Clowd

Hmm, maybe I should mention that I don't have school to worry about.. not for a while till I start college courses...

cwatson

The college budget is simply however much I can put in. My parents through it would be ~$1000 annually. Now I can do ~$3000 annually. They also dont mind me buying a car into my senior year at all, they say its simply not worth the money for insurance and purchase. Insurance w/o car = ~$1100, insurance with car = ~$2000.

So the question really is...is it worth the ~$2500 more every year?

cwatson

and wow thanks for the quick replies

Mighty Shilling

I can hardly think of a time when a Porsche isn't worth it...

hacker-pschorr

Sorry, that statement has got be the funniest thing I've read in this forum in a long time.

Just keeping a 944 running is considered optimal performance.

Yabo

8k a year? You can do it pretty easily I think... if you can do your own work...

I make no where near that, and i never ran out of money, and i couldve kept up with fixing it with the money i had and still been driving it, but i decided to rebuild rather then just replace heagasket..

Just a warning though, you could end up like me, i drove it for a year now i haven't driven it for 10 months..

TD in DC

cwatson,

No offense, but you are in full justification mode. I recognize it because I use it so well, including to this day. It sounds like your parents think it is a bad idea. Just because you could harass them into submission and they could support your habit if they want to doesn't make it any better of an idea. Ask their opinion, and then listen to them. They are wiser than you think.

TD

cwatson

I can and have harrassed them into submission for many things...Hell, it never seems they accept on the first try. They like me to be thorough about everything and this is just another. What I am asking here is, is it really sensible for me to invest in a car (particulary the 944) now?

chris

hacker-pschorr

I'm really going to get flamed for this one - Tifo, back me up on this:

If you happen to pull this off, and if you are able to keep it running, you have another problem. 100% frustration when every rice boy runs away from you at every green light. Not to mention every SUV, most sedans,,,hell, 75% of every car sold today will out run a 944 in a straight line. 2,500 or so pounds with 140hp doesn't get movin all that quickly. I give you one week of ownership before you start a "how much to add a turbo" thread. I'm not trying to be a dick or anything, we see it here almost every day. I'm glad we caught you early.

Yes you 944 faithfuls, I am fully aware the 944 is not for straight line performance. Somehow I doubt any 16 year old will fully understand this until its too late.

hacker-pschorr

NO!

It is NEVER a good idea to buy a car as an investment unless you love loosing money.

TD in DC

Chris,

I have understood all of your posts. I think you should ask your parents what they think, not the Internet.

You want my opinion? No. It is a really bad idea.

Today I paid a shop bill that exceeded the entire amount I paid for my 944, and there was nothing wrong with it when I put it in the shop! Fortunately, I worked very hard through school and it is not a hardship. I would not have been able to say the same thing closer to the beginning of my journey into adulthood.

Do you really need transportation? If not, don't buy a car now, period. If you do, you should buy a used honda or toyota, keep it clean and resist the urge to start installing fart cans, giant wings and bling bling rims. If you can resist, you have enough wisdom and self control to own a Porsche (translation: you will have saved enough money over the years to buy and maintain the Porsche of your dreams)

TD

Mighty Shilling

Oh yeah, cwatson, there is VERY LITTLE you can do to an NA engine to get the HP up... I've just learned to accept my 123.6 rear wheel horsepower...

also, like others have said, if you can turn a wrench, you can own a Porsche... think... pay some guy at the dealer (Yes...the dealer...don't want any hole in the wall shops touching these engines...espescially the timing belt) $90.00+ an hour+parts, and many jobs take a while, or doing it yourself for the cost of parts...

Mighty Shilling

Oh yes, and Rennlist Member Rock put it best

the kid isn't lying...

cwatson

I dont care about off the line performance, I just want an enjoyable car that handles well and has a little oomph to it. It seems insurance doesnt care what car I drive, it always stays within a $200 range...

LOL you caught me on my poor word choice. Lets try purchase instead.

TrevorW

My first car at 16 was a 944, my fourth car at 19 was a 944. I loved them both but I wussed out and sold them due to fears of timing belt, balance shaft belt, pinion gears, clutch jobs, #2 rod bearing, head gasket, oil cooler seals, etc. After spending $1500 in maint. in the first week of owning my second 944, all preventative, I was still worried about the unexpected. Its not that these cars aren't particularly unreliable, its just the average model is near 20 years old, after a while they have been neglected and abused. You can easily buy a 944 for 2k, but you can also EASILY spend 2x that on necessary and unexpected repairs. I'd suggest you drive one and decide if you like the way it drives, the way the clutch feels, the way the shift linkage feels, if the shudder everytime you let the engine come back to idle feels like a car you want to pour most of your money into and **** off your parents in the process is worth it. I also suggest you drive an E36 325, they are great, more power than you need. Good luck.