My YouTube channel has allowed me to be a resource to so many people who are on the hunt for their first air cooled Porsche and for that, I'm grateful.
I can't tell you the number of times I've been messaged on Instagram (@RennthusiastTV) and through my website by guys who have been feverishly searching for their air cooled 911 holy grail and who have come across the car that's "the one" and they want my opinion on the car.
First of all, I am not a professional car evaluator so I tell anyone I speak with to take my insights with a grain of salt. Secondly, I'm not willing to take on the responsibility of what has to be a personal decision with a large financial impact.
What I can do, however, is share my personal experience with buying air cooled Porsches (as of today, I've owned 6 of them). And, to be honest, I've had phenomenal experiences and not-so-great experiences.
The Reality of Buying Your First Air Cooled 911
Buying an air cooled 911 - especially your first car - can be a dream come true...but the harsh reality is that it can also be a living nightmare. And this nightmare can take on a number of forms, the most painful of which can be expensive financial surprises. A close second kick-in-the-gut surprise is seeing your newly-purchased dream car sitting on a lift for 6 months because it needs a serious repair.
The Single Best Piece of Advice I Can Give You
Many first time buyers - myself included - spend 100% or almost 100% of their budget on the car purchase itself. Sure, we all know by now that a PPI (Pre-Purchase Inspection) is a non-negotiable when buying your first (or any) air cooled Porsche. However, in many cases, a PPI isn't worth the paper it's printed on, if you even get a printed write-up at all. I'll discuss this topic in a future video on my YouTube channel, Rennthusiast. I digress, though.
In my experience, PPI's just don't reveal the entire picture of what your newly-purchased 911 will need. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but each PPI I have had done didn't include expensive issues that showed up shortly after the purchase.
At this point, I think it's simply unavoidable to have to put money into any air cooled 911 you buy,
So, it's reality check time:
Based on my experience, an air cooled Porsche buyer should set aside 10% - 20% of what they spend on the car for deferred maintenance, repairs and elective mods....and just hope you don't have to spend that money. And, based on your personal financial realities, if it means that the 10% - 20% diminishes the amount you can spend on the car itself, so be it. You'll be glad you showed restraint and bought something less than the unicorn car everyone wants because now you can afford to get the car right once it arrives.
If you have deep enough pockets to pay up for a car AND sort it, then congratulations!
In closing, I hate to be a dream killer...but I'm telling you from my personal experience that getting surprised by repairs that cost more than you imagined - getting you upside down on your first air cooled Porsche - can really sap the joy from your ownership experience.