Why own a 993 or 964 vs an older or newer 911

Why own a 993/964?

• The 993/964 have a modern electrical system upgrading the reliability of the electrical system substantially versus the earlier 911.
• The 993 & 964  OBD-1 cars provided useful diagnostic information using a code reader. The 993 OBD-II cars, 1996 forward provide comprehensive diagnostic information making diagnosing running or other system issues a lot easier.
• The 964/993 air conditioning works reasonably well, not as good as a Toyota but functional. In the earlier cars, the AC really was not very functional in cooling the cabin.
• For the 993 the transmission and clutch can be serviced without removing the engine from the car. This can avoid a good bit of labor cost when servicing these.
• 993, 1995, and newer have Hydraulic engine valve adjustments. This means instead of needing the valves adjusted every 15k miles the adjusters are replaced every 60K miles or so, cutting down on periodic maintenance. The adjusters are under the valve covers and can be replaced with the engine in the car.
• 993 & 964 cars are the last of the air-cooled Porsche 911 with iconic body styles
• The 993/964 are considerably smaller than the newer 911
• The 993/964 provide a much more visceral driving experience at the expense of long road trip comfort when compared to the newer 911
• The 993/964 G50 variant transmission & shift linkage is a significant improvement over the pre-'87 Carreras making shifting a much smoother experience.
• The 993 C4 and Turbo employ a very simple and extremely reliable 4-wheel drive system. The 964 4-wheel drive used an electronically controlled system that has proven to not be as reliable.
• Both the 993 & the 964 shares modern MacPherson strut front suspension expanding the options for performance upgrades.
• The 993 unlike every previous 911 uses a multi-link rear suspension with coil-over struts dramatically improving the car's behavior when driven near the limits of grip in turns. 
• The 964 has a modern McPherson Strut Coilover suspension in the front and a significantly beefed-up version of the trailing arm suspension in the rear used previously in all earlier 911.  Replacing the torsion bars with coil-over struts improves handling and transmits a lot less road noise up through the body into the cabin. For daily driver use where the car is not pushed to the limit, the difference between a 993 and a 964 may not be apparent to many.
• The 993 has raked headlights and more muscular body curves, and the 964 has the classic 911 look with vertical round headlights in pronounced wings and more subtle body curves. Both are wonderful-looking cars, take your pick!
• The 964 & 993, unlike earlier cars, have power steering not requiring the roll-as-one-turns technique when parking or much upper body strength to control.
• The 964 & 993, unlike later cars, have the simpler fixed valve timing creating a very pleasant rush in power as the car winds up into its sweet spot between 4000 & 5000rpm. Later cars with variable valve timing have a relatively flat torque curve throughout the rpm range and do not have the feeling of winding up as a 993/964 and earlier cars do. A key feature in a classic sports car.
• For 993/964 there are a vast array of cosmetic and performance upgrades most of which can be applied by shade tree Do-It-Yourself inclined car owners.
• New, used, or remanufactured parts are widely available at reasonable prices.
• 993 owners are by far the most active folks on the internet sharing technical knowledge.

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