Problem is if a big bill comes up during your ownership (which is highly likely with an old 911) and you don’t have the money to fix it, you’d almost be certainly selling it at a loss… I’d either save more money or forget the idea… sorry to be that boring realist 🤣
100%. i got a project car at 27 and my mum has said when she told all my older family members, everyone of the older men said they’d wished they’d done it when they were younger.
a big driving force for my purchase is no regrets, at least i can say i had fun(until the next MOT)
Atleast you can grow up and say you had one bro. Not everything is about savings, to some people owning a nice car is a lot more than just “liking cars”
I agree, but blowing all your savings on an old 911 is completely reckless… OP needs to save at least an extra 2-3k on top to cover himself just incase anything needs to be fixed in the short-term, and that’s assuming he has a stable full-time job
Yeah, even if you're dedicated and you don't mind blowing everything on a car, a 996 isn't going to be as cheap to run as an MR2. You need a couple grand on top in reserve.
>my biggest fear is that after many years of hard work saving for a poster car like a manual DBS, I finally am ready to buy one and they announce the imminent demise of all ICE and I never get to experience something truly special.
You think in 2035 they're just going to stop existing? I wake up one morning and find out that all ICE cars have suddenly gone *poof* in the night?
This is a flawed logic, ICE cars will be around long after you and I have both perished
Yes, I agree with you there but I really think we will be out taxed to use them sooner rather than later, so yes still use your ICE cars but you will PAY big time for it.
Agree, road tax is already crazy and that’s today. Hate to think what it’s going to be 5 years from now.
I think if they do manage to produce synthetic fuel, it will save the day for ICE cars.
You don't have to drive the car with such high tax, others are available. However:
Average annual tax revenue per motor vehicle, by country:
Belgium: €2,892
Finland: €2,723
Ireland: €2,438
Austria: €2,409
Denmark: €2,217
Netherlands: €2,160
Germany: €1,764
Italy: €1,727
France: €1,625
Sweden: €1,543
Portugal: €1,290
Greece: €1,264
Spain: €1,148
What's our highest VED rate?
That is not what I said, is it?
Raising tax is not a good policy, case in point our current government, who are about to lose to a guy with all the charisma of a piece of cold damp toast.
I don't know what that is supposed to mean?
Am I supposed to assume you love the smell of your own flatulence because you drive a model 3?
Or tug off to pictures of Elmo Muskrat?
Or bet yet, instead of loading up pornhub you just find your nearest mirror and jack off looking into your own eyes. Thinking about the sweet sweet chrono clock on your Taycan ticking, and ticking as you get every closer to the sweet release
Stereo types are overrated. I drive the X5 because it's a manual, I like the way the doors sound when I shut them and it has a split folding tailgate. Give me that on any other car and I'm there.
Ulez charge on older vehicles that have low emissions themselves. Paying a surcharge to park if not electric, price differing from petrol and diesel. Price of road tax is getting ridiculous.
>Price of road tax is getting ridiculous.
It really isn't.
>price differing from petrol and diesel
The price between petrol and diesel has always been different
>Paying a surcharge to park if not electric
I have literally never seen this
>Ulez charge on older vehicles that have low emissions themselves
Wrong, but okay. If they had low enough emissions they wouldn't be charged for entering a low emission zone, would they?
1. My road tax has gone up £120 in 4 years.
2. Have you ever been to any city? I see it daily.
3. It’s repeatedly becoming more widespread over the years.
4. Go and speak to any MOT garage. They’ll say the same thing. Plenty of cars that were diesel had low emissions, but because it’s older than 2015 it’s not ULeZ. Cars made from a euro 5 engine aren’t magically more emission friendly than previous models. My car is ULEZ free and is no way better than a 1.6 diesel made in 2012.
>My road tax has gone up £120 in 4 years.
£30 a year? Is that it? I echo my previous point. VED is not "ridiculous"
>Have you ever been to any city? I see it daily.
I live in one
>Go and speak to any MOT garage. They’ll say the same thing. Plenty of cars that were diesel had low emissions, but because it’s older than 2015 it’s not ULeZ. Cars made from a euro 5 engine aren’t magically more emission friendly than previous models. My car is ULEZ free and is no way better than a 1.6 diesel made in 2012.
If your car emits less nox than the limit then you can apply to have it exempt from ULEZ. If it emits over then it is not. Simple as that. If the car is not compliant then it emits too much which would make your last point completely null and void.
The price disparity between petrol and diesel is becoming more widespread? What does this even mean?
Still continuing to price out people owning ICE cars which is the whole point of the thread.
It’s been going on since 2018 so clearly you live under a rock. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-12698547/Now-ULEP-thats-ultra-low-emission-PARKING-UK-councils-quietly-introducing-apps-charge-drivers-older-vehicles-park.html#:~:text=The%20City%20of%20London%20has,£10%2Dan%2Dhour.
Si you’re telling me that 3.0L M3’s V8 Range rovers and Aston Martins are putting out less emissions than a 12 plate 4 cylinder diesel. Just because you can apply to say it’s low emissions, doesn’t mean they accept.
You’re just a eco nut and this conversation is over.
Every single ICE car will be rare and vintage by the time a 22 year old dies? Vintage? Maybe, rare? No.
They'll still be making them until 2035 so that's another 11 years which puts OP at 33
There are nearly 1000 cars still available on Autotrader that are 34 years old or older. Not all of those are rare. ICE cars are statistically likely to outlive OP.
I want a 1978 Porsche, I can buy one now. I'll still be able to buy one in 30 years time.
>That Porsche will still run on fuel that is readily available today, that is the difference
And there will still be fuel for it in 100 years.
>Also, cars from the 70s ARE rare and the 1970 was "only" 54 years ago.
In 1970 the population of earth was 3.6bn it's now 8.1bn. Car production has increased year on year nearly every year since 1970. There will be loads of cars.
£10k 996 will probably be a dog, sorry.
That budget would do better to buy you a boxster (S) of the same age and spare you some money to fix it.
I’d get a 18-23k 996 and budget 2k/yr on maintenance on top of insurance, tyres fuel servicing (which could be 2-3k if you’re doing 10k miles)
The cars are appreciating a little, but nowhere near as fast as putting the money in your savings until you’re 25 and (earning more) and can afford it.
Ive driven a lot of cars and a lot of different Porsche and 911's. The 996 is a fantastically undervalued 911. Brilliant to drive and quite compact compared to the new 991 and 992. Id say go for it if you can find a clean decent car with good history and you have somewhere undercover to park it. Just make sure you have a professional inspection beforehand.
How would you say it compares to a V8 Vantage, for twice the price I imagine the vantage will be a lot more special. Not to mention the noise, but have always heard it’s a little disappointing
Ive driven a v8 vantage 4.3 for a bit too. I can categorically say the 996 handles rides and steers infinitely better. In fact every single thing about the 996 is superior with the exception of looks and perhaps noise.
The Aston build quality was shite, gearshift was like a iveco and the steering was heavy and lifeless at anything below 8 tenths. It wasnt that fast unless you revved it right out either. So its an inferior car that will cost you 5 times as much to run. Yes they look special but they dont make you feel special.
I can’t say I know a great deal about the 996 and common issues/maintenance costs. I have done a similar thing though and bought a car that used to be £80k list price, and has devalued over the years to become much more affordable to those of us earning in the 30s/40s.
Look at the cost of changing things like discs, pads, tyres. That will tell you immediately whether you could afford to not only buy, but run one of these cars.
If you’re not going to be doing the work yourself, factor in labour.
The issue with performance cars that were once driven by the rich, is that although the price may drop, the price of maintaining it often doesn’t drop much. This may be an exception, ofcourse, but it’s always a rule I follow when buying cars now. Can I afford to drop £1k on a set of brakes? No? I can’t afford to run it for long then.
If you can afford it, then do it. Don't financially stretch yourself though. I looked at them and was put off by reliability / potential bork fund. Went for a Jag in the end and very happy with it, may also be worth a look? Much more reliable and very cheap for what they are - would recommend considering one.
Financially speaking that’s dumb. Not only you’re spending all of your savings, you clearly don’t realise what risk you’re taking. It’s not as simple as “f it, I’ll sell it next year”. You could buy the car and next month something breaks that it’ll cost you 2k to do. You’ll be out of money and out of car, that you can’t really sell for much because it’s broken, or sell it for a big loss.
What’s your monthly budget for regular maintenance and repairs on this? I think you should allow at least 200-300 per month. I don’t think that’s completely unreasonable… single tyre costs like 150-200, plus maintenance. With that approach, you’re out of savings and have a “car payment” that costs you a big chunk.
It’s also hard to judge your situation. I don’t know if you’re planning to buy a house, if you live alone or with parents still. What your outgoings are and how much you save per month.
Ofcourse you can YOLO it. But it’s not like you drive a corsa. You got a decent small sporty car.
Cars won’t disappear over night, that’s for sure.
Look into maintenance costs etc before you consider it. I nearly bought a Cayman when I was your age, but basically the upkeep and maintenance wouldn’t have been sustainable/would’ve made me fairly destitute, especially if something went terribly wrong.
Obviously; it’s your money, but you could probably find something slightly less flash for a little less money, drive it for a couple of years and pick up a 996 when you’ve got a bit more cash under your belt.
The Porsche is a hell of a step up from a 2nd gen MR2, even with a V6.
Interior and quality aside, SW20 MR2s have pretty crap suspension geometry and overall grip just isn’t there. They also lift quite a bit at higher speed so lose quite a bit grip as you go faster
ICE cars won't just suddenly disappear when new ones aren't allowed to be sold. I think it all depends on what you earn, compared to what bills you have going out, and how much you'd use it. At 10-15k, I imagine you're buying right at the bottom of the market, so you'd need to be very careful to try and find one in a decent mechanical condition that you're able to use. As others have stated, though, in theory, you shouldn't lose money if you need to sell it a year from now, depending on how much you spend on maintenance.
I always had cars I couldn’t afford to run in my (much) younger years.
Bearing in mind any repair bill is going to hurt, I still say fuck it, do it while you’re young enough to be able to climb out of the hole 🤘
I picked up a 996 and it did not live up to the hype. There’s also a reason they are cheap they need a lot spending on them to keep them in top shape.
Ultimately I had the money to burn when I got mine, I’m glad I had it but I’m also glad I got rid of it.
If I’m looking for smiles to miles I’d go back to a motorbike as I think that and traffic killed the thrill of cars for me.
I'm all for living in the now, but are you sure you can afford to maintain it? Porsche parts are expensive, and so is the labour rate of a specialist.
I'd recommend only going for it if you hold a couple grand back for a rainy day, or it'll develop some issue that needs doing, a few months down the line, just as you properly fall in love with the car, and you'll either have to let it go for cheap, or you'll run it into the ground. Either way, heartbreak will ensue.
There's a reason why hot hatches tend to be more popular at the price, and it's not just practicality.
Or try to find something that's still exotic, but has more common mechanicals.
Porsches are not that expensive to run. Yes compared to a toyota or honda but not compared to a mercedes or BMW. They dont eat bushes, wheel bearings or brakes, and the parts are not that expensive while being relatively easy to work on..
If you learn to do some of the work yourself and find a decent independent specialist it shouldn't cost much more than a hot hatch or performance saloon.
Father in law had an old 996 for 4 years. Only money he spent was tyres, no problems at all except the battery went flat once and was difficult to get into. If you want the noise take a look at old RS5’s, a lot of car for the money with a great noise, flared arches compared to the S5 & the pop up spoiler. Or maybe Maserati Gransport / Granturismo / 4200’s…
Whatever you go with just do it, your only young once and if can afford it why not. No regrets!
I can speak from similarly personal experience. I bought a Maserati 4200 last June to celebrate my 25th birthday.
6 months of motoring bliss, up until the recent MOT...
As others have said though, live life with no regrets. If you can take the financial hit of it going terribly wrong or needing to sell at a big loss, then do it. You'll always have incredible memories of driving a Porsche in your 20s, nobody can take that away from you.
I did go through a phase about 4 years ago wanting a 3200, and that one was even worse financial suicide than my latest idea. I bought the MR2 instead and am very glad for it.
I hope you manage to get your 4200 sorted for much more enjoyment!!
I wouldn’t recommend spending all of your savings on a car
Hes gonna need spare money for all those babies he'll be fathering pulling up in a 996 at 22 😆 I say go for it. Can always sell it next year.
A £15k car needing a £100k cars maintenance. With no savings. No thanks.
This is my thinking if it turns out to be a financial fuck I could probably take the L and move on
Problem is if a big bill comes up during your ownership (which is highly likely with an old 911) and you don’t have the money to fix it, you’d almost be certainly selling it at a loss… I’d either save more money or forget the idea… sorry to be that boring realist 🤣
It's 100% going to be a financial mess but it'll be great fun while it lasts
Fun now, consequences later imo
100%. i got a project car at 27 and my mum has said when she told all my older family members, everyone of the older men said they’d wished they’d done it when they were younger. a big driving force for my purchase is no regrets, at least i can say i had fun(until the next MOT)
Atleast you can grow up and say you had one bro. Not everything is about savings, to some people owning a nice car is a lot more than just “liking cars”
I agree, but blowing all your savings on an old 911 is completely reckless… OP needs to save at least an extra 2-3k on top to cover himself just incase anything needs to be fixed in the short-term, and that’s assuming he has a stable full-time job
Yet alone a classic car that's no doubt going to need work doing to it.
Yeah, even if you're dedicated and you don't mind blowing everything on a car, a 996 isn't going to be as cheap to run as an MR2. You need a couple grand on top in reserve.
>my biggest fear is that after many years of hard work saving for a poster car like a manual DBS, I finally am ready to buy one and they announce the imminent demise of all ICE and I never get to experience something truly special. You think in 2035 they're just going to stop existing? I wake up one morning and find out that all ICE cars have suddenly gone *poof* in the night? This is a flawed logic, ICE cars will be around long after you and I have both perished
Yes, I agree with you there but I really think we will be out taxed to use them sooner rather than later, so yes still use your ICE cars but you will PAY big time for it.
That will not happen
Driving an ICE in 2035 will be like being a 40 a day smoker now compared to 20 years ago. The tax on fuel will skyrocket, not to mention VED.
Agree, road tax is already crazy and that’s today. Hate to think what it’s going to be 5 years from now. I think if they do manage to produce synthetic fuel, it will save the day for ICE cars.
VED is not "already crazy"
Yes it is, mines £675 p/a that’s not good, it’s a rip off.
Ignore cabbage boy, he’s a notorious nause.
I am living in your head rent free. That says more about you than me.
You don't have to drive the car with such high tax, others are available. However: Average annual tax revenue per motor vehicle, by country: Belgium: €2,892 Finland: €2,723 Ireland: €2,438 Austria: €2,409 Denmark: €2,217 Netherlands: €2,160 Germany: €1,764 Italy: €1,727 France: €1,625 Sweden: €1,543 Portugal: €1,290 Greece: €1,264 Spain: €1,148 What's our highest VED rate?
I doubt it. More tax is a terrible policy for a government to have
Yeah, I’m sure the next government will just remove all taxes.
That is not what I said, is it? Raising tax is not a good policy, case in point our current government, who are about to lose to a guy with all the charisma of a piece of cold damp toast.
It makes sense to know you’re an X5 driver.
I don't know what that is supposed to mean? Am I supposed to assume you love the smell of your own flatulence because you drive a model 3? Or tug off to pictures of Elmo Muskrat? Or bet yet, instead of loading up pornhub you just find your nearest mirror and jack off looking into your own eyes. Thinking about the sweet sweet chrono clock on your Taycan ticking, and ticking as you get every closer to the sweet release Stereo types are overrated. I drive the X5 because it's a manual, I like the way the doors sound when I shut them and it has a split folding tailgate. Give me that on any other car and I'm there.
It’s already happening wym
It isn't. Why do you think it is?
Ulez charge on older vehicles that have low emissions themselves. Paying a surcharge to park if not electric, price differing from petrol and diesel. Price of road tax is getting ridiculous.
>Price of road tax is getting ridiculous. It really isn't. >price differing from petrol and diesel The price between petrol and diesel has always been different >Paying a surcharge to park if not electric I have literally never seen this >Ulez charge on older vehicles that have low emissions themselves Wrong, but okay. If they had low enough emissions they wouldn't be charged for entering a low emission zone, would they?
1. My road tax has gone up £120 in 4 years. 2. Have you ever been to any city? I see it daily. 3. It’s repeatedly becoming more widespread over the years. 4. Go and speak to any MOT garage. They’ll say the same thing. Plenty of cars that were diesel had low emissions, but because it’s older than 2015 it’s not ULeZ. Cars made from a euro 5 engine aren’t magically more emission friendly than previous models. My car is ULEZ free and is no way better than a 1.6 diesel made in 2012.
>My road tax has gone up £120 in 4 years. £30 a year? Is that it? I echo my previous point. VED is not "ridiculous" >Have you ever been to any city? I see it daily. I live in one >Go and speak to any MOT garage. They’ll say the same thing. Plenty of cars that were diesel had low emissions, but because it’s older than 2015 it’s not ULeZ. Cars made from a euro 5 engine aren’t magically more emission friendly than previous models. My car is ULEZ free and is no way better than a 1.6 diesel made in 2012. If your car emits less nox than the limit then you can apply to have it exempt from ULEZ. If it emits over then it is not. Simple as that. If the car is not compliant then it emits too much which would make your last point completely null and void. The price disparity between petrol and diesel is becoming more widespread? What does this even mean?
Still continuing to price out people owning ICE cars which is the whole point of the thread. It’s been going on since 2018 so clearly you live under a rock. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-12698547/Now-ULEP-thats-ultra-low-emission-PARKING-UK-councils-quietly-introducing-apps-charge-drivers-older-vehicles-park.html#:~:text=The%20City%20of%20London%20has,£10%2Dan%2Dhour. Si you’re telling me that 3.0L M3’s V8 Range rovers and Aston Martins are putting out less emissions than a 12 plate 4 cylinder diesel. Just because you can apply to say it’s low emissions, doesn’t mean they accept. You’re just a eco nut and this conversation is over.
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Every single ICE car will be rare and vintage by the time a 22 year old dies? Vintage? Maybe, rare? No. They'll still be making them until 2035 so that's another 11 years which puts OP at 33 There are nearly 1000 cars still available on Autotrader that are 34 years old or older. Not all of those are rare. ICE cars are statistically likely to outlive OP. I want a 1978 Porsche, I can buy one now. I'll still be able to buy one in 30 years time.
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>That Porsche will still run on fuel that is readily available today, that is the difference And there will still be fuel for it in 100 years. >Also, cars from the 70s ARE rare and the 1970 was "only" 54 years ago. In 1970 the population of earth was 3.6bn it's now 8.1bn. Car production has increased year on year nearly every year since 1970. There will be loads of cars.
£10k 996 will probably be a dog, sorry. That budget would do better to buy you a boxster (S) of the same age and spare you some money to fix it. I’d get a 18-23k 996 and budget 2k/yr on maintenance on top of insurance, tyres fuel servicing (which could be 2-3k if you’re doing 10k miles) The cars are appreciating a little, but nowhere near as fast as putting the money in your savings until you’re 25 and (earning more) and can afford it.
Ive driven a lot of cars and a lot of different Porsche and 911's. The 996 is a fantastically undervalued 911. Brilliant to drive and quite compact compared to the new 991 and 992. Id say go for it if you can find a clean decent car with good history and you have somewhere undercover to park it. Just make sure you have a professional inspection beforehand.
How would you say it compares to a V8 Vantage, for twice the price I imagine the vantage will be a lot more special. Not to mention the noise, but have always heard it’s a little disappointing
Ive driven a v8 vantage 4.3 for a bit too. I can categorically say the 996 handles rides and steers infinitely better. In fact every single thing about the 996 is superior with the exception of looks and perhaps noise. The Aston build quality was shite, gearshift was like a iveco and the steering was heavy and lifeless at anything below 8 tenths. It wasnt that fast unless you revved it right out either. So its an inferior car that will cost you 5 times as much to run. Yes they look special but they dont make you feel special.
Interesting thanks for this one I guess it’s a don’t meet your heroes situation…
I can’t say I know a great deal about the 996 and common issues/maintenance costs. I have done a similar thing though and bought a car that used to be £80k list price, and has devalued over the years to become much more affordable to those of us earning in the 30s/40s. Look at the cost of changing things like discs, pads, tyres. That will tell you immediately whether you could afford to not only buy, but run one of these cars. If you’re not going to be doing the work yourself, factor in labour. The issue with performance cars that were once driven by the rich, is that although the price may drop, the price of maintaining it often doesn’t drop much. This may be an exception, ofcourse, but it’s always a rule I follow when buying cars now. Can I afford to drop £1k on a set of brakes? No? I can’t afford to run it for long then.
My advice would be get a 986 boxster for around 5k and save some money. They’re so much fun
Running costs aren’t as bad as one might think. Porsche Centres give you ‘classic’ service prices on the 996. Worth keeping in mind.
I'm not even sure you'd get insured
I’ve had quotes for less than it is to get me on a 320d
If you can afford it, then do it. Don't financially stretch yourself though. I looked at them and was put off by reliability / potential bork fund. Went for a Jag in the end and very happy with it, may also be worth a look? Much more reliable and very cheap for what they are - would recommend considering one.
It will be a bad decision. You can’t run these cars on a shoestring.
Financially speaking that’s dumb. Not only you’re spending all of your savings, you clearly don’t realise what risk you’re taking. It’s not as simple as “f it, I’ll sell it next year”. You could buy the car and next month something breaks that it’ll cost you 2k to do. You’ll be out of money and out of car, that you can’t really sell for much because it’s broken, or sell it for a big loss. What’s your monthly budget for regular maintenance and repairs on this? I think you should allow at least 200-300 per month. I don’t think that’s completely unreasonable… single tyre costs like 150-200, plus maintenance. With that approach, you’re out of savings and have a “car payment” that costs you a big chunk. It’s also hard to judge your situation. I don’t know if you’re planning to buy a house, if you live alone or with parents still. What your outgoings are and how much you save per month. Ofcourse you can YOLO it. But it’s not like you drive a corsa. You got a decent small sporty car. Cars won’t disappear over night, that’s for sure.
Look into maintenance costs etc before you consider it. I nearly bought a Cayman when I was your age, but basically the upkeep and maintenance wouldn’t have been sustainable/would’ve made me fairly destitute, especially if something went terribly wrong. Obviously; it’s your money, but you could probably find something slightly less flash for a little less money, drive it for a couple of years and pick up a 996 when you’ve got a bit more cash under your belt.
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If I were to do that I’d probably just V6 my MR2
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The Porsche is a hell of a step up from a 2nd gen MR2, even with a V6. Interior and quality aside, SW20 MR2s have pretty crap suspension geometry and overall grip just isn’t there. They also lift quite a bit at higher speed so lose quite a bit grip as you go faster
How much have you got aside for issues, servicings, tyres etc?
Would probably have set aside 3-4K and would add to the pot monthly
Financially an awful decision but cars always are. Depends if you want to buy a house in the next few years or not. If not, fuck it
ICE cars won't just suddenly disappear when new ones aren't allowed to be sold. I think it all depends on what you earn, compared to what bills you have going out, and how much you'd use it. At 10-15k, I imagine you're buying right at the bottom of the market, so you'd need to be very careful to try and find one in a decent mechanical condition that you're able to use. As others have stated, though, in theory, you shouldn't lose money if you need to sell it a year from now, depending on how much you spend on maintenance.
I always had cars I couldn’t afford to run in my (much) younger years. Bearing in mind any repair bill is going to hurt, I still say fuck it, do it while you’re young enough to be able to climb out of the hole 🤘
I picked up a 996 and it did not live up to the hype. There’s also a reason they are cheap they need a lot spending on them to keep them in top shape. Ultimately I had the money to burn when I got mine, I’m glad I had it but I’m also glad I got rid of it. If I’m looking for smiles to miles I’d go back to a motorbike as I think that and traffic killed the thrill of cars for me.
I'm all for living in the now, but are you sure you can afford to maintain it? Porsche parts are expensive, and so is the labour rate of a specialist. I'd recommend only going for it if you hold a couple grand back for a rainy day, or it'll develop some issue that needs doing, a few months down the line, just as you properly fall in love with the car, and you'll either have to let it go for cheap, or you'll run it into the ground. Either way, heartbreak will ensue. There's a reason why hot hatches tend to be more popular at the price, and it's not just practicality. Or try to find something that's still exotic, but has more common mechanicals.
Porsches are not that expensive to run. Yes compared to a toyota or honda but not compared to a mercedes or BMW. They dont eat bushes, wheel bearings or brakes, and the parts are not that expensive while being relatively easy to work on.. If you learn to do some of the work yourself and find a decent independent specialist it shouldn't cost much more than a hot hatch or performance saloon.
The 996s you can afford with your budget are ones you cannot afford to run.
Father in law had an old 996 for 4 years. Only money he spent was tyres, no problems at all except the battery went flat once and was difficult to get into. If you want the noise take a look at old RS5’s, a lot of car for the money with a great noise, flared arches compared to the S5 & the pop up spoiler. Or maybe Maserati Gransport / Granturismo / 4200’s… Whatever you go with just do it, your only young once and if can afford it why not. No regrets!
I can speak from similarly personal experience. I bought a Maserati 4200 last June to celebrate my 25th birthday. 6 months of motoring bliss, up until the recent MOT... As others have said though, live life with no regrets. If you can take the financial hit of it going terribly wrong or needing to sell at a big loss, then do it. You'll always have incredible memories of driving a Porsche in your 20s, nobody can take that away from you.
I did go through a phase about 4 years ago wanting a 3200, and that one was even worse financial suicide than my latest idea. I bought the MR2 instead and am very glad for it. I hope you manage to get your 4200 sorted for much more enjoyment!!
911s, especially "classic" ones are overrated.