993 restoration

[Ferry Man]

[Ferry Man]

The gearbox has also been thoroughly gone over by Redtek. There were no real problems with the box before the restoration but it had done nearly 120,000 miles so I wanted it rebuilt. Redtek reported nothing untoward, there were some worn teeth on the diff gears so those were replaced. That damage is not uncommon for a G50 and usually ends up manifesting itself as a ’stiff shift’. Any debris and metal shards tend to collect at the base of the gearbox casing, just where the selector shaft runs. A change of oil won’t cure that little problem...

[Ferry Man]

[misteralz]

It certainly looks pretty.

I have always been a fan of Range Rovers.

[Ferry Man]

I have always been a fan of Range Rovers.

Even if they're electric powered?
But that's another thread for another day ('looking forward to that one)....

[Ferry Man]

The wheels my 993 was wearing were not going to be good enough.
A point brought home to me when this (rather nice) early Boxster parked nearby.
And you can see where my wheels had originated. That left me wondering what wheels to buy?

[Ferry Man]

Most 993’s wore ‘Cup 2’s’ in period and a damn fine looking wheel they are too. 17’ diameter.
Nice and comfy on the ride, easy to clean, stylish and correct for the model.
A set of those would be an asset.

[Ferry Man]

I ordered my brand new 993 with Cup 2's (back in 1995).
Here's my old photo or my car when I bought it.

[Ferry Man]

They seem to fetch about £1,000 to £1,250 for a set in good order.
Well, I found these for £300! With some very reasonable tyres included. A bargain.

Obviously they have one big problem in that someone unwisely had them re-finished in black. Urrggh, when will that fashion end?
Anyway, I’m guessing people thought this set of wheels were cheap copies.
That and the colour meant I got them for a song. But they are genuine Porsche and in great shape.
I just need to paint them silver....

[Ferry Man]

So I've got a set of Cup 2's but for my 993 I wanted something better if possible.
18” diameter probably as the slightly larger wheel looks good.

[Ferry Man]

18” diameter probably as the slightly larger wheel looks good.

Of which the most desirable variant is the ‘turbo hollow-spoke’.
I do remember when Porsche launched them (for the Turbo) and they were a technological tour de force, hollow cast spokes, spun welded into the rims. Very clever.

Nowadays, the 993 cognoscenti seek these wheels above all others. They are the Numero Uno selection for 993’s.

And yet I don't like them because they are directional and Porsche didn’t produce a design for each side so on one side of your car the spokes are angled the wrong way. It’s an ugly compromise to save tooling up for two versions and all the other complexities that entails. I consider directional spokes an aesthetic aberration and bad form.
Nope, I don’t like ‘em. Sorry, 'just a personal opinion and currently out of step with fashion trends but I've said it.

[Ferry Man]

Other wheels to consider for a 993 are the later MY02 wheels and those are sought after because they are light & modern looking.
But - for me - they just look too modern looking. They work on later cars but don't look right on a 993, they signal a later era.

[Ferry Man]

Going aftermarket there are few I'd consider but one of the two that work best on a 993 is the Fiske FM10's (popular in the US).
They look great, especially if the car is blue...

[Ferry Man]

After much deliberation we come to the second of those aftermarket wheels, the BBS LM.
What a superb rim with a wonderful Porsche racing history. Pricey but quality.
They look great with gold centres too. An excellent wheel. Not the winner though.

[Ferry Man]

I began to realise, the wheel I wanted was the Speedline (as used on the 993RS).

Now the crazy thing is I had a set for many years. But I had recently sold them.

The story is I got a spare set of Speedlines with my RS when I purchased it back in 2008.
And for years they were stored in my garage. But then - when completing the Lime Green Carrera - I sold some parts to raise funds.
That was a mistake.

Realising my mistake I tried to buy them back but the gentleman I sold them to didn't wish to part with them (despite not having yet used them, he knew they'd come in handy one day).