sgordon

Hi everyone,

I wanted to introduce myself as a new member and wanted to ask for some general advice or thoughts. I have always been a "car guy" and really admire the Porsche marque and the engineering that has gone into their design. I have not had any "ethusiast" type cars in many years but when I was younger I went through the pain and pleasure of having British sports cars (Triumph's) and then had a number of muscle cars (GTO's and Z-28's). Since then I have had more practical vehicles, pickup trucks and currently a VW Passat Wagon. My VW is 10 years old and rather than buy a new car next year, I have decided to pursue my dream and buy a used Porsche.

I currently take public transportation to work (SF Muni) and even if I changed jobs, I would never consider using the Porsche as a daily driver if only for maintenance costs. My budget is going to be limited at least in the realm of Porsche and am looking at the 30-40k range. As much as I would love a Turbo, I am likely looking at a 964, 993 or 996. As I get closer to the actual purchase, I imagine test driving them will lead to a preference.

I wanted to ask you folks your thoughts as to a good choice for a first 911 and where you think the "sweet spot" is currently related to price, milage and maintenance costs. Any thoughts and advice will be appreciated. I have enjoyed reading many of the posts in this forum and find it to be very informative.

Thank you,
Scott Gordon

Daniel Dudley

I think the sweet spot is in the 80-94 range, and the pinnacle for me would be the 87-89 models for durability and reasonable maintenance.

Another sweet spot would be the early Boxster S, or the 2000-04 models. Nice car, nice drive.

Peter Zimmerman wrote ''The used 911 Story''. Highly recomended. BTW, you do not need a turbo to get a ticket. Also, for a fun car that drives out well, consider an MSM Miata. Nice, affordable, very fun to drive.

DDotson

Scott,
For 30-40k you should be able to find a fairly low mileage model 964, 993, or 996. I would go with the model you like the looks of the best, though 993's do seem to demand a higher premium from what I've seen during my research, but they do have a great look and are more rare. Good luck with your search and enjoy whatever you end up with.
Darryl

rgrimm

With the money you're talking about, yes, you couldl pick up a very nice 964, 993 or 996. You may find that with the earlier cars, you'll have a more raw or mechanical feel, something you may appriciate given your previous cars.

I'd encourage you to also drive something evan older. For less than you're $ range, you can still buy a very, very nice SC or late 80s Carrera. You may find you like the feel even more, and as a side benefit you'll have enough left over that maintenance costs will be a non-issue.

sgordon

Thanks for the replies. I'll check out The Used 911 Story as well as look at some of the earlier and less expensive models. I'm in the research stage now and won't be purchasing the car until later this year or early next year.

Scott