Buying my first Porsche!!

[matsmith]

Hi guys! im new here as you can tell!

Iv been thinking about buying a 996 for a week or 2 now, and iv just decided that im gonna go for it

The hunt for a car is now on!! I am pretty certain it will be facelifted car in Silver with Black leather (very original, i know!), and it will be rear wheel drive and a manual, however im not sure whether to go for a coupe or a targa.

I did have a brief moment of weakness where i was tempted by a cab, but quickly got through that! Im sure its a fantastic car and im in no way putting it or the owners of cabs down, just not my style i dont think! The targa seems like a great choice on the face of it, the i have a panoramic roof on my mercedes (which is also silver with black leather...!!!) but are there any downsides to the targa model over the coupe?

Also, can you guys please recomend any insurance companies for me to try? Im a 19 year old male, so insurance companies want to take around £5k per year off me, would be nice to get this lower!

Thanks in advance
Matthew

[cardigankid]

Great idea pal, but save up and wait till you're 25. A 19 year old with a 996? Are you surprised they want £5k to insure you? I'd want 30k i.e. the value of the car plus your funeral expenses.

[matsmith]

Nope im not at all surprised, but if i can save a lil bit on my premium then happy days!

I know that spending near £40k on a car at 19 seems crazy, but im in a position to do it now, so would just like some advice from the guys (and girls?!) who apparantly know what theyr talking about :P

Iv already had a seach through some old posts to help make some decisions so far, i just cant seem to make up my mind between the coupe or targa

[Don]

Coupe.

[matsmith]

Thanks for the reply Don can i just ask why you would choose the coupe over the targa?

[DucatiGary]

coupe c2 manual.

torch on ere is selling one, has only been on the market for numourus hours, he'll prolly be along in a min.

[Vesuvius 996]

I doubt you'll get insurance for under that, but someone will insure you for enough $$$. Ther'a bloke I know who's 19 with a Vanquish. He pays about £12k pa with a ten thousand pound excess.


I am 36, with full protected NCB, garaged with CCTV, tracker and Thatcham, no accidents or convictions and four years experience with quick cars and I pay nearly two grand.

Edited by Vesuvius 996 on Wednesday 8th November 20:49

[welshnobby]

Don said:

Coupe.

...seconded. Much less to go wrong on a coupe, plus it is lighter and has a stiffer chassis. Make sure it is a C2 also.

[matsmith]

Vesuvious, wow your still paying that much, im not doing to bad then am i, must be a good negotiator after all

so far it seems that you guys are more fans of the coupe rather than the targa

[DucatiGary]

mine was 650 fully comp.

on the drive, out in the sticks.

[matsmith]

Vesuvious, wow your still paying that much, im not doing to bad then am i, must be a good negotiator after all

so far it seems that you guys are more fans of the coupe rather than the targa

[neilski]

Vesuvius 996 said:

I am 36, with full protected NCB, garaged with CCTV, tracker and Thatcham, no accidents or convictions and four years experience with quick cars and I pay nearly two grand.

Ouch!

32, full NCB, kept on the drive, clean licence etc. £762 last year, quoted £549 + £551 so far this year by two other insurers. Happy days!

[Vesuvius 996]

neilski said:

Vesuvius 996 said:

I am 36, with full protected NCB, garaged with CCTV, tracker and Thatcham, no accidents or convictions and four years experience with quick cars and I pay nearly two grand.

Ouch!

32, full NCB, kept on the drive, clean licence etc. £762 last year, quoted £549 + £551 so far this year by two other insurers. Happy days!

Yep but you don't live in E14 - little Bangladesh...!!

[david58]

Go on your fathers insurance if you can, should be less than 1k, or failing that a good 993 can be had on classic insurance if over 7 yrs old.

Ive been stuck in a rut on my fathers insurance all my life and have always driven fast nice cars. Before any more talk about it being silly owning a Porsche at 19 its not, if youve earned the money go for it ( if you was 19 again and had the choice to own a Porsche, you would, wouldent you).

[ragtop]

as opposed to a front wheel drive?

Edited by ragtop on Wednesday 8th November 23:42

[997gt3]

ragtop said:

as opposed to a front wheel drive?

Edited by ragtop on Wednesday 8th November 23:42

Duh. He said rear wheel drive so that the discussion excluded the C4 and C4S
I'd go for a coupe - it just comes down to personal choice. I also dont like as much the slightly different rear side window shape on the targas which differ from the coupe.

Edited by 997gt3 on Thursday 9th November 00:01

[fidgits]

can i ask why your looking at facelift?

Oh, and have you considered the running costs - it might sound funny, but just because you can afford the car and the insurance, doesnt mean you can afford the services, or to replace the brakes/clutch etc...

The golden rule is buy on condition - you could get a mint 3.4 for less than 30k, leaving you plenty if things need doing..

[nervous]

Vesuvius 996 said:

four years experience with quick cars

do you get a discount cos of what your running now then?

[bermyandy]

Targa gets my vote - although it is slightly noisier than a coupe. In terms of the stiffness issue, its probably only a concern if you are tracking it?

Thoughts people - are you really going to notice that extra stiffness unless you are tracking?

Don't go on your dads insurance - there was an article in the press recently that insurance companies are clamping down on this as you would really be the main driver, but only named and they will sting you if you have a prang

Do what i did though, and stick your old man on your insurance as a named driver (thats assuming that he is old ,and has a clean licence) - see what that does to your premium

[cardigankid]

Cheap car insurance is one of the good things about getting older. This is because as you will be aware a disproportionate number of accidents are caused by young men who have just got their licences out to demonstrate their driving skills and impress the birds. My apologies if this sounds patronising, as I dont know you, and no doubt you would not fall into this category. There was a major accident at the weekend there on the A75 through exactly this, three people killed. You would be better employed doing advanced driving courses including the Porsche one if they'll let you, get some training and experience on a racetrack, do the Nurburgring in a Hire car (not from Avis, though!) Read everything Jackie Stewart has written. Buy an old one and try to rebuild it.

If you absolutely must then I would do as suggested above insure it through your father. Direct Line will do this and with you as second driver you will build up no claims bonus as well.

Do 19 year olds not have better things to do with their time than, with respect, buying Porsches?