Arguments of a persuasive husband - Why buy an old Porsche

[ozan]

So I've wanted an old porsche since I learned to ride a bicycle. I saw a neighbors minty speedster and it was love at first sight. Since then I've put the idea of owning my own Porsche out of my mind as unrealistic. But just recently I've realized that I have the money do to it, and my motor is humming.

Now I just have to convince my wife that it's not a totally irresponsible use of cash. We have 2 kids, one on the way, and she makes considerably more money than I do. She's a facts and numbers person so I want to come at her with some concrete info about owning an old Porsche. Btw, I'm interested in a 912 or 911, something around 1966 - 68. And I want to drive it - not a garage queen. Maybe 3000 miles a year. I'm in Seattle, WA. This would be a second car, mostly for me, not our main family car.

What is the best way to protect your investment? Is it better to buy fully restored or pay to fix it up? I won't be doing any work myself.

What's the cost of a 912 that's fully restored? What should I expect this car to cost me per year?

Can kids fit in the back of 911? I assume adults can't really get back there unless the driver has his face pressed against the windshield.

How dependable is a car like this when in very good condition?

How safe? I realize this is a pretty dumb question but I wonder, is it horribly unsafe, or just normal for a small car from the sixties?


Thanks in advance for your time! I really appreciate it.

-Ted

[jshaddvw]

Not a whole lot of difference in the 912 to 911 for room but the 911 will have more power. I own a 914 that is for me and the wife only. I have 2 kids and if you are planning on buying buying any kind of sports car just deal with the fact that it will realistically only fit 2 people. I am a huge fan of the 356. If you can afford one then go for it. Just know that the 356 and 912 have basically the same motor but are a great time. Goodluck looking for a great car to have as a weekend gettaway from it all.
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'61 Beetle
'70 Bus
'76 Porsche 914

[ozan]

Thanks!

[porsche tech]

Know that the purchase price isn't the half of it. Even if you can get your wife to go for that, once you're driving it, the maintenance costs are substantial. By the way, if you find one you like, be sure to get a prepurchase inspection done by someone who knows 911s.--Dave

[Braukuche]

An early 911 and a later 356 are going to cost you about the same to buy, but the 911 is more costly to maintain. Both are good investments as their values seem to continue to climb. 912s are by far cheaper, but they do not appreciate as much and yet are as costly to maintain as a 356. You can easily get upside down on a 912 especially if you are paying someone else to do the work. A lot of people will tell you they put easily $3k just into an engine rebuild some even more for a 912.
They are all money pits but a blast to drive, which is not what most women want to hear.
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Go Reds! Smash state!

My retirement plan:
1958 PG/SG Standard
1959 SO-23 Westfalia
1960 crusty double cab
1960 convertible bug
1962 So-22 Mosaic Westfalia
1963 356 B coupe runner
1963 356 B coupe in pieces
1965 standard sunroof bus
1967 912

[ozan]

Thanks for the education. Sounds like I'm going to have to be crafty...

[Wiggy]

Remember the golden rule...

You don't own a Porsche, a Porsche owns you.
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Kevin "Wiggy"

What everybody should know about the 356 Registry as it currently stands:

http://porsche356registry.org/356talk/15/29961.html

My 1957 356

My 1958 Ghia Vert

My 1951 Split 11G

[damesandhotrods]

I fear you have your work cut out for you. A Porsche is one of those things in life that if you have to explain it you won’t understand.

[Cam Arnott]

They are pretty reliable cars provided you either buy a god one or spend money making it a good one! Personally I'd buy the best you can afford, one that someone has poured a lot of money into. This is the person to talk about a purchase or even have him check out a car for you. http://www.autoforeignservices.com/contact-us.html

Good luck and happy hunting.

[VWporscheGT3]

my wife is very understanding about my obsession with Porsche's. Now that being said, She will not be understanding if i bring one home before my last kid is 17. The Volkswagen I have now that I'm working on has to fill that gap until some day i can find a decent 74 and up 911 and turn it into at least a Turbo Look car (or one that is already done for that matter). something else to consider is that a good 911 engine rebuild is going to cost you atleast 10K to do it right and get most of the "while im in theres" out of the way.. it wont cover it all.
If your going to by a Porsche. find a 912 with a good body.. maybe minus the motor and have a strong VW motor built 2000cc and up and you'll be happy... the engine may not being 100% correct but it will be cheaper if a rebuild chime goes off 5 or 10 years down the road.
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69 Fasty
71 Beetle

you wanna save something truly special... Restore a Fastback!

[DanM]

It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Just know that eventually you'll be up shit creek with whatever you buy and she will say "I told you so".

[camchain]

Decide what you want. Find the best one that you can afford and then let her drive it. I have had the good fortune to have had many "fun" cars. The only car that my wife ever drives spur of the moment by herself is the 356. As a result it is the car that will stay around for a very ling time. Get her involved - you might be surprised. Good Luck!

[drscope]

An adult can sit comfortably in the back seat of a 911 provided they have no legs.

But that some what silly rear seat has a very important purpose. It keeps the car out of the "2 seat sports car" catagory for insurance. And that can make a huge financial difference.

If you are not doing any of the work yourself, then dig deep and find the nicest one you can afford. Buying a project and paying someone else to finish it for you will drive you directly to the poor house.

Find your local PCA region (Porsche Club of America) and attend a few functions as a guest. Take the wife with you! This will introduce you to the people in your area and maybe help you find the car you are looking for.
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Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch!

[dsrtfox]

It used to be that Joe 6 pack could actually own a Porsche if he were willing to make small sacrifices in other areas. For instance having the old lady in a 4 door 68 Dodge Dart, manual trans, slant 6 and no AC. Today she's on roller skates

[monovich]

I was in a similar situation as the OP. I'd wanted a Porsche my entire life. Of course it would be great to get a 911, but that wasn't really an option. around 8-10k was my price range, and that slotted me into the 912E territory, so I shopped there, found one, and have been loving it ever since.

The kids still fit in the back and they love it as well. I got it with the intent that it was the car my wife and I would drive, but I'm surprised how often we all jam into it. It is such a fun car, the kids think its fast even though our Honda Civic is much faster. It just feels fast.

The engine did die on me last year. Bad heads on one side. Was going to be an 8k rebuild top to bottom. I found a rolled 912E with a "good" engine for 1k and rolled the dice and did the swap myself. Worked out great and the engine runs like a clock. Now I have two complete engines.

The car does cost money to run. I constantly find myself shopping for bits for it. New antenna, new engine sound mat, new bushings, new headliner. The engine could probably die at any moment as well. Needs an entire repaint.

I'm resigned to all of those costs. I bought this to own long term. All of our other cars are just cars, but the Porsche is intended to be a long term member of our family that we will still drive in 40 years and by then will have many memories of having driven on adventures all over. How can you set an exact value on that?

[UZI]

i operate my enjoyment of my old cars like a business. i kinda have to because i am self employed. it all started out that with buying stuff at swap meets (pre internet days) stuff i wanted or thought i might need, then found out that i don't need it at some point and turn around and sell it. now, whenever i need cash to get something i want, a car gets sold, parts and accessories come off the shelf, onto the internet for sale and go off in boxes.

next toy shows up a few weeks later and i've just stepped up my collection again.

my wife makes way more money than i do. she could care less what i do with cars as long as the money is in the account each month for family expenses.
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[offrdbus70]

I would personally go with a 911. The 912 is slow and the 356 is a beetle with a cool body. I just restored a 63 356 notch. Could not wait to drive it. Until I did.
MG

[jt912]

Sounds like offrdbus70 needs to hang out with more 912 owners. Slow? Hardly. Quick? Not by today's standard. Better adjectives are agile, nimble, fun, smile-inducing, self-wrenchable, timeless, and non-911.

[damesandhotrods]

[HarryFD]

If you are looking for a 911 for fun, I would suggest you look at the 1978-84 911 SC. At this point in time, the cost to run a 912 is close to a 911 but unless you have some spcial reason to want a 912, your wallet will be better served with a 911.

The Short wheel base 911/912 (1965 to 1968) are having parts issues and the cost will contiune to rise due to these issues. The later long noses (1969 to 1973) have been escalating and now decent cars go for silly money.

The 1974-77 2.7 liter cars can have expesnive issue but if you can find a well cared one, they can be a great deal.

The 3.0 liter SC's are still in a reasonable price range and offer good performance. If it was me, I would look there for a decent car.

I love my 1973 but I would be unable to buy it today if I did not get it whan I did.

As far as using the back seats, they are very small and not terribly useful. When my kids were small (under 8 yrs old) they liked sitting there but is was very "cozy".

There is a saying that all Porsches cost at least $20,000. I have yet to see something to refute that.

They are great cars and if maintained are quite reliable.
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1970 Sunroof Bay
1973.5 911 Targa
2006 Ford Focus
2009 MB C300