This has been a long time coming. We almost bought a used 911 back in 2007 when we started buying fun modern classics for our long-term fleet, but a 1984 Ferrari 308 GTS caught our eye and our dollars. After that we were shopping 911s when we bought a 2002 BMW M3 (E46). And again, we were cruising for Porsches on eBay last year when we bought our 2002 Chevy Corvette Z06, which we still own.

And now we finally have one: a 1985 Porsche 911. And it's either going to be a complete blast or a bottomless money pit.

Either way we figure it'll be fun.

What We Got
Honestly, we were shopping for a 993. You know, the last of the air-cooled 911s, built from 1995-'99. They're just old enough to have endless personality, but new enough to be reliable, fast and air-conditioned. We wanted a 993 coupe with a real manual transmission in a decent color. And we had the $25,000-$30,000 to get the job done.

Then we saw this 1985 Turbo-look 911 at Cars and Coffee in Irvine, California. It stopped us in our tracks. A couple of months later we spotted it again at Cars and Coffee, only this time it was wearing a "For Sale" sign. We called. We inspected. We negotiated. And we bought.

It's a 1985 Porsche 911 "Turbo look," which means it has the rare and highly desirable M491 option. So it looks like a 930 Turbo, only it's powered by the normally aspirated 3.2-liter flat-6 that powered the standard-width 911. Now you're wondering, "Where the heck is that big turbo whale tail?" Well, for now it's in a closet.

In its place, our Porsche's derriere wears a wingless deck lid, which we think gives it a more menacing stance. You'll remember that the ultra-cool 1989 Speedsters wore this look; they, too, had wider Turbo fender flares and a plain hood. As did the legendary silver RSR that ruled the Mulholland Highway in the late 1970s and early '80s. Watch the video below to check out that chopped-top beast.