spoilers, colour: learner questions

[Motorhead]

hello,

I have been lurking for a few weeks doing some research and enjoying the advice and banter on the forum.

I have some undoubtedly embarassingly naive questions that i wonder if anyone could shed the light of their experience on...I realise i am relying on your experience and goodwill and hope i am not being too presumptious asking all this

Since borrowing a friend's '96 targa for a week in the summer i have been hooked. I have decided that the only thing to do is to get one myself, and now that i have made up my mind i cant wait to get my own car.....

I think i am fairly specific in what i want: a rhd 911 (993) targa, fpsh, good condition, <50k miles etc for which i expect to pay around 30k-ish (though i see one 22k mile one went for 36k recently) I still occasionally waver between a C2S for the look, is this normal? ( and dealers can still raise the odd doubt and confusion by talking about the rigidity of the coupe vs targa)

I have a few questions then:

- if the dealer has had an inspection from a reputable specialist should this suffice; or should the buyer get their own inspection (btw what exactly is a 111 point inspection; i think i have worked out a ppi is a pre purchase inspection?)

- is the 3-5k premium for a low (c20-30K) mileage model worth it (i think i understand that type of driving history (eg regular short town driving vs occasional longer weekend) can be as/more important than mileage per se)

and the particularly dumb questions:

- spoilers: i prefer the automatically retractable rear spoiler over the fixed 'tray' one; is this a reason to reject a car or can they be changed cheaply and easily?

-colour: rather unoriginally i am looking for a silver car; is it sensible to wait for one or does this show my inherent superficiality and i should be making a choice on more fundamental qualities

- body shape: did the 993 targa come in more than one body shape? I think i heard that though the majority came in a 'wide' (though not turbo/'s') shape, there is a narrower shape?

Finally, if the exact car i think i want doesn't come up, what are your views/experience of porsche buying services such as phil raby? (i realise there are some threads about this).......

I look forward to hearing any advice you care to give me

all the best and thanks very much

jem

p.s I have a 60k mile fsh 3.28i BMW convertible for sale/exchange if anyone is interested


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[Fuchs]

welcome aboard jem,

colour - if silver is important to you then wait for a silver one to come along, but of course this might prolong the time it takes for you become an owner..........Some people argue that the overall condition is more important than the colour and this is true in some ways, but eventually you will see a silver car that is right for you.

As far as i know 993 targa's only came in the narrow body - no turbo or wide bodies.

Phil raby come highly recc'ed and he will be able to source you a good quality car

Another pointer for you is the 993 buyers guide written by Peter Morgan.Lots of useful info so that you can decide if the car warrants a pro ppi.

Good luck in your search and when you find the right car be sure to let us all know.


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[Robertb]

Hi Jeremy,

I went through similar dilemmas when buying my 993- hummed and harred about a 993 C4S and a C2S before plumping for a nice low miles Targa I saw on Pistonheads about this time last year.

The Targa is a little less rigid than a coupe, but the S's have much firmer suspension which can, allegedly, make them quite truculent on crummy UK roads. The 993 Targa has quite a soft ride which is great on our 3rd world B roads, but less composed when in turbo-nutter mode. For me, given that most of my driving in south Oxon is spent stuck behind a slowcoach and trolling along, the benefit of opening the glass roof (or just the blind and letting the light flood in) tipped it in the Targa's favour. I also love the Targa's styling.

In answer to your q's;

An pre-purchase inspection by a known specialist is fine, but make sure there is a proper report. A PPI costs about £250 and I would personally like to commission my own before committing to a purchase, esp of a private car. Dealers offer a 111 point inspection, (involving an inspection of 111 items) and if done at a main dealer they will then allow you to buy a warranty.

Buy on condition- I have seen some ropey low miles cars, but also some stunners which are of course worth paying up for. £30k should get you a very nice low miles car privately.

You can easily change the spoiler, but it will cost a few £'00. You sometimes see on ebay spoilers for sale.

Keep open minded about the colour- what sounds unappealing in an ad can look very different when you see the car. The quality of the car is more important.

All Targas were standard body. Only the C2S, C4S and Turbo were wide body.

I've not tried a 'search' service, but maybe worth a go.

I saw a few for sale last year, they do come up so keep the faith!


Migration info. Legacy thread was 42496

 

[Simon Brewster]

Had a similar dilemna a few months ago. Set myself an absolute limit of 30k for a 993.

Then I saw this at Northway's and blew the budget:

http://www.btinternet.com/~simon.brewster/P-Car/Image019.jpg

So yes, I think it's normal to waver over a C2S.

That said, I wouldn't have been put off by a targa if I'd found one that suited.

And further to previous posts, yes the wider tyres and lower suspension can make it a bit "interesting" on crap roads!

Good luck with the search.

Si

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[Motorhead]

thanks very much for this; can see why you blew the budget si!

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