UPDATE: Seems like Porsche heard our complaints about not being able to hear the exhaust note. The new video below let’s you hear the Porsche 993 GT2 in all its glory.
Long time readers may remember the day we switched the name of the site from 993C4S.com to PorschePurist.com. Regardless of our logo, we haven’t forgotten our root. That’s why, when Porsche released the video below we were extremely excited. The Porsche 933 GT2 is perhaps our all time, must have, dream car. The video below gives a great, high-level overview of the difference between these two cars and why the Porsche 993 GT2 is still considered one of the best road going Porsches of all time. The only thing we would have done differently with this video to have turned down the background music a bit so we could more easily enjoy the exhaust note. Have fun! As always, if you can’t see the video in your email, simply visit Porsche 993 GT2 Production vs Race Version to view it on our site.
Autocross not your thing? Driver’s Ed a bit too tame for you? Have you considered drifting a Porsche? If so, JIC-Magic just might have your answer. Spotted on eBay is this 1996 Porsche 993 (Euro based lightweight) with a heavily modified 3.8 twin turbo motor and more modified suspension parts than you can shake a stick at. (If you can’t view the video below in your email, simply click on the drifting Porsches to view it on our site)
This video is worth watching for the sound and smoke alone. For more information on the 993 itself, view the complete listing on eBay (sorry, the listing had been removed).
Like a lot of today’s Porsche 993 owners I purchased my car used. I was very careful in my selection, did a lot of research, purchased a Porsche Buyers Guide and made sure the car had a very thorough service history. Amongst the things I was looking for to accompany my purchase was original documentation (window sticker, owners manual, etc.) While I was very fortunate and found a very nice example of a 1997 Porsche 993 C4S I still didn’t get all the documentation that was delivered to the very first owner. As it turns out, one of the items that new 993 owners received was a ten minute long video that introduced them to Porsche and answered a number of frequently asked questions about all 911 models and some specific to the 993. A broadcast of the video is below for your enjoyment.
Last week I posted about 10 Things you might not know about the Porsche 993. The video below, narrated by Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek fame) and hosted by Hurley Haywood (of Porsche endurance racing fame) is very informative and answered a few additional esoteric questions I had always wondered about. Are any of you the original owner of your 993? Do you have an original VHS copy of this tape? If so, please get in touch with me and let me know as I would love to get a copy.
Every Porsche is a bit unique in that they have their own set of distinctive features and quirks that we as owners come to know and love (or hate) over time; the Porsche 993 is no exception. I’ve assembled below, from various sources, a list of the features about the 993 (some well known, others not so much.) If my list isn’t complete, or you think something is incorrect, please let me know.
Top 10 Quirks about the Porsche 993
By removing the intermittent wiper relay you can park your wipers on the passenger’s side of the windshield. The only cost is your intermittent wiper feature is disabled.
Porsche designed a completely new dashboard for the 993. The 1965-style dash was retained because Porsche was still in dire financial straights during the development phase (1991-1992.)
Narrow-body 993s came standard with 16″ alloys, which makes the stock “SUV” ride height even more silly looking. Almost all 993s upgraded to the 17″ wheels.
If you want to stop your rear spoiler from flapping up and down continuously, just depress it once in the up position when the vehicle exceeds 10mph.
The mirrors on the car are not symmetrically positioned.
The steering wheel is slightly off center relative to the drivers seat.
The roof line and luggage compartment is not only identical to the 964′s , but remains unchanged since 1974.
The body of a 993 is not mounted on a chassis in the center, it’s slightly towards the passenger side.
The word Varioram was not cast onto the intake until about half way through the ’96 production year and not all cars received this treatment.
Engines in the Turbo models sit 40mm further back in the compartment compared to non-turbo cars.
Did I miss anything major? Let me know. What about other models? What are the quirks of the early 911s, 930, 964, 996 and 997? What about the Boxsters and Cayennes? Let’s not forget the 924, 944 and 968s.
[Source: Rennlist, Adrian Streather, Individual Contributors to 993C4S.com]
This worked out much better than I could have ever hoped for. Last week in this post I offered myself out as your free Porsche research assistant (the offer still stands) and I’ve received a number of question this week via email as a result of that post. Yesterday, in this post, I discussed Seinfeld’s 1997 Porsche 993 Turbo S that is currently for sale at TruSpeed Motorcars. So, how very appropriate is it that the first question I get to answer was/is “What are the main differences between a 993 Turbo and a 993 Turbo S?”
Porsche 993 Turbo vs. a 993 Turbo S
The Porsche 993 Turbo S is a product of the Porsche Exclusiv department (more on this in a later post)
The Turbo S has two larger K-24 Turbo chargers
The Motronic engine control unit received an electronic upgrade
The Turbo S has an additional oil cooler installed
The dual exhaust was modified and included Quad round tips vs. the dual ovals on the standard turbo
Combine the above with a few other minor engine improvements and this created an engine that produced 424 hp or 25 hp more than the standard turbo
There is an ongoing debate as to the weight of the Turbo S vs. the standard Turbo. Supposedly due to the larger turbo chargers, full leather and carbon interior that was standard on all S models, the weight could possible be 66lbs heavier than the 3307lb standard Turbo, thus negating some of the HP gain
The info above captures most of the mechanical differences between the two cars. That leads us to the second part of this post
What are the styling difference?
Yellow brake calipers vs. “Big Reds”
European front spoiler with brake cooling ducts
Full-leather (including air-vent louvers) and carbon fiber interior with aluminum gauges was standard
Carbon fiber door sills with Turbo S script
Carbon fiber shock tower braces
Aerokit II rear spoiler from Porsche Exclusiv
Quad round exhaust tips (instead of two ovals as noted above)
Air scoops in rear fenders
Wheels were matt finish vs. gloss
I’m pretty sure I’ve captured the major differences, but if I’ve missed anything let me know. Tomorrow’s post takes a look at one of Porsche’s earliest (and perhaps most ugly) designs.
While a proven racing provenance will usually help to lift a car’s value, can the same be said for celebrity ownership? Case in point, Jerry Seinfeld’s ’97 Porsche 911 Turbo S; currently listed for sale at TruSpeed Motorcars, in Costa Mesa CA, for $225,000. That’s a pretty pricey premium for a model that would otherwise sell in the $135k to $150k range.
Is the price justified?
Scott McCloud (sales manager at TruSpeed) doesn’t think that previous celebrity ownership should play a big role in the pricing and sale of the car. In fact, he believes the car’s other, more unique features are what set it apart from the very few Porsche Turbo S’s on the market.
1997 Porsche Turbo S Features
1st Turbo S built and imported to the US
The only one produced in Turquoise Blue (the color is slowly growing on me)
Factory cell phone with special console
Low miles (only 8,000)
The first of only 175 built in 1997 and one of only 345 total between ’97 and ‘98 (production numbers vary by a few cars depending on source. My numbers are courtesy of (Adrian Streather’s “Porsche 993 The Essential Companion”)
As it happens, past sales may prove that celebrity ownership can provide a premium. One of Seinfeld’s beloved 356’s sold at a Barrett Jackson auction in 1997 for $82,950 or, almost twice the then going market price. The new owner didn’t mind the additional expense as they too thought the celebrity provenance would help to increase attendance at the museum where the car would be shown. See the full article here.
On-line rumor mill
There has been a lot of discussion regarding this car on various web forums – such as Rennlist and 6Speedonline. I have read significant speculation on provenance, pricing, and length of time it has been for sale (in fact, some think it has been for sale continuously for the past two years). In order to put some of this to rest, I decided to make a few phone calls and find out directly for myself. Here’s what I learned:
The car was originally ordered for Jerry Seinfeld through Circle Porsche of Long Beach California
Seinfeld had the car as part of his collection until sometime in late 2005 early 2006
It was then offered for sale by Seinfeld’s fleet manager (Sam Cabiglio) through Richard Sloan of Sloan Cars in CT (Richard has sold other Seinfeld cars in the past)
Richard sold the car to a private collector
The car then returned to Sloan (via the unnamed private collector) and was subsequently sold to TruSpeed about six (6) months ago
The car is fully documented as to provenance, ownership and service history
Bottom line, this is a unique car and unique cars require unique buyers. As the first in a production series, along with the only one of its kind color, low miles, and factory options this will make a very nice addition to someone’s collection. My only hope, as a true Porsche enthusiast, is that it gets driven and enjoyed the way a car of this caliber should be. Please click on any of the additional thumbnails below for full-size images.
First and last air-cooled Porsches
As an interesting factoid, among the other Porsches owned by Seinfeld are the first air-cooled 911 and the last air-cooled 911 (both pictured here).
Quick update: As you can see from the comments below, the information I was given may not have been 100% accurate. Check out this post for the most up to date information on Seinfeld’s 993 Turbo S.
I’ve received a lot of posts and searches to my blog lately on the Porsche 993 and rust. More specifically, people have wanted to know what is the likely-hood of rust forming on a 993? Where is it usually found? What if anything can be done about it? This article is an attempt to give some answers to those questions in the hope it might help someone else.
What is the likelihood of rust forming on a Porsche 993? - The true answer is it depends. What it depends on is where you live and when you drive. 993s for the most part do very well with rust.
Where does rust form? - There are a few known trouble spots that all cars have the potential for (regardless of where and when you drive them).
Windshield
Door Windows
Rear Windows
Inside Bottom Mounts where the headlights sit
The problems listed above are usually due to improperly replaced seals or faulty/aged/rotted seals. Let’s face it, even the newest 993s are now going on 10 years old. These seals don’t last forever. And if you have ever had to replace a windscreen or door window, it’s possible that even if the seal was done correctly, they may not have put on the proper coat of rust-proofing paint/primer under the seal to make sure there is no exposed metal.
What are the signs? - Finding rust on a 993 is pretty easy as for the most part , the corrosion can’t hide.
Finding a leaking windshield is easy as you will get water dripping into the interior on or around your feet. Your mats/rugs may be wet.
Door Windows are a bit tougher, but you can usually detect it from a rattling sound when opening and closing the door. I know in my old Jeep GrandWagoneer that the door seals go very easily. One way to drain them is to open the door and hold it open for a minute. This is because the drain seals are fit tight against the lower seal if the door is shut. So opening it allows for better draining. This is true of the 993 as well.
It’s easy to tell if the rear window is leaking because you will have water, wet spots or water stains on the rear shelf where the speakers are mounted.
The headlights are the tricky part as you need to actually take the assembly out and look for corrosion.
If you live in a cold climate where there is opportunity for snow and salt, or use your car as a daily driver and it gets wet frequently, you are even more likely to have additional rust problems. Some common ones that I have seen are:
support struts
any metal part that is exposed and not rust proofed (caps on ball joints)
Prevention/What can be done about it? - You need to carefully inspect your car and the seals, especially as it ages.
Windshield. You can gently lift up the seals (especially on the lower corners) and look for rust that can’t yet be seen. If rust is already forming, then you need to have the windshield replaced along with the gasket. The key in this replacement process is to get rid of any and all existing rust and to reseal the bare metal prior to replacing the gasket.
Door Windows. Keep both your doors open for a minute or two after getting the car wet (either driving in the rain or a car wash). This will allow the doors to properly drain in the event the seal is no good. Pay close attention to the passenger side as it may not be used as much and you may not notice it.
Rear Window. Same as the windshield.
Inside Bottom Mounts (headlights). You can take headlights out and look for corrosion. This can happen if the car is driven in wet conditions frequently. Does anyone know how to tighten this seal to not allow moisture in?
The info above is not meant to be comprehensive, so if anyone reading has additional information, please feel free to pitch in using the comment function or email me at johnsirving@gmail.com
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