tt9714

I know that we often like to say irreverent things about the previous owners of our cars (especially when they have hacked a repair making our lives difficult), but I would be interested in talking to the first owner of my car.

How many people out there have a complete ownership history, and have also communicated with the first owner? For those of you with one PO cars this isn't really an issue (unless you bought it from a third party). I'm thinking of cars from the mid-80's that have changed hands several times in the last 15-20 years.

I know that my car ('86 951) was first purchased in Southern California (Riverside) as evidenced by the dealer stamp in the service book. From there I know that it spent several years in SoCal before being relocated to the Pacific Northwest. It changed hands twice while in Washington state, and I bought it from someone in Seattle in 2001. I drove it down PCH to Los Angeles where I lived for about a year. I am now living in Chicago, so the car is in the Midwest.

Please share your stories...

Billy W

My car was bought in SC by a Dr Robert Chapman not quite sure on the last name but I still have his original bill of sale somewhere. Then it was sold to a lady named Rosanne Bierman who from the looks of it was in the armed forces and did not drive the car much at all. I bought the car 5 years ago and it only had 42k on it. I have attempted to contact both previos owners and have never had any luck, I have their phone numbers but they have since moved on. The good thing is I have nothing bad to say about either person the car was maintained at the dealer at all cost and I have the receipts to show for it.

Tom

I am the 5th owner of my car. I know the even owners, I don't know the odd ones (except myself of course!) The reason I sought the car was because I knew the second, and most significant owner (the one who put the most miles on it) and I knew of the car before I bought it (in fact I tried but was too late to be owner #3). I wouldn't say anything bad about the PO's but I haven't found any need to either.

Luke

I am #3, but #2 only had the car 2 or 3 months due to an injury at work. (im sure he's recovered and found another nice one though!)

Dan in Pasadena

I bought my car from the first owner a year ago; my girlfriend's sister. It had sat unused for
6-1/2 years at the back of her garage in the California Mountains in Big Bear Lake, CA. When her husband surprised her with this car as a gift they lived on the "flatlands" but then moved up to the mountains a year later. The car wasn't much good as a winter car there and they garaged it every winter. In about '95 they just didn't take it back out again! 59,100K when I bought it, almost NO records, they didn't do anything to the car but put gas in it and take it to the carwash <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" />

I have the receipt for a set of cheapo Big O discount tires - since changed to Yoko AVS Intermediates and did $1850 of deferred maintenance and the car is a champ now. I've done all belts, all fluids, filters, hoses, brakes, motor mounts, new stereo/speakers, 60K service, color sanded the hood/roof and buffed the crap out of it. It's a shiny one! I like this car way too much. It's not fast, it's not current and I'm sinking money into it I'll never see again. But I get compliments everywhere I go. Kids think it is the fastest thing they've ever seen - God knows why? - Guards Red?! But I really like driving it. <img src="graemlins/wave.gif" border="0" alt="[byebye]" />

RPG951S

I'm the Second owner.
First owner was a local celebrity (a radio talk show host (about 'auto maintenance') and independant Porsche shop owner named Ron Green.

His second identical Silverrose turbo S, after he totalled his first one during a DE..(it was only 3 months old!) So that makes the car one of 12 surviving Canadian turbo S's...

Well maintained, but also well used. Has probably seen at least 50 track days, original head, no motor or major repairs, ever. Knock on really big *** wood

Tom R.

Citibank was the first owner of my car, the original plate was pennsylvania "944S2". The lesee (phil & sissy essner i think) bought the car at the end of the lease - does that make him the second owner? He lived in lafayette hill pa. does anyone remember seeing the car?

He traded it in the summer or fall of '00 for a land rover. the land rover dealer sold it to the dealer i bought it from.

the dealer i bought it from shipped it to NY, then found a carfax problem. the selling dealer wouldnt adjust the price, so it was sent back to philly. is that owner three, four, and five?

the car was auctioned, and the dealer i bought it from got it at the auction for less than he wanted to pay before it was shipped back. is that owner six?

that makes me the seventh owner of a car that had one PO!

BTW, the car was serviced at Don Rosen in philly. is there anyone near there that can pick up a printout of the service records? i spoke to the service manager a year ago, and he said he could print out a history if i prove im the owner. he just wont mail it to me.

PorscheG96

I'm the second owner of both cars. The 944 was driven by some Dr's girlfriend but she hardly ever used it, so they sold it. The 968 was driven by some chick working for the Feds...they gave it to her as a company car back in '91. I love buying cars from chicks, they take such good care of the things!

2coupes

Just finished this process,'85.5 bought new by an Australian professor at Dartmouth College and driven spring summer and fall in NE. Sold w/45k on it in 1994 to a wealthy real estate wife from Marblehead,Ma who put 16k on it in 7 years,and it was maintained by one of her husbands tenants who was and is a Porsche mechanic at a local P dealer.Now at 62k and still mint.'87 Turbo bought in Ohio by what appears was orig.owner who had it shipped in from Fargo,ND dealer,became garage queen and did 26k before trading to dealer for new?? and car was wholesaled to dealer I bought from in Ohio and drove home this December.The 85.5 won Ist at the local PCA car show last fall and the Turbo makes the N/A look like a rat,it's that pristine.Have talked to two of the owners and am convinced that neither has been molested.I AM a lucky 944 owner,not that my boyish enthusiasm doesn't surface once in a while, but I respect what I have and take very good care in return. Jim H

Tremelune

My father bought mine from the original owner. Bought it off the showroom and gave it to his wife to drive. I ended up being the primary driver, and I bought it from the old man about a month ago. The guy had a perfect 911, a perfect CBR600F2, and you could eat off his garage. Shoulda bought the other vehicles, too...

David Agatone

Not sure who the original owner was but I can definitely tell you who the previous owner was. Michael Jordan of Atlanta(not the B.B. player) if you are out there..why would you do that to a Porsche or any car for that matter. I definitely learned what a pre-purchase inspection is for!!!

David

Eric

Good idea for a thread. All I really know(from dealer stamps) is that my car was bought new at Cuyahoga Falls Porsche in Ohio, and serviced there for about 40K. Anyone on this list buy an Alpine white/burgandy 944 turbo from that dealer in 86?

951Tom

I'm the 3rd owner of my '87 951. It was originally purchased in N.J. and maintained at a dealership there as evidenced by the dealer stamps in the owners manual. Then the original owner sold it to a elderly gentlemen in '94 who took good care of it. A stack of receipts came with the car. He was kind enough to replace the clutch, a-arms, tires, and a bunch of other things for me. Then I purchased it in May of '99. A fried of mine spotted it for sale in one of those Autotraders that are in all the 7-11's. Cool thread! <img src="graemlins/drink.gif" border="0" alt="[cherrsagai]" />

db944

My 88 Turbo S showed up on E-bay one morning with 24,700 miles. I promptly called the lister, ran a Carfax, offered more than the reserve, and went to see the car the very next weekend. I walked around the car three times in disbelief. Stone Grey metallic over burgundy script cloth. Absolutely perfect! Dealer PPI revealed no issues, no leaks, and compression on spec. The guy I bought it from only owned it for about 4 months. He bought it on the spur of the moment from the original selling dealer for his 16 yr old son!

The wife says "Did you buy the coffin that goes with it?" when he brings it home. You can figure out why it ended up on E-bay.

Original owner was 50 something trucking company owner. Used the car primarily each summer to drive to his mountain house in NC. I tracked him down and asked about his experience even though I had all maintenance receipts (oil changes mostly).
He said he didn't drive it much but had fun with it when he did.

Officially I'm the third owner, but hardly count number two. Car now has 27k miles. I'm getting ready to do belts for the first time just because of age.

Outlaw952

The first owner of my car bought it to give to his wife. After some time he found out that she was cheating on him, and found out they were meeting in Las Vegas one weekend. So he went up there to confront them, and "accidentally" ended up dying after falling from a balcony! BUT, he had willed the car to his best friend, who happened to own one of those stereo/tint shops. He put in a $2k Kenwood stereo system, dark tint (I cant see out the back at night), and a nice Clifford alarm. Next the car was sold to a friend of his who put some suspension mods on it and some other minor things. Now its mine! Hope it isnt possessed, although this possibility hasnt been totally ruled out yet...