Keep the Carrera or sell it (LONG)?

green95ss · green95ss's Garage

Hi all,

I have 2 cars that I have to choose between (if I could afford to keep both, I would). They are COMPLETELY different cars for completely different purposes.

Car #1: 1986 Buick Grand National. I have fully restored the car and it is in MINT condition. You don't see many of these left, and especially in this condition. The car is really fast in a straight line, but it smells like gas (no cats) and shift quite hard. Not the best vehicle to take the family out in to a show, cruise, etc. I do enjoy driving it a lot, and it was my dream car as a mullet-equipped high school student.

Car #2: 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe. It is a gorgeous car in a color you don;t see too often (Venetian Blue). I am in the process of restoring the interior, and the car runs great. My wife and I both have a blast driving it and she is actually getting into the possibility of doing a DE event. The thoughts of high maintenance costs and potential engine rebuild in the future scare the hell out of me, though.

Both cars are a blast, but in different ways. I have only had the Carrera for a little while (but my wife has always wanted one). I haven't taken my 1 year old out in it yet, but she is looking forward to it. The main problem is that it has 136K and I'm guessing the engine will need a rebuild within a few years or so--that's the prospect that scares me. I am quite mechanically inclined and work on cars mostly myself, but I have arthritis and may find rebuilding an entire engine physically difficult. I do like the fact that of all of the "toy" cars that I've had, this is the first one that my wife has gotten into. She will not be able to drive the car much for the next few years, realistically, as she will (Godwilling) be pregnant soon.

Financially, I will make some money if I sell the Carrera as is (it runs great, doesn't leak, and uses 1qt/800 miles), as I got it for a very reasonable price. I will probably lose a little on the Buick right now. On a yearly basis, it seems that the average maintenance bill for most owners is around $100/month.

I am posting this on the Turbo Buick board that I am also part of to see what their ideas are (to try and get a balanced opinion).

Thanks,

Guhan

kaisen · 11-18-2005, 04:13 AM

Sell both and buy a lower-mile 87-89 Carrera that you can enjoy without worrying about the engine. Your wife's enthusiasm is worth fostering and cultivating. Keep her 'engaged' by keeping a Porsche around.

E

psjoe · 11-18-2005, 04:16 AM

Hey Guhan-

You have mail.

-Joe

morganb · morganb's Garage

Keep the wife happy. If both are a blast to you then whats the difference? Posting this on a P board means most of us will say keep the P car. Additionally I would not worry about the miles yet, get a compression and leak down test done and then with oil consumption you will have an idea of engine condition.

Milu · 11-18-2005, 07:20 AM

Do you seriously expect anyone on this board to say "keep the Buick!"?

gaijindabe · 11-18-2005, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by green95ss

....and it was my dream car as a mullet-equipped high school student.

G-Man: Did you keep the mullet? If not, keep the P-car and crusie in middle age with your dignity intact!

Vin-barrett · Vin-barrett's Garage

Hi Guhan

I've met both you and your wife at the Mountain Brauhaus on that Fall Run.
I thought how very cool it was that you both shared an interest in owning the 911. Keep it around and make it a family thing.

I think those giant rebuild invoices you most likely see from your "other" job are scaring you outta that beautiful car.

Don't do it man. Even if it means me coming up to Randolph and turning some wrenches for you

Vinny

ken_xman · 11-18-2005, 01:15 PM

Does the Buick group have Spring and Fall runs???
Welcome to the addiction. Sell the Buick and keep a small kitty to feed the 911. They are not really to bad to maintain if you keep up on them.

Rot 911 · 11-18-2005, 01:25 PM

1qt/800 miles is indicative of a healthy 911 engine. I predict you will have many trouble free miles left to go on your 911.

jyl · jyl's Garage

Take the engine from the GNX and put it in the Carrera. :-)

Icemaster · Icemaster's Garage

the GN is avery nice late teen car.

You've grown up, enjoy the P-Car. Keep it and learn the joy of going fast through the turns, not just in a straight line.

jrdavid68 · 11-18-2005, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by green95ss
Hi all,

Car #2: 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe.... The main problem is that it has 136K and I'm guessing the engine will need a rebuild within a few years or so--that's the prospect that scares me.

The car is barely past the Break-in period!

Hugh R · 11-18-2005, 04:19 PM

Keep the Carrera and buy an older Toyota or Mazda or something for a few K if you need a second car. BTW, just how much can you actually get for that Buick? Oh wait, I see your in New Jersey, probably a lot.

Big Ed · 11-18-2005, 05:28 PM

Keep the Buick, everyone around here has Porsches, the GN is rarer.

Big Ed · 11-18-2005, 05:29 PM

Oh yeah, and keep the mullet too.

jyl · jyl's Garage

Okay, I'll offer a useful comment. 138K miles is not too much for a Carrera. These engines can last a long time. My '89 had exactly that much on the clock when I bought it, now 3+ years later (times flies) it has appx 160K and the engine has been troublefree, normal oil consumption, only problem was a bad single fuel injector last year. This board will walk you through servicing the car, and with that plus your auto experience plus a Bentley manual you should be able to keep the car running great for not a lot of money. Whether you can resist to temptation to spend money on upgrades, that's another story. Your wife likes the 911, that's another plus.

green95ss · green95ss's Garage

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the input. No, I do not still have the mullet (just an attractive bald head, and I didn't decide to go with the skullet;-). I'm leaning towards keeping the Carrera. I drove it quite a bit this past weekend, as I was working far from home. It did develop a nasty oil leak, though--dripping onto the heat exchangers and smoking a bit through the wheel wells (sounds dramatic, but at night it's easier to see these things).

My main issue is learning to be patient. If a car has ANY problems, I immediately obsess about fixing it. With my priorities changed (new fixer-upper house and young daughter), it's tough for me to realize that some things have to wait. I have't driven the Buick more than 5000 miles in 5 years, yet I've put 1000 miles on the Carrera in 2 months--which tells me something. Oh well, I will keep pining away at this and see what my fickle mind ends up doing.

Thanks,

Guhan