The 993 variant of the Porsche 911 has always been regarded as the best iteration of the great “air-cooled” era. These cars had the perfect blend of classic Porsche performance with modest creature comforts. Plus, who can argue with their beautiful styling that just keeps getting better with age? In particular, the ‘95s have proven to be among the most reliable. With their OBDI computers, they are highly tunable and don’t have check engine light issues like the later OBDII cars. With California’s tight smog laws, ownership of 1995s is an easier alternative for California residents.
This 993 was built on January 24th, 1994, and sold new on March 18th, 1994 by Paramount Motor Sales, the Porsche dealer in Hickory, North Carolina. It was optioned from the factory with the following:
- U.S. Emissions
- Polar Silver Metallic
- Classic Grey Partial Leather
- Limited Slip Differential
- Automatic Brake Differential (early traction control)
- Light Rootwood Shift Lever Knob
- HiFi Sound Package w/10 Speakers
- Becker Porsche CR-1 Cassette Radio
- 6 Disc Remote CD Changer
- Cruise control
- Electric Sunroof
The MSRP was $65,391, which is approximately $137,812 in today’s dollars.
This 993 originally came with the base 16” wheels, which we believe were replaced with the 17” Sport Classic Porsche by BBS wheels by the selling dealer when new.
The first owner was Bill Anderson of Savannah, Georgia. This was one of the first 993s delivered to the U.S. as production for the North America-designated 993s started in January of 1994. Bill kept this 993 for over 23 years and 33k miles. It was primarily a weekend cruiser and used to travel occasionally on vacation to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Despite only averaging around 1,400 miles per year, Bill serviced this 993 regularly. Highlights of services during his ownership include:
- Regular oil services based on time and not miles
- Installed ROW/European suspension springs (3/98 @ 9k miles)
- Wiring harness warranty/recall repair @ Brumos (1/03 @ 18,030 miles)
- 4 wheel alignment at Porsche of Hilton Head (12/05 @ 23,355 miles)
- A/C system refurbishment (1/08)
- Compressor
- Expansion valve
- Receiver/drier
- Evaporator
- Cabin air filter
- R134A recharge/dye test
- A/C system O-rings and oil
- Service/repair cost – $2,748
- Rebuild alternator and new air guide for fan (1/11 @ 26,649 miles)
- Replace front hood latch and hood release cable (1/17 @ 32,879 miles)
- Services in preparation for sale (4/17 @ 33,143 miles)
- Oil service
- Repair horn/steering wheel contact
- Clean inside gauge cluster
- Replace oil pressure gauge
- Repair speedometer
- Replace lower valve cover gaskets
- Modify airbag carriers
- New wipers
Bill sold his 993 to Mark Siegel, a helicopter pilot from Reno, Nevada, on July 3rd, 2017 with 33,374 miles. Mark enjoyed this 993 for the next few years and added another 4k miles. As a pilot, he too was fastidious with service and enjoyed working on the car himself. Highlights of the services and repairs he performed during his ownership period include:
- New front Michelin tires (7/17 @ 33,440 miles)
- New decklid/hood shocks and rear window outer/inner seals (7/17 @ 33,520 miles)
- Transmission service w/ Delvac 75-90 (7/17 @ 33,580 miles)
- Adjust parking brake and replace air filter(7/17 @ 33,608 miles)
- 4-wheel alignment (7/17 @ 33,632 miles)
- Multiple services (8/17 @ 33,818 miles)
- Fuel filter
- Oil service
- Both cabin filters
- All driver/accessory belts
- Flushed brakes/clutch, oil temp thermostat, dist. caps & rotors (10/17 @ 34,021 miles)
- Restore Porsche CR-1 Radio with Bluetooth capability (6/18)
- Replace engine sound pad (6/18)
- New rear Michelin tires (8/18 @ 35,260 miles)
- New factory Hela HVAC control unit – $2,215 (8/18 @ 35,388 miles)
- New suspension and major service (4/19 @ 36,161 miles)
- Koni Sport single adjustable struts and shocks
- Eibach lowering springs (part of Koni Sport Kit)
- Spark plugs
- Plug wires (Beru)
- Rear spoiler wall
Mark sold this 993 to the current San Diego, California enthusiast on May 14th, 2020 with 37,821 miles. We’ve helped this owner sell another 993 in the past and he also is extremely fastidious with his care. For the past 4 years, this owner has added another 10k miles of light weekend driving. Most of his service needs were done by Black Forest in San Diego, California. These included the following:
- Annual service/first service as new owner (5/20 @ 38,154 miles)
- Oil service with Driven DT50
- Top off all fluids
- Complete safety inspection
- Test battery
- Replace O2 sensor
- CV boots looked fresh/replaced
- Service A/C system (2/21 @ 40,022 miles)
- Oil service and replace all drive & accessory belts (1/22 @ 41,641 miles)
- Replace windshield and seals with factory parts – $1,966 (4/22)
- New Rear Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires (4/22 @ 42,953 miles)
- services at Black Forest (6/22 @ 43,065 miles)
- Oil service
- Fuel injector cleaning and service
- Replaced shaft seals on resonance flap
- Brake fluid flush
- Power steering fluid flush
- Replace both chain box cover stud grommets and bolt seals
- Replace spark plugs, alignment/set kinematic toe (4/23 @ 44,179 miles)
- Replace both catalytic converters- w/CA CARB legal – $3,025 (6/23 @ 44,835 miles)
- Replace fuel injection idle air control valve and throttle position switch (2/24)
- Most recent service/inspection at Black Forest (3/24)
- Oil service
- Check battery
- New driver side window motor – $1,710
- Full vehicle inspection
This 993 is in excellent survivor condition and clearly well-cared for, never abused, and always garaged. The exterior looks fresh with minimal signs of wear. Most of the paint is original and verified with a paint meter. The hood was repainted many years ago and blended into the right front fender. Visually, the color match is perfect and there’s no perceivable difference. There are no signs of anything significant, but it was probably done to remedy normal road chips. The left rear fender has had a small area of touch-up and blending probably due to a superficial scratch. Visually, there is no difference and only noticed via paint meter readings. Overall, there are hardly any signs of use on the exterior. The rear bumper has a couple of small scratches probably due to a garage door closing. The body gaps are excellent and the doors close with that signature “ping.” The doorstays are in good shape with no snapping noise. The glass is near perfect with no major scratches or chips. The windshield was replaced in April of 2022 due to a rock chip, light rash, and the typical 993 windshield squeaking issue. The 17” Sport Classic factory wheels are in good shape with no major curb rash. They are wearing Michelin Pilot Sport tires. The rears were installed in 2022 and have 75% life remaining while the fronts were installed in 2017 and have between a third and half life left. The brake pads appear to have around 50% to 75% life remaining with a slight lip on the rotors.
The interior is equally as pristine and certainly showcases the pampered life this 993 has led. The leather seats are some of the best original examples I’ve seen with hardly any signs of wear. There are no tears or rips and barely any wrinkling of the leather on the exit bolsters. Of course, the rear seats look unused. The headliner has no tears or staining and the sunroof panel looks perfect. The headliner lights both works. The door panels have none of the common door pocket warping and look perfect. The carpet also looks nearly new with no heavy wear marks or stains. The floormats appear to be new and fit nicely with the proper factory-securing screws. The dash has no cracks or warping. All the gauges, including the clock, work properly. The A/C system has been refurbished and blows very cold. The original Becker radio has been serviced and updated with Bluetooth capabilities via the CD changer control. It works seamlessly. With the upgraded speakers hidden behind the factory screens, the sound is surprisingly good. The power windows, mirrors, sunroof, and seat controls all work properly as does the cruise control. The stock shifter has been upgraded to a tasteful short shifter, but the original unit is included with a new factory root wood shift knob. I struggle to find any fault with the interior. It truly is one of the best I’ve seen.
This 993 starts easily on the first try and fortunately does not have the immobilizer system that plagued later 993s. It holds an even idle and once at operating temperature, pulls strong throughout the rev range. The upgraded suspension provides better turn-in and handling while still being compliant enough on uneven surfaces. Despite being slightly lower than the factory Euro ride height, there’s no rubbing or any other issues noted with the handling. The transmission shifts smoothly through all the gear changes with no grinding. The upgraded short shifter is a welcome addition as it feels great and removes the slop of the stock shifting unit. The clutch engages properly without any slipping. The brakes have an excellent bite with no fading or pulling. Similar to the cosmetic condition, there’s hardly anything to fault with the mechanical condition of this example.
This 993 has current California registration valid to May of 2025 and it just passed CA’s strict emissions/smog test.
This 993 C2 includes all the factory keys (2 main keys and valet key), original key replacement card, 1 extra hide-a-key, AutoKennel® branded leather key fob, all owner’s manuals with the vinyl case, original maintenance booklet with dealer stamps, thick stack of service receipts, original window sticker, original purchase agreement, original Porsche COA in folder, tool kit, jack, air-compressor, new light rootwood factory shift knob, original shift boot, space saver spare tire/wheel, windshield sunshade, original speakers, original tape deck holder, original center console insert, Koni suspension adjustment knobs, and box of other misc. parts.
**Note: VIN and other numbers withheld to protect against fraud. All numbers including VIN, Engine, and color will be provided to serious buyers.
“Beautiful 993.” – Doug, the photographer
Doug has photographed 429 cars for us over the past 4+ years. He has a stoic demeanor and a wicked dry sense of humor.
Coming from primarily a BMW background, he’s received a crash course in everything Porsche.
He makes humorous observations of the cars and their owners, which are always on point.
However, to get a sincere compliment about a particular car is as rare as Porsche building a front-wheel drive car.
When Doug finished photographing this 993, he texted me, “Beautiful 993.” I waited for the snarky jab and sarcastic pun follow-up. Nothing. Wow, he actually likes this one.
Not only is it an extremely tidy example, but it drives even better than it looks. Everything feels tight, fresh, and responsive.
After Ed, our detailer, finished preparing it, he too gave kudos to this 993. Lastly, our neighbor in unit 4 who has a ‘98 C2S came over while this 993 was on the lift and commented on its dry and pristine underside
It truly is a rare day that all three of us, who collectively have dealt with well over 10,000 cars, independently agree on one specific Porsche.
Maybe I’ll buy a lottery ticket for this one.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Paul at 714-335-4911 or [email protected]
This vehicle is sold “as-is” with no warranty, written or implied. In some cases, the vehicle does have the remaining factory warranty still in place and will be described above if that is the case. All taxes and fees are the responsibility of the buyer and are not included in the listed price. All vehicle sales will require a $170 administration fee. The vehicle listed is described to the best of our ability. The information is based on our own research and statements made to us by the previous owner(s). To the best of our knowledge, the above information is accurate. We are not responsible for errors in our description of options or any other details. The above-mentioned vehicle is used and can be expected to show some wear and tear. It is not a brand-new vehicle. We do welcome all local pre-purchase inspections on vehicles to verify their condition. For payment, we accept bank transfers, cashier’s checks, or cash. Checks take up to 10 business days to clear. The vehicle and title will be held until all funds are cleared and verified. Bank transfers usually only take 24 hours.
Note: For out-of-state buyers, California does not offer temporary tags/registration. Each State typically has a grace period to allow buyers to drive their new out-of-state acquisition to their local DMV for registration. Please check your State’s DMV website for more details. Also, California requires us to surrender standard plates less than 30 years old back to the state and will not be delivered with the vehicle. Personalized plates stay with the seller.