Porsche 993 vs. Nissan 350Z

Cost for a 993, mid 30's.
Cost for a new 350z low 30's
Both have just under 300 hp
Very close in cubic inches.
Nissan might devalue faster.
Both look great, "opinion"

Anyone own or have owned both that have any input on this.
I love the looks of both, one is 10 years newer technology and one is a Porsche .
I would like reliability, build quality, and that certain something that makes you feel good.

Would love to hear some views on this.

 

993 is unlikely to depreciate any further unless you add 100kmiles on the odo or crash it.

Id go for a 993. I like the 350 a lot, almost picked one but the 993 is in another league of desirability.

Only concern would be running costs and no warranty ?

 

how can you compare! The 993 is one of the most beautiful cars ever made.

 

You do not get a good 993 for mid 30's.........you need to spend $40-45K........the mid 30's 993 will end up costing that much once you are finished fixing it.

The 993 will not depreciate like the Nissan will.

When you drive the Porsche hard you will feel like you are a part of something special......drive the Nissan hard and it will feel like it is coming apart.

People will stand and look at your Porsche and talk to you about it......people will not look twice at the rice.

Hope that helps.......

 

your comments are correct...$45k buys you a very, very nice 993.

 

Wrong. I sold my 95 with 45k on it (It was in excellent condition) for $35k. I have seen many 993's for sale for mid $30's. The mid $20's ones are the ones to be worried about.

As to the 993 vs. Z. Not even close. I walked on several Z's in my old car. I would rather have an 83 SC than a 350z. Seriously.

 

ya most low mileage C2's are mid 30's.
I love the C2S but they are much more.

I do like 993's but the nissan does have a warranty, and might be more reliable.

 

The only thing the Nissan will be better at stock for stock is reliability, gas mileage, etc. It will not be close to the build quality of a well-cared-for 993.

As someone who drives cars as they were meant to be driven...I have to say the one real weakness is the small brakes on the non track models. If you plan to modify the car, the nissan is much easier and more cost effective to make a hell of a lot faster. I have one with some suspension and tramission work (no forced induction), and it is significantly faster than any non-turbo 993 porsche, especially around a road course. Or a 996 as they're so damn heavy

 

Agreed. I miss my 993 - probably the best modern Porsche ever made.

Depreciation on the 350Z will balance out the 993 maintenance costs, and the 993 isn't a particularly needy car. But plan on $40K+.

 

Wont the 350Z out handle the 993 on the track?
Rear engine quarkyness.
My 944 has so many little things going wrong all the time it drives me nuts, and it only has 80k miles. It was a one owner car very well taken care of but porsches just seem to have a lot of small issues.
Would like something a little more reliable BUT I do love driving it.

 

The 993 will ride so much better. It is built better and feels more solid. The 350z might feel faster but I'd imagine they'd be pretty close in a drag race. Handling is safer in the 350z hence an average driver can probably push it easier. Brakes would go to the 993 easily. Sound 993. Looks 993(no contest). I also agree the 993's aren't going to drop any farther in value. You might be better suited to look at a 996 as they can be had cheaply. http://www.exclusive-motors.com/99_996Silver20665/99_996_20665ListingPage.htm

 

Guys......

993's have two big problems that rear their heads in all of the cars at the age they are at.......and the owner's usually have no clue what they are or that they are wrong.......until the buyer does a PPI.

1-Valve guides wear out and have carbon build up.......$5-6K USD to fix.

2-The secondary air injection pump stops working.........$3-4K USD to fix.

I have looked at 10 993's in the US in the last 3 months, done PPI's on 5 of them and only bought two of them.......I paid $36K and $37K respectively.......before reconditioning expenses to make them right........

If you have owned and sold as many Porsches as I have (750 and counting) you'd see it differently......I am not trying to be argumentative here........just stating what most are not aware of.

Mojo......if you get this far, you should pay the extra 3 hours of labor during the PPI to have the exhaust and valve covers removed so you can have the guides checked......

 

Im the biggest fan the 993 ever had, but I say the nissan, if your going to have it as your only car...the 993 is pushing 10 years old in its newest form, that car may well need serious maintenance...

 

993 is a beauty

350Z looks like Quasimodo

 

These are the things I have read about, they scare the hell out of me.
5k to 6k for valve guides,WOW. I have a whole list of 993 problems to look for when buying, thats why I started looking at other options.


I have heard a lot of negative stuff about the 350Z when it first came out, but was wondering if Nissan has fixed any of that stuff now that they have been out for years.

 

Sage advice.

Don't sweat it too much. Factor the depreciation over 5 years on the Z and I'll bet that if EVERYTHING went wrong with the 993 you'd still be at dead even total cost of ownership.

I believe so. My business partner purchased an 06 convertible 350Z. It's been perfectly reliable and IMO it's a pretty good looking car at certain angles.

Between the two I don't think it's even a contest. The 993 is a masterpiece and a well chosen one will be rewarding to own.

 

This is my 993 story - it is a 1996 Targa. I bought it in 2000 for 44K, it was showing about 45,000 miles. It is a fairly unusual 993, a black on black Targa model.

It has 90,000 miles now. I have done the valve guides (about 5K, but this included a top overhaul), engine gasket set (about 500), and clutch separate from the top overhaul, about 1000. I go to the RUF Porsche dealer here in Dallas for service.

It is worth about 28,500 now, I suppose. (Cosmetically great, but high miles.) I intend to use it as a daily driver indefinately with maintenance as needed. So, I guess you could say I spent maybe 5 thousand more in maintenance than a comparable Vette to make it this far. And, of course, it is a Porsche.

BTW, I just put in a new battery last night. We could not believe it; this car still had the original white Porsche battery in it, marked to be 11 years old!

James

 

I saw a turquoise 993 C2S the other day with that pale grey (marble?) leather interior. It looked so good I had to send the rest of the day convincing myself that pimping one's girlfriend is wrong...

 

993
I wouldn't be afraid of valve guides-get a PPI, negotiate a sale price that takes those issues into account, and get the car fixed correctly if needed (lots of good porsche shops all over). I drive an 87 carrera every day and it is a great combination of size and speed (and yes there was a large initial bill to address some delayed servicing etc.)
If you aren't in a financial situation that allows for large bills, I wouldn't look at any 10+ year old car. I'd also add that if good AC, heat, stereo etc. are as important as driving feel to you, the nissan is a better choice.

 

i like the 993 more. the nissan has a nice exterior and sound, but the interior is trying too hard to look upscale. the 993 sounds good, performs well and has "character" as an air-cooled 911. i think mid-30s is all you need to pay for a very nice one. mid-40s is way too much. i would even consider higher mileage cars in the 20s. just get it inspected and enjoy. i think these older 911s can last forever.

john

 

Just so you guys know......the valve guide issue exists is because in order to gain a higher redline on the 993, Porsche had to lighten up the valvetrain, which meant shorter valve stems and the resultingly shorter valve guides. It is a design issue......

They gall faster as a result.......just get a good PPI and don't worry about it......most of the cars out there have probably had a valve job done already.

Mojo......

Any 10 year old Porsche is going to need a PPI and maybe some work, that's no big deal, there are gems out there......but you just have to look at a lot of cars, and pay a little more.

 

True. Large bills can be harder to deal with than a built-in depreciation "bill" that you don't pay till you sell.

 

I am in process on one now- a 993 C4 cab ('96) and the Nissan was not even on my radar-

 

993 any day of the week, the sound of those flat 6's is pretty damm sweet, and it looks fab with some modern porsche mags on.

 

The RMS issue's with the water cooled 996 and boxsters scare me more than any 993 problem.