I’m lucky , here in San Diego county we have some of the best air cooled shops in the world. But so expensive !!

I hadn't been following this thread and just popped in to find that it wasn't about what I was expecting.

Five years or so ago I experienced a seized caliper when I was driving through Nashville on my way to Atlanta and needed an emergency rebuild done ASAP. Someone recommended Lawrie Wicky to me and he was great. I'm glad there are still Porsche guys like that around, even if there may not be as many as there used to be.

The name is actually Wickie Lawrie. He serviced my SC several years ago prior to my out of state purchase. He is the best!

Fascinating thread. Like the turn it took.

“The mechanic situation is a bit of a bummer” is generally the sentence that follows “love this car, the hobby and the community”. Been mostly had by the old guys for one reason or another but I’m sure a young’n would have gotten me too as I had puddles behind my ears.

Little better at spotting the wolves (and sheep) in sheep’s clothing now, but the good old timer I found my way to has his OG crew of customers that he lavishes on, and who keep his air cooled flame burning. The rest of us keep the lights on. That said, it’s probably healthy to pull up in one of these cool old cars, and have to leave your pride at the door.

Did have the pleasure of having Tyson Schmidt look over a few things a couple of years ago when I was mid road-trip and that was an enjoyable time. Did great work, and did it so quickly that he’d crack a couple of beers with a total stranger and shoot the breeze. Loved that.

Ps. I resent the assertion that SCs are lead sleds. Only way to definitively settle it is to get an F-body car and move to CA where someone can work on the MFI

Air cooled Porsche values changing? Next thing you know, someone will claim that the global average temperature is changing!!
Over the past 10 (or more) years, I have had Porsche "flippers" tell me that the vintage Porsche value "bubble" is way overdue to break. They want to buy my old Porsches before the bottom falls out of the market. What nice, generous strangers. Altruism at it's finest!
Buy the best car your budget will allow. DRIVE it. ENJOY it. SHARE it with a younger enthusiast. Pass along personal stories and the lore that make the marque special to you. Do as much "hands on" as you can, even if it's just washing and detailing. The more you involve yourself, the more you will enjoy the hobby.
Nuff said.

Wise words.

THIS!!!
Especially the part about resenting SCs being called "lead sleds". I've owned a 997, 993 and a 964. I much prefer my current SC to all these!

Same here. Values for most of my cars are up 500-1000% since I purchased them and have no interest in selling. I have full access to a local dealership my son works for but I do all my work myself as it is half the fun of ownership. I won't sell and one day my son will be their caretaker. I am teaching him what I know. The last disciple I had is now working at Ryan Friedman I hope it is going well for him.

There are young 20 somethings getting heavily into these older cars. The question is money and some of them are doing quite well for themselves at an early age. This is now more a rich mans hobby than the DIYer shade tree mechanics like myself. Although they are learning first hand what a downturn economy can do and how bad things can be after living most of their lives with a strong economy. I guess we will see what tomorrow brings but I don't see this being any less a thing than it has been these last 20 years of growing into what it has become.

Our bigger concern is fuel and if some have their way we will be seeing stupid high pricing for gasoline and that in itself can keep people away. I guess we will see and if Porsche's Bio-gas will bring us some relief for the future.

SC over a 3.2 myself I owned a few and they can be quite quick but can never come close to well setup 964. Sorry. My 71E ate SC's for breakfast but not a stable car at speed.

More millionaires have been made in the last hundred years coming out of a bottom than are made as it approaches the top. It’s the boomers on fixed incomes who were hurt most by the recent price gouging inflation of what happened as Covid ended.

If Porsche did nothing else today, I think the brand equity would carry desirability of these cars for decades and generations to come. Young cool people will want to own old cool Porsches. It's a little more posy / sceney in that way, and I must admit that it grinds on me a little. Remarked to my wife after Checked it Out here in Chicago that I walk away from that feeling a little less in love. I think that says more about me and some personality flaws (e.g. being in a foreign city and hating on tourists as a tourist is a good analog).

The fuel situation will change the hobby for sure. I know that's trite to say but I think impact won't be binary. Those that can afford the rare birds, will pay $20+ a gallon to give them wings. There will be rallies and track clubs. I don't think an SC will ever justify the expense or get the invite, and so they will probably go by the way side.

Tell me about it. I am retired for over 10 years now on a fixed income. At 62 I have a long way to go if my health allows. Housing prices by me are through the roof over double pre covid pricing all being purchased by cash buyers. I am most worried if my taxes will go up. Some of the homes purchased torn down and rebuilt by me are carrying $60k or more in property taxes a year vs their prior $16k. That is insane and I suspect they will reevaluate everyone soon enough as they can't pass a budget due to poor planning decade's ago.

Food and paper products have gotten out of control as well. What was $600 a month in basic supplies is nearly double that today. Everything cuts into the Porsche habit.:eek:

I would venture that quite a few of the Fixed income Boomers also benefited from the Market run up as well as the increase of fixed assets.

I'm a 3.2L man (motronic)..... 964s I find too refined for my taste.... I do like the Euro RS variety.

I don't like the term "boomers" because it's too charged and angry. There's no question that the 50-60+ have been the greatest beneficiary of the wealth effect of low/no rates and prior to that, the longest bull run in history. It's the capital class that does well there, and those individuals are the largest capital class. If you bought a house in Paddington in Sydney, Australia for 200k in 1990 and sold if for $14mm in 2023 you can buy a lot of Porsches. That dynamic exists in a lot of major cities around the world. Those on fixed income retirements are in a similar boat to those on salaries (both are earning a cash return on their capital, both actual and human). Not a good situation for anyone. Young folks will need to work out their housing before they can buy a porsche or pay $25 a gallon for fuel.

Interesting discussion.

I don’t charge the term “boomer” with anything when I use it. Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Zs are just terms to describe the currently living generations.

All good Matt. Didn’t think you did and I’m with you on that. More of a general comment about how those words are being weaponized and didn’t want someone to pop up and start bashing boomers, millennials and wokeness etc.

I hear this argument from my kids. How hard they and their friends have it now in comparison to us boomers, then.

I don't remember having it easy after I was on my own. I remember the Viet Nam War and having #52 in the Draft lottery. I remember food stamps when I was an idiot hippie in Florida. I remember putting 3 engines in my rusty VW Beetle because I couldn't afford another car.

I vividly remember being broke with 3 young kids and unemployed. I remember not being able to afford a house, so I concocted a plan to buy some cheap land and build it myself. I remember buying used cars from 'friends', who overcharged me.

My wife and I have come a long way over the last 40 years, as have our assets. That house I built is about to be sold. We'll make some good money on it, but I built it in 1978. We also saved, lived below our means and invested regularly. We had some good and bad luck along the way. ***** happens.

We pulled ourselves up by our own bootstraps.

I tell my kids I'm here for them, always, but not surprisingly, they're figuring it out on their own. Wonder where they got that from? ;)

No worries. I didn’t take it the wrong way (thus why I didn’t quote you) and was trying to make an affirmative comment about the term. As a Gen Xer, I don’t think I’ve ever made the derogatory “ok boomer “ dig. I’m easing into middle age gracefully, while watching my father get downright old.

Inspirational…. My kids are also out on their own…. My son is a young teacher so he is still wobbling a bit… as a parent it is a great feeling.

The world is still in the turbulence of a pandemic. IMO, it will take two more years for stability to reappear.

My kids come to my shop and work and have for years. I started working at age 9 and never stopped. I tell them there will always be someone smarter, better looking, friends with the boss, better school, etc at a job, but if you know how to work you are already ahead of them all. Knowing how to show up and work is invaluable.

---Adam


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