Youth and Porsches

I have been a a Rennlist lurker for a few years, and I always enjoy reading the 996/TT boards because the young Porsche drivers are so enthusiastic. I have noticed many guys <25 buying brand new 996's. I am very intrigued on hearing the great stories about how they acquired such great vehicles. Are you guys Internet millionaires? Win the lotto? I have a funny tale...it was 1986 and I meet this 20 year old kid driving an '86 930. He was a security guard for an exotic car rental service and a fire erupted in the garage. He saved about five cars from the fire, and management told him he could keep one of the five. Any other exciting stories?

I won the lottery.. $25 a week for life... So I got that going for me..

Deleted

I work hard... It also helps that I am really good at what I do. My annual income is entirely up to me. Clich� but "if there is a will there is a way" 8th Year in the "Internet" space 4 companies Internet related (Networks) lots of worthless stock! Back to what I said I work hard.

Very interesting...makes me wish I had worked harder when I was younger, could have bought a 959.

Just turned 28 and waiting for my 2nd Pcar but first 911. Started working in the stock market in late 99, and have been working my butt off ever since. No wife, no kids, own my own place and I keep my other bills pretty low. Basically budgeting and not blowing money on useless things like I did in college.

HUH? You say in once sentence "I bought my Porsche in 8/03" Then we get to hear about your "well off parents" who bought you, your Porsche"? So which is it? You then go on to say " well to do Asian parents who like to show off"....ummmm....ok....And do you like showing them off as well? You also say " I work hard, make good money".....Cool! have you bought anything for yourself yet?....or is that entirely up to your parents, and your "coporate attorney" wife?.......Of course No Flame intended

I think he means to say he is dependently wealthy .

Interesting... When I was in my early twenties the last thing I was thinking about was spending excessive amounts of money on fancy cars. I started earning a good living about three years after school and by 24 bought 49% of the company I worked for. I owned a Toyota Celica and a Mercury. Learning that employees got paid before me, autos were way down the list of priorities. I sold out in 81 and founded another company in 82, which again required working capital commitments for a few years. I got my first nice car, a custom twin turbo 535 BMW in 85 then to a new MBZ 380SL. Since those days, I've owned what I wanted when. Never thought I'd ever spend the money I have on autos.

Very interesting with Oakland's case. He doesn't make any sence what so ever. Im sure he could be lying, and used that story to somewhat back-up his cars, or those cars. When I was 24, I was back in Portugal, and was driving an Alfa Romeo Duetto. Probably equivlent to a SLK320 today.

26 y.o, two incomes, one car, no kids

26 y.o., one income, two cars. I've wanted a 911 as long as I can remember. When I was still considering buying one... the one I was interested was still on the boat, but the day it came into the dealership the salesman said, "your car is here." Well, since he said it was mine, I had to buy it Needless to say, it didn't take too much convincing.

A few frineds of mine who owns porsche or other sports cars around the age of 24. They have no wife, no kids, no saving and spend most of their income on what they love - cars. It is not that difficult to lease a porsche if you have a decent job. It all depends on how you mange your income.

24 y.o., Day trader -

Nothing beats inheritance. I know this person who owns the following cars: used 99 996 at 18 sold the 996 after ordered a RUF RGT Bought a brand new M3 while waiting for the RGT Bought another RGT to sell at the states after the first one arrived Did a couple of professional races After I know this person for a year or two I can't resists to ask when that person do for a living. The answer was: I don't do anything. That person is from a RICH family....

HAHHAHAHA, Yes Kam.... I know that person as well!! Too bad she couldn't do better in those races, as she had never even Club Raced. I was quit envious, as it was the true definition of a "bought ride." I guess it helps her to have a different last name now, as to make it not so obvious as to where the money came from. Mitch

24 - single - no kids Yes, discipline and a decent break when it came to getting a good job are probably behind 90% of "us" - whoever we are as young owners. I have the same story as a lot of people - i have a finacial career, work hard, like it and get paid well to do it well. The P-car came (4 years used after 11 months of searching for the right one) after a three year stint with a mini van and then no car at all. I saved everything while I didn't have the car, had a plan for exactly how much I would be willing to spend when I did get the car and made sure I was still saving a good chunk once I had the car. Rightly or wrongly, as with a few other cars I've owner, I've always taken resale into consideration...I know how much I paid for this car and have a pretty good idea that I can resell for the same price (yes, argue if you like).

Geez... When I was 24, me and the wife's only car Maxima got repoed because our dog got sick and ran up a huge vet bill (I think it was 1500, HUGE by our standard back then.) True story. Peter Liao

Mitch: Don't make it too obvious... I don't want people who don't know the person know who the person is. K

I'm 28 now, bought by C4 used a few years ago. I'm a doctor of chiropractic and I've had my own practice/ business now for 3 years and I have plans to open a second office. Wife works in hi-tech, we own our own home, and have no kids yet.

who's that girl, i want to know who she is? a celebrity? or member of this board?

22 years old and working hard... well... i did work hard. Don't own a new 996 but a 2000. I am working towards my degree and I am currently working as a database administrator.

...Interesting thread. 33 now (wife of 4 years same). I'm an executive with a technology company in Seattle (all things bar code data driven) and have been on board for 9 years. Started at the bottom (had a family connection), now second from the top (VP). Paid for it though...have lived in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Minneapolis, Toronto, now Seattle (almost 4 years). Happy to be back on West Coast! So is wife (Personal Trainer Fitness Director for US Gov't facility). No kids (never), have been dreaming of Porsche since age 12. Purchased new 1999 996 at 29, then new 2001 996 when Porsche bought back the 1999. Recently sold the 01 and am driving (and absolutley loving) a cherry 1987 Carrera Coupe (my first air cooled Porsche). Expect a 997 "S" sometime down the road. It should be noted that even with two very good incomes, if we had children our auto choices would be much different. Taking a $50K hit on the 2001 996 was an eye opening experience and may compell me to buy only 'previously enjoyed' cars from now on!!!

What happened to Oakland996 post ? I was hoping he could enlighten us...I'm curious how one becomes a corp. attorney at 24 !

I too am interested. More so in seeing pics of some of his cars...

Examples of immature over indulgence. Buy real estate and learn to live with an appreciating asset. I'll bet this will get some flamin'.......

...no flame from me, however I would resent the immature/overindulgence comment only because I don't think that's an accurate statement. Anyone who purchases a new car, especially a high dollar auto should expect depreciation the minute it's driven off the lot. Only a fool wouldn't. However!!!, over time the general resale value of Porsche's 911 variants has been relatively strong compared to most other marques in the same segment. Certainly the 993 is proof (albeit with the added bonus of being the last air cooled version). Mass production of the 996 and a rather unsavory economic climate to boot has really pounded the used 996 market. There would have been no way to predict a nearly 50% depreciation in just two years time. Now considering your point (a good one BTW), buying real estate would have been the smart play with the benefit of hindsight of course. When I purchased my 2001 996 in June 2001, the tech bubble hadn't yet burst, the markets were still strong and of course September 11th hadn't happened yet. Since I move around a lot and am still young real estate (other than primary residence) was not a consideration at the time as an alternative to plunking down the full $105K (paid cash no loan) for a rapidly depreciating toy. I take some consolation though in the fact that had I thrown the money at Nasdaq instead (name just about any company)........I'd be WAAAYYYY worse of than I am now!!!!

The Nasdaq is only down 10% from June of '01 and up 45% ytd so we can't use that rationalization anymore. Sorry for the reality check but you wouldn't have lost as much.

I can personally attest that westcoast996 would have lost more $. Check your records for Cisco & GE, two of the best run companies in the world. Westcoast you would say some crap like that, to undermine my perfectly simpistic overgeneralization.

touch'eh

Example 2: Sold stock in feb 2000 to buy the C4. The stock I sold is now worth about $5k, car is worth a bit more...........

This deserves some flamin'... We already own a home (our second - made 100K on the first one in 2 years), are partners in a commercial real estate venture, and have a formidable securities portfolio. Not everyone who is young is stupid and spendthrift. Some of us just want to drive the car that we always dreamed of while we can still enjoy it. That said, I do know quite a few people my age who have $50K+ cars and live with their parents or rent an apartment.

I have my own home but i do know other guys just a little older than me that have $160k+ cars that don't own their own place. One is in the process of purchasing one though. One drives a 550 Maranello and the other has a 360 Spyder (25yrs old and on his 27th car)

when i got my new c4s, co-workers asked, "how can you afford that, i can't?" most morons don't even realize how much their 3 kids costs them...i have none, therefore i drive a Porsche and travel and do lots of fun things none of my children bearing friends can... my mom told me when i was a teenager...you either have kids or you have things...

Yes, you're right. I have 3 kids, drive a 996, and we travel. Without the kids, I would have been tracking and racing a cup car in addition to the street 996. However, I would choose my kids over a cup car.

Wow some nice stories here. I've been interested in cars, particularly exotic ones since probably before I could talk so having a nice, reliable, sporty car is sort of a priority. Right now I'm looking into getting the best example of a 944na that I can find, since thats the most I can afford - being 20yo and in university. I'm going start saving up for a 911 as soon as I can though and I hope to get one before I turn 30 if all goes well. Of course this all depends on whether I go for my PhD or not and how soon I begin working full time. Maybe so, but perhaps we just have different priorities. While I'm young I want a nice car, when I get older and have the time to settle down then I'll want a house.

jeez....

i agree with you somewhat...i made close to a million at the age of 22 in the stock market a few years ago paid cash for a 00 996 and added 20k worth of mods to it spending over 100k I didn't even sweat when i signed the check. Thought since i was so ahead i can spare the extra money for a car but should have kept my discipline that allowed me to make a fortune on the market. i missed an opportunity to buy a house in a new development in SF for $550k with 110k down payment. 6 months later after the house was built it was on the market for $750k for bid. I could have bought the house first and made another easy 200k also. I was also foolish to be so in a hurry to get my first porsche that I spent so much on the Porsche for the amount I spent on the car plus upgrades I could have got a turbo 1 year later. However, I disagree that you say it is being immature. Sure we can discuss how people bought their porsche at such a young age,but the bottom line is that it is their money and not our business or doesn't matter to us. Others would always criticize that they had the answer how money should have been spent, but remember to yourself, if you were doing everything perfect financially, from what I've seen through individuals that are truly financially independent, they don't care how other people spend their money since they lack insecurity that leads others to question how does he have one and why do I not have one?, or comments like "man o man, if I had 100k I would have bought a house instead, that guy is stupid." hmmm notice how the comments say if "I had." Mysterys only come to life when its something you never experienced or witnessed. The key to break out of this attitude is to stop judging how successful people run their lives because whether a kid bought a porsche by using his parent's bank account or to use their hard earned cash the fact that they are driving one is a success in their own life and we should let them be. (Even a kid that convinced their parents to buy them a 80k+ porsche is successful because even though my parents could afford to buy me one, I was never good enough to convince them.) Socrates always liked people to ask questions, but the questions he taught that should be asked are those to enlighten one's life, not to waste their time or show their insecurities or failures. If one must ask why younger people are driving porsche's these days, it makes you wonder, did they have one when they were young and now they are envious? If I were to ask the same question, it would make others think I believe I was the only young guy to own a porsche. This is the real world, and there are many successful people out there. The key to being successful is mind your own business focus on your own goals and meet them. I don't mean to flame the topic all i want to say is that everyone has their opinions and voice them everday but we must remember they mean nothing unless they are fruitful. Negative ones that I've read like oh he's a rich guy, or he has 1mm worth of cars and no home etc. are only from those who want to say something bad or just say something period. Opinions that do count are those that truly are productive and make people either money or enrich their lives. That is why some adviser such as lawyers, doctors, bankers get paid big bucks just to say a few words based on their own knowledge or instinct. The other 95% of the world only hold picket signs and yell out useless comments. Just look at what happened to the grocery stores.

Good Insight.

i'm 28, just got a huge sign on bonus and bought this car the same day in cash. love it! finally finished with school (8 years of it!).

Reached 32 with a new 996 Cab and a new Range Rover... Now 34 still have the cars but have only bought cribs and jewelry since The secret ? Make your first $1M BEFORE you get married and have kids

I�m 32 got married young had to kids worked as a Lorry driver to pay for my wife through UNI.. she got a great job + lover � divorce I fell out of the cab of my truck which I was living in at the time ..smashed my ankle so went to college found out I could understand algorithms bull****ted my way into a government contract learned the job and in 5 years earned over �500,000 I�ve got 3 Porkers 2 944 S2�s (one racing) and one very old 911 turbo.. I�m buying a TVR Cerbera in the spring. Just goes to show life isn�t over even when the tanks on empty.

Ahhh.. The well meaning wisdom of a 20 something... A friend of mine made an offhand comment ending a statement concerning my car, "when cars were important to him". This senior guy has prostate cancer, his wife terminal cancer and his knees are giving out - preventing him from playing tennis (which is a large part of his life). This is important. Trappings of success (objects like cars/diamonds) appear important to lots of folks, but when you get down to the short hairs - they're not. That's probably something a dad would say. Personally, I like my cars because of the thrills and joys of the performance (the bike is better for that tho'). Some of these forums are for opinions (like this topic) others tech help, I have no remorse & make no apologies....

Hey falks there are 2 facts in life: birth and death, everything in between should be fun. Why wait till you can not enjoy, but able to afford? It's only money and if you can make a payment, enjoy it, there might not an opportunity tomorrow. In my case I had to wait till 38 to get my first P-car, and only after my first child. With second one on the way, I can tell P-car only enhances life, not the life. my 2 cents and back to work

This from someone with a $75K sports car, a $65K SUV, and a BMW bike. People in their 20s have just as much right to enjoy performance vehicles as you do. And guess what, we aren't all morons. Age does not always breed intelligence.

I agree. But objects are not an indicator of IQ. More likely, they are an indicator of a persons luck with the parents they wind up with (or their husbands).......

BTW, I didn't mean to suggest that anyone was a moron or less intelligent than anyone else. One can be selfish &/or self indulgent and be very bright (just making a clarification). Just prior to getting married @ 20 (a hundred years ago), I emptied my bank account for a 1/3 interest in an original '27 Pontiac coupe, two buds & I were going to put a Buick V8 in. I thought I'd never be able to do it married. Was I right - yes. Was I immature & self indulgent - yes. I never saw the coupe again after I was hitched. I got whipped early.

Woah, you are 120 years old? j/k

About being selfish... I figure you require a car in todays world and $25 000CAD can get you something practical and reliable enough for getting you where you need to go, so I've made a commitment to make a minimum donation to charity of 5% whatever I spend over that $25 000 mark. Ie if I get a $100400 996 I'd make a donation equaling 5% of the $75400 I'm simply spending for my own pelasure to charity. 5% isn't all that much, but I was trying to make reasonable goal. I think of it as "God's tax"...

I sure feel like it a lot of days. I just lie about my age. Five percenter, you are truly noble. May the wind be at your back along the journey.

It turns out that behavior that can be characterized as young and foolish, is actually quite appropriate for the young and foolish. As a person who has attained age, and I would like to think, some wisdom associated with all that experience, I can say for certain that age has made me..........older. When cars are no longer important things in my life, I will probably part ways with them, that does not mean they ultimately were not important things in my life, only that they are not at that point in time. Life is a compendium of experiences, few get the privilege of experiencing Porsche. Enjoy it.

"Life is a compendium of experiences, few get the privilege of experiencing Porsche. Enjoy it." Well said Gretch.

i think its time to bring in the yin yang. so is it fine if cocaine use was legal and we just did it occasionally? Cuz we have to live life to the fullest is the vibe i'm getting from the discussion and from what i'm told crack is a irresistible high. i hear that it also makes you perform better intercourse, so that justifies the risks involved of using it just like the joys of driving fast cars. i told my wife our goals haven't yet been accomplished as i haven't made money work for me, and she told me her goal is finished as she's a successful mom of 3 kids she brought to the world. so you're right everyone has a different definition of success but that yin yang will tell you that the true key is balance and happiness. btw, the opinions i'm against are those criticisms about individuals people know very little about. when my grandpa used to hear someone talking about another person he always used to say, "why do you keep talking about that person... if he's not important to you then don't talk about him"

this site is sweeeeet~ I thought I had to pay some $ to join and post, but I found out that it was because I clicked some wrong buttons to register that I couldn't post. anyways, glad to be here... i'm parkman... i'm an Alcoholic... j/k 28, attorney, washington d.c. Love cars, can't afford any more tickets... currently in driver improvement school for getting a 75 on a 55 wreckless driving ticket~ hmm... lived in the u.s. for 7 years now, love it. have suped up every car that I've owned including... hyundai scoupe turbo (245hp), hyundai tiburon (custom turbo 215hp), ssangyong korando turbo diesel, daewoo chairman (all back in Korea)... mitsubishi eclipse gs, nissan 300zx 2+2 non-turbo, acura rl 3.5, nissan 300zx twin turbo (410hp still own it, stillen modified), volvo s70 turbo (never dynoed but modified), and now this baby~ My two friends in this area introduced me into the world of pcars, and i'm loving it every day. just hope it lasts forever! gotta drive safely The one friend that I did the recent headlight and tail light install with has owned virtually every fast car ever made including a twin turbo viper gts, a supercharged viper gts, a 1000rwhp toyota supra, a 600hp 300zx, a 380hp rx7, etc... the other friend is a car fanatic who has owned 2 dinan supercharged m3's, and currently owns a 540i, a e320, and a c4 with gt3 aero kit and highly modified. i'll be posting pics soon of everyone's cars. By the way, there's this store literally right behind my house called intersport that works on pcars and they do all sorts of crazy stuff to these cars so i'll be posting pics from there too~ my best friend owns a tuning shp in the same complex and he does all sorts of crazy stuff to jap tuner cars. his url is www.vertexmotorsports.com. I suggest you check out his store if you live in the dc area and tell him that parkman sent you. he gives reallllllly good deals. hope to be here for a long long time...

welcome parkman...enjoy the ride on the rennlist board!

I don't know where cocain came from?? But since the subject came up, speed can be addictive. Ask me and I'll tell you it is. Some like my bride will tell you it's terminal addiction. She might be right, time will tell. I spoke with Arneson a few years ago. He invented Arneson pool sweeps and has one of the fastest boats on the water (130mph +). He was in his 70's; The sign he had on his display said, "How fast to I have to go to meet my maker". Pretty cryptic, huh. I didn't mean to personize my comments, but I'll tell you I'm old enough to be your grandfather and I stick with, buy real estate. I think you're right balance is the key.

Hey Parkman, I live in Mclean too. I know Steve at Vertex as we went to Junior high, high school, and college together. Not sure how much work he does on Porsches (or german cars in general) but he is definately cleaning up on the japaneses stuff. I would avoid intersport. Thier prices and expertise I have found suspect, but if you have a connect then go for it. Unfortunately I wil be moving away from Mclean (I have been there since 88) and starting over in the Middle East. i am trying to take my porsche with me but gotta do some calculations to see if it is feasible. Congrats on the new car, I hope you got a good deal from HBL, they are tough to bargain with. Ashraf

hey guys~ thanks for the warm welcome. Ashraf, we should meet up sometime. me and two of my buddies all live in mclean and all enjoy tuning cars. they both have carrera's one is a c2 and the other is a c4 both with aero kits, suspension, etc... pm me if you're interested.

33 years young. I bought my first "real car" a 1981 911SC coupe at 27 in 1997. Sold it for a 1997 Jag (mistake) in 2000. 2001 sold it for a 91 C2 Cab. Sold it for a 1995 Lotus Esprit S4 in 2002(great car). Sold it last week for a 99 996. I also have a 94 Jetta that is my airport/Home Depot car. Grew up in a log house in the mountains of Utah and waited tables and rented skiis to pay for flight school. Earned every F***ing cent I have. I see 20 year olds running around in high end cars here in L.A. and I know that I wasn't a member of the lucky sperm club. Big deal. I have a great life because I get the satisfaction of knowing I got where I am from hard work and keeping my head high. When the majority of these people get out into the real world they get chewed up by people who know what it is like to be hungry. There is always someone else who has a nicer car better house and more $$$$ in the bank. The best we can do is be proud of what we have earned and respect what others have given to us. The soap box is put away

i bought my 996 at 23 and i'm very glad i did. i then bought a condo at 25, all with my own money. if i hadn't bought the 996 when i did i might never have done it. it felt like the right time for me to do it and then i saved up for a house and bought that. sometimes being young and foolish is fun!

At 18 I had to buy my mothers home from her, becuase she was too ill to support herself (lung cancer). I also incurred all the other bills; i.e., medical, car insurance, etc etc. I'm 23 now, and can tell you that even though I'm a pretty young homeowner (with an appreciating asset in my name) I'm very , very tired of the fulltime school/fulltime work hustle, and the lingering carrot of fullfilment that's dangling in front of me every morning. I had to put off my racing aspirations, my educational plans were derailed, etc, etc. ( I could have easily been in a nice new 996, or maybe a used TT). My 2cents... if you've got the means to apprehend your desires at a yound age, and in good health, don't put it off, just use discretion and don't over leverage because you truely don't know when you'll find yourself muttering "...the good ole days..." Regards.

bought my 996 at 23 and i'm very glad i did. i then bought a condo at 25, all with my own money. if i hadn't bought the 996 when i did i might never have done it. it felt like the right time for me to do it and then i saved up for a house and bought that. sometimes being young and foolish is fun! Ok Teflon Jones, tell us (if you don't mind) what you did between the ages of 18-23 that enabled you to earn the money for a 996. I think that is the idea behind this whole thread. I hope that my jealousy isn't too obvious.

i went to college, got an internship with a good company, then taught myself everything i could about e-commerce. at 23 i switched jobs and got a 35% pay raise which was just enough to afford a lease on my car. i grew up without very much money, paid for most of my college education myself, and other than a little help from my parents for college, i've paid all my own bills since i was 18. in order to earn this kind of money this young i've had to work a ton of hours in a super high stress job. sometimes i used to work 6 weeks at a stretch without a day off! and jealousy is a good thing, it makes you aspire to be more than you are!

Interesting thread.... Im 27 yrs old, single, no kids and freelancing. Never thought I would have an Audi TT and a Porsche 996 at the same time. Its also funny that before the Porsche when I had the TT only I told people that I will get a Ferrari 360 in blood red one day and they laughed. Now they agree with me I suppose I owe what I have to a lucky break 4 years ago in IT when I got my first contract. It was really low level work but I used it as a springboard onto better and bigger things both work wise and car wise

Collegeville! I'm up there all the time, visiting my girlfriend at Ursinus. I've never seen your car, but keep an eye out for a guards red 944

Work hard and you get what you deserve! I am 25 next week and have started two companies that are in the car field so I have many contacts in the Porsche world. I am not married (yet) and plan my budget very carefully. It is all about making choices and if you make the right ones you can have fun toys! I consider myself very lucky. Best wishes - Jay Gratton