A great day, and why my 911's days are numbered
 

Life is funny like that, up until Thursday my 911 was my pride and joy, now it was no concourse car but it was a decent driver, and I had big plans. Strip it down, get a quality repaint, make it like new. Of course, that was until Thursday, when 7lbs 7ozs Braden Scott Jessup showed up on the scene, all 20 inches of screaming, pooping power. Suddenly, spending money on a car just doesn't seem important. It's bad because I still want to, but it just no longer seems right to spend our extra money on a car, because even though it's a great car, it's still a car. That's really not the only issue, as several things financially didn't work out as planned, so most of my car cash went up in smoke. So, sad but true, I think I'm going to put my Aubergine 70T up for sale. It's a great driver, and a perfect restoration candidate, and I'd like to see it go to someone who would give it the care it needs to be really nice. I'd like to stay with some sort of Porsche, maybe a 944S2/ 951, I just need something that has less issues upfront to repair. Anyone who might be interested can email or PM me, I'd love to see it go to a fellow Pelican, and don't worry, I will be back. Remember, get the early ones while you can!:p Now let the flaming begin....;)

i told you! that is why i am getting my tubes tied! just kidding. congrats to you and your wife. great name for the baby!

Cliff, seriously, don't kid, do it!;) Forgot to put in there, I'd also be interested in trades for a 74-77 911 in good shape, I'd like to be more like Cliff.:p Come on guys, this is your chance for a longhood!

Hey Matt,
Congratulations on the new arrival. If you think P car maintenance is expensive, don't even start to add up the bills on your kids. Its worth it though. My son is now 22 and I find I enjoy him more every year. The early years were great, but watching him grow up was marvelous. If I didn't already have the old E in my garage, (and you were closer) I'd be over to look at your car. In truth, if you can't do anything at all with the car, you might want to tuck it away for a few years. Then when your priorities shift again, (and they will), you won't have to look for a replacement and kick yourself for "that car I sold back in 2004"
Best of luck.
Les

Congrats on the baby! Good work!

I owned a 1987 944S from '94 to '97. It had 45k miles when I bought it and I brought it up to 65k. It was a second car.

I currently have an '83 911 SC with 120k miles. I have owned it for 3 yrs.

Factoring out the "voluntary" upgrades, the 944 was the more expensive car to own.

The 911 I can do all of the work myself and I have spent $300 on parts that have gone bad in the form of one alternator. Of course I have spent thousands more on upgrades and freshening up of thing. Day to day ownership the 911 is far cheaper.

I spent almost $3k on the 944 in three years and did very few upgrades.

Perhaps your 911 is in need a an expensive restoration and that's what you are referring to.

Any of the 944/968 variant are great cars and mine was a joy to own and drive. It's a much more comfortable car and better as a daily driver than my '83. A far more modern car.

I wanted a track car and the 944S just wasn't going to cut it from a cost standpoint. I probably would have spent another $10-$20k on that thing by now with the beating it would have taken at the track.

and...oh yeah... I know the guy who bought my car. 10 mos after he bought it it dropped a valve and he spent $4k to fix it.

Have fun with the kid and your new found perspective on life.

Congrats Matt, but you were always there for me bro, stating i should buy a 911, kinda makes me sad your thinking of selling. Just for you Matt I will get the cleanest stock 911 SC Targa (might have a turbo tail:D ) I can find and drive in your honour SmileWavy



P.S hence why i am single and able to do the things i can do :D

matt, maybe a well sorted out SC that you just need to do regular maintenence on will be a better choice. tell your wife, you are getting the car for your son.

Hayden was born Dec 16. I've looked at my 930 a few times, and even dusted it off a couple times since then. I feel your pain.

Re: A great day, and why my 911's days are numbered
 

I thought all the 944 repair issues were up front! ;)

Congrats on the kid! Life is good!

Kids are the best, so is family life. All else is second fiddle.

Congrats!
John

Congratulations! You have traded up. In a couple of years you will be shopping for that next 911 with your son!

I hate to be the wet blanket, but I would seriously reconsider selling something that I enjoyed so much. You are a man, and as politically correct as we are these days, men have to have something that is theirs. My wife bought me my first street bike, when we had a toddler. (Now that I think about it, why would she do that? LOL) Anyway, she has always respected my "guy stuff" as long as I hold up my end of the deal. I know that I have my wife's blessing when I'm racing around the hills in my P-Car acting like a teenager.

Think about it, Matt, you don't have to become a mommy, you just have to share yourself a little more. Believe me, I would have gone nuts if I wasn't allowed my masculinity, and I appreciate my wife immensely for that.

Thanks for the encouragement guys, Les, kids are something I sure as hell won't be saving the reciepts on.:eek: Chris, I know the 944 can be expensive as well, it does say Porsche on it. The thing with my T is not only do I want to restore it, but it also has the day to day things that need repaired, I can handle one but not both. It really doesn't NEED restored, but I'm an anal retentive ba$tard, and I want to make it perfect, and if I can't I'd like to sell it to someone who can. Frank, hang in there buddy, you made the right choice to hold off until you can afford one, that way you won't end up like me. Cliff, I like the way you think, but my car is the cash purchase car, my wife's 4Runner (baby mobile) is the bank loan one, Toyota Motor Credit bends me over every month for that mistake. lendaddy, congrats on Hayden, when he's a little older, you can go for drives together, little kids love boost, or at least they should.

Zonas, I totally agree with you, that's why I'm not trading for a minivan. The problem is that I know I can't afford to do what I want to my T in the near future, so I'm hoping to get something that's still fun but better sorted, hence the S2/ 951. I'm a little stuck too because the 911 is my only driver, it really limits my options. That was the reason I got a 911, to have something of my own, the waterpumper will just be a substitite for now.

Matt,

Congratulations! Speaking as a father of two and "family man", I have to say that Porsche ownership and family responsibilities are not mutually exclusive things. You CAN be a very responsible husband/father and also have a fun car. Besides, it won't be too long and your little one will ask to ride in the "fun car" like my kids do. Dan and Becky love the 911 and show it off to their friends. One of the neighbor kids told my son "you have the coolest dad on the block" and it made me smile!

Have some patience work on the car when you have time/money. Hey if it takes you 5years to finish everything so be it. if you sell the car you will regret it for a long time to come.

Do what works best for you. You will get all sorts of opinions here...but you knew that going into it.

On the other end of the spectrum I have a friend in Sweden who has three kids, all under 3 yrs old. He lives on an island, works 50-60 hrs a week, has restored his house, builds his own sailboats with carbon masts and titanium deck hardware, and has done a bare metal resto on a '69 Triumph Spitfire MkIII.

It's all what works well for you and your family.

Anyone that flames you has some screwed up priorities. Keeping the car is the easy decision. Making a sacrifice for your family should be applauded. Toys are great but kids are much more important.

If one has the time and money for a P-car then I'm all for it. I have no respect for guys that have a toy while the wife drives kids around in a dumpy car, or for people that have no college fund while dad spends thousands on the car.

You have the right idea. If you don't feel you can afford the car, sell it at least until you feel better about it. You can buy another car any time and likely find one you enjoy more.

Congrats on the little guy. From reading this thread, you sound quite happy - and for good reason.

But take it from a 944 owners' perpective. Those cars are NOT the type where you just "buy and drive" without having to worry about any real issues. As someone previously mentioned, 944 maintenance is damn expensive pound for pound and you'll inevitably shell out $$$ over sheer default of time if you drive one everyday - even if its a solid one to begin with. Ask me how I know. :rolleyes:

I have three - Kids that is - don't miss out on:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1076439640.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1076439688.jpg

I share my time, and my hobbies - my son begs to be taken to school in the "cool car".

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1076439834.jpg Life is what you make it...

I feel your pain Matt! Do not loose hope, though. I took the day off today and spent the morning outside with my 3yr old son, Riley. He had a loose fender on his 2003 Radio Flyer Retro Bicycle and wanted to fix it while I tidied the garage. It was so cool to see him go to my tool chest and get the wrenches and screwdrivers to do the job! He needed help finding the right size wrench and then the initial loosening of the axle nut, but he took care of everything else. I snugged up the bolts and screws and then he put my tools back... IN THE CORRECT DRAWERS AND IN THEIR PROPER PLACES! (I like my tools piled in a certain way...). It took me a long time to realize how great of a companion a kid can be, but now I love to take him everywhere with me and let him help me do everything. It is especially cool when he IDs cars while we're driving or walks up to random girls at the bank/grocery store and says "Hey Baby!, how you doin...".

The engine has been out of my car for several years now and I haven't taken my motorcycle out since he was born. I used to water ski professionally but didn't go out more than five times last year even though our new house is on a lake. I am 25 yrs old and have been accelerated into adulthood at a rate an F1 car couldn't match. It took some getting used to, but I love life more and more each day.

Well, enough of that mushy stuff, good luck and congratulations!

-Jeremy

Off topic? How could this be any more on topic? Anyway, here's a link to the ad. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-cars-sale/154916-70-911-t-4-sale-trade-post1230414.html#post1230414

This got moved off-topic? I see plenty of P-Car content in the thread.


Someone can post about some internet game thread and it stays in the technical forum for days. What's with that? Guess it depends on who the poster is.........:rolleyes:

Maybe if I posted a thread about how I hate Skylines, and everything else Japanese for that matter, I could have hung around for, oh, 100 replies or so.

whipped, great attitude. I DO applaud your priorities, and support your decision. I just wanted to offer my own experience. Congratulations on the baby, your "fun" is only just beginning. I just sent my oldest off to the Navy.

Geez, what with Janet's boob now THIS heavily p-car related post gets moved OT? 911 vs. 944 cost of ownership comparisons notwithstanding?

Urgh...

No kidding - who do you have to sleep with around here?

Oh - and congrats on the addition - it's awesome being a Dad

Matt, congrats on the birth of your baby. My wife and I just added our 3rd to the family on the 10th of March.
I thought about selling my 71 when we had our first, when we bought our house, when our second arrived, and even with our latest addition. My wife and I discussed it every time and we have not found a good reason to sell my 71. The amount of money I could get for my T is not going to change our finacial status. We have decided to just cut back in other areas of our lifes.
If your 70 is just a car to you then do what you feel is right for you and yours. My car is family and will be passed on to my sons and daughter when they are ready.
About a week before our 3rd was born we all strapped into the Targa and headed out for dinner taking the long way there and back. Clear skies, stars out, music of the 6 in our ears. We all had ear to ear grins when we got home. Only sad part was later when I was putting the cover on the 71 it hit me, that was the last time we would take a drive as a family in my 71. It just wont seat 5.
Oh and my kids are 6-1/2, almost 4 and 2 weeks tomorrow.:D

http://www.pelicanparts.com/pmpre/im...s/P9070004.jpg

Just another .02

Congrats on the kid Dan, cute picture. Now if I could just get mine to sleep.....Oh, and on the moderator issue, isn't Wayne off on vacation? Who's at the controls? Someone on a power trip obviously.

i am going to miss having you as a "911 problem ping pong" opponent! for awhile there we were the problem children on the board. i think it started with your broken door. all downhill from there...

Matt, Sleep will be a thing of the past. At this stage I average about 4 hours a night broken up by feedings. Both of our other kids were sleeping through the night by 3 months. Sleeping through the night is a relative term meaning a 6-8 hour stretch. Its all worth it as you well know by now.:D

Moderators do a fair job and I cant tell you why this was moved. I am sure which ever moderator moved it will PM or respond here with their reasons.

What he said:
Dude, your nipples must be killing you!

Me personally, I prefer to pump.;) Sleep, what's that? I prefer naps strung together, but seperated by screaming.

Dude, your nipples must be killing you!

You have no idea. ;)

On the Porsche content. I gave up golf years ago and now do little side jobs to make Pcar money. I am in the process of suspension upgrades. I will take my time and aquire the parts needed and then do the work myself with the help of some other Pelicans here in town. No real schedule or time frame, I just keep my eye open for the parts I need and try to get them at a reasonable price. When I have everything I will get to work. That way I can still drive the Stay Puff when I want / or can. Take the 2 older ones with me and soon enough the newborn will join us on weekend romps while mom gets some down time.

I'll have to do the same, the problem has been that I've been doing repairs instead of doing upgrades, and I know I just can't afford/ justify doing both. Basically, I realized I was in over my head with this one, it's a 34 year old car, even in decent shape it needs stuff. I hope to share the same experience with my kid/ kids, but for now it may have to be in a waterpumper.

congrats whipped. My son was born on 3-10-03. The day he was born we had been out taking a drive in the Targa. Was a beautiful spring day.

He got his first real ride at 1 month when we went to a car show together. He loves the car. I look forward to having him as a helper on anything I do in the garage.

Spending on the 911 has taken a backseat to my son but I would never have it any other way.

would you have to change your screenname to "fixed" then?

sjd

Matt,

You have brought out the softies on the BBS. Count me as one of them as I have 3 little ones of my own and enjoy almost every minute with them ; ) Both the 6 and 3 year old love the 911. Interestingly even the 5 month old stops crying when I take her into the garage. Keep the p-car if you can. If not, there are certainly more important things.

Cheers

A bit late, but I'm adding my congratulations. Kids are great. When other parts of my life aren't going so well, I look at my kids and think at least I'm doing a good job on one thing, and it is the most important thing.

I wouldn't think many new parents have time for a project car. I don't see anything wrong with selling the old 911 and getting a newer Porsche, or even no Porsche, for the early years. Later, when the kids are a bit older, things may be different. And then you can buy someone else's completed project, which often makes the most financial sense anyway.