The Porsche 993 range was superbly well made but as they are all at least 17 years old, it is important to make sure that the car you are looking at has been properly cared for. You will need to be very wary of any Porsche with missing service history records. A sign that the previous owners may have been skimping out on getting the car properly maintained. Also be wary of work carried out at non-Porsche specialist garages. We for instance only take on Porsches, so all our technicians will be able to do a better job than a normal garage offering a variety of services for many brands of the car!

An invoice you definitely do need to see is for the last service, this will feature a list of advisories. Check to see which jobs are still outstanding, as this will allow you to estimate the likely maintenance costs of your first year of ownership. Spoiler alert: Checking the cars service history may show up more than once in this article.

Mileage

As demand for 993’s is as high as ever, you may be struggling to find cars at the lower mileage end of the spectrum, the 993 is just so damn drivable after all. You may come across sub-40,000 mile 993 but it is likely to come at an extra cost, haggling may not work with that kind of owner!

It’s worth noting that mileage isn’t a huge worry with these cars, the 993 was well designed and quality-control was excellent. If you try a model with an excess of 100k mileage, it is worth remembering that it’s going to be common for a car of that age to have accumulated those sort of miles. But as long as the car has been well maintained it should be able to carry on for many thousands of miles more.

Corrosion

The bodywork on the Porsche 993 is high-quality galvanized steel, so it has a good level of corrosion resistance. Any signs of rust on the bodies are likely to be evidence of poorly repaired accident damage and you should take a look at the cars history for more information.

Another tell-tale sign that the 993 has been in an accident is if the chassis legs have been sprayed to match the bodywork – they only had a white base coat when they left the factory.

Porsche 993 engines can be heavy on oil consumption, so you should check for the recommended oil change regime has been followed and that there are no leaks. Again, all of this should be in the service history, IT IS THAT IMPORTANT.

It is also a smart idea to check the oil level, as a low reading may be a sign that the engine is using excessive amounts of oil or that there is a leak that is less obvious. It is worth doing this before and after your test drive, so you are able to check the difference. The engine at full temperature will give you a better idea of how much oil the engine is using.

Brakes

The brakes on the 993 were among the very best on the market when the car was manufactured and should still feel good. Brake pads and disks wear-out and need replacing regularly but it is worth checking how much life they have left, as you will be better off knowing if that cost lies around the corner.

Electrics

The electrics of any car this age need to be carefully checked so it is sensible to take the time to test all the switches when you inspect a 993. Common failures include electric windows and seat height adjuster motors. Both of which can be fixed fairly cheaply.

Some of what has been covered here is just the tip of the iceberg. Buying the 993 can be one of the best decisions you could ever make, however, that doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t protect yourself from buying the wrong 993. Book in with us today for and inspection with genuine Porsche experts. Design 911 – Brentwood. Check out our website here..

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