View Single Post
Old 04-18-2014, 10:07 AM   #41
Perfectlap
Registered User
 
Perfectlap's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 8,709
Quote:
Originally Posted by peterbrown77 View Post
Not in a million years....

If I had to do it again, I would dig deep and pick up the Guards Red 993 for $31K that was put before me. Air cooled, no IMS, bulletproof, and they're appreciating like mad.
I'v had similar opportunities. My indy is a go-to go guy on finding old Carreras worth plunking money into. There's always at least five of them in the shop.

But choosing between a Boxster/Cayman or 996/997 and an air-cooled Porsche is a apples and oranges proposition.
For starters, you can't drive a 993, 964 or 911 like you can drive a Boxster/S.
You can't drive it with abandon. You're now fixating on the odometer as each new 10K miles is affecting the resale. You're not taking that air-cooled Carrera out on foul days if you're the typical owner. And a Boxster will take as many DE's and AX's as you can throw it at without nearly the long-term engine expense of an air-cooled Porsche. One properly rebuilt water-cooled Porsche engine, especially a GT3, will outlast the needs of just about any Porsche owner while providing more power at lower cost. It may not be romantic like an air-cooled, but I like to hold onto my money, keep my garage floor clear of a new oil spot and I like to drive my expensive toys as much as I want.

I guess some people experience this need to mitigate the expense of a non-investment purchase (like a sports car) with the comforting feeling that their garage queen is acting as sort of savings account with wheels. But in my book it's either an investment or its not. Most air-cooled Porsches will not recoupe their original sticker prices, certainly not when you add in long-term expenses. So they're still used cars. But don't get me wrong if I had a hangar full of cars I never needed to drive, it would be full of 911's and 964's. Once their numbers dwindle further, enthusiasts all over the world will pay top dollar for this nostalgia.

But if you're asking me which Porsche I can drive hard while I own it, that's another matter. Antiques vs. work horses.
__________________
GT3 Recaro Seats - Boxster Red
GT3 Aero / Carrera 18" 5 spoke / Potenza RE-11
Fabspeed Headers & Noise Maker
BORN: March 2000 - FINLAND
IMS#1 REPLACED: April 2010 - NEW JERSEY -- LNE DUAL ROW

Last edited by Perfectlap; 04-18-2014 at 01:14 PM.
Perfectlap is offline   Reply With Quote