Exactly. New dream car. Mine are pretty much "current lusted after car".

Like a girl I pick up, I'm banging her tonight, tomorrow is a new day.

 

Arent you married?

 

But to a human not an object.

 

Why take a step down?
He has two ALL American Corvettes.

I bought my dream Corvette (04Z06 LeMans) and sold the C4. Times changed and the C5 is seldom driven now.
The longer I keep it, the more of the initial investment is lost.

IMO sell the C6 and continue to enjoy the C4.

 

This.

I sold my ‘96LT4 and instantly regretted it while watching it drive away. I even froze the moment in time by snapping a couple pics. I still have an ‘84 but it is far from stock or pristine like my ‘96 was.

 

Stood in this spot previously. This is where the mind and heart are in sync, racing together. "Did I really just do this? Did I royally just fnck up?"

 

You could not give me a German car if I had to pay for the maintenance and needed to depend on it daily. Saw enough problems from family and friends.

 

I had 3 MBs. One made it to 480K with me mashing the throttle and the trans never failed for that far. The other 2 have about 200K plus a piece. Biggest money I spent on them is the body work (WI has salt instead of asphalt in winters). 2nd is PM. Brakes, flushes for fluids, etc. The stuff was rock solid with some exceptions but my domestics have not been half as good. Bonus feature? I don't hear the word "OBSOLETE" anywheres close to what I hear on my domestics.

 

Aren't yours all old though? Anything like 05ish or newer is way less reliable. Airmatic, ABC, Braketronic, the Dohc engines.. Those are all literal nightmares. Don't even get me started on BMWs or Audis....

 

The only 996 I'd buy would be a 2wd Coupe - preferably an early 3.4 liter car. You can still get them for around 20k. They are not nearly as well put together as a 997 but are a blast to drive. Put on an aggressive exhaust, replace the worn shocks/springs with factory stuff, replace the clutch and IMS bearing, and generally have a good time. They are not super fast cars (excepting the Turbo) but they are fun, relatively light, and tossable. You will get the full 911 experience at a fairly low cost. If/when the motor grenades then you can have an LS motor shoved in the rear for a reasonable.sum by Renegade Hybrids.

 

Its a step down in your opinion... not mine. I actually hate the base C6 models... I think their ugly and nick named them "fleet sides", like the old pickups. A C6 Z06, different story for me... I also bought a couple of C5 Z06's ... one pretty fast modded example. Ive had 6 C4s... 2 C5s and a C3. I was Vetteless for a couple of years. When I had the chance to get back into one, I chose the ZR-1 again. (90 is my second)... Is the C6 a better overall car??, probably from a comfort and technological standpoint....is the C5 a better car than the ZR-1..... again, probably from the same perspectives. Is it a better car for me? No. I like the overall driving experience better in a C4 than a C5... I like the looks better... I like the interior and seats better.... so for me... its more of a step up... not down. Its all about individual perspective.... One mans junk is another mans treasure.

 

I've all but talked myself out of the early 3.4 cars. They're cheaper, UT only ightly, but also less powerful, I think the front is hideous, and the 3.4 is somehow even worse of an engine than the 3.6, which has more than its share of reliability problems. My dad and I are currently fixing a 3.4 car with cracked heads. IMO, a 996 has to be under 20k to be worth buying over a 997S.

 

997S's are fantastic cars. I owned (purchased in 2015) a really nice '05 for about 2 years, then sold it for about what I paid for it. I'll get another 911 in a few years, probably a 991.2 Base or T. Currently, I have a resto-mod 93 C4 coupe, an Audi S4, and a Fiat X1/9 with a Honda K20 motor. When I retire next year, I'll likely start looking for 991.2's to replace the Audi.

 

This is why my brother started working on these cars on the side.

 

I do have an 04. Airmatic but no DOHC or SBC. Yes, the first time it came out, it was a problem. IIRC, they had some recalls and the shocks are expensive to rebuild when they go south. But looking at the comfort they give compared to the predecessor, well, it isn't too bad. Yes, they do a more for maintenance but if you keep that up, even later models aren't as troublesome as some have made it out to be. Problem seems to be when you use US maintenance styles, it doesn't work as well.

I bought the 99 E300 Turbodiesel 5 years old. Drove it for 480K although people kept telling me back then that all the electronics COULD fail and cost a bunch of money. I blew 2 AC compressors and 2 alternators. 1 seat heater,1 window regulator, 2 sets of fuel lines and 1 rebuilt injector pump. When the 2nd compressor failed, I made that a "dog transport to the park" car since I would never drive it any distance without AC. I stabbed the seat with a screwdriver in the pants pocket. When the rust made enough holes and the water shorted out the sunroof, radio and the regulator broke, I decided to give it away. All the apocalyptic messages never came about. I have friends with newer MBs and a Master Tech that fixes them. They aren't that bad if you follow MB service schedules. In fact, probably cheap. If you follow US maintenance styles, well....

 

I've owned 6 BMWs to date.... all have been great cars. If you can turn wrenches, their no different than any other car. Like someone above said, theres issues with every single car manufactured.... none are perfect and all have an Achilles heel... ALL of them.

 

True enough. However, their Achilles heels are different. I'd rather replace an opti, than timing chain tensioners on an Audi 4.2 V8.

 

I think it needs more detail before a decision can be made. I can crawl under the 7.3 and replace the CPS and be on my way in 20 minutes. I just need my 3/8 ratchet with a 4 in extension and a 10mm socket and the CPS which is easy to carry. An opti failure is a tow to a service facility since I am sure, most of us won't have everything necessary on a trip. So trip disruption is one factor. Just as an "apples to apples" comparison, I know I can get a CPS at any International dealer. Is it that easy to get an Opti?

The Audi chain tensioner. Is that generally a maintenance item where if you do it regularly, you will be fine? IF so, how often and how much? That also plays a role in the decision. I guess I am trying to say that there are a lot more factors than just simply "How much to replace".

 

Porsche is all fun and games until that first rust blister appears........

 

How does this differ from other cars? Yes, many shops are collision only but isn't rust fixing still rust fixing or is there something different about Porsche?