Trends in the air cooled world over the last 5-10 years?

[sugarwood]

I got my 911 about 10 years ago.
The first 5 years, I did some basic maintenance DIY, joined a few PCA treks, went to some car shows like C&C in CT,
befriended some local 911 guys, and did a few DE events each summer.
911 was a positive addition to my life that I am grateful for.

Over the next few years, around 2014-2018, air cooled cars became more popular.
Was there change in the air?
Magnus got some attention.
Younger buyers entered the game.
Youtube car channels jumped on the train.
Veterans lamented diaper polishers, focus on originality, BAT auctions with high prices.
Repairs supposedly got more costly.

In the last 5 years, I haven't done much with my 911.
Don't drive it as much, no DE or car shows.
Not really active on Pelican.
911 has not been a big factor in my life.

I've been out of the loop, and am curious, what has the culture been like since around 2018?
What technical and maintenance trends have you noticed?
What is the repair and maintenance scene like?

Off topic related changes? Cultural changes? Demographics?
Are air cooled still as desired as they were in 2014-2018?
Water cooled car got more respect in the last 10 years, for sure.
Is DE more or less popular than it was 5 years ago?
What is the marketplace like? Were prices still rising from 2018 to March 2020?

Any changes you've noticed since around 2018?

[GothingNC]

Air-cooled scene in NC keeps growing. Mix of young and old drivers. Most of us work on the Porsche's ourselves and a few have sold their newer Porche's after acquiring an air-cooled 911. Been driving mine about 5,000 miles a year since 2006.

I have a drive about 2 or 3 times a month with about 7 to 10 joining each time

[Zeke]

I got burned out by 2012, after about 10 years of what you did in your first 5. I had Porsches before that and I worked on my first 914 taking the engine out but I didn't do the rebuild. Much later on I built a 914 race motor. A '77 Targa that was primarily my wife's got my attention to detail, literally. I kept the car pristine. Andial did the work as I was busy being a contractor and racing karts.

After a frame off WWII Jeep restoration in 2000, I bought a 914 to race in 2002. Now too old to race karts, I though having a body and roll bar was a good thing. Bad experiences at the race track, money down a rabbit hole. But I was firmly back in the car groove.

Then came the ,71 S Raggamuffin project along with RGruppe membership. That lasted all of 4 years and sold it to pay taxes. I then found an '88 Carrera for a good price with a tired motor. Not tired enough to pass smog with a new cat. So that became the bumper car project, an idea that had been lurking in my head since 2002 when I first joined Pelican and saw an SC with something like 964 bumpers. Had Ruff wheels and was a stunning concept. It was just staged but never built AFAIK.

The bumpers were either hugely admired or disliked as bad taste. Being compared to Gambella hurt me so deeply I returned the car to stock (after it was read ended) and sold it to a German exporting cars.

My wife still has a 2000 Boxster with 63,000 miles but I don't like it much. Good car but not my kind of car. To reiterate, I got burned out and have stayed that way. 911's hardly turn my head except for the fact that I only see an air cooled a few times a year on the street. Kinda like Model A hot rods. That's what air cooled 911's have become.

Like Ricky Nelson said, "I'd rather drive a truck." And I do.

[GH85Carrera]

I ordered a new 1974 914 2.0 built to my specs. I looked for two years to find PCA, (long before the internet) and finally got to join in 1976.

Just last weekend our local region drove up Rt-66 to Stroud, OK to eat at the Rock Cafe. The owner there was the inspiration for the Sally Carrera character in the movie Cars and she is credited near the end of the credits in the movie.


This is part of the 24 cars we had on our group drive.



The arrow points to my car. The G body section fills up and often there are so many we have to get over into the newer cars areas. This is Porsche Palooza in Eureka Springs, AR. Just a blast to drive the wonder roads in the area. Perfectly maintained and curvy and the legal limit is 55, but only the 918 that comes could stay at 55 on those roads.

For sure the old air cooled cars are not as common as the new cars, but the same goes for all cars. 35 to 40 years old cars are not as common as the typical new car.

Tomorrow we have a PCA autocross and I will be there trying to get rid of that nasty unsprung weight of the excess tread on the tires. I have done well over 1,000 autocrosses in my 911, and multiple track days.

For the majority of my life the Porsche club has has been a major part of my life. I have a ton of good friends that I met from the club.

We are a very small region, yet we have regular meetings and events and fun things to do.

[RANDY P]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

I got my 911 about 10 years ago.
The first 5 years, I did some basic maintenance DIY, joined a few PCA treks, went to so..;zkslav;

Post a pic, if you can.

rjp

[cantdrv55]

I don’t know about air cooled 911s anymore. I sold my SC Targa almost 10 years ago. I do know that the VW Bug scene is alive and well. The local club meets for lunch and has group drives every month. It’s not really a drive, more like a cruise.

[manbridge 74]

In CO it’s still going strong. I have a pile of cars to get to that people still seem to want to drive and not show. They have money to spend, which is good because that is what it takes.

[Norm K]

Originally Posted by sugarwood;11961666

In the last 5 years, I haven't done much with my 911.
Don't drive it as much, no DE or car shows.
Not really active on Pelican.
[B

911 has not been a big factor in my life.[/B]

Whattaya got? Since it's not a big factor any longer, I might be interested.

I miss my 911s and my 930 and am thinking about jumping back in.

_

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Norm K

Whattaya got? Since it's not a big factor any longer, I might be interested.

I miss my 911s and my 930 and am thinking about jumping back in.

_

Mine's been collecting dust for many years now..... If I lived where you do, I'd drive her

Been thinking about letting her go for several years now.... but.... but .... but... I would regret it .

If you are serious ... she's a beaut

[astrochex]

Originally Posted by KC911

Mine's been collecting dust for many years now..... If I lived where you do, I'd drive her

Been thinking about letting her go for several years now.... but.... but .... but... I would regret it .

If you are serious ... she's a beaut

Would you guys get a room!

[look 171]

Its strong here and a bunch of younger guys are into them. I must say, some are real butt heads. Those will become angry old air cool owners in a few more years.

I drive a Cayman S now when I am not in my truck. Its been a wonderful car with PDK. I love it. Heat,AC, it all works. I am just not driving my air cool cars much anymore selling them has been in the back of my mind for some time. I drove my 930 4 times last year. The 993TT twice, the 72 with track suspension and the stupid race motor only one time and I ended getting a screw in my brand new R888. Most of those times, I had to force myself to get it out just to keep the oil flowing their the block. i do know this, if I sell, in the next month, I will kick myself in the ass again and again. I did take the Cayman to the track a few times and that was fun.

[GH85Carrera]

The last time I stopped to gas up my 911, two 20 something guys approached me and asked it they could take photos. I had owned the car longer than they had been alive, and I showed them the engine, and the interior, talked about my track stickers, and had a pleasant chat. One said that a 911 Turbo was the poster on his wall growing up.



Everywhere I go chicks like this show up and ask all about the car. I just tell them I am married! And yes, that is my car. I was asked by the dealership to bring it to a big shindig for the introduction of the new 992.

[look 171]

Well Glen, considered yourself lucky. One time, I drove my 930, couple of shady guys helped themselves and stuck half their bodies inside to get a pic while the car was in a private driveway. I was inside a house I was building and came out and politely ask why they are halfway inside my car. One reply in broken English with a thick middle eastern accent,

Them: "We want to buy car. How much?".

Me: car isn't for sale.

Them:"come-on, everyone have price and you have price too.".

Me: Nope, not for sale
They wouldn't quit and continue to take photos of it while walking around the car.

Them: "we pay good. I give 50,000 cash. I go bank now. You sell, its good price."

These two dumb fooks, around 30 years old, had black pants and tight black tee shirts on with baseball cap worn backward and drove a newish Dodge Ram truck with dark sunglasses. What a pest.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by look 171

Well Glen, considered yourself lucky. One time, I drove my 930, couple of shady guys helped themselves and stuck half their bodies inside to get a pic while the car was in a private driveway. I was inside a house I was building and came out and politely ask why they are halfway inside my car. One reply in broken English with a thick middle eastern accent,

Them: "We want to buy car. How much?".

Me: car isn't for sale.

Them:"come-on, everyone have price and you have price too.".

Me: Nope, not for sale
They wouldn't quit and continue to take photos of it while walking around the car.

Them: "we pay good. I give 50,000 cash. I go bank now. You sell, its good price."

These two dumb fooks, around 30 years old, had black pants and tight black tee shirts on with baseball cap worn backward and drove a newish Dodge Ram truck with dark sunglasses. What a pest.

Easy way to laundry money.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by look 171

Well Glen, considered yourself lucky. One time, I drove my 930, couple of shady guys helped themselves and stuck half their bodies inside to get a pic while the car was in a private driveway. I was inside a house I was building and came out and politely ask why they are halfway inside my car. One reply in broken English with a thick middle eastern accent,

Them: "We want to buy car. How much?".

Me: car isn't for sale.

Them:"come-on, everyone have price and you have price too.".

Me: Nope, not for sale
They wouldn't quit and continue to take photos of it while walking around the car.

Them: "we pay good. I give 50,000 cash. I go bank now. You sell, its good price."

These two dumb fooks, around 30 years old, had black pants and tight black tee shirts on with baseball cap worn backward and drove a newish Dodge Ram truck with dark sunglasses. What a pest.

Been there, done that. On our trip to the New England area and to hit all the tiny NE states in my quest to drive my 911 in all the lower 48 we stopped at a waterfall in Kent, Connecticut, that was a state park. The Camp Macedonia built by the CCC.

I parked at the far end of the parking lot as usual, and there was just one other car there, a BIG black SUV with dark tinted windows. My first thought was the Sopranos. As we walked past the driver that had a thick Armenian accent said he wants to buy my car. I told him it is not for sale at any reasonable price, and I need it to complete my vacation. He asked again, how much. I said a quarter of a million. He laughed and we walked on.

As we walked up the trail, to the waterfall, we say two large men carry a large "body bag" size bag from the car to the picnicking area. My wife said it looks like they are going to bury a body in the woods. The bag had food and picnic stuff in it, and the set up a large table of food and started a fire in a grill. Several other black SUVs arrived and they had a major party going on. We walked back down the trail, and he asked again to buy my car. I replied I will need it to get home. We polity waved goodby and left.



That was 25,000 miles ago, and many states ago.

[juanbenae]

was this...





then this





now this... living in the forrest and all...

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

Nice to see you're dating some nice looking girls Glen.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Nice to see you're dating some nice looking girls Glen.

My wife was standing right next to me when I took that! I think that chick was a little upset when all evening long people came over and complimented me on the 911, and just ignored her. The car got a lot more compliments than she did. Of course it was a bunch of car guys and wife couples that are customers of the dealership.

A few days later my wife found one of black feathers in the floor board on the passenger side. She said it was a good thing she was there to see where that feather's source.

[Nickshu]

As a DE instructor and Club racer I almost never see air cooled cars at the track in our region anymore. If we do they are converted race cars, street cars are rare.

That said I wish I still owned my 82 911 SC.

[sugarwood]

Originally Posted by Nickshu

As a DE instructor and Club racer I almost never see air cooled cars at the track in our region anymore. If we do they are converted race cars, street cars are rare.

That said I wish I still owned my 82 911 SC.

Yes, I also noticed a large drop off of air cooled cars at DE events from 2014 compared to 2018. Water cooled dominates at the track. I assume it's even lower in 2022 than in 2018.