Ted928

I bought my 86 on 1/96 for $14,500. it had 45K miles. now it has 75K. 2 sets of tires, water pump, belts, rollers and seals, rebuilt tranny for $2500 because i did not like 2nd gear (rebuild helped but nothing like the 944 that i had), LH brain.
excluding general maintainance cost i am averaging ~$600 per year. not so bad. the future is yet to be written.

Shane

I bought mine in June of 2000 totally ignorant about the car other than it was beautiful and I NEEDED IT. Put lots of miles on it the first year with little to no maintenence. "Dec 2001" I found the Rennlist and lurked, spending $2000 in repairs and upgrades for 600 miles. $3.33/mile.
2002 Joined the Rennlist and spent $4500 on Repairs and Upgrades for 2500 miles. $1.8/mile. My milage is going up faster than my cost so I'm rather pleased with that. But some of the upgrades on my wish list could change that # rather quickly. Rennlist has helped me in many ways but most importantly in helping explain to my wife the need for these additional costs. Thanks everyone! <img src="graemlins/bigok.gif" border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" />

Paul D

I just went through my maintenance log and I took a SWAG (Scientific Wild A$$ Guess) and here's what I found out: (I've owned her since '96)

Miles driven to date: 20,875
parts/maintenance: $ 7,300
driving events: $ 525
insurance (6mo/yr): $ 1,500
gas: $ 2,100

It works out to $0.55/mile. However, if you take the approx. 200 hrs I've spent working on her and convert that to the cost of a therapist (working on this car is mental flossing to me) at $50 to $100 an hour then my cost per mile is near the $1.50/mile mark.

dr bob

So even with the low miles driven the last two years, sounds like my $1.50/mi isn't too far off the average. It also sounds like the majority of the respondents feel, as I do, that the car is worth the 'investment', especially if you do your own work and call it a substitute for therapy.

That doesn't mean we're not all crazy, it just moves the center of the bell curve a little closer to the crazy end, making us appear to others to be close to 'normal', whatever that is. <img src="graemlins/c.gif" border="0" alt="[ouch]" />


This week's worklist included CV-joint boots, and an oil change, both required much more to age than to mileage. Car definitely needs to be washed, and cleaned on the inside too, but those hours and $$ don't get logged against the cost/mile figure.


FYI-- One of the first thumbnail calcs I did before buying the car was a cost/mile for the PO's ownership experience. He was a revolving-account-at-the-dealer type of owner, generally a good thing IMHO. His $73k purchase was discounted $10k from sticker, and he drove it 22k in 8 years. That's about $3/mile just in depreciation. Add in all the maintenance and it doubles to $6/mile easily, plus his regular operating costs, insurance registration, fuel, etc. I laughed then, but see now how easily the numbers rack up. The difference is that the car is probably still worth more than what I gave him for it, so depreciation is out of the calculation at least for now.

Thanks for all the responses!

Normy

Just in from Hong Kong-

A magic city; I've spent the past few days wandering Kowloon and collecting bootleg software and cheap watches. And watching this forum via hotel room phone line.

So how much have I spent on my shark? Not enough.

-I want you all to ask yourselves this question: Why are you here?

I can tell you: Not simply because our society is spread out enough geographically that our legs [for most people, our primary mode of transport] are not sufficient for our transportation needs, and that the solution [Porsche 928] to the problem needs the occasional maintenance.

We are here because our cars are more than transportation- they are our HOBBY.

I had a big fight with my mom a few years ago when I bought my car. She's a North Carolina hillbilly, plain and simple- and the notion of an object as pretentious as a "Porsche" in her family bothered her mightily. I can remember her saying "So you're selling that perfectly good car just so you can put on airs or something with that old piece of sh*t!"

-I didn't remind her of the time in 1978 when one of my friends fathers had brought one home and parked it in their driveway. I saw it and thought it was the most exotic thing ever built- right up there with the X-wing fighers in Star Wars. I came home raving about it. My dad gave me dirty looks, the '72 Ford LTD leaking oil on the garage floor-

[He had the brains to buy a '63 split window corvette in 1964; Believe me, despite the late model Jetta, he's gone downhill since]

His "Porsche" says Calloway Golf on the side- he can consistently hit into the 70's. I used to fly my model airplanes from the fairways at a local golf course. We both have uses for the same place apparently.

Anyway, occasionally, when my parents visit me in Florida, I take my mom to the Salvation Army thrift store for some shopping. I love shopping there for the cheap clothes- 75 percent of my wardrobe comes from there and if your kids want to shop in one don't deter them! My mom revels in the notion of arriving there in a Porsche.

Pretention is an amazing thing.

[I take after my father most of the time!]

So we are going to take this stuff down to the level of the accountant- dollars per hour. So, I think if you exclude the cost of the fuel the thing burns, what have I spent on my '85 S2 5 speed? I bought it in May 1999 for $10.6k, and have spent about $8k on it since. It had 82k miles when I bought it, and it has 114k now, 3.5 years later. Many of my friends own airplanes, and they have on their laptops break downs of what they spend [15g/hr for a Commanche 250, which -might- do 180 TAS seems a bit high...] and have everything down to the cent.

I don't do that to my shark. I keep receipts, and generally know what I can afford and what I cannot. I refuse to take it to the cent, because that seems to take all the fun out of it.

So my dad bought some hot golf clubs, my mom loves cheap shopping, and I love my car. Everyone needs a hobby!

This thread seems to threaten that notion, by distilling it down to its essence. Why did I pay an ******* institution like AOL $0.10/minute just to make people on Rennlist think that I am weird? Simply put, because 1. I am weird, and 2. Because this car....and the talking about it are my hobbies. OH I go to all lengths to think up new and exciting reasons to post things here [I've probably gone overboard on one or two occasions], but the end cost of everything is really...

MONEY WELL SPENT!

Why? Simple: Carpe Diem.

Live for the moment. The point is, if you spend money on a hobby and it brings you enjoyment then you should continue, because if you don't, then you fall apart.

Anyway...

Normy!

'85 S2 5 Speed

Greg86andahalf

Hi Normy,

[quote]OH I go to all lengths to think up new and exciting reasons to post things here [I've probably gone overboard on one or two occasions] <hr></blockquote>


Naw, not you!

Hey, have you considered giving your mom a signed and framed copy of you nude 928 hood photo shoot?
I gaurantee she'll never look at a 928 the same way again!

Greg

Eric R

OK. I read the thread, and here's my input ...

I'm "out" of the game right now. I sold the "boy" 'cause I lost my job, but I'll have another, sooner rather than later.

I had my '85 EURO for a year, 10K miles. I figure it cost about $1K per month for the PRIVLEDGE of driving it. That's big bux to me. However, it totally changed the effort of going from point A to point B into fun ... and I no longer minded being the taxi driver for the kids. I even used to look for longer routes that allowed highway speeds (85 to 90).

If you never owned a 928, then pricing the experience isn't possible. For those who are lucky enough to have one, KNOW THIS: You'll feel like a piece of you is missing when it's gone.

Nicole

Well put, Eric!!!

John Struthers

This is where I'm at:
I bought Pattycakes 17 months ago - $8600.00
including airfare and a no reservation night in San Diego, meals, and return RIDE OF MY LIFE to Midland, Tx.
Since then:
Battery - needed.
Exhaust - could have kept brazing the rear muffler.
Tires - bought four, only needed one.
Used Alternator - spare.
Fuses - cornered the market. Still have plenty.
Bulbs - cornered the market. Still have plenty.
Brake pads still serviceable - saved old ones.
Brake sensors. Changed them, saved the old ones.
Brake switches. Saved old ones. Good thing as I still get a press. warn caution.
Have two window switches due in ... soon.
Complete set of Mats, fronts have 928 embroidery,
Only $50.00 out of Checkers - Dashmate does em'.
All tallied only approx. $1000.00
Milage is averaged to about 700 miles a month or close to 12,000 miles. This isn't at all bad considering P'cakes was a West COASTer and was built in Feb. of 1982.
Not to wear it out; Just the sight of a 928 is a turn on! I have wanted a sHARk since I first saw them in a car magazine. The want turned into an ache when I was stationed in Stuttgart FRG, not far from Zuffenhausen.
My wife decided I needed a new ride as the 87' F-150 was getting on in years. Still have it.
Went into sticker shock at the dealerships. Hit the Ebay and noticed the availability and price of both the Supra Twin Turbos, and the 928's.
The purchase of Pattycakes was not some need to recapture my youth, nor to say "I have a Porsche".
I've said this before, I'd have a 928 even if YUGO was the manufacturer. These cars, to me, are works of art and in my view meet the letter and intent of the word "CLASSIC".
Whats more one of my purchasing criteria was that I could actually spend time driving the car.
I have been frustrated at times, but never disappointed.
The Rennlist, and Nichol's site among others have been fantastic resources. For those of you who haven't been to a frenzy, meeting, local gathering ... get off your *** and go!
You get to meet the people who have helped and or spanked you. Always something to learn or new to see. -
Back to costs there is that thunking sound -TT- that just started, and then I truly LUST after A polished spyder/intake like Randy's...
John S. & Pattycakes the Wunder Weissach. 82' auto
BTW Still cheaper than a mistress <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

SMTCapeCod

One of those running discussion threads that met a too-early demise!

So; newer cars now (much) older, younger owners now (perhaps) wiser, same old dollar its just smaller...

Adk46

I've got two things to say on this subject:

1) If you buy a statue from the art gallery, keep it clean, insure it, house it, add up the costs and then divide by the miles you've driven it, it comes out even higher than a 928.

2) I've sworn off old houses, but still watch "This Old House" with great interest. That's what we need. Greg? Sean?

Rob Edwards

Still above $10 per mile on the GTS.

Need to drive to Third Coast so I can economize some...

Ninjaxz750

I've owned my 86.5 for five months now. Excluding the purchase price, I've spent $2400 on it. But it's stuff that won't come up often, such as having the rims repainted and getting the Trans fluid and filter changed.

There's nothing like the sound of the starter kicking and the engine firing up.

For me, it's money well spent. As people have said on this thread, it's a hobby and it's therapy.

85euro928

Just for parts for repairs and upgrades, not insurance, fuel, purchase price, etc, I would say I'm a little north of $1 a mile. The money doesn't bother me as there are way more expensive hobbies than this that don't give you anywhere near the satsisfaction. This hobby also allows me to do it at my leisure. I just wish that after 6 years of tooling I could spend more time driving and less time doing repairs, but since there are very few things that I haven't already fixed or rebuilt I'd say that day is close

hwyengr

Since the speedo/odo needs fixin, by the calcs, I've spent $infinity/mi.