Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Go for a 911 if you must have an 80s Porsche. In my experience electronics are by far the biggest issue in the more 'modern' Porsches. 928/944 are a nightmare should they go wrong. 911 was not really a 'modern' car at that time and has no real electronics so isn't a problem. The mechanical bits on these cars are solid.
junk 911's from that era are 3X his budget, nice ones are 10X his budget
I can get behind this post. Spraying the car down to get rid of salt wouldn't be a huge deal. Also, I mainly drive on the highway/freeways. Non freeway driving accounts for less than 10% of my travel. Car will also be garaged if that makes a difference.
I'd for sure buy a winter beater. Probably something SUV like so I can have the space to lug around stuff when needed. I currently use my GTI as a DD, and have had multiple RWD cars as winter drivers. It's pretty easy to stay safe as long as you drive the speed that weather conditions allow. Also, 944 isn't a very powerful car. My current GTI would put it in the ground.
I currently own a GTI as I have stated multiple times.
Get an VW R32! AWD and 240 HP so it won't look exotic but it sure will be fun!
OP lives in Michigan. Daily driver during winter is out of the question, powerful rear drive sports cars just cant do a place like that. Thinking a fiberglass body vehicle like a corvette so there is no rust. Also budgeting for a cheap winter driver is a must. Places like Michigan are terrible on automobiles, a nice car will be destroyed in a few years by the brutal climate and road salt used up there.
False. I DD'd a 944 in Chicago winters. The transaxle in the rear gives it excellent balance and weight over the rear wheels. With snow tires, and RWD car is capable.
That second one is pretty much spot on for what I'm looking for. I do not plan to buy until the spring, and even then: taking a plane out to CA and driving the car back would be pretty risky.
I'd set my sights lower to sporty compacts. They'd be cheaper to rebuild, repair, more fuel efficient, and less likely to avoid unwanted attention. GTI, Celica, 200SX, & 240SX for example. Such models would also be fairly easy to upgrade performance.
I recently got a 98 Integra GSR Thats the VTEC performance model and I just love it, nice car to drive. These cars are very difficult to buy because they were all kid owned and have modified engines and won't pass smog, a requirement in Calif. Have salvage titles with no reduction in price, are lowered, have aftermarket wheels and exhaust, have been wrecked or stolen and stripped, are high milage with no reduction in price.
Watching Craigslist regularly I got a pretty good one, it has a aftermarket intake but its Calif approved, The kid says its not lowered but I think it is but I like the look and it rides like stock. It has a new cat back exhaust and I like that too. It also has aftermarket smaller side mirrors that look better. It had a big wing kids like but he had the stock spoiler. it has aftermarket wheels and I like them too.
You ought to hear it floored above 5,000 RPM, it has a 8,100 redline. I'm old I don't rev it that high.
This is the last of the performance Hondas with double wishbones suspension and before bloat set in.
That second one is pretty much spot on for what I'm looking for. I do not plan to buy until the spring, and even then: taking a plane out to CA and driving the car back would be pretty risky.
You may want to check the LA market. We have more Porsche cars in the Los Angeles metro area than they have in Germany. I had a 911 years ago. Looking for another one. A co-worker let her 1978 911S Targa go for $17,000 a year ago.
Not a fan of the front engine cars. I am more into the air cooled cars. If you look to air cooled watch out for 1974 till 1977 models. The engine's had problems that were resolved with the 1978 model year. Always check to make sure changes were made to the power plant if you choose the ealier years. 1973 model years and ealier are hard to find at a decent price. That was prior to galvanized and they had rust issues. Remaining stock is sought after for collectors. Prices are a lot higher than the 1974 era cars. The sweetspot for me would be the 1978 to 1985 cars. As they get newer they get up there in price. 1974 till 1977 cars are a consideration if the engine work has been done or you have an engine to swap or have someone that can do the work for you.
That second one is pretty much spot on for what I'm looking for. I do not plan to buy until the spring, and even then: taking a plane out to CA and driving the car back would be pretty risky.
But that's exactly what you want to do when buying a 30 year old car. The cars on the west coast are among the best condition used cars in the country. I have a '90 535i that spent it's life registered in CA and WA and it has 0 rust. Bolts all come out with just a squirt of penetrating oil and 25 year old components don't have even a hint of corrosion. The cars I owned and drove on the East Coast looked worse before they were 5 years old.
That's a good point. Maybe it'd be fun for me and the girl to make a week long trip out of it. Drive it back to Detroit and stop in LA, Las Vegas, Denver or Boulder etc.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
AWD and 240 HP so it won't look exotic but it sure will be fun!
