I've always wanted a Porsche.
Ive found that I could buy a P-car like the 96-98 model Similar to this body.


and my dream car this one:




From your (collective) experiences and knowledge, what if any comments do you have on buying something like this?

Im looking at spending about $50K roughly....

Annual cost of ownership?

Pro's
Cons?


I know its used and nearly 10 years old, but sometimes they can be found with low miles >50K and well taken care of....

I have found some on autotrader for about 55K
like this beaut'
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...ce=&cardist=60

 

never heard it called a p-car. and as long as teh wifey and i don't have any little dallisons, we want to get a 4 or 5 year old 911

 

Seriously. WTF.

 

c'mon guys

http://www.pcars.us/


also F-cars = ferrari's
fchat.com

 

P-car is a common saying.

Anywho, do it!

 

993's are great, they will require more frequent and expensive repairs then a NSX, but less then just about any other exotic out there of that era. I have a friend who has four 911s of various ages and he has great luck with them. He has his shop go over the car when he gets it and fix everything and he has a bullet proof car. If you can's swing a 1-2k repair from time to time, its not the car for you.

If I were in the P-car market I would do a 993 turbo or a 987 S, ironically both are in similar price ranges. While I like the 997, it just isn't that much better then the 987 unless you get a turbo, at which point your well past the 100k range.

 

I would go for a used 996 turbo for the same money...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...link:middle:us

 

LotusTrackers choice > *

That is one bad ass ride.

 

An incredible price to boot.

 

^^ sick i automatically ruled those out b/c i thought they would be too much....

as far as the repairs go, i gues i should save up some "reserve" cash to have it looked at by a reputable svc

 

I've been using the phrase pcar for years... even used it here on a couple of occasions...

 

Wrong answer...

There's a reason why the 996's are cheaper than the 993s... The waterpumpers just aren't worth as much as the old aircooled pcars...

In the same condition and same mileage, a 993 will always be worth more than a 996 (unless we're talking about a 996 GT3 or GT3RS).

 

If you're looking for a one of the last of the aircooleds, The C2S is the rarest of the 993's...

They actually made less of the 993 C2S then they did 993TT

I've seen C2S's forsale from the 40's on up... depending on milege/condition. The one you posted from autotrader seems like an ok deal since it's a low mileage, and PCA owned vehicle.

Check out Pelican and Rennlist for other classifieds. As the housing bubble and credit card defaults heat up, I've seen alot more pcars on the market.

There's a 993Turbo on Pelican for $59:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=378077

And a C2S for $59:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showt...&highlight=993

There's probably alot more on the rennlist classifeds:

http://www.rennlist.com/ads/

and 6speedonline.com might tune up some others...

Getting a good PPI (pre-purchase inspection) from a independent shop that knows 993's is important. The only real big issue with the OBDII 993's are that the SAI (secondary air injectors) can become clogged, but most shops have figured out how to chean them out cheaply now (there's even DIY's posted). The big issue is that the clogged SAI's will throw a CEL, so the car won't pass smog like that.

Maintenance is going to be more costly than a honda/acura, and oil changes require 11 quarts of oil, so if you run synth you can see the cost there. Rear tires wear out quickly from what I read too...

I'd love to get a higher mileage 95 993 (no CEL from SAI issues on the 95's - OBDI), but I'm too cheap to spend 30K on a 12 year old car...

Good luck in your search !!

 

While I agree with you I still think the 996 is a better car although its not the porsche purists choice!

 

For Track ? Probably...

 

How about a 993 GT2 . . . that has been on my short list for a very long time. However, I haven't seen many of those come up for sale in a while.

 

Not to digress further on the brand moniker but the 'Porsche' name being one syllable seems easier to say than 'P-Car' which is two syllables.

That said, if you have the means then by all means go for it.

 

"Porsche", pronounced correctly, is two syllables. :P "Porsh-uh"

and as others have said the "p-car" and "f-car" monikers have been around forever and are commonly used by people "in the know" concerning the cars..

happy new year.

 

I stand corrected but then again, maybe I am just "not in the know".

 

hehe... that came out wrong, lol

 

Do not sweat it. I am far from a Porsche aficionado.

 

Definitely "Porsh-uh".

 

Its like nails on a chalkboard when I hear people talk about a "Porsh". Drives me crazy.

 

I definitely don't follow higher-end cars. Regardless, when speaking about such a prestigious car, "p-car" still sounds pretty retarded. My opinion only, though.

 

Sheesh you sound like a woman!

 

Sorry, it just sounds like such a frou-frou, cutesie name, like something you'd name your tiny 5 lb chihuahua. P-Car....

Show it some respect and just call it what it is.

 

I had no idea what it meant. I read the title thinking it was some classification like the japanese K car

 

To the OP -

993 era Carreras like those are excellent cars, perform very well, and are generally very solidly built. You'd have a ball owning one, and the multi-link rear suspension tamed the lift-off oversteer once and for all. Awesome.

They do have issues. The major one is that the secondary air injection ports (in the cylinder heads) can get clogged, making the ECU throw an error code that will prevent it getting smogged. If you're lucky, it can be corrected by this crazy procedure:
http://p-car.com/diy/sai/1/sai.htm

If not, it can mean a top-end engine teardown....

Other things of note are the usual electrical problems, some basic oil leaks, and the cost of regular servicing.....which isn't ever cheap on a Porsche. The more you do yourself the better. Find the top local independent Porsche specialist and make sure they do a Pre-Purchase Inspection on it. That's VITAL. It can literally save you thousands and thousands.

Past that, stay FAR FAR away from the glass roof Targa versions. Creaky, rattly, and leaks.

Yes, I have heard them called P-cars many times.

-Mirror

 

P-Car huh... I guess I've never actually heard anyone actually call it a P-Car, but I've called them "Porsh-uhs" for years and years now. Same with F-Car, and I've been into Porsches and Ferraris since I was young enough to remember. Have heard F-Body a lot before I even knew what it meant though....

Sadly I've never driven a single Porsche, though I was really interested in getting a 944 a long while back. But the prospect of a $2000 clutch job (my labor) was too much for me. All I know is that they are expensive.... good luck whether you purchase one or not, and if you do, remember...

 

+1 FTW

I almost bitch slapped this kid in highschool (about a decade ago) because he always talked about his dads "poor-sh"

if you are going to pretend to know something about them, know how to fuckin say the name correctly.

I'd rock a 996 any day of the week. 993's are BEAUTIFUL (god know's I woulda done anything for one back when I saw the original bad boys movie) but financially does it make sense to spend the same money on a car with more miles and 5-7 years older? you aren't collecting them (youre not jerry seinfeld, who is a p-car pimp) so i'd gladly take the 996.

either that or buy a lightly used cayman with a few thousand miles on it.

just dont be a wuss and buy a tiptronic.

 

I mean look how bad ass this car is...





its like its own character in the movie!

 

^^ "$105,000 and no damn cup holders?! It's a shiny dick with two chairs in it."

Just be sure to take pics when you get it so we can all call you an asshole for living better than most of us.

 

I have to wait just a few more years for such a toy...I am just getting started with my midlife crisis.


In other words...I WISH!

 

My dad had a 993tt. That was one very quick car. Had to sell it because of maintenance costs. He had to replace the piston rings which was really expensive. So he sold it an got a 997 gt3.

 

Its cheaper to buy a new $100k+ car then maintain one you already have

 

you obviously have no idea how things work in wealthy suburban chicago

 

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with it, but buying a new $100k+ car because piston rings were expensive on the old car seems like Water-S logic. Buying a new car because you wanted a new car, that's fine, but don't fool yourself into thinking its the cheaper way out.

That said I'd rather have a 997GT3 over a 993TT, even though the GT3 is water cooled its still the modern air cooled lovers car.

 

Wow, what made that necessary? That's a major league repair....one that very seldom happens on healthy Porsches of any vintage.

 

Why would you want an air-cooled engine though? They better? Or do they just have collector's value?

 

I don't think there's anything wrong with deciding to buy a 997GT3 because your 993TT was giving you problems and was becoming a money-pit, maintenance-wise. Hey, if you got the cash and the desire, go for it!