Your biggest mistake in buying a vintage Porsche?

[dhopkins]

I thought of this on the way to work today. What was been my biggest mistake
in buying a vintage Porsche? At first I thought it was paying too much. I have done that a couple of times.
But thinking about it further I decided it was not having a PPI done since I trusted the seller. I bought a 1969S several years back off of Ebay where the seller said the engine had been rebuilt recently including the MFI but it started leaking and smoking after a couple of months so much so that I felt bad for the other cars on the street. I took the engine apart and found evidence it had indeed been worked on but the work was of very low quality and involved used parts instead of new. What has been your biggest mistake?

Don
___________
1965 912
1981 911SC
2006 Cayman S

[popowitz]

I have made many mistakes but perhaps the most annoying is that I closed the deal and took the car on a promise that the factory air and original fuchs would be shipped later. The items were in a "remote" storage facility and could not be easily accessed. 2 years later I have neither and the seller won't return my calls/emails, etc. The seller is in CO and I could litigate the matter but the money to do so would quickly outstrip the value of the items. Also, I'm not sure he even has them to give me. At any rate it's a mistake I will not make again.

Dave

[curtisaa]

Biggest mistake of buying a used Porsche ???? Easy, "never trust the fuel gauge" !!!

[eaton]

So far, as a non-owner, I'd have to say passing up cars I should have bought, especiallly the sepia 1973.5.

[naparsei]

Not buying sooner.

A lot of people think PPIs are protection. They obviously help, but they are only as good as the people who do them.

[Macroni]

underestimating...............

[72targa]

I can't think of one...

[gsjohnson]

Buying over the internet without physically inspecting the car first. I have bought many this way with outstanding results, but on this one I got had. Way far from as described, with the guy validating his description by using the, I'm a retired cop so it must be true validation. He left an email trail that got him cornered, so when I seeked council, he offered to take the car back less the shipping to and from. I should have bought the plane ticket...I got what I deserved.

[ennisk1]

2nd on trusting the fuel gauge! Been stranded a couple of times on that one!

[super9064]

My biggest mistake was not buying a fully restored Speedster for 35K, a 73 RS for 60K. Selling my 69S, Super 90, Klub Sport Roadster, and my RS America.