My life with Porsche… And my latest (last build) – 2.8 RSR style on 9111121235

[dwa917]

I've been reading posts over many years on and off, thankful for this forums creation, and cheering on Pelican Parts evolution, all the way back to when Wayne and Tom first started up back in '97... I haven't really commented much... Always seemed to be more people with more experience and/or opinions... So, this has been a long time coming I guess...

My life with Porsche… And my latest (last build) – 2.8 RSR style on 9111121235

OK… let me start with the disclaimers/intentions…

1) This story will probably be a bit long, non-linear/circuitous, potentially gratuitous, and I imagine cathartic. I am not one to write much, nor have I ever been, but it seems with the craziness of 2022, and me getting a little older, I am compelled to get this out in written form for some reason. Maybe to save my wife from having to listen to me talk about it anymore. So, thanks in advance for patience, understanding and not snoring – too loudly…

2) It may seem a ‘too long’ trip down memory lane vs. jumping right into the Porsche related topics. Revisiting past glories of youth perhaps (real or imagined). Maybe it is. I’m not sure I know at this point. I think it will give an insight into why I am so in love (addicted) with Porsche – early 911s and the 904, 906, 907, 908, 910, 917, 956 & 962 prototype race cars specifically. For those that aren’t interested, that’s OK, just tune out, skip the post(s), and the build will start soon – with photos – so it will be easy to scroll and find…

3) Some of it will be lost to the fog of my memory, and some probably remembered with a ‘tilt’ toward remembering the good, forgetting the bad and maybe not remembering it or everyone exactly perfectly. Apologies now, and I’m sure there will be some clarity, additions and corrections from me and hopefully maybe others…

4) It will culminate with my current build – which hopefully will be useful, or at least entertaining to some.

5) The current build is not meant to be a restoration, replica, recreation, re-imagining, or any other ‘re’. just a car I’ve had in my head for a while, with favourite aspects of some of my old 911s, others I’ve driven, and some of the builds seen over the years – in person and on various Porsche forums for inspiration – and have been wanting to make happen for a while…

6) I’ve certainly made some mistakes along the way… Things I would change… Some for economic reasons, some for aesthetic reasons, some, just because I would, given the chance… Mainly because my mind won’t rest – I’m constantly conflicted with a desire for perfectionism, and the knowledge and experience that it is unobtainable… And, there's no reverse gear in life...

7) Perhaps like some others, I have found that there is no ‘perfect’ or ‘ultimate’ 911 for me… the more I see, the more there seems to be several… However, these days, with current prices, I can only afford one… At least at a single moment in time…

8) Lastly, I hope this serves as some form of recorded history for the 911s I’ve had the good fortune to have pass through my care, for current and future caretakers… It seems this sometimes is lost over time (sometimes by mistake, and sometimes perhaps to streamline an ownership history for some economic gain – like 9113301270, which was my first ‘S’)…

It would also be nice to hear from those that have ended up with any of these cars and their stories…

So, here we go...

Cheers
David

[jjeffries]

Bring it on!

John

[dwa917]

THE BEGINNING – FIRST LOVE:

After a childhood spent bouncing around the USA – born in Virginia, then to Oklahoma, Maryland, & Pennsylvania while my dad changed jobs. We ended up, and I mostly grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana in the '60s through the very early '80s.

Most people in Indianapolis at that time, and certainly in our mixed class neighbourhood, had American cars. My dad loved cars, but was a bit different than most of our neighbours. While he had a series of different American cars over the years - mainly Chevys and Fords for everyday use (I remember Falcons, Fairlanes, Galaxie 500s, and Chevelles) - he liked, and went through a number of British sports cars, as second cars (for my mom of course). (S)he had a TR3, Spitfire, TR6, and finally settled on a 1967 Austin Healey 3000, BJ8 MK-3 in British racing green. He completely restored the Healey over a few years, in between restoring old '50s Chris Craft boats. He wasn’t very mechanically inclined, learned while doing (making mistakes and breaking things usually), wasn’t very detail oriented, and was much better with varnishing and wood, than with metal and mechanics. The main memory I have, is the Healey ‘slept’ in the garage, under an electric blanket in the winter, because he was afraid the lacquer would crack if it got too cold. I had great times/memories going for drives with my dad in those British cars, but I also recall them never quite running right the entire time he owned them (if ever)…

My dad’s best friend, Dr. John Haslam (my dad just called him Doc, as I’m sure many doctors are called), was into German cars. He had a dark green Mercedes 4-door (can’t remember the model – probably a 280SE), and a gold 912. I never did know what year the 912 was, or get a ride in it, but I seem to remember the 912 badge and could never forget the colour. In 1973, Doc Haslam traded the 912 for a silver/black 911 S coupe. That was the car that stole my heart. I remember my dad taking me to see it when Doc brought it home. It was silver, with a sunroof and a 911 "S" badge on the back. Funny what sticks in a 9-year old’s mind. I don’t remember much more about that car specifically, like if it had sport seats, sunroof or other options. I had no reason to. It was my first ride in a 911. That was all that mattered, and I would have sworn it was cornering on 2 wheels every time Doc went around a corner. And that sound. It was the coolest thing I had ever heard. It seemed like it revved so high and for so long. It sounded like what I thought a race car should sound like. Little did I know how good they could really sound, especially with headers and straight through pipes. But, that was to come much later. Needless to say, that first ride imprinted on the 9-year old me, as only things can imprint on kids I suppose, and I was determined that I would own a 911 just like that one day… I’d be keen to hear about what happened to that car if anyone ever turns up Dr. John Haslam as a previous owner.

So, having had a ride in a Porsche 911 "S" gave me bragging rights with my friends. Like most of my 9-year old friends, I was into ‘Speed Racer’, a cartoon of the late 1960s, It showcased the hero – Speed Racer and his car, the Mach 5, and even more, at least for me anyway, was his older brother, the mysterious ‘Racer X’ (here’s a link for those not familiar and interested https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer). That is what I wanted to be when I grew up – a race car driver – until astronaut and jet pilot took over at some point around the first moon landings (both scuppered by my myopia). I couldn’t get enough of watching car racing, but back then, the US networks didn’t show it much. Occasionally, I’d get to see some of the races on TV – usually Jackie Stewart or Chris Economaki commentating for ABC’s Wide World of Sports. My dad wasn’t really into racing, but he used to take me to the Indy 500 for various testing, qualifying and race days – probably as a way to get me to finally stop pestering him. And, that was very cool, but, nothing was as prominent in my mind as that 911, or the European racing I saw on TV every once in a while…

AMERICAN PONY CARS:

As I got older, and realized how much any 911 would cost, let alone an "S" (far beyond my means as a teenager), my car desire shifted to something potentially more attainable. Like most of my teenage friends, I thought American "pony" cars were cool, and if I couldn’t afford a 911, then a Shelby GT350, Chevy Z28 or Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am would be the next best thing. My older brother had a red/black 1965 mustang fastback with a 3-speed manual gearbox, and I learned how to drive in that car. I’d "borrow" the keys and sneak out late at night after everyone was asleep, venturing further and further, until I got caught returning, by my mom one night. A few whacks with my dad’s belt on my rear end finished my night-time driving escapades, at least until I had my driving license (age 15 ½ for a permit back then in Indiana). That Mustang poured gasoline on the fire that was my desire to get a 1965 or 1966 Shelby GT350 (Wimbledon white with guardsman blue stripes of course). Unfortunately, a GT350 was also out of my reach, and I eventually ended up with a yellow/black 1965 mustang fastback with a 289 HiPo and 4-speed manual gearbox as my first car, and proceeded to just about lose my license in the first 2 weeks, but that is a different story… Sadly, I can’t find any photos of any of the cars from my early riding/driving days…

1985 - INDY to NYC to LA:

After a few twists and turns, I sold the mustang for some pocket cash, hitchhiked to Manhattan, dropped out of university, aimlessly wandering and trying to figure out what to do with my life - mainly odd jobs like bricklaying, carpentry, roofing, wallpaper hanging, an orderly in a nursing home and a stock boy at a pottery barn - all while trying to be a professional blues guitarist at night – the new aspiration since astronaut and racing driver seemed out of reach. After a couple of years, I realized I wasn’t going to be the next ‘Eric Clapton’ or ‘BB King’, and, I liked regularly eating too much to continue that career folly for too long.

So, I traded one coast for another, and moved to Los Angeles, where I had fallen in love with the sun and sea during a visit to see my brother the previous February. He had picked me up at LAX airport in an old grey/blue Mercedes SL (can’t remember the exact year or details other than it was grey with a navy blue interior and soft top, with a matching hardtop), and on a typical sunny winter LA day (about 70°F or 21°C), top down, we drove up PCH (Pacific Coast Highway for those that don’t know California - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_1) to Gladstone’s on the beach for lunch. I had decided in that moment, LA was clearly the land of opportunity for me. And, as my older brother also happened to live there, it was a free couch to sleep on, food to eat, and car to borrow, while I figured out what to do and looked for a job.

The Pagoda SL with my mom in it while visiting my brother - only photo I can find...



As luck would have it, after about 6 months on my brother’s couch, and assorted odd jobs, I landed a ‘gig’ at a place called Compact Video, an independent post production facility for movies and television shows, in Burbank, California (just north of LA for those that don’t know – it was located between Warner Bros. and Disney studios at 2813 Alameda Ave), working in the vault. That basically meant I was a ‘gopher’, running errands and doing what I was told to do by the union sound guys (IATSE local 695) and my non-union boss. Mainly, my job was maintaining the audio film and TV sound recording masters in a secure storage room (a normal room with a locked door), commonly called ‘the vault’, and ordering new magnetic film and audio tape to ensure we didn’t run out.

SIDETRACKED:

So here I was in LA. I couldn’t really afford a car yet. But, with a loan from the bank, I was able to buy a 1982 Yamaha XJ550 Seca motorcycle, and being LA, it wasn’t too much of an issue, as it didn’t rain enough to make it a hassle to have a motorcycle as my only vehicle. Forgetting about cars for a while, I went through a series of motorcycles for a few years, the Seca 550, a Kawasaki GPZ 1100, and a pair of 1968 Triumph Bonnevilles (1 complete and 1 for parts), which never ran perfectly – must be something with my family and British vehicles. I eventually traded the Triumphs for a 1949 Chevy 5-window 3100 pickup (which was eventually used in the filming of The Two Jakes – Jack Nicholson’s sequel to Chinatown – another story for another day)… And while far away from a 911, that lasted me for quite some time with a restoration story of it’s own… Here are the only pictures I can find of it pre and post restoration…






That's it for now... 3.30am where I am currently... more later, and I promise to get to the 911s I've had and the current build soon...

See ya, cheers, ciao, tschuss, or A bientôt... whatever works...
David

[pete3799]

For someone that can't write......i'm hooked. More please.
Love that truck. The first picture reminds me of my brothers 53 Dodge p/u.

[Solamar]

Yea, I'm not buying the "I don't write much" 😉

Very enjoyable read. Looking forward to the rest of the story.

[dreichman]

Subscribed

[TwoMore]

Looking forward to continuing reading


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[dwa917]

Thanks for the kind words...

I suppose it has to come out... I have written a lot of emails, business case justifications and power point decks for work over the years... Story telling I guess, I just never thought of it as writing...

[dwa917]

Originally Posted by pete3799

For someone that can't write......i'm hooked. More please.
Love that truck. The first picture reminds me of my brothers 53 Dodge p/u.

Thanks Pete!

I loved that old truck... drove it everywhere... it was bulletproof... learned about traction limitation while sliding through an intersection and a red light on the west side of Los Angeles in the wet... oil on the surface, skinny rock hard tires, drum brakes, and cadence braking not working fast enough... fortunately there was no one coming from any of the other directions at the time...

There was also the joy/experience of vacuum wipers... the more throttle applied, the slower the wipers moved - even stopping at times... not much of an issue in southern California, but I remember one rainy trip from Venice to Santa Barbara up PCH (highway 1) and the 101 in the rain, and accelerating and coasting to keep the wipers moving...

I also could never get the driver's side door handle spring to work correctly... I think I almost liked it better before the restoration, but that may be some of that hindsight and 'changing memories' creeping in...

[dwa917]

CARS, MOVIES & THE MILKMAN:

At Compact Video, several of the re-recording sound mixers (here’s a link if interested in what that is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re-recording_mixer), were ‘the gods’ to us ‘little guys’. Several of them were into cars. Some new & some old. I remember everything from a Buick GSX, BMW CSL, BMW M5, Jaguar E-type, and a Cadillac Allanté (yes… kind of an interesting car back then). One of the mixers, and my mentor, Alan Holly used to race. At that time, a Mazda RX-7 in GT2 SCCA. He invited me one weekend to a race at Willow Springs, and I jumped at the chance to go and to help out however I could. It was great fun, and I loved it. (I saw a lot of Porsche 911s and 914/6s racing that weekend – which of course reignited the flame to own one) Alan is a great guy, soft-spoken and humble. I learned a lot from him (life, work and cars), and learned much later, that he was quite a racer ‘back in the day’ – SCCA CAL Club driver of the year in 1972 racing Formula Ford (https://www.facebook.com/SportsCarMag/posts/enjoy-this-formula-ford-video-that-only-took-us-47-years-3-months-and-15-days-to/3259001287526459/), racing both open and closed wheels cars (he still hops in his old Eldon FF every once in a while).

Another one of the mixers (can’t remember his name for the life of me) had a 911. I seem to recall it was a black/black 3.2 Carrera (don’t remember the year, but remember the model). My flame for a 911 was burning brighter and brighter.

EDUCATION BEGINS:

With my childhood desire for a 911 burning bright, and being a research type, I needed to learn everything I could about them. There was a book store (back before Amazon) in Burbank not far from where I worked called Autobooks/Aerobooks (on Magnolia Blvd if memory serves). They had the most complete selection of car related books in one place I’d ever seen. Even had the ‘foreign’ magazines, mostly from the UK. I used to spend lunches and Saturdays just browsing through all the different books they had. They were always cool about it, and never ‘shooed’ me away. And I did eventually repay their tolerance, buying many Porsche books back then - Karl Ludwigsen’s Excellence was expected, Brett Johnson’s The 911 & 912 Porsche: A restorer’s guide to authenticity, Paul Frère’s Porsche 911 story, and every issue of Porsche magazine (renamed to Excellence shortly after launch), and later, Thomas Gruber and Georg Konradsheim’s Carrera RS, amongst many others then and since…

After a while, I worked my way up to being one of the Foley and ADR mixers on feature films and TV shows. I had ‘arrived’. At least in my own mind I had, and it was time to get ‘my’ 911! (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0022562/ - for those interested in a short side trip)...

EDUCATION CONTINUED, THE DEALER & MY FIRST 911:

It was around this time, that through a woman I was dating at the time, I met her brother, Jack Molinier (some here may know or know of Jack - I haven’t been in contact with him since the mid 90s, so don’t know if he is still about or what he is up to – but that’s a story for another day). At the time, Jack bought and mainly ‘flipped’ old pre-impact bumper 911s. Not meaning to offend anyone that is an upstanding and honest car dealer, but Jack, in my humble opinion, was what some might refer to as the stereotypical ‘car dealer/used car salesman’, albeit it, and maybe due to the mixed French/British ancestry and upbringing, delivered with a bit more flair and eloquence. But, I would learn this much later. For now, I just knew he was into old 911s and bought and sold them, and that was cool and interesting for someone looking to get his first one. Jack and I became friends (or I at least for a time, as I was dating his sister – but that is another long story), and so whenever I could, I would go along with and watch Jack buy and sell 911s, and through this process, I learned a lot about what to look out for and many details from looking at so many cars. It was a great opportunity for me to learn about 911s – where they rust (even in California or transplanted cars), what a good driving one should start, run and drive like, what parts are correct (even back then, they had many many mods done). I even learned a bit about the business of buying, selling, and negotiation…

OK! Here we go... my first 911...

After about 6 months of tagging along with Jack, and armed with my Porsche books, ‘the recycler’ (a classified newspaper – pre-eBay and internet car sites - that came out every Thursday in LA, if my memory is correct), and enough information and knowledge to find and buy a car like Doc Haslam’s – a silver 1973 911S, with a sunroof since I was living in Los Angeles. I let Jack know this was my plan, and having worked my way up to being a sound mixer (and the higher salary that came with that), I started scouring the classifieds of every paper I could get from the newsstand (near the corner of Laurel Canyon and Ventura Blvd if I remember right)…

In hindsight, I suppose Jack might have considered that as competition for his flipping business, and unbeknownst to me, Jack ‘surprised’ me, by buying, on my behalf of course (meaning I needed to pay for it – about $8,500 if I recall correctly), a 1 owner (Dentist in San Diego if my memory serves me) 1978 911 SC Targa in cashmere beige with black interior from a dealer auction... Yes, a far cry from a 1973 911S silver sunroof coupe. But, it was in great condition, and I finally owned a 911! Jack got me my first 911 and perhaps took me out of competition for long hoods at the same time… I’ll never know… And to be honest, at the time, and now, I don't really care... I had a 911!

I have no info on VIN or other details… Here is the only picture I have of it (note 119310010 in background - more on that car later)… Clearly not a great look with the hair, the shorts and the boots... but, it was the 80s/90s in Los Angeles - what can I say...

[gdp_samson]

Subscribed...and thinking...man, what if he COULD actually write :-)
Belgian subscription, by the way...if you would want to know how far this reaches...

[dwa917]

Originally Posted by gdp_samson

Subscribed...and thinking...man, what if he COULD actually write :-)
Belgian subscription, by the way...if you would want to know how far this reaches...

I'm writing from France... live in UK and France these days, but born and lived in USA for over 40 years...

[dwa917]

1st LONG HOOD - 9113110650:

Now the upside of having an SC, was I got to compare this to the early 911 T, E & S cars I had driven. While it was a great car and I had a lot of fun with it, the G model - impact bumper cars just didn’t look as cool to me as the early cars, and targas didn’t look as good to me as coupes, and it certainly wasn’t a 1973 silver S sunroof coupe. So, the SC was sold for about what I paid for it, and while looking for the S, I found a silver 1973 911T Targa – 9113110650 (now in Sweden after a circuitous path), which was a little worse for wear, but was running, driving, had factory sport seats, and only cost me $3,000. Still a targa, and not a 1973 S sunroof coupe… But fun in the sun, a pre-impact bumper car, and would hold me over until I could find an S coupe…

When I'm back in the UK, I'll find photos and the COA to post for history...

[gdp_samson]

Originally Posted by dwa917

I'm writing from France... live in UK and France these days, but born and lived in USA for over 40 years...

OK, didn't realize you were that close...was in Béziers last week...not a bad place to be...had outside lunch close to the Canal du Midi where the '9 écluses' are...

https://www.beziers-mediterranee.com/decouvrez/le-canal-du-midi/les-9-ecluses-de-fonseranes/

[dwa917]

Originally Posted by gdp_samson

OK, didn't realize you were that close...was in Béziers last week...not a bad place to be...had outside lunch close to the Canal du Midi where the '9 écluses' are...

https://www.beziers-mediterranee.com/decouvrez/le-canal-du-midi/les-9-ecluses-de-fonseranes/

beautiful! We are in Cannes... a little sun, sea... and going to the historic Monaco GP this weekend! Can't wait!

[jpnovak]

This is a great story so far. Keep going.

[dwa917]

Originally Posted by jpnovak

This is a great story so far. Keep going.

Thanks!

[gdp_samson]

Originally Posted by dwa917

beautiful! We are in Cannes... a little sun, sea... and going to the historic Monaco GP this weekend! Can't wait!

wow ! was there on holiday once...got overly jealous of the luxurous way of life...had to leave early ... any chance going to LeMans Classic beginning of July ?

[dwa917]

HAHA... It definitely can seem luxurious in some parts, for sure... Especially Monaco!!! We take the train - you can buy a weekly pass for not too much... takes about 45 minutes, and the tickets for historic Monaco are about 130 euros... not too bad... and then we are home for dinner... so we don't end up spending the money in Monaco!

Where we have a little apartment/flat is in the old part of Cannes, and a lot less expensive than one might think - especially if you can live without a sea view - we skipped that, but I can walk to the sea in flip flops in 90 seconds - yes, I actually timed it once...

We really want to go to Le Mans Classic this year, but, I'm in the middle of a career shift, racing (C1 endurance), restoring 2 cars, and 2 house projects... So, may miss it this time, but already have it in the calendar for 2024! Hopefully will be driving in 9111121235 then!

[dwa917]

9113110650 & HARD LESSONS:

So... in movie speak... we fade in to the scene...

A couple of weeks later, with the top stowed in the front trunk, I’m enjoying my ‘new to me’ 911 T targa, and the California sunshine… I’m heading north on the 405 freeway, just accelerating and entering from the Marina Del Rey 90 interchange, shifting through the gears to the 6500 RPM redline, and revelling in ‘that’ wonderful sound and driving experience, through the corner of the onramp, that makes driving an early 911 so magical…

All of a sudden, I started feeling heat in the cockpit… I quickly checked that the heat lever in between the seats was off… It was… I checked the dash controls and that ventilation was allowing fresh air in… it was… Then, I glanced at the gauges, and noticed the engine temperature had soared to the top of the scale… So, I pulled over to check everything was alright…

And, unfortunately, I saw flames coming from the rear decklid… Yes, the engine of 0650 had caught fire and as I opened the decklid to inspect to see if I could put it out with the little fire extinguisher I had with me, the flames leaped out, and after using up the extinguishant, and even trying to beat the flames with a towel I had in the car, I had to eventually retreat as the flames grew larger and the heat became too intense… A few people pulled over and tried to help extinguish the fire with their own fire extinguishers, but to no avail, and I stood by with tears in my eyes, watching 0650 burn pretty badly before the Los Angeles Fire Department showed up, and was able to put the fire out after what seemed an eternity, and more water and foam than I would have thought…

So if you passed a burning silver 911 targa on the 405 north of the 90 interchange, and saw flames about 3 stories high around 1990, that was me…

A few hard lessons…

1) Always regularly check and change any suspect fuel and oil lines – I had 0650 serviced the first week after buying it and had all of those things done by a reputable shop (don't want to name them in case they are still in business)… I still don’t know what was the cause, but imagine a fuel line split or came loose as the probable cause… There are a lot of fuel lines in 911 engine compartments, especially with MFI, which 0650 had…
2) Even if just having the above work done or doing it yourself, stay vigilant… Check and recheck before and after every drive… It is easy to become complacent…
3) 911 engine fires quickly burn beyond control… Especially magnesium cases…
4) Magnesium fires are tough to put out, even for the fire department…
5) Always have a suitable fire extinguisher in a an easy to access place and ready to use… check them annually or even more often…
6) Stay safe… at the end of the day, it is a car, albeit an amazing one, and can be replaced… I or you can’t be…

After the firemen put the fire out, I had 0650 towed home to assess the damage and contemplate what to do next… After a couple days, I determined it wasn’t ‘that bad’, and saw it as an opportunity to really learn about 911s…

So, I set about disassembling 0650, determined to use my misfortune as a catalyst to restore it and learn by doing…

After the dirty job of tearing 0650 apart, it seemed to me that only the engine (the plastic MFI parts, wiring, and other plastic parts had melted and the case itself had become part case and part blobs of magnesium in places on the top - surprisingly the bottom seemed fine, and the gearbox, seemed untouched), some parts in the engine bay, the back glass, which shattered, and the water logged interior were not salvageable…

After this tear down and assessment, and with me determined to save 0650, once stripped to the bare chassis, 0650 was off to Brace’s auto body and repair shop. Brace’s was close, had a great reputation and importantly, a Celette bench to repair 911s… They did a great job repairing the body, especially the rear sheet metal, which had been warped by the intense heat of the fire, and needed to be replaced with new panels. Brace’s then finished 0650 off with a respray of silver ‘code 936’ Glasurit paint… I was pleased with the result and the shiny paint inspired me to get 0650 back on the road…

But, as I’m sure many will relate to, weeks turned into months, with work and other priorities keeping me from really making progress, unfortunately, restoring 0650 never happened, and eventually, after a long time languishing in storage with all it’s parts in boxes, I eventually sold 0650 to Wayne Dempsey who I believe was considering doing a series of articles on restoring a 911, and was looking for a car to completely restore at the time (I may have that wrong – long time ago)… I had met Wayne via Tom Gould while they were setting up Pelican Parts in the early days, and Wayne seemed like a good home for 0650… I never really got to know Wayne very well, as I mainly chatted with Tom... I’d known Tom since when he worked at Otto’s in Venice, but that’s another part of the story that we’ll get to later…

A few more hard lessons…

1) I fall in love with my 911s, and it causes me to be irrational and not think objectively… It still happens to me, but I have a bit more control of myself these days… My wife may have a different opinion...
2) Be realistic about how hard, time consuming and expensive a total restoration can be – even in the early 90s this was going to cost a lot to put right, even with me being willing to do the work and the relatively inexpensive access to used parts in Los Angeles back then…

For the record, according to the info I have (I keep a spreadsheet with info I have on some of the 911s I’ve owned)… 9113110650 had engine 6131660 (now melted), gearbox number unknown, Silver Metallic – 8010, Black Leatherette – 16, Koni shocks, sport seats, comfort kit, 6x15 fuchs, and tinted glass...

As a postscript to this section and 0650… 0650 changed hands a few times, and ended up with Johan in Sweden… Here is the link to his story on getting, shipping and restoring 0650 (https://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/523402-anyone-remember-free-targa-its-sweden-now.html)...

After not paying attention to the forums for several years, I had found some old boxes with some parts and some of the old CoAs from 911s I had owned, and decided to search the VIN numbers to see if I could find any information on what happened to them… I stumbled across Johan’s post in 2019, and after connecting with him, sent the original VIN tags from inside the trunk and on the A pillar of USA cars to him to reunite with 0650…



And I can just see the beginning of my signature on the California title as shown from Johan’s posting – Looks like I sold it in February of 1999… Not sure about the 90,000 miles, but it was in very good condition when I bought it, so could have been near correct mileage…



And a link to some pictures looking much as I sold it to Wayne, after sitting for a few years in storage (https://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/911_project_911/911_project_chapter1.htm)...










I will post a copy of the CoA and any pictures I can find when I’m back home next week… Again, apologies for the lack of my original photos at the time of the post…