How did you get into Porsches?
 

Hi everyone,
I wanted to start a new thread for everyone to share how they got interested in owning a Porsche.
Let us know:
The first time you saw a Porsche & what was your reaction?
Your first through current Porsche.
Anything else you might want to share :)

I saw my first one when I was about 7 or 8 YO, I'm 54 now. It was a 356 Speedster & I asked my dad "what was that!!!!??" He smiled & told me it was a Porsche, I knew I had to have one. Bought my first (a 1970 914) when I was 18. Inherited a 1966 911 from my dad. On my 3rd now (2001 Boxster).

that's a great story.
just tell me you still have your dad's car.
i will post my story later (need to go to Halloween party :mad:)

Sadly for me I don't still have that car. I literally cried when I watched it turn the corner since it was the last project my dad & I did together. I wanted to find another one when I figured out they are to rich for me now, so I bought a Boxster. Took me back to my 914 days though!!

My dad was a car dealer in England and one night came home in a 911. I had always liked Porsche but this night he let me drive it up and down the road. I was about 14 and totally fell in love. From there my friend ordered and hot the first Boxster in 1997, it was silver with green leather. It was such a beautiful car and I loved the shape. I bought a 911sc about 10 years ago in England but had to sell it to help purchase a new house. I moved to America with my job 6 years ago and 2 years ago bought a 1 year old Cayman S from Porsche. I kept it for about 10 months but found the commute to NYC tough in it. I sold it and bought a more suitable car for long freeway drives. I am addicted to Porsche cars so a few weeks back bought a 1997 Boxster to keep in the garage and pamper.....drives almost as good as the cayman but 35k less!! I will keep this car now forever.....thats my story....

Long story for me to get to what I have now.

I was reading an article on Motor Trend back in 78 about the new 928 and the great reviews they had on the car. I fell in love with the 928. One day I was driving on I95 in Fl and actually saw one and yes this car was my dream car. I was 19 at that time. Through those years the 928 was my dream car and could never afford one. In 1981 I was reading Motor Trend again and they featured a 924 Carrera GT on the cover. I lusted after that car too. During this time I didn‘t have any desire for a 911. In 1983 Porsche introduced the 944. It was then that I realized the brand that I liked and now I have 3 cars I’ve been lusting for from Porsche. Like the Boxster when it was introduced waiting list for a 944 was several months to get one.

In 1986 Porsche introduced the 944 turbo (951). The commercial they had was awesome. This was now my dream car over the 924 Carrera GT turbo and the 928. At this point in my life I had 3 kids to raise and there was no way for me to afford any of them. I bought my first Porsche in 1993. It was a 1987 944 turbo which I kept for almost 10 years when I wrecked the car while being stupid. I learned a lot about the 944 turbo and found out they had a limited edition 944 turbo S produced in 1988. In 2002 I purchased the 944 turbo S (951S) to replace the 87 944 turbo. I still have this car today and it’s babied.

In 2003 my brother in Hawaii bought a new Boxster (base & tip). I drove it the first time with the top down and “Daaammmmn” I fell in love. The way the car handled the sound of that engine tone while the top was down, l I had to get one. In 2006 I bought a used 2002 Boxster S but it had to be a Tip. It was my agreement with my wife so she can drive it. She does drive stick but prefers not to. I now have two Porsche’s and was very happy.
Hanging out with local Boxster Owners and had a chance to drive one with a manual. I had to get one. The problem was how do I convince the wife since I already had 2 P-cars, a minivan, a lexus and a 91 CRX Si. Well, I saw a 2008 Boxster S Design Edition 2 and I had to have it. Told the wife about it and she said go for it. Yes I bought it and man I love this car.
Now I have two Garage Queens. When driven they are for long drives on highways and back roads.

I have owned a lot of other sports cars but the P-car always seemed like a dentist's mid-life crisis-mobile (or so I thought). So I never really cared for Porsche's much until I drove a 911 a few years ago when I was specifically looking for a car that I could drive on the street and track extensively.

Great story!

Went for a drive in my buddies Carrera 4S and was hooked. He nearly scared me to death with the power and the handling but I loved it. Boxsters are a blast too. I just wish winter wasn't on its way.

Being Ex-trade, I service a 3.2s and a 2.7 986 for a couple of friends, initially I was not too bothered but after taking them for test drives, that changed things.
They are first and foremostly a sports car (something that my Mercedes SLK never was!).

So after a while finding the right one, we have a Guards Red 2.5 on the drive, its a great car. Sure they can be expensive to repair but as I am handy with the tools, I enjoy the challenge!

Well, I didn't "fall in love" or anything sentimental like that. I wanted a convertible (rag top). Looked at Mustang - they're every where. Looked at Z3 - didn't interest me. Looked at Miata - needed room to bring home more than a loaf of bread. Started looking at the Boxster, and found one at a low price. I've been repairing it ever since then.

Question #2... would I do it again? Probably. I have the mechanical abilities to repair most of the car. I do get tired of wondering it it's going to start up or not. But when it runs, it is a great fun car.

coveted my friends porsches when I could barely afford triumphs and MGs. Got back from vietnam in 1966 alive and bought a 1964 356SC when I was 22 yoa. Five wives and Dozens of Porsches later, I am almost 70 yoa, retired and still own 2 boxsters and a C4. Probably be buried in one of them. Life is good.

For me, it started by falling for the shape of the 911 back when I was 14 while ogling over C&D. I bought a hardcover book history of the marque and looked through it until the binding fell apart. Next was the t-shirt. You know, the one with the gigantic iron-on of the Porsche crest. Be kind, I was only 15 at the time.

In high school, I was on yearbook staff, always carrying around my camera and always managing to take a couple of pics of any stray Porsche I could find. The teacher facilitator was never too impressed with my ability to waste film that way.

Fast-forward to age 21. Porsches had fallen off my radar, and I ordered and bought a new 1988 Mustang GT. Babied, pampered and drove the piss out of that ride until I turned 46. Something had changed. The 5.0 seemingly overnight just didn't do it for me anymore.

I started looking online what I could get for a 23 year old 18,000 mile garage queen nearly-an-antique Mustang GT. Surprisingly, it was what I could buy a decent Boxster S for. And the rest they say is history...

I lucked out and found a buyer ready to pay that kind of bread for the 'Stang and had $500 left after buying my 2000 S.

I've seen the old 5.0 at a couple of show & shines since I sold it. I'm glad it found a good home, but I don't miss it in the slightest.

At the times I can't go for a drive, I go out to the garage and just sit in my Boxster and enjoy finally owning a Porsche. It took 32 years, but it was definitely worth the wait.

My love started through my family. Growing up my parents had two 914s and then a 944. I drove the 944 a few times (not that I was suppost to, haha) and loved it.

The nail in the coffin was a factory slantnose that I used to drool over once a week sitting in a guys yard one town over. I wanted that car! It sat there for over 10 years - between my father and I, we approached the owners father a few times (owner was stationed up North in the military) trying to buy it but they wouldn't sell it. Then all of a sudden, one day it was gone. :( (If I ever locate it, I'm buying it!)

The decision to go with the 986 came from my parents again. They bought a 1997 Boxster a few years back. Loved it after driving it! I came across a 2000 986 S with a hardtop this summer. It was in need of some love, but I'm a sucker for that with cars and that marks the beginning of my Porsche ownership!

Was a gas pump jockey at 9, as such I got to see and be around every model of car; back when most had the fill behind a spring loaded license plate. One guy had a brown 911 automatic! I hated that it was automatic but I loved gassing it, looking at it up close and sitting in it. About seven years later my brother had a 911T, I got to drive it maybe three times but that's all it took. I liked the 944 and coveted one. Made the error of cheaping out and buying a 280ZX. This was about 1988, I looked at a Detomaso pantera I could have had for 15K!! If I had the gonads to buy that I would still have it. Anyhow, I liked the Z but realized it was a pig in sports car drag, a couple years later I sold it and got a guards red, 944 with 50K on the clock, optional sport seats, 911 fuchs wheels and a limited slip differential. After owning it, I knew I would keep a Porsche in the garage as long as it was a practical life decision.

I used to love 911s and drove a couple but price was a factor especially maintenance costs. About 6 years ago I was on the way to look at a Boxster but the salesman said it was being repaired - one electric window would not work. I think it was a '99. On the way back I test drove a '99 Miata Mx5 and ended up buying it thinking that it would be cheaper to run. It had no air cond., no heated seats. It was hard to start in winter - battery needed charging all the time, needed block heater plugged in. Spring of last year I sold it after 4 years of ownership.

Bought a 2001 Boxster with 30k miles, manual trans., air cond., heated seats. This is my first Porsche and I am in my 60's. Could be my last Porsche! I am very happy with it. A year and a half of ownership and ten k miles later it I could not be happier. I drive it year round. If there is too much snow or too cold, then I don't use it that day.
It is the most fun car I have ever had. I have no psm so I don't push it in winter on the corners. :)

My first experience with a Porsche was getting a ride to Expo 67 in a '56 Porsche 1600.
It belonged to a friend's older brother and was in pretty rough shape - lots of bondo and I suspect a 6 volt system . Every time he stalled the car in Montreal traffic Phil and I would have to get out and push start it - we were young & didn't care and it was a fun ride.
Years later I drove a friend's 912 it was Ok - not as much fun as my Fiat spyder was to drive.
After selling my 190Sl a couple of years ago I was looking at a more practical sports car like a Miata - my wife hates them ( don't know why ) anyway while out looking for cars one day a Boxster goes by - how 'bout one of those ? - "Yup, that looks nice" she replied - not even knowing what it was. Before she had a chance to change her mind I found a '99 base that we are both happy with and it's turned out to be a fairly practical sports car.

Always wanted a 356 and 911 but would not spend the cash on myself. Then one day 2 years ago I woke up to the fact that life is so short and my wife's next husband would have no problem spending what I worked hard for. So there you have it !!! I love Porsche cars, all of them.

Bought a new 2005 BMW Z4 2.5. Two years later I wanted to trade up to a new 2007 BMW Z4 3.0. Dealer gave me a hard time. Went next door and ordered a 2007 Boxster S (sight unseen). Didn't know a thing about Porsches. It was delivered 4 months later. I still have that 2007 (daily driver).

I don't remember exactly when it started, but I can't ever remember not lusting after a Porsche. The shape of the 911 just speaks to me. Money, life, kids, mortgages, etc always got in the way. I had a brand new 1983 RX-7 that I drove right off the dealer showroom floor in the middle of a Wisconsin winter. I loved that car, it was my 911 substitute. I had to sell it several years later to continue my aviation career. I still have the spare key from that car sitting in my desk. I have always done all my own work on my houses. I can frame, finish carpentry, tile, plumbing, electrical, you name it. Last year I gutted and remodeled my masterbath. At fifty, I decided the plumber/carpenter/electrician/tile setter needed to finally be paid! I started looking around at 911's to see what I could justify. I stumbled on to this forum as well as others and started to see a couple of posts where 911 owners had wished they hadn't sold their Boxster. I started investigating, found out my neighbor is the parts guy for Zims(they advertise in Excellence, GT Porsche and others). He drove up one day in a black on black Boxster. I asked if I could test it out, and I was instantly in love! I would still love to have an older 911 some day but not at the expense of the Boxster. I love the top down driving and the handling is incredible. When I drive my 2001 S, it's like driving on rails. The Boxster is just an outstanding car.

Here is a pic....
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1351444537.jpg

Looks great in those snow tires! I happen to be in Calgary right now, flying out later today. I can vouch for the snow on the ground. Winter comes way too early up here!

I guess Im the only one that bought the Porshe Challenge Racing game. Back in 1997 they made a Boxster racing game for the Sony Playstation. Always like the 911 but on the game there was a engineer that went over the specifics of the Boxster and the award winning design. Played that game many times so it stuck with me. So to continue the racing, I bought one.

Oddly my Boxster origins are with a '94 Integra. I had always driven trucks, until I inherited my wife's old 'Teg that had been slated for trade-in. Who knew commuting could be fun? It was on it's last legs, so I looked for a 240SX. I couldn't find one that wasn't "riced out", so I moved on to a Miata. It felt a bit too "pedestrian", so the search went on, with the prices rising! Test drove: 350Z, RX8, Corvette (felt too big), Z3(M), M3, SLK, S2000, and finally 986/987. Only the S2000 and Boxster felt "special" to me. The Box won primarily due to trunk space,the S2 isn't much more practical than a motorcycle. I had never dreamed I could afford a Porsche, only hours of searching on cars.com led me in this direction.

My love for the Boxster (anyway) started in 1997 or 1998. My family was in Longboat Key for a vacation, and we went to a marina to get jetskis for the day. And there it was. An Arena Red beauty with saddle/cinnamon interior and the top down. Needless to say I was smitten, but never thought I could actually get one.

Since then I've had several cars, all of which would have allowed me into a Porsche but I never thought about it until 2010.

In the mid-1990s, I did lust after 944s in the worst way though. My brother came close to getting one but no luck.

My nanny first introduced me to Porsches. Other things followed ......

As a Musclecar enthusiast & engine rebuilder my disdain for Porsches was deeply ingrained & confirmed when I drove one for the 1st time, a friends 1986 911.

In 2000 got a job as the lead test driver for Porsches SoCA press fleet. 1st up was a 2000 C2 & it was love at 1st drive. I quit that job 2.5 years later & bought my 1st Porsche 6 months later. I knew exactly what I wanted & still have it & have put 88K miles on it so far. :)

I was hoping JD would chime in!!

Yup that's JD alright, he's being led by an Opel manta.

good stuff!

I was living in Germany in 1981 and wanted to buy a fun car. Found out I could afford a 924, and not knowing it was an Audi, I went ahead and bought one. After several occasions of being embarrassed on the autobahn by Golf GTI's, I bought the newly introduced 944. Still couldn't keep up with the traffic I wanted to drive with. Ended up selling it and buying a 911 Carrera. Now, that would keep up in traffic. Been hooked on the family ever since.

That Manta helped create my "Mantra" !

Hard to beleive 944 couldn't keep up. 944's had impressive performance in it's day.

In the late 70's a friend bought a new car and needed to sell his 914. I volunteered to keep and sell it for him. It took me 2 months to sell it for some reason..... and I've been hooked ever since.

Introduced by Birth. My Dad was a Porsche mechanic for many years, he started working for his uncle around 15y/o. I rememeber him tossing my brother and I wrenches and an old volkswagen motor to learn how to tear them down. Taking them apart was the easy part. I think he was using us for child labor, LOL! I also remember sitting in a Speedster that was kept at the shop, pretending I was driving through Laguna Seca. I lso remember getting picked up from school and taken to lunch in random Porsches of the day, while Dad was out on a "test drive".

The sickness was further compounded when he gave me an old '66 912 after I blew the engine in my CJ5. Then that passed on to my brother. Now I'm back in action with the 02S, (which was my brothers), and loving every minute...between replacing parts that is. :P

Saw them as a little kid and was told by my parents that we were poor and I'd never own one because only rich people could afford cars like that.

Not a completely true or false statement, but I made sure I earned enough to drive whatever I wanted to drive.

And I drive a Porsche. And a BMW :)

The German spec GTI's were rocket sleds. I borrowed a 944 Turbo and could keep up, but the turbo lag of the early models drove me nuts. Decided on the 911.

I have always loved the look of the Porsche 911.
An old girlfriend's father had one of the first 924's and I loved riding in it as a 14 year old kid.
I have been into American muscle cars all my life.
I got my '03 Boxster by accident...sort of. I had been looking to buy a convertible for a little while. I ride a Goldwing ('84 with 200K plus miles), but my Wife is scared to ride. I wanted something to share the open road with her. I honestly thought I was gonna get a Mustang convertible; seemed logical I already had an '06 coupe. I was at the Ford dealer pricing a door panel and they had my car on the lot. White, dark blue interior, low miles (26k) and priced pretty good. I asked my buddy who works there if I could sit in it almost as a joke. See I am right at 6 foot 3 inches and calorically challenged (fat) and I did not think I would be able to even get inside. Turns out it was quite comfy once I settled in. Then I drove it...that was all it took, I was sold. That was almost 3 months ago. I have taken her on a trip to Savannah, Orlando and the mountains. I'm in love. Kinda cool that I got 27 MPG on the highway going to Orlando too.

I just bought one...that's all.

When I was young, I watched Herbie movies. Herbie was a VW Beetle racecar that was alive. I also watched Speed Racer. Both are cars with round headlights.

So when I first saw a Porsche, I was immediately a fan. But it wasn't until I got to drive a 98 Boxster at 16 years old that I knew I had to have a Porsche. I started saving. It had to be my first car. It took me 5 years of min wage jobs to make enough money to buy one. In that time I was saving, I drove a 1999 911 Carrera, a 2004 911 Carrera 4S, a 1991 911 Carrera, a 2003 Boxster S, and the Cayenne S.

My dream car was the Porsche Cayman S. I was 17 at the time it came out.

When I turned 21, I bought a 2000 Boxster 5SPD MT. That was 2 years ago and I am still enjoying it today.

I grew up during the 60's in a small town in Ontario, Canada, where Porsches were virtually non-existant. However, the reviews in Road and Track and Sports Car Grahpic magazine were invariably positive and there was something about the clean, uncluttered lines and the 'giant killer' reputation of the early cars that attracted me. At about 13 my older brother took me to some club racing at Harwood Acres and then to the inaugaral Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport. Watching the old 356's and the 911's in the preliminary races, tail-out around various corners but able to beat cars with up to twice the displacement, made its mark and from that point on I positively lusted after one of these rare beasts.

Of course, for my first car I couldn't afford a Porsche, but bought a 66 Beetle that I upgraded with a camber compensator, radial tires, extractor exhaust and a short-throw shifter - and dreamed that I was driving a Porsche. In 1974, at age twenty I managed to find an affordable 61 356B that was rusty but intact and drove her for a couple of years until the rust demons got the best of her - and me. Thereafter, while completing university and getting started in life I bought a series of relatively inexpensive sports cars - two (yes, I am that crazy) Fiat x-19's and a Datsun 240Z and 260Z. I still, of course, lusted after a Porsche.

In 1989 I purchased a Porsche 944 (midnite blue with tan leather, 'Turbo' rims, Blaupunkt stereo with magic wand, sunroof and headlight washers) which eventually I put under a transport truck trailer on Highway 400 during a blizzard (another story). At that point, I exchanged my desire for a replacement Porsche for the joys of raising a family, an expensvie divorce (OK, not so joyful), a love of sailing and the purchase of a small beachfront property in the Caribbean for my retirement.

The good news is that in March of this year I found a 2000 Boxster with low mileage and terrific maintenance records (and in the same color-scheme as my 944 - Ocean Blue Metallic with Savanna beige leather, 17 inch turbo twist rims, wind deflector, upgraded stereo, cruise, stainless door sills and exhaust tip )and, at their current prices, could see no reason NOT to buy one as a toy. Really, incredible fun and HUGE bang for the buck. And lets face it, this is the first time in history that one can purchase a Porsche in excellent condition (and without the rust bug that plagued the early cars) for less than many economy cars with similar odometer readings.

Maintenance? So far, after 7 months and 5000 km (3100 miles) not a single issue. I have found an incredible Porsche mechanic (who did the PPI) and will keep her as she should be kept. I will not drive her in the snow. I will wash and wax and detail her regularly, I will not park her in shopping mall lots (not a single ding in the doors at this point, and I plan on keeping her that way). I will not begrudge the cost of parts, or the sketchy reliability of the some of the mechanicals. Why? The joy of driving a car that has almost perfect balance - incredible handling, braking and steering imput combined with excellent acceleration and throttle response and an exhaust system/air intake that makes glorious sounds - and all of this enveloped in a distinctive and attractive shell with decent ergonomics and luggage space for a sports car! What an incredible joy to drive and, once again, what an incredible bargain!

Could I afford a new Boxster S or 911? Sure, but it would involve either going into debt or disposing of another asset that I really want to keep. Attack my priorities if you want to, but frankly, the 2000 Base Boxster is plenty enough car for me. I find myself perfectly satisfied with its performance and, to my eye, the 986 is still the best-looking and most original Boxster- and one of the best-looking and most original Porsche street cars, of all time. I know, I know, a totally subjective opinion. But in my view what is not subjective is this: those who are less interested in status or 'ultimate' performance, than in good value and responsiveness are indeed lucky that excellent examples of the 986 are now available at such ridiculously low prices.

Brad