How my day started

[stomachmonkey]

After many years of badgering the wife and a year of looking I get my 84.

My brother brings the car up from Fla and has his buddy who owns a Porsche Speed Shop do top and bottom oil lines before I even see the thing for the first time. $$$$$$$$

Get the car on the Dec. 14th, drive for 4 days and the DME goes dead, $200 for the first guy that I brought it to who is trying to sell me a $2000 tuneup and $500 for the second shop, (RPM Racing in Huntington Long Island, great guys) to fix it.

Wife does not say much so, OK.

Spend 5 hours the following weekend doing shifter bushings because one of the allen bolts holding the assembly in has a stripped head. Wife takes child sledding in the park without Daddy, get the stare of death as she pulls away from the house.

It has rained or snowed every day since I've had the car, except of course the 5 days it was sidelined with the dead DME.

So far it has not really been the experience that I had dreamed about all these years.

Weather for today is dry and warm, 50 degress, woo hoo, gonna have a nice ride into work today boy.

Miss shift 3rd on a twisty, grind em, aaarghh, drop back to second, back up to third for a second and have to slow for a stop sign around the next bend.

All of the sudden, BANG from under the car, what the F***, dump clutch coast to stop and I hear what sounds like the passenger rear wheel dragging as if it is locked up.

OH S***, I blew the gearbox, get that big gaping pit in my stomach and visions of Franklins, lots of em, changing hands and me sleeping on the couch or worse in the car.

Go thru the gears and it seems to be ok, start driving, car moves, turn around to head for RPM, still making noise, keep it rolling and dump clutch, noise not related to engine speed, good, did I blow an axle?, how is that possible?, sounds like a brake caliper hung up or something dragging. Pass a guy walking his dog.

Pull over and start looking around. Get filthy and can't find anything, look again and wait what's that? Something hanging next to the passenger front wheel, rubbing on the wheel and touching the ground, reach in and pull out a tree limb from the suspension.

Stand up and look at it as the guy who was walking his dog catches up, he looks at the branch and say's, "lucky you, that sounded expensive", I say "you have NO idea".

Scott

[APKhaos]

Part of the Porsche experience is the extacy of driving our cars, punctuated by flashes of high pucker-factor terror, which cover the range from over-cooking a corner to nasty noises from the aft of the ship.

Great story - glad is was just a false alarm.

[Ray 911s]

My Porsche experience started much the same way. My first, a 944 turbo (OK, a 951), caught fire and burned to the ground after three weeks of ownership.

So I bought a 911S. The first drive on on the way home from the purchase. On the next day, second drive, two blocks from my house, pop - bang, bang, bang. Number five cylinder is banging bad.

OK, do I buy a rebuild, another engine, or a Chevy? I bought the engine and am still running so far. Just a little scared to drive too hard, though. What's gonna' break next? It's a good thing I like this car so much - and my wife likes me so much, eh?

[85eurocarrera]

I am sure youre a great dad... but take your kid sledding. Its just a car that can be fixed later. BTW the first week I had my Carrera I was in traffic when a tread, from I think a semi or Firestone) came flying out from under car in front of me. No where to go but over it. Cracked my front spoiler and scared the #@%$ out of me.

[stomachmonkey]

The sledding was actually my idea. The pangs of guilt as she drove away were horrible. Almost hopped in the 3000 to join them but I was filthy and it was late on a Sunday and the car was in so many pieces I had no choice but to finish it before I ran out of daylight.

Love my little girl, she and my wife are the #1 things in my life. Still feel crappy about it.

Scott

[magilla]

You'll have plenty of years to enjoy your car. These "little" things will get worked out.

I have had my SC for 2 yrs now, and I am still working on some stuff that needs to get fixed, but I can still drive the car whenever I want (weather permitting). No problems.

[silverc4s]

Scott,
With few exceptions, when you take possession of a 20 to 30+ year old car, it is normal for some unexpected problems to surface. Let's be realistic, the prior owner was selling the car for a reason, right? He probably loved & cared for it less in the waning months of ownership than he did in earlier times, right? So you WILL need to unearth and rectify a few faults, minor to possibly major in your new baby.
The HUGE difference that I have found with 911s, as compared to almost any other car in existence, is that you can work through the repair and replacement cycle of these few things, and the car will STAY FIXED!!! FOR A LONG LONG TIME...
I have a 1970 911 and a 1973 911 with a 1987 engine, and I would trust either car for a quick run to Dallas, or Houston, or Phoenix, etc, just as it sits!!! I would probably change the oil & filter, and do a check of all tires, brakes, and suspension before heading for LA or San Francisco, but I am sure that either car would easily make the trip, and make it a LOT of FUN!!!
That's why we all love these cars so much. That's really rare in the automotive world...

[stealthn]

Give the keys to your wife and let her take it for a drive

[stomachmonkey]

Fully expect to have issues with the car. Had a bumper to bumper done on it and I have a prioritized to do list in hand.

My father collects/restores antique Benz's for a hobby and I routinely drive and wrench cars older than I am.

Just sold my 57 190SL last year so I know what old cars are all about.

Has just been a frustrating couple of weeks due mostly to the poor weather we have been experiencing. Frustrating because it is outside of my control.

A broken car I can fix, snow every morning is just depressing.

I'm not upset just amazed at the turn of events.

Life goes on.

Scott

[Jim Richards]

Scott, glad to hear you dodged a bullet.

It has rained or snowed every day since I've had the car, except of course the 5 days it was sidelined with the dead DME.

I think you should get yourself a set of winter tires and enjoy the heck out of your car.

[johncj8989]

I guess I am one of the lucky ones. When I was fortunate enough to pick up my 73 rs lightweight with 300 original miles on the odo, the ride home was a very pleasant one. Nothing Like the feel of classic touring mach............ uh uh uh ........ Damn, fell asleep at my desk.






"It was only a dream baby, shake it off."

[Tim Walsh]

john you are a lucky one.. I bought mine with lots of problems.. but this is my chosen hobby and I knew it was going to be alot of work

[Superman]

High pucker factor indeed. You guys (and ladies) are not ordinary people. I know who you are. You like Mexican and Italian food to be SPICY, don't you? Some of you fly airplanes, others of you would rather jump out of them. Between romantic interludes, we have to do something to elevate our heart rates and blood pressures. You don't fool me. I know who you are.

[nostatic]

Super, I thought you were against government intrusion into our private lives? Sounds like you and Tom Ridge are on a first-name basis.

btw, when I was about 8 years old I used to save up my change and go to the local taco shack. For 5 cents you could buy 3 flour tortillas and a bunch of hot sauce. Now *that's* a snack. gawd bless growing up in Fun Diego

[RickM]

Is the tree alright? Seriously, enjoy your family and your car....you just have to find balance.

[Superman]

Dr. Static, I know we have similar views in many areas. Those sound like good "tacos." And Doc, I didn't tell Tom Ridge anything about you. For example, I didn't tell him anything about the incident with the three dancers and the porpoise. Yes, you could say that I oppose government intrusion into our private lives. Then again, he probably already knows that troublemakers often drive air cooled Porsches.

[OVRSTR]

Scott you and I are almost neighbors. I live in Melville. I don't know about near you in Huntington but the road maintanance crews have dumped every bit of crap ever used for snow and ice all over my neighborhood. I can't even see the blacktop near my house. Too bad your ride wasn't what you had hoped. As far as the family, they're my number one priority also (two girls, 4&2 with another in two months), but you should see the look on my wife's face when I'm under my car! There's NEVER enough free time.

[TSNAPCRACKLEPOP]

superman!! its 3 dancers and a P-O-R-S-C-H-E,

i hate it when people spell it wrong!!

[stomachmonkey]

OVRSTR

Mine is 2 with another due in June.

Roads are the same in Huntington, one section of my commute has so many potholes it looks like the face of the moon.

I work in Glen Cove so my commute is through Cold Spring Harbor past the fish hatchery and up 25A, you are probably familiar with the stretch and understand why I've been itching for some nice driving weather.

I am "cleaning house this spring". Have been looking for a new house with a 3 car garage for over a year now but you know what it's been like on the Island, everything overpriced and no inventory.

I have 2 Starions to get rid of, a 1980 TR7 with 30k original on it and the 3000GT.

I hate to give up one of the Starions but like you said, there is just no time, it's a shame to have the stuff just sit there.

My father is not as healthy as he used to be and I'm trying to get him to sell his house and get a condo but then his restoration hobby goes bye-bye and I'll end up having to store some of his toys as well.

Anyway, I'm a mile south of the village if you ever need to get away for a beer and whatever is left of the football season PM me and I'll give you my contact info.

Scott