<div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div>Erik, <br><br></div>Your project-car load is out of control! :)<br><br></div>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) <br><br></div>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 :)<br><br></div>David<br><div><div><br><br></div></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Jul 1, 2015 at 1:38 PM, Erik Halvorson <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:hammer_down@hotmail.com" target="_blank">hammer_down@hotmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div><div dir="ltr">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. <br> <br>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.<br> <br>Cheers,<br>Erik<br> <br><div><hr></div> </div></div>
</blockquote></div><br></div>