blake

I'll start.... I was 18 during the summer of 1992 and had saved @$15K to buy a 911. As I was about to go to college in the fall, my dad was deeply against my growing 911 obession. I searched all summer, driving all over New England in my hand-me-down Dodge Caravan "woody", test driving and examining 911 SCs as that was the model that Jim Newton of Automobile Associates in CT told me to look at within my price range.

I found several 911s, but nothing spoke to me.... Then, 2 days before heading off to college, I saw an ad in the paper for a 1979 911SC Targa with 69K in gunmetal grey with black interior for $13.5K. I went to look at it, and it was gorgeous. It was around 5pm, and the car looked metallic black under the setting sun. The engine sounded great, and you could tell that it was babied. The owner was a young sales guy (mid 30s) who lost his job, and needed to unload his 911 and his wife's 750iL BMW. I talked him down to $11K, then went home to sleep on it...

The next day, my dad made it clear that I was not going to buy the car. I went to college a few days later, ticked off that I didn't buy it (pending a solid PPI of course), then spent the next summer looking for a 911. Ultimately, I found a solid (brown w/tan) 911 SC Targa for $11.5K which I purchased and kept until 2002.

That gunmetal grey car still bothers me... It was so damn good looking... What if?

-B

nee.dragger

What would your dad have done if you bought the car . . . . disown you. . . beat you to death . . . . kick you outta the house? I'd have bought the car. Your dad would eventually get over it, and if not, well then it's his problem. It was your money, right?

I have found that in life, if you really want something, and that is all you think about, it's best to just get it and be done with it. Then it will never bother you again, this not knowing or wondering what would have happened if.

I did the same thing in 1978, I was looking at new Porsches from the dealership. I wanted the then new 911SC, but it cost a little bit more than I wanted to pay. I ended up buying a 924 for around 14.9K (the SCs were going for about 17.5 before options). Looking back, I could kick myself in the head for not going the extra 2.5 - 4 thousand to buy a 911SC, because that is what I really wanted. However, a couple of years later, I sold the 924 and bought a 911SC. It was then I decided never to let logic talk me outta things, go with my heart.

The Donkey

nee dragger,
I should listen to you more and not my head because I think about a 993 and look for 993's and dream about them every day. Only problem with that advice is that you will then move on to the next dream and the next dream, etc. When done on big ticket items that occur very infrequently I totally agree to get what you want and will be happy with.

Now to get me that 95 993 in Ocean Blue.

Jay Laifman

1979/80, some sort of estate sale near Dodgers Stadium area with multiple sports cars. I was 16. There was a very nice 356, red, slight front fender damage. They wanted $2k, which was even low for then. I had the money from summer jobs and was ready to buy a car, but I did not have a checking account. I called my folks, but they were out to dinner, and this was pre-cell phones. I kept calling. By the time they got home, the car was sold. How cool would that have been to be driving around in a 356 in high school and college? Oh well. I didn't really suffer driving a Sunbeam Alpine. But, clearly it was all my folks' fault!

Ed Burdell

My parents consistently offered me spectacularly bad advice, which took most of 30 years to shake off.

The challenge for me now is not to offer equally bad advice to my kids...

imcarthur

Now another take on it . . . a car I was glad I didn't buy . . .

1990. Just cashed out of a divorce. I didn't do my math . . .

I wanted a 911. Found a brown coupe - from a victim of a divorce. 1982 SC. A decent price - but I knew nothing. Decent condition - but I knew nothing. Getting the theme here?

I drove it & of course, I wanted it bad. In hindsight, the 1st gear syncros were going because I stalled it several times easing the clutch out. I said I would buy it & then cancelled the day before the 'garage check' - at a non-Porsche specialist.

Looking back, it would have drained me financially & I probably would have been sleeping in it in 6 months.

It took another 14 years for the timing to be right . . .

Ian

LaughaC

My story is short:
Lusted for 928 daily driver to compliment my 911 weekend rid.

Bought 928 & tried to be responsible by changing timing belt... had 8 other 928s over to my house for a Saturday of timing belt changes.

Next day my 928 caught FIRE while idling in the driveway!! (a coil wire was left loose - my fault)

Glad it didn't take my house down. Sold and stuck with my Infiniti daily driver for the time being... Thinking maybe 951 or 968 for the next round, or maybe a BMW M series... hmmm... should trade my Infiniti for it... Heck, if the right 928 comes along again I'll probable make the same mistake twice!

WolfeMacleod

This story isn't Porsche, but Dodge Charger.

Several years ago, when my wife was in the process of getting her first car, she found a '69 Charger for sale. The Charger is her dream car, and affordable at the time. Parents said no.

Now, they're made of Unobtanium and way our of our price range.
I could kill 'em, even though it happened before we met.

Naitove

In 1981 I could have bought a new SC (I did) or a 67 275 GTB for the same money. I dream about the missed Ferrari but take solace in the knowledge that I never could have afforded the maintenance on it.

mo_gearhead

About 1976-77? A 356 coupe sat (non-running) on a nearby college campus for probably 3 years.
No 'For Sale' sign, assumed a prof. owned it. I was not into P-cars then, newly married, low cash flow, etc. so I never made inquiries. Then, one day...it was gone.

Hindsight is always 20-20.

Condor Man

I had the opportunity to buy a Genuine 964 RS for a sensational price and it was fully track prepared!!!

I still think of her constantly and wish that I could wind back the clock.

Especially now that all of the Porsche Mags keep talking about how they are increasing in value!!

Peter Zimmermann

Interesting experiences... I think back to "the one that got away" for me was one that I owned! It was a '59 A coupe, red/tan. I bought the car as a project, when I got it home more than half the car was bare metal, the interior was in a seperate vehicle, I don't remember where the windows were, but the bumpers were hanging out of the holes that they used to be in, and the engine was on a dolly. About the only good thing about the project is that it was rust-free and never hit. I put a 99-point paint job on the car, re-assembled it piece by piece, and when it was done many months later it was spectacular. Financial reasons forced its sale, and two weeks after the new owner had it the car was totalled. The guy failed to see the drunk (at 9:30 am!) coming at high speed, on a main street in Marina Del Rey. The drunk ran a red and hit my 356 A so hard in the right front that the right front wheel ended up under the dashboard. The car spun around a couple of times, went across a sidewalk and smashed into a building. The new owner was injured, but recovered, my A model was hauled away, never to be seen again.

cmoss

My first porsche was a 1980 SC Targa. I was my father's before he passed away. I bought a 993 and sold the SC to pay off the loan. I really wish I had found a way to keep both. I still get sad thinking about it.

MrBonus

Someone here owns it and is interested in selling it but I can't bring myself to pull the trigger.

blake

Thanks guys for the great stories... It is good to know that I am not alone! (Misery loves company)

MrBonus/Ian - You still have time! BUY that Porsche!

-B