poohlikeshunny

Am I the only one this situation?

My wife and I have recently bought a house (nothing spectacular, just a regular suburban home; 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, blue siding...typical cookie cutter) and I want to update one of my cars. We have a good amount of money tucked away and I've always dreamed of owning a 911 cabrio and now we can afford one. However, i am very wary of getting one as I don't think a 911 and our house quite..."match". I know I am prolly just being anal here, but I think a 911 is too nice for our driveway. (I'm talking 2005+) So I may end up spending a lot less to get another G35c. It's still an "upper class" car, but not quite to the stigma of a 911. Am I one of the few who when buying a car, factors in how it will look in the driveway?

iTimmy

If you have a good savings are in a house and comfortable, that is THE time to start buying luxury items you have always wanted. You only live once, fuck what the neighbors think its your life.

dr mikeylu

Use the money to get a bigger house..then when you are in your 30's you can get your 911 to match your bigger and better house.

poohlikeshunny

you know...it was kinda refreshing to read your post. You are damn right! The "you only live once" motto is absent from my mind most of the time since I've been in a SAVESAVESAVE mentality for the past like 15 years...

dr mikeylu, also good advice. I guess 10 years of wanting a porsche makes it tough to plan out another 4 or 5 years...lol...especially since we just moved into this house...I think I'm gonna take both of your advice here...instead of a 911, I thik a boxster is in my future...and we'll just keep the rest in savings until the next house comes for a 911. That should handle my porsche fantasy for at least a few years..lol...or maybe a little older model like a 993 is in order...one thing's for sure...I could never park an Aston or a Ferrari in the garage...not here at least. Something of that caliber requires their own garage IMHO...lol..reminds me of the days I used to live in the city, and you'd walk down a ghetto street and see something like an S500 with dubs parked in front of a two story rowhome...i don't like that drugdealer look..

spdy0001

If you have the money I wouldn't let your house stop you from getting the car you want. There are a few exceptions to this for example if your car costs more than your house When I was a kid we lived in a double wide trailer in a trailer park. My neighbor across the street has a brand new corvette convertable top of the line model. His car probably cost twice what his trailer did, and in my mind that is stupid.

poohlikeshunny

yeah, i'm trying to avoid that. A new 911 would be close to about 1/3 of what our house is worth. That's kinda close IMO. I've seen that though and find myself scoffing as well (I can just be an arrogant prick too sometimes... ) I knew a kid in high school that dropped out at 16, rented a TINY house with 3 other kids (2 little bedrooms on second floor and 3 rooms on first floor including bathroom and kitchen) and they all were sportin nicer cars. so in a driveway meant to fit only one car, they parked an M3, a 530, a 2.5tl, and es300. That hurts my logic, b/c I was the kid who drove the POS and saved his ass up until he got his own nice place.

phil2

Just get it...

poohlikeshunny

the...force is....strong....with this one.....cannot resist....

TheMirror

As a current Porsche owner, my advice is this:

Go drive ALL of them.

997 version of the 911
996 version of the 911
993 version of the 911
Boxster
Boxster S
Cayman
Cayman S

They all have differences, they all have a different feel. You may surprise yourself as to which one you end up liking most....it may be one of the less expensive models. Try try try. Always keep in mind the maintenence and upkeep costs of these cars, they're expensive mistresses no matter how you slice it or what model you own.

Except of course if you're just buying it to pose on the boulevard....then I can't help ya. Heh heh..

Good luck,
-Mirror

Deity711

I'd assume you'd have it parked in your garage most of the time, right? I'm with Tireguy on this one. If I had any sort of money and a garage I'd buy whatever I wanted.

nokiaman

If you can afford it and have a garage to keep it in, then go ahead spoil yourself. Rememba you only live once. If you have a bigger house in your mind in the future, get something else to calm your fantasy. May be a used e39 M5.Good luck

poohlikeshunny

lol...this would be my daily driver, but it would sure as hell be tracked, no worries there!!! I have driven 3 of what you have mentioned. The boxster (very roadster like, close to s2k, not as rough), 997 (just plain awesome!), and the 993 (which drives the helluva lot more wild than the 997!) Which one do you have? any recommendations? I like drivers' cars, but at the same time it has to be cushy enough to say...take the wife out to dinner on the town...so far boxster and 993 are my faves driving wise, 997 looks and technology wise.

deity, it'll actually be my daily driver so it'll be OUT of the garage a majority of the time. the garage will be for the TL, and my wife's ridgeline. the accord and sc300 are what we leave in the driveway as they are both of our dd's. Although...being a porsche...i guess i'd be an idiot to not leave it in the garage...

stright-(paint)balling

yes i'll admit Porshe has an Impressive sound to the engine.
but i've never been a Porshe overall fan. I'm more of a BMW fan. matter of fact as soon as the X5 diesel is released I'm gonna order one.
Now in my opinion. I'd drive these 3 cars:
#1. BMW Z4 M. it has old M3 motor in it. its a funny little car. 330 hp. it starts at 50 grand
#2. BMW M3. the new generation just came out for 08 it starts at about 60 grand but since its new for 08 good luck finding one without mark ups 414 hp v-8
#3. if you got the bucks M6. 500 hp v-10 starts at about 100 grand.
M cars are gangsta

iTimmy

Its a hard thing to get used to spending when you are so geared and trained to save. However, there is no point in saving if your not going to enjoy it or use it how you feel is best. I come from the same school of save, save, save, and only recently am I comfortable with spending.

Street Spirit

Yes.

I mean really --- who cares?!

Infamous425

get the 911, who cares. my parents live in an old middle class neighborhood (houses are 60+ yrs old) and 10-15 yrs ago one of their neighbors had a lotis esprit then upgraded to a ferrari 512 then to a 360 modena

Yumcha

Depends on what's important to you, dude.
The driveway IMO should be the least of your concerns.

You've got the little one still and well, if getting a 911 still gives you and your family enough for a rainy day...then go for it.

Personally, if I REALLY wanted a car upgrade right now, I'd use some of the $$$$ for a nice used NSX. And save up the rest...pay off your mortgage (if you have any left) and then reassess when you are 100% debt-free.

phile

Unless your house is a POS and looks it, yeah that would be a problem. Otherwise, nothing wrong wit dat.

teranfon

I agree. Are you planning on enjoying the 911 as it was designed and intended, or do you consider it to be nothing more than decorative lawn art.

Terry

Fibonacci

Drive it like you'll be dead tomorrow, because one day you will be.

Paclark01

As long as your home is in good shape, and not the eye sore of the neighborhood, and you can afford to keep your current lifestyle while saving then you should get what you have been dreaming about.

Keep in mind... You have one life. Enjoy it, and go get the damn 911.

Post pics when it is sitting in your driveway.

jlukja

If you can afford the 911 .... then why not. I wouldn't worry about what it looks like in the driveway. I would keep that baby garaged anyway. Maybe you're concerned that your neighbors will think you're a drug dealer?

poohlikeshunny

Well I'm not concerned about the kiddies (one more on the way!!!) as we have a sedan, a full size truck, and two coupes with room for a wife and 2 kids. But really yummy, you just gave me inspiration for a new plan...I never really thought about the NSX...mortgage money is already set aside for the next 25 years, we just write checks from a different acct, so that's not a bad idea. Probably a little easier to do work on (maybe not being a mid engine as well)...

our house isn't a pos, but we did buy a foreclosure that needed work. We bought the shittiest house in the nicest neighborhood and are still currently under a lot of work. As it stands now, it's not the nicest house on the block, but onces the construction guys get all of their crap out of our driveway, it'll definitely be one of the cleanest! I like what fibonacci said...i will be dead someday, might as well enjoy the cash. This is the first time we sat down and assessed what we have...and we suprised the crap out of ourselves...we've lived like poor folk for the past 7 years, and we made/save an ASSLOAD!!! You guys are definitely convincing me to finally break out of the save mentality a bit and go splurge...

Costco

Do it. Try out the Targa though. I think cabrios are kinda :ghey: and even sound :ghey: If its the wife that wants it and she only wants the cabrio and its a good excuse to buy a Porsche, then do it. The targa is a compromise, its like a coupe with a top that opens up on demand.

Your house and driveway would look more appropriate than my brother's house. His house is worth about $1.5m. Keep in mind this is Silicon Valley so what you get for the money is different, but its still a very nice house. In his driveway he has an 85 4Runner, and his roomies have a 87 Mazda 323 and a 95 Accord coupe. They all look pretty bad, because all of them have poor paint.

So don't worry, just buy it. Hide it in your garage if you have to. I once passed by a modest-looking house and there was a purple Diablo in the garage. And my family is far from rich, really, but that house had to be similarly priced as ours.

poohlikeshunny

i'd be lying if i said i weren't. we are the only self employed couple in our neighborhood. And some of the neighbors already have gotten real nosy and asked us what we do, how much we make, how nice it is to be self employed...etc. But even though we tell it like it is, I'm sure people will start their own rumor mill. When you tell people that you and your wife develop and sell sexual products for women...they start to wonder... Last thing I need is to have a neighborhood watching us like hawks because they think we are piddling illegal wares...

poohlikeshunny

lol...1.5 mil is a helluva lot more than we paid for ours!! lol...i do like the targa (one reason why yummy's idea about an NSX is not a bad one...) but noticed they look a little different from the side...more...corpulent. Does anyone know how much the roof opens up? if it's just a regular sunroof, then i don't care for it. If it's one of those huge panorama sunroofs though, it may be worthwhile. I am actually the one that wants a cabrio, and my wife wants a hardtop. She likes the look of it more. I like open air driving though...so if it's a pretty big sunroof, that may be a tough sell between that and an NSX...I know there are some NSX owners here...any of you drive your NSX side by side with a 911?

Yumcha

Hey, you can't go wrong with a Porsche. But, given your age, your current situation in life right now (two kids, young family, etc.), I'd suggest getting the mid-engined aluminum supercar. It's cheap and it's relatively easy to maintain.

You always have time to get that Porsche of your dreams when you're a bit older and with all your debts paid off.



But, that's just the cheap Chink talking in me.

Costco

I believe ever since the 996 (1999+) the 911 Targas have had sliding glass roofs. I'm I'm 100% sure that the new Targas have a sliding glass roof. Only because I had one as my desktop background for a while.

Yumchah brought up a good point.... Porsche maintenance is probably pretty expensive. I haven't ridden in a Targa or driven one yet, but I've driven and ridden in t-top MR2s many times, and also in a open targa top NSX. Very fun to drive and ride in, both cars.

I would grab the newer model NA2 NSX with the 3.2L engine in it. The 6-speed is awesome, the shift gate is super narrow and the throws are pretty short from the factory.

poohlikeshunny

see? I knew I wasn't the only cheap chink here...lol...my old-school asian counterpart whispers in my ear "you don't need that. you're just wasting money. Your parents didn't have these things growing up and neither do you" and then I have the modern asian american entrepeneur in me saying "fuck you! just buy it!" Well if maintenence is really that drastic of a difference, then perhaps an NSX is better for me. I don't mind paying for maintenence, but I DO do a lot of the work I can by myself, so I guess the easier to work on car here would work. The NSX's last year was 2005, correct? I'm gonna need to fnid me a nice aftermarket navi...

i go to costco, does the roof slide all the way back? I know the 993 targas weren't really targas at all and had a rather small sliding roof...disappointed me...something about an open targa top is pretty hot though. I did used to want a supra TT for the longest time (what boy didn't?) but now that I am older and have more money, it doesn't excite me anymore. I'm looking for the panache of pulling up in a car that drops jaws all around or at least stifles a few quick stares. I'm an attention whore by nature...lol...so I'm the first to admit, I'll live it up in an NSX since you don't ever see them around...

Yumcha

^ Start off your hunt on the usual online car sale places. I recall when a friend of mine from the US who was looking into it, NSX's in great condition were selling for quite cheap. You can easily get one from 1993 or so at a very affordable price.


And yeah...if you do get one, I hate you.

Costco

I like the way the targa looks, especially with the top up. I also found out that the 911 Targa comes with a wind deflector that flips forward when the top slides back. Wind isn't a problem with the top off in the NSX/MR2 because they don't have rear seats, but the wind deflectors work really well in open top cars.

Well the roof doesn't exactly slide all the way back flush with the rear hatch glass. But the Supra, NSX and MR2 all have removable tops, not power operated. And if you think the NSX is easy to work on, think again. The oil filter is in an awkward position and location, and the engine bay opening is smaller than an MR2's. The only maintenance you'll probably be doing is oil changes.

Example: The NSX's radiator is in the front. The fill tank is in the engine bay, behind the cockpit.

Try before you buy. And post pics after you buy.

Yumcha

^ on the post pics part.

And have your wife pose on top of the car hood.





But, if she looks like BustedJack's wife, I'm going down there and giving you a beating.

alex2364

If you're serious about the NSX, NSX Prime has a lot of info. There is a 2003 yellow one for sale over there and it looks like it's in mint condition.

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91845

poohlikeshunny

i feel the luv yummy chan...lol...i'm startin to feel the nsx more and more...there's a few on ebay like 95 or so going for less than 35k...my jaw dropped!!! i can probably buy one, do the front end conversion for the 02+ and still come out with plenty of cash...then i can buy bustedja....I mean my wife a new set of titties too!

alex2364, nsxprime is a good place to start thanx! Although I love yellow sports cars, the yellow interior along with the paint is a little TOO much for me...I have seen the 1991-2001 come in a slick grey charcoal color, do the 02+ have that? I want either dark grey or black with red leather...

i go to costco, good find on the pics!!! i think i'll have to take one out for a test though...even with pics it still looks kinda small for me, but the concept of a hardtop porsche with a panorama roof is appealing to me very much! sounds like you know a bit about nsx upkeep...anything else I should keep in mind? I did not know the oil filter was so awkward to get to for instance...as for the person who mentioned bimmers...i had 2 in the past and am not excited to get into another box of problems...Z4 M would be sweet, but I do not like how it looks, only the ride. As for the M6, doesn't stir my emotions like an NSX or 911...sorry....plus an M6 is a lot more insurance per year than a 911, and i don't want to pay for more insurance to have a car I like less....

phil2

My vote goes for the cayman s.

poohlikeshunny

why do you say that lotustracker? I like the looks, but I am turned off by the fact there there is no sunroof anything. I like to have SOME sort of open air motoring.

synth19

I say fck the "compromise" boxster and just save up. Put aside the money you saved for a 911 and buy it, as well as a new house in 5 years.

Sclass88

Life is too short man. You can't take the money with you when you're gone so just spend it now. And congratulations on the new house! I'm saving up right now for my future house... not fun!

poohlikeshunny

you don't think a boxster is worth it? It was real hit or miss with this one for me...I'm still on the fence...although here's something you'd appreciate as a Z man...my wife sent me a link to a black 350z convertible and said that was way nicer than the boxster...so we are going to go to montgomeryville nissan tonight to check it out. I LOVE the way the coupes look more...but if I only get two seats, I may as well get some open air action...lol...

does everyone here agree that a boxster is a poor man's porsche?

poohlikeshunny

Thanx! Stick with it man...sometimes you will be tempted to use it for other things (like a porsche... ) but if you don't have a nagging wife to keep you in check, just remember it's easy to pimp out a nice house than a nice car. The saving will all be worth it when you have your own pad!!!