Been looking for a 993 for some time now, always wanted one and now I’ve got the means to do so.
Only problem is I’m finding it tough to come across one (specifically a S or 4S) that’s isn’t all restored and crazy expensive. Don’t get me wrong I know the average cost of these but I had my heart set on something that could use some restoring. I’m a busy guy with a career so it’s not in the cards for me to scour old barns and Google Maps looking for barn finds. Just wanting a 993 that has some restoring left to do to really make the car my own. Love looking at all the photos of the 993 owners in this forum, keeps me excited for the day I get my own.
Let me know your thoughts on this in the comments or even how you came to own your 993. Cheers!
Finding a 993
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rchaas
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I just went through a two year search which finally led to finding a car that fit my needs quite well. I was very reluctant to buy through an auction site, but ultimately that is where i found the car i was looking for.
I tried to learn as much as I was able about 993's, through books, online resources and the forums. An especially good resource are the videos by Nathan Merz and PCA, on youtube. He has a 993 buyers guide that is excellent, and there is a comparo bt 964, Carrera 3.2 and the 993 that is also excellent. This will help you decide on what kind of car you are looking for.
Early on, I narrowed my search to a pre-VarioRam base model 993 (i like the narrow body cars a bit better...probably in the minority there), coupe, manual transmission, rear wheel drive, driver's car (that is higher mileage, not a garage queen or perfectly or near perfect resto) that remained largely if not wholly stock. I wanted a car that was mechanically sound, but i also wanted a car that would provide me with a wealth of fun and rewarding projects as well (just not engine out rebuilds, etc!). I personally love some colors and not others, so that was a consideration as well.
Once i had my search more focused, I looked at cars on various luxury and specialty car sellers' websites, the PCA magazine, Rennlist sales forum and spoke at length with people about specific cars at those locales. I also picked the brain of my local independent Porsche mechanic on several occasions and used him as a resource for any car that I might be interested in bidding on or purchasing. I offered to pay him for his time on several occasions, but to his credit, he never agreed to that.
I setup watch parameters on PcarMarket, BAT and cars&bids, and followed just about every 993 auction on those sites, to get an idea of what these cars are going for. I also decided how much i wanted to spend.
PPI's are important and this is part of why i was reluctant to bid on a car at auction, because doing a ppi on an auction car that you might not even win is not impossible, but is somewhat fraught. I ended up doing a post, rather than pre purchase inspection with my mechanic, based on my confidence level about the car and seller, as discussed below.
I think the most important factor for me on deciding to bid on a car that appeared on one of the auction sites was that it fit all of the above parameters, but most importantly, it had been owned by the seller for the last 28 years of its 30 year lifetime, and he had detailed records and receipts for all the care and work that had been done on it. I spoke with him in some detail, and after doing so, felt comfortable that he had great affection for the car and was representing it reasonably accurately. I ended up winning that auction (only after my wife urged me to make "one more bid") and paying a competitive, market appropriate price for it.
The car has needed some work and none of these cars are perfect, but that's part of its charm. I'm very happy with my purchase and i've been busy with fun projects since I bought it, almost four months ago. In fact, i'm running out of projects and have been driving the car more, lately, and loving every minute with it!
I think the most important things are figuring out what you want, and why (ie. for what purpose), don't compromise on the items that are most important to you regarding your choice of car and seller (beware the trap of fooling yourself or overlooking warning signs), and perhaps most important of all, making sure the seller is reputable and that the car's care has been scrupulously documented over its lifetime.
Good luck!
I tried to learn as much as I was able about 993's, through books, online resources and the forums. An especially good resource are the videos by Nathan Merz and PCA, on youtube. He has a 993 buyers guide that is excellent, and there is a comparo bt 964, Carrera 3.2 and the 993 that is also excellent. This will help you decide on what kind of car you are looking for.
Early on, I narrowed my search to a pre-VarioRam base model 993 (i like the narrow body cars a bit better...probably in the minority there), coupe, manual transmission, rear wheel drive, driver's car (that is higher mileage, not a garage queen or perfectly or near perfect resto) that remained largely if not wholly stock. I wanted a car that was mechanically sound, but i also wanted a car that would provide me with a wealth of fun and rewarding projects as well (just not engine out rebuilds, etc!). I personally love some colors and not others, so that was a consideration as well.
Once i had my search more focused, I looked at cars on various luxury and specialty car sellers' websites, the PCA magazine, Rennlist sales forum and spoke at length with people about specific cars at those locales. I also picked the brain of my local independent Porsche mechanic on several occasions and used him as a resource for any car that I might be interested in bidding on or purchasing. I offered to pay him for his time on several occasions, but to his credit, he never agreed to that.
I setup watch parameters on PcarMarket, BAT and cars&bids, and followed just about every 993 auction on those sites, to get an idea of what these cars are going for. I also decided how much i wanted to spend.
PPI's are important and this is part of why i was reluctant to bid on a car at auction, because doing a ppi on an auction car that you might not even win is not impossible, but is somewhat fraught. I ended up doing a post, rather than pre purchase inspection with my mechanic, based on my confidence level about the car and seller, as discussed below.
I think the most important factor for me on deciding to bid on a car that appeared on one of the auction sites was that it fit all of the above parameters, but most importantly, it had been owned by the seller for the last 28 years of its 30 year lifetime, and he had detailed records and receipts for all the care and work that had been done on it. I spoke with him in some detail, and after doing so, felt comfortable that he had great affection for the car and was representing it reasonably accurately. I ended up winning that auction (only after my wife urged me to make "one more bid") and paying a competitive, market appropriate price for it.
The car has needed some work and none of these cars are perfect, but that's part of its charm. I'm very happy with my purchase and i've been busy with fun projects since I bought it, almost four months ago. In fact, i'm running out of projects and have been driving the car more, lately, and loving every minute with it!
I think the most important things are figuring out what you want, and why (ie. for what purpose), don't compromise on the items that are most important to you regarding your choice of car and seller (beware the trap of fooling yourself or overlooking warning signs), and perhaps most important of all, making sure the seller is reputable and that the car's care has been scrupulously documented over its lifetime.
Good luck!
Robbie
2020 Chalk Macan GTS
2017 White Metallic 991.2 C2S
1995 Midnight Blue 993 C2
2020 Chalk Macan GTS
2017 White Metallic 991.2 C2S
1995 Midnight Blue 993 C2
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blueline
- Moderator
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@rchaas
Great post! Thank you for sharing your experiences and details which will likely prove super helpful for others such as the OP.
Great post! Thank you for sharing your experiences and details which will likely prove super helpful for others such as the OP.
Tim
Current:
'26 911 Carrera S - PTS Verde British Racing Green
'24 Cayenne S - Algarve Blue Metallic
'21 718 Cayman GTS - Black
'22 911 Turbo S - Carmine Red
'21 718 Cayman GT4 - White
'11 GMC 1500 Quad Cab 4x4 - Black
Musik-Stadt Region
Current:
'26 911 Carrera S - PTS Verde British Racing Green
'24 Cayenne S - Algarve Blue Metallic
'21 718 Cayman GTS - Black
'22 911 Turbo S - Carmine Red
'21 718 Cayman GT4 - White
'11 GMC 1500 Quad Cab 4x4 - Black
Musik-Stadt Region