Soon to be Porscheless...

[Kevin Taylor]

Go for a 912 or 356.

K.T.
1973 911 E 2.4 MFI
1983 911 SC
1978 911 SC
1965 Devin "D" / 1967 912 Power Plant
1998 GMC Serra 4X4 Z71
John Deere LT166
Money Can Buy Happiness........Buy A Porsche......a

[Jim Richards]

Corvair Corsa convertible.

[berettafan]

they look good w/ the camaro rally wheels from the late '60s.

[Nathans_Dad]

Interesting idea going with the US air cooled....

Saw a '69 Ghia convertible at a VW shop today for sale, it was in decent shape, looked like the pan had been patched in 3 spots, no damage to the nose. 1600 cc engine, paint needed work, was cracking and looked like a cheapo red spray job over green. Anyhow the guy wanted $9k as is . Geez man, I would have considered 6 or so since it was running and driving but $9k for a Ghia that will need at least a complete strip and respray? At least I got to sit in one....it's a bit short on the leg room, plenty of head room though. This car had some bigger aftermarket seats in it so I am wondering if the stock seats would fit me better.

[Jim Richards]

Every now and then I peek outside the box.

[berettafan]

something i've noticed about the vw crowd: their cars are ALMOST as expensive as 911's and 912's but they, as a group, have MUCH lower standards in regards to rust and parts quality.

[Nathans_Dad]

No way man. If you are looking at a Ghia coupe, you can get those all day long for $3-4k in decent running shape. Try getting a 911 for $3-4k...you're talking tub. Now the convertibles are more expensive and I'm not sure what the comparison would be in the 911 world since (in my experience at least) the 911 convertible tend to price along pretty squarely with the coupes. Targas are always a step below.

Porsche parts are generally more expensive and harder to come by than VW parts as well.

[berettafan]

it could be that i'm comparing more 'finished' vw's w/ less 'finished' 911's and 912's.

[Nathans_Dad]

Could be. I've noticed that too. Yes you CAN spend $15k on a Ghia convertible, but that is a show car. $15k will get you into my Targa which was a great car but certainly not a show car.

From what I can tell for both bugs and Ghias the coupes are still pretty cheap. $3-4k for a good solid mainly rust free car. Convertibles are $4-5k higher.

[DanielDudley]

If you want a convertible and a tinker toy, consider a Miata. Fun cars, and much go fast stuff.

You should really drive one, you might be surprized. Turn key cars with turbos or blowers are really pretty affordable. Ice cold air...

Nothing is a 911 though. Still, when I see 5 speed boxsters for 10K, I do feel like taking a test drive. But this Miata thing. You can easily spend more on a set of wheels for your 911.

Just sayin...

[nostatic]

what do you want out of the car? Something to drive or to work on or to be seen in or ?

Did you sell the targa just because you got tired of having a 911 and wanted something different? Or did you finally realize that targas blow

(ducking)

[javadog]

I recall that, once upon a time, you longed for a 911 coupe. This is why you sold the targa.


Please, please, buy a 911 coupe. An SC, a Carrera 3.2, doesn't matter. Buy the nicest one you can find. Take your time. Get to know it. Develop a relationship with it. Keep it forever.

You won't regret it for a minute.

JR

[Nathans_Dad]

Nostatic:

Well, when I bought the Targa originally, the idea was that I wanted to learn how to work on a car. The good news is that the Targa ran like a top for the whole 4 years I owned it. The bad news is that I really don't know too much more about working on an air cooled car than I did when I started.

I would like something that I can work on, that my kids and I can spend time on. I'm not really into bodywork and I'm not sure I would ever learn how to weld (although I would be open to the idea), but I would like to be able to take apart a carburetor or something like that. I was always a bit intimidated by the idea of tearing apart the Porsche, simply because if I screw up, the parts are so stinkin expensive (no offense to our host, lol). I never got into track days or going to Porsche meets. My job takes up a significant amount of time so I am really looking for something just to cruise around in on the weekends. I don't need a hot rod, I don't need to blow people off the line. I think the fastest I had my Targa was 95 one time and that was scary enough for me.

I had an interest in the Tri-5 Chevys (55, 56, 57) but the market on those types of cars is just ridiculous now. The VW has some nostalgia value for me since I drove a 72 Bug all through high school and halfway through college. It was bulletproof. I like the lines of the Ghia, although I honestly think the convertible looks better than the coupe, IMHO. Porsches are opposite to me, I have found that the coupe has the best lines to my eye by far. The big issue with VWs is my size. I am 6'4" and I can fit into a bug decently, the Ghia is a little tighter. Thom posted earlier about relocating the seat rails to get another 2-3 inches, that might be something in the future of the car I buy. I actually fit into the Targa ok, not a huge amount of room but decent.

Over the years I have thought about 914s or getting another 911 (coupe) and doing a backdate. The problem with getting another 911 is that I wouldn't have the budget to make the car the way I want at this time. The car alone would eat up the proceeds from my Targa ($15,500). I guess the cars that I really like are the backdated 911s, the RS clones or RSR type clones (although I'm not so sure I sold on the super fat rear end). Of course the problem is that to really do that sort of thing right you are looking at $40-50k at least. In Excellence, Matteo's car was said to cost as much as a new RS...there's no way I have that kind of scratch to spend on a car. So my dilemma is do I have a 911 with flaws and a 10 foot paint job (similar to my Targa) or do I do a full restore on something less expensive like a Ghia.

The total budget for this project, at least for the first year or so, is probly around $10-12k. Out of the Targa money, some of it is going towards my braces (yes I had braces put on this week and it SUCKS) and some is going towards my wife's 10th anniversary present. That leaves me $10-12 k for a car initially.

Oh, and I'm not sure I would go so far to say Targas blow...just the lines weren't what I was looking for...

Ok, there's my story...feel free to pontificate about what I should do...

Here's some food for thought...check the lines man...