Porsche 993 test drive?

[acme]

kevs 172 said:

Been using my Mk1 this year, still find it fun to drive.
Cheers

That is lovely, ever done a readers thread on it, bet there would be lots of interest

[Nurburgsingh]

Steve Rance said:

To be honest, straight line accelleration is irrelivant on the roads. What is important is involvement and reward - if you are buying a car as a driving tool. In this context a 993 is in a different league to most other GT sports cars.

This 100%

[Orangecurry]

Pickled Piper said:

There are a number of hot hatches around today that could show it a clean pair of heels. I've owned my 993 for fifteen years so know it well. I also ran a Golf R as a daily for a couple of years. The Golf would leave a 993 behind on most roads. I'm sure my 993 would leave it behind on a long straight if you headed upwards of 120mph.

That would totally depend on the driver. A golf is a shared platform 4WD with a decent engine...

[Dan Singh]

I was being tempted by a tiptronic targa 993 but having read this thread it sounds like a duff level of spec.....

[acme]

Nurburgsingh said:

This 100%

Agreed.

After several years of looking I managed to get a late E92 M3 manual last summer. I was a bit concerned of the impact it would have on my view of the 993, which I've owned for 12 years. In fact it shone a brighter light on it, yes the E92 is much faster and yes it's engaging when driven at warp speed, but the 993 is engaging at all speeds, it is truly superb.

[BertBert]

Dan Singh said:

I was being tempted by a tiptronic targa 993 but having read this thread it sounds like a duff level of spec.....

I loved the targa, but then it didn't leak, squeak or breek (sorry). But tip? Nah!

[kevs 172]

acme said:

kevs 172 said:

Been using my Mk1 this year, still find it fun to drive.
Cheers

That is lovely, ever done a readers thread on it, bet there would be lots of interest

Thank you!
I’ve owned it since 2003 and thought about selling it a few times but pleased I didn’t. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been asked if it’s for sale. Somebody offered me very strong money for it a month or so ago which I refused.
Cheers

[acme]

kevs 172 said:

Thank you!
I’ve owned it since 2003 and thought about selling it a few times but pleased I didn’t. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been asked if it’s for sale. Somebody offered me very strong money for it a month or so ago which I refused.
Cheers

Owning it that long I'm sure you've got some lovely stories to tell. A few years ago I was at Battlesbridge car show and there was one identical to yours which had been pulled from a barn/garage after 5 or 6 years I think, a young lad had got hold of it and whilst he intended on keeping it standard he was going to put those silly (IMO) over stretched tyres on it and stance it, me and a mate winced. It was so original, even had the original dealer number plates on it! Not in the condition of yours mind, but with patina!

[9xxNick]

A few more thoughts on the 993, for what it's worth.

There are a lot of indifferently-maintained cars out there (I saw a few when looking for mine) and a poor example of any car is going to be a disappointment. Even an inspection by a regarded pre-purchase inspection business isn't likely to pick up the difference between a car with a decent service history and one with the same history that's really been set up properly. I'm not sure there's any easy way around this until you know what "right" feels like, unless you can find someone who has the sensitivity to spot a good one to do a test drive of potential purchases. Experience shows that many if not most mechanics are not that good at this, unfortunately.

A good part of the pleasure of the 993 is that it's not a car that offers you its affections on a plate, as it were. You have to work with it to get the best from it, and that will take practice and some skill and perhaps some training. However, when you are able to exploit a good one it's a superbly rewarding car to drive, with levels of feedback and one-ness with the machine that aren't really available in more modern and, dare I say it, sanitised cars which are designed to be easy and inoffensive to drive.

Maintenance-wise, they aren't too complex but parts are now expensive, so buying the best you can afford is good advice even if you're reasonably handy on the spanners.

Finally, despite having a good reputation for durability, things do wear and will need replacing or rebuilding periodically, so even on modest annual mileages (say a couple of thousand a year) I would allow for perhaps £1,000 p.a. in repairs and replacements, and some years you may need more than that. The lack of depreciation does however mean they are a reasonable ownership proposition financially.

I've had mine for ten years and don't ever envisage selling it, not least because I can't think what I'd replace it with.

[ketan.jina]

Thanks for the insite, thats a great response. I have a feeling that I won't be able to distinguish a good one from a bad one. I will most likely rely on a PPI to get what I need and hope for the best.
If so many people rave about the oneness with the car, they can't be wrong. I've been driving myself a little mad watching content on the Internet, and now with another lockdown its more difficult to get out and test drive. If anyone is passing High Barnet and wants to stop for a socially distanced coffee so I can gawk at their 993, please let me know!

[n12maser]

I'm always passing through High Barnet to head out to Herts for a drive, and mine is well set up (by JAZ). Will give you a shout

[Wozy68]

ketan.jina said:

Thanks for the insite, thats a great response. I have a feeling that I won't be able to distinguish a good one from a bad one. I will most likely rely on a PPI to get what I need and hope for the best.

The problem with the internet is that you find a type of car you like, read up on it, watch the videos and then come across the 'real cost of ownership' kind of vid. Then it all goes pear shaped. Angst and more angst that its goiing to cost a zillion £s because everything is going to go wrong on it because someone on You Tube says so..... So now you need a PPI

Ive suffered from it when looking at certain cars and googling their faults.

In the real world a 993 is old school, ie a lot of the basics can be done by ANY competent mecanic. My 993 has full OPC history, it purely goes to an OPC each year for its service because it was full OPC before I bought it. However 99% of the work required is partially done by myself or mainly by a great mecanic who basically works from a shed..... Theres no special knowledge required 90% plus of the time. So you can view a car look for what you would on ANY normal old car and make an informed .decision

I well remember buying my first 911 (964) and though I bought it from a respected Indie, on the way home I was terrified something was going to break, I was constantly listening for funny noises and basically I was bricking it that something major was going to happen and I'd not have the funds to repair it..... In the end I kept her for two years and the most I spent was on a major service at Northway which cost £800.00 back then..

I have no connection to it but there's is a 993 C2 for sale on PH at the moment. It states it has oil leaks, it states that it will need paint in the coming years and its less than £34K with a ton of history... and its from a Porshe Indie who refreshingly is giving an honest description. Its at 170K miles .... Those in the know know that the mileage is of no issue (if its been maintained and has the docs to prove it) From what I've learnt after owning my 993 for nine years is that 99% of 993s leak 'some' oil..... they are all at least 22 years old now and of the 16 years I've driven aircooled 911s they all leak within reason. As long as its not using more than a litre of oil every 1000 miles its still within Porsche factory specs for consumption.

That's a manual C2 Porsche 911 for the price of a 1973 MGB GTV8 or a Ford Escort RS2000 MK2 ...or being more modern a nearly new Audi TT that will depreciate more than an old 993 will cost to run by a country mile and I know which I'd prefer. If I was in the market now I'd be down there like a shot giving it the once over, checking its history making sure the engine doesnt smoke (when warm) and then spend the winter months lavising T-Cut and wax to the exterior and making her look half decent.

Then I'd race around in it for the next 10 summer years whilst she consumed oil on a regular basis .... and then sell her someone justy like me 10 years later with little or no depreciation.

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10771193?c...

Pop down and have a look and a test drive. Kill two birds with one stone.

Best of look with your search. They are fabulous cars.

[Steve Rance]

This could be of interest. It looks like it’s one of Paul Mclean’s at GT Classics. He’s a good guy


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Porsche-993-C2-Manual-C...

[ketan.jina]

Wozy68 said:

The problem with the internet is that you find a type of car you like, read up on it, watch the videos and then come across the 'real cost of ownership' kind of vid. Then it all goes pear shaped. Angst and more angst that its goiing to cost a zillion £s because everything is going to go wrong on it because someone on You Tube says so..... So now you need a PPI

Ive suffered from it when looking at certain cars and googling their faults.

In the real world a 993 is old school, ie a lot of the basics can be done by ANY competent mecanic. My 993 has full OPC history, it purely goes to an OPC each year for its service because it was full OPC before I bought it. However 99% of the work required is partially done by myself or mainly by a great mecanic who basically works from a shed..... Theres no special knowledge required 90% plus of the time. So you can view a car look for what you would on ANY normal old car and make an informed .decision

I well remember buying my first 911 (964) and though I bought it from a respected Indie, on the way home I was terrified something was going to break, I was constantly listening for funny noises and basically I was bricking it that something major was going to happen and I'd not have the funds to repair it..... In the end I kept her for two years and the most I spent was on a major service at Northway which cost £800.00 back then..

I have no connection to it but there's is a 993 C2 for sale on PH at the moment. It states it has oil leaks, it states that it will need paint in the coming years and its less than £34K with a ton of history... and its from a Porshe Indie who refreshingly is giving an honest description. Its at 170K miles .... Those in the know know that the mileage is of no issue (if its been maintained and has the docs to prove it) From what I've learnt after owning my 993 for nine years is that 99% of 993s leak 'some' oil..... they are all at least 22 years old now and of the 16 years I've driven aircooled 911s they all leak within reason. As long as its not using more than a litre of oil every 1000 miles its still within Porsche factory specs for consumption.

That's a manual C2 Porsche 911 for the price of a 1973 MGB GTV8 or a Ford Escort RS2000 MK2 ...or being more modern a nearly new Audi TT that will depreciate more than an old 993 will cost to run by a country mile and I know which I'd prefer. If I was in the market now I'd be down there like a shot giving it the once over, checking its history making sure the engine doesnt smoke (when warm) and then spend the winter months lavising T-Cut and wax to the exterior and making her look half decent.

Then I'd race around in it for the next 10 summer years whilst she consumed oil on a regular basis .... and then sell her someone justy like me 10 years later with little or no depreciation.

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10771193?c...

Pop down and have a look and a test drive. Kill two birds with one stone.

Best of look with your search. They are fabulous cars.

Thanks for the response. Its a fair comment about running a mile when you see adverts like that. I did actually see that and skipped straight past it worried about the leaking oil! The trouble with overthinking it, and its a lot of money to spend on a weekend toy making it a difficult choice to make.

I remember looking for my first ever car with £900 in my pocket doing all the checks myself- Best ever car I owned

I was moaning about the car to the wife and she said I should buy a 997 as an interim car and then 'upgrade' to a 993. Bthoughtbthat was very understanding, I couldn't bring myself to do it

I did like the look of this one though


https://www.rpmspecialistcars.co.uk/cars/porsche-9...

[2.4te]

There's a well known saying amongst those in the air-cooled 911 'know':
'if it doesn't leak oil, there's none in it'

[Wozy68]

ketan.jina said:

Thanks for the response. Its a fair comment about running a mile when you see adverts like that. I did actually see that and skipped straight past it worried about the leaking oil! The trouble with overthinking it, and its a lot of money to spend on a weekend toy making it a difficult choice to make.

I remember looking for my first ever car with £900 in my pocket doing all the checks myself- Best ever car I owned

I was moaning about the car to the wife and she said I should buy a 997 as an interim car and then 'upgrade' to a 993. Bthoughtbthat was very understanding, I couldn't bring myself to do it

I did like the look of this one though


https://www.rpmspecialistcars.co.uk/cars/porsche-9...

Don’t run a mile .... go and check it out and have a good look around it. I’ve seen some shockers at £50K, yet the description of them was nothing like what they were actually like in the flesh.

Ref the RPM car. Now that’s a very very interesting car. It will be good I’d bet as I’ve heard good things about those guys and I was only looking at it online last night.

But what makes it sooooo interesting to me is the registration date. My 993 is supposedly one of the first batch of twelve RHD 993s brought into the country. These 12 were registered on the 6th and 7th of December 1993.... Mine was on the 7th.

Story goes, these all went to the oldest Porsche dealers in the country as their demo cars. (Mine, Kendal in Cumbria who have been an OPC since 1957).

Yet the 993 in the add at RPM was registered in the October of 1993, up to two months before the 993 was supposed to be available in RHD in the U.K.

So it’s not only a very early U.K. registered 993, it’s possibly the oldest registered (and still on the road) RHD 993 on the planet.

Edited by Wozy68 on Monday 23 November 21:08

[stevewak]

Steve Winter at JAZ is excellent and will do inspection. Budget on £1500 a year which is service and sinking fund for bigger jobs.

Inspection could throw up £10k work. But someone like Steve will say you don’t need any of it doing to enjoy car. You want no crashes, a/c with recent history of work, rust on screen under control (or at least a report). New clutch will last another 60k miles or budget £1200. Car should not leak oil but rocker cover gaskets weeping common problem onto exhaust and car will smoke. Most will be 95k to 125k miles and you will want to work round brakes, suspension etc. Hence annual budget.

[Dan Singh]

Is it the leaky cam covers that make the heater smell of oil on these, or something more serious?

[stevewak]

Dan Singh said:

Is it the leaky cam covers that make the heater smell of oil on these, or something more serious?

When mine leaked I got white smoke from under n/s wheel arch when hot which was a little alarming. Maybe, they do have an air-cooled sort of smell.

Edited to say I know nothing much about cars and bought it without an inspection in 2013. Still going strong and is a good car, ex Porsche Cars GB. Steering rack is another biggie - mine was done. History file at Paragon and main dealers was eye-watering as it had been mainly owned by non-car enthusiasts who just paid up. Good, in a way.

Edited by stevewak on Tuesday 24th November 09:08

[Wozy68]

Dan Singh said:

Is it the leaky cam covers that make the heater smell of oil on these, or something more serious?

Not serious, lower cam covers drip oil on the heat exchangers and then you have smoke (if it’s bad) starting to billow out of the wheel arch at standstill (dependent on which side) has started leaking.

It’s £20 for a new rubber gasket and another £25 for new bolts and probs £100 to have installed .... though it’s relatively easy job diy if you have axle stands and a trolly Jack.

If needed a new lower cam cover is around a £100. Replacement of the tops ones are rare.

They generally last around 40-50K miles before starting to leak.