Page 46 - KCRPCA July

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Jul / Aug 2017
six months on my insurance. Whoopee! But, it’s really a safety thing with me. Silver/gray cars tend to blend in a lot and I like the idea of having some lights to help it stand out.
As far as planned improvements, I can’t say that I’ve thought too much about it. First, it is 20 years old, and there’s not a lot that can be done that is cost-effective. I’ll probably get a cat back exhaust for it eventually, but they’re relatively inexpensive. I can’t see spending too much, though.
Q: What would you have done di erently?
A: I should have asked more questions. Remember, the seller is under no obligation to disclose things to you, although you should expect him to answer any question truthfully. In my case, he pointed out several items that were wrong during our walk-around, but it’s good to be an active listener. Remember, you want to keep the seller talking, so don’t be afraid to ask questions.
I’ve also wondered if I should have been more aggressive in my asking price. At this point, I don’t think so. After we consummated the deal, I learned that he had paid a couple of hundred dollars more for the car than I was getting it for. I don’t think he would have taken too much less than we agreed on, and I’m at the stage of my life where I really don’t want to haggle about small amounts. Granted, I ended up spending about what the rst guy was asking for his car, but I like this one better and it has half of the miles on it.
buy the newest Porsche I could afford. Granted, with my $10k budget, I probably could have gone another year or two newer, but there weren’t that many of them available and, of course, they were more expensive. Any unforeseen repairs would have likely caused me to blow my budget.
Q: Do you have any closing thoughts?
A: In summary, I probably spent a couple of hundred dollars more than I should have, but as I pretty much keep my cars till they fall apart, I really don’t mind. So, overall this was a good experience and I’d de nitely recommend this approach to just about anyone.
On a personal note, I like to name my cars. For instance, my ’01 Boxster S is named “Inga” after Teri Garr’s role in Young Frankenstein. So the choice for this was pretty obvious – “Lilly” from Blazing Saddles.
And in closing, I nally have almost 500 Porsche horsepower now. Granted, it’s spread between two vehicles, but it’s almost 500hp. My biggest dilemma down the road is that I have three grandchildren and only two Boxsters. Guess I need to start looking for another one (and hope that I don’t get any more grandkids. . . . .)
- Jim
Finally, a wise man once told me to