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997 to 993 - Anyone done it?

There really isn't a bad looking standard air-cooled 911. The earlier cars are stunning with their period details like opening front & rear quarters, narrow hips, horn vents etc. whereas IMO the 993 got it so right with the rear arches... it's all about the curves... :thumb:

C.
 
:D
 
I used a 993 as a daily driver and covered 220k miles in 14 years. Every drive was an occasion and I could never tire of it. I don't understand the "993 for weekends" but I confess it was a bit noisy at constant motorway speeds. It's not great for passengers and my wife hates it.

I've driven 997s and obviously it's a better car in every measurable way. But for me the trade-off between mass-appeal refinement and quirky "character" means I'd take the relatively crude 993:
* it's tiny. It makes an Audi TT look huge
* the front wings - how expensive was it to press them from a single flat sheet of metal? With that attitude it's no wonder they almost went bust and had to resort to cost-cutting. Hence the 996 headlights and simpler pressings
* asymmetrical wing mirrors and offset pedals - who cares?
* the baritone hum when you turn the key in the ignition
* it looks so pretty but deceptively drives like "a man's car". Heavy steering at low speeds
* I can floor the accelerator once in a while
* even on motorways I rarely listen to music or the radio. The car is so involving
* during "progressive" driving, the tiptronic gearbox lets you left-foot brake and blip the throttle while changing down. Very satisfying and not a skill easily mastered with the slow tip buttons!
* so great around corners. No doubt the 997 has traction control and all that good stuff. But believe me (and I don't do the big talk) once you've mastered the ice hill at the Porsche Silverstone facility (a must-do if you drive a 993), you'll relish autumn and the exquisite gentle slide of rear/front/both tyres on slippery roundabouts. All done with your right foot.
 
hot66 said:
highway said:
...993 better looking than all the others including early stuff and 964. All my opinion. Others may have a differing view.

you're blind ! :eek: :floor:

Untitled by hot 66, on Flickr

wow. What road its this? Im in Yorkshire and want to get to know the local roads!
 
Thats a really well known road .. Buttertubs .. basically Hawes to Thwaite

I headed over to see a mate at Coniston on Saturday, so heres one from a another raod not to far from Buttertubs ( think more rally special stage though )
Untitled by hot 66, on Flickr

To be honest, Buttertubs is a good road but there loads around that area if you keep off the well trodden routes .. weekends can be hardwork what with all the tourists trundling along
 
I've had my 993 since 2003/2004- at that time it was one model series old, the 996 was at the end of it's run and the 997 hadn't come out yet. For about 8 years the car was a daily driver and never had an issue using it as such, I suppose I was just used to it, I still have the car now, but over the same period I've also bought and used other cars in parallel, but the 993 is a car I just could never let go of.

I've had 8 series', fast jap cars (300zx TT), SLK 230k, Infiniti SUV and a couple of S classes, all of which were in fine fettle as I'm very particular about the condition of each of my cars... all these other cars came and went but the 993 stayed...

Every time I get into the 993 I look at the stark old school dash and realise (and appreciate) that when it comes to the enjoyment of driving itself, it has literally everything you need - centre mounted rev counter, great soundtrack, no mod cons to distract you, and the bluetooth in my Becker Indianapolis Pro is as much as I need. Everything is about the drive itself - the visceral experience and enjoyment which has never waned since buying the car.

In terms of comparing with newer cars, my dad and brother being in the trade has meant that I've driven almost all variants of 996, 997 and 991.1 (carreras and turbos rather than RS/GT type cars), and I often drive my brothers 996 TT, and my dad's 996 C2, and for me, while they are all no doubt objectively better, they all somehow feel related (not driven the new carrera turbos mind you) - difficult to put the finger on why exactly that is - for example a nissan GTR no matter how good definitely doesn't feel related; so there's something in the DNA. I never feel short changed when going back in my 993. And personally the offset pedals and quirks dont bother me - but I also use an S class as a daily so I get my modern relaxed luxo barge fix there, however the 993 is always an event to drive. My 993 also goes out in all weather - snow, rain whatever.

Bit of a ramble for sure - best thing is to drive one and see how you feel, you may not like it!!
 
one more thing - I firmly believe that to get the best out of a 993, you need to use it often - they somehow feel better when used regularly. Either it's because your body gets used to the quirky ergonomics through regular use - or the engine and transmission are somehow better when used regularly. IMO after 15 years of ownership!
 
diddy_p said:
one more thing - I firmly believe that to get the best out of a 993, you need to use it often - they somehow feel better when used regularly.

:yeah:

So TRUE!! wise words... I keep telling that to my mate who has a RS that does 10 miles a year... :eek: :x
 

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