The Secret to Air-Cooled Porsche Buying Success

The Secret to Air-Cooled Porsche Buying Success

There are a lot of air-cooled Porsches for sale in the market, some really nice ones, some not so nice. You need to enter the market with your eyes wide open and with the realization that you will need to put money into whatever you buy. It will be the rare 22 to 50 or 60-year old air-cooled Porsche purchase that won’t require something to make it fit your needs. Every air-cooled Porsche probably has some deferred maintenance issue or modification that the current owner has put up with, but that will demand your attention.

But, this is not the air-cooled Porsche buying secret. It is important for you, but not the secret to success.

Air-Cooled Porsches for Sale

The air-cooled Porsche buying success secret is patience.

When one makes the decision to buy and air-cooled Porsche the majority of shoppers want instant gratification and often jump too soon and compromise for what they really want to own and enjoy. The last thing you want after the initial glow of the purchase wears off, is buyer’s remorse because you wanted a Viper Green 911 not a black 911 or you bought the Targa instead of the coupe to save a few dollars, but now every time you see a coupe you wish you had waited.

I believe every car enthusiast has made this mistake, buying to satisfy the instant gratification of buying, but not buying what you really wanted. The thing is, the car is out there if you have the patience and can search the market, let a few get away and just keep looking.

The best way to approach the buying process is to identify what you want by being very specific with such factors as:

• Body style: coupe, cab or targa

• Color: you need to have two or three options to search

• Interior: leather, vinyl and what color

• Condition: driver, concours or project

• Price: Market price, below market or premium to get exactly what you want.

I am convinced that you can find the air-cooled Porsche you want in the body style, color, condition and year if you are just patient and can overcome the “I want it now!” disease.

As many of you know I have owned a 1986 Carrera 3.2 for over 20 years but I always wanted to add a 914 to the stable. Several years ago I decided to pursue one with these specifics: an unmolested 1973 2.0 liter with the original fuel injection in one of the orange exterior colors with black interior. I set this goal and started the search. Many times I was ready to jump on something that wasn’t quite to my specs, but was close.

I held out and two years later I finally found a Phoenix Red (appears orange) 1973 914 semi-original car. The one area that I did compromise was the price in that I paid more than I wanted and actually over market, but it was worth it for me to get the right car. The fact that I paid a premium bothered me only on the day that I wired the money. Once the bright orange Porsche 914 arrived in my garage, pride of ownership overcame any regrets that I might have paid too much.

1973 Porsche 914 2.0 liter in Phoenix Red

And, now four years later I am still enjoying the car, 914’s have seen a little appreciation and I am a happy owner as opposed to wishing I had waited for the orange one as I am driving the common black one.

Patience is the air-cooled Porsche buying success secret. Set your parameters and watch the market.

Tags: Porsche 914 for sale, Porsche 356 for sale, Porsche 911 for sale, Air-Cooled Porsche Buying Secret. Buying Air-Cooled Porsches