Porsche dilemma. A friend is considering a Porsche purchase. He is torn between a 1987 Turbo Coupe with good documentation and low miles, and a 1995 911 Carrera Coupe with similar mileage and records. The prices of the two cars are very close. The car will be used as a second car. Based on all of the typical factors - driving pleasure, maintenance, appreciation/depreciation, etc., which car would you buy and why?
I would take the 1995. I love the 993 Porsche. The turbo is a great car but the 993 was really fantastic and well made. The 80's cars are an era behind, Turbo or not.
I drove a 911 until very recently. The book says, "Always buy the newest, nicest Porsche you can afford." Having said that the 87 and 95 cars are completely different. Major model changes happened in 89 1/2 cars, and again in '93 (might be '94) so you're talking apples and oranges. Plus the Turbo models are beasts and the .95 is much more refined. Turbo costs more to maintain, pass emissions, etc, I'd probably go with the '95, it'll be plenty quick, very low 5's 0 to 60, turbo is probably only 1/2 second quicker (educated guess)
TH e'95 is a much better car, even if it is not a turbo. The 993 is the last and best version of the air cooled 911 line. Given my druthers, I would have a '97 C4S in a heartbeart. The pre- '89 Turbos are four speeds and are prone to serious lag. THey can be fun, but can also be a handful. I would do the '95.
I owned 2 993s, a 95 and a 97. Both were 100% reliable, no repairs at all. The 97 is the only car I ever sold that I wish I had kept, it just wasn't feasable at the time.
wow. this is wierd. i was just about to make a thread about a friend who wants a 911 993 and i was going to ask you guys about it Comments?
It really depends on what your friend wants out of it. If this was a daily driver, I'd recommend the 993 all day long. Considering that it will be a second car, the '87 Turbo could be a strong contender. That car has an classic 911 feel that the 993 can't touch. Plus, it's arguably more fun to drive when you get the hang of it (less idiot-proof). I've had both generations and I loved them both for totally different reasons. They're both bulletproof with regards to reliability. If he wants refined and smooth, the 993. If he wants seat- of-the-pants thrills, go for the Turbo.
Well said, Azurro. The porsche guru Bruce Anderson is the one that always says 'buy the newest you can afford', but as these cars are not getting any younger, maybe 'buy the one in the best condition you could afford' may be more appropriate. As you've already guessed, the 930 and the 993 are completly different animals that usually appeal to two totally different types of people. 95 was the first year for the 993, and the jury might still be out on long term (100k+) reliability. Although the 78-89 3.0/3.2 models are quite possibly the best series of 911s ever produced, renowned for their durability, the 3.3 of the 87 will require more maintenace, dependant on our much you turn up the boost. If it was my $$$, I'd head over to www.pelicanparts.com or www.rennlist.com and ask some guys that are in the same predicament or have just done the deal. No matter what your friend does, make sure he has a PPI performed by a competent third party wrench. THIS IS A MUST! Best of luck to your friend. Paul p.s.- Our you can have him forget about the 930 or 993 alltogether and go early w/964 or 993 power. Ooooohh AAaaahhhhhh!!!!
Yes, definitely buy newer one '95 911. Why is he torn between the 2? Does he want Turbo, but prefer the look of 95? I owned 87 911 Turbo (Black) for 2-3 years, and when it had a transmission problem, the dealer said it'll cost about $6,000, I think. Since I bought that car from Porsche dealer, they took care of it fortunately. But the problem wasn't something major as some oil was leaking. So do PPI to avoid any costly repair in the near future.
Ok I'm taking the opposite from everyone else. Go with the '87 Turbo, no question. I love the 993 and want one badly for a daily driver. That said, 993 prices are dropping like rocks and haven't hit bottom yet. The administrator of Rennlist.com recently got one for less than $20k! Yeah it needed work, but still.... While the 993 is a phenomenal car and will run for huge mileages, so will the 930 and it gives you a kick in the head only beaten by a 288GTO. If you've never driven a 930 with your foot on the floor waiting for boost, you don't know what anticipation is! And it delivers in spades, WHAM! The late 930s will hold their value well, will run reliably for 100k+++, parts are reasonable and there are LOTS of highly-skilled mechanics around who know them well. '87 930 all the way. Mark
Try this Janet. http://216.55.162.23/showthread.php?threadid=7543 should help. 930's are wild and rare. T
Janet--I owned both generations of Turbo (89 and 97) as well as a 96 C4. I'd lean toward the newer model due to improved technology. Given the depreciation curve of Porsches over the past couple of years, the sprd for early to mid 90's turbo vs. 911C has narrowed in significantly. If he is patient and does a good job sourcing, he might be able to get a decent early 90's (92 or 93) turbo and pay just a few grands more than a 95C2 or C4.... If I were in the Porsche market, the best buy is in the mid 90's Turbo...IMO.
Go for the 1995. Many Porschefiles consider it the best 911 ever. Just make sure to get a good PPI (on either car)...the 95's had a few first model run gremlins that need to be worked out.
If it's going to be this guys second car, I'd hold out for an 89 930. Bigger brakes, more rubber, revised suspension and the 5speed gearbox vs the 87. More bang for the buck imho.... Craig
I have had several 911s and currently own a 77 Turbo 930, dollar for dollar no car can touch it in performance, including new exotics costing 5x as much, it has around 370hp in a 2600lb car, it will go 0-60 in less than 3.9 seconds and destroy most any car it comes across in speed, the looks are also exotic with the wide fenders and the car gets alot of attention. I have driven 993s as well as 996s and they are very boring and slow in comparision, for instance I recently raced a brand new 996 on a onramp to a freeway and he was so far behind I couldn't see him, I finnaly let him catch up to he and he looked a little upset and suprised, the 993 and 996 have lost the sports car rawness from the earlier 911s and feel heavy as well more of a heavily sedated 911, if your friend wants a daily driver I'd get the 993 but for a toy and a true factory race car get the 930 their is no comparision.
Thank you for your input. I can't resist the sound of a turbo so I am biased in opinion. Tough call. The "roar" of a 930 or the greater safety and reliability of a 993. I think he is leaning toward the newer Porsche
Get the newer car, the technology difference far exceeds the speed difference of the turbo, plus the aesthetics of the newer car is better by far.
As far as technology 993s have a rep for tricky handling at the limit due to the redesign of the rear suspension, there are so many mods you can do to 930s they will easily surpass a 993 in handling let alone pure horsepower. 993s have cooling issues and other design flaws so I wouldn't expect the motors to have the longevity and reliabilty of the SCs. 930s are not for everyone they are a true drivers car, and concerning looks 930s get far more attention and compliments than any 993.
My .02. Porsche fell asleep at the wheel in the 90's. The 996 is a disaster living on the laurels of cars like the 930. Spend some time on the porsche boards and see how many need to replace their engines due to the RMS failure. Fortunately it seems they are awakening with a broader product range and better engines CGT, cayenne turbo, and upcoming 998. Sales of 996 and boxster are in the toilet and nothing until the cayenne came close in technology to my car. T
My 1987 had inadequate airconditioning although Houston is a real test. I remember less than fondly one August sitting in traffic near downtown in the middle of the afternoon thinking "I am really hot." The a/c was going full blast. The older cars have a timeless styling that even the 993 cannot match IMHO. Still I drive the newest Porsche available when I am buying and when it goes out of warranty I get another new one. The improvements over a four year average period are that meaningful.