And now, I have my real-life straight-piped Hot Wheel that brings a huge smile to my face every time I drive it: my Porsche 911. Now that I’ve owned my dream car for a couple of years, here are four things, plus an honorable mention, that I didnt know about owning the car that has no substitute: the Porsche 91. Oh, and at the end, I’ll dig into a little of what I’ve learned about being a Porsche owner.
What Does A Porsche Exhaust Sound Like?
Now, I’m sure you’ve heard someone say this, but apparently you don’t need a radio in your car if you have a 911 because you can just listen to the exhaust note. So, I had very high hopes the first time I mashed the pedal to the metal on the test drive in my 911. And I was met with pure disappointment. Stock Porsche exhausts just don’t do it for me! Like… at all!
So, the first thing I did was order an awesome aftermarket exhaust. And although the tune was more toned, it still wasn’t loud enough! So, I removed the mufflers, and now, the car sounds as good as it looks! One of my favorite things is the 3rd to 2nd gear downshift, planting the rear end and just slicing through the apex! Porsches deserve an exhaust that fits the character of the car, and there are a ton of aftermarket options that really bring the boys to the yard.
What’s The Price Of A Porsche Like?
I was extremely scared of how much it was going to cost to get into my first Porsche 911! They’re always a contender for the Best Sports Car of the Year Awards by numerous publications. So, I thought all generations were going to be priced out of my budget! But then, I found out about the 996 generation, with those ugly fried egg headlights, and engines that like to explode. This was right up my alley! And I am a value shopper, always looking to score the next ideal deal! So, using the Ideal Car Strategies to get the best deal, I narrowed it down to a 996 Carrera 4S! It’s an all-wheel drive for those rainy winters here in Seattle and it was special with all the turbo pieces.
But let’s face it, anyone looking at 996s, would be tempted if a comparable 997 popped up. And lucky me, a 997 with a bad clutch and a few other things did come up for sale close by, and I bought it! For less than $30,000, which is what you would spend on a new Toyota 86 or Mazda Miata, I was able to get my hands on one of the best German sports cars ever made! So, don’t be intimidated by price! Porsche 911s are insane values, and a lot less expensive to keep on the road than you think!
What Is A Widowmaker Porsche 930?
When the 911 first came onto the scene in 1964, it was a radical sports car with the engine hanging out back. And the orignal 911 930 Turbo was known as the “Widowmaker“. The turbocharged engine, rear weight-biased chassis with no nannies really demanded a different kind of driver, and a different style of driving to keep it pointed in the right direction in turns. See, the car would enter the turn, and lift off oversteer would cause the car to spin, which is less than ideal.
So, when I hopped in my 997 for the first time, all the talk about the Widowmaker, even if my car wasn’t a turbo, really scared me! But boy was I wrong! My fears quickly dissolved as I felt what difference 40 years of top-tier chassis design and development made in terms of how this car stayed on the pavement. Porsche’s hard work since the 911s inception meant I had a much more docile and predictable car than that Widowmaker I had heard about!
Plus, what I learned is that rear-engine layouts are awesome for two reasons: first, because they have better traction than front- and mid-engine cars because all the weight is over the rear wheels. And secondly, since the engine is so close to the wheels, there’s way less drivetrain loss. And both of those reasons add up to a ton of fun! Plus, believe it or not, they’re great drift cars!
What was one of your ultimate dream cars? Was it a Porsche 911 like me? Or some sort of Ferrari or Lambo? Or maybe somethign else?
My Porsche Blended In, Until…
Luckily, Porsche 911s today are still offered with a stick, but they don’t really stick out! Okay, yes, a Porsche 911 has more performance on its the tire than the casual consumer knows what to do with. It’s just so easy to live with, and that’s why in more populated cities, seeing one is not out of the ordinary. And that’s the problem. When I first bought my Porsche 911, I thought I was going to stick out. And besides the all to common “Did your dad buy that for you?” or a lame joke like “Do you know the difference between a Porsche owner and a porcupine? With the Porsche, the prick is on the inside!”, the car attracted way less attention than I thought it would!
But, I had a trick up my sleeve. After throwing on some vinyl wrap thanks to my boys up at VViViD Vinyl, I got a lot of attention! If you want to see the full transformation, watch this video where I take it from stock to hot in right around 5 minutes. And when burned about driving a Porsche past 2+ years, it’s a lot like meeting beautiful women: smart, athletic, thoughtful, the kind you’d want to marry. Just remember to get an extended warranty if you can afford it after the honeymoon period!
How Is The Porsche 911 With Reliability?
Well, I was sort of kidding about the extended warranty on your Porsche, of course. If you’re planning to service your car at the dealer, it’s a must-have! My 60,000-mile service was going to be over $1,300! I seriously went into a Porsche ownership blind, thinking that it was going to be extremely expensive to keep on the road! And guess what? It’s the most reliable car I’ve ever owned for an extended period of time! The trick is to become a professional YouTuber, work some brand deals, and get the parts at cost, or for free… Have your buddies that want to be YouTube famous come over and do the work for you in exchange for putting them on YouTube, and you can essentially drive all your cars for free… Wishful thinking, I know.
What I did was found a qualified technician at an independent repair shop. Yes, the Porsche premium is true, meaning there is a “Porsche tax” on parts. But trust me, if you shop around, you can find inexpensive parts on sites like Pelican Parts, which I’ve used a lot in the last couple of years!
What I’ve Learned…
If you’re going to buy any type of Porsche, do it for yourself! I can’t stress that enough! People have Ferraris, Lambos, and even Aston Martins to show off! But people buy Porsches to drive, because they literally are the best driver cars! They aren’t perfect, but dollar-for-dollar, they punch way above their weight! Also, I’ve linked up with the Porsche community up here in the Pacific Northwest, and the one thing I’ve learned is that they drive the piss out of their cars! If we’re going to Monterey Car Week in August or Palm Springs in January, you drive the damn car! Full send through the mountains in the winter… it don’t matter!
Oh, and I’ve also learned that there are two type of Porsche owners! The first: to show off that you’ve made it, which I initially fell into that category, I’ll admit it! But, what comes to mind is the person that barely gets into a 996 911 or cheap 986 Boxster, and pretends they’ve made it in life by spending less money than it takes to buy a used Civic! Yeah, you’re not foolin’ nobody! And the second type of Porsche owner: for the people that seriously drive the thing! And that’s the person that buys that 996 911, cheap Boxster, or Singer and drives the snot out of it. And when it breaks, they fix it themselves and keep going!
Well, there is a third owner, which are people that have “garage queens“, and they are way less impressive to real Porsche owners. And now that the price point is so low, especially with the 996 model, which I personally love, and Magnus Walker just found for $5,000, the value has never been better to buy one! So, if you want to check out why my boy Magnus bought the cheapest and most hated porsche 911, check out this video.
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