchback. After 10+ years of ownership of the E30 cars, I long to get back to a car that is fun to drive and maintain. The decision comes down to either an BMW E30 M3 or 964 or 993. It was not an easy decision but the body style and the historical aspect of the 993 pretty much sold me on it. My budget is $30K max and I'm not looking for a garage queen but rather something reasonably reliable for daily driving. Unfortunately, a car with high miles, engine rebuilt, good maintenance history and properly loved by enthusiats is actually harder to come across than a low miles (under 50K) garage queens from Truspeed or Sloancars. I'm now questioning if what I'm looking for even realistic and if the premium of $10k+ from them is justified for what I'm gonna use the car for. I'm definitely a DIY kinda guy but rebuilding an engine is where I stopped. I haven't brought any car in my family to the dealers for the last 15 years so I know I'll be ready for wrenching (a lot more) that comes with the ownership of a classic car, a Porsche. What I'm looking for is your 2 cents on my direction for the next step. Thanks

QN

asofine

You've already roughly outlined the question, but just to summarize it more succinctly...

What's more important to you: a 993 in your driveway today or one in your driveway in 2-6 months and another ~$10k in your pocket?

Only you really know the answer to that question.

EDIT: I should have read more carefully re: your budget. As other have said, you're not going to find anything from either of the dealers you've mentioned for $30k. With your budget, the best thing to do is ID what is obtainable in your price range based on some data points you can find in this forum and understand that you may have to be patient to find a marriage between what is obtainable and what you want. In your price range, WB cars will be out, but there are good mid-to-high mile NB examples to be had @ $30k.

il pirata

You are not going to get a 993 from either for $30K. Or anything decent from any dealer at $30K.

RocketJohn

if your budget is $30k max, then you need to stay away from premium low mileage cars and sellers...

you can pretty much forget about S and Turbo models... You basically need to figure out what you want:
6 speed vs Tip
Coupe, Cab or Targa
RWD or AWD
Colors

I think you'll have plenty to choose from in the $28-32k range especially for C2 Coupes 80-120k miles, but its going to take time to find the right one for you.

sacman

When it comes down to criteria, my wishlist is

1. Color: White/Silver
2. Tranny: 5spd
3. Body: Coupe, no Cab. Targa is a plus
4. RWD/AWD: either

Honestly, I would take car that was well maintained, especially with all the weaknesses addressed over the low mileage any day. I put 20-25K miles annually so it'll be tough for me to slow down the driving

QN

DC from Cape Cod

There is no weakness in a low mileage car...there is only a weakness in a car that is not properly maintained. With a $30k budget you are looking at a 1995 or 1996 C2 with over 100K miles...and a 6 speed transmission. You will find one.

993RUF

Here's a car in Noth Bend,Wa. I don't know the guy or the car, but it might be just the ticket for your search.


http://www.pnwr.org/classifieds/adDe...d=0&ad_id=1775

ehanauer

At 100,000 miles, a well cared for 993 is just broken in. Perfect for a daily driver. $30k will get you a nice 95 or 96.

sacman

Thanks for all the input. I guess my only choice would be patience and wait for the right car to come a long.

Matt-R20

As someone who just spent the last few months looking and eventually purchased, anything that is "interesting" goes fast and at close to full price. Not sure you will find a 993 for 30k thats close to your criteria, maybe a 964 but not likely well loved. 996's are definitely in this range and to me seem like they are the current bargin.

VintageRacer477

msmatt suggests 996s as the best bargain now. Quite true as they are the "least loved" model thanks to the infamy of their IMS bearing failures.

Personally, I'm torn between 993s and 997s & Pre-Owned 991s - although certainly not in that $30k price range.

I like the 997.2 because it has all of the bells & whistles we have in our other cars, and the prices are down from the stratosphere. But, the cleanest lines are on the 993. AND, it is the last of the "true" Porsches, i.e. aircooled.

BTW, Richard Sloan has some really nice cars. I almost bought an Arena Red Targa he had 2 years ago. My ex-race crew checked it over and was impressed.

Good luck in your search.

Allporsche

i recently had a terribly disappointing experience with Richard Sloan,
buyer be ware, at any cost...

jvmax

this one would be in my garage already, but I picked up a 91 c4 earlier this year:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...es-loaded.html

For202fly

Be patient and look at/drive a bunch of em. I was initially shopping for a WB, ended up with a NB I love dearly, Go figure. If your budget is strict, shop locally (ie within an afternoons drive), don't be worried about high mileage like everyone says. Just make sure it was loved and you will love it too! Happy hunting.

NP993

The dealship that sells a 993 has nothing to do with the value of a 993. The car is either worth the price or it isn't. The identity of the seller -- an individual, a dealer, etc -- is completely irrelevant. I bought my car from a private seller. It would have been the exact same car if I'd bought it from a dealer. So focus on the car, not the seller.