Used, non-bank-breaking Porsche or similar - what are you experiences?

TimmyO

Caveat: this is mostly idle curiosity - it'd be next year before I was in a position to actually consider it seriously, but it's on my mind so thought I'd open the conversation 

So this is VERY much a midlife worst type thing but I do know that at some point I'd LOVE to waste a few quid on owning a sports car (not a soft sport-Y car but something like a 911 or similarly "proper")

I'll never be paying for anything almost new, but I'm also aware that "there's nothing so expensive as a cheap Ferrari" as someone said in another thread recently. 

So has anyone been down this route - bought a modestly priced well engineered sports car just for the glow of ownership for a while? 

TimmyO

(by all means mock away :-) ) 

Strat_a_tat_tat

By all means get the Porsche...
... but how will you live with those nagging doubts... when you continually ask yourself... "Why didn't I go the extra mile - and get a Veloster?"

TimmyO

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

By all means get the Porsche...
... but how will you live with those nagging doubts... when you continually ask yourself... "Why didn't I go the extra mile - and get a Veloster?"

:-) 

danishbacon

Cayman S is a seriously good car

Strat_a_tat_tat

Morgan... and a WW2 flying jacket... and you're done!

TimmyO

danishbacon said:

Cayman S is a seriously good car

Noted, ta

joneve

Ok, so I only have second hand experience of this...but basically my FIL bought a 1994 911 993 (M reg) approx 8-10 years ago for around 14k from a bloke near leeds. 

It certainly wasn't mint or pristine, BUT my FIL is VERY meticulous when it comes to purchases like this, so wouldn't have bought a dud and lo-and-behold, when I took him up there to collect it, it was very well looked after. Usual wear and tear but the interior was pretty spotless and was generally in good nick. 

He's spent a few quid here and there replacing and fixing a few bits of rust and other bits and pieces (soundproofing in the doors etc), but nothing major. 

If he sold it now, he'd quite easily make a tidy profit on it. 

For example, this one is listed on AT: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201906128945232?advertising-location=at_cars

Similar condition to FILs. 

Basically, if you get the right one, you'll be getting an investment, from what I can gather. 

Servicing isn't cheap, but then if it's not an every day car, you won't be putting the miles/wear on it to warrant "regular" servicing. And if you're handy mechanically, you can do some of it yourself. 

The 993 is a lovely example. I got the pleasure of driving it back to our wedding reception venue when we got married (he's never let me near it since ). 

fretmeister

The only thing I know is that the Cayman is a far better thing to drive than a 911.

Having driven my brother's ones, the Cayman is is lovely. It's far better designed, but also it suffers from "cheap" and "not a 911" views. Depends whether driving or posing is more important!

WiresDreamDisasters

Emperor Porschelous must surely have some viewpoint on this !?!

TTony

Cayman - with a Porsche warranty.

Failing that (ie if you don't want to spend that much and/or want space in the car for more than 2 normal size humans), a mk2 TT (manual, petrol) which are available from £5k upwards nowadays with decent/full service histories.

I came close to the latter a couple of months ago.  Except that I then fell into the "for £2k more, I could get .... " trap. 

Which, when you go through that loop a few times, you end up looking at nearly new mk3 TTs instead.

And then you realise that with the discounts available, you might as well buy a brand new one.



Well, that was how my brain worked!

SouthpawMark

Older 911s spent most of their time trying to spin you in to a hedge backwards. It wasn’t until the late 90s that they stopped being death traps in the wrong hands. 

I’d go for a 997 Carrera 4S, NOT the convertible version, as they’re only driven by recently divorced ladies. 

prowla

I've got a Lotus Elise for my toy car; I've never looked at another car and thought I'd rather have that.

Strat_a_tat_tat

SouthpawMark said:

I’d go for a 997 Carrera 4S, NOT the convertible version, as they’re only driven by recently divorced ladies. 

Hmmmm.... where do I find these recently divorced ladies?

TTony

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

SouthpawMark said:

I’d go for a 997 Carrera 4S, NOT the convertible version, as they’re only driven by recently divorced ladies. 

Hmmmm.... where do I find these recently divorced ladies?

Just look out for a 997 convertible.  

celentium

prowla said:

I've got a Lotus Elise for my toy car; I've never looked at another car and thought I'd rather have that.

I've been looking at those. What's that like in terms of running costs and depreciation? 

Strat_a_tat_tat

TTony said:

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

SouthpawMark said:

I’d go for a 997 Carrera 4S, NOT the convertible version, as they’re only driven by recently divorced ladies. 

Hmmmm.... where do I find these recently divorced ladies?

Just look out for a 997 convertible.  

Truth be told... I was hoping for someone a bit younger... not somebody rapidly approaching their first millenium.
Oh... and she doesn't have to be convertible.

stickyfiddle

celentium said:

prowla said:

I've got a Lotus Elise for my toy car; I've never looked at another car and thought I'd rather have that.

I've been looking at those. What's that like in terms of running costs and depreciation? 

I would worry about whether you can get in and out of one first...

But srsly, get a Toyota-engined one and you'll be fine.

Gassage

If you go for a 997, get the 3.6. The engine is far less problematical.

TimmyO

joneve said:

For example, this one is listed on AT: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201906128945232?advertising-location=at_cars

That one would be drastically out of any imagined budget

Dominic

Caymen is a great car
Audi RS4 is faster, smoother, equal handling in the hands of a good driver, more comfortable, more practical and more reliable
oh and did I say 'less girly "