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Still debating whether to chance a drive in any Porsche as it is nearly 300 miles one way for me and I sure don't want to run into some of that baseball and tennis ball size hail that has been seen in our regions over the last few days. We have had hail 3 years in a row the third week in June; no Porsches were damaged but several windows and roofs had to be replaced all 3 years. Crops all got hit and had to be adjusted. ( it's getting old ).
Not sure which day you're planning on driving down but looks like Saturday is the only iffy day in the forecast - 90 and humid, good storm brewing conditions.
I know that June hail all too well. Took delivery of my 986 from California about three years ago to the day, and 6 hours later I was watching helplessly as it got pelted with hail- by the grace of god no damage.
You should pick up an older Boxster as a mule Porsche. Great fun, relatively cheap, comfortable on road trips, and who cares if it gets a few battle scars along the way. Problem solved
Am leaving late today (Thursday) or early Friday morning.
Have a few things to do in the Cities and some friends to visit. The Star of the North Antique Show is in town, and also need to get over to the St.Paul Harley Davidson dealer and also Audi of St.Paul for some parts. It will be a full weekend, but the storms I am most worried about are those passing thru the corridor from the Red River Valley s.e. to Mpls.
As to the early Boxster; sorry, but I need to pass on that particular model of Porsche. Early Cayman as well. I have no interest in anything except 356s, early 911s, 914s, 944s, 951s, 928s, and any later 911 EXCEPT the 996 normally aspirated. Any turbo or GT car with the GT1 or Mezger engine is just fine, even those with the 996 body styling. Maybe a passing interest in the new Macan. There are just too many issues with the 986/996 model line...... and I worry about the now documented 27 ways these motors may fail. Now if we are talking about anything built after the DFI was introduced in these smaller flat sixes, then I am interested in Cayman / Boxster.
Sorry to hear about the hail on your new purchase. I have heard not only great things about a local crew which does dent and hail repair, but in fact I have done some business with them and will do so again as I have a couple of cars with a few door dings from previous owners. Don Kavanaugh and Dent Kraft who also are one of Nord Stern's advertising sponsors and located in Plymouth.
Good folks with perfection and professionalism as their byword. In fact, I expect they will be setting up their kiosk at the event on Sunday.......
As to my 'mule Porsche', yes I have one and it's pictured back in post #79. Ol' Scruffy, my '84 - 944 - M456 car with it's slightly weather worn paint, dried out interior, and a few dings. This old boy had the misfortune of sitting in a metal shipping container in the backyard of a construction owner's home in Las Vegas, and the leather sport seats got super dried out.
He had been gifted to that contractor by it's first owner, a woman in Southern California, when she died. This guy I bought it from had taken it to a repair shop to get new wires and plugs, new cap and rotor, and a t-belt/ balance shaft replaced. After only driving it a few weeks, he pulled it into his garage and the engine died and drug the rear wheels going up the incline. He thought he had broken a t-belt and disgusted, stored it in the metal container till advertising it for sale. About 5 or 6 years later...... ( and yes, the gasoline had also turned to jello ).
I bought it for little or nothing and shipped it home as a non- running entity, mainly because of it's straight body and M456 suspension. Only to discover I didn't need to put on that new head and valve set in my garage. The set screw had fallen out of the rotor which hadn't been lock-tited in properly when re-assembled.
He has made a trip or two to Porsche Parade when the weather looked chancy and I figured he was the most disposable of the group. NOT that I want to deal with issues of hail, flooding, or tree damage on his slightly less than perfect complexion. It's just that if any of them are going to take a hit, poor ol' scruffy is going to be the least to lose sleep over.
And with that, I am going out to the garage and smooth things over by rubbing a flank and touching a piece of his less than perfect coat.... he knows he's loved. I think he may be slightly jealous tho of the 'new girl in town'.
ol' scruffy has some issues with his original leather seats; baking for 5 or 6 years in a storage container in the hot Las Vegas desert. The heat took the life right out of them ..... but they will get new foam and leather replaced this winter and hopefully will look just as good as :
his new best friend's leather sport seats. These are very comfortable to sit in and after a full day riding in them, one arrives fresh and at ease. But, I still give a nod to the earlier sport seats with the most absolute supportive and gripping bolsters to hold a person in thru any apex at max g.
I can't imagine the dash looks much better after 5 or 6 years in the sun. Although I must say having an uncracked dash in a 944 is like a curse as you become obsessive about trying to keep it covered and the worry of discovering that first hairline crack. On hot summer days I remember driving around with a bath towel folded over the dash
Hope the drive down went well and you worked up the courage to bring one of your beauties. Downtown Hastings is hosting their bi-monthly Cruise-In show this weekend, if you don't have any better plans for Saturday evening, it's suppose to be a fun show that's gaining a lot of popularity over a beautiful historical setting. Check it out.
Serial number 500 of the first batch of '82 calendar year/ model year '83 cars with 50,000 original miles. Note the beautiful script door tops on the door cards which the very first cars came with.
----- and I don't. The only two images of your car turned out with too much sun shine 'starring' out the subject, and the other was blurred from a distance. I ended up deleting them. If you have a couple of good shots of your Guards Red beauty, feel free to post them up here.
I can't imagine the dash looks much better after 5 or 6 years in the sun. Although I must say having an uncracked dash in a 944 is like a curse as you become obsessive about trying to keep it covered ~
fortunately the dash and other rubber and plastic componentry fared much better than the 'living' membrane that leather is. There are a few small cracks around the vents, but the previous owner had a lighter gray dash-mate over it, and also had two reflective material type of shades which he apparently used to ward off sun and/or heat.
The fuel and leather seats took the brunt of the heat index, and I also changed out the fuel lines in the engine bay as well as a safety precaution. I tried to rejuvenate the seats with Hyde Food and Lexol, but it absorbed it like a sponge, then the next day was hard and brittle again. The leather is just like an old pair of work or riding boots which have been put away wet. When sitting in those seats, they feel stiff and non compliant. All life has gone away.
Today I spent the cooler part of the morning wiping down the interior of the white '86 with a wet cotton towel, then buffing dry, then coating with 2 liberal coats of Lexol Leather Conditioner. Finishing with a light buffing by hand with a clean 100 % cotton towel.
This is what they looked like after a short time of wiping them down:
Today I spent unrolling the sunroof bag and cleaning it; it appears like it has never been opened as the inside white cloth liner is as new with no evidence of dirt or smudges anywhere.....
The bra and mirror bag, labeled as Porsche products, had some dirt inside and a few dried bugs, but nothing a quick wipe down didn't take care of. The snaps are tight, no holes in the bag..... am gonna leave it outside in the sun a few days with Lexol Vinylex applied to see if those wrinkles release.
And I gave the leather wheel, horn pad, and seats another swabbing with Lexol leather care conditioner. They have become very soft and pliable; such a great difference between these maroon seats and the black, dried out sport seats in the '84.
----to think these sport seats in my '86 - 944 were developments from this lovely 356 Speedster built 30 years earlier, then close to 30 years further on, THESE came along as seen in this Carrera GT, lends an air of continuity to the whole picture Porsche has painted for their enthusiast clientele.
( all taken at the NORD STERN 'All Porsche Show' in Roseville Park at Roseville, MN June of 2016 )
06-23-2016, 06:12 AM
