Never selling my 981

Never selling my 981

Author
Discussion

SkinnyPete

Original Poster:

1,419 posts

149 months

Saturday 1st October 2022
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On the talk of running costs, I had a bit of spare time recently (and I'm very sad) so I added up every invoice from the day I got the car.

Tax, insurance, MOT, tyres, servicing, repairs, etc., everything except petrol, over six years and about 61,000 miles....£23,857.11.

That figure would have been astronomically higher if I didn't have the extended warranty. On the flip side, it would have also been a lot cheaper if I didn't fit expensive upgrades like the X73 kit, or if the brakes and tyres didn't suffer exaggerated wear from track days.

Money well spent and no regrets, but I'm not entirely convinced I'd spend the same on another car in the future. Cars keep you poor, and I'd quite like to retire at 52!

Maybe I just need to work smarter smile

JayK12

2,324 posts

202 months

Tuesday 4th October 2022
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One of the cars I regret selling is my 981 Boxster GTS Manual. Had it nearly 3 years from nearly new. But then I went back into a 981 Cayman GTS Manual, same spec as my Boxster was, X73, PTV etc, but I just didn't jell with the GTS as much, gearing felt long, steering felt vague, X73 felt too stiff for the roads around where I live now.

There still great value and fun and I always do look at them with fond memories, especially the BGTS with all the trips we did in it. Would be great to try a 718 GTS 4.0 PDK, and a 991.1 GTS.

SkinnyPete

Original Poster:

1,419 posts

149 months

Saturday 3rd December 2022
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SkinnyPete said:
This is interesting. What didn't you like about the 911/miss about the Cayman?

I've driven a couple of 911.2's, including on track, and I've always seen them as the only thing that could get me out of my 981, money aside.
So to come back to this, by chance I had the opportunity to drive a 991.2 recently, it was a lovely example and well specced.

I enjoyed sitting in it stationary to start, just soaking in its aura. I drove it fairly sensibly on a mixture of roads, and if I'm honest, unless you were concentrating it would be difficult to tell the difference.

No matter which way you look at it, you are still sitting in the same seat as a Cayman, holding onto a very similar steering wheel, operating an identical pedal box, looking at an almost identical gauge cluster, and interacting with identical switchgear and ergonomics.

I liked it, but feel the wow factor was lost having been spoilt by driving a nearly identical Cayman for a number of years. Would I have one if money was no option? It's a very unconvincing maybe.

To complicate matters, I also recently drove a 992S on track. That was sufficiently different and ahead of the game compared to my 981 that I could see myself seriously considering one in the future. It felt bonkers fast and the interior was pretty nice.

The only nagging thought in the back of my mind is I'm pretty sure my 981 feels better balanced and turns in with a little more purpose, but I could just be making that up!

ATM

18,285 posts

219 months

Monday 5th December 2022
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Royal Jelly said:
991.1 GTS is definitely one of the peaches of modern 911s. Lost of work went into the NA GTS engine - including cams, to make it what it is
Seen these engines come up for sale on ebay and wandering about getting one fitted to my 981.

Evolved

3,565 posts

187 months

Monday 5th December 2022
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Some cars are keepers. As I’m getting older I’m keeping my dailies longer than I used to. Not one to have the latest sat on my drive costing me a monthly figure, I simply don’t use it enough to warrant it.

I bought my Evo 5 six years ago now and doubt I’d ever sell it, simply no need too. I keep getting offers made when I attend shows etc, but I know if I sold it, I’d never find another to replace. Some cars you just gel with.



Edit to add. I’m posting here as I’m looking for a GT4 to join the Evo. Likely be a long term car too. Compliment the turbo nature of the rally nutter.

Edited by Evolved on Monday 5th December 10:21

CallThatMusic

2,565 posts

88 months

Monday 5th December 2022
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I’ve been lucky enough to have had a few nice cars over the years, my 981 is definitely a keeper and it’s what I bench the others against…including the 911… a few of which have come and gone.

GiantCardboardPlato

4,179 posts

21 months

Monday 5th December 2022
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Gunk said:
Everyone says that, you’ll end up selling it and moving on. I said that years ago about my 911 Carrera 3.0. I ended up with a messy divorce in 2001 and it had to go.
I hope you got to at least have the tyres every other weekend.

GiantCardboardPlato

4,179 posts

21 months

Monday 5th December 2022
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You know when you put on a piece of clothing and it feels just right? You feel like yourself. You don’t feel awkward or stilted or uncomfortable. You just feel like you when you’re moving around, or when you see yourself in the mirror.

That exists for cars too, I think.

It would be much cheaper for us if the motoring equivalent of £10 jeans from Asda generated that feeling, but they just don’t…

ATM

18,285 posts

219 months

Monday 5th December 2022
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I have a 981 and I think its a good car. I dont necessarily think its great but it is good. My reasoning for it maybe being a keeper is specific to my situation in that I destroyed it and then repaired it. I am almost stuck with it now because of our history. So new cars dont necessarily excite me but there are plenty of cars which are not brand new which do excite me. I think the land scape for cars has definitely changed in the last 1/2/3 years. Most are going electric so petrol really does start to feel like its old. All petrol are turbo now so if you want none turbo / NA you have to really go back a few years unless you buy the GT products from Porsche. People have been talking about combustion engines becoming relics soon but I am seeing it now. I also have a 986 and I can appreciate the old school-ness of this compared to the 981. Does this make it better - no. The 2 are different. Gun to my head and forced to choose 1 I would probably choose the 981 as its just an easier car to live with. Right now I still have ideas about cars I want to ty but I dont necessarily want to sell the cars I have to do that. So I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.



GiantCardboardPlato

4,179 posts

21 months

Monday 5th December 2022
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did you crash it into a soup factory?

ATM

18,285 posts

219 months

Monday 5th December 2022
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GiantCardboardPlato said:
did you crash it into a soup factory?
No - it was a boutique specialising in unique style with good taste.

ChrisW.

6,299 posts

255 months

Monday 5th December 2022
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A great colour smile

P. ONeill

1,455 posts

52 months

Monday 5th December 2022
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ChrisW. said:
A great colour smile
I assume not original?

ATM

18,285 posts

219 months

Monday 5th December 2022
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P. ONeill said:
I assume not original?
Correct

It is a Porsche Colour

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=17...

squirdan

1,083 posts

147 months

Monday 5th December 2022
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I bought a 981 Spyder two months ago. Its not unknown for me to have buyers remorse by now. That happened a few years ago with a Maserati Spyder within about 3 weeks (dreadful). With the Spyder I am minded to think I'll be like the OP and keep it for years. I just dont see how I would enjoy a faster Porsche more and I like the specialness of it.

For context a few cars of recent years: 981 GTS, Cayman R, M3 F80, 996 GT3, 911 T, 968 CS, 72 911 hotrod, Vantage N430

The 981 is just brilliantly engineered and does most things v v well, and the Spyder enhances the fun (at the expense of useability)... genuinely cant think what I could replace it with without spending £100k, and then, not convinced they would be better / more enjoyable on UK roads.



Mick Dastardly

155 posts

24 months

Monday 5th December 2022
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Mick Dastardly said:
I’m getting to the keeper stage of my Car life.

Got a Boxster GTS coming soon (I ordered it last July FFS) and I’ve recently had my 997.1 restored to future proof it for the next 100k miles.

Probably get a Macan EV in a few years for pootling around town, but the 911 and GTS will be keepers until we can’t get in and out of them.
As I’ve mentioned on the 718 GTS thread, I’ve given up waiting for my car and picked up an absolutely mint, low miles sapphire blue 981 GTS fairly local to me.

As it’s so flawless I took it to a local place to discuss PPF and it turns out he’s looked after the car since it was new and actually owned the car until this summer, when he chipped it in for a 992.

Having had it for a week I’m absolutely delighted with it, and plan to keep it until I can’t get in and out of it.

Forgive the tatty plates of our old Boxster, new ones went on today.




tedblog

1,438 posts

80 months

Tuesday 6th December 2022
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CallThatMusic said:
I’ve been lucky enough to have had a few nice cars over the years, my 981 is definitely a keeper and it’s what I bench the others against…including the 911… a few of which have come and gone.
I dont think you can ever say that, the world changes fast and i think the future in 10 to 15 years will be a very boring place driving wise.
The way technology to catch you out if you do anything wrong if advancing, noise cameras, seat belt, phone etc , a sunday blast just wont cut it?

CallThatMusic

2,565 posts

88 months

Tuesday 6th December 2022
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tedblog said:
CallThatMusic said:
I’ve been lucky enough to have had a few nice cars over the years, my 981 is definitely a keeper and it’s what I bench the others against…including the 911… a few of which have come and gone.
I dont think you can ever say that, the world changes fast and i think the future in 10 to 15 years will be a very boring place driving wise.
The way technology to catch you out if you do anything wrong if advancing, noise cameras, seat belt, phone etc , a sunday blast just wont cut it?
You say that but this one’s been in the garage for 40 years so I think I can quite confidently say the 981 is a keeper….



SkinnyPete

Original Poster:

1,419 posts

149 months

Thursday 8th December 2022
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ATM said:
I have a 981 and I think its a good car. I dont necessarily think its great but it is good. My reasoning for it maybe being a keeper is specific to my situation in that I destroyed it and then repaired it. I am almost stuck with it now because of our history. So new cars dont necessarily excite me but there are plenty of cars which are not brand new which do excite me. I think the land scape for cars has definitely changed in the last 1/2/3 years. Most are going electric so petrol really does start to feel like its old. All petrol are turbo now so if you want none turbo / NA you have to really go back a few years unless you buy the GT products from Porsche. People have been talking about combustion engines becoming relics soon but I am seeing it now. I also have a 986 and I can appreciate the old school-ness of this compared to the 981. Does this make it better - no. The 2 are different. Gun to my head and forced to choose 1 I would probably choose the 981 as its just an easier car to live with. Right now I still have ideas about cars I want to ty but I dont necessarily want to sell the cars I have to do that. So I am stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Hi ATM,
I have followed your other thread with interest, and it's great to see your car is now back where it should be.

I understand where you are coming from about your history with the car, and I think a lot of people can feel that way especially when they have invested in expensive repairs or upgrades.

I'm the same, although part of me is conscious that I could be falling victim to the sunk cost fallacy.

I did actually want to sell my car shortly after buying it, as I realised PDK was the wrong type of gearbox for me. I couldn't suffer the instant depreciation/loss so I'm where I'm at now. I still get frustrated with it as it indecisively shunts through the gears, back and forth, but as in my original post I can't bear the hassle of selling privately and the monumental cost to change into something else.

ATM

18,285 posts

219 months

Thursday 8th December 2022
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SkinnyPete said:
I did actually want to sell my car shortly after buying it, as I realised PDK was the wrong type of gearbox for me. I couldn't suffer the instant depreciation/loss so I'm where I'm at now. I still get frustrated with it as it indecisively shunts through the gears, back and forth, but as in my original post I can't bear the hassle of selling privately and the monumental cost to change into something else.
You have found the sport button yes? Make sure that it is on all the time.

Also the stop start button? Make sure that is on or disengaged - depending on which way you understand me.