Topic: Final Drive: 1995 Porsche 911 (993)

[Solstice2006]

Little late to the party.  What a blast from the past! Great article.  Guess some can only choose a project car or a wife, I chose the latter (less expensive, I think)      Great article.  My favourite review of yours is the Acura RSX Type S, I really wanted that car.  Who knows I might find an unmolested one down the road.  NSX is awesome, but not in my budget... Certainly made my day....

[lauranceyap]

Little late to the party.  What a blast from the past! Great article.  Guess some can only choose a project car or a wife, I chose the latter (less expensive, I think)      Great article.  My favourite review of yours is the Acura RSX Type S, I really wanted that car.  Who knows I might find an unmolested one down the road.  NSX is awesome, but not in my budget... Certainly made my day....

The RSX Type-S is one of the best cars to have come out of Honda/Acura. Terrific to drive and just a fantastic interior (especially those seats, which are far better than the ones in my Porsche...). One wonders why they got away from building cars like that.

[Triple Bob]

Little late to the party.  What a blast from the past! Great article.  Guess some can only choose a project car or a wife, I chose the latter (less expensive, I think)      Great article.  My favourite review of yours is the Acura RSX Type S, I really wanted that car.  Who knows I might find an unmolested one down the road.  NSX is awesome, but not in my budget... Certainly made my day....

The RSX Type-S is one of the best cars to have come out of Honda/Acura. Terrific to drive and just a fantastic interior (especially those seats, which are far better than the ones in my Porsche...). One wonders why they got away from building cars like that.

Funny you should mention the seats.  Being used to the Lotus buckets in the Exige, I found the seats in the 911 to have much less bolstering, they wouldn't hold you in at all in hard cornering.  That was in an circa 2000 model, maybe they got better in later years.  Was still fun to drive though.

The upgraded GT3 seats look amazing.

[Solstice2006]

Little late to the party.  What a blast from the past! Great article.  Guess some can only choose a project car or a wife, I chose the latter (less expensive, I think)      Great article.  My favourite review of yours is the Acura RSX Type S, I really wanted that car.  Who knows I might find an unmolested one down the road.  NSX is awesome, but not in my budget... Certainly made my day....

The RSX Type-S is one of the best cars to have come out of Honda/Acura. Terrific to drive and just a fantastic interior (especially those seats, which are far better than the ones in my Porsche...). One wonders why they got away from building cars like that.

You know how it is, lack of market demand.  They aren't the only ones.  Eclipse, 240SX, Ford Probe/Mazda MX-6.

Only 2 examples of Type S, that haven't been heavily modified.  Both from 2002, and high mileage...

http://www.autotrader.ca/a/Acura/RSX/TORONTO/Ontario/19_8608972_/?showcpo=ShowCPO&orup=21_15_37

Maybe you can change the seats on the Porsche?  Or is staying with stock preferable?

[Railton]

OK cute. So, how long have you had it, what mileage have you put on it and what's broke. Thanks.
Railton

I've had it for 22 months. Bought it with 149,000 km, and it's at about 172,000 now.

What's broke?
- Power window switches (about $30 each at the dealer)
- Cassette holder (still broken)
- Just did upper and lower valve cover gaskets, which haven't been done since new (about $1,000)
- Replaced two rear tires (about $250 each)
- Wiper blades (about $20 each)

Oil change is every 12,000 km or once a year for me; $300 at the dealer. (I worked at head office and still have a go-to-the-dealer mentality.)

The last three weren't really broken, just worn out. The valve cover gaskets were basically disintegrating.

Railton

[No H2O]

I've had it for 22 months. Bought it with 149,000 km, and it's at about 172,000 now.

A friend sent me the link to your article. A good read, thanks!

I've had mine almost 5 1/2 years now; no regrets when I bought it and if it were possible, even less of a regret now having gone over the whole car in the greatest of detail since I do ALL my own servicing and work. Not a single surprise.

As you have, I came upon my 993 by chance. I considered a Ferrari and an NSX but in the end I knew I should get the car I've always wanted. Plus when the brother of my girlfriend who is Italian, lives in Italy, worked in and owned his own car business tells me, and I quote "a Ferrari is beautiful to look at but if you want a sports car that works, buy a Porsche", you have to wonder. As for the NSX, a nice one back then (2009) that I would want to buy was about $60K and as great a car that it is, it just didn't do anything for me.

So it had to be a 911. I drove a 997 and that is all it took to firm up the deal on the 993 with 68K kilometers that I drove the day before.

What's broke?
- Just did upper and lower valve cover gaskets, which haven't been done since new (about $1,000). The valve cover gaskets were basically disintegrating.

Laurance, if you feel comfortable DIYing and something to consider for the next time, all four valve cover seals and 38 new shiny fasteners ran me just under CA$93 from a Porsche dealer in the US. That was 2010 pricing, so a bit more now.

Both OEM Mahle oil filters, 11.5 liters of Mobil 1 Synthetic (three 5 US quart jugs) and sealing rings runs me just under $100.

I find Porsche parts not just reasonable, but sometimes plain cheap in comparison to my last vehicle (Honda). The expensive bit is the labour; not the hourly rate, but the time to get to anything in such a tightly housed compartment.

[No H2O]

Funny thing, I consider a 993 to be a "newer" car, to me an old one has a long hood.

From the seated position, I always liked looking at the fender bumps with the more upright headlights of the earlier models; 964 and older. I miss that.

But I do like the upgraded suspension and hydraulic valve adjusters that they put in the 993. Valve adjustments aren't fun on the older ones.

[lauranceyap]

Laurance, if you feel comfortable DIYing and something to consider for the next time, all four valve cover seals and 38 new shiny fasteners ran me just under CA$93 from a Porsche dealer in the US. That was 2010 pricing, so a bit more now.

Both OEM Mahle oil filters, 11.5 liters of Mobil 1 Synthetic (three 5 US quart jugs) and sealing rings runs me just under $100.

I find Porsche parts not just reasonable, but sometimes plain cheap in comparison to my last vehicle (Honda). The expensive bit is the labour; not the hourly rate, but the time to get to anything in such a tightly housed compartment.

Oh lord, you don't want me DIYing anything...

[blur911]

- Just did upper and lower valve cover gaskets, which haven't been done since new (about $1,000)

Is it like really hard to get at the valve covers on a 993?
I have to do valve adjustments (solid lifters) on my SC every couple of years, which includes new valve cover gaskets, nuts and washers.  Parts are under $100 and it takes a couple of hours.

[lauranceyap]

- Just did upper and lower valve cover gaskets, which haven't been done since new (about $1,000)

Is it like really hard to get at the valve covers on a 993?
I have to do valve adjustments (solid lifters) on my SC every couple of years, which includes new valve cover gaskets, nuts and washers.  Parts are under $100 and it takes a couple of hours.

The lower ones don't look too bad to get at, but it's more difficult up top, I think. But I have zero mechanical aptitude.

[Solstice2006]

- Just did upper and lower valve cover gaskets, which haven't been done since new (about $1,000)

Is it like really hard to get at the valve covers on a 993?
I have to do valve adjustments (solid lifters) on my SC every couple of years, which includes new valve cover gaskets, nuts and washers.  Parts are under $100 and it takes a couple of hours.

The lower ones don't look too bad to get at, but it's more difficult up top, I think. But I have zero mechanical aptitude.

Yay I am not alone.  Well maybe I am a 1, 1 to 5 scale...

[Nuttygent]

  Laurence...I hate you. After reading your lovely little article, do you know what was the very next thing I did? I went on Kijiji and auto trader to look at used 911's. I hope your happy!

[lauranceyap]

  Laurence...I hate you. After reading your lovely little article, do you know what was the very next thing I did? I went on Kijiji and auto trader to look at used 911's. I hope your happy!

Get one now. It's only going to be more expensive tomorrow!

[No H2O]

Is it like really hard to get at the valve covers on a 993?

Replacing the rubber oil seals on all 4 valve covers is very easy. It just takes some time if you are as picky as I am. It along with replacing all 12 spark plugs, exhaust fasteners (while they could still be removed) and exhaust gaskets was the first job I did the first winter after purchasing my 993.

Before I open any engine up, everything is cleaned operating room clean. Then more time was spent dressing the aluminum bushings built into the thermoplastic valve covers.

By the way, the much talked about aftermarket billet aluminum valve covers as being "the solution" to leaking valve covers is pure BS. Since I replaced those seals back in 2009/2010, my valve covers are bone dry.

[No H2O]

Oh lord, you don't want me DIYing anything...

In that case, I hope you have very deep pockets.

You might try finding another 993 owner in the area who really knows these cars, and loves working on them. I know the feeling spending far more time working on other 993s than on my own.

[rrocket]

As much as I loved my air cooled 1986 911, it can't hold a candle to my 996.  Everything about my 996 is better...significantly than the air cooled cars.  Though I must admit...the Can-Can Red interior of my 1986 was pretty cool!!






 

[No H2O]

Everything about my 996 is better...significantly than the air cooled cars.

Everything except the IMS issue and possibly the RMS.

Did you do the full blown IMS mod?

The 996es are a bargain, but I could never get into certain aspects of the interior. The instrument panel and center dash console look like they were after thoughts and stuck on.

[mixmanmash]

Everything about my 996 is better...significantly than the air cooled cars.

Everything except the IMS issue and possibly the RMS.

Did you do the full blown IMS mod?

The 996es are a bargain, but I could never get into certain aspects of the interior. The instrument panel and center dash console look like they were after thoughts and stuck on.

The only 996 I would buy would be a Turbo as it did not have the IMS issue.

[rrocket]

Everything about my 996 is better...significantly than the air cooled cars.

Everything except the IMS issue and possibly the RMS.

Did you do the full blown IMS mod?

The 996es are a bargain, but I could never get into certain aspects of the interior. The instrument panel and center dash console look like they were after thoughts and stuck on.

I deliberately bought a 1999....as they have less than a 1% chance of IMS issues....about the same chance of catastrophic engine failure as any other car on the road. They had the much more robust dual row bearing..later cars (2000+) has single row bearing.  So no...I haven't had the need to do IMS.  And my garage floor is bone dry...so no RMS issue either.  I did put an exhaust on it though. 

Hmmm..not sure what you mean about the instrument panel or console?  I think it's looks fine...apart from the non-leather packaged 911s with the black plastic surrounds around the HVAC cluster.  I have the full leather package, so everything is leather.  Maybe you just prefer the instrument panel in your car...the same one that's been in 911s since the 60s?    From my frequent PCA events, many 911 owners think progress is bad. 

[initial_D]

^^ That is some nice living room furniture, woulda put my feet up, but the steering wheel is in the way.