SPC - Mistakes We Made When Buying Our Cars, What Ones Did You Make? Porsche &/or Other Makes Options

[ConeDodger]

Great stories Rob!

I think your anethesia buddy was dippin' into the supplies when he sold you that 944S2 for that!

I've always loved the 240Z's & up syling, & did a college photography class project shooting a new 71 240Z at Moon Datsun in Spring 1971. Unfortunately I don't have access to the prints/negs that we had to process ourselves at this time.

However, they eventually did shoot this ad outside of a building which I'd designed back in the late 1970's .....

Edit to rotate pic:




^ Thousand Jokes CA Library, completed +/- 1985, so the ad pic above was post `85 fyi.

PS - Rob, if I ever find those negs/prints of my 71 240Z shots & figure out how to digitize them (4x5 format), then I'll send some to you in digital form to use how you want. No promises on if/when though, cuz I have no idea what box or file cabinet they're in where! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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That would be great Tom! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[ConeDodger]

A few years back, when we lived in Sacramento and I used to have the Sacramento Porsche Family Reunion events every month, we had a swap meet. I had driven my '84 911 Carerra Coupe which I had purchased for $21700. A guy in a 356 Coupe drove by and then did a u-turn when he realized he was looking at a Porsche swap. Before the afternoon was out, he had offered me the 356 in an even trade for the 911. That was 10 years before the 356 cars went stratospheric. Ultimately, I sold the 911 to a guy in Germany for its original sticker price. If I still had it? Maybe almost double? But I always wonder what the 356 could have gotten me...

[whitetwinturbo]

..........I bought and DD a non-AC Opel Gt for 17 years (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chair.gif)

[Tom_T]

..........I bought and DD a non-AC Opel Gt for 17 years (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chair.gif)

So how was that a mistake!?

As of now the GT "Baby Vettes" sell at a pretty good price & are still wanted.

When I googled for Opels to find my pix, I recall seeing a really nice metallic blue one with the 1.9L engine IIRC, which was for sale down in Carlsbad.

Maybe it's time for a trip down PCH for you!? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

Hey, did you come to our OCR Concours at Mile Square Park last month? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
I don't recall seeing your white Turbo there, & I usually look for anyone's car whom I know so I can say Hi & chat a bit.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[euro911]

More like mistakes selling cars, rather than buying ...

Cars that my mom owned that got sold for cheap back then (worth big doughnuts today) ...
'40 Ford convertible
'55 Chrysler New Yorker
'62 Pontiac Bonneville convertible


Cars I sold for cheap ... '62 VW Big (rag-top sunroof)
Numerous other early VW Bugs (flippers) during my high school days
'59 Ford factory 4x4 (Forestry Service truck)
'66 Karman Ghia Convertible
'67 VW 11-window bus
'67 911 coupe
'67 912 coupe
'68 VW Bug
'69 Karmann Ghia coupe
'71 914
(2) '72 914s
'75 Audi Fox
'76 BMW 530i
'77 Puma coupe
... and an '80 Fiat 131 coupe



Current Germans still owned:
'64 911 (#189), purchased for $2,500 in 1977 (I'm the 2nd owner)
'66 912, purchased for $2,000 in 1988 (I'm the 2nd owner)
'75 914 2.0L, purchased for $3,800 in 2006
'71 (unmolested) 914, purchased for $5,000 in 2007 (I'm the 2nd owner)
'84 Vanagon Westfalia camper, purchased for $6,000 in 2012
'70 Karmann Ghia coupe, purchased for $7,000 in 2015



I almost purchased a '73 BMW 2002 tii at one of Vasek Polak's dealerships back in 1973 ... opted for a '73 Dodge van to haul my dirt bikes to events. Gave the Dodge to my dad and purchased a '77 Chevy long wheelbase van.


I always wondered if I would still have the BMW, or would have sold it cheap too? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

Hind sight is 20/20, right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/bootyshake.gif)

[Tom_T]

Mark, you're only the 3rd guy I've known who's had a Puma! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

An impressive list, for sure!

2002tii or ti was a close 2nd for my car craving back in the early 70's when I got my 914. Let's assume it would've been a keeper for you, if not wrecked or rusted away.

A 2.8 or 3.0 CSi was the pipe dream & way too expensive back then, but I did try to get one after my 914 was mashed in `85, but got a new 325e new as the next best thing when I couldn't find one, as the 633/635 was still too expensive while doing triple duty running my business, doing my MBA & starting a family then.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[Madswede]

When I bought my 914 off of a guy in California, the ad (which Joe O'Brien and I both missed) said that it was a 2.0L GD block. This is opposed to a GA (or GB or GC as my reading indicated were also 914 2.0 L variants).

While I was at Joe Sharp's place in Huntington Beach, when he lived there, and getting help changing out the fuel lines, good old Tomas pointed out pretty quickly that I had a bus motor! Oh well, that engine was never intended to remain in that car as I had planned from the start to convert it to a six. It sure ran like crap (as a /3 most of the time!) for those first couple years. Rocker arms kept breaking.

It was an engine that didn't belong in there, but it kept me puttering around for two years or so before finally suffering catastrophic failure as I pulled into O'Brien's driveway one day. RIP bus motor!

[Tom_T]

When I bought my 914 off of a guy in California, the ad (which Joe O'Brien and I both missed) said that it was a 2.0L GD block. This is opposed to a GA (or GB or GC as my reading indicated were also 914 2.0 L variants).

While I was at Joe Sharp's place in Huntington Beach, when he lived there, and getting help changing out the fuel lines, good old Tomas pointed out pretty quickly that I had a bus motor! Oh well, that engine was never intended to remain in that car as I had planned from the start to convert it to a six. It sure ran like crap (as a /3 most of the time!) for those first couple years. Rocker arms kept breaking.

It was an engine that didn't belong in there, but it kept me puttering around for two years or so before finally suffering catastrophic failure as I pulled into O'Brien's driveway one day. RIP bus motor!

Jon,

Unfortunately, there are a lot of "fake 914 2Ls" & cheapo replacements for real factory 914-2.0s - both using Bus 2Ls out there!

My Dad had a 2L Bus in the 1980's that he bought in Indy & drove down to their Condo in Cancun to keep as a local runabout.
He used to tease me that it had the same engine as my Porsche - & I'd say No it's Not! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

In reality by the time the Buses put the GD 2.0 flat-4 into the Buses, they were as detuned for smog or more than, as were the later 75-76 GC 914-2.0s!
But IIRC the bus version only turned out about 80-85 HP with 49 state smog, & only about 76+/- HP with CA Emissions+Crapalytic Converter.

So the bus motor was always less power than the 914 versions, unless they were properly built-up for more power off the bare case.
.... & then many/most still had problems like yours.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[mepstein]

I don't dwell on past buying mistakes. There's still good deals out there to be had.
Just picked up this early '66 with a non matching engine for $25k.

[Tom_T]

I don't dwell on past buying mistakes. There's still good deals out there to be had.
Just picked up this early '66 with a non matching engine for $25k.

911 or 912?

And nobody is "dwelling" Mark, it's a discussion topic with a discussion starter in my first post.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[mepstein]

'66 - 911.

This was the MAD - mother of all deals - last year.
'64 - 911 $45K numbers matching engine.

[Tom_T]

'66 - 911.

This was the MAD - mother of all deals - last year.
'64 - 911 $45K numbers matching engine.

Was it early enough to be a 901?

We had a very early +/- #2 902/912 at our OCR Concours last year. Very nicely restored & presented!

I wonder if the `64 911's seller has any regrets!? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[mepstein]

'66 - 911.

This was the MAD - mother of all deals - last year.
'64 - 911 $45K numbers matching engine.

Was it early enough to be a 901?

We had a very early +/- #2 902/912 at our OCR Concours last year. Very nicely restored & presented!

I wonder if the `64 911's seller has any regrets!? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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It's not one of the first 48 but it is one of the 232 cars.
Seller was happy to sell. It was sitting under a tarp in his carport for the last 25 years. Boxes of parts in his garage. Another shop offered to sell on consignment but never bothered to come out and take a look.

I'm trying to make a deal on a '65 -912. If I can get it, I will sell the original engine and drop in a 3.2 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

[euro911]

I don't dwell on past buying mistakes. There's still good deals out there to be had.
Just picked up this early '66 with a non matching engine for $25k.

Schweet, Mark (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[euro911]

'66 - 911.

This was the MAD - mother of all deals - last year.
'64 - 911 $45K numbers matching engine.

Wonder if it was a new find or transfer of an already know specimen? The 232 Registry lists about 62 known '64 survivors world-wide.

Do you know the VIN?


I think I'm closer to the MAD on '64s... all #s matching from original owner, $2,500 in 1977 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

The "purchasing power" of $2,500 from 1977 is $10,087.62 in 2017.

[mepstein]

'66 - 911.

This was the MAD - mother of all deals - last year.
'64 - 911 $45K numbers matching engine.

Wonder if it was a new find or transfer of an already know specimen? The 232 Registry lists about 62 known '64 survivors world-wide.

Do you know the VIN?


I think I'm closer to the MAD on '64s... all #s matching from original owner, $2,500 in 1977 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

The "purchasing power" of $2,500 from 1977 is $10,087.62 in 2017.

It's not on the registry.

[Tom_T]

'66 - 911.

This was the MAD - mother of all deals - last year.
'64 - 911 $45K numbers matching engine.

Was it early enough to be a 901?

We had a very early +/- #2 902/912 at our OCR Concours last year. Very nicely restored & presented!

I wonder if the `64 911's seller has any regrets!? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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It's not one of the first 48 but it is one of the 232 cars.
Seller was happy to sell. It was sitting under a tarp in his carport for the last 25 years. Boxes of parts in his garage. Another shop offered to sell on consignment but never bothered to come out and take a look.

I'm trying to make a deal on a '65 -912. If I can get it, I will sell the original engine and drop in a 3.2 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

Mark,

If it's numbers matching - then NEVER sell the original engine!
Just store it properly, & same for transaxle too if you'd do a g50 or whatever.

In the future it will be worth far more with the original numbers matching engine & transaxle whenever you decide to sell it later - even if resto-modded as a 3.2 6 Outlaw.

Otherwise, you'll be posting your "daggummit" regrets here later on! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[Tom_T]

The "purchasing power" of $2,500 from 1977 is $10,087.62 in 2017.

Mark,

Real annual inflation or buying power erosion is closer to 7+% - not the 1-2% claimed in CPI & online calculators, as I gave resources at the 916 thread active on here now.

That is why most every retirement planner & websites advises people to plan on 7-8% annual inflation in their retirement planning,savings, etc.

Under that model your $2500 in `77 is closer to $40,000 today - in real inflation.

These easy to use online calculators are just using questionable CPI data, which doesn't hold up, but it's just as easy to double it every 10 years in your head, for a 7.2% annual inflation - which is far closer to reality. PS - CPI is nothing but GIGO!

Don't know if you built your new place in AZ or had any new construction done there, but try to get it done a year later for just 1-2% more.

In fact, I challenge anyone to take a construction bid from a year or two or more ago, & get a current bid at just 1-2% annual inflation as the Feds claim, or almost any other items around! No Eff'ing way!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
Tom
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[euro911]

It's not on the registry.

Do you know how to contact Bob Fleming? He's the trustee of the list. I'm sure he'd like to add the VIN to the Registry, even if it's an anonymous owner ... I can assist if need be.

[mepstein]

It's not on the registry.

Do you know how to contact Bob Fleming? He's the trustee of the list. I'm sure he'd like to add the VIN to the Registry, even if it's an anonymous owner ... I can assist if need be.

Thank you.