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The Porsche Hunt |
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| This all started
back in the '80s when I lusted for a Porsche 911. I've liked other
exotic cars over the years but the 'affordable' 911 has always been a
favorite. I almost bought a brown '82 Coupe in 1990 but I backed
off at the last minute. This was fortuitous because I would have
had to live in it six months later. Fast forward to 2003 & the
passion was relit with the onset of my middle-age-crazy period. I started
thinking about getting a Miata & thenI realized that I could actually afford an '80s SC or
Carrera. So, the
hunt was on. _____ I travel a lot for business (consumer electronics sales see http://www.audioplusservices.com/) in the Southeast US, which is fertile Porsche hunting ground. Carolinas to OK & everything south. I also included anything within a 10 hour drive from Toronto, Ontario Canada (home). FYI older Porsches are rare & expensive in Ontario. I saw several cars at local dealers that were embarrassingly decrepit. The prices seemed to range about $5K CDN over comparable US cars. An Auto Trader Canada search turns up the same 10 cars in Ontario month after month. Hence the search south. Insurance & tax issues convinced me that I needed to ship it home rather than drive. And crossing the border requires major wallet vacuuming with approximately 19% added in taxes & duties before it parks in your driveway. And not to forget currency exchange. Cue Oh Canada here . . . _____ My initial attempts at buying a Porsche 911 turned into crash and burn events. Six months of research followed by six months of calling, emailing, viewing & driving had resulted in three failed PPIs (Pre Purchase Inspections) and many, many tire-kicking viewings. All told, I researched over 30 cars. The highlights: _____
Undaunted I persevered. Along the way, I gave up on coupes as I drifted towards an open top. I also decided that red (too cliché), black (too evil) were out as was brown (too dated) and cassis (too . . . well . . .). As you can see above, my 1st choice was one of the many shades of blue. I also realized that buying a 15+ year old car was not easy. Many have been neglected & owners tend to omit any & all problems until you ask (or point them out). I decided that from here on in, I was always going to see & drive the car before it went to the wrench for a PPI. I had spent over $600 & still didn't have a car. But I kept looking . . .
However, a Targa just didn't cut it for me. I just couldn't get past the styling and the top issues. I researched a couple of others, but my heart wasn't into it. A Cab was the obvious answer, despite the northern climes that I inhabit. If I wanted topless, why not go all the way? It's a summer car either way.
And finally . . .
I suspended looking for a while and that is when the '87 Cab above kind of dropped in my lap. I was in Fort Lauderdale & had a free morning. I had printed an Auto Trader ad for this car in Pompano Beach, thinking that I wouldn't have time to see it. I called & discovered that it was lady-driven & still available. It had been driven to FL from CT where it had been a weekend toy for its original owner. I dealt with his wife as he was out of the picture - no, I didn't know the story. He leased it from new and plated it in NY where he had a business. At the end of the lease they bought it to keep as a weekend car. She had transferred title to her name in January (more on this later) and drove it down to use at her condo and but decided to sell it to buy an SL500. She was selling it because "I'm too old to drive a Poorsh. I can't shift it anymore because of my hip". She knew next to nothing about the Porsche marques but then most owners really have no clue. Her loss, my gain. And the car was only ten miles away from my hotel. When I went to see it, she tossed me the keys and disappeared to the local mall with her daughter & grandkids and told me to call her when I brought it back. Trusting soul. I loved the look and . . . it felt right and drove right. The G50 transmission was a revelation after the sloppy 'agricultural' 915s that I had driven. I drove it for an hour in a light rain and fell in love. I was ambivalent about white and the Carrera spoiler was a little over the top but it drove right. I sent it to PPI and two days later the wrench said it was a buyer. The numbers: cyl 1 182 / 5% cyl 2 179 / 3% cyl 3 179 / 2% cyl 4 180 / 2% cyl 5 180 / 5% cyl 6 180 / 5% Finally. An engine that was good. A transmission that was good (no fork upgrade but no need at this time). And no oil leaks. Reasonably well maintained, but nothing major had ever been done except a replacement top. It needed tires, brake rotors & pads. It had some small paint blemishes and seat scrapes. It also needed the front spoiler for proper aerodynamics. As a side note, another buyer looked at it the day after my PPI (but before we had settled on a price) and he called the wrench for the results. The wrench told him to get lost, that I had paid for it and only I could get the results. Kudos to Felix at Gulf Performance in Pompano Beach. An honest mechanic! . . . see The Saga for the continuing saga. |
