How can you afford a Porsche?
02-02-2002, 07:40 PM
#31
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Some Porsches hardly cost anything at all to own, just leave 'em in the garage!
Seriously, while the horror stories & estimates are backed by truth, remember; "your experience will vary, for better or worse". I think that $500 -$1,000 /yr. range is not unheard of either, esp. for us committed DIY-types. It is useful to select an example whose previous owners(s) lavished O&M $s upon.
Don't be afraid of Porsche ownership, get educated and be thoughtful about your skills, budget & cash flow.
Seriously, while the horror stories & estimates are backed by truth, remember; "your experience will vary, for better or worse". I think that $500 -$1,000 /yr. range is not unheard of either, esp. for us committed DIY-types. It is useful to select an example whose previous owners(s) lavished O&M $s upon.
Don't be afraid of Porsche ownership, get educated and be thoughtful about your skills, budget & cash flow.
02-02-2002, 10:28 PM
#32
Track Day
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know a good deal about Porsches in techinical aspects, but in real world costs, I have no idea.
I'm quite a diy-er my self, but I can only do what I have the tools to do.
I'll wait until I have a little more $ before I get a Porsche.
Thanks for all of the advice guys.
Level8Drummer
I'm quite a diy-er my self, but I can only do what I have the tools to do.
I'll wait until I have a little more $ before I get a Porsche.
Thanks for all of the advice guys.
Level8Drummer
02-06-2002, 02:14 AM
#33
Intermediate
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just remember that a good Porsche can be had for a relatively inexpensive price in the used car market. And while a 15 year old used car of other brands may be really beaten down, there are good finds of owners who took good care of their old Porsches.
02-06-2002, 10:26 AM
#34
Instructor
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As far as keeping the Benz goes there are several factors to keep in mind....
1) where do you park it
2) does it snow where you are
3) can you swing the insurance
Im 22, bought my 944S a year ago for 6K. I was looking at GTI's and the like and found my 944. I have spent next to no money on maintance in the year gone by. Around 1K was spent on it when a guy hit me while parked (first weekend I had the car), not good times at all. I also had a bad experience with black ice last winter which cost me 500 bucks. Don't be scared off by maintance costs, they are not all that bad. What is bad is insurance, at least in new york city. Driving a sports car when you are a male under 25 can be expensive, but I offset the cost by having 3 cars and listing the 944 as an occasional ride. By the way the combined value of the 3 cars is way under 20K. If it snows alot you should invest in a beater to get you around on those days, it saves you the trouble of having to worry.
One last thing, can you afford to be addicted to your car...you will soon find yourself looking at upgrading this, restoring that, planning your weekends with long twisy drives in them, and keeping your eye on the next porsche you can afford. You have been warned - there is no going back.
1) where do you park it
2) does it snow where you are
3) can you swing the insurance
Im 22, bought my 944S a year ago for 6K. I was looking at GTI's and the like and found my 944. I have spent next to no money on maintance in the year gone by. Around 1K was spent on it when a guy hit me while parked (first weekend I had the car), not good times at all. I also had a bad experience with black ice last winter which cost me 500 bucks. Don't be scared off by maintance costs, they are not all that bad. What is bad is insurance, at least in new york city. Driving a sports car when you are a male under 25 can be expensive, but I offset the cost by having 3 cars and listing the 944 as an occasional ride. By the way the combined value of the 3 cars is way under 20K. If it snows alot you should invest in a beater to get you around on those days, it saves you the trouble of having to worry.
One last thing, can you afford to be addicted to your car...you will soon find yourself looking at upgrading this, restoring that, planning your weekends with long twisy drives in them, and keeping your eye on the next porsche you can afford. You have been warned - there is no going back.
02-06-2002, 01:55 PM
#35
Racer
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Gautier Ms
Posts: 270
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bought my 78 928 at age 27. Drive it everyday I am not sailing the ocean blue to protect our freedom.
Senior Chief Gunners Mate in the navy for 20 years. After driving my 928 there really is no other car that even comes close to the grins per mile of a Porsche. I feel so strongly about it my son has purchased a 74 914 as his first car. He is nearly 16 and has cut alot of grass and layed alot of ceramic tile to pay for all of it. He has already pulled the motor completed a major overhaul.
I think the grins per mile driving his own Porsche to high school next fall will be priceless.
Senior Chief Gunners Mate in the navy for 20 years. After driving my 928 there really is no other car that even comes close to the grins per mile of a Porsche. I feel so strongly about it my son has purchased a 74 914 as his first car. He is nearly 16 and has cut alot of grass and layed alot of ceramic tile to pay for all of it. He has already pulled the motor completed a major overhaul.
I think the grins per mile driving his own Porsche to high school next fall will be priceless.
02-07-2002, 03:16 AM
#37
Intermediate
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<<It doesn't matter what it costs, what matters is how much the payments are >>
I don't know - kinda scary when it sounds like that. That's what my last car salesman was saying to me.
I don't know - kinda scary when it sounds like that. That's what my last car salesman was saying to me.
02-08-2002, 07:22 PM
#38
Nordschleife Master
[quote]Originally posted by robertinla:
<strong>
I don't know - kinda scary when it sounds like that. That's what my last car salesman was saying to me.</strong><hr></blockquote>
What did he make you buy man?
<strong>
I don't know - kinda scary when it sounds like that. That's what my last car salesman was saying to me.</strong><hr></blockquote>
What did he make you buy man?
02-09-2002, 03:32 AM
#39
Intermediate
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, actually he didn't make me buy it b/c I had my sights on it anyway. But for the record it was a 2002 Mercedes Benz SLK 32 AMG.
I was so intent on buying it I lost focus of shenanigans that salesmen do. Since 2002 is the first model year of the SLK AMG, plus a limit of only 1,000 of that model will be produced each year, plus a medium sized dealer typically gets allocated only 1 - 2 each month, plus that was the first few days being on the market in Southern California --- the salesman was doing this premium price over MSRP thing. Yuck!
I'm happy with the car completely, but what I did was wrong to pay a premium. And letting the salesman get away with something like that.
I was so intent on buying it I lost focus of shenanigans that salesmen do. Since 2002 is the first model year of the SLK AMG, plus a limit of only 1,000 of that model will be produced each year, plus a medium sized dealer typically gets allocated only 1 - 2 each month, plus that was the first few days being on the market in Southern California --- the salesman was doing this premium price over MSRP thing. Yuck!
I'm happy with the car completely, but what I did was wrong to pay a premium. And letting the salesman get away with something like that.
02-09-2002, 03:36 AM
#40
Intermediate
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yeah, I was an idiot. It was out-of-character. But I was so psyched in getting it as I researched the car for a month, my business was doing great and generating a lot of cash, so I said WTH. But that was then, and this is now. Crap.
02-10-2002, 12:14 AM
#41
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
as Neil Young said, "...don't let it get you down...it's only castles burning...".
unless you are in the biz, once you take possession of a car, try to forget the "deal" as fast as possible, whether it might have been great or awful. what is important, & where the satisfaction lies (for an enthusuast), is in the machine, not the deal. if you got a machine you are happy with, that is far more important than the deal in the long run. the deal takes place in a moment, you own the car for years. enjoy it!
unless you are in the biz, once you take possession of a car, try to forget the "deal" as fast as possible, whether it might have been great or awful. what is important, & where the satisfaction lies (for an enthusuast), is in the machine, not the deal. if you got a machine you are happy with, that is far more important than the deal in the long run. the deal takes place in a moment, you own the car for years. enjoy it!
02-10-2002, 01:20 PM
#42
Original poster....
Even though I own a Porsche I often wonder that myself. But, consider this.
Single male making $1000 a week (lots of them out there)
Porsche + Insurance $350 a week
House/Apartment $300 week
Other bills $150 week
The rest for pizza, movies, bars, whatever...
There are alot of people making 50,000 a year.
If you get to S. Florida and S. California you will see so many Porsceh it is amazing. There is big money down there. People making a million a year and more. Also many may be on credit or leases. The figures above. Imagine being married and a wife making 30,000 a year. Take some out for kids and there is plenty left for acar. You just have to make it a priority. Don't get marble floors, stainless appliances ect.
It's just like priorities like everyone above stated. And, you can get a 924/944 for decent money if you do your homework. But, it's addicting.Once you start, you'll never get enough.
A second note. Porsches are passionate, emotional cars. Not "just transportation"
Gut feelings, magical. and, there is no logic explaining that. you can't say "is it justified, or how, or whatever? It feels right, so you do it. All exotic cars are impractical. Logic and emotion don't mix, never have. If it feels good, make it happen. Be sensible though.
Even though I own a Porsche I often wonder that myself. But, consider this.
Single male making $1000 a week (lots of them out there)
Porsche + Insurance $350 a week
House/Apartment $300 week
Other bills $150 week
The rest for pizza, movies, bars, whatever...
There are alot of people making 50,000 a year.
If you get to S. Florida and S. California you will see so many Porsceh it is amazing. There is big money down there. People making a million a year and more. Also many may be on credit or leases. The figures above. Imagine being married and a wife making 30,000 a year. Take some out for kids and there is plenty left for acar. You just have to make it a priority. Don't get marble floors, stainless appliances ect.
It's just like priorities like everyone above stated. And, you can get a 924/944 for decent money if you do your homework. But, it's addicting.Once you start, you'll never get enough.
A second note. Porsches are passionate, emotional cars. Not "just transportation"
Gut feelings, magical. and, there is no logic explaining that. you can't say "is it justified, or how, or whatever? It feels right, so you do it. All exotic cars are impractical. Logic and emotion don't mix, never have. If it feels good, make it happen. Be sensible though.
02-17-2002, 11:44 PM
#43
It all depends on YOU - why do you want to own one? IF you REALLY enjoy driving, you may discover you can't afford NOT to own a Porsche. I'm driving a 21 year old SC, and it's THE most fun I can have with my clothes on! And there are good SC's around in the mid-teens. As others here previously pointed out - life is short. Go for it!
02-22-2002, 11:40 PM
#45
Rennlist Member
I'm an M.D. It depends: I'm married, two kids in private elementary school where my wife teaches. Our house is modest compared to my peers; our garage is not. Thank god my wife could care less about jewelry.
What did my cars cost me? My twenties. Fourteen years of education after high school.
What did my cars cost me? My twenties. Fourteen years of education after high school.