Fun car comparo... 718 GTS vs GT350 vs 64 Duratec/F20 MG Midget

I just retired from the military, got a great new job that will pay nicely in a year or so, and was talking with the wife about my next Midget build (maybe some remember the 4age 20v blacktop powered car I had until a few years back), the latest rendition with F20 or Duratec 2.0 power, etc etc etc.... so we pass one of the new Boxsters, and I go, man are those nice looking. She immediately agrees, and says, "why don't you just get one of those?" I mentioned the price, and she didn't flinch that much... "when you get your second year pay, you should just get one". 

She is not a car girl.  

I think the implication is that she doesn't want "old cars" in our driveway. I already have a 71 Norton Commando, and a 72 Airstream in the driveway/garage. 

So, I priced the Boxster out (I'm a convertible/roadster guy...), and of course the GTS, but then saw a new GT350 downtown. Holy E36 M3balls that is a cool looking/sounding car.  And it's $20k cheaper to start. I don't have a passion for either, and the truth is, the mustang a little less than the Boxster, but I'd imagine the 'stang will hold/increase in value while the boxster will fall fairly rapidly. 

Real passion would be to build a super badass early Midget with the aforementioned 2.0 4 cyl power, but it would be hard to turn down a "sure thing" with a pretty awesome chance at a new car.

Nothing happening too soon obviously, but wanted to share exciting conversation, and also see what people think. I wish everyone the kind of luck I have in life!! 

Don't let the cash burn a hole in your pocket. Go with the passion, not the Boxster/GT350, because that's what will make you happy!

Buying something you don't love is more expensive in the long run because you get the itch to replace it. This goes for cars as well as partners. 

I'm not sure the GT350s are going to turn into a collector vehicle. The GT350Rs, maybe. 

Hell there are two brand new '18 GT350s 14 miles from me as I sit listed at $4k under MSRP. 

There are used ones, with not many miles already in the LOW 40s. Or 33% below the original MSRP. That's a decent hit for a 15k mile car, 2-year old car. 

It’s difficult to say which cars will be collectors.  It’s much easier to say which ones won’t be; the ones everybody point at and say “that’s a future collector car.  I’m going to buy it for that reason.”

I too have been at a point in life where I’ve had some fresh money in my pocket and I was trying to decide which shiny metal box would make the most sense for me.

Had i to do it again, I’d invest the money in tools, garage space, and acquiring the skills to enable me to build whatever I want.  I might throw a used 3/4 ton truck and trailer in there too to drag stuff home.  That’s where you’ll find your happiness.  

On that note, I'd go back a generation on the Boxter S (2012-2016), find the cleanest/lowest mileage one you can find with the color/options you want. 

It still looks damn good. It will still be very new and nice. And you get the flat 6 wail over the turbo 4. 

A 401 CJ said

Had i to do it again, I’d invest the money in tools, garage space, and acquiring the skills to enable me to build whatever I want.  I might throw a used 3/4 ton truck and trailer in there too to drag stuff home.  That’s where you’ll find your happiness.  

 

I agree 100%, and I deeply regret not figuring this out 10-20 years sooner than I did.  It’s a lot more fun to play on paid for hobby cars of low total cost than worrying about future collectables, high payments and high insurance.  

In reply to Teh E36 M3 :

So asking this question here is bound to get a bias toward a grassroots project... might keep that in mind.

That said, I have a P-car in the garage, and a multi year project that I now race (which I am not 100% sure is faster thant the P-car), and the project holds my interest much more than the P-car. The GT350 is an amazing car, but I think the chance of them holding their value is not especially high. Too many cool cars coming out now, look at the value of a C6 Z06... Then a C5 Z06. These cars were as special when they came out as the GT350 is now (by my estimation).

Counterpoint: If you have other projects which take your time, the P-cars are shockingly reliable and trouble free in my experience, good thing because oil changes are $250 at the dealer.

Be honest with yourself about whether you would rather spend time driving/racing a car or working on/building a car.  That will give you the answer.

pushrod36 said:

Be honest with yourself about whether you would rather spend time driving/racing a car or working on/building a car.  That will give you the answer.

I would take a different tack. Don't buy a new or new-ish car if you want to go to the track more than once or twice a year (I don't think he's racing it since he'd have to have a pretty large budget to turn a stock GT350 into a racecar). You will beat on the car at the track, and I have seen too many sad faces from owners who have messed up their nice cars at the track. Get a car that you can afford to destroy and then flog the everliving daylights out of it at the track.

If you go with the passion project, you have the choice of making it a track-focused car or a street car. But as pushrod said, you can't count on a passion project as your DD.

I'm not planning on tracking any of them... always thought I wanted to do that, but at 42, I don't think I want the investment in time and energy to have a dedicated track car. I like driving quickly on windy roads, and I like mechanical things, and I like fiddling with them. 

To rephrase- the wife isn't totally into me getting a "project car", but that is totally my jam. I've got all the retirement savings I need, and a plan going forward to be comfortable in my nether years, so that's not a big deal. Just coming in to an era of my life where I should (barring any complete economy bust) have some disposable income. I plan to up my charity game, but also my personal enjoyment game- I've been very tight with my money for the last 20 years, and I'd like to start enjoying some of it.

I've got newish and reliable DD's- my last MG was my DD and it was not a good thing- lesson learned there. 

Cbraden- totally get your point. Even "special" cars aren't even special now. There is so much good stuff out there.

Anthony/401CJ- probably right. Just get something you enjoy, right? I keep thinking a 70's 911 would be the ticket there, and hit both enjoyable and collectible, but I think the affordability curve hit the sweet spot about 5-8 years ago. To get a clean driver might cost upward of $75k. I'm thinking '75 or older because I live in CA.

Z31- good call there. I'm still somewhat untrusting of modern-ish cars. I've either had 90's and older or brand new, just because I'm afraid they'll be difficult to work on myself. I feel like there needs to be about 15 years before a car is repairable by a home mechanic, but I'm probably just conservative/gun-shy

z31maniac said:

On that note, I'd go back a generation on the Boxter S (2012-2016), find the cleanest/lowest mileage one you can find with the color/options you want. 

It still looks damn good. It will still be very new and nice. And you get the flat 6 wail over the turbo 4. 

Great suggestion.  Alternatively, if you want to have a side project, you can go a little older as well on the Boxster and maybe use the "savings" over a new car on the project car?

Other downside with newer older cars is damn CA emissions- doesn't give you much latitude for engine performance improvement

If you want buy a future collectible that you expect to break even on or even make money on in the future, then for heaven sake, don’t buy one that’s collectible now.  Somebody mentioned C5 and C6 Z’s.  Those hold tremendous potential to my eyes.  People are out there chopping the bodies off C5’s for crying out loud.  Good.  Use em all up.  I have one.  I also remember when the most likely place to find an E-body Mopar (which they made many many thousands of) was in a trailer park.  Same type of thing goes for the air-cooled 911.  Up until about 10 years ago you almost couldn’t give one away.  I could retire comfortably now with a couple of mid range 911’s or E-bods.   

Buy one you like.  And don’t fool yourself into liking or disliking it just because everybody else does.

Teh E36 M3 said:

Z31- good call there. I'm still somewhat untrusting of modern-ish cars. I've either had 90's and older or brand new, just because I'm afraid they'll be difficult to work on myself. I feel like there needs to be about 15 years before a car is repairable by a home mechanic, but I'm probably just conservative/gun-shy

Since you mentioned a project car, I'm going to assume this isn't going to be an all-season, daily driver? 

I suspect you won't have to worry about to much maintenance on a well cared for low-mile example. And there are plenty of DIY guys in the Porsche community. 

My '13 135i only has 32k miles on it. The only things I've *had* to do were new rear tires, cut one of the run-flats and the other was just worn enough to replace them both. So that could have been any car. 

I had the battery replaced a few months since it was the original and we are coming into cold season. I figured it was better to replace it while at the shop updating the computers, than wait, until I'm leaving the movie theater at midnight and have to wait for a tow truck or something. 

 

Good news on the 135- I just checked into the M2 Competition, and as for "special", it might hit the boxes there, while I could still dick with an old MG in the garage to satisfy that craving.  Just bench building gets me stoked now. Looking at 2.0 ecoboost with miata 5 spd or type 9 close ratio shipped in from merry olde.  

Then I searched craigslist- I owned two different '95 M3's... and loved them. This minty, minty example has me thinking too... https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/1998-bmw-e36-m3-coupe-in-mint/6772853931.html

I can relate to your dilemma.  For years I have lusted after Panteras and more recently Noble M400s.  Every time I complain about having too many cars, and too many projects, and not enough time, the wife chimes in that I should just liquidate the fleet of TR8s and other cool cars and settle in with a Pantera and a Noble.  Its tempting, but in reality, selling off a dozen or so cars isn't going to be an easy task.

In reply to Teh E36 M3 :

I know exactly what you mean on 911 prices.  I kick myself mentally pretty often fir not getting a 911SC when nice drivers were in the teens.  914 pricing....  unimaginable 10 years ago.

In reply to AnthonyGS :

Oh dude, totally... 8 years ago, on a jog, I see a brown early 80's 911 sorta just sitting- no rust visible, but rubber starting to deteriorate... thought- man I should knock on the door and just say hi, and see what the story is. REGRETS! I know I could have walked for well under $10k. Oh well....

My boss had a ‘69 911.  He said it was an S but I couldn’t see any evidence of that.  He told me I should make him an offer.  This was in 2004 or 2005.  I looked at it.  Sunken into a dirt floor in a shed.  A fair amount of rust but nothing show stopping.  I think he wanted $4k.  I nicely told him I wasn’t interested.  Wow was that ever a mistake.  These days even 912’s are unobtainium.