Book Review
Book Review: The Essential Buyer’s Guide: FORD MUSTANG AND PORSCHE 911
Book Review: The Essential Buyer’s Guide
FORD MUSTANG AND PORSCHE 911
A longtime friend, Ron Hector, is full of good advice. Ron splits his time between a farm in Oklahoma and a suburban ranch(house) near Granbury. And within those two zip codes he enjoys an affection for a small number of Model A’s, along with an affliction for a larger number of collectible motorcycles. And when he tells me to do it now – ‘cuz you can’t take it to the nursing home – he speaks to truth. (That truth seems more immediate with the daily arrival of junk mail from retirement communities.) As Ron knows as well as anyone, a classic Mustang or enjoyable Porsche are decisions you should make while still enjoying your own garage, able to get behind the wheel under your own power.
If contemplating the acquisition (given the necessary investment, acquisition is more appropriate than simply purchase) of an early Mustang or an analog(ish) 911, Veloce Publishing is here for you. In its Essential Buyer’s Guide series authors Matt Cook (Mustang) and Adrian Streather (Porsche) provide a roadmap to initial research, initial inspection and assessment, and – if the above due diligence proves satisfactory – the needs incumbent with actual ownership. Obviously, that’s a lot to convey in under 100 pages. But then, if you’re like me (now in my 8th decade) as a prospective purchaser, you don’t have much time.
THE ESSENTIAL BUYER’S GUIDE FORD MUSTANG
First generation 1964 to 1973
If the Beatles’ appearance on Ed Sullivan in early ’64 served as a seismic shift in music culture, than it logically follows that the Mustang’s debut that spring at the New York World’s Fair achieved something similar in the world of motoring. Both kickstarted a societal revolution, and in the same way that collectors pursue the early Beatles LPs, so do they pursue early Mustangs.
Author Matt Cook takes a more recent look at what is described as the 1st-generation Mustang, from its intro in 1964 thru the 1973 model year. The text was first published in 2011, and while (obviously) the cars haven’t changed, the market most certainly has. It’s good to get a refresh.
The guide provides a logical course of action for a process that often relies more on emotion than calculation. And if the buyer/seller dialog veers into the less-than-logical, there’s even a ‘trust your instincts’ directive.
Obviously, within its 85 pages author Matt Cook hasn’t the space to go granular, but if looking for the best Mustang you can reasonably rationalize, Mr. Cook supplies you with all of the adequate ‘rationale’ you might need.
THE ESSENTIAL BUYER’S GUIDE PORSCHE 911 (997)
Second generation models 2009 to 2012
As a one-time owner of a 2008 911 Targa 4S, I have an idea of the emotional process leading to its purchase. I started the shopping wanting a pre-owned Cayman. Seeing a dark green metallic 911 Targa 4S at an area dealer, all logic went out the window…or, perhaps, the 911’s Targa roof! In the dark green over saddle interior the Porsche was gorgeous, cosmetically clean and – for a 10-year-old example at the time of purchase – had just 50,000 miles. It did, however, have the infamous IMS issue hanging over it, which the subsequent model, covered here in Adrian Streather’s buyer’s guide, did not have. In short, if looking for a water-cooled 911 with as much analog as you might possibly want, the 997.2 is the one to look for…and Mr. Streather’s text is here to help.
The choices are both many and diverse; according to the author, in the four model years covered – 2009 thru 2012 – there were 19 variants. Different displacements, normally aspirated or turbocharged powertrains, manual or PDK (automatic) transmissions and your choice of coupe, cabriolet or Targa configurations. It’s a lot to consider, but perhaps even more challenging is the downturn in performance and/or luxury sales, coinciding with the downturn in the global economy at the end of that decade, which – by extension – leads to fewer pre-owned examples in today’s market.
Again, the guide provides a structure for purchase: Research, Evaluation and Ownership. All three are critical, but given the needs of an older Porsche for adhering to a carefully structured maintenance regimen, the ownership aspect needn’t be daunting – but certainly should be respected.
Both ESSENTIAL BUYER’S GUIDES are published by Veloce, and can be found online, or through your local bookseller. Suggested U.S. retail is $19.99.
