To Porsche, or not to Porsche?

[DDP]

And in case anyone is questioning my NOOBIE status, lol, here is one of mine....

[Tavern Gnome]

dude that thing is sick. Nice work

[JGood]

Badass car! This thread is awesome. I've learned a lot...

[turbo_negro69]

screw the 951 buy a regular old 944 and give these guys a visit http://www.renegadehybrids.com
small block chevy power bitches!!!

[Purdue89E30]

And in case anyone is questioning my NOOBIE status, lol, here is one of mine....

Is that N.I.U's basketball arena?

[Fidhle007]

DDP, thanks for the input, your car looks awesome! I never set out to own a 951 before the age of 35 and always figured it would be a third car. Despite how much I've loved them for so long I assumed it was too exotic and expensive a vehicle to try and own while still in my "Struggling Artist" period. I figured the first time I had $10,000 in my pocket I would be buying an E36 M3 or eating ramen so I could scrape up that extra $5k for an E30 M3. That said I do NOT have ten grand to play with but I can see where I might be able to make it work, especially since I'd be making a purchase from a friend who would be willing to help me out when I needed a hand with the car in the future.

Here's where I start pondering though: supposing I give enough blowjobs to come up with said hypothetical $10,000, is this the best car I could spend it on? I'm sure I could find a stock or lightly modded E36 M3 for around that and I could always keep saving for an E30 M3. Both of those would be more practical (well, the E36 at least) than the 951 but would duplicate my 325is quite a bit. Besides, I would have to spend another few thousand to mod them up to the spec of my car. I can't have an M3 that doesn't handle as well as my old IS!

So yeah, it's late and I just finished rehearsing with my band so I'm a little buzzed and mulling this over. Thanks for the input, keep it coming, I'm learning a ton!

Cheers,
Brendan

[DDP]

Is that N.I.U's basketball arena?

Yes sir. I go to NIU.

[DDP]

DDP, thanks for the input, your car looks awesome! I never set out to own a 951 before the age of 35 and always figured it would be a third car. Despite how much I've loved them for so long I assumed it was too exotic and expensive a vehicle to try and own while still in my "Struggling Artist" period. I figured the first time I had $10,000 in my pocket I would be buying an E36 M3 or eating ramen so I could scrape up that extra $5k for an E30 M3. That said I do NOT have ten grand to play with but I can see where I might be able to make it work, especially since I'd be making a purchase from a friend who would be willing to help me out when I needed a hand with the car in the future.

Here's where I start pondering though: supposing I give enough blowjobs to come up with said hypothetical $10,000, is this the best car I could spend it on? I'm sure I could find a stock or lightly modded E36 M3 for around that and I could always keep saving for an E30 M3. Both of those would be more practical (well, the E36 at least) than the 951 but would duplicate my 325is quite a bit. Besides, I would have to spend another few thousand to mod them up to the spec of my car. I can't have an M3 that doesn't handle as well as my old IS!

So yeah, it's late and I just finished rehearsing with my band so I'm a little buzzed and mulling this over. Thanks for the input, keep it coming, I'm learning a ton!

Cheers,
Brendan

When Jake gets the car back together, take it for a drive. It'll make up your mind.

If you want I can post pics of the car for you, they're up on Rennlist. I don't know if you didn't post them because you don't have them or for another reason. Either way, let me know. It's a nice looking car.

BTW, thanks for the comments guys. I don't mean to go off topic here but the car is going in for surgury again this winter. 16V head is going on and hopefully a GT35 as well. We'll see what funds allow.

[LINUS]

Glad to see you recognize the 15K rule - I didn't know it & it's why I'm a swap car now. Not to drag up that dead horse, just giving you an idea of my perspective.

If you REALLY want a E30 M3 long term, don't blow your wallet on the Porsche - either car is known to have the capability & possibility/probability to leave a bloody, shredded mess of your wallet.
If you look at the cheaper E30 M3's with a mind to swap the $15K rule will put a bitchin' reliable 6 cylinder in the body & let you DD the thing guilt free. You only have to fend off the purists on occasion, so that's the only downside I know of.

The S14 powertrain you can't afford to maintain will be snatched up by someone with a deep wallet either for their spare motor or a ///M2 - either way it's a win-win. Unless you're a purist (not judging, just qualifing) - a 6 in a M3 body is the perfect blend of good looks, suspension, brakes, and a guilt free motor to spin up the miles on. It's the perfect comprimise for a 1 car house, and even some of us 2 car guys.

Or you could even feasably DD an S14 - especially if you keep the purchase to ones that have a few door dings & nicks like occur in real life. If the owner was a "motor over looks" type & has maint receipts, I'd take anything reasonable for whatever miles were on the odometer. Stack of receipts height should be proportional to the odometer. If you can keep the mods fairly sleeper you can even expect to not get it stolen.

Point being, if I was you I'd pare down the option I wanted to head & get on board with one commitment. Either car might bleed you, and a P-car now will kill your chances at a E30 M3 later - especially if they start a real appreciation rate like has been speculated on.

I suppose if I was you I'd still drive the 944 once finished - it might be a better fit to you than a E30, never know. At least you have had a E30 so you know what to look for (problematic spots) & you know the BMW world, so there aren't too many ways to surprise you.

If a Porsche was your "goal car" in life I'd say go for it, but if you really want a E30 M3 then hold out & keep the long term picture in mind. The advantage you have is that you don't need to make a decision until it's finished being built, so your final answer will come from your head rather than your heart.

I guess you sound to me like a good, solid motor E30M3 would be what you ultimately want, so don't sell yourself short. If I was going to eat ramen again, I would only do it to hold a E30M3.

It's a good thing I type fast, this got long. Sorry.

[ANDRÜ]

I got rid of my e30 for a 944na. There are a few things I miss, but I REALLY like the porsche. Of coarse the powers much less than the turbo e30, but its the handling that I love. The handling, even stock, blew me away. Now with stiffer springs its rediculous. 50/50 wieght dist. FTW

[whiltebeitel]

First off, foglights are NOT $500, lol. Def overstatement. I don't know where you're getting your parts but def not the cheapest places. That's the problem with the 944 or any Porsche for that matter. Because it has the name shops feel they can jack up the prices. Look around, be smart, you'll find some great deals.

I was referenceing WorldPac prices for the lights on the front bumper, passenger side.

I'm not so against an n/a 944, but the turbos are pretty complicated. Honestly, P-cars are wonderful, but I'd never consider owning one until I had %150 of the purchase price in the bank. For the older models, anyway. YMMV.

[Fidhle007]

I notice no one said anything about an e36 M3...

[Fidhle007]

I could also throw a bunch of money at my IS and finish what I started in the first place.

All said and done it would be:
Coilovers (have them)
Interior stuff (Seats, black door panels, have the door panels)
Supercharger (Don't have it yet, would probably work with Schneller)
Brakes (Don't have it)

There's a tidy chunk of change and I never have to do anything with titles or insurance. Opinions?

[whiltebeitel]

I could also throw a bunch of money at my IS and finish what I started in the first place.

All said and done it would be:
Coilovers (have them)
Interior stuff (Seats, black door panels, have the door panels)
Supercharger (Don't have it yet, would probably work with Schneller)
Brakes (Don't have it)

There's a tidy chunk of change and I never have to do anything with titles or insurance. Opinions?

E36 M3= great cars, but sub 10k is asking for a ragged-on one. I'd say, get another beater e30, for $3.50, then put your car on jackstands for 2 years, make a teaser thread, and be like everyone else! :o

[s0urce]

My first car was a 85.5 944. The year is crucial on these cars if you want the updated interior which is a huge update IMO. Despite all of the problems that I had to deal with on that car, I would take another one in a heartbeat. They're extremely easy to work on, and nothing I've driven since handles nearly as well as the 944 did.

You'll never regret buying it. It's a great car for your first p-car. DO IT.