TheLastTemplar

... can they afford to maintain a Porsche C2 or C4, assuming they already have 25K saved up and bought the car outright?

Cogito_Ergo_Zoom

Honestly, no. You should be focused on saving and other priorities, IMHO. You're in your 20s I'm assuming. Even if you could afford to purchase, you will probably most certainly have problems keeping it running. You'd be one thrown rod away from financial catastrophe.

Buy a Miata and learn how to drive it fast. Save the 911 for your 30s or 40s. You need something to look forward to anyway.

KrazyK

IF:
You dont own a home with taxes, insurance, etc.
You dont eat.
You have your own shop and tools.

7500rpm

TheLastTempler, we owe you an explanation. This 911 may be over 10 years old but insurance, parts and labor does not take that into account. It would be like maintaining the car when it was new, maybe more, because lots of parts are worn. You can save a lot from DIY and non-factory parts but you still get Porsche 'tax'. A seemingly similar part for an Audi would be half the price by comparison. Had this car the reliability of the average Toyota, you could risk it. Unfortunately, it does not and there are documented evidence that repairing a catastrophic failure could cost one's home, if not marriage. I got my first 911 at around 30, one that was 20 years old and with significant help from Dad. As Gogito said, learn to drive very well. The 911 isn't easy to drive fast and it's too expensive to be a learner car. You'll be glad when you were able to catch that first slide ..........

996pp

I bought my first Porsche at the age of 26. It was a 2000 c2 cab. At the time I was making about 40k a year, i had financed it so i was making payments on it. I do most of the work myself so i guess that really matters if you can afford it or not. I would say go for it. You only live once. If that's whats gona make you happy then do it.

MiamiC70

Honest answer is no.

white out

Honest answer, yes.

1. What is your budget for the purchase price?
2. Are you doing the work yourself or going to have a mechanic do it?
3. Are you looking ahead to possible repairs?

German cars suck for maintenance (often, expensive, random over-engineered parts that fail, etc); so if your #2 is mechanic and #3 is no. Then you might seriously want to look at a Corvette. SUPER cheap to maintain and virtually nothing breaks on them.

b8_rdc

Better to invest the money now and grow future income.

Marc Gelefsky

Life is short.

thats all i got.

Cuda911

Doable?... yes. Wise at that age and income?... no.

996_North

If you are young and have no other real obligations, sure why not.. but maybe a Boxster would be a better entry level p-car. Fun to drive, chicks still dig it (thats why you what it, right ?) .Last thing you want is for your MK1 C2/C4 to be sitting in the driveway because you need to save up to get a repair done.

halik

No; $8K normal used car and focus on your career. Buying a used car that runs more than your annual income is idiotic.

thedugger1

I think 996_north has the right idea. How about a Boxster to get you started. It's a great entry into the Porsche realm and will get you comfortable with ownership...still a damn fine car.

thstone

I just bought my 996 from a 26-yr old who owned it for less than two years. He had to sell it because he couldn't afford the repairs and upkeep. I put $2,400 into the car in the first two weeks of ownership and then spent $1,000 on new tires a month later. Sure, you might find a better car but the point is the same, most used Porsche's will require some amount of maintenance or repairs that the previous owner deferred because he knew that he was selling the car.

So, you need to be able to afford $2000-$3000 a year ($250 per month EVERY month) for maintenance and repairs. If you can do that, you should be ok. Parts and labor are very expensive and they all add up - even if you do 90% of the work yourself, you'll still spend this much.

A Boxster is not a better idea. The only real difference between a used 996 and a used Boxster is the purchase price and there is quite a bit of overlap at the upper Boxster end and the lower 996 end of the pricing scale. The issue for someone like yourself in owning a used Porsche isn't so much in the initial purchase, its in the maintenance and repairs. The Boxster costs just as much to maintain and repair as a 996 (I own both) because many, many of the Boxster parts are the same 996 parts and even if they are not shared with the 996, they are just as expensive.

If you want a truly affordable sports car, buy a Miata (I have one of those too).

Hyper911

this x100. First big repair bill and you will wish you did not listen to the only live once crowd. I am all for having fun and living to the fullest, but on 35k per year, no way.