| Author | Message | ||
| Thomas I (Wax)
Member Username: Wax Post Number: 464 Registered: 7-2003 |
Trivia: There were 50 different configurations for the 993. http://www.qv500.com/porsche993mr.htm | ||
| Robert McNair (Rrm)
Member Username: Rrm Post Number: 673 Registered: 5-2002 |
I definately agree that now is the time to buy. Prices have dropped. I believe the harness is covered by Porsche as a recall also. | ||
| todd (Flat12)
New member Username: Flat12 Post Number: 28 Registered: 7-2003 |
Fantastic car. Get the harness recall taken care of. You can't go worng with a 993. It is an al around perfect car. Good looks, fast, handles, plenty of mods, pretige, very dependable and long lasting,fun, room for the kids,bla bla bla....There are some things to know if looking for one. and now is the time to buy!! www.rennlist.com www.pelicanparts.com www.p-car.com www.flat-6.net | ||
| Robert McNair (Rrm)
Member Username: Rrm Post Number: 670 Registered: 5-2002 |
Fantastic choice Stu. If I didn't live in the snowbelt I would love to have one for a daily driver. Go to www.rennlist.com, then to web forums, then 993 forums, then the 993 FAQ thread. Everything you need to know will be there. Best of luck. | ||
| Andy Mathieson (Andy)
New member Username: Andy Post Number: 23 Registered: 4-2003 |
I am not sure if it is an option or standard on the later cars but you definitely need the automatic roof and window closure on the remote. | ||
| Augustine J. Staino (Azzuro328)
Member Username: Azzuro328 Post Number: 456 Registered: 4-2003 |
Stu, There are a few options that are nice to have but Porsche is famous for offering a car at a reasonable price and then making an option list long enough (and expensive enough) to make your eyes bleed. The funny thing is, most of thee options are totally cosmetic in nature so no 993 is really a "stripped" model. If I had to choose a few I would say the comfort seat package which includes heated seats with more electrical adjustments and the HI-FI sound package which includes a Nokia Digital Processor and more speakers. Porsche 911s don't have very impressive sound systems from the factory, so any improvement will be a good one. The only other one that I'd like is the Motorsound package. This changes the exhaust sound to give it a louder sound and more of a growl. With the 964 series (late '89-94) Porsche began encapsulating the engine (which made them a lot quieter from the inside). They came up with the Motorsound package to satisfy those customers that complained about not being able to hear the engine enough. My car didn't have this so I added a B&B performance muffler and it made it plenty loud. It sounded awesome! | ||
| stu cordova (Balataboy)
Member Username: Balataboy Post Number: 514 Registered: 4-2001 |
Very helpful info all - thanks very much. One of the problems for me is not knowing all the different options that were available, and I'm concerned that I'll buy a car that doesn't have the one option it's SUPPOSED to have! So, what are the top 5-7 options one should make sure the car he/she is interested must have in a 96-98 993? | ||
| Andrew S. (Andrew911)
New member Username: Andrew911 Post Number: 35 Registered: 9-2003 |
I have a 964, which was the last year to require valve adjustments. My 15,000 mile service was $890, including valve adjustment, brake fluid flush, and A/C re-charge. This was not at a Porsche dealer, but a local Porsche specialist (who, by the way, I trust more than the dealer, not to mention he is cheaper). The 1995 993 was the first year with the valves that didn't need to be adjusted (similar to the 355's V-8). I agree- I have heard no specific reliability issues with the 4-wheel drive systems vs. 2 wheel drive in the 964 (1990-1994) or 993 (1995-1998?). The 4-wheel drive may be a little heavier and have a little different feel than the C2, but otherwise both the C2 and C4 are great cars. | ||
| Augustine J. Staino (Azzuro328)
Member Username: Azzuro328 Post Number: 453 Registered: 4-2003 |
Dave, I had a '95 Carrera 4 and it was a fantastic car! They aren't really any more expensive to maintain than the 2WD models. In fact, the only difference that I remember is that the C4 has a similar braking system to the Turbo, encorporating ABS sensors that work with the AWD system, if I'm not mistaken. I've been told that it is a bit more complicated that the C2 braking system, and that if there is a problem it can get expensive to put right. Other than that, and any recalls that need attention, the 993 model is pretty much bulletproof. Another thing worth mentioning is that the 993 was the first 911 that didn't require routine valve adjustments. This knocks about $800-$1,000 off of the yearly service bills as compared to the older cars. Very nice! I would not hesitate to recommend these cars to anyone. They are reliable, fun, and practical enough for daily use. In my opinion, they are the best looking of the 911 series cars too. Coupled with their recent plunge in values after the market dropped out, they are an incredible value today! For the money, you get a lot of car. | ||
| Dave White (Dwhite)
Junior Member Username: Dwhite Post Number: 131 Registered: 5-2003 |
Thanks Aug, I knew you would have the info. Any preferences to 4 wheel vs 2 wheel regarding reliability, maintenance? | ||
| Augustine J. Staino (Azzuro328)
Member Username: Azzuro328 Post Number: 450 Registered: 4-2003 |
Okay Dave, I'm here. The basic outward appearance of the 993 never really changed during the four year production span. On the '95 models, there was a small hoop above the engine lid that housed the third brake light. From '96 and on, this was relocated to a strip flush with the top of the rear window. The '96 models had a new inovation called Varioram which gave the car a more linear powerband throughout the rev range. They did, as Andy pointed out, also have 12 more HP, up to 282. The changes in the body that Dave refers to are actually additions to the model range. For '96, they added the Targa, Turbo, and C4S, which shared the body and drivetrain of the turbo but kept the standard engine. The standard coupe was dropped after the '97 model year and replaced with the C2S, which was essentially a C4S without the AWD system. | ||
| Dave White (Dwhite)
Junior Member Username: Dwhite Post Number: 129 Registered: 5-2003 |
I would like a 993 coupe(not sure of C2 or C4), maybe next year. I thought the 95-96 model are the same visually, but there were changes to the body in "97. Anyone know for sure. Augustine where are you, I know you know about these cars. | ||
| Andy Mathieson (Andy)
New member Username: Andy Post Number: 22 Registered: 4-2003 |
Stu Post 95 or 96 the 993 got a about 12 extra bhp. Mine is 1994 year and I can't say the loss of 12bhp has hurt my daily experience. But newer is better. One issue to be aware of is the problem that Porsche did some kind of recall on. The engine bay gets very hot and the wiring loom on earlier models (mine included) overheated and became brittle. The wire casing then splits off and the symptoms were the same as if you only have 5 cylinders firing, lots of coughing, oil smoke etc. It took ages to sort it out and around $1500 in costs. It wasn't until later that I found out it was a well known problem that Porsche might have fixed for free. Apart from that problem I have had the car 7 years and it has been great, just 1 service per year and 1 problem with alarm system. | ||
| Andrew S. (Andrew911)
New member Username: Andrew911 Post Number: 32 Registered: 9-2003 |
I think the only thing with the 1995's is that they had a little less torque- something with the auto valve timing or something. Rennlist.com is where I go for Porsche forum surfing- VERY good site!! Check the 993 section for more information as I'm not an expert on the 993 (I have a 964), but overall Porsches are very reliable cars. Andrew | ||
| John Roberts (Bigbaddad)
New member Username: Bigbaddad Post Number: 33 Registered: 5-2001 |
Stu - I have a 1997, it is a great daily driver, Rennlist.com is full of information. The 95's had some issues if I remember correctly. I don't think there are any material differences between 96 and 98, but newer is always better, isn't it? I needed a 4 seat convertible, to haul the kids around in, and it works great. My kids are still smallish, 4 & 6 years old, but there seems to be plenty of room. The car has been rock solid reliable. We bought it with 38k miles and have put 12k miles on it, with only oil changes. And that includes autocrossing it a few weekends, so add a set of tires. The option lists for Porsche are pretty long, so when you are looking at cars, you should try to get an idea of what you want vs what you need on the car. That said, there is no end of parts & accessories to change it into whatever you want. Let me know if you have any specific questions. -John  | ||
| stu cordova (Balataboy)
Member Username: Balataboy Post Number: 513 Registered: 4-2001 |
I'm considering one as a daily driver. Looking at '96 through '98. Anyone own one? Thoughts about them? Any differences between the years I should know about? TIA - Stu |