The Recession Finally Got Me - Part 2
 

Some of you might remember my earlier post, within which I told about losing my job, and my ‘10 C2S Cab mostly just sat in the garage. I had it (new) since June, 2010, and was thinking about selling it. I was actually concerned that it couldn‘t be “good” for the car to just sit, and that it seemed like such a waste to try and think of somewhere to go just to drive it.
After reading the Forum members comments and suggestions, and thinking about it long and hard, I decided to sell the car back to the local dealer. I believe they offered a fair (dealer) price. I‘m well aware that I could have received several thousand more with a private sale. However, I’ve bought and sold a lot of cars over the years, and understood that there were just too many unknown variables in this price range. For example: how do you “vet“ a person that really only wants to “test drive“ your Porsche, or reliably ensure a private $90,000 transaction. Also, while it was a very beautiful and desirable car, there are not lot of buyers around in this price range, and it could have taken weeks, even months, to find an actual buyer (the dealer still has it). I watched internet websites such as AutoTrader and Ebay, and P-cars similar to mine are still for sale after several months. There was just too much to consider, or worry about. So I sold the Porsche back to the dealer, took my wife’s car, bought her a new 2012 Toyota Camry, and put the remaining $60,000 in the bank. Now, it doesn’t matter so much that I’m not working, and actually, I‘m beginning to “warm up” quite well to my forced retirement.
Do I miss my beautiful Porsche? Absolutely! Did I do the right thing? I believe so, but I suppose only time will tell.
Thanks again to all of the Forum members. You guys are great !!

Hope everything turns around for you soon and your back with another P-car!Good luck!

You did the right thing...IMO. I financed my 07 4s last year for 5 years. Looking to have pink slip this year. Cash is king these days and maybe you can find a used pcar to have fun in retirement.

Sorry to hear the outcome but sounds like the right thing for you to do. Good luck moving forward.

Looking forward to Part 3, where you start your own consulting company, rake in the fat cash, and go buy another one! In all seriousness, best of luck!

VG,

Enjoy your time with family and friends. There is more to life than a Porsche.

I wish you well. And all the best in the future.

Smart move in a difficult situation. Best of luck moving forward.

True happiness is not found in material things. Best wishes to you.

VG,

You made the right choice mate, being able to adapt to your new surrounding is the hardest thing to do but Im sure you will be back with a new Porsche soon as the economy improves... (Hopefully). :)

Ouch - that all sounds pretty darn awful. But good luck and I guess if it seems good to you, then that is all that matters.

Only you know if you made the correct choice... To me it sounds like you did. Cars are "a dime a dozen" or so they say..... These cars take a few more dimes to purchase but there is no shortage of them.... Always one to be had sometime, somewhere...
Good luck

When I was considering selling the Cobra the toughest thing was to turn the car over to someone to test drive. Even as I was sitting in the passenger seat it was very scary not knowing if the potential buyer could keep that car going in a straight line. It didn't have all the buttons to push so a computer could mend a mistake. I decided to trade the car rather than have someone kill me. You never know what the skill level of a potential buyer is no matter what they profess. I could have gotten another five thousand by selling it myself but trade was the prudent decision.

You can always get another car later. Good health & family are priceless & irreplaceable.
Best of luck to you.

There's a lot of merit in making a responsible financial decision like that. No reason you couldn't have another 911 in the future! My wife is pregnant and the 997 is our third car, so it's gotta go. I feel your pain!

six years ago, i had a job where i made good money but was not real happy. i tried to tell myself that i was happy ... and i had a new maserati on order. i went to work one morning, got into it with my boss for whom i had no respect and came home that day without a job. obviously, i had to cancel the maserati order. I ended up having to move my family to another city just to take a job that paid less but it was a job and with kids in college, i couldn't last long without some income. my family stuck by me and encouraged me. i eventually got a much better job and then a much much better job. kids are out of college and i have a p car AND a maserati in the garage. so keep the faith man....you will come through this stronger and happier... and probably end up with nicer car though cars certainly aren't everything!

A good friend of my dad's who I grew up with just got told he has one year to live - stage 4 liver cancer. Material things and jobs are replaceable, so don't worry about it - take it as a challenge and move on. Good health and family / friends that support you are the golden things.

Good luck with it.

I agree with int90, it is a smart move . The beauty of life is that we never know what happens in the next curve. Keep your head up ! Nice things are waiting for you and your family.

You absolutely made the right choice to dump the P car. It is replaceable. But a Camry....?

Fellow Forum users, it's absolutely amazing that many of us who share a common interest if only even via Pcars have had so many well wishes to say and give Vegasguy, it goes for me too - ALL THE VERY BEST, enjoy the retirement. Basically I am just trying to say "you're all a fantastic bunch of human beings" we're all sitting in different parts of the world and still there is a sh*t load of kindness and sincerity around........esp in this forum. Thank you for being so caring towards another human being even if only in the form of "words" - if only the majority of the global population / rulers would take notes from this forum we might be living in a better place where there should be NO forced retirements....... this all IMHO

Well said.

To echo what's already been said, I believe our P cars should bring us closer to our family and not create strife or separation from them. If not for any other reason then our Porsches make us happy...hence we are in a better mood around our families because of them.

My wife encouraged me to buy my 911, she went with me to the dealer, picked it out, wrote the check, stuck a big red ribbon on it <was almost Christmas> and handed me the keys. To this day she has never driven it by her own choice. I asked her why and she said "I don't need to, it simply makes me happy watching you light up when you drive it." Wow. That's what owning a P car is all about. The joy it brings you and in turn makes you more enjoyable to your family.

Probably the right choice to dump the overhead of a new 2010 model given your circumstnaces. But maybe don't take an "all or nothing" approach? You love P-cars? Buy a used one. No need to feel that you have to have the latest and greatest to be happy. My 7 year old 2005 C2S gives me a grin every day. I made a decision long ago in my life to pay cash for cars. If I had to make a payment, I had no business getting in the game. Get something you can afford and love it!

Good luck to you...as you know there is much more to life then cars.

No question. I believe you absolutely did the right thing every step of the way. I don't know what your wife was driving, but the fact that you gave up the Porsche to take it and then went and bought her a new car amidst this time of economic uncertainty is a beautiful gesture and certainly reflective of the kind of man you are. Many blessings to you.