Question on Porsche Suspension Options from a new Owner

August 15, 2008

I receive a lot of email from readers of 993C4S. I do my very best to respond to each one in a timely manner. A lot of the email comes from one of my previous posts where I owned up to the fact that “I’m not a Porsche expert, but I play one on the Internet.” In this post I offered to answer any question you may have, so long as it was Porsche related. You know the saying “be careful what you wish for.” Does that ever fit in this situation. The fact is, I have a pretty long back-log of questions to answer and I’m doing my level best to get to each of them. For most of you, I will answer directly via email. For others, such as Greg, a new Porsche 993 owner and whose question is the subject of this post, I will answer on the site.

Greg recently purchased a 1996 Porsche 993 C4S. Those are pictures of his new baby below. Greg’s purchase brought him a beautiful example in Arena Red (one of my favorite colors for a Porsche 993, second only to Forest Green which we all know is the fastest color) with 19k miles, and a multitude of upgrades including: HID headlights, Euro-front bumper, factory wing, Eibach springs (to lower from SUV ride height) and RSR mufflers. All in all a very well configured Porsche 993 C4S.

On Greg’s car, the previous owner had simply installed the shorter Eibach springs and did nothing else to the suspension. As a result, Greg wanted more information on PSS9s. He was familiar with most of the upgrades on my best upgrades for the money list, but not the PSS9s. After a brief email exchange, we were able to distill the question down even further:

“What is the ideal Porsche suspension set-up that provides a lowered ride height and still offers a compliant ride?”

As my car is still at stock ride height with no plans on changing it (I like the supple ride as my wife and I take long road trips as often as possible) I didn’t feel I was the best person to answer the question. I did explain that the PSS9s are probably the most common option, that I was aware, of and the reason people liked them was their ability to be adjusted. So, instead of just publishing one opinion, I wanted to open the floor to all of you, the readers.

Don’t let the URL of this site fool you, we’re not all about 993s. I hear from the onwers of plenty of other models (911 SCs, 930s, 964, 996) with similar questions. Let’s hear your opinion. What suggestions would you give to Greg for lowering his ride height while still keeping a supply/compliant ride? Use the comment field below to let us know or email me at suspensionsuggestions@993C4S.com

Written by 993C4S · Filed Under First Time Porsche Owner | 4 Comments

5 Ways to Enhance your Porsche Ownership Experience

June 20, 2008

I receive emails quite frequently from new Porsche owners (especially those of the 993 variant) looking for advice for the first time Porsche owner. As I’ve said before, I’m not a Porsche Expert, but I Play one on the Internet. As a result, I’m always happy to give my opinion! Specifically, he wanted to know what he could do to assimilate as much information on Porsche as possible as well as enhance his ownership experience. This is the response that I sent to my new subscriber and new member of our growing Porsche family.

Here was my response (edited for content and privacy):

Enhancing your Porsche Experience

Congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the family!

As for enhancing the experience, that’s a tough one. I’ve found that so much of what people want to get out of their Porsche is unique to the individual.

With that said, I can let you know some of the things that I’ve done and the reasons for them.

JOIN THE PCA - When I bought my first Porsche, I immediately joined the PCA. I did this for two reasons: 1. the subscription to Panorama magazine (this alone is worth the price of admission); 2. The social aspect. I found it was a great way to meet people with similar interests.
Take some DE (driver’s education classes) - One of the great things about owning a Porsche (any Porsche) is that you truly have a “super car” that can be used as a daily driver (if you so choose). DE classes are a great way to find out what your car is really made of and will also help you as a driver learn to handle your 993 in ways you may not have thought possible.
EXPLORE THE WEB - If you haven’t already, explore the various web forums (especially Rennlist and Pelican). There is so much great info out there that at times it is hard to absorb it all. I’ve listed the most popular in this post and would still love to know if I’m missing any.
UPGRADE, UPGRADE, UPGRADE - There are lots and lots of inexpensive to very expensive modifications that can be done to your Porsche in order to enhance both performance and looks (depending on budget, function and your own personal style). Fortunately for me, my car came with a lot of nice options. I now need to do some small things to personalize it as well as getting rid of the “SUV” ride height.
DRIVE IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE - More than anything, I think this is the most important piece of advice I can give. While we all bought these cars for our own reasons, I have to assume that we share a common bond in our love for driving them (not to mention the way they look).

This list is by no means comprehensive and would love for you to share your thoughts on what else can be done to “enhance” the Porsche ownership experience. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to subscribe to my blog by reader or by entering your email in the form to the right.

Written by 993C4S · Filed Under First Time Porsche Owner | 1 Comment

Run Forrest Run! How to Avoid the Most Common Car Related Scams.

February 6, 2008

There has been a lot of discussion on various Porsche forums and other car centric blogs regarding possible scams that buyers and sellers of Porsche cars and products can get caught up in. Most of this is common sense, but a little refresher never hurts.

Written by 993C4S · Filed Under Advice, First Time Porsche Owner | 1 Comment