993 - I wonder if I am mad...
Discussion
Have always liked the 993 and am now seriously thinking of buying one to use as a daily driver (not that I do many miles).
The problem (in my mind) is that I only have street parking. Are these cars now of an age whereby they really should be sheltered from the great British weather?
To make matters worse I quite fancy a Targa... how do they cope when they are covered in snow, and then it melts?????
Am I mad?
The problem (in my mind) is that I only have street parking. Are these cars now of an age whereby they really should be sheltered from the great British weather?
To make matters worse I quite fancy a Targa... how do they cope when they are covered in snow, and then it melts?????
Am I mad?
It's really up to you. It also, depends on the condition of the car you buy and how you want to keep it. It's certainly no way to keep your car in concours condition. However, if the car you buy is not perfect and you are happy to keep it that way then you could use it as you intend.
pp
pp
You are certainly not mad. In fact, may I suggest that you are a well adjusted individual.
They can definitely be used as a daily as they are as tough as old boots. Yes they are getting old now, and rust is showing its ugly head in various areas. But its not terminal and can all be fixed.
Mirror theft is an issue but it depends where you live. But if they get nicked, replace them with some elephant ears, they dont want those.
Get a well used but well maintained example and worry ye not of decent mileage....
MTR
They can definitely be used as a daily as they are as tough as old boots. Yes they are getting old now, and rust is showing its ugly head in various areas. But its not terminal and can all be fixed.
Mirror theft is an issue but it depends where you live. But if they get nicked, replace them with some elephant ears, they dont want those.
Get a well used but well maintained example and worry ye not of decent mileage....
MTR
I have a 993 Targa with only 64k miles on the clock. I use it only for High Days and Holidays and for the rest of the time it is tucked up in bed warm as toast. But despite all of that the blooming roof is now causing problems - expensive ones. I love 993s and highly recommend them to you but as a daily drive but living outside I could not in all honesty recommend the Targa variant.
mollytherocker said:
You are certainly not mad. In fact, may I suggest that you are a well adjusted individual.
They can definitely be used as a daily as they are as tough as old boots. Yes they are getting old now, and rust is showing its ugly head in various areas. But its not terminal and can all be fixed.
Mirror theft is an issue but it depends where you live. But if they get nicked, replace them with some elephant ears, they dont want those.
Get a well used but well maintained example and worry ye not of decent mileage....
MTR
I saw a 993 in Highbury/Islington recently with the old elephant ear mirrors on. The owner told me he was fed up of having the original tear drops nicked so he stuck them on. That was on his drive behind a set of gates!They can definitely be used as a daily as they are as tough as old boots. Yes they are getting old now, and rust is showing its ugly head in various areas. But its not terminal and can all be fixed.
Mirror theft is an issue but it depends where you live. But if they get nicked, replace them with some elephant ears, they dont want those.
Get a well used but well maintained example and worry ye not of decent mileage....
MTR
mollytherocker said:
You are certainly not mad. In fact, may I suggest that you are a well adjusted individual.
They can definitely be used as a daily as they are as tough as old boots. Yes they are getting old now, and rust is showing its ugly head in various areas. But its not terminal and can all be fixed.
Mirror theft is an issue but it depends where you live. But if they get nicked, replace them with some elephant ears, they dont want those.
Get a well used but well maintained example and worry ye not of decent mileage....
MTR
MTR is spot on, my thoughts exactlyThey can definitely be used as a daily as they are as tough as old boots. Yes they are getting old now, and rust is showing its ugly head in various areas. But its not terminal and can all be fixed.
Mirror theft is an issue but it depends where you live. But if they get nicked, replace them with some elephant ears, they dont want those.
Get a well used but well maintained example and worry ye not of decent mileage....
MTR
mollytherocker said:
You are certainly not mad. In fact, may I suggest that you are a well adjusted individual.
They can definitely be used as a daily as they are as tough as old boots. Yes they are getting old now, and rust is showing its ugly head in various areas. But its not terminal and can all be fixed.
Mirror theft is an issue but it depends where you live. But if they get nicked, replace them with some elephant ears, they dont want those.
Get a well used but well maintained example and worry ye not of decent mileage....
MTR
+1They can definitely be used as a daily as they are as tough as old boots. Yes they are getting old now, and rust is showing its ugly head in various areas. But its not terminal and can all be fixed.
Mirror theft is an issue but it depends where you live. But if they get nicked, replace them with some elephant ears, they dont want those.
Get a well used but well maintained example and worry ye not of decent mileage....
MTR
Thanks for the input.
I would be interested to hear more info on Targa specific problems and the costs involved... I assume we are talking roof leaks?
Shame as I really fancied a Targa but as I said in my original post I do wonder what would happen after a foot of snowfall... all end up in the car in liquid form when it thaws?
I would be interested to hear more info on Targa specific problems and the costs involved... I assume we are talking roof leaks?
Shame as I really fancied a Targa but as I said in my original post I do wonder what would happen after a foot of snowfall... all end up in the car in liquid form when it thaws?
I have a 993 c2s and use it as a daily driver, I did 10k in it last year and with regular servicing it hasn't missed a beat.
Make sure to look at all the 993 issues when purchasing, I knew about them but let my heart get the better of me.
If I was buying again I would probably look for a car that had recently had the suspension changed.
I don't regret getting one at all, one of the best things I have done.
Make sure to look at all the 993 issues when purchasing, I knew about them but let my heart get the better of me.
If I was buying again I would probably look for a car that had recently had the suspension changed.
I don't regret getting one at all, one of the best things I have done.
Well in all my time on Porsche forums I've only heard of a handful of posts about faulty targa roofs, xftdr being one of them now (say 3 or 4 maximum?), & although not built in ford focus numbers that's a pretty small number.
Most tend to be minor concerns regarding creaking glass sections but as we all know even the coupes have creaking glass! I can recall only one person who had a total failure & iirc the major problem was Porsche do not have some specific parts anymore (I'm thinking it was one of the cables that snapped) so if the worst happened you'd have to go eBay/scrappy trawling.
Do your homework (it might be worth posting or searching 911uk & rennlist as well) & if you look at a car do the old trick of sitting someone in it & give it a good hosing down!
Targas look the nuts in my opinion, theres a lovely speed yellow one (Helen Goff's old one?) at paragon might be worth a look?
Most tend to be minor concerns regarding creaking glass sections but as we all know even the coupes have creaking glass! I can recall only one person who had a total failure & iirc the major problem was Porsche do not have some specific parts anymore (I'm thinking it was one of the cables that snapped) so if the worst happened you'd have to go eBay/scrappy trawling.
Do your homework (it might be worth posting or searching 911uk & rennlist as well) & if you look at a car do the old trick of sitting someone in it & give it a good hosing down!
Targas look the nuts in my opinion, theres a lovely speed yellow one (Helen Goff's old one?) at paragon might be worth a look?
cragswinter said:
Well in all my time on Porsche forums I've only heard of a handful of posts about faulty targa roofs, xftdr being one of them now (say 3 or 4 maximum?), & although not built in ford focus numbers that's a pretty small number.
\Story of my life!
The Targa roof was made by the American Sunroof Company of, I think, Alabama. Porsche bought them in, pre-assembled, and then glued and bolted them to the chassis. They are essentially a three part mechanism: the interior blind, the pop up front panel and the roof itself. My problem has been the sun blind but because of the inter-related components the whole roof mechanism is in trouble. Any examination of the exploded assembly diagrams will show what a dog's breakfast the whole mechanism is.
Mine has been to Peter Tognola in Datchett where Greg is one of the few people in the country that understands the intricacies of the mechanism. Nearly £700 later all appeared well but on arriving back home yesterday a loud bang and the whole mechanism had fallen apart again.
So my point to the OP is that these are fabulous cars and I love mine but as they get older so some of the moving components wear out. Most are easy enough for any specialist to repair but the Targa roof, with its myriad of spindles, cables and hidden sprockets and widgets (
) is I suspect going to be an increasing problem. Mine is a low mileage car (less than 3k per year under my ownership) and is never left out. Despite that I am experiencing [expesnsive] problems and I just wonder of a car left out and exposed to the elements, wind, rain, snow, tree sap, bird poo etc etc might be storing up a whole host of expensive problems in this one specialist area. I was lucky in that the roof broke whilst it was closed. Even if it had jammed when it was open my car is garaged. I would hate to have it jammed open in the middle of the winter outside on the road.BTM my OPC won't touch the roof mechanism at all!
Anyway, regardless - thoroughly recommend the 993
Edited to add that mine has been out in the poring rain and never a drip through the roof but it does whistle at high speeds.
If you are thinking of having a 993 and using as you describe I would do it now, before they get any older. I think that most will become cherished weekend cars as time goes on, in fact quite a few are now (in the UK at least, it's different on the continent).
I've recently semi-retired mine to weekend/'fun' duties only.
I've recently semi-retired mine to weekend/'fun' duties only.
mollytherocker said:
Maybe the answer to the Targa roof meachanism problems is to rip out most of the electrical gubbins and fit a simple manual device? Or just slide it with your hand and clip it in place?
I like the 993 Targa and if I had one I would look at this sort of solution.
MTR
I suspect the way that the glass has to move and what holds it in place drives the complexity of the mechanism. It'd be nice to have a simple manual operation, but I fear that it would not be feasible. Hopefully mine will carry on working just fine anD I won't need an alternative solution.I like the 993 Targa and if I had one I would look at this sort of solution.
MTR
Just come back from the 911UK/OPC byfleet air-cooled clinic with a prett clean bill of health. Just a couple of jobs and we are all set for the winter!
Bert
I've had 5 Porsche's and this is my second 993 and I couldn't recommend them more. I love the Targa but as you have read already if they fail they are a nightmare to fix. There is a Rennlister who rebuilt the whole system himself and it is an interesting read that is well documented on Rennlist. My advice: By a coupe with a sunroof. Buy on condition not specs. Get it inspected by a good independent and with these car pay the little bit extra for the better car because the cheaper one will cost you more in the long run. Then drive the heck out of it and you'll never regret the purchase.
P.S add a Fabspeed exhaust or similar
P.S add a Fabspeed exhaust or similar
I had a 993turbo - the best 911 I have ever owned, the most pleasure it gave me back. Replaced 8months ago by a 997.1 GT3RS and I still miss it!
I ran it in avg 10/12kmiles a year: it was my daily drive, never missed a beat...sun, snow, rain, downtown london...you name it. Took it on tracks, across Europe to the snowy Alps, sandy south west bordeaux beaches...awesome!
I even had a roof rack for it (actually still have it and saving it for my next pre996 911). Yep often travelled with surfboards or snowboards!
I ran it in avg 10/12kmiles a year: it was my daily drive, never missed a beat...sun, snow, rain, downtown london...you name it. Took it on tracks, across Europe to the snowy Alps, sandy south west bordeaux beaches...awesome!
I even had a roof rack for it (actually still have it and saving it for my next pre996 911). Yep often travelled with surfboards or snowboards!
Edited by 911Thrasher on Sunday 9th October 11:21
I've seen a 993 coupe living on the street in Belsize Park for a few years now. It looks to be in pretty good condition;I've no idea if they'd had any problems.
My sister and her husband live there and they've not had any problems over the years, although their cars aren't particularly noticeable
My sister and her husband live there and they've not had any problems over the years, although their cars aren't particularly noticeable
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