Old Car Stories: Bull Fighting, Bank Robbing, Grinding Gears,and a well-loved Porsche

[AFB24911S]

I thought I would put a few words down about the story of the '77 911 I bought last year; I think it's a pretty good story, and I don't want to forget the details.

In April of 2019, I decided I wanted a different car. I'd had my 2011 Ford Mustang for 9 years and it had been a great car, but it's just not very engaging to drive fast. Besides, I live in California and it seemed like it would be fun to have an open-top sports car.

So, I started to think about what to do: on the one hand, I could sell my Mustang and buy a late-ish model convertible sports car; or I could buy a classic convertible sports car to fix up on the weekends and keep the Mustang as a daily driver.

I considered the options: in the late-ish model category, I liked the idea of a first-gen Boxster, a used 911, a newer Miata, or a Wrangler (not a sports car, but open top and I like camping so it seemed like it might be worth a try). In the classic car category, a 911 Targa seemed like the only viable option: a unique driving experience, quality construction, and the roll bar/Targa configuration were all appealing. I thought about a T-top Corvette, but heard from a good friend that the T-tops leaked even when new. And comparable Italian sports cars, while appealing, just seemed too unreliable to tempt fate with.

I googled around and found an appealing 911 for sale at Beverly Hills Car Club. They had an '86 911 SC Targa in metallic blue in stock, $32,500 and in excellent shape. So, I emailed the sales department and set an appointment to test drive the car. I arrived at the right time, but the salesperson was busy so I strolled around. They had about 15 911s for sale, as well as a whole row of E-Types, a DB7 convertible, about 20 pre-war limousines, a bunch of Corvettes and Mustangs and Camaros, and a myriad of other eclectic old cars. It was a fun way to spend a Saturday, browsing all those old cars. I met a British kid about my age, mid-20s: he was scouting cars to buy and take back to England, seemed as if he had a lot of money to spend.

Finally, the salesperson was ready to show me the car. One of the tires had gone flat, so they put air in it and we went for a test drive. I absolutely loved the little car: strong motor, easy to drive in traffic, quiet even with the top down at highway speeds. I was ready to buy, but it turned out that the car wouldn't pass California emissions because it didn't have a catalytic converter. No other 911 Targas were available that could pass smog except a 1973.5 car with the first CIS system and a 2.4L motor. It was listed for $50k, though, way out of my budget, so I politely declined a test drive in it and asked the salesman to let me know if something fitting my needs came in.

Next, I drove to a Mazda dealer with a 2018 Miata on the lot. It had the Brembo brake package and a 6-speed manual. A young kid took me out for the test drive, and we had a fun conversation but the car just wasn't as fizzy or tight as the 911. Reliable and safer, but boring.

Next, I test drove a new Wrangler. What an absolute TRUCK! Probably great off-road, but loud tires, top-heavy, and not all that much car for $35k new. That didn't even include leather seats! Just couldn't stack up against that 911.

The following weekend, I test drove a 996 Targa, a first-gen Boxster, and a 996 Cabriolet. The Targa was a great deal at $15k, but once I looked in the rear view mirror with the top down I knew I couldn't live with the car. There was absolutely no rear view mirror visibility with the glass roof in the open position: the glass roof slides backwards over the fixed rear window, and the combined tempering/polarization makes it so dark that you can't see anything behind you. That and the lackluster interior quality turned me off. The Boxster was much more fun, spritely, but not as fizzy/ compelling as the old 911. Just not as special of a driving experience, it felt mushier. Did those cars have power steering? The 911 Cabriolet felt like it was about to fall apart, and the top down highway noise was louder than the Targa.

Months passed. In spare moments at work, I searched Hemmings for 911 Targas and learned more about what each generation had to offer. Quickly figured out I couldn't afford a "long-hood" car or an 87-89 car with the G50 transmission. Also figured a sunroof wouldn't scratch my open-top itch.

Then, one Friday afternoon, I found a 1977 911S Targa for sale in Long Beach. Black, with a black interior. Some cracked lenses, a few scratches & dings, 205k miles. But there was a video of the engine running very well, and it was priced well within my budget. So, I emailed and set up an appointment to see the car the next morning. A man called me to confirm the appointment, and explained he was selling the car on behalf of the owner. He was the one who posted the ad, made the video, and took all the photos. He was a professional car inspector. We set up a time, and I went to bed excited to see the car the next morning. (Original ad: https://imcinspection.com/1977-porsche-911s-2-7-l-targa-top/)

I drove down to Long Beach, and the car was sitting in the driveway of a very nice high-rise building right on the coast. Behind the car was a large Harley Davidson, which I figured was the inspector's. He and I met, I parked my car in the parking garage, and we went back up to the car. I don't remember looking at it very much, but I do remember the test drive. I asked the inspector to drive the car out of the parking lot and around the block so I could listen for odd noises, leaking seals around the windows, or other things like that. He drove the car beautifully, ran it through the gears fast and smooth, and I was wowed. It just felt so fast, and exciting. I was hesitant to really punch it the way he had when I got behind the wheel, but I did after a few stop lights when we got to the coastal road and it was just nirvana. I distinctly remember saying out loud, "I'm going to have a hard time not buying this car."

Hearing that, the inspector said he would introduce me to the owner and explained that although there were several offers from Germany for it, the owner wanted the car to stay in the states and go to someone who would drive it. The owner was 97, was in a wheel chair, and came to greet me smoking a cigar. Talk about smoke 'em while you've got 'em. I explained I wanted to buy the car, and he asked me what I wanted to do with it. I said I wanted to drive it, have fun, and fix a few odds and ends. He agreed to sell it to me. I had the car inspected by a local mechanic: compression test came back OK, only mechanical fault was loose front wheel bearings, so I decided I could handle the cosmetics and any required repairs that might come up down the road. A while later after the financials and DMV details were taken care of I came back to pick up the car.

The inspector and I filled out all the paperwork, the previous owner signed, and we went over how certain parts of the car worked. He showed me the tool kit, all the old receipts, where the hood release was, and so on. The previous owner stipulated, as we had agreed earlier, that I return his custom veteran "AF B24" license plates once mine came in from the DMV. I thanked both the inspector and the previous owner, and I drove off with the car to have the front wheel bearings replaced by the shop that inspected the car.

The road out of the garage was steep, about a 15% grade. I was nervous about a hill start on such a steep road with the manual transmission, so I tried to creep up to level ground before turning into traffic. Before I could, a skateboarder came out from behind a corner and dove into the crosswalk. So I had to stop right before the top of the hill. Just then, a minivan had pulled up behind me, leaving little room. So, I clenched my jaw, revved the motor to about 3k rpm, and let the clutch out with as much finesse as I could muster. I heard the tires chirp, but I didn't roll back. Still, made me nervous as hell. I knew how to drive a manual, but I wasn't proficient at that point by any stretch. I ground the gears a few times that first drive, but I've gotten much better acquainted with the car since.

[AFB24911S]

Later, I got my new plates and drove the 911 back to Long Beach to return the old "AF B24" plates. While I was there, the previous owner told me some stories. He had bought the car from another associate at his law firm; it was a company car, and he saw it around the office enough to grow fond of it. When the owner left the firm, he bought it. Later, he took his wife on their honeymoon to Arizona in the car. He had owned Jaguars and a Mercedes Benz SL, but kept the 911 from 1979 to 2019. His wife also drove the car, and told me she was sorry to see it go. Both of them were, I could tell the car was a treasured part of their life together and that parting with the car was hard.

He had served during WWII, hence the special plates and the Air Force sticker on the windshield. He was an officer in charge of making sure enough bombs made it from the states to England for the bombing campaign. He was in London during the battle of Britain, and saw how devastating the German bombs were.

His most interesting story, though, was about a Mexican bull fighter he defended in front of the Supreme Court. The bull fighter was successful, but he was known for hosting extravagant parties and had apparently fallen into debt. So, he used a sawed-off shotgun to rob a bank, fled the scene in his red convertible VW Karmann Ghia, and drove east from LA to escape pursuit. Texas Rangers on patrol saw the bull fighter's CA plates and decided to stop the car: they must have assumed it was running cash back to Florida as part of the then-raging cocaine trade. The rangers claimed they stopped the car for out of date tags, and when they saw his shotgun in the passenger's seat they arrested him. But, the bullfighter's tags were up to date, so the previous owner was defending the bullfighter on the basis that the traffic stop was not legal. Sadly, the previous owner admitted that he lost the case, but the bull fighter was guilty of robbing the bank I suppose.

Since I've owned the car, I've done a few things: adjusted the valves, cleaned up the luggage compartment, refreshed all the ignition components, replaced the fuel level sender (that one left me stranded, twice!), and fixed the oil temperature gauge among other small things. I'm working on rebuilding the seats right now, the old leather was falling apart and the foam had collapsed.

I've driven it to and from San Diego along the coast a few times, and I take the car out once a week when something isn't apart to be fixed. I'm really getting the hang of the 915 transmission, but I think at some point I'll have to have it repaired; no matter how gently I treat it, it won't shift from first into second quickly. But the motor's strong, the body's rust-free, and the whole car is there. According to the service history, the previous owners have spent $68k on repairs (adjusted for inflation). It never overheats, even in stop-and-go traffic. It drips a lot less oil when parked than when I first bought it, but there's still a leak somewhere towards the front of the motor. I just love it. Couldn't be happier with the little car.

What are your old car stories? All the best, thanks for reading.

[GeorgeK]

Great story, makes one want to keep the car as is, to be true to its story.
We all have PO stories, and ours, but not all have a knack for telling them.
I can reminisce about the fastest B&O stereo in Europe, me falling asleep at 270 Km/h while my wife drives the german highway, about giving superbikes a run for their money in the swiss alps passes, about finding a '73 RS in a depot, and some other stuff. 30 years of Porsches does that to people.

[petrolhead611]

Why would a USAF officer have been in England during the Battle of Britain, well over a year before the US entered WW2? What about the US neutrality act?

[unclebilly]

No 915 will shift from 1-2 quickly. Say “one one thousand” as you make that shift and all will be well. My first 911 was also a 77. I still have it and love that car.

[Seahawk]

Neat stuff. Congratulations.

I am a Targa man - if I do the Porsche thing again it will be another Targa.

Car story:

My Dad owned a 1992 RX-7 he bought new and owned until he died in 2015. He wanted my wife to have it so we had it shipped from California to Maryland.

The car frankly scared my wife...she likes her 4Runner

While I was pondering what to do with the car (I am 6'4" and it was uncomfortable for me to drive) I let me kids drive it and they really enjoyed the experience. Both my kids were very close to my father, Jack especially so.

My son just finished law school and was home to complete his course work for 10 weeks. He told me this story that he had not shared before...happened four years ago:

His friend James really liked the car and went to pick him up. Jame's dad is a friend of mine had not seen the car before - they decided to give the car a good look see. They found a pack of Parliament cigarettes under one of the seats - two smokes left. My dad was a smoker and Parliament was his brand for some ungodly reason.

It was apparently out of their hands.

They got in fired up the RX-7 and both cigs and smoked a stale Parliament salute to Bob as they toured the countryside.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by petrolhead611

Why would a USAF officer have been in England during the Battle of Britain, well over a year before the US entered WW2? What about the US neutrality act?

He would have been an Army Office at the time - the USAF was established in 1947. There were plenty of folks in England preparing for the inevitable.

He's 97!

[fanaudical]

Neat story. Sometimes the car finds you...

Sometime ~2008 I decided it was time to get a 911 (had wanted one since I was 5 years old). I browsed casually for a late coupe for a long time and stopped looking for about 3 months. One morning a got my coffee, sat down at the computer, opened up the local Craigslist Car & Trucks section and there it was right at the top - a '75 Targa that "needed some work".

I went to see the car - not running, under a cover in the carport of a condo, interior partially disassembled, motor compartment a mess, bunch of parts loose in the luggage compartment. Owner had it ~10 years, got it from his cousin (who drove it into the ground), never did get it running. The owner was an older gentleman who had some medical bills and needed to sell it for the cash. He didn't have an asking price - just wanted best offer.

He was disappointed with my offer and said he had offers 2x what I proposed. I told him I was committed to putting it back on the road (I like projects and am often the "patron saint of lost causes" in my professional life as an engineer) and to keep my number if he changed his mind.

He called me about 2 weeks later. Turns out all the other offers were from people who wanted to part out the car. He asked if I was still interested and wanted to accept my offer. I bought it with a promise to take him for a drive when it was running.

I tried to keep in touch but he stopped answering e-mails after a few months. I tried calling him a couple years later when I had the car on the road, but the number was disconnected...

I've spent way too much money on that car, but it's a blast to drive. Nothing more expensive than a cheap Porsche...