First of all, I already love this site! You guys give great input and obviously are true car guys that have a passion for Porsche. Today is our 17th wedding anniversary...I asked my wife what she wants to do today and she says, "let's go drive a few of the cars you're interested in." (I married the right woman!)

We drove a 2011 997.2 C2 (salesman wanted her to try the PDK) which was WAY out of my comfort zone monetarily, but what a great transmission! We also drove a 2008 997.1 C2 convertible and a 2008 Cayman S. She's not as much of a fan of the Cayman because of the lack of rear seats and she doesn't like the lines of the car as much as the 911. From a driving standpoint, I actually got to hammer on each car pretty good. The handling capability in all of them was unbelievable for both of us, I don't think my wife has ever felt a car turn like a Porsche. To call one better than the other is hard. Both cars are REALLY good. I might say the Cayman is more "novice driver friendly", I found turning in to be instinctive from the first corner. It seemed to be asking me to give it more. And the 911 actually felt faster to me, but my wife couldn't really tell a difference. Could be the sound of the 911? I did manage to get the 911 fast enough in the turns for the "stability control" (or whatever the technical name for it is for Porsche) to kick in. My wife actually thought I rubbed a curb. It did the job though and I'm glad it was there in a car that's not mine yet.

We both also really like the styling of the air cooled cars. I have a buddy with an 80' 911SC that's 100% original and about 100K on it. He hasn't had any issues with the car ever. Drives it regularly and services it himself religiously. I don't think it's as quick as the Cayman or the 997. It also costs the same to acquire a nice one like it.

Another concern, I found a certified Cayman S with 26K on it. But I've been reading in some other parts of this forum about Porsche not honoring, or at least giving friction, regarding honoring warranty claims. If that's the case the allure of a certified car is null and void. That would push me toward an air cooled car.

I need to drive an 87-95 911 now.

So at least we know we want a Porsche...beyond that we haven't really narrowed it down yet. But I'm enjoying the research and driving a few of these awesome cars. I could be happy with a 997.1 coupe or the Cayman S so far.

Thanks again for all of the input guys!!!

 

I have a really nice C4s for sale. Click the link in my sig. I have all service records and put new tires, brakes, rotors, filters and all fluids prior to listing it.

 

Very nice car! It's a bit high for my price range because I'd really prefer to pay cash and don't want to part with more than $40K. GLWS!

 

If it's a CPO car, the warranty is just as good as the original. If it's an aftermarket warranty, I was told by my dealer that Porsche USA dealers only accepts one brand for a lack of a better word. I don't recall which one as I went with normal Porsche CPO for my R.

 

That makes sense. The aftermarket warranties are crap. I used to own a used car dealership and I investigated every one I could find. This Cayman I found is a CPO'd Porsche from a Porsche dealership.

 

If you are leaning towards oil-cooled Porsches, if you haven't done it, visit PelicanParts.com. IMO, the members there are hard-core air-cooled fanatics. I have learned a lot from the members regarding pre-H2O Porsches.

try to find a good 993. IMO, the 993 is the best air-cooled Porsche.

 

I'll pay them a visit. I have still been researching and I found on this forum where several guys are saying they bought their 911 and spent $10K in the first 12 months. Not what I'm looking for at all. But I haven't heard the same about the 87-89 cars. So yes, I'm leaning heavily toward an 87-89 911. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

Porsche went through a significant quality improvement program in the 2006/7 timeframe. The program was designed to decrease production issues and stop sending cars to the gaining ports to fix. I love their air cooled cars, but don't see them as living up to today's standards of quality or performance. They make great garage queens to get you some fantastic joy on perfect days. If I lived in Germany still I'd be less concerned. There is a gigantic gap in the quality of service between here and there.

 

First, I love the 997 in appearance, fit, finish and the drive is just Porsche and everything that I expect from that name. My biggest concern is a catastrophic failure (engine or trans) or a surprise $6,000 bill. I expect to spend $2-3K/year to maintain and repair the car. If that's the norm then I think the 997 is the car. I like the old cars a lot...but in talking with my buddy tonight, he doesn't drive his much anymore. I want a car I can DRIVE, we have some really good mountain roads within an hour of my home so a Saturday escape to the hills would be a blast without having to be gone all day long. The only thing that would make that suck is if the car is going to nickel and dime me with petty issues or drown me with major problems.

I spoke with the salesman today and voiced some of my concerns and thoughts at this point in the process. I'm taking the salesman's input with a grain of salt, but he was telling me that the 07-08 997 is basically bullet proof power-train wise. And that the 05-06 are more prone to some engine issues...although they are much better than the 996 engines. I wanted to bounce that off of you guys here to get some input toward those statements.

I can't stop thinking about driving those cars this weekend...

 

I wouldn't have an issue owning a 997.1 S again, as long as it was a 07/08. But I'd prefer a newer Cayman S (or Boxster S) for the same money as the driving experience is simply better in all but a straight line. BTW I grew up in Charlotte and went to school in Boone NC (mountains). I know the roads you're talking about and I would prefer the mid engine dynamic on those roads, but that's just me. If you were planning to spend $70K I'd tell you the best cars for that cash are the Boxster Spyder or Cayman R in terms of driving experience. Their cornering is sublime and their power to weight is that of a 997.2 S with just as much grunt (not sure how Porsche pulled it off but they did). My last thought is those roads are even more fun top down. You can get a hell of a Boxster S for $40K, and those cars will tear up mountain roads and make you feel like a pro driver. They also get many more mpg than a 911, as well as save you money to insure.

 

why 07/08? The aforementioned problems?

 

Yes pretty much. Mine was a 2008 so I'm partial to that year for that reason alone. Upside of the .2 is ipod connectivity, far better PCM/Nav, and a 30 hp boost in power. Plus a more reliable motor, even if it doesn't sound as good.

 

Save up and get a 997.2 S if you can. You'll be happy

 

I agree, save another two years and get one with a DFI engine. $40K, will get you into a 05', I wouldn't touch those even if the failures are minimum. I wouldn't want to be the lucky one. 06' and higher has even less IMS failures but is not immune to other engine failures, just search around and you'll see IMS is not the only issue. Here is a link about a blown motor on the first page. 997.2 is the only 911 I would get if I was in the market today. I brought mine four years ago when the 997.2 just came out.

 

Two years is a long time to wait. Plus at any given point (year from now, two from now, etc.) in time waiting two years and saving more money is going to get you something better. Two years from now the suggestion will be to wait two years and get a GTS.

You can get a good 05 Carrera S for your 40k budget.