Sorry Jay. Just thinking of my own best friend's brother! Just want to clarify. :D

No harm done!! All is good. This guy was bouncing my new motor off the rev limiter and it was pissin' me off. I told him to be careful and he promptly banged it against the limited AGAIN two shifts later. "Oh gee, I'm sorry, I'm not used to motors that spin so easily" was his excuse. I've long since traded the car and it doesn't matter to me anymore, but man, you think a fellow car guy would respect your brand new motor...

I am selling the car, and I did let the person in question drive the car.

I originally posted this because they guy seemed very scatter brained on the phone. I was a bit worried about him driving it.

I did a little back ground research on him, and it turns out he is a anesthesiologist. He pulled up in a BMW, and I figured he probably has the mean to pay for any mishaps. He was in his early 50s, and collects....wait for it......Citroens. He just got the bug to get a air cooled 911.

He was a bit hard on the clutch at first, but then who wouldn't be if they had never driven a 915 before? I told him right out of the gate that the syncros need time to do their work, and he shifted accordingly. He drove just fine, but it was still scary sitting shotgun.

Ah, yes, missed that bit about you selling the car. Yes, in that case, you have to let him drive it, assuming you think he's serious.

Etiquette question: instead of showing up in a BMW, and being middle-aged and respectable looking, what if he had been in his 20's, driving an older Honda, and had admitted that he was only looking out of curiosity, to develop some familiarity with the marque?

Assuming I didn't feel like I was going to get shot, and the guy was respectful and seemed serious, I would take him for a ride in the car. If his broken down Honda was a manual, and after an additional 15 minutes of him seemingly like the real deal, I might let him drive it.

I suppose you need to let the person buying your car drive it, but does it really amount to much? Are they really going to know the intricacies of torsion bar sizes and negative cambers settings? Seems to me more of a formality and a mesure of trust more then anything. The PO of my car was not allowed to drive it before he bought it. I test drove my present 911 and it was the very first one I drove, hardly anything to compare it to. I would think if your not too keen on him driving your car, take him for the ride. As long as your car doesn't crab sideways, blow tons of blue smoke, and not produce loads of suspension groans, this should be sufficient.

I hand make some car emblems that are not available anymore. You'd be surprised how many emails I get from guys needed new emblems after the repairs are made, because they let their brother, brother in law, friend, etc drive their car.

When I finished the resoration on my 914-6, I took it over to show my Step-dad who I bought the car from (original owner). Gave him the keys, he gave them back and said. "I didn't let anyone else drive her for 30 years, you shouldn't either".

You want to drive my car, far out, I'll take a $30-40k cash deposit first. Ever try to get the cash after the accident or someone breaks something, right.

I'm always amazed how often family screws family when it comes to money, almost like it's a right. That old saying never do business or lend money to family is true.

Later