WHAT TO DO!?!?
Ok, I have been in the Feature club for a few years and having a great time! Enjoy Carlisle and look forward to hanging with everyone each year
Here is my quandry.......a friend brought over his just purchased 1988 Porsche 911 Targa this weekend. He paid under $10K for it and it is so much fun to drive and it just has that classic look. His is black with the black classic porsche rims and whale tail. Well, it got me thinking.........
Help me here talk me out of making the switch to a Porsche! I am already checking the web and they are out there in my price range. I tossed the thought to the wife and she green lighted it AS LONG as the Feature is sold. I like the Porsche alot but not sure if I want sell the Feature.
I have some more work to do to try and re-negotiate with the wife to keep both but that will be a uphill battle. Hard to get agreement to have 2 weekend toys. I guess I could say one for Saturday and the other for Sunday!
Anyone here think I am nuts for even thinking of selling the Feature? I know the upkeep on a Porsche is at a different level then a Mustang, that is what I keep telling myself to remember.
Help talk me out of it!!!
Here is my quandry.......a friend brought over his just purchased 1988 Porsche 911 Targa this weekend. He paid under $10K for it and it is so much fun to drive and it just has that classic look. His is black with the black classic porsche rims and whale tail. Well, it got me thinking.........
Help me here talk me out of making the switch to a Porsche! I am already checking the web and they are out there in my price range. I tossed the thought to the wife and she green lighted it AS LONG as the Feature is sold. I like the Porsche alot but not sure if I want sell the Feature.
I have some more work to do to try and re-negotiate with the wife to keep both but that will be a uphill battle. Hard to get agreement to have 2 weekend toys. I guess I could say one for Saturday and the other for Sunday!
Anyone here think I am nuts for even thinking of selling the Feature? I know the upkeep on a Porsche is at a different level then a Mustang, that is what I keep telling myself to remember.
Help talk me out of it!!!
Comments
I love the look of your Mustang and would hate to see you part with it. But they made many and finding another would not be hard. But, they also made many more 911's, so be selective as to the model that you choose. Not all Porsches are valuable, ie 924 & 944.
Don't get me wrong the 911's are wonderful machines. but the cost of ownership is through the roof for most, that's the reason you don't see to many of them as daily drivers.
Do a little research first, not sure were you live but unless it is in LA, Miami, or some city like that, the parts for that car will always have to be ordered. So if it breaks down one weekend you may not have the parts by the next to be able to drive it. Also not everyone can tune a 911 which they need often. One of the few shops around here that still does it. It costs around $800 plus parts, last I knew.
I have owned a number of European sports cars over my lifetime so far, and they are all very fickle. Right now I own a very low mileage MG Midget that I bought from the original owner. I have owned it 2 years longer than my Feature. I have put less than 6000 miles on it, mainly because I don't trust the car to far from home, also as with the Porsche all parts have to be ordered, there is one place here that stocks the oil filter for it. The feature gets almost 6000 miles on it every summer. I renewed the tag on the MG last March and it is still laying in the front seat.
We have joke around the house that it is my $80 car. Every time I take it out of the garage it costs me $80.
As for Features vs 911's that is apples to oranges. You really can't compare the cars against each other. It is a matter of which car fits for what you want as a weekend fun car.
My opinion: A car that breaks your bank account isn't much fun to drive.
Just my opinion, which ever car you decide on "HAPPY MOTORING"
Jerry
I like the idea of waiting to see how my friend enjoys it after a few months. Interesting enough since I wrote this email he had a heater problem that he now needs to sort out. I'm going to sit tight and see what the issue/cost is to fix it.
The other issue I have is sitting in the garage right now. Every time I walk out there and see the feature I still truely like it. I guess the ride in that Porsche gave me "stary eyes" and clouded my opinion of the feature. The amazing thing is I have had that car for a few years now and besides some restoration issues(top and seats) the thing has been bullet proof. I have done nothing to the engine or tranny maintenance wise. Pretty cool!
Nothing that a supercharger can't fix.
Someone above mentioned how the comparison from american to european is like comparing apples to oranges. I agree. The feature has the american muscle look and feel to it, very distinct and unique. If anything, consider adding another toy to the garage!
He brought it home and I took it out and it really handles unbelieveably and the sound of the flat 6 is pretty sweet. Definitely apples to oranges when comparing to the magnaflow 5.0 I have. Also the Boxster is very tight, I guess 28K miles and a "mature" driver help vs the 130K on mine with a handful owners.
He set up a proposal that I would sell him personally the Feature and then a few grand more I buy the Porsche. All said and done the Porsche would be mine for alot less then I wanted to pay for a 20 yr old 911 and the Feature would still be in the neighborhood. If he get's bored with the Feature, he would offer it back to me (If the Boxster is not working out for me he could sell it at the dealership and I get my $ back. If he is not willing to sell the Feature I would need to buy another).
So far for my families opinion (alot are in town for the holiday's), I have a few "your crazy for selling the Feature" and others saying, "it's a Porsche, get it!". I understand that the Boxster is not as desireable as a 911 but everything I am reading on line is that it is a great driver and very fun.
He is leaving the car in my driveway tonight and letting me tear it up tomorrow (Sunday) all day. I am going to really put it though it's paces to see if it can "woo" the keys to my Feature.
We will see, I do understand maintainence is much more then the Ford. We have a local Indy Porsche shop in town that is suppose to be fair. With the limited amount of miles I drive (weekend toy) I may be OK.
DECISIONS DECSIONS! Let me know your thoughts. I know the opinions will be biased but that is what I want. You all have been AWESOME the past few years and I really value your opinion on this.
Thanks
Ken
In the end, I had the deal sealed, just needed to hand over the keys and could not do it!!
So it looks like there will be at least one red Feature at Carlisle this year with a 5 year old wiping her down!!!
I bought mine a little to late in life for the young ones to really enjoy it.
But I have a boat setting in the garage that we may have only averaged 10 -15 hours a year on for the last 4 years compared with 50 - 60 hours a year before that. But I have a hard time bringing myself to sell it, just to many memories of the family at the lake on that boat. Plus every once in a great while the kids are all home for the summer and we all go to the lake and now with grandkids.
I think you made the right decision based on your reason to keep it.
Besides your dealer buddie wanting your Fearture over the boxer should tell you something.
Jerry
Yes, this is why I posted up such a MAJOR decision on this site as you all have been awesome over the years of my ownership. I was looking for reasons why not to sell and knew I would get some good opinions here.
I have had the car for a few years now. I have had a Mustang in the garage since my 1st year out of college (89GT vert 5 spd). I found recently as I take her out for a cruise at certain times I felt a little "old" for the car. The magnaflows are loud, the 17" bright white Cobra R's with 255 tires scream "look out", the super bright red yells "move over"!!! The car is a looker with out a doubt, but started to feel a little old behind the wheel at certain times.
So when my dealer friend mentioned he had the Porsche with 28K miles and well within my budget, I gave it some thought. He brought it home and gave me the keys for the weekend. I tore the thing up and put over 100 miles to really wring it out. Hate to say it but it really was a nice ride. The entire car was rock solid, not a rattle or squeak (with 28K it should not even though it was a 97) and the flat 6 had a pretty nice sound when you got on it.
My wife's opinion was to buy the Porsche. That though was not a shock as she has never been as fond of the rawness the Mustang with the exhaust and the lowered steeda suspension. My son looked at the Porsche, looked at the Mustang and said pointing the the Mustang, "I like that one". He then proceded to asked where the back seat was and where was he going to sit? That my friends sealed the deal!!
Yesterday my dealer friend called to say the car had a buyer coming in and gave me one more shot at it. At lunch I pulled out the Mustang and took it to run a few errands to give it the one last thought. As usual I parked away from everyone not just to avoid door dings, but to also gives me a good long walk towards it so I can check it out...I noticed a big smile come across my face as I approached and I knew I could not sell it!!!
I'm so glad you've rekindled your relationship with your Feature... I'd hate to be the only active NJ Feature owner here... We need to get together in the spring!
Anton
Any time! Going to Carlisle?
Anton