obohlman

I'm looking to sell my beloved 2002 BMW M Roadster and use the proceeds to help fund the purchase of a "pre-loved" 911...looking for thoughts and advise.

While I absolutely love my M Roadster, I really only have room for 1 completely illogical car. I'm been fascinated with 911's for many years and 4 years ago was going back and forth between the M Roadster that I ended up buying, and getting a 993. Of course at the time the M was 10k less than a comparable 993, so I went with the M...well, my M has stayed flat in value while I've watched the 993's climb year after year. DAMN!

I'll plan on driving the 911 (open to various years, thus looking for feedback), about 4K miles a year....and keep it til I'm 6 feet under...

Would prefer something that is not more than about $50k or so now, including any work I'd need to have done on it...

Ideally I want a coupe, not a convertible nor a targa. Something that has a reasonable chance of continued appreciation....but we all know that is a crap shoot save perhaps the super low production number cars...

Pro's / Con's of various models and years within the models?

Want numbers matching, and ideally all original save perhaps a respray.

Ok...I antipate that I'll get all kinds of opinions on this topic...I welcome your reasons for whatever your position might be.

Ready....set.....GO!

Toddster

Good luck with your search
I would start driving as many different types as you can
Only then can you tell what will resonate with you
Once you figure that out, dive into the nuances of variations by model year.
There is so much info out there, if you dont narrow it down first it may seem over whelming
Obviously you get allot of car for your money with a 997, not as much fun to drive in my opinion but a great looking car. I can't say enough about the 993, i have driven many porsches but only owned this one. i cant imagine getting rid of it yet. GOOD LUCK

obohlman

Thanks for the comments...you are correct...I've got to go drive them!

Amber Gramps

I drove dozens of them. They were all trash. Horrific drivers. Discards of the rich that were never maintained. Finally found a gem that turned out to be somewhat worthy. Well worth it to try them on. You'll know when the right one comes along. Don't settle. Keep some cash in reserve. Understand that it's a toy and sometimes toys break.

Streetfighter

First thing is you are posting in the 911 forum meaning models older than 1989. If you are looking for a 993 may want to post in that specific forum.

My thoughts for you, driving the different models is a good starting point. Every car is different and it takes some getting used to. Pedals are off set, they smell of leather and oil and every motor plays a slightly different tune.

In terms of the 993 great car, last air cooled model. Value wise it's tough to find them under $50k. If you do it's probably a convertible or an automatic. PPI is a must and seeing a mountain of service records. Realize no car is ever perfect they will always have small things to repair/replace. Nature of age catching up to them. The only issue I see is a lot of 911 owners are no longer driving their cars since the value skyrocketed recently. If you buy one I hope you drive it. They are really meant to driven.

Search is your friend. Drive local examples, have a Porsche mechanic look at it before purchasing and take your time. Any vintage of 911 has a lot to offer, tread carefully. Look for your car when the time is right.

theiceman

yeah we are not here to present to you where you just get to sit back and read ... so ready .. set .... go do your homework..... come back with some different ideas and we might comment on it to help.

Drisump

Obviously $50k will get you a lot in the water pumped era but a comparatively modest car in the air cooled one. Don't get me wrong, you can still get very beautiful 3.2's and SC's for under that but under that, the pickings are pretty thin on long hoods, 964's and 993's. I, personally would not assume appreciation will occur. When I bought my first 3.2 ten years ago I felt that 911's were a great deal for what they were. Since then, the market has expanded massively and many cars have tripled in value.....IMHO it's highly questionable whether the trend can continue. At these price levels, many people find it comforting to to just open the garage and gaze at what they own vs actually driving it. Over time those garage queens will likely preserve more value than the one that you'll drive 4k miles per year. That being said, personally I'd much rather derive the level of fun that I get out of my cars than further pad my investment portfolio. In terms of use, I use my 3.2 and 993 about the same as as you believe you will. I rack up most of those miles on long trips and have never been dissapointed with their reliability or durability also, they are quite DIY friendly and parts are usually quite easy to obtain. Cheers and good luck