I know I posted this in the correct forum, which is crazy for this site, but, I hope I get some answers!

I have a freind looking for a 993 C2 coupe. He is looking to find one in the mid 30's. Is it realistic to expect a good condition mid 90's C2 to fall in the price range? He isn't to fussy on mileage, but just the general condition of the car and wear and tear items which can add up to replace.

 

Mid 30's is not bad for a regular narrow body 95-96 with less than 50k miles on it. Have him check rennlist. If you or any of your friends are PCA members, you could find a nice one in the classified section of Panorama.
Good Luck.
Luis

 

Alright, thanks Luis. I'll check Panorama.

I thought he was dreaming with the mid 30's price tag.

 

It's possible. I got mine september of 04 with 63k on the odometer in excellent mechanical condition with receipts, etc for 33.5k.

BTW, rennlist classifieds are the way to go!

 

Thanks. I was just looking on rennlist. I guess that's where they're all hiding because there is next to nothing on Ebay.

A lot of cabs on the market.

 

I concur with the others, it's quite possible to find one in that pricerange.

 

I have always thought the 993 was perhaps the most awesome Porsche ever made, including my 997. If things turn out for me as I expect I may be looking for my dream driver.

When I bought my 997 a couple of months ago the dealership had a "as new" 6000 mile 993TT on the showroom floor. I was really tempted as the car was show quality. However the warranty on the new 997 made up my mind. I still think of that 993.

 

Have your friend get a late '96, nothing older. A '97 with high miles is okay, but keep in mind that what you may save due to high mileage you may make up for in rebuild. 993 parts are expensive. If you can bump your friend up to mid 40s, then he can open up a whole bunch of good low-mileage '97 993's. I'd rather get a lower mileage newer one and pay more than get an older, higher mileage one and suffer time lost in the shop reconditioning it and probably come out to the same dollar amount in the end...

Hey, here's another idea....if he's really stuck in the mid 30's, why not pick up a '99 Boxster and do a 3.4 motor swap, race suspension, roll bar, bolt-on hardtop, data aquisition...oh shoot, I'm off on a tangent, aren't I!

 

I agree the '96 is definately a better buy than the '95 since the engine was the first year of variocam. '96 was 282hp versus 270hp for the '95. Also the '96 coupe had the rear window spoiler versus the basket handle on the '95.

Another couple of features to look for on those cars are the 18" twisted spoke wheels (versus the 17" cups) and the motor sound package which basically includes a crome air intake and nicer exhaust tips.

 

Thanks guys, I passed that information along. I don't know that he can stretch to much farther, he is already stretching.

This tangent I like. What is the 3.4L motor swap about? that's from the 996C2? Could you really do something like that for <40k? has it been done?

EDIT: I am assuming the RUF 3400S was a 3.4L swap? damn, that's a sweet idea.

 

Yeah, it's been done several times, not just with Ruf. I'd look for one that's already done and just go through and freshen it; it's the labor that kills ya. The thing is not to blow too much on the Boxster in general, once the Cayman hits, the Boxsters will drop even further I believe. You may have to hunt for a little while, but there are some 3.4 Boxsters floating around the US. Buy a good one, cheaply as possible, do a nose-to-tail inspection thoroughly first of course, then just add your safety and suspension stuff for track if it doesn't have it already. I think you can get one in the high 20k's. I almost bought one that was totally decked out for $32k a few yrs ago, so 20k's should be possible. If he's looking to track a car, this is a fun alternative to consider.

Has your friend driven the 993 and Boxster and 964 and others? That's pretty important. Sometimes what you think you'll like VS what you actually like turn out to be different things entirely. The 993 is pretty archaic inside, but hot sex on the outside. The Boxster is nice, if a little boring outside (although I really like the back), but pretty decent inside. The 993 is old-school handling-wise, while the Boxster nearly drives itself (so easy to control). The 964 is even more old-school and requires a bit more attention at the wheel when driving aggressively. The 996 is much easier (and more insulated IMO) to drive for most people. Whatever your friend gets, he should match it to what his likes are, and the purpose he intends to use it for. Above, I was talking about a fun tracktoy Boxster project, because for that money, that's what you can do with a Boxster. But for street, what's the point in getting a little more power from a Boxster if it costs you $10k+. You won't recoup the money really, and it still won't be a very fast car; in the big picture that car is made for curves, and you generally don't capitalize on that on most public roads (at least not here in SoCal, unless you head for the mtns). Anyway, driving the cars will nearly make the decision completely. Your friend has several choices in his pricerange, but all a bit different.