Karlson

it is just matter of how good can you maintain a car. I have 1996 Volvo 850R that got over 200k miles on it, it got only 310hp with bigger turbo, but runs like a champ no matter what.

bigswin

I guess I can agree with both sides on this issue. What you have to think about is even if both of your cars last to 200k no one is looking to purchase either of them. At this point they are "sellable". If you choose to keep them than you just have to realize they will continue to depreciate and your chance of getting the 30k ish you want will have long been gone.

stever500

I hear ya. I didn't actually realize this till just now. I'm not saying I believe this 100% but I will think about what you're saying. My cars have hit the bottom of their depreciation curve. A $40k 2007 E63 still has quite a ways to go in depreciation. I could be wrong, I am, a lot, but I think I'm right on this one. A 2005 E55 with 80k miles for $23K is a different story. I'd have a lot of leftover money to fix it over the years if I sold both my cars and banked the difference, and it's starting to hit the bottom of it's depreciation curve. Or is it?

Tough call...

220S

Steve, I have to kind of go along with SlownRusty on this. Last posting along these lines was that you had found a decent Lexus to use as a DD and were going to get rid of the other cars. And that was after you had found the new job and "things had changed."

You tend to be all over the map.

Maybe just step back and do what you have to do now to make peace with your current situation at this specific moment in time. Life won't be over tomorrow. And there will always be cars for sale. AMGs, Porsches, BMWs, whatever. And your wants and desires will always change too. BMW yesterday, AMG today, maybe Aston tomorrow.

As you say, your situation has changed. And it will change again. And again.
Never any guarantees in life.

But right now why substitute two high maintenance used cars for another one?

Maybe what you really need is just a change of scenery. Trip to a nice Pacific island somewhere maybe?

VCA_AMG

THIS is the best advice I've seen in 2 pages of posts

K-A

Based off of my own interpretation of you and your situation (O/P), I would get rid of the cars. Those are 2 beautiful cars, however, IMO, those are best suited for someone with cash flow coming in, comfortably, and enough room to store and preserve (i.e treat them like Classics). Fact of the matter is, both will just get older, and mileage will get higher, and selling will become more difficult. The 993 is already a Classic, but even Classic's fall to plebeian selling status once mileage is high enough to scare people off.

The money you say you're spending a year on Maintenance is absurd IMO, again, especially for someone who doesn't have a "money is no object" mind frame toward their Car Enthusiasm. The 993 I understand much more-so, but the 7'er is a car that you are obviously very attached to. IMO the money you're apparently throwing into it is completely nonsensical, as that is just taking away from funds that could get you into a much better car.

I'd either keep the 993, and sell the 7'er (if it's even worth it to sell, those babies don't command much in the Used Market due to cost of upkeep, etc). Or most likely, I'd get rid of both, and get something that is more an all arounder, and new/more reliable.

You're obviously a car enthusiast, so you will forego what would be the smartest fiscal move: Sell both and get an Accord, etc., so you take the plunge, and you decide "I only live once, and I want to enjoy it via my favorite hobbies, etc.", so your current plan of attack is to ensure, taking everything into consideration, you are walking a very fine line.

Edit:

Thinking about it more. If the 993 is THE car to you, i.e it's something that could put a smile on your face, and make you feel life is okay, regardless where you're truly at in life, then keep it, and don't care about what it costs to keep going.

If you do decide that, then, IMO best plan is to sell the Bimmer for something new, Reliable, etc. to just beat around in, etc. Then you can put your Enthusiasts attention and funds all into the Porsche.

If you find yourself lusting after other cars, like the AMG's, etc. more-so than the thought of keeping and enjoying/preserving the 911, then it's time to move on.

stever500

I agree with what you're saying at the end, there. I will put a lot of thought into this, for sure. It's funny how few of my friends know anything about these E series AMG cars. I mentioned it to a few and they "Why don't you save a lot of money and just get a used E350 instead? Why do you need an AMG, expensive to fix, high horsepower car for the Maryland suburbs with all this traffic?"

They just don't get it. I shouldn't have expected them too, I guess. Most of them aren't car people.

bjr7141

exactly life wont be over tomorrow, and it is always good to have your eye on a prize, some sort of motivation

I would sell your cars

I would buy an E55, with less than 60k on the clock, get a warranty and save the rest ... i just bought my e55 a few months back and im loving it ... expensive to maintain but the warranty has saved me

and speed wise, this car is sick, and mine is stock

either way decide to keep em or sell em, do it asap ... waiting is wasting



Few links I looked at before purchasing:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/tests/co...valley-of-fire

http://www.roadandtrack.com/tests/comparison/power-trip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMENRzUBB58

http://www.dragtimes.com/Mercedes-Be...l?resultpage=3 Some guys ... probably on this forum are running 11.7-11.8 stock ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbIVChrVGIo this may appeal to you being a 911 owner, def appealed to me being a 996tt owner ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOD_w...eature=related he may pic the audi ... but i didnt

VCA_AMG

You need new friends

stever500

Awesome links! I've been reading them and watching all the You Tube videos. Incredible. I want... but not sure yet.

bjr7141

I drive my car 100 miles a day too and from NYC ... i live in stamford ct

and sometimes double on the weekends ...

i used to do the same with my 996tt ... which is not a traffic car

however the e55 is a blessing in traffic ... gas mileage on my commute is 18.7 according to my computer ... much less on weekend driving



e 350 is a nice car don't get me wrong, but the target market is beautiful blonds ...

220S

Beautiful blonds? E350? Try maybe washed up old trophy wives with dyed blond hair and thick lipstick. Or blue-haired grandmas.

Scott Lenger

That 993 stinks and is going to cost you a bundle in repairs - lucky for you I'll take it off your hands.

I think your 740 is the pinnacle for BMW as they went the wrong direction after that in both technology and styling IMO. The 993C4S is a car I've lusted after for years and probably will have in my garage one day too.

That all said - you have two cars that although toward the bottom of their depreciation curves are costing you a lot to keep up. These are luxuries and you need to make responsible decisions based upon your own individual circumstances.

Realize that these are luxuries and you need to determine what a reasonable budget is for yourself for indulgences.

stever500

Yes, this I know. I'm going to wait till one of them REALLY f's up and then make my decision. Right now they're both right as rain and could go a year or so without any expensive problems as I've kept on top of them like white on rice.

I showed the pics of the car to my uncle today and he LOVES the way the E63 and E55 look. But, he doesn't want me selling my 993 because he has a Boxster S and we do a lot of Porsche events together.

bigswin

I just go back to main point man...now your cars are sellable. I don't know alot of folks who would want to buy a broke down car from you. Sell now while you can and buy something else.

Quadcammer

Steve, I've read about 6 of these threads in the past 2 years.

Either you need to sell the cars and get something else, or you need to decide to keep them. This back and forth stuff is going to drive you crazy.

Btw, I wouldn't buy a used high mileage e55/63 if you are looking for a cheap easy to maintain vehicle.

As to the guy who said an 87k mile C4s wouldn't sell for $28k, you obviously don't know much about air cooled porsches.

CWW

They'd have to pry the keys to that 993 out of my cold dead hands. I can't believe you want to let that go, it's in such nice shape too. Keep that sucker, who cares what the wife says. Well I guess you have to, don't you? Still, keep the porsche. Start looking for a storage locker to stick it in, and just tell her it's sold, before you actually sell it. That is rapidly becoming a collectible. The values for the air cooled 911's are increasing at a rate where you're probably driving for free at this point, even factoring in the maintenance.

The E38 as it ages turns into a real maintenance hog, on the other hand. You should offload that thing before you wind up with 10X what the car's worth in repair bills. BMW's do not age well, trust me I know. Don't call 'em Brokedown Motor Werks for nothing.

stever500

Well, I just drove up to York PA today to visit my uncle that has a Porsche Boxster S. He LOVES this car, driving it most of the winter with the top down even when it's lightly snowing. He really doesn't want me to sell the 993 as we do events together and it's a nice bonding time for us. Your words reminded me how much I love that little car of mine...

Your idea of selling the BMW and buying something really reliable like... a preowned Honda Accord or something like that is a thought. It's not a thought I'm happy with at all, but it's something smart to consider.

This car crazy uncle of mine went to South Beach recently to visit his daughter there who has a friend that has this amazing car.... (see link below). Maybe I should throw all caution to the wind and just get this instead - crazy: If you're a car guy, you might like this story:

http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/794065

It's only 2.2 million.


Nice license plate. Very expensive to get this apparently











Going back to England to get the $60,000 windshield replaced. Insurance is $17k a month. Tune up is $21k. And you thought your Mercedes was expensive to maintain!

220S

+1 And now he's posting pics of Veyrons. And talking about an Accord now as maybe "smart" when he made posts about a Lexus he saw that he was going to buy(?) And in the past posted pics of expensive watches. Then about some serious money problems and a job demotion.

The grass might always seem greener on the other side but you still have to mow it. My advice, fwiw: quit the daydreaming and live with what you have.

That's not really the case. The prices have been dropping dramatically compared to what they were a few years ago. I've wanted to sell mine (I have three cars and would prefer to get it down to just one now purely for the sake of convenience) but I'm holding on to it until the prices might go back up. But it's like real estate, they may not go back up since it was a bubble in the first place. These are great cars but they aren't the end all of P-cars that everyone thinks they are. Really more myth than reality. The only way to invest in this car is to have one with less than 10k on it and make it a garage queen: i.e., don't enjoy using it.

imho, if you're a real collector there are better investment cars to put your money into. If you want one to drive, they are fun and relatively decent maintenance-wise, but still expensive. And (after the '95 non OBD II models) they will need a top end job eventually because of the SAI/CEL issue. They are also pretty slow compared to modern cars. (personally, if I were to own another it would a turbo version simply for the power that all of us have now become addicted with.....)

stever500

I had my CEL on for 5 years and finally had it "fixed". It didn't need a top end job but instead $750 to have the ports cleaned (I think that's the terminology). No more SAI/CEL problem now. I hope it's lasts. The guy that did it said the CEL could come back on at some point in maybe a year or 2 and to simply drive it hard.

220S

As we all know, it doesn't "fix" anything. The underlying issue is an engineering design problem. The guide material is too soft. Valve guide wear will happen over time and 993s with mileage are all suspect.

There are all kinds of SAI cleaning methods, but none will actually solve it. Having a CEL on or coming back on after the "fix" is a headache in places with tough emission regulations (like CA.) The SAI only affects emissions.

That's why 993s with top end jobs (with actual valve guide replacements) command more money on the used market. Granted not all SAI CELs mean you need a top end done, but the underlying problem is the guide material and that's the ultimate and final fix. In the meantime replacing the check valve every 25k can help, too. And yes, drive the car hard. Carbon is the culprit and keeping the SAI passages from clogging is part of the trick. fwiw, carbon is also an issue on the new DI motors (for other reasons, not emissions.)

stever500

I strangely haven't had an emissions notice come to me in 5 years. I don't get that but am happy for it. I only spent the money for this SAI fix because I might sell it soon. Not doing anything for now but will see how it goes in the next month or so.

On a completely separate topic, I was riding my bike in Potomac MD today and I heard this loud car approach me at a stop sign by Glen Rd. It was stunning - the new black, E63 with the new body style. WOW. I'm not a big fan of the regular new E350's I've seen on the road but this car in all black and beautifully detailed made for quite a sight.

When it took off it let out a wonderful growl. Maybe in 6 years I could get one preowned.

FASN8N

Sell the 7
Keep the 911
Buy a 4 post lift for the garage (911 on top and E55/E63 on bottom for daily use)
All three cars have garage space too!

stever500

I like your idea but I need the money from the sale of the 7 series plus the 911 to buy an E55/63.

bjr7141

exactly ... who wants an old porsche that will get the doors blow off by most cars on the road

power is addicting ... sell both those cars get the e55 warranty up, and save for the 996tt

who cares how its cool ... air, water, cat **** ...

forced induction is where its attttt