Automotive ADD has set in again....

[Sicklyscott]

Hey folks -

I spent the good part of Saturday trying to weld a bracket in the fender well of my 911 SC. I say "trying" because I was not successful. After throwing a temper tantrum I decided it was time to walk away. Ever since I've been looking at replacement fun cars.

What's out there is remarkable. I've been all over the map from Dodge Vipers to Caymans, to 997.2s, to Z4 M coupes, the list goes on. I'm figuring my SC is worth in the 30k-32k area and wouldn't mind throwing a few more bucks into the pool. I really want to get into DE's though admittedly only a couple a year. Most of the cars listed above would do fine with the limited track use.

So what's holding me back? For one I hate selling cars, especially one where many enthusiasts are "purists". My car is not original and not perfect, I just can't stand it when someone decides to show up and pick it apart. I'm aware of what I have, if you don't like it then move on. The second thing holding me back is the "cool factor". I love rolling into a cars and coffee type event and getting compliments, I don't think you'd get that with your standard Cayman or 911.

With all that said I just can't get a particular white 987.2 Cayman out of my mind. I know many of you have made the change from aircooled 911 to something else, what are your thoughts? Did you regret it? Was it a good move in the end?

I'd really like to start a good healthy conversation on this.

Car in question:
Untitled by sicklyscott, on Flickr

[aschen]

Air cooled porsches are my favorite cars, by a long shot, and since before there was such a thing as a 911 with a water radiator.

That being said, I think a 30k$ elise is a lot more fun to drive than a 30k Porsche nearly anything. A 911 is better built and more of a real car but not as much driving pleasure in my experience.

I really do think eliges are the poor mans 73 RS. Of course this morning I had to drop off the hard top to have the headliner replaced. Not too impressive for a 9 yo car that has lived in a garage. Jumbo Shrimp, civil war, british quality

[Gogar]

If you're going to sell your car in a marketplace where people are fussy,

The best thing you can do to be happy is make an ad with honest disclosure and a good amount of details.

That way you will hopefully weed out most of the folks who will try to ding you and make you insecure because it's not a Hagerty #1 car or something.

[ckelly78z]

I honestly don't know who would want a Hagerty #1 car, unless it was part of a permanent collection that rarely saw any light of day. These trailer queens live in climate controlled glass boxes, and do more to show off wealth, than to satisfy a real car guy.

Your car looks very good in the pictures, and would make someone who isn't afraid of driving it, one heckuva good weekend cruiser, or track car.

[Seahawk]

I am working to get back into the air cooled market in a year or so...but I am a Targa guy so my opinions are immediately suspect

So your question about changing from an air-cooled 911 to something else, regrets, etc. is a good one.

One quick aside: A lot depends on where you live. In Maryland anything that would be remotely DD-able would have to have air conditioning, at least for me.

My last Porsche was a 964 Targa which I loved. Doable a/c, enough comfort and the iconic sound. I had previously owned a 356, a 912, two 911T's and two 911SC's. Concerning the 964, I unfortunately was run off the road and the car was totaled - at least in USAA's eyes. I regret not buying the car back. If I had not been involved in the accident, I would still own it. I drove that car to work two/three times a week, more weather dependent (big rain, snow) than anything else, took long trips in it all over the East Coast and was planning a West Coast swing. Sigh.

Since then, I have had a another 356, an RX-7 and a Mercedes 560SL, which I currently own. All much different from the 964 and came into my life in odd ways. I would have kept the 356 and probably the RX-7 except for the size constraints. They are both tiny inside and I am 6'4". The fun factor math just stopped penciling out getting in and out of the things.

Other cars I have though about, toyed with owning as less than a DD include a Toyota Land Cruiser I bought (but the refurb deal fell through and I got my money back), another BMW 2002 (I owned one in HS and was going to pull the trigger on one but the PPI was a disaster), an A-R GTV6, a BMW 2800 (I put a deposit on one but the PPI was horrific), various Boxsters and a few 911's I should have bought before the price run up.

I have also been looking at Jeeps as a DD instead of my truck.

I drive the 560SL to work at least once a week. 20 miles round trip. Everything works so it is a comfortable ride. My whole family loves the thing, especially my wife. It has also become a car that, post the accident my son lost his eye in, we spend a lot of time in driving and chatting in. He drives.

But I miss having an air-cooled 911, especially a Targa. The itch is there again, the wave is building. So I am looking again, preferably a Targa but I am also looking at project cars of all types - I'll keep the 560SL (perhaps) while I'm getting the project car complete.

I didn't have any regrets after the 964 in the short term, but after catching a ride here, a hop there, I really miss the sound, the quirks the issues inherent in 911 ownership, good and bad.

I don't thing my post will help much, put it was fun for me to relive some excellent cars.

The 964 two days after the accident. Lot of unseen damage.

[GH85Carrera]

I have whatever is the opposite of Automotive ADD.

I have had just three cars since 1974. My 85 911 is the "new" car to me since I have had it only 20 years.

[rusnak]

The Cayman is no replacement for an air-cooled 911, properly sorted out.

I have a Cayman S that Porsche claims to make 350 ish BHP. It'll fishtail with PASM turned on all the way out through 3rd gear. So it has a great motor. But in twisty roads, the 911 feel is superior. It's light, agile, and offers great confidence to the driver.