Where Did The 911s Go?

[CalPersFatCat]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Yet I can park it behind my favorite pool hall, take my cue case out of the trunk, and walk in the hall without looking back.

There you have it. You drive a car that isn't worth a look back.

The "challenge" you experienced with your 911 ownership is that you wouldn't afford to own it.

It's a shame that you kept someone from enjoying it all of those years.

DL

[RSBob]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Quick! Find a true replacement for a 1972 911S, never restored, never repainted, never dinged, with less than 60,000 miles. Make it an Irish Green no sunroof coupe, limited slip, fill leather interior with sport seats.

Can't find one? That's okay, I knew I couldn't either.

Thus the absolute paranoia every time I drove it. You can always restore a car. It's only original once.

Life has much less hassle now that the car is gone.

Had the exact same paranoia with my fully restored 73 S. When it hit six figures and kept climbing even though I had agreed value insurance, which I kept raising, I just couldn’t enjoy driving it. Sold it and bought an 82 SC to bang around in, and even though the value has doubled (about $30K) no more paranoia and I can just enjoy it. Do I miss the 73? Hell yes. It was many things the SC can never be, but I don’t regret the sale.

[MMARSH]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

I put less than 200 miles on the 930 last year. The sc sat. not driven once. Prior to last year, the 930, and the sc sat for 3 years.
Lives get busy, so busy sometimes, that there is just not time to enjoy a sunday outing in a toy car, or the time to do the little maintenance things that need attention on a 40 year old automobile .
Once a few seasons of sitting go past, you can no longer just jump in an old car and plow it down the road like a modern day Honda .


In my life right now, I am just not finding any time to enjoy toys .
I do drive the snot out of the little 914 though. I try to drive it a few days a week when its not raining here .

Agreed, exactly why i just sold my 72 two days ago and listed 4 bikes for sale as well....

I cant believe how good it felt to get rid of all the Porsche stuff up in my attic and scattered around the garage and shed. Getting 1000% more then i bought it for didnt hurt either...

[Sebscst]

Shame this is one of the most depressing threads about Porsche ownership. My 944 has probably 300k on it odo quit at 225. I drive it at least 3 times a week after work or the weekend. My 911 will be on the road after a 5 year restoration I don’t even want to know how much $$$ I have invested,but don’t care. I’ll bet I put 15k miles easy in a year. Hell after the initial shakedown I already have a 350 mile trip planned.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by MMARSH

Agreed, exactly why i just sold my 72 two days ago and listed 4 bikes for sale as well....

I cant believe how good it felt to get rid of all the Porsche stuff up in my attic and scattered around the garage and shed. Getting 1000% more then i bought it for didnt hurt either...

Thing is..priorities change as years go by. This, some understand. Others? Well, there is a flavor of "shun the non believer" in this thread.

[ficke]

A "fully restored" car and a "original paint" car or two completely different cars. I had a original 67S I sold it because I was afraid to drive and damage a car that was not replaceable and fail in my "care taken" of it.
Now I have restored cars, they can be driven like new cars and if they get a fender bender or what ever it just gets fixed and repainted, it has already lost it's cherry and has been restored once already, it might not have been original fenders under that pretty new pain anyway and so what if it need to be painted again and again?
Restored cars are "freedom" and make great no worry drivers, that is the joy of them, you can treat them like any other new car.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by ficke

Now I have restored cars, they can be driven like new cars and if they get a fender bender or what ever it just gets fixed and repainted, it has already lost it's cherry and has been restored once already, it might not have been original fenders under that pretty new pain anyway and so what if it need to be painted again and again?
Restored cars are "freedom" and make great no worry drivers, that is the joy of them, you can treat them like any other new car.

I sold my matching numbers 914-6 for the same reason. My 81 SC is a bastard car, been wrecked (not by me) non matching numbers engine and transmission, lots of non stock upgrades. Guess what, when I get her back together, I will be able to really enjoy her and drive the crap out of her.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by ficke

A "fully restored" car and a "original paint" car or two completely different cars. I had a original 67S I sold it because I was afraid to drive and damage a car that was not replaceable and fail in my "care taken" of it.
Now I have restored cars, they can be driven like new cars and if they get a fender bender or what ever it just gets fixed and repainted, it has already lost it's cherry and has been restored once already, it might not have been original fenders under that pretty new pain anyway and so what if it need to be painted again and again?
Restored cars are "freedom" and make great no worry drivers, that is the joy of them, you can treat them like any other new car.

You do have a point there. I was following a BAT auction a few months back for a one owner, completely original/zero paintwork 1974 Alfa GTV, possibly the best one in captivity in the world. This one:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1974-alfa-romeo-gtv-57/

I fell out of the race when it climbed to numbers I could not justify for something I truly don't need but man, did I want it. There have been restored cars that went for more but I'd rather have that one than any I've ever seen. There is just something so special about a mint, completely original car.

[Jeff Higgins]

Since this thread has kind of taken a bit of an interesting turn, I'll throw my two cents worth in regarding my car and my attitude towards it.

I bought my dead stock '72 T about 17-18 years ago for the princely sum of $8,000, which was the norm in those days. Bruce Anderson was still telling everyone to buy "the newest Porsche you can afford", and very much warning everyone to stay away from early cars. At the time, we could buy the best SC in the world for $10,000, Carreras for $12,000 at the most. An early S might have fetched Carrera money, but no more. They were all still "drivers" back then.

In the intervening years I've put more time and money into it than I can even remember. There is literally not a single piece of it that I have not held in my own two hands. It now sports an MFI inducted, high compression, twin plugged 3.0 liter with custom cams that John Dougherty and I worked out together, rebuilt 915 with a Guard torque biasing limited slip, Tarret adjustable sways front and rear, Weltmeister 22/29mm torsion bars, Koni adjustable shocks, Carrera brakes (wide A's) on the front, Elephant Racing wide mouth cooler and finned lines, GTS Classic Rallye STS seats, Autopower roll bar, and Schroth six point harnesses. I cut the whole bottom off of the tub three years ago, replacing all pans, longitudinals, sills, rear seat buckets, gas tank support, etc.

Ang guess what - it gets driven. A lot. 8-12 track days per year, at least. I have now officially passed the 250,000 mile mark - of milage I have added myself to an unknown starting point. I just returned from my annual trip to our R Gruppe Treffen, rolling up over 3,000 miles (922 on the last day coming home alone) in about a week. And doing a track day at Buttonwillow.

I see my car as a tool. A driving tool. One of the best tools for the job, actually. I could care less about its monetary "value" - its value to me stems from the enjoyment I derive from driving it. It's a car - it's meant to be driven. If I wanger it up, I'll fix it and drive on. I'm not worried about "the next guy", because there won't be one until my younger son inherits it after I'm gone. And he doesn't care how "used up" it will be by then - he is often driving his '68 right along with me, and his older brother in his '79.

I understand there are as many ways to enjoy this hobby as there are people in it. I'm not posting this in any kind of "holier than though" self righteousness. I'm merely describing how one man has decided to enjoy this hobby. To me, it's all about the driving.

[greglepore]

Amen Jeff.

[911 Rod]

Why stop now?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Great post Jeff.

[GH85Carrera]

Jeff, I am am with you.

I bought my 85 911 back in 1995, and I drive it. It has been to California three times, Up to Maine, into Canada and well over 100 autocrosses. I had a blast running Laguna Secca going as fast as I can go, and Roebling Road in Georgia. Several other tracks as well. Running through to redline in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and into 5th and pedal to the floor in 5th to well over 5,000 RPM is something everyone should do in their 911. I did that on the SuperSpeedway in Charlotte, NC

On one of my trips out to California a deranged deer decided to try to jump into my windshield. She did not make it and she paid with her life. My car was smashed, but with a new windshield I drove it home, had it fixed right, and it looks great. Sorta to ultimate rock chip. My car is no pristine garage queen, but it get compliments at every Porsche gathering.

I will drive it to Key West this summer. It will be about a 5,000 mile road trip. I get to take my brother on an adventure. We have not spent a week together in over 40 years.

I have done pretty much every project the Carrera needs. From the front to the back, there are few parts I have not touched.

My 911 is insured for an agreed value, and the insurance is about 65 cents per day. I will keep driving it for as long as I am able.

[speeder]

Ok, so we know who still has an old 911 here. Not many people.

To answer the OP's question, half of the air-cooled 911s in the USA, (and a lot more than half of the good ones), left the country during the great 911 gold rush. That still leaves quite a few here and they generally don't get driven as much. Even Jeff and GH, who really use their cars, do not DD them. Back when these cars were newer, almost all were DDs. Maybe not every 930, but even most of those. Every 911 I ever owned was a DD. Now, they are old and they sit in garages.

[Jim Richards]

I believe my Aubergine 73E is in Germany.

[gordner]

mine is a mid year, but I do drive it every single day barring winter. It has 250 000 miles and hopefully a fair number more to come. I know it is not value wise comparable to most of the cars discussed here, but I sure didn't buy it to stare at it in the garage.
But, to each their own.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by gordner

mine is a mid year, but I do drive it every single day barring winter. It has 250 000 miles and hopefully a fair number more to come. I know it is not value wise comparable to most of the cars discussed here, but I sure didn't buy it to stare at it in the garage.
But, to each their own.

A mid year car is awesome if the issues are sorted out. I appreciate them more as time goes by, they are slimmer and lighter than anything that came after.

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by ficke

Now I have restored cars, they can be driven like new cars and if they get a fender bender or what ever it just gets fixed and repainted...

Jay Leno has a similar attitude about the many cars in his collection. I once heard him say something like, "I restore 'em, then they get driven. When they start showing a lot of wear, I restore 'em again." Of course having a bankroll like his helps make this possible, but he's dealing with a lot of high-dollar classics...not just one old 911.

Originally Posted by speeder

A mid year car is awesome if the issues are sorted out. I appreciate them more as time goes by, they are slimmer and lighter than anything that came after.

And they have some of the best-sounding stock engines too, once they're fitted with SSIs.

[VincentVega]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

I believe my Aubergine 73E is in Germany.

I loved that thing. I'll never forget turn 1 at SP, manual brakes!!

take it easy buddy

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by speeder

Even Jeff and GH, who really use their cars, do not DD them.

The first several years I owned it, it was my DD. Right up until the day I retired I drove it to work at least once a week, sometimes every day of the week.

Today, since I'm retired, I don't have anything I would call a "DD". Between the 911 and my Boxster, however, the 911 still gets driven far more often. The damn Boxster remote lock keeps timing out on me it sits so much. The 911, in contrast, is driven at least 3-4 days per week, even today.

Originally Posted by speeder

A mid year car is awesome if the issues are sorted out. I appreciate them more as time goes by, they are slimmer and lighter than anything that came after.

Mid years are awesome. They just got a bad rap oh so many years ago. Throw some early heat exchangers (or SSI's) under them, install an eleven blade fan, and drive off into the sunset. They are at least partly galvanized, still pretty darn light, and the 2.7 can be a very fun motor in those light cars. One of the best kept secrets of this hobby.