Gearheadotaku wrote:
Do you want to "build" your daily or just put gas in it? As we all know, "built" often comes with more maintinence and project creep
10K will buy a needy Boxster. You'll spend another 3-5 inside a year.
Sell the Volvo (how much could you get for it?) and get a 981 as a daily. They do fine with proper snow tires. Porsche even sells rubber floor mats for them....
Keep the Saab as a project/toy and bring it to the Challenge.
No version of this involves selling the Volvo. I'm irrationally emotionally connected to it. I ordered it and did European delivery. The whole family made the trip to Sweden to pick it up. We did 2,200 miles around Europe over 10 days (with $11/gal gas!!!) Crossed an international border at 130mph and drove the Nurburgring when it was only 3 or 4 days old. This car is not ever leaving the family!
That said, would you recommend a 5 year old 981 as an only car for the next 5-10 years Vs keeping the Volvo and adding a 986? If it’s an only car anything on the 981 has to be fixed NOW, so if I can’t do it in about 6 hours on my own I have to pay for it. With the Volvo /986 pairing I can work on one at leisure while driving the other. Seriously I want your opinion given your history with Porsche maintenance awareness.
ultraclyde wrote:
You've driven plenty of Mustangs. Have you driven the Focus RS? Or the ND? If not I think I'd take a long day and do back-to-back drives to see which one speaks to me, assuming you are really considering going with a new car. Even if you can't drive the ND RF yet, a soft top will give you a feel for the car. See if you can find a Boxster on a lot somewhere on the same day.
I haven't driven an ND or an RS. Trust me I'm trying to get my hands on an RS but the keys may as well be under armed guard. Not easy to get unless you have way more stripes than me here at work.
mazdeuce wrote:
If two cars then keep the Volvo because the devil you know is better than the devil you don't, and pick up an Abarth when they become available. Switching cars with the seasons will keep them fresh and exciting longer. Driving the Volvo in the fall will be like putting on an old pair of shoes and uncovering the Abarth in spring will be like meeting a cute girl at the park all over again.
I don't want a cute girl in the park, I want to be abused by her
Adrian_Thompson wrote:
I don't want a cute girl in the park, I want to be abused by her
Those commercials were cool, but in reality the 500 Abarth isn't abuse to a full grown man experienced in the ways of proper automotive abuse, it's more like complaining about your dinner choice followed by a little light spanking.
If you want proper abuse, go search out a Porsche with an original IMS and low miles. Now we're talking screaming in public and going to sleep slightly bruised and very satisfied.
Focus RS, but not at MSRP, come on, you work for Ford. You can wait until the stupid prices are gone. My buddy knows a Ford dealer and is getting his at invoice. There must be some angle you can work.
After that I choose from the convertible options the MX-5 RF aka targa.
After that C6 Corvette, because gray haired white guy like me.
Nothing Fiat ever, I don't care who made what under the covers.
As I've told Adrian many times, I think he needs to do Scenario #2 with the nicest, newest Boxster S he can find.
Having said that, Dean's suggestion of an Ecoboost S550 has some merit. Adrian does have an irrational love for underdog engines, and they seem to respond well to tuning.
Harvey wrote:
Focus RS, but not at MSRP, come on, you work for Ford. You can wait until the stupid prices are gone. My buddy knows a Ford dealer and is getting his at invoice. There must be some angle you can work.
Wow, where is that? There isn't even A price listed for either the RS or the Shelby on our internal site, let alone in the real world. I take it he has an in with the dealer, not just a guy who hasn't bought a new car from them in well over 10 years.
It's now 1:00pm, I woke up at 6:00. In the last seven hours I've been convinced for at least 5 mins at a time that the only option is:
Focus RS
Used 986S plus mod the C30
New Mustang GT Convertible
Lease a GT Convertible and work on the C30 in the garage for a couple of years
Base spec ND Miata
Used 09 NC Miata
The 986S and mod the Volvo is the only option that has multiple appearances in my head this morning. I've even had time for some work in there !!!!
Sidebar:
Did Ford still have a piece of Volvo when you bought the C30?
Woody wrote:
*Sidebar:*
Did Ford still have a piece of Volvo when you bought the C30?
Yes, very much so. They didn't sell to Geely until mid 2010 two years later.
C30 is basically a soft funny looking Focus RS right? Same chassis and engine? I'd mod that thing to be a unique ride for iffy weather, with your history with the car it seems hard to part with. Then the nicest Boxster S you can afford. I would do the two car solution myself and get a WRX or FoST/FiST plus Z06/Viper if it wouldn't affect my marriage...I think having two cars that are both interesting but with different character really keeps both feeling fresh.
mazdeuce wrote:
If you want proper abuse, go search out a Porsche with an original IMS and low miles. Now we're talking screaming in public and going to sleep slightly bruised and very satisfied.
If that's proper abuse, what's a Caterham? :)
turtl631 wrote:
C30 is basically a BEST LOOKING VERSION OF THE C1 PLATFORM EVER MADE looking PRIOR GENFocus RS right? Same chassis and engine? I'd mod that thing to be a unique ride for iffy weather, with your history with the car it seems hard to part with.
Yup, C1 platform. The big difference is the turbo and the front suspension. The turbo on the RS was different to my 'compressor housing in the exhaust manifold' set up but you can retro-fit and or get a regular log monifold (only $350) to fit anything with a standard T3 or T25 flange. Not that i would plan on doing that. Also the RS got the fancy 'Revoknuckle' from suspension to help reduce torque steer. That seems major expense to retro-fit.
turtl631 wrote:
Then the nicest Boxster S you can afford.
That's what my heart is telling me. My head is saying two older (8-10+ year old) cars, one modded one with known issues isnt' such a good idea, it keeps pushing me towards a low mile Miata instead, or a new miata, or a low mile Mustang, or or or or
Adrian_Thompson wrote:
Woody wrote:
*Sidebar:*
Did Ford still have a piece of Volvo when you bought the C30?
Yes, very much so. They didn't sell to Geely until mid 2010 two years later.
Were you able to buy it through a Ford program?
Woody wrote:
Adrian_Thompson wrote:
Woody wrote:
*Sidebar:*
Did Ford still have a piece of Volvo when you bought the C30?
Yes, very much so. They didn't sell to Geely until mid 2010 two years later.
Were you able to buy it through a Ford program?
I could have, but the overseas delivery was an even better deal. I think A plan was something like 4% below MSRP, overseas delivery was something stupid like -6% on MSRP PLUS two round trip airline tickets and two nights in a hotel.
Tom_Spangler wrote:
Having said that, Dean's suggestion of an Ecoboost S550 has some merit. Adrian does have an irrational love for underdog engines, and they seem to respond well to tuning.
Just priced an Ecoboost Convertible, even with A plan it's 35K
codrus wrote:
mazdeuce wrote:
If you want proper abuse, go search out a Porsche with an original IMS and low miles. Now we're talking screaming in public and going to sleep slightly bruised and very satisfied.
If that's proper abuse, what's a Caterham? :)
A proper analogy of cute girl to Caterham would earn me a well deserved ban from the forum. You'll have to use your imagination.
In a similar situation here, automotive ADD has a death grip on me as well.
Ask yourself, "Self, would you like a cruiser or a focused sports car?"
If cruiser, then with your Ford affiliation go Mustang GT. If sports car, then can you wait for an Abarth? If not then cheap ND but go drive a 987.2 2.9L Boxster and compare anyway.
My answer is sports car. So I will be testing a ND vs 987.2 and see which one grabs me. I LOVE the Abarth. Better looking and sounding which are very important attributes for a sports car. But I don't think I can wait. I just sold my 911SC and am sports carless.
Like most of us, you want more toys.
Reality rears its ugly head and says "Do you have the time, space, energy, and money for them all?"
I mis-read your Volvo intent. Sure hot rod the thing, but will it be the "same"?
As far a Porsche are concerned, I have driven a 986 around the block once, that's it. Really can't tell you which drives better that what. As far a maintenance issues I'll assume you'll do most work yourself and not by OE parts. That will save you a ton of money. You already know the IMS game, so I'll leave that alone. Styling is a personal choice too.
Concerns:
986 - least powerful, leaky valve covers/spark plug sleeves, smaller clutch.
Ign coils like to crack. Water pumps and alternators are common fails in higher mileage cars. The idler pulleys should be changed while you're in there too. 2002? gets variocam, less prone to leaks, and IIRC some interior/exterior upgrades. Glass rear window in 2002? Plastic window in early cars not serviceable. Avoid cars with carbon fiber or wood grain trims. They crack, peel, and generally become an unsightly mess that is a fortune to replace. Use standard items and save big! Early cars had transmission issues, but most have been replaced so its not likely to be an issue now. Mechanical parts like brakes, bearing, and suspension seem fairly robust and not too bad to service but we are talking about cars that are pushing 20 years old. Not many electrical gremlins either. Here in the north most of these cars sit half the year so lower mileage cars aren't too hard to find.
987 - New body, better handling/brakes. More comfortable, better interior. 09+ car for extra power and no IMS, but $$$. Big fancy nav/radio combo is pricey if it fails.
Go test drive several of each.
They all take 9 quarts of Mobil 1 and a $30 oil filter
Adrian_Thompson wrote:
codrus wrote:
If that's proper abuse, what's a Caterham? :)
Public display of BDSM
I thought that was a 427 Cobra...
Storz
SuperDork
4/14/16 7:03 a.m.
This, and then come take me for a ride when you get it
STM317
Reader
4/14/16 8:58 a.m.
Adrian_Thompson wrote:
Tom_Spangler wrote:
Having said that, Dean's suggestion of an Ecoboost S550 has some merit. Adrian does have an irrational love for underdog engines, and they seem to respond well to tuning.
Just priced an Ecoboost Convertible, even with A plan it's 35K
What did the options look like to get you to 35K with A Plan? MSRP for an Ecoboost car starts @ $25,6xx and I'd think you could surely get one for less if you looked around a bit.
STM317 wrote:
Adrian_Thompson wrote:
Tom_Spangler wrote:
Having said that, Dean's suggestion of an Ecoboost S550 has some merit. Adrian does have an irrational love for underdog engines, and they seem to respond well to tuning.
Just priced an Ecoboost Convertible, even with A plan it's 35K
What did the options look like to get you to 35K with A Plan? MSRP for an Ecoboost car starts @ $25,6xx and I'd think you could surely get one for less if you looked around a bit.
That is A plan. I'm only considering convertibles and the Ecoboost only comes as a premium not a base. So even the A plan price for the convertible Premium Ecoboost breaks down like this:
Base Premium 'vert Ecoboost $33,432
Reverse aid sensing $ 279
Performance package $ 1,890
Destination and delivery $ 900
Available incentives -$ 1,500
Total $35,001
BTW, even the base V6 convertible starts at $28,841 with A plan, no options, no delivery etc.
