Milestone car....
03-27-2017, 02:14 PM
#17
Instructor
Some may laugh, but my milestone was having a baby.
Previously, I had owned a Z4 for 13 years and loved it. Sure, it could've used some more power, but it was such a fantastic car to drive and had been bulletproof. But, it has no back seat. I had actually never pined for a 911. Sure, I thought they were nice cars, but I'd always been a BMW guy. I was sure I was getting an M4 this time around, but BMW has been diluted from the core brand I grew up loving and by the time I had spec'd out my build I was nearing six figures. That's too much money for a car that most can't tell the difference between it and a $40k run of the mill 4 series. The shared DNA also showed itself in unpleasant ways.
Since the Porsche store is literally next door to the BMW shop here, I took a peak and loved the drive, the fit, & finish, and the realization that when I spec'd my C2S cabrio, it was middle of the pack for a 911 - not at the top of the range like my M4 would be. Whether that helps down the road, who knows ... but if I keep this for 10 years or more like I plan to, only the die hards will know it isn't fresh off the showroom floor.
So while many lament the tiny backseats of the 911, they're big enough to put a child's car seat and he'll continue to fit back there for at least another 10 years.
Previously, I had owned a Z4 for 13 years and loved it. Sure, it could've used some more power, but it was such a fantastic car to drive and had been bulletproof. But, it has no back seat. I had actually never pined for a 911. Sure, I thought they were nice cars, but I'd always been a BMW guy. I was sure I was getting an M4 this time around, but BMW has been diluted from the core brand I grew up loving and by the time I had spec'd out my build I was nearing six figures. That's too much money for a car that most can't tell the difference between it and a $40k run of the mill 4 series. The shared DNA also showed itself in unpleasant ways.
Since the Porsche store is literally next door to the BMW shop here, I took a peak and loved the drive, the fit, & finish, and the realization that when I spec'd my C2S cabrio, it was middle of the pack for a 911 - not at the top of the range like my M4 would be. Whether that helps down the road, who knows ... but if I keep this for 10 years or more like I plan to, only the die hards will know it isn't fresh off the showroom floor.
So while many lament the tiny backseats of the 911, they're big enough to put a child's car seat and he'll continue to fit back there for at least another 10 years.
03-27-2017, 03:01 PM
#19
Instructor
So far I've just gone to Cars and Coffee in Matthews. Planning hitting a few DE events, but VIR won't let cabrios play. My first will be a road trip to Watkins Glen. I may go to an AutoX later in the year.
Right now I'm having a hard time finding a place I'd trust to install a dash cam and radar/laser without breaking the bank or my car. GMP seems trustworthy but I'd be looking at over $5k to install radar/laser. Crazy. Then there's the standard audio visual places, but I don't trust a guy throwing in a huge subwoofer into a 10 year old Civic will be as careful with my new ride.
Right now I'm having a hard time finding a place I'd trust to install a dash cam and radar/laser without breaking the bank or my car. GMP seems trustworthy but I'd be looking at over $5k to install radar/laser. Crazy. Then there's the standard audio visual places, but I don't trust a guy throwing in a huge subwoofer into a 10 year old Civic will be as careful with my new ride.
03-27-2017, 03:03 PM
#20
Banned
Join Date: Jan 2016
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So far I've just gone to Cars and Coffee in Matthews. Planning hitting a few DE events, but VIR won't let cabrios play. My first will be a road trip to Watkins Glen. I may go to an AutoX later in the year.
Right now I'm having a hard time finding a place I'd trust to install a dash cam and radar/laser without breaking the bank or my car. GMP seems trustworthy but I'd be looking at over $5k to install radar/laser. Crazy. Then there's the standard audio visual places, but I don't trust a guy throwing in a huge subwoofer into a 10 year old Civic will be as careful with my new ride.
Right now I'm having a hard time finding a place I'd trust to install a dash cam and radar/laser without breaking the bank or my car. GMP seems trustworthy but I'd be looking at over $5k to install radar/laser. Crazy. Then there's the standard audio visual places, but I don't trust a guy throwing in a huge subwoofer into a 10 year old Civic will be as careful with my new ride.
03-27-2017, 03:17 PM
#21
Burning Brakes
Kind of funny with me. I think Porsches were always kind of in the back of my mind, but in that too expensive to ever consider category. I have always been a motorcycle rider both on and off road, so I was always riding bikes. Sport bikes these days are insanely fast and I still consider them the best bang for the buck, providing you avoid death
My wife is a physician for a non-profit and I work as a technician in a non-profit research lab. We have always been saving for retirement, paying the mortgage, paying for our daughter's education-all that stuff. We did yet another retirement evaluation a couple of years ago, and it came as a surprise that we were good to go by a lot and affording a 911 was not only possible, it was easy. So it was one of those things where after years of saving, etc., suddenly there was good money coming in and all the big expenses were over. That is when I started seriously considering a 911. I knew little about them and at first considered a CPO, but that was right when the 991.2 was announced so I ended up ordering a 991.2 before they had arrived in dealers. No regrets. Love the 911 and probably will never be without one. Forgot to add that until the 911, all other cars were just boring family cars, so the 911 is my first sports car.
My wife is a physician for a non-profit and I work as a technician in a non-profit research lab. We have always been saving for retirement, paying the mortgage, paying for our daughter's education-all that stuff. We did yet another retirement evaluation a couple of years ago, and it came as a surprise that we were good to go by a lot and affording a 911 was not only possible, it was easy. So it was one of those things where after years of saving, etc., suddenly there was good money coming in and all the big expenses were over. That is when I started seriously considering a 911. I knew little about them and at first considered a CPO, but that was right when the 991.2 was announced so I ended up ordering a 991.2 before they had arrived in dealers. No regrets. Love the 911 and probably will never be without one. Forgot to add that until the 911, all other cars were just boring family cars, so the 911 is my first sports car.
03-27-2017, 04:23 PM
#22
Three Wheelin'
I learned to drive (age 15) on my Moms Red 914 and have yearned for a 911 ever since......that was 42 years ago. I dragged my Wife through the Porsche factory in Zuffenhausen on our honeymoon 25 years ago and I haven't stopped reading Christophorus and Excellence etc. Finally found the perfect GR 2017 911.
Unbelievable. I drive it almost every day along with SQ5. Can hardly wait for some warm weather so i can start washing it outside!. I've filled it with Lloyd mats, carbonfibre everything, etc etc...just waiting for black HRE (on a truck somewhere). Don't have many people that I can talk to about this...gotta love rennlist!
Unbelievable. I drive it almost every day along with SQ5. Can hardly wait for some warm weather so i can start washing it outside!. I've filled it with Lloyd mats, carbonfibre everything, etc etc...just waiting for black HRE (on a truck somewhere). Don't have many people that I can talk to about this...gotta love rennlist!
03-27-2017, 06:26 PM
#23
I just happened to stop at Porsche dealer on my way to the Audi dealer next door. Had an R8 on my mind but after I drove the loaded CPO'ed Ducky C4S I had to have it.
Might sound strange to this group but my milestone car is the old 88 16v Scirocco I've been wrenching on for 10 years. I used to sit in the Scirocco's when my parents took their VW's in for service and I always knew I wanted to own one. My 1st one was an 86 8v which I kept for 7 years and when I sold it I felt a piece of me go with it so after a few years of yearning for another Scirocco I bought my current 88 and have been playing car mechanic ever since. It's worth more in parts than it is whole and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Might sound strange to this group but my milestone car is the old 88 16v Scirocco I've been wrenching on for 10 years. I used to sit in the Scirocco's when my parents took their VW's in for service and I always knew I wanted to own one. My 1st one was an 86 8v which I kept for 7 years and when I sold it I felt a piece of me go with it so after a few years of yearning for another Scirocco I bought my current 88 and have been playing car mechanic ever since. It's worth more in parts than it is whole and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Alec
03-27-2017, 08:07 PM
#24
My wife really inspired the purchase. She was clearly getting me prepared to have a Fourth child. Plus, she is in regulatory law and risk management and didn't like that my fun car was an 86 Carrera with no airbags or antilock brakes.
On a side note, the Corrados were awesome. We had a black 1990 1.8 L supercharged one that I drove about 110 miles an hour on the 401 all the way from the thousand Island Bridge to Toronto to see the tragically hip play at Edgefest. I had a Valentine one in the window and a Mercedes tailing me the whole way. Of course, that was about 20 years before I met my wife.
On a side note, the Corrados were awesome. We had a black 1990 1.8 L supercharged one that I drove about 110 miles an hour on the 401 all the way from the thousand Island Bridge to Toronto to see the tragically hip play at Edgefest. I had a Valentine one in the window and a Mercedes tailing me the whole way. Of course, that was about 20 years before I met my wife.
03-27-2017, 08:25 PM
#26
Instructor
Titanflyer mostly nailed it. But here's my take.
I'm a lifelong German car guy (bikes too). Z3, M3, A4, S5. Porsche was always the holy grail, and I bought a highish-mileage used 993 when I was in my late thirties. It was a half-dream come true, but ended abruptly when my wife (still love her and married to her) accidentally backed into it and crushed it.
Nevertheless, years later, even after I probably could've afforded it, I held off, because it seemed too exotic, too indulgent, and too over-the-top. Three kids moving through high school and off to college, and didn't want to send a signal of conspicuous consumption. I just felt weird about it.
But back around Christmas I happened to go to the local Porsche dealer because my wife needed a car, and I'd encouraged her to check out the Macan. While we were milling around the dealership we both sat in the very car I wound up later buying, and looked at each other in a "holy sh** do we dare?" moment.
The sales guy clinched it:
"How old are you?"
"Almost 53."
"You can afford it?"
"We never dreamed of spending that on a car, but we can."
"Then what in God's name are you waiting for?"
I couldn't quite answer that. Kids heading to college, friends and colleagues starting to deal with real health issues, and my wife and I are certainly not getting any younger.
So I suppose you could say my milestone was feeling the breath of time. And wanting to make fast, fun use of it. I used to love the Vans sneakers tagline way back when I was a skater kid. "Don't die wondering." I resolved not to.
I'm a lifelong German car guy (bikes too). Z3, M3, A4, S5. Porsche was always the holy grail, and I bought a highish-mileage used 993 when I was in my late thirties. It was a half-dream come true, but ended abruptly when my wife (still love her and married to her) accidentally backed into it and crushed it.
Nevertheless, years later, even after I probably could've afforded it, I held off, because it seemed too exotic, too indulgent, and too over-the-top. Three kids moving through high school and off to college, and didn't want to send a signal of conspicuous consumption. I just felt weird about it.
But back around Christmas I happened to go to the local Porsche dealer because my wife needed a car, and I'd encouraged her to check out the Macan. While we were milling around the dealership we both sat in the very car I wound up later buying, and looked at each other in a "holy sh** do we dare?" moment.
The sales guy clinched it:
"How old are you?"
"Almost 53."
"You can afford it?"
"We never dreamed of spending that on a car, but we can."
"Then what in God's name are you waiting for?"
I couldn't quite answer that. Kids heading to college, friends and colleagues starting to deal with real health issues, and my wife and I are certainly not getting any younger.
So I suppose you could say my milestone was feeling the breath of time. And wanting to make fast, fun use of it. I used to love the Vans sneakers tagline way back when I was a skater kid. "Don't die wondering." I resolved not to.
03-27-2017, 08:35 PM
#27
I remember seeing a 911 for the first time in the movie "Commando". It was a yellow Targa with that big whale tail and I thought it was the coolest! This was in the mid 80's so I was around 10 or so and THE car at the time was the Lamborghini Countach. I however wanted a Porsche 911 and to look like Arnold! I started lifting weights and hoped I had a good enough job to get me a 911 by 50. I still don't look like Arnold but I got that 911 10 years ahead of schedule!
03-27-2017, 08:48 PM
#28
The wife always wanted a Porsche, I wanted an M3 but was becoming increasingly disappointed with the direction of the brand.
She convinced me to test drive a Porsche, a 911S, 5 minutes into the test drive I forgot all about the M.
Then she looks at a "wide body" model that she liked even more, which turns out to be a GTS and proceeds to throw a fit about it.
Long story short, we scored a great deal from a super nice sales guy at Suncoast and "Rumble Bee" arrived home couple of weeks later.
Bucket lists are great. It's even better when those become "**** it" lists and you start pulling the trigger.
Life's too short to wait and hesitate...
She convinced me to test drive a Porsche, a 911S, 5 minutes into the test drive I forgot all about the M.
Then she looks at a "wide body" model that she liked even more, which turns out to be a GTS and proceeds to throw a fit about it.
Long story short, we scored a great deal from a super nice sales guy at Suncoast and "Rumble Bee" arrived home couple of weeks later.
Bucket lists are great. It's even better when those become "**** it" lists and you start pulling the trigger.
Life's too short to wait and hesitate...
03-28-2017, 02:12 AM
#29
Rennlist Member
Check this out......don't know if you've seen it.
enjoy!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngDTa4xjYYw
03-28-2017, 02:19 AM
#30
Rennlist Member
Just joined - first post actually. Seems like an appropriate thread...
I've always owned Japanese cars - moderately powerful, but not true sportscars. My wife wasn't happy with her Infiniti, so I thought I'd buy her a new station wagon (i.e. SUV) as a Christmas present. We went to the Porsche dealership on Christmas Eve and test drove a Macan. We bought a Macan S that day.
I drove it a bunch. I live on a very windy road and realized that any company that could make a station wagon (I mean SUV) fun to drive was onto something.
Fast forward 2.5 months and I bought myself a C4S to keep her Macan company.
It's very strange what these cars did to my brain.
I've always owned Japanese cars - moderately powerful, but not true sportscars. My wife wasn't happy with her Infiniti, so I thought I'd buy her a new station wagon (i.e. SUV) as a Christmas present. We went to the Porsche dealership on Christmas Eve and test drove a Macan. We bought a Macan S that day.
I drove it a bunch. I live on a very windy road and realized that any company that could make a station wagon (I mean SUV) fun to drive was onto something.
Fast forward 2.5 months and I bought myself a C4S to keep her Macan company.
It's very strange what these cars did to my brain.