Build vs buy, which will make me less poor?

[78F350]

It depends.
If you can do your own maintenance, that will make a 986 much more affordable. Changing a water pump or AOS can cost about $150 to $250 for parts and a few hours on a weekend or either can cost around $1,000 at a shop. That said, some people have taken on some major repairs and found that it was beyond their capability or ruined a good engine.

With 986s being 20+ years old at this point, buy the best maintained one that you can afford. How well it has been cared for is more important that how many miles it has on it. Keep having PPIs done on cars you are serious about.

Consider a few flaws that you are willing to accept: Worn brake pads and rotors are usually a fairly easy thing to replace. Worn out or old tires give you the opportunity to get the tires of your choice. A complete professional paint job can cost over $5,000, but a bumper re-spray or some PDR could be under $500 (in my locality).