Hey,

Im a regular on the BMW boards(e46fanatics, dtmpower, germantechnik, etc), and im looking to buy my first porsche. My Dad had a 1995 993 cabriolet 6speed, it was polar silver/black and it was an amazing car in my opinion, i loved it. Right now i have a Supercharged 2001 330ci which i modded pretty extensively and a 1999 Shelby SP360.

Im looking to get a cabrio, its just dependent upon which one. Either 96-98 993, or 00-02 996 in speed yellow. i havent driven the 996, but just looking at the 993 and 996 they appear to be completely different cars, and id have to test drive them both because its been a few years since i drove the 993. Any suggestions, or opinions on the purchase would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

-Robby

 

ypu you hit it right on... completely different cars... so your best bet is definitely to test drive both... see which you prefer.. and then start your search for the one of your preference...try ebay to get a good feel of wholesale prices... there are a lot of vehicles on there with all different options/mileage etc... it give you an idea of what options you can get and condition of vehicle for XXX amount of dollars. Good Luck

 

Welcome aboard Robby - I too came from the various BMW forums and I'm sure you'll get some great feedback & info here.

I have a SY 02' 996 Coupe - the advice I can give you is specific to the 996...remember, that the 99-00 have the older headlights as well as the smaller engine, the 01-04 996 has the updated headlights & motor (3.6L) as well as some suspension diff. from what I understand...I'm sure someone will chime in here.

Best of luck and welcome.

 

With regard to the 996, if it's in the price range, stick with and '02 or newer. A lot of improvements over the earlier 996's. They look the same, but are very different. Also, these cars are mostly ordered a la carte, so understand which options are improtant to you and find the car that has them, ie., heated seats, litronics, PSM, etc. Don't be surprised if it takes you a while to find it. It took me four months to find mine.

 

for the 996, 02 or newer is the way to go. I was once in your shoes and made the mistake of driving a turbo

good luck

 

if u find the right 996 u can get a really good deal now. 993 is nice but have to admit the car is too old by now.

 

thanks for the replies, i like the 02's a lot, but they also come with a much steeper price tag and i was looking to pay cash. so when if i did buy the 02 it would probably be on impulse after driving it. lol i also have a car connection that i buy my cars through so i might be able to get a price break, i'd probably have to sit down with him to get a solid figure. he could also probably find a car with similar specs to what im looking for almost immediately.

the options that im really interested in having on the 996 are Xenons, Yellow stitching on the seats, sport seats, maybe the back painted yellow, yellow seatbelts and small CF package, and im pretty sure that i can go to the dealer and have almost any of them installed afterward.

for the 993 options arent as crucial. im looking at either Polar Silver w/ either black or red interior, Speed Yellow or Zenith Blue. both with black interior and probably xenons but thats about it. i could do sound system work after and stuff.

the main difference in my mind between the 993 and 996 are that the 993 is a bare bones sports car, and the 996 is much more of a luxury touring car.

-Robby

 

check out ebay auction for black 996 cabrio supercharged. this a 6speedmember. very upgraded car..!

 

As always, a prepurchase inspection is a good idea. You may want to look into a car with a warranty. Porsche offers extended warranties on used cars.

 

If you are looking at a C2, I would make sure that it has PSM. It's standard on the C4, but can't be retro-fitted to a car.

 

Boosted,

If you think a 996 is a luxury touring car, you're in for a big surprise. drive an 02 and you'll see what I mean.

Hope you find what you're looking for.

 

oh i absolutely know that its not really a lux/touring car, i just meant that in relation to a 993.

 

if you wait for the 997 to come out you should be able to pick up a 996 for much much less ... just wait 6 more months