After posting my car pics at the what do you drive forum, I got a lot of compliments and it seems that a lot of people dream of the Porsche ownership. I'm not sure if what I'm going to say below is going to be news to anyone, but I thought I would anyway if that will help someone realize their dream.
I'm a certified Porsche nut and most of my savings have gone into my cars but I would not have it any other way. I'm I rich? Not by a long shot I'm afraid, given the fact that I'm such a gearhead when it comes to P cars, I came to a lot of realizations which have saved me a lot of money and I'm able to afford my dream.
1. Porsche cars are not necessarily expensive! In fact in my book there are two cars that are absolute bargains right now and won't be for too long I'm afraid.
A. The Porsche 951 or as widely known the 944 Turbo. I'm a previous owner of one and I can tell you that they are indeed wonderfull cars to have! Faily bulletproof but due to their age most are loaded with miles. Now that is nothing to shy away in a Porsche and the key here is to make sure you do a PPI ( pre purchase inspection) and ensure you have all the maintenance records. Chances are that cars with over 100Km on will have already their Turbos rebuilt or replaced which is a very good thing indeed. With prices hovering around 10 grand and if nothing else holding steady, its cheaper than a Toyota for people not being able to afford them.
B. The Porsche 964 or better the 911 produced from 1989 (Carrera 4 model) to 1994. The 964 for me right now is an absolute bargain! Looking at the prices of older 911's which sometimes surpass the 964 prices for me spending 20K USD on a 964 is an investment for the future as for sure their prices will go up in the future! Given that they are the first model breaching the old and the new, they incorporate modern technologies and a bulletproof engine which was carried largely unchanged to the 993 model. A lot of people desire the new model which is the 993 and agruably the best aircooled version of the 911 largely due to the new multiling rear suspension which has carried through the latest 911 and partly because of the ever beautifull curves that the 993 body has. So the 964 being the ungly duckling of the series has been overlooked but not for long I'm afraid. The fact is that they do not make them any more and due to the natural attrition they become less and less available which due to the laws of supply and demand, pricing will start increasing as it has in the older models. There was a "glitch" perceived with the early 964's up to 1991 which has to do with the new then design of sealing the wngine essentially withoput a rubber gasket. That led to engines leaking some oil and a lot of 'critics" advise to shy away from these model years. I think that these exact years are the ones that are a complete bargain! I have seen many 964's within these years and I can attest that while the clitch was there in a few cars it was not in all of them and certainly it was not a huge problem. However due to the fact that Porsche changed the design people's perception has remained which is great news for the smart buyer as one can snatch one easily for a price less than a Honda Civic! 964's are fantastic 911's indeed! 911 engines can go easy to 200000miles without a problem, clutches go up to 100K miles and in some instances over, gearboxes are equally bulletproof and they are very simple to maintain even by a home mechanic. With a 964 you will get a very fast Porsche and experience in full the 911 experience. It is extremely rewarding and a timeless classic.
2. The need for a good PPI. This is crucial! a 911 engine with good leakdown and compression figures is guaranteed to have a long life ahead. Don't shy away from high mile cars either! As a matter of fact at around 60-80K most 911's will need natural wear and tear replacements such as clutch, brakes, clutch slave cylinder, shocks etc. These are big ticket items, for example the clutch will set you back a couple of grand, so high mile cars most likely will have had those replaced already so the car has ways to go really! Like I said records and a good PPI are a must.
3. Stay away from the dealers!!! I call them stealers really and only good to obtain factory parts
They will charge you an arm and a leg and their practice is to replace and not fix things. Find a good independant mechanic who has proven experience and preferably races Porsches. Talk to them and see what their attitude is. Case in point is my mechanic who I can tell you without him I would not be able to afford my dream. When I had my 968 like most Porsche owners I was bouncing from dealer to dealer hoping that every little thing that needs attention will not cost me my house payment for the month. One lovely day one of the pop up headlights on the 968 gave up the ghost. The 968 stubbonrly would only raise one eye up and I was forced to drive like a one eye pirate for a couple of days till my fear that my local friendly PD Officers will give me a ticket led me in desperation to the local dealer. In the meantime I had examined the bad eye and I could hear the motor trying to lift it up. So I told the dealer that and he said he was going to take a look at it. I got the dreaded phonecall and the "advisor" said : Oh you need a whole new assembly!!! I said that cannot be! He said yeap, the parts come all together so you need this...cost i said? $450 plus labor!!!!!! I nearly fainted and I said thank you no thank you... I was moving back to my hometown anyway shortly so I figured I would give a try a mechanic that a friend suggested me. So I did... my mechanic which I have to this day laughed out loud when I told him what the advisor said... He said do you see this part? pointing to a smally little plastic thing. I said yes... he says this is the 2 dollar part that needs to be replaced...
4. Buy USED! Most of my parts on both cars are bought used. There are a lot of bargains out there, on ebay, on PCA sites, salvage yards etc. The key here is that people will always "upgrade" that would be suspensions, interior parts, engine parts, wheels, brakes etc. That is where I shop! For example. I bought my triple adjustable JRZ shocks for 2 grand. The shocks were rebuilt so they are as good as new. Compare this to 4.5K that I would need to pay for a new set! Another example? My kinesis supercup wheels were had for $1700. 2 were slightly bent so add a couple of hundred to the mix and compare to $3500 price tag of new rims.
Bottom line is that there is ALWAYS someone who wants your parts and you want theirs... You just have to be patient look hard and dont wait till you find another deal. If the deal is good do it as most likely this deal will not come your way again.
5. Learn how to do maintenance yourself and always do preventive maintenance. Changing the oil is not brain surgery, changing the betls etc. These items could very well be done easily and that will save money. Furthermore don't skimp on these kind of expences. Budget for them. For example if your belts are old or have many miles on, change them before what the book says. This is cheap insurance that your engine will be running at its best and the benefit here is that Porsche engines are literally bullet proof and they will last many many miles unopened especially so the last versions of the aircooled engines.
6. DRIVE IT! Many people will get them and store them for some strange reason! The more you drive it the better! Besides that is what Porsche ownership is all about. Spend your money where it counts ( suspension) and take it to your local race track! Then you will develop a permanent grin on your face which is a Porsche drivers phenomenon!
Hope to see some of you joining the ranks! Life is short and Porsche life is very rewarding indeed!
Want a Porsche? The time is NOW!
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