993 TIP OR MANUAL

[Guest]

Looks like i may of sold my Supersport apart from crossing the t,s and dotting the i,s gutted but hey ho ... .... now im looking for a 993 .....
I am a complete 993 novice and have no insight into the manual pro,s or tiptronic con,s ...... there is a nice tip on pistonheads a C2S what are they like to drive versus the manual and what should i be looking for in a 993 ?

I like the Targas but have been told if the roof goes wrong they can be big money ... comments / tips and advice all appreciated .......

 

[cobalt911]

Hi 'Daplume'

I just switched from a 5 year old 996 to a 12 year old 993c4s. I was told to keep away from tips because resale is pretty tough and also the drive can be a little sluggish but I am not convinced about the drive part as I have heard many people say the tips are a pretty good drive. One thing I know for sure is that a tip will be easier on the left leg! []

I bought Adrian Crawford's 993 buyers guide as an online download and it really helped me when I looked around cars. I still ended up with one that has seen a respray BUT there is no significant damage and the engine is a sweet as a nut! Resprays are looking at becoming the norm on older cars due to the difficulty in matching colour. Mine is polar silver which is supposed to be one of the hardest along with cobalt.

I guess the tip v manual debate all depends on driving style and usual commute?!?

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Mark Elder]

I'm sure others will jump in and disagree big time, but, for me, a 993 is about "driver involvment", so tip is rather negating the point of getting the car. If you want a tip buy a 996/7

It does slightly depend on what you will use the car for (and why you are buying it). Perhaps if you will do a lot of stop/start commuting then a 993 tip might be a nice compromise.

I can't answer the Targa question directly, but I think they look beautiful and I've only seen minor faults reported on here - nothing expensive or badly made creating any long term issues.

 

[Guest]

It,s going to be a weekend toy and i won,t use it for commuting so i suppose i should be patient and wait for a manual C2S .... and wait and wait and wait

 

[Mark Elder]

But why wait for an S?
You can have all the same fun in a C2/4 and she'll be slightly slimmer, and ever so slightly faster[]

 

[harry]

Look at it this way - one less thing to go wrong, one less heartache. I will always choose a manual even if it was a Ferrari (unless one has no choice 360CS or Scuderia). I always loved swapping the cogs myself and I will remain a dinosaur 'til the day I cannot drive []. Personally, no targa for me - either it is a tin top w/o sunroof or convertible, no compromise.

Harry

 

[David Koppel]

Dear David

As an owner of a 2s Tip I would advise you not to rule it out.

Manual: slightly faster and with slightly more control however the point of owning a 993 is enjoyment, do I have fun in my Tip?.....you bet, would I have more fun in a manual? probably sometimes, but would I find changing gear in traffic tiresome? probably more often than a manual would be more fun....

Tip: Is it fast enough?.....its easy enough to get points but I still look forward to overtaking caravans!

Don't forget there will always be a faster, better handling car on the road..... an 11 year old car if for fun.

The bottom line is try both and then make your mind up....I use mine as a daily driver and it still makes me smile every time I get in (and when I get out, though I am not sure that I would smile on getting out in a manual after each trip).

David

 

[Andy B Aces High]

Have to agree with David Elder, if you are buying a sports car then the manual is the way to go. Much more involving. I think the Tip's were aimed more towards the London commuting type of drive (duck my head and wait for the cross fire !!) Also agree about the non S car, if you have S type money £28k plus then you should find a really nice non S car.

Which ever you choose I dont think you will be disappointed with a 993.

Andy B.

 

[Guest]

Thx chaps ... also another question . i have found a 993 in N.Ireland .... apart from the initial drag of getting over there and back is there a stigma attached to a car coming from there ? a couple of times i have seem them advertised and stay advertised for ages .

Would or does it cause the prices to be cheaper ??? Even if the vehicle was an originally based in England ?

 

[chinoloco]

No reason in particular there should be a problem with one coming from N. Ireland. There is an OPC and a very well respected independent to look after them, lots of newer Porsches over here, I see the odd 993 here and there. Doubt it would be cheaper - if anything a bit more expensive as there is a much smaller choice of good 993s here. It will probably have a N.Ireland registration but it's very easy to change back and forth between UK and N.Ireland registrations - took me 10 minutes in DVLNI office.

I bought from S. England and drove back which is a pain in the ass but worth it if you find the one you want. If you want an inspection done before you come over I can give you the name/number of the indie.

 

[b7gud911]

Hi Daplume,
Just to add my twopence worth, having owned two 993 Targas, one Tip and my present Silver manual Targa, i have to say that after a couple of months of owning my Tip i realised i had personally made a mistake going for a Tip as i really missed the involvment of a manual, this was probally due to the fact i had just come out of my 3.2 manual Carrera. Having now had chance to live with both cars i have to say the manual for me is a far better driving experience, but then again i live and drive on mainly un-congested roads and mainly weekends, if i was faced with busy roads and stop/start traffic the choice would be a no brainer go for the Tip.
As for the Targa or Coupe debate, i thankfully have had no problem with either of my Targas ( fingers crossed ) and i am completely in love with its looks and the way it keeps the classic 911 shape as well as giving a real feeling of open top driving.
Like you i also spent a lot of time looking at C2S models and although am sure if i had bought one i would be singing its praises but i didnt and have never regreted it for a second.
These are only my own humble opinions and each to their own, one thing for sure though is if you do your homework and buy a sorted 993 in any form you will never regret it !!
Best of luck.

 

[edelschmetterling]

ORIGINAL: Mark Elder
... a 993 is about "driver involvment", so tip is rather negating the point of getting the car. If you want a tip buy a 996/7

I couldn't agree with Mark Elder any more. You are in touch with everything with the 993; it is a driver's car. I Live and drive in the City & stop start all the time and the Manual gear changes doesn't bother me at all, just makes those open opportunities all the more enjoyable & rewarding. As for the open road, i.e. motoways slow moving traffic. I can travel in sixth gear doing 30mph at 900 revs. I think this is as good as if not better than an automatic! When the road allows, I just put the pedal to the metal and she just pulls away beautifully.
[8D]
Note: I am not suggesting I drive like this all the time, just when the occasion takes my fancy. The rush & alarming control the manual 993 gives in situations is beyond vocalisation.

 

[Guest]

ORIGINAL: Mark Elder
But why wait for an S?
You can have all the same fun in a C2/4 and she'll be slightly slimmer, and ever so slightly faster[]

Better-looking too...purely IMHO of course! [8D]

 

[Dylan1]

the tip in the 993 is obviously not up to the later tips in the 996and 997 and now the "PDK"about to appear in the facelift 997 but some people clearly felt they were ok or they wouldnt have made so many!![]
as always you pay your money and make your choice-we are all different and equally valid

 

[C V Read]

Hi

My first 993 was a tip - current one is a manual targa.

The others are spot on about involvement - the manual is much better (and 6 speeds Vs 4) but to begin with I was using the car around town and the tip was a much better day to day proposition.

I've now had the targa for almost 10 years and no problems with the mechanisms. Its a fantastic car.

By the way, not sure where you are but I just had mine serviced in Datchett and Peter Tognola has two customer 993 targas in there that the owners are looking to sell. No affiliation etc. but looked at first glance like decent cars.....

Charlie