The 5000 dollar question

[coolaking]

In 1999 I was a young design student and I bought a 912 with my student loan. I paid 5000 US dollars for a us car and arranged to ship it over, it was rust free, original except for paint, matching numbers, great interior 65000 miles. It was also very early 65 model with painted dash (worth less then than a 5 dial later model at the time).

This restoration thread and current values has got me thinking - what would I buy now 17 years later and adding inflation to the £2800 I paid plus £1400 shipping and duties?

What would you buy in 2016? I am not sure if you could get the same buzz I did from sharing a special early morning drive to Folkestone with my dad (rip) and driving 200 miles back to Birmingham on us plates and after the 912 had been on a boat for 4 weeks - it started and got home without a beat...

[Burma-Shave]

Excellent use of a student loan, Sir.

If I had $5000 going spare right now I think I would buy Decapman's rather fab CX Familiale.

Or a Boxster, and paint it Olive and drop it on airbags.

[gooders]

For a £5k budget, I think I would go for something 80's, like a E30 3 Series BMW.

[coolaking]

Oh I miss student loans, I used the previous years one to travel to Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Fiji and the US west coast ...

I hankered after a Boxster in those days as well but they had the highest residuals of any car and were £40k plus and 912s were £3k, funny that it's now reversed...

[majordad]

What do you mean drop it on air bags ?

[DustyM]

What do you mean drop it on air bags ?

Come on Dave, keep up with the kids!

" drop it on air bags" - Lower the car using an adjustable airbag/compressor suspension system in place of the usual springs and shocks.

You clearly don't watch enough "Fast and Loud"

[Burma-Shave]

[hot66]

£5k .. I'd be buying a boxster too

My 1st student loan bought me my 1971 vw beetle for £1200 .... The following years student loan helped by me my 1962 split screen cantabury Pitt camper for £3k

[Ashley James]

I've got a Boxster, bought off my neighbour who's from Alderly Edge so was trading it for an Evoque. When my wife was stronger last September we had a holiday in France in it, I'd intended to sell it afterwards, but it's such a nice car I've kept it, so now have four cars.

Boxsters are amazingly good cars, they're quiet enough for motorway travel, they handle exceptionally well, they're nice and solidly made etc etc and because they're beneath the salt cognoscenti wise, they're exceptional value. Or that's what I think. There's no way I'd spend the extra for a 997.

[petric]

Just taken an old boxster in not got a lot going for it !!! 98 r death blue / nappy shite but got climate full leather 17" alloys wind deflector good hood and rear screen half tidy few soft marks old guy has owned it last 5 year mint Porsche history in its early years only 4 owners and 58,000 miles new discs all round £4700

[Nige]

Liked you'd all buy a Boxster as a student, how you going to afford the insurance and get all your mates in it! Come on guys get real

I'd probably get a VW T4 Transporter, great getting to the beach and camping out in summer.

Or something like this.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUDI-100-CC-I ... SwAuZX5PkQ

In fact quite tempted now.

[coolaking]

I thought the same about insuring a Boxster as a student in mid-20s - I paid £200 to insure the 912, I think a Boxster would be more to insure than it costs to buy...

I was also going to say a Boxster isn't old enough as my 912 was 34 years old when I got it, then I realised early Boxsters are 20 years old....feeling old

[Nige]

You also need to factor in parts and repair costs and DIYness, you need something you, your mates or your Dad can fix with a spares budget of about £20. Think you'd regret buying a Boxster after the first term.

[911hillclimber]

But the op is not a current student, he is 19 years into life after Uni.

If it is a classic you are after, buy Classic Weekly and look at the ads, lots of good stuff in there under 5k.
If you want a current classic because you have 5k today, then an early Boxster is a wise choice, but don't discount MX5. Cheaper to cope with in every respect unless you fall in love with the flat 6.

My far more expensive Boxster is wonderful if a bit harsh on UK roads of any type.

[hot66]

who said anything about buying it as a student .. i was working on £5k to spend now at my current age