Slightly different "my first porsche" question
Discussion
Hello. Just joined and seeing as it seems like a friendly forum i thought I'd ask your (collective) opinions.
I promised myself a Porsche by the time i'm 30 - don't we all - and due to various reasons I'll try to outline, have narrowed it to a late 80s 3.2 911, and an earlyish Boxster 3.2s.
911
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Positives - My toybox when I was a kid was FULL of 911s with big fat whaletails and fat arches and they always went sideways round the corner of the sofa. To me a 911 must have a big spoiler, no ands, ifs, buts, or maybes (sp) - and the 964 and 993 just don't really do it for me looks-wise. To me, if you see a mid 80s 911 drive past, you KNOW it's a porsche.
Negatives - ever so slightly concerned about the handling and the fact that most of them have 13 previous owners (or worse, 12, wouldn't want to be the 13th) and in excess of 130k miles. But they're 10k - 12k which leaves a lot spare in the budget.
Boxster
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Positives - The sensible option. I am, or try to fool people into thinking i am, a grown-up. I have a job, a house and a GSXR1000 which i can insure (my biggest claim to being adult) and in many ways, a boxster, being a more modern car, typically with 40k on the clock and 2 owners, is a more reasonable proposition. It's a porsche, it has the badge, it's a mid-engined car, (used to have an MGF - stop laughing - and liked the handling on that) and it's well, you know, german.
Negatives - If i get a 20k boxster with a FSH and a warranty which will be unavailable in a few years, I am left with a 15k car with no guarantee of reliablity.
Now.......... big thing is that this will be my ONLY car - I can't run 2 cars, so the handling concerns of the 911 come into play - i do on occasion absent-mindedly need to get from A to B. Fuel consumption and insurance are not really hassles, and before anyone suggests it, I will not consider a 2.7 or 2.5 boxster, or anything that i have to lean over to the passenger side to steer.
So there you have it.
Oh incidentally I have considered stretching to a 1998 996 (looks concerned overtaken by the technical advances) but have heard too many horror stories (on here, mainly) and 25k seems a bit steep to have no warranty.
Right then - Looking forward to the inevitable onslaught.
Phil
I promised myself a Porsche by the time i'm 30 - don't we all - and due to various reasons I'll try to outline, have narrowed it to a late 80s 3.2 911, and an earlyish Boxster 3.2s.
911
---
Positives - My toybox when I was a kid was FULL of 911s with big fat whaletails and fat arches and they always went sideways round the corner of the sofa. To me a 911 must have a big spoiler, no ands, ifs, buts, or maybes (sp) - and the 964 and 993 just don't really do it for me looks-wise. To me, if you see a mid 80s 911 drive past, you KNOW it's a porsche.
Negatives - ever so slightly concerned about the handling and the fact that most of them have 13 previous owners (or worse, 12, wouldn't want to be the 13th) and in excess of 130k miles. But they're 10k - 12k which leaves a lot spare in the budget.
Boxster
-------
Positives - The sensible option. I am, or try to fool people into thinking i am, a grown-up. I have a job, a house and a GSXR1000 which i can insure (my biggest claim to being adult) and in many ways, a boxster, being a more modern car, typically with 40k on the clock and 2 owners, is a more reasonable proposition. It's a porsche, it has the badge, it's a mid-engined car, (used to have an MGF - stop laughing - and liked the handling on that) and it's well, you know, german.
Negatives - If i get a 20k boxster with a FSH and a warranty which will be unavailable in a few years, I am left with a 15k car with no guarantee of reliablity.
Now.......... big thing is that this will be my ONLY car - I can't run 2 cars, so the handling concerns of the 911 come into play - i do on occasion absent-mindedly need to get from A to B. Fuel consumption and insurance are not really hassles, and before anyone suggests it, I will not consider a 2.7 or 2.5 boxster, or anything that i have to lean over to the passenger side to steer.
So there you have it.
Oh incidentally I have considered stretching to a 1998 996 (looks concerned overtaken by the technical advances) but have heard too many horror stories (on here, mainly) and 25k seems a bit steep to have no warranty.
Right then - Looking forward to the inevitable onslaught.
Phil
philelmer said:
My toybox when I was a kid was FULL of 911s with big fat whaletails and fat arches and they always went sideways round the corner of the sofa. To me a 911 must have a big spoiler, no ands, ifs, buts, or maybes (sp) - and the 964 and 993 just don't really do it for me looks-wise.
Hi Phil, same as me.
My first Porsche had to be a 911. My tastes changed over the years, sometimes I wanted a Black one, sometimes a Blue one. But, always a 911.
A Boxster is a great car, but I didn't have Boxster pictures on my wall as a kid.
When I finally got round to it, it's more than lived up to the dream.
As for big spoilers, well look what I bought.
Jamie
philelmer said:
Oh incidentally I have considered stretching to a 1998 996 (looks concerned overtaken by the technical advances) but have heard too many horror stories (on here, mainly) and 25k seems a bit steep to have no warranty.
Welcome aboard and don't worry there will be a whole host of names who will be familiar in a few months along to offer advise etc soon. However, picking up on your point above there have been lots of threads like your one lately so have a read through the threads you'll pick up some good advice. If you do find a nice 996 you fancy you could always get the owner to put it through the OPC 111 point exam that will buy a warranty and negotiate the price accordingly. Might only be for a few years but there are plenty of superb indies out there who know how to look after your car and their knowledge exceeds OPC staff on many issues. There are a few guys on here in the trade as well so have a look at their web sites and speak to them before you buy as they post on here quite often and have good reputations for quality of cars sold and ability to find the right car for the prospective buyer.
Good hunting
Yex
Why oh why does everyone believe that 911's handle badly?
If they handle so badly why are they such an accomplished sports car?
If you want a 911 go and buy one, buy the best you can afford and get it checked over, theres a lot less to go wrong than in a Boxster, and who cares how many owners it has had, by now most will have had top end rebuilds, and 120k is nowt on a Porsche engine if its been looked after.
If they handle so badly why are they such an accomplished sports car?
If you want a 911 go and buy one, buy the best you can afford and get it checked over, theres a lot less to go wrong than in a Boxster, and who cares how many owners it has had, by now most will have had top end rebuilds, and 120k is nowt on a Porsche engine if its been looked after.
The big tail and big arches are a must, I had a black 911 turbo matchbox car as a kid and remember telling myself I would have one, then Condorman came out and the baddies were driving black 911 turbo's, that was it!! Well a LONG time later I finally got one and have never regretted it, I love the thing, what else is there like it?? Get a 911 and forget the boxster (no offence to boxster owners)
I think the handling is great, people who say otherwise either can't drive or push it too far, they are set up for understeer so if you loose the back end you were just pushing too hard, a couple of track days and you'll know where the limits are
I think the handling is great, people who say otherwise either can't drive or push it too far, they are set up for understeer so if you loose the back end you were just pushing too hard, a couple of track days and you'll know where the limits are
Spoiler?... did someone say spoiler?
As for the handling... this shot is taken of me cornering at over 100mph at the last V.Max. It took me and Stub B a lot of effort, without too much success to get the back end to kick out and eventually, after three goes, Track Demon finally got it sliding. It would take some numptiness of the highest order to lose it on the road!
This is what you can find with less than 100k miles on for £12-£14k ... bangs per buck, unbeatable!
That's beautiful,top of my list for next car.
I was considering a Boxster S, but after having a good look round a beautiful silver 3.2 carrera at my indy, I've got my heart set on a 911. I loved the interior- It just felt so ... vintage. The build quality was a league above also imho.
magic torch said:
A Boxster is a great car, but I didn't have Boxster pictures on my wall as a kid.
what he said, my 996 is my first car, never let me down, never had any problems.
i just bought the first one i viewed, no checks, no inspections, the guy i bought it off seemed geniune enough and the car was in good condition.
if you buy a boxster you will always be wanting the 911 and no doubt eventually get one, way wait?
Also try the Porsche Club GB forum - they have a section specifically for the 3.2 Carrera - the last factory designated 911 by the way 
[url]www.porscheclubgbforum.com[/url]
[url]www.porscheclubgbforum.com[/url]
Drove a 173k '88 E reg 911 3.2 Carrera recently (she drove beautifully despite the miles)
needed quite a bit of bodywork TLC but the price I could have bought it for I wish had
.... especially considering what its now on sale at! loved they way you got in and 'drove it', a proper driving experience (driven lots of 996's and Boxsters, nice, but didnt have the same intamacy )
I really would like to have circa £12-£14k's worth of 3.2 Carrera in the garage
>> Edited by mustard on Saturday 20th May 21:38
Well Known Speciaist said:
This car has now covered 173,000 miles but drives more like a car with 50,000 miles
needed quite a bit of bodywork TLC but the price I could have bought it for I wish had
.... especially considering what its now on sale at! loved they way you got in and 'drove it', a proper driving experience (driven lots of 996's and Boxsters, nice, but didnt have the same intamacy ) I really would like to have circa £12-£14k's worth of 3.2 Carrera in the garage
>> Edited by mustard on Saturday 20th May 21:38
Cheers for all that, and keep it coming - I suppose I'd answered my own question to an extent but it always helps to floor the problem and get some opinion doesn't it? I have until January to find one, so there's no mad rush, just got to keep an eye out.
The 11 previous owners cars do concern me slightly, I've had a bike and acar with over 7 owners in a reasonably short space of time and they both required far more spanner time than they were worth. But then one was a Cavalier Sri and the other was a '99 R1, so maybe I asked for it.....
Mind you I saw a red '89 in classic and sports car magazine for around the 12k mark, with 4 owners and 89k, so I gues they are out there - but not in ebayland.
Phil
The 11 previous owners cars do concern me slightly, I've had a bike and acar with over 7 owners in a reasonably short space of time and they both required far more spanner time than they were worth. But then one was a Cavalier Sri and the other was a '99 R1, so maybe I asked for it.....
Mind you I saw a red '89 in classic and sports car magazine for around the 12k mark, with 4 owners and 89k, so I gues they are out there - but not in ebayland.
Phil
I bought my first 1986 911 last june it had 12 owners but half of these were because of putting private plates on it.Be careful though my engine needed replacing 20,000 miles after a rebuild which cost me £6,200.That was a bad day,and the 915 gearbox is awful.But on a winding dry road they are smart and as for the wet days just remember slow in, fast out.If you go into a corner too fast scream ,swear just never ever lift off!!!
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