Daily Slideshow: An Auto Journalist's Beloved 1997 993

Quest for Simple

This is the story of automotive reporter Basem Wasef and his search for, as he told Super Street, "A personal car that could keep me in touch with the fundamentals of performance and soul." After years of "driving dirty in the freshest Huracan Performantes, V8 Vantages, and 911 GT2 RSs," which Wasef says he lives for, he began to wonder if enthusiasts were "losing appreciation for the slower, simpler ancestors that propelled us into this golden age of horsepower." Wasef looked deep inside and asked himself this question: "Does eating steak every day make you crave a simple bowl of rice?" His answer was a definitive uh huh, and so he set off in search of his own personal slow, simple bowl of rice. His search, like the searches of many of us, was informed by earlier experiences. He'd previously owned a 911SC, which he called both, "relatively crude," and also, "wonderfully over-engineered [sic]," and his affection for air-cooled 911s was still strong. He decided he wanted the "ultimate air-cooled 911." He wanted a 993.

Kicking Tires

Wasef was surprised by his first test drive in a 993—a model developed by some of the best engineers in the world over 30+ years of production, benefiting from 40+ years of racing experience—he found the car to be overwhelmingly refined. Though he felt the engine was a little too quiet, and the suspension a little too soft, he was sold on the 993's rounded fenders. His memories of his 911SC were those of a more immediate car. Crisis time. What to do when you want to recapture a feeling you remember from years ago but also want to buy a newer toy? You buy the toy and then make it the way you want it. Wasef settled on a completely original 1997 Carrera coupe as a start for his modifications.

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Twist Away

Now, being a journalist and all, Wasef is well aware of what happens in the comment sections of Man Buys Survivor/Man Changes Survivor articles, so he made sure to mention that he usually likes to keep cars stock, and all of his tweaks would be reversible. Speaking of reversible, the first thing to go had to be the directional Porsche Turbo Twist solid-spoke wheels that his 993 came with. Even if he had been staying stock, there are less hubcap-looking factory options than those from which to choose. Part of the fun of an upgrade is the process, so after some research Wasef decided to go with HRE wheels—a decision that involved HRE coming to Wasef's house to make 3D scans of his 993's wheel wells. 

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Made to Measure

With the relevant dimensions fed into their computers, HRE came up with an optimized width and offset profile, and used it to CNC a set of their 18-inch R101 wheels from billet aluminum. The wheels were then finished in bronze anodizing, immediately relieving the 993 from excess shininess, and nicely setting off the coupe's forest green metallic paint.

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Where the 993 Meets the Road

No automotive edge-sharpening process would be complete without the right tire to go on those new wheels. Wasef went with Pirelli P-Zeros: "sporty summer street tires equipped with Formula 1-derived features like a rigid compound in the bead." He headed straight to Pirelli for the installation, to the company's P Zero World operation in Los Angeles, where the journalist reported his car rubbed elbows with Rolls-Royces and Range Rovers. 

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Ride Tightening

Now, Wasef admits that some of the wallow-y nature of his 993 might have been due to its worn-out suspension components. To cure those ills, he replaced the offending items with Eibach coils over Bilstein B12 Proline shocks, featuring 40mm of built-in height adjustment. BBi Autosport of Huntington Beach, California handled the suspension work, also replacing the control arms with OEM units and adding drop links from Tarrett Engineering in the rear.

>>Join the conversation about this 993 right here in the Rennlist Forum.

Throat Clearing

With the 993's handling sorted, Wasef turned to his "mechanical goal" of acoustic proportions: the exhaust note. The mechanism he chose was a Borla Performance Industries exhaust system, noting founder Alex Borla's past connection to Porsche as a factory test driver. In fact, Borla contacted Wasef to ask if they could use his 993 to develop a new muffler specifically for the model. After only one week's time, Borla got back to Wasef with two options, one more prominent version, and one with a lower, more subdued timbre. After driving the 993 with both systems, the writer went for the more subtle option.

>>Join the conversation about this 993 right here in the Rennlist Forum.

Gourmet Porsche

After living with the changes for a while now, Wasef wouldn't change a thing. The suspension changes gave him the precision he was looking for without unduly harshening the Porsche's ride, the Pirellis transformed the car's turn-in, and the Borla system emits a pleasing pop when he lifts off the throttle. Of all the changes, the HRE wheels could be the most essential, not only transforming the 993's appearance but also jettisoning nine pounds per corner. Sometimes the best answer to "steak or rice?" is to cook up your own dish using the best ingredients you can find. Though it always helps to start with a classic recipe.