Hunt3R

I bought my 05 997S over 2 years ago with money from my 86 911 and my motorcycle and I love driving it, but the thing is I hardly ever actually drive it. Maybe once every week or 2 or 3. I usually take the bus to work so I don't have to deal with the Seattle traffic. It stays plugged into the trickle charger in my garage, however in a couple months I'll be moving into a house without a garage so I would have to park it out on the street. It will be a neighborhood street, but still it'll be near downtown and eventually someone will bump it when parallel parking, maybe scratch it, hell maybe try to steal it.

I will only ever drive a Porsche as long as I live, so my dilemma is do I sell it and get something cheap that I don't care about parking on the street, like an older used Boxster or 996 or maybe even get a motorcycle again which would allow me to use the HOV lanes...

...OR do I keep the 997 and just stay calm and accept the bumps and scratches it may get over time from being parked on the street? Here's the thing, I have a really good example of a 997 and it is setup to last a long time. Only 48K miles, it doesn't drink any oil and I've been doing an oil analysis the past couple of years, and I recently replaced the clutch and RMS and upgraded the IMS to an LN single-row pro. In addition to some other upgrades I've got some money in it and I probably won't get it all back. Looking at the market right now I think I would be optimistic to get $42K for it and I would already be taking a loss at that number. I had been planning to hold on to this car for a decade or two or three. It really is a keeper. Any suggestions on how to make a decision?

I am the Walrus

Maybe you can rent a spot from a neighbour

tomc_mets

^ I'd be more concerned with the lack of driving it in addition to the other worries. Does your schedule not permit a nice spirited weekend drive in the country from time to time?
T

vsomoza

I’m in agreement with Gordon9898. Find a garage that you can rent nearby. I did that when I was younger and lived in an apartment in downtown Toronto. It was a block away, very private and secure. I ended up dating the cute brunet renting the first floor apt. If you’ve put that much love into your 997 why would you ever consider selling it? Sounds like a quick drive down the road of regret to me.

Petza914

You said no garage, but no driveway either? If you have at least a driveway, keep it, leave it outside, and buy a car capsule that will protect it from the elements. If you have to leave it on the street, maybe invest in a vinyl wrap to help protect the original paint - maybe they can even double wrap the bumpers. Seems a shame to get rid of a car you like that sounds as well maintained as yours, especially if you'll take a decent loss on it.

Little Green

Can you park it and leave it at work? That way maybe you can bring it home on Fridays and drive back Mondays. less chance of street bruising and still get to enjoy it

Hunt3R

I will have 1 open-air, offstreet parking spot but my loving wife has claimed it and I don't want to argue with her over it because she typically drives almost every day and is getting the kid in and out of the car seat carrying groceries inside, etc... I could try to rent a spot from a neighbor, maybe that's a possibility. And I can look for garages around that I could rent but I'm not sure how far away I would have to go to find one and it would be really inconvenient if I have to walk or drive somewhere just to get the car out. I don't think my work will let me keep it in the parking garage. They have a policy against it and I will probably check with someone to verify that but I don't see them making an exception just for me.

I really don't drive it much right now but that's a more recent development since moving into the city and I'm worried something could change a few years down the road and I'll be driving more often and kicking myself for selling what is probably the best Porsche I've ever owned. I mainly just drive it every once in a while to commute to work, and it's a good drive because I work outside of the city so it gets to stretch its legs for 30+ minutes each way, but it would probably make a lot of sense to have a motorcycle for commuting and save money on gas and bypass all the traffic in the HOV lanes. Except Seattle isn't exactly a bike-friendly climate year-round...

Petza914

How about a 4-post extended height lift in that open air parking spot with your wife parked under it? Will also make maintenance a breeze. In NYC, the parking lots use a lit of these and they're outside year round so there must be parking lifts that can hold up to outdoor elements (rain in your case) without rusting to pieces.

Just a thought.

phily911

If you want to ship it over to the east coast I'll keep it in my garage for you!

sub150

That was a good start to my morning.

You definitely won't get your money back and you feel confident about an 05 where as many buyers won't. However, the monthly parking will get expensive. Maybe you can buy a parking space and resell it when you don't need it anymore (an option in some large cities, not sure about Seattle).

snake eyes

make some friends at exotics at Redmond towncenter..
find someone with a warehouse of cars to rent a spot and store the vehicle?
http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc...=Seattle%2C+WA

If I still lived there I'd let you rent a spot at my old house.. but not there now.

Tyztoy

If you sell... invest the money until you are ready for another Porsche otherwise you will nickel and dime it to death...lol

jack preston

without reading a single word of reasoning from yours or anyone elses post i say NO....that is all.

good luck to you on making your decision im sure its a tough one.

cheers

ksozay

Drive it when you can. Park it where you can. And don't worry about the rest. If something happens to it, you've got insurance. If you were talking about a collectible that will appreciate in value over the next 5 years, that'd be a different story.

Best advice I've received? Enjoy it while you own it.

vbb

As someone who has recently been testing the market on used Porsches, I can tell you that actually getting a sale for anything in the +$42,000 range is optimistic. Yes, you can list it for that, but you are unlikely to get it unless you find that one buyer who wants your car specifically and is not just shopping for the best deal.

If you are not prepared to let your car go for something under $40k and also not prepared to deal with a very long selling window and a lot of tire kickers, then I would suggest you keep your car for the Long Haul, and find a reason to drive it more even if you don't use it as a commuter car. Take it out a couple of times a week, maybe after work or on the weekend and just go for a drive to nowhere and back. That is healthy for your car, and healthy for you to enjoy what you spent your money on.