New car
Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 9:42 am
After many moons of loitering on DDK with a certain loyalty to the other side of Stuttgart, but an annoying itch that requires occasional scratching for Porsche, I started looking about. Well, when I say started, I mean continued, but this time with slightly more purpose and a less opportunistic frame of mind.
I had sold my 964 as I found the pedal offset very uncomfortable (rhd) and it was getting too valuable/precious to leave in a supermarket car-park: our Pagoda fills that role. The profit made on the 964 funded (with change) the SLK32 which has been our non-family car and my most regular drive for three years, but it’s still had fewer miles put on it than the Pagoda in that time. The joys of living in London where 2 wheels is so much more efficient than 4.
But the itch...
The 993 is gorgeous but has the pedal offset and as noted in most places, is no longer cheap...So, looking along the line, I started looking at 996s. There’s some love for them on here and I realised that I like the creature comforts of my “young timer” and another might suit me well at a price point that wouldn’t offend management - particularly as it would need to live outside. Management, and the wage earner in the house, only has a licence for two pedals. I’m sure she wouldn’t flinch if I came home with an old Alfa, or Ford, but with space being a constraint, two pedals and a good auto box makes for a happy house. But for the pedal issue and mid-life crisis connotations (and thus my fear of being on the wrong end of raucous laughter from my family) I quite fancy the 308GT4 (the ugly Dino). But I digress. If it’s youngtimer Porsche, we are looking at a Tiptronic box. 996. So hell, why not go all in and look for the least loved 911 ever and narrow it down to a Targa? 996. Tip. Targa. What’s not to (dis)like?
I looked at a couple but found that over time Porsche had moved from interesting, bright safety colours to dull safe ones- or at least the owners did: Black, silver and a multitude of dark blues. Boring.
Then I spotted a reasonably cheap 86,000 mile, Orient Red tip targa so looked at it and had it inspected at the selling dealer.
It was tired with a need for a bloody good service. I cut myself on the lifting carbon trim (which was everywhere and about the only option specced), It had dings on every panel and cloudy headlights. The inspection added to the list a woefully slow targa top and rusting c-pillar, exhaust & brake lines. I tried to squeeze them on price as I figured I could handle (pay for) remedial work but no deal. It was sold a couple of days later. I am sure in years to come some smart dealer will advertise it as particularly rare in this spec/colour and premium price it accordingly. But it was a project and pricey for that.
However, like scratching a mozzie bite, the act of looking made the itch worse...
I had sold my 964 as I found the pedal offset very uncomfortable (rhd) and it was getting too valuable/precious to leave in a supermarket car-park: our Pagoda fills that role. The profit made on the 964 funded (with change) the SLK32 which has been our non-family car and my most regular drive for three years, but it’s still had fewer miles put on it than the Pagoda in that time. The joys of living in London where 2 wheels is so much more efficient than 4.
But the itch...
The 993 is gorgeous but has the pedal offset and as noted in most places, is no longer cheap...So, looking along the line, I started looking at 996s. There’s some love for them on here and I realised that I like the creature comforts of my “young timer” and another might suit me well at a price point that wouldn’t offend management - particularly as it would need to live outside. Management, and the wage earner in the house, only has a licence for two pedals. I’m sure she wouldn’t flinch if I came home with an old Alfa, or Ford, but with space being a constraint, two pedals and a good auto box makes for a happy house. But for the pedal issue and mid-life crisis connotations (and thus my fear of being on the wrong end of raucous laughter from my family) I quite fancy the 308GT4 (the ugly Dino). But I digress. If it’s youngtimer Porsche, we are looking at a Tiptronic box. 996. So hell, why not go all in and look for the least loved 911 ever and narrow it down to a Targa? 996. Tip. Targa. What’s not to (dis)like?
I looked at a couple but found that over time Porsche had moved from interesting, bright safety colours to dull safe ones- or at least the owners did: Black, silver and a multitude of dark blues. Boring.
Then I spotted a reasonably cheap 86,000 mile, Orient Red tip targa so looked at it and had it inspected at the selling dealer.
It was tired with a need for a bloody good service. I cut myself on the lifting carbon trim (which was everywhere and about the only option specced), It had dings on every panel and cloudy headlights. The inspection added to the list a woefully slow targa top and rusting c-pillar, exhaust & brake lines. I tried to squeeze them on price as I figured I could handle (pay for) remedial work but no deal. It was sold a couple of days later. I am sure in years to come some smart dealer will advertise it as particularly rare in this spec/colour and premium price it accordingly. But it was a project and pricey for that.
However, like scratching a mozzie bite, the act of looking made the itch worse...
