Porsche Dilemma

Drive a few things and see if anything will replace the 911 in your heart, then go with what really moves you. Sure sounds like the 911 is the way to go. Your "lights of Paris" comment hit the hardest - you know what a Porsche is in terms of driving experience and the overall feel of the car, and it'll be really hard to step down to something else.

Buy his and hers Boxsters. So that way when you ball up yours you can still drive hers.

minimac wrote: Let it go. The feeling (and the car) will never be quite the same. In a couple of years, if you still have the itch, scratch away. But don't jump right back in. There's too much automotive goodness to sample to get bogged down on one marque (as good as it is!), and right now it's a buyers market.

This....I say buy what you want, but dont corner yourself

If I had enough money to buy a Porsche Carrera, I wouldnt use it to buy a Porsche Carrera. Id love to buy a decent CRX, then spend my P-car money on refreshing it to as clean and healthy as it was when it was young. I think it would be just as fun, without the "aura" that a P-car owner can sometimes have follow them around. Or maybe Id get myself a classic Datsun, or maybe a Buick GN/Olds 442 G body, or maybe a 70s/80s Toyota, or maybe a restomod S-10+LS, or a V8 FC...the point is theres soooo much out there that can be made decent and durable for the kind of cash that a stock-ish Carrera would cost. Im not sure that a Carrera is the right choice.

Then again, thats me. If you want a Porsche, who the hell am I to stand in your way...GO FOR IT

Like has been said already - this is a prime opportunity to try another car from your bucket list, if your heart isn't dead set on another 911. Lotus Elise? Corvette Z06? LSX-powered RX-7? Cobra replica? Ferrari 308?

Joe Gearin wrote: Do what makes you happy. If the wife likes the idea of you having another 996-997, run with it!

Yeah, what Joe said.

Stop being foolish and buy the new 2011 Kia Sedona!

SERIOUSLY DUDE WTF ARE YOU DOING??? Your wife is giving you the go ahead to go and get you another Porsche or something else surprising fast and completely juvenile and you even thought about posting on this board for someone's opinion?

Just post pictures of whatever else cool you get and stop being a wanker!

Have fun you lucky berzerkly-er.

There are some other options but as the ad used to say, there is no substitute. After looking around this fall, I decided that my money was better invested in the Elise but my original target was a 911. My problem was that for the money that I could budget to the project, I could find SC's, Carrera's, 964's and 996's but absolutely no 993's and that was really my dream car. The others that I viewed were kinda scary with sketchy records or maintenance histories. I got the things that I valued: ease of maintenance, reliability, modern conveniences and performance. Again there may be other options and I encourage you to look around but if nothing else does it for you, dont regret this decision in three years, get the Porsche.

I like the advice to let it go and get something else from your bucket list.

Problem is, I also only hear 1 car on that list.

Buy it, enjoy it, sell it later and move on to the next one.

tuna55 wrote:

ZOO wrote: ...You can afford it. ...

I am going to just say this one more time, if you have to get a loan, technically you cannot afford it.

I've been thinking about this. In the interest of full disclosure, let me say that I am in complete agreement with the idea of avoiding debt at all costs, and don't have any, nor want any for a car.

However, I don't think I can agree with the statement that if you have a loan you technically can't afford it. That's not correct. It's way too narrow a definition.

If you need a loan you have not saved up enough to buy it in cash, but you may be able to afford it.

Let me give an example... let's say I am living fine on what I make, debt free, savings, etc. I drive a beater, but its paid for and I'm OK. Along comes a great job opportunity that includes a $10K raise, but requires I have a newer vehicle (reliability, entertain clients, whatever). I've got $3K in savings for a car, but that's not enough. The job will definitely not go well with the car I am driving. It's a really secure offer, will excellent long term growth opportunity. The payments (after my down payment and trade) will be about $300 per month for 3 years for the car I should buy.

I'd have to be an idiot to not take the loan.

I'm just saying...

SVreX wrote: However, I don't think I can agree with the statement that if you have a loan you technically can't afford it. That's not correct. It's way too narrow a definition.

Good Thinking..

Another scenario is: I can afford it, but the loan I will get is at 0.9% interest and I'd rather have my money sit in a 401k that will earn 5% interest over the same period of time. That way I make 4.1% on my money.

Ignorant wrote:

SVreX wrote: However, I don't think I can agree with the statement that if you have a loan you technically can't afford it. That's not correct. It's way too narrow a definition.

Good Thinking.. Another scenario is: I can afford it, but the loan I will get is at 0.9% interest and I'd rather have my money sit in a 401k that will earn 5% interest over the same period of time. That way I make 4.1% on my money.

Exactly. Sadly it is hard to find really competitive rates for used cars in Canada -- I'd be forced to purchase something new to get that low of a rate.

You are going to buy this back from the insurance company and part it out...right ??

If you are anything like me and most of the people on this board, I am sure you have a bucket list of cars. I would suggest you go after one of those.

To respond about the loan thing, if you think any job, or any weekly (biweekly, monthly whatever) payment to you is 100% guaranteed, you haven't been paying attention. Save up what your car payment would have been, it won't take you long, because you're not paying interest to a bank while saving, they're paying you. If you still want that car when you've saved it (and when the emotion wears off) then buy it outright. Do the math on the interest payments, this can save you thousands of dollars overall depending on the price of the car. If you can't wait, get a cheaper bucket list care that you can afford and save up for something more pricey later.

I've done the math, and agree with you, and live my life the same way.

But it is still not a completely correct statement to say someone can't afford it if they don't have the cash. The circumstances can be unique.

I understand no job is carved in stone. In the example I gave I made the point that the job was secure (as can be), and that it was a given that the job would not go well with the current car.

Therefore, the example included a 100% chance that the job would go badly without a different ride, and also a possibility that the job could end.

But the first year would pay the loan, and build enough savings for an entire 2nd year, assuming the remaining income was spent. If it was saved, the loan would be completely paid off in a year. I also didn't define the loan/ value ratio, or whether it was a new car. I said the car I "should buy". I would include wise buying in that- a car worth more than the purchase price, which is more than adequate collateral for the loan.

Do the math. In this case, the loan was a better deal.

Avoiding debt is generally the best plan. Not in some scenarios.

Financial finesse is a good skill to learn. It's always better to "make money with someone else's money," so to speak.

If it's what you really want, buy the damn car and don't worry about the porsche-owner stereotype. AC/DC's Brian Johnson really, really wanted a drophead Phantom Coupe, but couldn't bring himself to buy it, lest people think he was "showing off" – ‘Do I want to be sat on my deathbed thinking that the one thing I wanted to do me life was buy a Rolls-Royce but I didn’t because I was afraid I’d look like a prat?’

rotard wrote: Financial finesse is a good skill to learn. It's always better to "make money with someone else's money," so to speak.

I'd say that's a bit of a dangerous statement if you don't consider the circumstances you might lose the use of somebody else's money. I'm not a big fan of borrowing money, but I have done it - oddly, to part-finance a 911, and for a mortgage - but in general I tried to avoid it for a deprecating asset.

That said, sometimes the math works for you, although I wouldn't consider a comparison with a 401k due to the withdrawal penalties, plus the fact that unless I am completely broke and transport-less, I wouldn't consider borrowing against retirement for a car...

Quit kicking you own ass. Yes, a great car was lost but, no one died.

If you can afford it, you still want it, and your wife is cool with it, then get another one.

Get another if ya liked it :) Life is too short to drive boring cars.

Oh, and buy it back and bring me the carcass ;) We'll make your next ride in the Wartburg MUCH more interesting ;)

ckosacranoid wrote: buy a cheap maita in the mean time and then spend lots of time lookin for a new porsha... or just buy what every you want...... i think old tin was thinking about getting rid of one of his porsha..can not remeber which type of what it is though

Did that. Fun car, getting even more gutted this winter. Just found a roll bar on craigslist and I am gonna try my hand at seam welding. $1400 Miata

Woody wrote: You should probably start by selling your Suzuki DRz400E to me...

You don't want mine. I love that little bike but I abuse the poor little thing. Planning another New Years Day ride this year too.

Marty! wrote: Buy his and hers Boxsters. So that way when you ball up yours you can still drive hers.

Yeah, the problem is they don't make a "his" Boxster...

rotard wrote: Describe what you liked about the 996; I'm thinking about buying a Porsche soon.

Lots. The 997 is much faster, but the newer design, bigger engine, cup holders (the 996 has no cup holders) and the non-boxster lights come with a higher price of admission. That being said, the 996 will still go from zero to deep into "Hello Officer" territory by 2nd gear. The low end pull is very German. It's everything I loved about my previous BMWs but so much more.

The AC will freeze you out in the middle of an Alabama summer. The heat is as effective a microwave. It can chug along all day in 6th gear, delivering excellent milage with a great stereo, comfortable seats and excellent manners. Then they can go from the pottery scene in Ghost to Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman in Black Swan faster than a Britney Spears mood swing.

Every drive-thru window operator gives me a compliment. Z06s are faster, but they still give me thumbs-up respect. When I have had too many beers, I can actually get in the back seat while the missus drives me and a buddy home.

But its the stuff you can't quite touch. I drove the thing from OK to Alabama and back again smiling the whole way. I giggled a little when I started it in the morning to drive to work. I would look at it as I drove past reflective office buildings.

The bucket list comments got me thinking, but I have driven Vettes of the last three interations, and while they are faster, they feel like Vettes, not Porsches. Vette owners will agree, and thats what they want, but it doesn't speak to me. Ferraris are still out of the question, and Panteras are about twice what I have to spend. The only car that stirs the same response is a Lotus. At least here in Oklahoma, they are just a tick outside of my price range. They seems like they would lack the surprising day to day convenience the Porsche offers. The nearest approximation I have come up with is an NSX. I have three friends with those and all of them are amazing. Those aren't off the radar yet

Thats and a million other little things (the ignition is on the correct side, I love hearing the engine behind me) are what I loved about that car. Silly stuff I know, but the car bit me and I really liked it.

So for those reasons, and the missus tired of seeing me mope around, we are looking at another on Sunday, and if it doesn't pan out, there are some others.

Thanks for all the input, really. I appreciate it. I hope all of you have a happy holiday season and your annual traditions drive you to a joyous and healthy new year.