re Porsche 911. What age of car am I looking at? 7 years, 8 years, 9 years plus...
The cynic in me is a bit concerned on spending 30K on a 7/8/9+ year old car.
As I'd be having nice expensive bimonthly bills to keep it on the road.
Anyone care to share their ownership experience of a Porker this old....
Cheers
Gaspode
£30K will allow you to park your bum in an '02 C2, perhaps with limited options on the spec.
The same money would get you into a very good 993. You could look at a Targa if you want something a little more interesting than the standard C2.
If you look very hard, you might see 2000 or maybe at a push 2001 C4, with some styling on them. It's personal choice, but the GT3 kit on the C4 makes for a good looking car IMO and a very capable car.
It is perhaps fair to say that the drive is not as engaging as the 993, but to be honest, where do you get to hang the back end out anyway unless you are looking for a track car. Porsche purists will always tell you that the 993 is the last true 911. It is fair to say that the build quality of the 993 has not been matched by the 996, 997 or indeed the Boxster. The 993 was the "hewn from solid granite" car.
If looking for a 996, be sure to get a vehicle with a full OPC history, or a very well respected indy. Always check the RMS situation too.
The 48K service is a large one, but still within sensible bounds in my view.
Minor services are reasonable, at a couple of hundred quid, with the biggy at around £850. This does include for oil, plugs, poly belt etc.
If the car is around the 40K miles or above, pay particular attention to the feel of the clutch. Remember that many of these cars were and still are second cars. Lots of short journeys, with lots of gear changes. If the clutch needs doing, ALWAYS get the RMS done at the same time.
For me, 996 ownership was a good experience. I lost £4.5K on a £40K car after 2 years of ownership; not at all bad in my book.
If true exotica is your desire, there are many better options than the 911. But, as a totally usable andvery capable car, the 993 or the 996 are great contenders, in my book.
Good luck.
PM me if you want to talk it through.
