Dear Porsche that got away...(share yours)

[Cjcashmahoney]

Starting this post to anyone out there that has ever been close to buying their dream car, only to have it slip through their fingers. Not a day goes buy I don’t 🥾 myself in the —>🦵🏽For not buying you when I had the chance...
I was curious if any of you fellow posters have had the same experience and would like to share the „one“ that got away. List as much or as little details as you want. That way we can all 😢 together....

August 12 2019
Porsche 930 Turbo (Factory lila/purple)
Light brown interior
All original car 95k miles
€35000
Location-Düsseldorf Germany
(Reason for sale) divorce

[Dmitry at Pelican Parts]

Mid 2011 - '78 Copper Metallic SC coupe with ~64k miles with an asking price of $18,900 (I think) - very very clean with a lot of documentation. Still think about it and kick myself for not getting it...

[Cjcashmahoney]

Thanks for the post

[viejopatron]

Miss Manners. An 84 Porsche Model 911 430. 37,000 miles in 2005.

[Noah930]

Two years ago I was perusing the local Craigslist ads and found a 986 Boxster S for sale. Around 100K miles. Had been advertised originally for $6900 a week or two earlier, but then just got dropped to $5900 that weekend. I went to look at it first thing Saturday morning, and it seemed pretty clean: Arena Red (love that color), 18" wheels, new convertible top, everything worked. Didn't have the IMS upgrade, but the last service had been done at a very reputable indy shop, and it otherwise got a clean bill of health at that time. The car was owned by an older man, and he hadn't really driven the car in the 5 or so years he had owned it. (I think he had it registered as a non-op.) But he had smogged it, so it was ready to go.

I know Boxsters are dime-a-dozen and unloved, but find a hard top and that would have been a cheap track car. We were just about to do an addition and remodeling to the house though, and I wouldn't have had anywhere to park the car (other than the street), so I didn't pull the trigger. Still kinda wish I had.

[speedster911]

about 25 years ago - real 73 RS

Thought they were crazy for asking 42K.... think it ended up selling for about 37K. would have , should have , could have

[Rodney Nelson]

Originally Posted by speedster911

about 25 years ago - real 73 RS

Thought they were crazy for asking 42K.... think it ended up selling for about 37K. would have , should have , could have

Exactly !!!!

[porsche930dude]

Well back in 2005 when i was looking 930s could be had all day long for 25k but we wont talk about that. Most recent 2012 hershey 1972 911t original patina irish green maybe a little rust but cool car 15k i dont think he sold it that day he didnt get much interest in it. I told him wait a few years and youll get double that for it. Sure enough

[ian c2]

The only porsche that counts is the one you drive .



Yeah , with hindsight I could be NOT driving a whole host of RS cars etc as they’re worth too much , but I’d rather be in the present DRIVING cars ....

[Bill Douglas]

Ha, 25 years ago a 2.2 911 S.

But in my infinite wisdom I thought spend a little more and get a rock solid SC. The SC has been a fantastic car, and I love it, and it has been the right car for me. But to own a collectable (worth serous money) would have been nice too.

[Cjcashmahoney]

Some fun stories!! Thanks for posting

[OK-944]

May of 2012: 1985 wide body 3.2 coupe, black on black, 125K miles, in decent shape - listed for 12K and I offered 10. Owner "promised" it to me if I could arrive with cash within a day. I immediately withdrew the cash...phoned to say that I'd be there in two hours - at which time I was informed that a "guy from Texas" had wired 20K and was on his way. Within two weeks the car was listed on the bay for 28K.

[LIRS6]

I don't mean to alter the subject of this thread, but about 15 yrs ago I was in my 911 at a gas station when a stranger asked me if I had an interest to sell it - I suggested around $12k, he said he'd have a think, and ultimately he passed. I still own it, and I'm playing golf with him this Sunday. Yes, I'll be driving it to the GC

['76 911S 3.0]

2005...1975 911S with a 3.3T engine and trans $9.5k. Missed it by about 2 hours

[Cjcashmahoney]

Great posts!!

[Peter Zimmermann]

Going back about 15 years I replied to an ad for a 1980 Weissach Edition 911SC. I was told it was "near perfect," had Carrera Tensioners, and had been a daily driver. I figured, Ok, it sounds good. I drove 4 hours to see it, and was left speechless by its condition. Tires were almost flat, paint had huge flaws/fading (but was original Platinum Metallic), interior looked like two big bobcats had one helluva fight in there (but some of the original red pinstriping was still visible), wheels were unsatisfactory, and, oh, the car did not have Carrera Tensioners. I could have fixed everything, but the seller was asking about (as I remember) $13K. It was basically a barn find. I told him that I'd pay $6K for the car and have it towed home, and to call me. He never did.

[famoroso]

Great idea for a thread. I hope it is therapeutic and cathartic for those of us that still feel the pain. Or, more likely, revisiting the pain will just serve to twist the dagger even more.

For me, it's this one...

FS:1989 M491 911 Carrera Coupe

Long story, that is painful, embarrassing and... 100% my fault for being a little bee-otch. Moral of the story is (that I've taken to heart in the interim)... Don't be a little bee-otch!

I often go back to the post to torture myself. It's an ENORMOUS regret in my life. Perhaps top three. I don't even like black cars anymore, but I would buy this one if it ever came up for sale again, in an attempt to undo the damage.

I have two amazing M491s that I've acquired in the interim, but this black whale will forever be "the one that got away," for me.

[kent olsen]

Back in about 1972 after my first divorce I was looking for a car to play with one evening in San Diego. Found a beautiful 356 coupe. Made a deal with the car lot that I would be back the next day with the money.

Called the next day just before going to the bank and someone had come in behind me that night and paid cash and drove off.

Went thru many different brands of sports cars for the next 25 years before I found the 72 911T I now have. And I've had this one for 20 years.

[Cajundaddy]

In 1975 I was in college and shopping for my 1st used sports car. I looked at MGs, Fiat 124, 69 Datsun Roadster, and this somewhat neglected 62 Porsche Cab. I didn't trust the Italian mechanicals or the British electricals so it quickly came down to Datsun Roadster or Porsche 356 Cab.

The Datsun Roadster was in good condition, came with a hard top, had a lot of miles but needed nothing @ $1200. The Porsche 356 ran well but had a lot of miles, was 13 years old, seats and top were tattered, paint was somewhat faded, needed tires, and the guy wanted a fecking outrageous $3000 for that tub and would not budge.

I bought the Datsun Roadster for $1200... Doh!!!

[Artfrombama]

Early 80's I ran across an ad in the local Bargain Times that said "Porsche 911" and gave a phone number. I called the guy, he told me a guy from out of town had driven the car to the lake when the fuel pump died. The owner asked around and found someone that "knew about VW's". The mechanic put a cheepie fuel pump on the car and got it running. The owner never came back. The 911 sat in a barn for several years and the car was decaying away, the mechanic went through the legal aspects to obtain the car and recoup repair and storage fees.
The car was an orange 1969 911S.
I went to look at the car, one of the batteries had fallen through the box and was hanging by the cables, there was some rocker panel rust but the car ran and drove very well. After a bit of haggling I had the guy down to $3500 but still thought that was a bit high so I told him I would sleep on it and call him the next week.
After a few days I decided I would buy the 911, called the guy and SOLD to someone in Holland.
Damn!