A Sad Sight....

[rdvnac]

I took my kids to a strip mall near my house this morning to do some shopping. As we walked out of the store, I noticed a dirty black car parked uncomfortably close to our family truckster--so close that opening the passenger door on our car would have likely meant some metal to metal contact with our careless neighbor.

As I stared at it through the rain something looked vaguely familiar about the shape of the black car, and as we got closer, I realized that it was a 996. Not just any 996, but a Turbo.

I walked around the car and looked in the windows. It was utterly filthy inside and out, and had several dings in the panels, probably from past parking choices like the one made today.

I am not a Q-tipper who cries at the sight of a raindrop touching the hood of my car. On the other hand, I have to admit I was sickened to see a $100,000 Porsche being treated like a '75 Pinto, covered in grime on the outside and fast food wrappers on the inside.

Yes, people can treat their own cars however they wish, but if there were any justice in the world couldn't we at least make sure that people who get to buy zillion dollar, omnipotent-performing, limited-number super cars *appreciate* the cars a little bit?!

Forget "save the flash," we're way beyond that. I'll settle for "don't flagrantly destroy the stock before real Porsche people who love these cars can afford them!"

Rant mode off.

--Bob D.
'92 C2

[davis911s]

I am with you on this one. I hate to see beautiful cares not even cared for. I probably treat my 84 dodge 1/2 ton better than that,and it is really a beater.


Shawn

[GT911]

Ditto Shawn,

I'm putting fresh paint on my '84 BMW 318 this weekend. It has 260k miles on it. I guess my paint job is like putting a nice suit on some one at a funeral parlor. I know it's near the end of its life, but I like my cars looking nice.

The black car owner either born rich, won the lottery, or won a lawsuit. Did nothing to earn his money, and has no appreciation for it. (Or it's a women).

[Rod Walter]

Bob, when you said you weren't a Q-tipper I thought that you meant that you were not an elderly driver with a head full of gray hair just visible above the head rest of your seat !

By the way, thanks for the tip about Brad Mayeur - he did weld on a new sway bar mount for me back in March and did a fine job.

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Rod Walter
'88 911 coupe

[rdvnac]

Glad to help, Rod. Brad is a great guy and an excellent mechanic. Unfortunately, he works almost exclusively on 914s; wish I could find somebody like him for my C2! ;-)

[RarlyL8]

Where are you guys located? Brad is in my PCA region. Our "house mechanic" resides near Champaign (U of I). He wrenches a few 964s. Brad knows Bill, check it out.

[Rod Walter]

Rarly, I'm near Macomb and in the Lincoln Trail region of the PCA. Who is your house mechanic?

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Rod Walter
'88 911 coupe

[cegerer]

This quote from the 911S article in the new issue of European Car magazine sort of sums it up:

"Buying a new 996 takes only money. Owning an early S (or other early Porsche!) requires dedication ......"

------------------
1971 911T - 2.5L Big Bore

[rdvnac]

Cegerer, that is beautifully said. And even my '92 requires/deserves more repect than that black 996 Turbo is getting!

Rarly, I am in the Chicago 'burbs, but had a mint, rust free 51k mile 914 2.0 that I trusted only to Brad for anything more than an oil change. It was always worth the drive down to Peoria--especially on a sunny day with the top off. ;-)

BTW, I too have heard great things about Bill, maybe I will go long-distance for a mechanic again.

[Yargk]

Maybe it was stolen

Keith
79 930

[RarlyL8]

Rod, Rod, ROD!
You're in my region and don't know who Bill is? My God man, have you been to ANY of the functions? Bill of Wegeng Haus with his 2.7 RS spec motor and Bill Jankovski in the supercharged SC are racing icons! And there are many more. Check out the latest Potpouri and you'll see pix from the Chanute auto-x. (Somehow I was timed during a practice run, and posted as slowest time of the day!). They really are a great bunch of folks. Make everyone feel really at home. Come down to TWEEKS in July and meet everyone, it's a great weekend.

Now, as for the original post, did you happen to smell cheap cologn and cigarette smoke near this car? I know all too well the type of character that drives an exotic and treats it like a toilette.

[Jim T]

Probably a leased car. Just being rented for 24 months, so who cares . . .

[RaF944]

Who cares? I sure as hell care...they dont rent out 996 Turbos... Their tag sale is $115,000 but they sell for 150,000. These are beutiful cars. If i saw a 996 turbo looking like that I would ***** slap the owner


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85.5 Porsche 944

[rdvnac]

Go RaF, go, I think we are on the same page here, lol.

Jim, because these cars are selling for well over sticker around here, I doubt anyone is bothering to offer them for lease. And even if it is a leased car I can't imagine how this car is going to look by the end of its lease term! With the extra wear and tear charges the dealer is going to knock 'em on the head with, he/she might as well have bought the thing.

Have you guys read the latest Excellence? The 996 Turbo is the car that makes Hurley Haywood "drool," and the one that all the reviewers picked as their favorite current offering from Porsche.

What a waste to see this one sentenced to being abused to death in a strip mall parking lot. :-(



[This message has been edited by rdvnac (edited 06-02-2001).]

[layzee]

Raf, the idea of you ***** slapping a 996 turbo owner for not treating their car well enough is damn funny!

'Damn you biatch! I work my ass off at tha diner for ma 944, yo drive round all day in yo dirty-ass turbo, treating it like *****! I oughta smoke yo ass!'

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Phil Garner
'72 911E Sporto
'87 VW Golf CL 1.6 with Weber (x1!)

[9XI]

Flame away, but I have to disagree on this one.

996 Turbos are beautiful cars, but they are not terribly unique ... yet. I might take a different view of a car that has become a collectors' item. If someone wanted to tear up a cherry 73"S" or Carrera Cup car from the 90s, now THAT would be a shame.

If a guy has the money to buy a 996 Turbo and destroy it, why should we care? Porsche is still making them so all of us enthusiasts don't lose out on a commodity and people throw away money all the time. Where were you guardian angels when people were buying Cisco and Webvan last fall?



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1969 911S Targa
1999 Eurovan Camper

[Roland Kunz]

Hello

Porsches where made to be used. In hard battles on the race track but also in hard battles in urban traffic.

It may hit the resale value but not the heart of the car.

You see maybe a abused car but the owner sees a bodyguard or good friend for every day in every situation.

Just get rid from those prejudicees ring the doorbeel and say hello. Say you also have a Porsche and you like to see other people use the car rather making a shrine out off it. And then ask for a ride.

Driving is much better then Q-tiping.

Grüsse

[RarlyL8]

PeterM -
Yes, Bill Wegeng (pronounced Wigin) is the proprietor or Wegeng Haus. Awsome garage for an awsome Porsche enthusiast. I just came from his house this evening. I'm slowly doing some prep work to put a 3.3T in my SC. I got into a real jam with the 930 torsion bars, he bailed me out (again) and did his usual first rate job and then some. The guy ain't cheap, but neither is his work.
His car "Mellow" is a '76 with SC flairs, Carrera wing, and 2.7RS spec motor. This car commonly wins concours AND driving events on the same day. You won't find him or any of his friends treating Porsches in the manner that started this post. Our cars are very special to us.