Carfax? (plus SE-R status

[David Pertuz]

Erik,

Your project-car load is out of control! :)

If my home environment and some of my priorities were different, I could
see myself with the same "problem" :) As it is, I live in the city and all
my cars are garaged but it would be nice to go from 3 cars to 2 in order to
just go down to the garage at home (not having to street-park anything is
priceless), and I only drive about 5k miles per year, more or less all of
which is out of town. My bicycle fleet is where it's at for regular
transportation :) I'd love to have 20 cars but I'd never drive them! So if
I drive one car all the time (my Honda, because it's practical and
reliable), why have that one car be something that bores you to tears
instead of something fun? I had been shopping for something more
interesting with a manual (basically: 2003-8 Mazda 3 hatch, 2003-8 Mazda 6
hatch/wagon, Mk V GTI 4-door, 2006-8ish A3) but then the 911 bug took over.
I have wanted a 911 for my entire life - I had a model of one when I was 2
(ca. 1977) and I told everyone on my 4th birthday that I would buy one one
day, and I sigh every time I see one, etc. etc. And I realized I could
afford one with a few sacrifices to make the $$ outlay justifiable (sell
Honda by the end of the year, sell Fiat so I don't have to pay for the
garage, fix up SE-R and use it as my winter/beater/errand car) and they're
reliable and practical enough to take trips with and carry bikes on (easier
on a coupe, but doable on a Targa)

I'm mostly looking at SCs (78-83), occasional Carreras (84-89) though those
tend to be too expensive unless they have very high mileage, and some
mid-year (74-77) cars too - many of those have received SC engine
transplants in the past when the 2.7s died. I have a slight preference for
Targas, but will happily take a good coupe. I'm looking for a
driver-quality car, very well-maintained mechanically and fully sorted, and
I can live with tired cosmetics. This allows things to stay within my
budget. I have learned just how difficult it is to shop for these,
especially in my price range ($25k max), as good cars tend to get sold
immediately. You have to be really well-versed on the cars, have good
judgment, timing, and luck, and be able to act quickly. It would have been
easier to buy one a few years ago for less, but hindsight is cheap and I
can still afford one, and why not get what I've always wanted when I can
honestly justify it financially? Something to check off the bucket list :)

David



On Wed, Jul 1, 2015 at 1:38 PM, Erik Halvorson <hammer_down at hotmail.com>
wrote:

> Hey David, no carfax, sorry.  No heat shield either.  Just thought I would
> chat instead.  LOL  Do you already have a line on the 911 you want?  Was
> just curious as to what you were looking to get since there are many
> different 911 directions you could go.
>
> Over the last few years, I was all hot on getting/building an RB powered
> 240Z.  Even went as far as sourcing the engine out of my GTS-t skyline
> (replaced it with the RB25DET), and sourced a chassis so was all set to
> start.... but then Dave Coleman (sport Compact Car) let me know he was hot
> to sell his R32 GTR and that sort of threw a monkey wrench in my Z car
> plans....  Wife said yes tot he GTR but asked me to cover the cost and
> lighten the herd of vehicles we had by selling a few cars.  Sold the Z and
> engine as a package, sold a 510 wagon I had rescued and then I just sold my
> 1989 Skyline GTS-t I have had for 9 years to better finance and care for
> the GTR.  Have not regretted that decision whatsoever.  I still have my
> Son's 92 SE-R, I am building a 91 NX2k for my daughter and I still have my
> project 72 510 2dr (SR20DE power).  Daughter might opt for my wife's high
> mile (220k) 05 Altima 3.5 since the wife decided she wanted the
> neighbors barely driven Durango for cheap.  Ah yes, the vehicle
> merry-go-round continues to turn at the Halvorson homestead.  Invest in
> some old electric baseboard heaters and/or a "window" AC unit for yourself
> and put them in the garage.  You can usually get them cheap (as in free) if
> you keep your eyes peeled for hotel/apartment renovations and such.  That
> was some of the best garage improvement time and $ investment I ever
> made.  Now I am warm in the winter and cool (enough) in the summer.
>
> Cheers,
> Erik
>
> ------------------------------
>
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