There is hope for the youth of America

So I am a 22 year old student that has in the last 8 months found the joys of Porsche ownership.

And in the world of the souless and ugly 996's and with my investment banker friends driving 540's, C36, and M3's, although I love my car...I have always been given slack for my 1982 911SC, and its Weissach Special Edition color...champange, I have had a small part of me feel inferior to these shiney idiosychracy-free cars...

But today as I was parking a small young boy came and stood next to my car. Couldn't have been more then 7 years old.
I saw him in the mirror, but did not think much of it.
As I was gathering my things, for a coupe minutes, he was still standing there, so I thought maybe he was going to tell me his mom was saving the parking spot or something.
But as I got out he looked at me and said "that is the nicest car".

At first I had no idea what he was talking about, and he said again, "that is the nicest car", and then he scampered away before I could say anything.

That put a fat smile on my face.
It felt good to know that this kid who is not even half the age of my car, and my car is not a shiney red pristine car, recognized it, and waited next to my car just to tell me that.

There is hope for the youth of America...

Once I was driving with my girlfriend slowly through a parking lot, top down, past a boy about 7 or 8 and his mom. He got really excited and said "look mom that's a Porsche".

My girlfriend says "how is that even a little boy knows". She didn't mean that he knew what kind of car it was, she meant that he knew it was exciting and special.

I remember being a little kid riding in the car with my mom, and getting excited every time I saw a Porsche.

FWIW, it's always the kids under 14 and the adults over 70 who notice my '79SC.

I've had the same sort of experiences.Children seem to recognize the shape of the car almost intuitively.

After performing some work on my 930 I decided to take a cruise around the block.I pulled up to a stop sign where there were two young kids with skate boards, as I pulled up to the stop sign the one kid screams out, PORSCHE CARRERA! at which point I smiled and nodded and accelerated away.

Once when I pulled up to a gas station/food mart I popped open the gas tank door when I noticed a small child hiding behind one of the gas pumps at the far end of the island.All I could see was his two eyes and the top of his head.He seemed mesmerized by the car.At which point his mother pulled him away fom the pump to go into food mart.

I thought I was the only one who noticed this behavior from children. These kids seem too young to recognize or care about the differences between automobiles.There seems to be something about the shape of the 911 which connects with folks on a deeper level.Strange huh?

I too have had similar experiences. It always bring a smile on my face because it used to be me looking at other people's Porsches. Now it's MY Porsche getting looked at by other people....

When my nephew was 7 or 8, he was mesmerized by my 928. That was all that he talked about. I have a 911 restoration underway. He is absolutely going to wig out when he sees and rides in it.

Kids always seem to understand this stuff...

The true hope for the youth of America is that a person your age is interested in an older 911!! (The term "youth" is realitive!)

Yesterday I attended a PCA autocross and all the under-30s were driving bmws and japanese cars, including a small lexus.

I mentioned this phenomenon last week too. I was prompted by the responses of a couple of 10 year old kids who were next to me as I pulled up at a gas station (DESPERATELY short on fuel, but that's another story!). Remember, mine is an old 911, no bells and whistles or big turbos.
Anyway, I heard them say "Cooooool, look at that Porsche" Then (surprisingly given some of the wild wheels around now) "look at those wheels!!"
Then one of the kids turned to me and said "that's a really awesome car; you are a very lucky man! you are a very lucky man. How fast does she go??"
I told them that it wasn't a new model, but still went fast enough to have to hang on real tight! That wasn't enough info: I saw them peering over the dash to check the speedometer while I went to pay for the gas, eyes like saucers 0-0
I finally left while they were still waiting there, giving a bit of throttle for these kids. Then I found myself smiling as I was driving along, indeed feeling like a very lucky man (once again..)

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'72 911 TE

Since the only ones who understand the passion of a porsche are kids, maybe we (the owners) are just kids inside an adult body! At least that's what my wife says. BTW, my 6 yr old loves my 83 SC, brags to all of his friends, and correctly pronounces it with 2 syllables. Gotta love em!

Eric
83SC

I am in the middle of tearing my engine apart so my trusty 911 isn't even at its prettiest but one day my wife informed me that a group of neighborhood kids had gathered at our door and one finaly rang the door bell. There question was. Is can we look at that porsche in the garage...All of the them in the 8 to 11 range.

Does anyone remember that video that Porsche put out when the 993 first came out. That is what this thread reminds me of. Oh well in a few more weeks I will basking in the glory of my 911 once again. My wallet will be a few pounds lighter but I'll have that big dumb grin on my face again.

osidak

I love it when kids stop what they're doing to look at the car. I always wave and they get really excited. They get even more excited when they're all crammed into the back of a mini-van and they're turned around to look at me in the 911. Of course, I now have to safely, yet swiftly overtake them at the first opportunity. I just wish I could hear the cheers as I go by.

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Aubrey Parker
'79 SC (silver/cork)

On one of the very first drives I took in my 72t I passed an elementary school. A little boy literally dropped what he was doing, poked his friend, pointed at my car and formed his mouth into a perfect "O".

I felt like a rock star.

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Jeff Parker
72t

I was washing my car a month ago when two 12 year olds walked by.

"Cool car. Pisses my dad off every time he sees you drive by....I'm gonna get one one day too."

I went back to washing my car, whistling as I worked!

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John Forcier
69 911T

I guess we don't give little kids enough credit for knowing what's *really* cool.
When I'm working in the garage and have the door open, neighborhood kids will often come by for a look-see. They ignore the shiny, red Ducati and my Harley bagger, and head for my old H-D 45 WLA flathead. Same thing with the Porsche, they have a million questions about it, and can't get over the motor being in the "trunk".

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Doug
'81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber")
Canada West Region PCA
members.home.net/zielke/911SC.htm

Same for me. More unusual the vehicle, better draw it is. My group of local buddies have all had a Toyota MR2, at one time or another. Everyone thinks it's the greatest that the engine's located not where it's supposed to be. My then-girlfriend/now-wife's grandmother, who liked the MR2, likes my 911 for the same reason.

Guaranteed to draw: Checking the oil (in the engine compartment, of course in the rear) after "pouring gas in the front fender..." Gets them every time.

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Cheers,
JerRed
1973 911T, 2.4 CIS

I had the same experience while at a resturant a few weeks back. I came out and a child about 10 years old was standing with his father by my car and said to me "nice Porsche". My 912 is nothing fancy, it needs bodyworks and new paint, but its a Porsche. It seems whether it be at a gas station, on the freeway, or in your driveway everyone recognizes the cars for what they are. And not only do you put a smile on a child's face but one on your own.



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Joshua Harrison
1968 912 Coupe

All P cars are cool. However, it is hard to match the coolness of a mid fifties 356 speedster or 550. They are raw coolness. It seems that as the cars get past a certain age, their coolness factor seems to go up. Hang in there, your 82 SC just gets better with age like fine Champagne.

Diverdan

Well, I guess I have to admit the 944 does have a little identity crisis. Don't get me wrong, I think the car's beautifull, but, here's my experience:

I'm driving through a school zone, a student stops me (with the cute little stop signs, so other students can cross the street) and there's a bunch of kids who're sitting at the sidewalk, yelling 'that's the coolest ferrari I've ever seen', no it's not a ferrari, and their reply was 'that's the coolest lamborghini I've ever seen', I said thanks...
Ahmet

Comments after the fact! Just last weekend went to the local "vittles" place to pick up some groceries. As I stopped at the cross walk to motion mom and her 8 year old son across in front of me mom glanced at the car! (Mom was quite a looker) I parked next to them as they were loadin their groceries into the car. As I got out of the car mom says "That's a beautiful car" I said thank you....(should've said "And mom you're one beautiful woman but didn't" ...dammit). As the kid is getting into the car to leave he says "Hey man nice Porsche"! Once again the "thank you" Yeah they do notice and it puts the Cheshire grin on my face when they do! Just remember (79 SC coupe) like the old Porsche ad says...."There are no old Porsches...only new owners"!!!

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Howie
79SC

Uh, guys, lest we put too much stock in this wisdom-from-the-mouths-of-tykes stuff, keep in mind: 7-10-year-olds also love pro wrestling, nose-picking and monster trucks...

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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T (3.6) sunroof coupe
jackolsen@mediaone.net