OT: Porsche Guy or Alfa Guy?

[William]

Originally Posted by Steve in SLO

I don't think it's wrong, but doing an EV 911 doesn't excite me. Two conversions I've recently seen that are intriguing are an original Mini Cooper, and 914. Karmann Ghias are also a great platform for this .

Example of a Mini:

https://petrolicious.com/articles/th...rder-in-the-uk

The EV crew also stated the 911 wasn't the best choice due to what they are fetching dollar-wise these days. The 912 was the better choice alone with all the other cars they have kits for. They may not have the screaming whine of a petrol engine, but they have way more power then they originally had.

The 914 has a special place in my heart, mainly because as a young teen I went on a trip with a family friend who owned one from Washington up into B.C, across through Jasper and Banff, then down into Montana, Idaho, and back through Washington. Lots of great memories from that trip so the 914 has always been in the back of my mind as a possible project vehicle one day. I would consider a conversion like this in that respect.

YMMV of course.






W.

[texbike]

Originally Posted by mtechnica

Get a 240Z while you can still afford one - even now they're skyrocketing. Japanese cars are the new collectible gold rush IMO.

Check out this auction on BaT for a 240 -

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-datsun-240z-39/ .

It's currently at $110K (with buyer's premium) and still has a few hours to go. It may be one of the best examples out there, but wow!

Texbike

[gngroup]

Porsche. Longhood 911.

[HugoBear]

I have an 87 911 and a 2004 Boxster S.
Even though I’m not really a convertible guy, Boxsters are stupid cheap.Mine had the LN engineering bearing and it’s pretty darn fun to drive for a 10-12k car.
The G50 Porsche’s are great but I think they are marginally declining in value after rising significantly since about 2011.I have only done routine maintenance since 2011 on my 911, with the exception of needing to replace an
Alternator.
I appreciate many cool brands of cars but Porsche’s are much more reliable than BMW, Alfa, etc.
Yes, the Japanese cars like Supras, Z’s, etc. have moved up a ton.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by HugoBear

I have an 87 911 and a 2004 Boxster S.
Even though I’m not really a convertible guy, Boxsters are stupid cheap.Mine had the LN engineering bearing and it’s pretty darn fun to drive for a 10-12k car.
The G50 Porsche’s are great but I think they are marginally declining in value after rising significantly since about 2011.I have only done routine maintenance since 2011 on my 911, with the exception of needing to replace an
Alternator.
I appreciate many cool brands of cars but Porsche’s are much more reliable than BMW, Alfa, etc.
Yes, the Japanese cars like Supras, Z’s, etc. have moved up a ton.

You know I'm on my third BMW and I'm still waiting for all this "unreliability" people talk about all the time.

[earlofwarwick]

Had a '81 Alfa spider. Was not ready for the upkeep, but still one of my favorite cars of all time.

[paredown]

How about Alfa + bike? Saw this on FB Marketplace today--a custom Alfa moped that was done as a promo for the launch of the new cars:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...4535912174489/

[morrisericd]

Bumping this up for some collective wisdom. I’ve been on the hunt for a low 70’s GTV for a few years now. Unfortunately, as things go, since 2015 since I started (and never pulled the trigger - not really ready cash wise at that point), GTV’s have gone up from the high $20’s for a really nice 1750 to the high $40’s, even into $50,000 for a really, really nice one.

So - I’ve been in, driven hard and really loved a 1970 911S. Unfortunately, that’s $180,000 car, not in my $50,000 price range. Then, yesterday I found and drove a 1977 911S. Beautiful inside and out, perfect interior, original paint, restored engine - all that. I could probably get it for $40,000 or so. I drove it - it drives like the 1970, just a bit less power. Still, fun as hell.

The 1977 911S has been labeled the bastard child of the 70’s Porsche’s. Actually, more like the 1974-1977. Not a “real” S, not an SC, etc. This is all my opinion and what I’ve read - please. No offense meant.

I haven’t driven a GTV and there are none local for me to try. The question is, in my price range should I fly somewhere and try a GTV or be happy with the local 1977 911S? Thoughts about late 70’s 911S’s? There’s also the GTV’s have really increased in value / price over the last 4 years and the late 70’s 911S’s while increasing, I don’t think are at the “top” yet part.

Advice, thoughts, insight, experiences much appreciated.

[Ken Robb]

Originally Posted by morrisericd

Bumping this up for some collective wisdom. I’ve been on the hunt for a low 70’s GTV for a few years now. Unfortunately, as things go, since 2015 since I started (and never pulled the trigger - not really ready cash wise at that point), GTV’s have gone up from the high $20’s for a really nice 1750 to the high $40’s, even into $50,000 for a really, really nice one.

So - I’ve been in, driven hard and really loved a 1970 911S. Unfortunately, that’s $180,000 car, not in my $50,000 price range. Then, yesterday I found and drove a 1977 911S. Beautiful inside and out, perfect interior, original paint, restored engine - all that. I could probably get it for $40,000 or so. I drove it - it drives like the 1970, just a bit less power. Still, fun as hell.

The 1977 911S has been labeled the bastard child of the 70’s Porsche’s. Actually, more like the 1974-1977. Not a “real” S, not an SC, etc. This is all my opinion and what I’ve read - please. No offense meant.

I haven’t driven a GTV and there are none local for me to try. The question is, in my price range should I fly somewhere and try a GTV or be happy with the local 1977 911S? Thoughts about late 70’s 911S’s? There’s also the GTV’s have really increased in value / price over the last 4 years and the late 70’s 911S’s while increasing, I don’t think are at the “top” yet part.

Advice, thoughts, insight, experiences much appreciated.

If you want a fun Porsche to drive I'd suggest the newest Cayman that fits your budget. Boxters are good too but I'm not fond of soft-top cars and I much prefer the looks of the Cayman. OTOH I don't know that they will ever be appreciating assets like some of the older cars you mentioned HAVE been. Of course, the popularity and value of "collector" cars wax and wane so I have always been wary about acquiring cars for investment. My good pal is an automotive journalist who has tried go both ways with the BMW Z-8. He has one very low mileage show car for investment and one with 130,000 miles as a frequent driver. The driver has cost him a lot in repairs, maintenance and upgrades but he loves driving it.

[gngroup]

From a collectible and resale standpoint, I’d stay away from the 77 911S. That said, if you like driving it and it fits your budget, go for it! I opted for a 1970 911T. Easier on the wallet than a comparable E or S but still sought after from a collector standpoint and obviously a blast to drive!

[Louis]

Originally Posted by morrisericd

Advice, thoughts, insight, experiences much appreciated.

Based on my car and motorcycle buying experiences, I'd say take your time and be sure you get something that matches your resources and expectations. (In this case my relevant experience is several Alfas over the years and an Aprilia moto.)

By resources I primarily mean things like garage space and tools (i.e. lift) available, if you're considering something that will likely require work (or easy-to work with / get to "local expert" if that's the route you're going to take), and by expectations I mean stuff like the type of driving you're thinking of doing with the car and time you'll have available to do the work.

Sometimes it's hard to know all that beforehand (for example, when I bought my GTV I hadn't really thought it all out) especially if you're making a decision with your heart instead of your head.

Good Luck

[peanutgallery]

Porsche => pretty solid dealer base and body of technical knowledge. Good resale values

Alfa => great design. But you don't know what you're getting into. And, I'm a Mopar guy...just sayin'

[buddybikes]

My brother has a 1987? 911 turbo sitting in his barn, hardly used for 10 years (think still runs it enough so things are lubed). Does this model have decent valuation?

[ftf]

Originally Posted by steveandbarb1

My brother has a 1987? 911 turbo sitting in his barn, hardly used for 10 years (think still runs it enough so things are lubed). Does this model have decent valuation?

In good condition, it's worth quite a lot.

[Ken Robb]

Originally Posted by steveandbarb1

My brother has a 1987? 911 turbo sitting in his barn, hardly used for 10 years (think still runs it enough so things are lubed). Does this model have decent valuation?

I think all Porsche turbos demand premium prices on the used market because they were the top performing models at almost any time and because they cost more when new there were fewer sold so demand now exceeds supply.