Air-cooled 911 Ownership a Great Reward Despite Few Quirks
YouTuber looks back on their air-cooled 911 in preparation for cross-country trek to celebrate Porsche’s 70th anniversary.
Among Porsche 911 enthusiasts, the original air-cooled 911s from the Sixties through the early Nineties are some of the most revered. Though the water-cooled 911s are all the better for having water in their veins, there’s nothing like hearing an air-cooled 911 roll up to Cars & Coffee, turning heads wherever it goes with its classic looks.
Tyler Hoover of YouTube channel Hoovie’s Garage knows all about that life, since he’s the owner of a 1985 911 Carrera. In his latest video for the channel, he says that as he’s gotten to know his first air-cooled 911, he’s found “plenty of things to love about this sports car,” along with a few things that bother him.
Among the many thing he loves about his 911, Tyler says the interior smells “like a place that sells expensive horse saddles, or those leather stores that had an increase in sales after 50 Shades of Grey movies came out,” and that its character is like Herbie the Love Bug after he comes to life, driving like a proper sports car. Finally, Tyler says this 911 “is the perfect combination of old and new,” looking and functioning as it did when it first arrived on the scene decades earlier while having enough creature comforts to make living with the car worthwhile in its day.
There a few dings on his 911 ownership, though, the odd ergonomics and floor-mounted clutch pedal being nothing compared to the gobs of money he’s put into his ride thus far. He says he’s currently over $40,000 in his 911 due to shipping and repairs, adding that he could have found a 911 for half the bill five years ago. He’s also not fond of the air conditioning unit, due mainly to its weakness against the heat of his Kansas home despite him spending $1,000 fixing the system. And of course, the service costs, such as a $10,000 rebuild of the engine were he to need it, make it hard to own a 911.
In the end, however, “the loves certainly outweigh the hates.” Tyler says early on he bought his air-cooled 911 for nostalgia, growing up around his father’s 911s. He adds that the purchase was all about obtaining “a practical classic” that is fun to drive and looks amazing, while also being able to take his family along without the fear of breaking down. We couldn’t agree more.
