I Sold a Thing:/

"Tripper" (tripe46)
08/01/2018 at 14:30 • Filed to: None

In the past I have mentioned that a colleague wanted to buy my !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It was really more of a joke for the longest time. When I first bought it he said “I want to buy that from you in a few years.” Earlier this year when I started looking seriously at 911's he mentioned that he was serious about buying my S3. He asked that I talk to him before I trade it in. Last week he was promoted. He stopped in and said “I’m going to buy an S3 this week and I’d really like it to be yours.”

My 997 search has slowed recently because I had only been looking for cars at local dealers. I was doing that because I would need to trade in the Audi, and if I fell in love with a car outside of my budget, I would want partial financing. If you want an Arctic Silver, non S, that hasn’t been well looked after dealers near me are your best bet!

Saracen, Manual Douche Elitist put me on to the PCA classifieds. After looking at those, other local private sellers, and cars on Bring a Trailer, I’ve realized that getting the car I want would be a lot easier if I had some cash in hand.

I had previously considered selling it but hadn’t actually listed it or anything. As most of you know selling a car privately is difficult and inconvenient. So when this guy made me a good offer, I slept on it, then took it.

I’m still feeling kind of weird/unsure about it to be honest. I wasn’t in love with the S3 the way that I am with the M3, but still I really liked the car and buying it was a milestone for me. It’s water under the bridge now. The buyers promotion moves him to another office so at least I don’t have to look at “not my car anymore” every day.

Now that it’s done I’m all fucked up, haha. Do I buy the best 997 I can find right now? Do I wait for the perfect one? How long do I wait? What if something else comes along?

I’ve never sold/traded a car without getting another one right away, or at least having another car on deck. The S3 was the second longest I have owned a vehicle, just over 3 years and driven 25k miles.

Pour one out.

DISCUSSION (22)

itschrome > Tripper
08/01/2018 at 14:42

God damn, Audi ALWAYS has the best blues... atleast it’s going to a hood home it sounds like. happy hunting for your 911!

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Tripper
08/01/2018 at 14:45

Apparently I need to implement your coworker’s strategy with Saracen’s 911...

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Tripper
08/01/2018 at 14:48

Damn, so was that your only car or do you have another in the meantime?

Arrivederci > Tripper
08/01/2018 at 14:48

Boo, but glad it’s going to a good home.

With regards to the 911, make a checklist of your needs on it and then a secondary list of wants.

Check each car you find against it - it should meet all of your “needs” and most of your “wants”. Then, once you find one that meets enough of your criteria, consider how upset you’d be if one that met literally everything showed up the day after you buy yours. If you’d still be 100% content, go ahead and buy it.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Tripper
08/01/2018 at 14:49

If you’ve been actively shopping and researching, you probably know what to look out for in terms of potential problems/money pits. If the good ones right now are sound in that regard, there’s no sense waiting around.

Tripper > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
08/01/2018 at 14:50

I’ve got an E46 M3, and a Ford Ranger.

BLCKSTRM > Tripper
08/01/2018 at 14:52

Way to go - I’ve always found it easiest to sell something when it wasn’t for sale in the first place and someone shows up on my doorstep and makes me an offer.

It sounds like you have an M3 to drive in the meanwhile?

I’d amp up my searching, but I’d be much less willing to settle if you’re not riding your bike to work.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Tripper
08/01/2018 at 14:53

I saw a Ranger today - in one of the uncommon (at least around here) colors, very cool! It was that sortof golden yellow shade...

I wish companies would get back to making no nonsense small trucks again rather than massive ‘small’ trucks with a million luxury options...

CompactLuxuryFan > Tripper
08/01/2018 at 14:55

Sounds like you planned on selling it anyway, so this is really a best case scenario. Always hurts to leave a car behind.

Speaking of, anybody looking for a manual A4 Avant? :P

Tripper > BLCKSTRM
08/01/2018 at 14:58

Thanks. Like I said I wasn’t ready, but ya can’t pass that up. I’ve got the M3, my Ranger, and a Honda Grom. So definitely no rush.

Tripper > Arrivederci
08/01/2018 at 14:58

Yea I miss it already. Were now a fully manual household.

Tripper > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
08/01/2018 at 15:00

Yea and I’ll be getting a PPI no matter what. After my first try there’s no way I can buy a car like that without one.

Tripper > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
08/01/2018 at 15:03

Yea I can’t quite explain it but I’m kind of in love with the little Ranger. I bought it a little over a year ago for truck duty. Since then I have put a lot of work into it and it’s turning out really nice. I’ve made a wood console lid, I’ve got armrests in the works to match. I’ve added power locks, mirrors, keyless entry, a stereo, backup camera etc...

Things for it are so cheap that when I have hankering to do something to a car I just get something for it.

Tripper > CompactLuxuryFan
08/01/2018 at 15:05

Indeed. Kind of like getting a new job. You know its a good move, it just feels a little weird at first.

E90M3 > Tripper
08/01/2018 at 15:11

Do I buy the best 997 I can find right now? Do I wait for the perfect one? How long do I wait? What if something else comes along?

You are in a position to wait. It took me 2 months of searching every day until I was able to find my perfect M3. Was it worth it? Absolutely . Make a list of what you want in a car, and then when one comes that fits most, if not all, buy it. For me and the M3 is came down to 1. Transmission 2. under 20k miles 3 . Leather 4 . iDrive 5 . Color (couldn’t be red or black though). Found one that fit 4 /5 and pulled the trigger, don’t regret it. That said, I might have different priorities knowing what I do now.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Tripper
08/01/2018 at 15:13

Sortof how I feel about my Accent :)

Tripper > E90M3
08/01/2018 at 15:18

My 997 must be (in order of importance):

- In a situation where I can get a pre-purchase inspection.

- Manual

- An “S” model

- RWD

- A fuckin’ rad color (green, purple, bright blue, yellow, red, etc)

Those are all “needs” although I wouldn’t turn down a C4S if it ticks all of the other boxes.

I’m not concerned with mileage only with how well it has been taken care of

E90M3 > Tripper
08/01/2018 at 15:21

That’s a pretty solid list.

I got my M3 in 2014, when they were still coming back to dealers off lease, so I wasn’t really concerned with maintenance records. It was also the first car I bought, so like when you bought your M3, I knew jack shit about buying cars.

Tripper > E90M3
08/01/2018 at 15:33

Yea my car buying experience/maturity level is far greater than it ever has been. The next one will be Vehicle #15.

My only concern is being distracted by things like Mint E39M5's, 2002's, Alfa GTV’s, M Coupes (honestly a slew of other BMWs).

Also motorcycles...I have a Grom so kind of a motorcycle but last weekend my best friend was like “Yo I have someone else’ s bike for the day, so you can ride my bike and we can go rip!” He’s got a Suzuki DR 650 that is all supermoto’d out. After the ride I told him about the sale of the Audi and he was like “Well shit, we can just go and get your dream bike now! I’ll drive you.” I’ve had my eye on a Husqvarna 701 supermoto since they came out.

nermal > Tripper
08/01/2018 at 17:12

If I were in the Porch market I’d be looking at a 996, non-turbo.

They’re half the cost of a comparable 997, and should start going up in value if purchased right & maintained.

Tripper > nermal
08/01/2018 at 17:41

I can’t do a 996. I’m buying it to drive, but for the kind of money they cost to maintain I have to love looking at it too.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Tripper
08/01/2018 at 17:56

I guess you’ll need to decide if the perfect car is ever going to come along. It’s one thing to wait, but don’t get too set on something that won’t come along.

Also, I noticed you’re looking for a RWD car; 996s are a super easy AWD to RWD conversion and fully reversible. You may want to see if the same is true for 997s.