Considering a 993 - Moving from a 997.2 C4S

[hantin.w]

Evening all,

Been enjoying my 997.2 C4S for almost a year now and after 20 odd years of lusting after a 911, it's been as awesome as I expected.

As much as I look at her everyday and am content with just being lucky enough to have a Porsche - The reality is that I always going to yearn for a classic air-cooled 911. Whilst a 72' 911E is prob out of reach (!) - A good conditioned 993 C2 could be an option.

For me, I've always loved simple and the idea of a smaller footprint (not that a 997 is too big but compared to a 993 it is!), less power/weight (so I can use all of it) and those gorgeous looks is hard to fault.

Any 993 owners here made the change from more modern 911's? - Would love to hear you thoughts but not just the great feelings, that's easy. The heart is sold already.

More so I'd like to hear pragmatically what's the ownership experience going to be like and how different? Costs, reliability, pains, niggles no one ever mentions.

Before I tempt myself and test drive one (which really is what I need to do), would love to hear some opinions from this forum.

Cheers all

Will

(pic of my current for attention, of course!)

 

[tob_today]

Hi Will - looks like a very nice 997

As owner of both, from my perspective they are very different ownership propositions, and very different cars to live with & drive. Same as earlier era cars, will be very different to 993.

So it really depends how you want to use the car, and what you want from it. The 997 will be more every day usable, and likely to have much less maintenance. The 993 much more of an ocassion & engaged drive.

You will feel the differences as soon as you sit in one. But if you've always wanted a 993, go for it. Life is for living. Buy on condition with some cash in the bank, and perhaps have another car if you need a daily. Then the 993 will be more special every time you get in it.

Best is have one of each

 

[tob_today]

.... and perhaps the ownership proposition is best summarised by cableguy on the other recent 993 thread: http://www.911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=148301

I find with 993's (a 25 year old classic sports car) that they generally fall into two camps.
Enthusiast cars that are on a continual path of replacement parts and improvement, or...
Well used examples that need a little TLC. Not too much of a bad thing if you're handy with the spanners and do remember that this is a Porsche with a factory galvanized body, so will fair much better than your typical British, European or alternative aged sports car. :thumb:

Budget accordingly and go in with your eyes open...

C.

 

[jhrfc]

Likewise, I have both and can endorse the view they are totally different cars.
with the 993 both the atmosphere like the leather, oil faint petrol smell, the feel very communicative front end almost jittery, at least until you get to higher speeds. feels like you are travelling faster than the equivalent speed in the 997, which is effortless to get to super-fast speeds.
I'd honestly find it hard to consistently choose between them, they give you different things, I guess it boils down to if you want a high days, and road trips only car then maybe the 993, although the continent munching abilities of the 997 are immense too. if you want a car to drive more often (in all conditions) or maybe track then perhaps the 997.
PS i should add the 993 is likely to cost you quite a bit more to run, due to higher service frequency and the fact 25-year-old bits are more likely to need fixing/replacing. That said if you maintain them right i have found both cars to be pretty reliable. long road trips including long motorway blasts, or big alpine sessions are all doable in a 993.
J

 

[tob_today]

Likewise, I have both and can endorse the view they are totally different cars. J

Totally agree J, and let me just say what a great pairing you have :thumb:

 

[stichill99]

993

When I pulled up outside the doorway of my local Asian shopkeeper in the 993 last summer he appeared at the door and said 'Now that's a proper porsche'
He then proceeded to tell me his brother had a new watercooled one and that it was just like driving his bmw! :grin:

 

[Ridders]

Likewise, I have both and can endorse the view they are totally different cars.
with the 993 both the atmosphere like the leather, oil faint petrol smell, the feel very communicative front end almost jittery, at least until you get to higher speeds. feels like you are travelling faster than the equivalent speed in the 997, which is effortless to get to super-fast speeds.
I'd honestly find it hard to consistently choose between them, they give you different things, I guess it boils down to if you want a high days, and road trips only car then maybe the 993, although the continent munching abilities of the 997 are immense too. if you want a car to drive more often (in all conditions) or maybe track then perhaps the 997.
PS i should add the 993 is likely to cost you quite a bit more to run, due to higher service frequency and the fact 25-year-old bits are more likely to need fixing/replacing. That said if you maintain them right i have found both cars to be pretty reliable. long road trips including long motorway blasts, or big alpine sessions are all doable in a 993.
J

+1
I miss the 993 & as both the current 997 & sadly missed 993 are weekend cars, my preference is the 993, just.
If you can find one that was enthusiast owned then the main jobs will have already been done ( suspension, rust areas such as scuttle, screens & wheel arches & rear chassis legs ) & aircon is expensive to keep on top of. Finding a local air cooled specialist shouldn't be too difficult, go & have a chat with a few.
Good luck

 

[a.cooled]

Re: 993

significance of stating shopkeepers race ethnicity is...................? :bandit:

When I pulled up outside the doorway of my local Asian shopkeeper in the 993 last summer he appeared at the door and said 'Now that's a proper porsche'
He then proceeded to tell me his brother had a new watercooled one and that it was just like driving his bmw! :grin:

 

[stichill99]

993

Here was me thinking the offensive part was bmw. :dont know:

 

[SGH]

Sold my 997.2 C4S back in 2020 and was originally on the hunt for a nice 964 but soon resided to the fact it's not going to happen.

Since been looking at finding a 993 but it seems most private sellers are looking at retail money for them.

There's a nice looking one on car and classic I have looked at but PPI flagged quite a few issues that could easily add £10k on the price.

 

[tob_today]

Sold my 997.2 C4S back in 2020 and was originally on the hunt for a nice 964 but soon resided to the fact it's not going to happen.

Since been looking at finding a 993 but it seems most private sellers are looking at retail money for them.

There's a nice looking one on car and classic I have looked at but PPI flagged quite a few issues that could easily add £10k on the price.

And there lies another key difference. With any car I always recommend having cash in reserve after purchase. Even if initial apparent condition is same between newer (e.g. 997) vs older (964/993) car, I'd have double cash in reserve for the older car. If I was buying a g-body or older, then even more.

Even my 993 which had mega money spent on it prior to my purchase, and multiple specialists saying it's one of the best condition cars they've seen, can still eat through cash, and for sure my 997 will be hugely less expensive to maintain.

This is why I tend to avoid values discussion. Fair enough if someone is trading cars often, but for many people keeping cars for multiple years, it's always total cost of ownership. Purchase price is just the start, esp for older cars.

But then that's also part of the appeal for me (and many other) - older cars need looking after. Just go in eyes open & enjoy

 

[SGH]

Sold my 997.2 C4S back in 2020 and was originally on the hunt for a nice 964 but soon resided to the fact it's not going to happen.

Since been looking at finding a 993 but it seems most private sellers are looking at retail money for them.

There's a nice looking one on car and classic I have looked at but PPI flagged quite a few issues that could easily add £10k on the price.

And there lies another key difference. With any car I always recommend having cash in reserve after purchase. Even if initial apparent condition is same between newer (e.g. 997) vs older (964/993) car, I'd have double cash in reserve for the older car. If I was buying a g-body or older, then even more.

Even my 993 which had mega money spent on it prior to my purchase, and multiple specialists saying it's one of the best condition cars they've seen, can still eat through cash, and for sure my 997 will be hugely less expensive to maintain.

This is why I tend to avoid values discussion. Fair enough if someone is trading cars often, but for many people keeping cars for multiple years, it's always total cost of ownership. Purchase price is just the start, esp for older cars.

But then that's also part of the appeal for me (and many other) - older cars need looking after. Just go in eyes open & enjoy

Totally agree. I'm used to ongoing maintenance expenses as I own old Land Rovers, albeit the parts are a lot cheaper.

 

[hermes]

I run a 997.1 C4S and a 964 C4. Like most Porsches if you're careful you can keep the running costs quite low, but at the same time the temptation to refresh aging parts is expensive for both!

 

[giraffeinbath]

Playing devils advocate obviously, but if you're after something daily usable and more involving and than 997, dispensing with the modern technology distractions for something simpler and more engaging, might that be a first generation 996...?

 

[Ridders]

Playing devils advocate obviously, but if you're after something daily usable and more involving and than 997, dispensing with the modern technology distractions for something simpler and more engaging, might that be a first generation 996...?

Not a bad shout actually, for me, the headlights I've actually grown to accept, like even, it's the interior I still can't get on with.
Best value for money