Porsche for 16 year old.

[stubby]

Hello,

[stubby]

sorry, I am new to this forum, I am 16, and am very interested in porsches. What would be a good starting model for me? I am a experienced stick driver, although i have heard that the older 911 trannys are friniky.
Any help would be apprecieated, oh yeah, under 15000 unless something changes, if its an older one, under 10000.

[Dan in Pasadena]

I think you want to post a WTB ad on the Cars for Sale board.

I know you aren't asking, but a 911 for a 16 year old? Are you kidding? I humbly suggest you consider a 924 or a 944. A lot cheaper and a lot less car for a kid to handle. This concludes my unsolicited (I think) advice.

[Super_Dave_D]

I would say a 944 and bank the rest for future maintenance and upgrades.

[stubby]

yeah, I was looking at the 944s mostly, but I found that 911s can be had for like 3k more, but I have heard they are prone to more problems. I have been into porsches all my life, I guess becasue my neighbors always have them, my neighbor here had a 964, 993, and got a sweet yellow 996t and my neighbor in london had a black 959 that he never drove. and I have liked every one of them, I am not looking to buy off here, just advice. And if i get a newer model, it would most likely be a boxster for 12k-14k

[MattAlpha]

Make sure that you read a lot of articles from this and the other Porsche forums. You will learn a lot and have an idea of what you need to look out for and what you desire.

If you are truly 16yrs old, I would bring your father (or another male adult that knows a few things about Porsches) with you when you are looking to buy a Porsche. I do not know a single owner who would let someone of your age test drive thier Pcar unless they knew you very well.

Good luck, and I hope you have fun with what ever car you decide to purchase.
-Matt

[lyon]

Go for the 911, study up and get yourself a good metric wrench set. You can get a good 70's 911 for around 10 g's
have fun. I wish I had the balls to get one when I was 16.

[SandyI]

Your best bet is a '78-'88 911. They range from as low as $12,000 to a high of $20,000. But of course the closer you get to $12K, the more $ you should have saved to put into maintenance. The tranny's aren't exactly finicky but they aren't nearly as smooth shifting as new cars like Miata's and S2000's. You may want to contact your future car insurance company to get an idea of what you'll be paying, which could be HUGE. Good luck on your search.

[speedracer]

Welcome Stubby! If you are set on a 911 a good SC would probably give you the best bang for you buck. You could get into a nice one in the 12-15 k dollar range. Good luck with you search.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Stubby,

I wasn't trying to give you a hard time. Congrats on your ability to assemble that much cash for your first car AND congrats for having the maturity to ask guys already involved with the marque you are interested in.

911's are wonderful cars but they were top-of-the-line premium cars no matter what year you look at. They were never intended to be reasonably priced or entry level cars. They were intended to be premium sports cars. If you have not yet acquired the best driving skills or a lot of experience with a rear engine car you can get in trouble with them quickly. Even if you DO have a lot of experience and training you can have a momentary lapse of judgement and push a little hard....and you'll lose it, azz end first most likely. Believe me, 911's bring that out in all car guys, that is not restricted to younger drivers.

944's are very evenly balanced, they are more forgiving than 911's. They weren't cheap cars either and they still aren't if you don't buy a VERY well sorted one. But the good news is there are lots of them. You can afford to be picky. DO NOT, DO NOT, (did I mention DO NOT) get hot pants to spend that money you already have and settle. Wait and you'll find a GREAT one. They're there - I sold my '87 for top dollar a year ago ($5500) and I had receipts for over $5000 I'd put into it in just the prior 2 years. If I'd done what I am telling you, I wouldn't have spent so much.

Best of luck in your search. Do not hesitate to ask questions on this board. P.S. One more thing. Don't spend too much money on the 944 either to purchase or afterward, unfortunately you won't get it back and you WILL want a 911 later.....and they're costly! There is a saying here, "All 911's are $20,000 cars regardless what you pay for yours." It's true!

[slodave]

The point made about insurance is a good one. Talk to your agent or shop around and see what the ins. cos. would quote you. That might make a deciding factor in your p-car options.

Dave

[limble]

911's can be a handful. Be careful. Do Auto-X or drivers ed. Seat time in a controlled environment is important and fun.
Anyone who has never had a scary moment in a 911 has either never pushed it or is crazy.

[Redlineshftr]

Stubby,

When I was 17 I bought my first Porsche. 1970 911t. If your anything like I was you will learn first hand what "throttle off oversteer" is within your first week of ownership. If you have the means, the maturity, and the driving skills go for a 911! If I could do it again my first Porsche would have been an SC or 3.2 Carrera. Definetly count on spending around 1800 a year on insurance (at least thats what I pay in Southern California). AND save about 1k for tickets because trust me cops WILL give you a hard time because your a young kid driving a sports car. (dont ask me how I know!). Good luck with your search and welcome to the board!

Mike

[StayGold808]

i got my 3.2 carrera at 18. Don't be TOO deterred by what everyone is saying. True you CAN get into trouble with a 911, but then again you can get into trouble with any car, be it front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, if you drive like an idiot.

911's due to their rear engine layout can be easy to get into trouble, because they give you a false sense of sure footedness, and then you push harder and harder. Then uh-oh, i'm understeering, what do i do? lift off the throttle then bang, its all over.

So my advice to you, if you're investing all that money into "your baby", drive sensibly. Don't be peer pressured into pushing the car harder then your capabilities. AND GOLDEN RULE! NEVER lift off the throttle mid corner! (well, not until your experienced anyway... hehhehe...... fun =D) AND, be CAREFUL in the wet. GET GOOD TIRED

I am still yet to have a car accident *knock wood*, and i hope you can say the same when your 20.

['76 911S 3.0]

Originally posted by Dan in Pasadena
I think you want to post a WTB ad on the Cars for Sale board.

I know you aren't asking, but a 911 for a 16 year old? Are you kidding? I humbly suggest you consider a 924 or a 944. A lot cheaper and a lot less car for a kid to handle. This concludes my unsolicited (I think) advice.

I got mine the day i turned sixteen...'76 911S 3.0L...if you're a smart driver, learning to drive these cars comes fairly easy, I find the way the 915 shifts to be more rewarding and more satisfying than any other manual trans car I've driven...there really is no comparison IMHO.

Resisting the temptation to kill the stereo and crank the engine music is a hard one to fight, especially with an exhaust Insurance is not cheap to begin with, and adding tickets to your record only make it worse, ask me how I know

Taking part in AutoX and other events in a controlled envioronment makes you much more confident while driving on the public roads; not to say that you can drive faster, but you know the limits of your car and how the car reacts in many different situations. You learn this all in a controlled environment where the posibility of hurting yourself or others is much much less than out on the public roads...I would recommend AutoXing in the rain once or twice to understand the idea of the pedulum effect and how different the car feels in the wet.

[twin plugged targa]

Welcome to the board- there is a wealth of information here from people who love the mark and feel passionate about it to the point of sometimes being emotional and protective!!.

Never feel shy of asking questions here but like on most bulletin boards, try and check the archives with the search feature as you may find more info there than asking again!.

As for model of Porsche I would stick with the 911 idea and go for a good 911 SC. Always have an expert look at it and or a Pre Purchase Inspection- PPI- there are a lot of guys here who are experience motorists (myself included) who have not done PPI's and have ended up with a can of worms! (my 1st car 86ragtop).
You do not want the car to spend most of its time in the shop, or if the pennies have run out spending most of its time on jack stands in the driveway!.

When you finally do get your dream car, please resist the temptation to drive it to the max everywhere, as you may regret it.
Auto-X is cheap and very low key and i would highly recomend it as speeds normally are less than 70mph and spills usually just injure your pride!. Drivers Education is on tracks (I have not had a chance to do this yet) I believe and is a lot faster- maybe progress to this later.

All said and done, if you approach this in a mature manner , get the right car (condition -wise) and budget for unforseen maintenance, you will be rewarded with an amazing experience.

The biggest down side of this as I can see, is -
Where do you go from here!!!!!!

I had to wait about 35 yrs before I could afford my 1st dream car!.

Good luck and keep us all posted

Rgds Ben

[livi]

Read as much as possible about all models you are interested in. Then talk to as many owners as possible. Then drive as many models from different years as possible.

Depends a lot what you are planning to use it for and where you live. In a cold, slippery winter climate in a city, I would not choose an old 911 as a daily driver. But as a weekend/second car with nearby country roads/highways I would go with the 911.

And as stated, please have a thorough PPI done before purchasing (even though I didn´t ).

Good luck! And welcome to the forum !

[Zef]

Welcome aboard Stubby...my vote go for a SC...The most reliable 911 availlable and the cheapest one to maintain...Have fun.

[htron435]

Definitely go with the SC, as it will take years for you to outgrow it. You can probably find a very well maintained car and/or one with all the major mechanicals rebuilt in your price range. Don't be afraid of miles if the receipts are there, and you can save many thousands down the road by spending just a little more up front. DEFINITELY hold out for a car with DOCUMENTED repairs and receipts -- they're out there.

Once you find the right car, do plenty of AutoX events -- you'll learn really fast how the car handles and when it likes to swap ends. Be SMOOTH with your inputs, and you'll have no problems. Better in a safe environment than on a curb somewhere! Good luck, and enjoy!

[Grady Clay]

stubby,

Welcome to the Forum.
You will find a lot of help here.

It sounds like you are in London UK, is that so? There
are quite a number of local Pelicans who can help you.

You are getting good advice here. Take your time and find
the right car and situation. Any Porsche in the $10-15K range
is going to need attention. That may be repairing obvious
things, repairing things you won’t know about until after you
have owned it a week and just general repair and maintenance.
You can easily spend another $10-15K in a heartbeat.

A through Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) will help you identify
some of the potential issues. No inspection can possibly
identify everything – unless you have a crystal ball.

There are many cars, if they were given to you free, are not
worth spending one penny on. For every Pound you spend,
the value increases by a Shilling. Not a good deal. This is the
economic reality why some apparently serviceable cars go to
the dismantler.

I recommend you spend a lot of time and look at a lot of cars
with a critical eye (and some knowledgeable friends). Don’t
buy anything – keep your money in your pocket. Take a year
to educate yourself about:
1) How to recognize the good from the bad.
2) What it is you actually want (and want to afford).
3) What the market is like.
4) How to recognize the scam artists and crooks (there are
a lot and all they want is your money).

Insurance cost is always a consideration. Having a proven
perfect driving record and successfully attending Driver’s
Schools will help when you ask for an insurer to cover you
in a Porsche. Driving on the street is far more dangerous
than racing on a professional circuit.


Be patient. When my son was your age there was a significant
difference between what he wanted and what he got. What
he got was a Toyota Camry the same age as he. Four doors,
4-cylinder, 4-speed automatic, 67K mi, perfect original – and
US$950.






Of course he was able to play, just not on the street.















These were all about age 16


At 21 he hasn’t had an accident or ticket. Many of his friends
had expensive cars while in high school. Some didn’t have an
entirely successful experience. Be careful what you wish for,
it may come true.


You will get a wide range of advice here. There are several
Pelicans your age.

Best,
Grady