Post: #126

Hypno, what are you leaning towards?

Post: #127

Mazda 3 GT is like 25k new and it is the Benz or bimmer luxury you see at 50-60k+.

I have a new 2017 auto sedan and the women are impressed.

Post: #128

(04-08-2017 08:21 AM)NewDayNewFace Wrote:  Hypno, what are you leaning towards?

have some other priorities, but the porsche boxster is hard to beat at about $15K all in with repairs, etc. I also like the Cayman, which is the boxster non-convertible, but its hard to find as cheap.

Cayman is holding its value so well its cheaper on a cost per year or cost per mile to buy a new one.

also like old vettes. lots of research to do.

Post: #129

The Cayman looks extremely nice. You can get a 2010 base for around 20k. You can put some caliper covers on it and give it a spoiler and it would look like a beast.

Post: #130

The BMW 650i should be on your list. The coup for pure driving dynamics or the convertible for the bitches.

Post: #131

(04-09-2017 01:22 PM)NewDayNewFace Wrote:  The Cayman looks extremely nice. You can get a 2010 base for around 20k. You can put some caliper covers on it and give it a spoiler and it would look like a beast.

The problem is that there aren't many of them, and in my area the prices tend to be higher. (Plenty of Boxsters and lower prices) But I'm very much in tune with what you are saying.

Post: #132

(04-15-2017 08:27 AM)Hypno Wrote:  

(04-09-2017 01:22 PM)NewDayNewFace Wrote:  The Cayman looks extremely nice. You can get a 2010 base for around 20k. You can put some caliper covers on it and give it a spoiler and it would look like a beast.

The problem is that there aren't many of them, and in my area the prices tend to be higher. (Plenty of Boxsters and lower prices) But I'm very much in tune with what you are saying.

Have you looked out of your area?

I couldn't find the (very specific used performance) car I wanted in my MSA, eventually opened my geographic scope, and found a great deal 500 miles away. Put the deal together, flew out, closed, and had a BALL driving home.

My observations from my first time doing this were -

1) Makes a Lot of Sense if You Want a Specific Ride/Great Deal
2) Requires Patience
3) Considerably easier & Less Risky than it seems
4) Only Makes Sense for Rare or Performance Cars
5) Fun Way to Shop/Buy
6) Get a Good Radar Detector
7) Make Sure You Have the Right (Economical & Independent) Mechanic

Also, I found a wealth of model specific, out of warranty maintenance, and performance info on the following sites. Extremely knowledgable and helpful forum participants who actually have owned the rides you are considering, especially the Boxster. (You're going to want a Boxster S, btw.)

6speedonline
rennlist

You also may want to check out your local Cars & Coffee. Lots of friendly, knowledgable folk. Also cars that never get listed.

Good luck. This is a fun process. You've obviously earned it. Enjoy it!

Post: #133

(04-08-2017 08:21 AM)NewDayNewFace Wrote:  Hypno, what are you leaning towards?

Here are some options I am considering with the parameter < $26,000.

BMW 7 Series, 2014 114K miles or 2013 79K miles.

Mercedes E350 2015 71K miles

Mercedes E500 2013 50K miles

Mercedes SL 2008 40K miles

Mercedes SL 55 AMG 2008 83K miles

Mercedes SLK 350 2013 61K miles

Porsche Cayman 2011 78K miles

Post: #134

How's the maintenance on these cars, especially the Cayman?

Post: #135

BMW 7 Series, 2014 114K miles or 2013 79K miles.
Nope.
Mercedes E350 2015 71K miles
Meh.

Mercedes E500 2013 50K miles
Better
Mercedes SL 2008 40K miles
Ok that's good
Mercedes SL 55 AMG 2008 83K miles
Minds well you like the SL anyway
Mercedes SLK 350 2013 61K miles
You'll get sick of it needs V8
Porsche Cayman 2011 78K miles
Don't bother.

Post: #136

Not quite luxury, but consider a circa 2005 Lotus Elise with the Toyota ZZ engine... Great bang for your buck and an awesome car overall.

Post: #137

back in 2013, I bought my 2011 BMW 328i for exactly $25k.

I did a lot of research before my purchase because I'd heard so many horror stories about bimmers. I'd wanted a 3 series for a while but because of BMW's insane rate of depreciation coupled with the high cost of upkeep I was concerned. My car retailed for around $40k brand new, after two years and 19k miles it was worth just over half that...

2011 was the last year that the BMW offered the 328i in the US with a true V6 and a 6-speed manual (no economical turbo bs). I chipped the engine to remove the accelerator delay and had a blast redlining the shit out of it, absolutely destroying rice rockets and mustangs. Even the BMW mechanics told me it was no problem as long as the oil was changed when the light came on (oil changes cost $80 at the dealership) and the tires were kept in good condition (don't ever buy tires from the dealership). I loved that car and ended up selling it before moving to Kiev.

When I purchased the car it still had the manufacturer's warranty intact (3years / 70k miles). I believe this is the best way of getting maximum bang for your buck out of a BMW:
- Buy used, 2 years with no more than 20k miles; this significantly dropped the price tag to a proper balance where I felt like I didn't over pay for the performance and luxury in exchange for the costs of upkeep and further depreciation.
- Make sure the manufacturer's warranty is still intact; This gave me an entire year of absolutely free upkeep aside from oil changes and tires.

Post: #138

Porsche has had trouble with their water cooled boxer engines over the years and it would behoove you to do your homework. Earlier ones were plagued with rear main seal failures that ultimately necessitated engine replacement. Later engines had intermediate shaft bearing failures. It wouldn't necessarily destroy the engine, but repair is very expensive and labor intensive.

Rennlist is one of the best forums for Porsche discussion.

That 10 year old AMG Benz may seem like an incredible deal for under $20K. Go price out shocks or an ignition coil. Need to replace a key? $500.

That $120K car that you bought used for $20K is still very much a $120K car when it needs repairs and parts, and most of these AMGs are priced so low because they're out of warranty and on the cusp of a major maintenance hurdle that can cost $1000s.

I bought a cheap Porsche years ago and spent $1000s getting it roadworthy. You know what the end result was? I still have a cheap Porsche. I enjoyed it, and don't regret it, but go in with both eyes open. You can easily get burned on the deal. If the engine shits the bed a month after you buy it, the car is worth its salvage value only. Rebuilding the engine is prohibitively expensive, and requires special machine shops if it's an alusil block. Used engines are scarce, expensive, and have few guarantees.

If you have the skills, tools, and desire to do your own repairs, it could be worthwhile albeit risky. If you have to pay someone to change oil, buy a Honda.

Post: #139

A valid option for the Cayman is buying a used Porsche approved:

http://locator.porsche.com/ipl-customer/....ipl?cid=1

https://www.porsche.com/usa/approvedused...eapproved/

Post: #140

Here you go champ. https://youtu.be/cnAUnGjMd5U

Can't get more luxury than that.

Post: #141

(09-06-2017 04:34 PM)porscheguy Wrote:  If you have the skills, tools, and desire to do your own repairs, it could be worthwhile albeit risky. If you have to pay someone to change oil, buy a Honda.

Amen. There's no point in paying for a cheap luxury car unless you know how to do the work yourself.

Parts are cheap. Labor is what will rip you a new one unless you live in BFE and the labor rate is something reasonable like $40/hr.

The only Porsches I would ever consider buying are air cooled. Water cooling them makes them no more special than all of the other sports cars out there.

Post: #142

I just read this entire thread again and all I see are red flags for "prime example of middle age crisis".

I'd say buy a vette and then dress up like the guy in the bomber jacket or white tee.

Post: #143

(03-20-2017 03:03 PM)rudebwoy Wrote:  Old cars have more character than new ones.

So driving an old American classic is no different than driving an old Porsche, it all boils down to a matter of taste.

I would gladly take a whale tail Porsche from the 80s, but one in good condition sells for money than a new Porsche.

You buy a car because you like it and it means something to you on a personal level.

Just don't think you are going to grab tail by driving a nice car.

A research says a nice car in fact does help grabbing tail:
From:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hea...en-shallow

Quote:The investigators devised a clever and rather theatrical experiment, complete with actors, a script, staging, wardrobe and props. They had a male confederate (i.e., an undercover participant) wait in a parked car for an unsuspecting young woman to walk down the street. He then emerged from the vehicle and approached her to solicit a date. But the scientists added a provocative twist. In order to manipulate conspicuous income and social status, the confederate waited for female participants in one of three vehicles of varying value: a new Audi A5 Ambition Luxury (price EUR 58,000 or USD 70,632) for the high-value car; a 1-year-old Renault Mégane (price EUR 24,000 or USD 29,227) for the middle-value car; and a 15-year-old Renault 5 Super Campus (price EUR 800 or USD 974.24) for the low-value car. The investigators wondered, would women be more likely to give their phone number to the guy driving the expensive car?

Six 20-year-old, heterosexual confederates rated as physically appealing by a group of women were recruited for this experiment. The control of attractiveness was used because in a previous study, and perhaps not surprisingly, it was difficult for less attractive confederates to get phone numbers from young women on the street. Thus, these good-looking men were specifically selected to participate in order to offset a high refusal rate and to improve the study's chances of success.

The authors performed the experiment in Vannes, France “on particularly sunny days at the beginning of summer.” They stationed the car in an outdoor parking area near a famous promenade, with the confederates waiting in the driver's seat. They were outfitted in a white shirt, jeans, and sneakers in a style “similar to those most young men wear today.” Each confederate took a turn in the low, medium and high-status car condition, with 30 female participants per condition. Each car was used for one-half day and in random order.

The confederates approached the first unaccompanied young woman in the target age group (18 to 25 years) who strolled by. The women in the study were randomly selected, without regard to physical appeal, dress, height and so forth. Two male observers, perched on a public bench 50 meters from the scene of the interaction, monitored whether or not the confederates violated any procedural rules when selecting female participants. They did not.

The study's procedure unfolded:

“When a potential participant was 2 to 3 meters away from the car, the confederate opened the car door, looked the participant in the eyes and smiled. Then he approached her and said: 'Hello, my name’s Antoine. I just want to say that I think you’re really pretty. I have to go to work now, but I was wondering if you would give me your phone number. I’ll call you later and we can have a drink together somewhere.'”

Ah, the French. The contrivance continued:

“After making his request, the confederate was instructed to wait 10 seconds and to gaze and smile at the participant. If the participant accepted the confederate’s solicitation, the confederate noted down her phone number, said “See you soon,” and left the participant. If the participant refused, the confederate was instructed to say, “Too bad. It’s not my day. Have a nice afternoon!” and to leave the participant.”

So, what did the researchers find? The young women were more likely to give their phone number to a young man who appeared to have more money and elevated status. In the high-status car condition, the confederates could boast getting a young woman's phone number 23.3% of the time. By contrast, the middle-status car condition and the low-status car condition saw 12.8% and 7.8% rates of compliance with the phone number request, respectively. These findings suggest that in real-life situations, women are inclined to give high-status men more of a chance.

The authors are sure to point to limitations in their study. To start, it was a bit ambiguous whether it was looks or money that got the girl. In addition, it was unclear whether these women had short- or long-term mating on their minds. As noted earlier, like men, women tend to value a man's physical attractiveness in short-term dating contexts.

Opinions?

Post: #144

Toyota Corolla vs 3 series BMW? Maybe your notches will increase 10-20% because of the car

Toyota Corolla vs 911 Porsche? Or other exotic like Ferrari California? Be prepared for a 300-400% increase..

When driving a brand new 3 series will all eyes be on you on the street? Hell no

But it will when driving a Porsche, or Ferrari.

How do I know this? I have not owned exotics like Porsches, my current car is a 2009 Subaru Legacy, old one was a brand new 2012 BMW 330 purchased from the dealer in 2011.

Now I do have friends that own a Porsche,Ferrari and even Lambo, I know what it feels like to sit in the front seat, because I had the honor of sitting in one last month, a Ferrari California

The attention you get is unprecedented.

Of course don't get these cars for the girls, but girls come as a bonus when you get it. I dont know if a 25k luxury will do the trick though, but a second 60-70k one will if we're talking about the American market.

Post: #145

(09-06-2017 03:17 AM)NomadofEU Wrote:  back in 2013, I bought my 2011 BMW 328i for exactly $25k.

I did a lot of research before my purchase because I'd heard so many horror stories about bimmers. I'd wanted a 3 series for a while but because of BMW's insane rate of depreciation coupled with the high cost of upkeep I was concerned. My car retailed for around $40k brand new, after two years and 19k miles it was worth just over half that...

2011 was the last year that the BMW offered the 328i in the US with a true V6 and a 6-speed manual (no economical turbo bs). I chipped the engine to remove the accelerator delay and had a blast redlining the shit out of it, absolutely destroying rice rockets and mustangs. Even the BMW mechanics told me it was no problem as long as the oil was changed when the light came on (oil changes cost $80 at the dealership) and the tires were kept in good condition (don't ever buy tires from the dealership). I loved that car and ended up selling it before moving to Kiev.

When I purchased the car it still had the manufacturer's warranty intact (3years / 70k miles). I believe this is the best way of getting maximum bang for your buck out of a BMW:
- Buy used, 2 years with no more than 20k miles; this significantly dropped the price tag to a proper balance where I felt like I didn't over pay for the performance and luxury in exchange for the costs of upkeep and further depreciation.
- Make sure the manufacturer's warranty is still intact; This gave me an entire year of absolutely free upkeep aside from oil changes and tires.

3 Series is not a luxury car, its a car designed to make the middle class think they own a luxury car.

Post: #146

The reason I started this thread was to identify alternatives to a new car for the same amount of money - $25,000 - and the pros and cons of those cars.

Whether it helps you in game is secondary to me. Its more a lifestyle thing.

I could buy a new luxury car but that seems foolish and just postpones my eventual exit.

Post: #147

Land Cruiser + ARB catalog

Post: #148

If you're willing to do a bit of work, there are some creative possibilities out there:

$4500 for a $160k Mercedes

Quote:Today, I'm going to showcase another bad decision, as I'm celebrating 1 year of owning my 2007 Mercedes-Benz S600 V12 biturbo. I purchased this car -- which I named the Silver Elephant -- terminally broken for $4,500. In the video, I detail the saga of bringing the Silver Elephant back to life -- and its funky features. This written article focuses more on my crazy purchasing strategy and my impressions of V12 ownership.

Quote:Even at a total investment of $14,500, I'm still in this car for less than 10 percent of its original $160,000 MSRP. For $5,000 to $10,000 more, there are plenty of lower-mileage, well-cared-for examples for sale on Autotrader, making these cars an incredible value.

Post: #149

(09-10-2017 09:49 PM)ed pluribus unum Wrote:  If you're willing to do a bit of work, there are some creative possibilities out there:

$4500 for a $160k Mercedes

Quote:Today, I'm going to showcase another bad decision, as I'm celebrating 1 year of owning my 2007 Mercedes-Benz S600 V12 biturbo. I purchased this car -- which I named the Silver Elephant -- terminally broken for $4,500. In the video, I detail the saga of bringing the Silver Elephant back to life -- and its funky features. This written article focuses more on my crazy purchasing strategy and my impressions of V12 ownership.

Quote:Even at a total investment of $14,500, I'm still in this car for less than 10 percent of its original $160,000 MSRP. For $5,000 to $10,000 more, there are plenty of lower-mileage, well-cared-for examples for sale on Autotrader, making these cars an incredible value.

I have some experience with salvage cars

When you pay a dealer $125 or so an hour to diagnose the car and fix it with (retail priced) parts this would be insanity

However, all these cars are not that different. The super high power/expensive ones just have more shit in them.

The new PC based diagnostic tools aren't that far off the factory stuff. Parts can be had used and salvage for reasonable amounts.

Armed with some wrenches, a meter and a willingness to tackle bavaria's finest, no reason why this can't be an adventure.

You will need a second vehicle though.

Post: #150

Get a motorcycle.