New member to this Forum that used to own two Porsches, 96' 912 and 81' 911 SC Targa (since new). I sold the later with 49K original miles about 3 years ago. Now I miss the old classic and am looking for a fun weekender that will retain its value. I am a picky buyer so I want the right car. Any thoughts? Please input soon as I am interested in two fine examples. Who has experience with these two models? Thank you.

 

Your years are off. The 964 was 90 to 94, not 89-94, but I don't think they made a cab in all of those years. 87-89 would be a standard 911 cab.

A 964 vs a 993. Both are great cars that have held their values well. The 993 will continue to hold it's value due to being the last of the aircooled 911's as well as the last of the traditional 911 bodystyle. The 964 was a simply a stepping stone to the 993, you could consider the 993 the "final refinement of the 964." The technology was more advanced once the 993 came out, and it shows in a few places. If I had to choose (though I am a boost junkie), I would probably take a 965 (964 turbo) over a 993 turbo. There is something about the look and feel that I prefer. Maintenance wise....well...you don't really want to have to work on either, lol.

 

Thanks for the correction. I already edited the 964 out of my posting. I have been told that the 87-89 911's were solid cars that would hold their value pretty well. I had heard the same about the 993 model years. I am not into the racing end as you are. I basically want a super clean (pristine?) cab to cruise around on the weekends. The 993 has much more power and refinement, however the best low mileage one I have come across has a sketchy history. I had it inspected and it turned out that the micrometer proved that it had been painted in the front end. CarFax shows no accident history on the car but that is not unusual I have been told. The body shop inspector and engine inspector didn't see any signs of accident damage. The seller denies any knowledge and is inflexible on his price. Collectors advise me to walk away from any "painted" car.

Any thoughts or do you think "collectors" are a little too picky?

 

I sent an email earlier, but it kicked it back.....

Ok, gotcha. The 993 and the 87-89 911 are 2 completely different cars in my opinion. The 993 of course is a much more refined ride and car, where as the late 80's 911 feel...well, 20 years old. With that being said though, they can be a great weekend car, and they are pretty maintenance free if they have been well taken care of. Unfortunetly you can get a lemon no matter what model you buy, but that is where maintenance records come into play, as well as a good pre purchase inspection. I would go out and drive each one, and see which suits you better, then start looking for that model. I have thrown out all validity of a carfax report, as I have done numerous pre purchase inspections on porsches with clean carfax reports, that have been in significant accidents. One 996 had the entire passenger rear side replaced (suspension, tranny, control arms, sway bar, body panels, etc), and it had a clean report.
Karl

 

Karl,

Thanks for the information and I totally agree. I came across a 87' cab with 22K original miles that has been serviced by a tech I know plus the seller has all the records. It is old, but looks years newer and has a "classy look". It was originally owned by a professional baseball player. The seller is somewhat flexible on the price. A local Porsche dealer salesman I showed pictures to, felt that the 87 would be the better investment.

The other car is a 95' cab in which I paid for an inspection and found the repaint areas in the front (not apparently from an accident) per the inspection; however, the present owner claims no knowledge of previous paint history. That is possible since he is the third owner. It runs and drives beautifully and other than needing new rear tires and a 30K service......I like the car. The appearance of the car is very, very clean. The seller is asking 39K and rejected my 35K cash offer.

I have been looking for several months and these are the best two I have found at this point.

Thanks again,

Gary

 

My 993 Experience:

lots of maintenance, specially oil leaks (should consider replacing engine gaskets), love to eat rubber (specially rear tires), watch out for the rack and pinion (should be VERY clean, no oil leaks), FUN car to drive (times 2 if a cabriolet).

Regarding the front paint, my car loves the little "things" from the road, between re-paints, it seems like a rally car. (should consider a bra)

Electric issues with the early models, for cabriolets, Porsche have a recall campaing for the top front latches. Tune-up is a headache, 12 plugs, 12 quarts of oil, 2 oil filters, etc. (you can look into the factory suggested maintenance list and convince yourself)

I bought mine in 2003 (1995 model) with 35k miles and it is now close to 70K. Had LOTS of fun and expecting lots more.

 

Thanks for the information. Well, after several months of looking I have made the decision to purchase a 993. I turned against the mid-eighties Porsches. They are very fine cars but too similar to my 81 SC. I didn't buy the red 95' cab with 29K miles and opted for a midnight blue 96' cab with 47K miles. The 95 would have a puff of smoke upon start up when cold. I have been told that is normal, however the 96' had no smoke whatsoever. It has been two days and I am very pleased with my choice to date. The car is a true pleasure driving machine. As for the service cost.....................if I was worried about that, I would have opted for a new mini convertible with the service included. Don't get me wrong, I do like minis but they are not Porsches. I believe that the 993's will hold their value better than many models simply because of style and handling, not to ignore the "sound" of the air cooled engine.