Official "It Happened to me Today" thread - Porsche Stories - good, bad, funny, sad
05-14-2010, 12:07 PM
#181
Drifting
Last Saturday at the local Porsche Club breakfast, a Cayman driver accidentally locked his keys in his trunk. He eventually produced a valet key, but set off the alarm trying to open the trunk with it, which locked him out from even starting the car. His keys were visible in the trunk, tantalizing but inaccessible despite repeated attempts... until I sent my 7-year old daughter in, who effortlessly climbed back, grabbed the keys, and went "Here they are." Left a fat ole dirty footprint on the back of his seat (subtlety is not one of her skills), but he was very happy to trade a footprint for his keys 
I let my wife start autocrossing my 986S; she rarely complains about my seemingly very aggressive driving now because she's comfortable with the car and knows that I'm not even close to pushing it.
I let my wife start autocrossing my 986S; she rarely complains about my seemingly very aggressive driving now because she's comfortable with the car and knows that I'm not even close to pushing it.
drive "wife in car normal"
05-14-2010, 12:17 PM
#182
Parts Specialist
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Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
05-14-2010, 01:58 PM
#183
I enjoyed putting off work for the past hour to read the stories, has been a very entertaining read! My story isn't in a P-car (although one does come into play near the end) but hopefully you find it entertaining!
Background: My roommate and I were signed up for the Marshalling course at Mosport raceway last weekend... and our plan was to camp overnight at the track and work on my car ('99 Jetta) while there (needed to replace the catylitic converter, already had new parts and borrowed ramps from a friend). We were looking forward to working under the car in the paddock with all the race teams.
So Friday evening we get to Mosport and decide a good spot to be is the other end of the paddock, because there are 2 new GT3 Cup cars over there. Since it's not raining, we decide to start working on my car. We setup the ramps and across from us is a Versace-sponsored team, decked out with all the equipment/trailers/tents etc and 2 nice looking WRX race cars. As we were pulling my car onto the ramps the wheels slipped a bit (no biggie, just spun on the metal from the tires being a bit wet) and they started laughing. I just thought to myself "don't let it bother you". At this point they had stopped to watch what we were doing. Anyway, get the car up on the ramps. To change the cat, we have to take the old one off which is 6 nuts up near the engine (not fun to get to let alone try using a wrench) and then 2 bolts right under the car for a sleeve clamp. I didn't even consider those 2 at first thinking they'd be easy, it was the 6 near the engine I was worried about as I expected them to be really rusted from 10 years being on there. They were. Having said that, the first 3 I tried loosened with only a decent amount of effort. So at this point, I'm pumped thinking the whole job is going to take an hour. It didn't. The next nut started stripping, so I got a different sized socket which fit better (ya, different sized nuts on the same part... ). I gave it 110%, it doesn't budge. My friend gave it his all... doesn't budge. At this point, its also getting dark, so we borrow a flashlight from a race team and keep going. Then it starts to rain, but not bad and we're under the car. So we figure we'll heat up the bolts with a propane torch I bought. I'm lying on my back under the car, and my friend lights the torch and passes it to me under the car, and I navigate the blue flame across my chest, overtop of me and up into the car's components to the bolts. After awhile I try again, and finally get all 6 bolts loosened. At this point I'm pumped, because to me that was the only speedbump I saw happening, and we had gotten around it. It's now pouring rain but we're into it and don't care. There's also a mini stream of water flowing right under the car wehre I'm lying. Comfy. So I ask my friend to work on the other 2 bolts at the middle of the car while I take off the 6 I've loosened. Well, those other 2 are much much worse than the first 6, so corroded you can't even tell that they're bolts. No matter how much heat and WD-40 chris used, they wouldn't budge. One ended up fracturing after awhile, which wasn't a bad thing because we can get new bolts, but the other one had no chance. So now the one side of the exhaust is off (the side coming from the engine) and the other doesn't have a chance, and I knock over the flashlight and it burns out. Great, it's now pitch black and cold and we're both soaked and have a half-finished job.
We got out from under the car and it looked like I had gone swimming. We decided that we couldn't do anything more that night and I changed into my only remaining set of dry clothing. (Minus 1 shirt I had worn for work that day). We then sprinted to my car, pushed it off the ramps, got inside and cracked open a couple of beers. 20 minutes later, with nothing else to do my friend went to his car, I stayed in mine, and we slept in our cars that night. I froze! I was out of dry socks at this point, and had my sleeping bag and pillow on my reclined front seat. I think I slept from about 9 to 12:30 solid, and then it was on-off the rest of the night. I just couldn't get warm. Anyway, woke up around 6:30 to the sound of racecars starting and my god, what a gorgeous sound to wake up to! I was immediately happy.
So after the course on Saturday it was time to decide what to do about my poor car. I had to get back to Toronto that night because I had promised my girlfriend I'd go to her birthday party. Well, it was sunny so we decided to keep going with the work. I ran into a guy I had met at the Porsche swap in Hershey this year and he was there with a race team, so I talked to him a bit, and it turns out he was there with a friend, who owned the goregous GT3 Cup we had been oggling the day before. So he showed me around the car a bit, and then his friend leant me a hacksaw (my plan was to cut off the part we couldn't undo). I started the car (to get it back up on the ramps) and my first impression was "let's just remove the entire exhaust"! it was great, it sounded like a race car at idle (something my Jetta isn't known for). Anyway, sure enough, I just start cutting and the rain starts. So I said forget it and I reversed the process and put the bolts back in that I had taken off previously. By the time I'm done, yup, I'm soaked again! I was so uncomfortable. I then drove back to Toronto and had the greatest shower of my life. You don't appreciate being clean and dry and warm until you've spent 24 hours wet, cold, and dirty!
The best part is, on Sunday the GT3 Cup absolutely obliterated the Subaru team.
Background: My roommate and I were signed up for the Marshalling course at Mosport raceway last weekend... and our plan was to camp overnight at the track and work on my car ('99 Jetta) while there (needed to replace the catylitic converter, already had new parts and borrowed ramps from a friend). We were looking forward to working under the car in the paddock with all the race teams.
So Friday evening we get to Mosport and decide a good spot to be is the other end of the paddock, because there are 2 new GT3 Cup cars over there. Since it's not raining, we decide to start working on my car. We setup the ramps and across from us is a Versace-sponsored team, decked out with all the equipment/trailers/tents etc and 2 nice looking WRX race cars. As we were pulling my car onto the ramps the wheels slipped a bit (no biggie, just spun on the metal from the tires being a bit wet) and they started laughing. I just thought to myself "don't let it bother you". At this point they had stopped to watch what we were doing. Anyway, get the car up on the ramps. To change the cat, we have to take the old one off which is 6 nuts up near the engine (not fun to get to let alone try using a wrench) and then 2 bolts right under the car for a sleeve clamp. I didn't even consider those 2 at first thinking they'd be easy, it was the 6 near the engine I was worried about as I expected them to be really rusted from 10 years being on there. They were. Having said that, the first 3 I tried loosened with only a decent amount of effort. So at this point, I'm pumped thinking the whole job is going to take an hour. It didn't. The next nut started stripping, so I got a different sized socket which fit better (ya, different sized nuts on the same part... ). I gave it 110%, it doesn't budge. My friend gave it his all... doesn't budge. At this point, its also getting dark, so we borrow a flashlight from a race team and keep going. Then it starts to rain, but not bad and we're under the car. So we figure we'll heat up the bolts with a propane torch I bought. I'm lying on my back under the car, and my friend lights the torch and passes it to me under the car, and I navigate the blue flame across my chest, overtop of me and up into the car's components to the bolts. After awhile I try again, and finally get all 6 bolts loosened. At this point I'm pumped, because to me that was the only speedbump I saw happening, and we had gotten around it. It's now pouring rain but we're into it and don't care. There's also a mini stream of water flowing right under the car wehre I'm lying. Comfy. So I ask my friend to work on the other 2 bolts at the middle of the car while I take off the 6 I've loosened. Well, those other 2 are much much worse than the first 6, so corroded you can't even tell that they're bolts. No matter how much heat and WD-40 chris used, they wouldn't budge. One ended up fracturing after awhile, which wasn't a bad thing because we can get new bolts, but the other one had no chance. So now the one side of the exhaust is off (the side coming from the engine) and the other doesn't have a chance, and I knock over the flashlight and it burns out. Great, it's now pitch black and cold and we're both soaked and have a half-finished job.
We got out from under the car and it looked like I had gone swimming. We decided that we couldn't do anything more that night and I changed into my only remaining set of dry clothing. (Minus 1 shirt I had worn for work that day). We then sprinted to my car, pushed it off the ramps, got inside and cracked open a couple of beers. 20 minutes later, with nothing else to do my friend went to his car, I stayed in mine, and we slept in our cars that night. I froze! I was out of dry socks at this point, and had my sleeping bag and pillow on my reclined front seat. I think I slept from about 9 to 12:30 solid, and then it was on-off the rest of the night. I just couldn't get warm. Anyway, woke up around 6:30 to the sound of racecars starting and my god, what a gorgeous sound to wake up to! I was immediately happy.
So after the course on Saturday it was time to decide what to do about my poor car. I had to get back to Toronto that night because I had promised my girlfriend I'd go to her birthday party. Well, it was sunny so we decided to keep going with the work. I ran into a guy I had met at the Porsche swap in Hershey this year and he was there with a race team, so I talked to him a bit, and it turns out he was there with a friend, who owned the goregous GT3 Cup we had been oggling the day before. So he showed me around the car a bit, and then his friend leant me a hacksaw (my plan was to cut off the part we couldn't undo). I started the car (to get it back up on the ramps) and my first impression was "let's just remove the entire exhaust"! it was great, it sounded like a race car at idle (something my Jetta isn't known for). Anyway, sure enough, I just start cutting and the rain starts. So I said forget it and I reversed the process and put the bolts back in that I had taken off previously. By the time I'm done, yup, I'm soaked again! I was so uncomfortable. I then drove back to Toronto and had the greatest shower of my life. You don't appreciate being clean and dry and warm until you've spent 24 hours wet, cold, and dirty!
The best part is, on Sunday the GT3 Cup absolutely obliterated the Subaru team.
05-14-2010, 03:10 PM
#185
Much missed
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I will bring this thread back with a not so nice story from last weekend...
Was getting Coffee in the 996 and as I was getting into my car there was a 9-10 year old boy getting out of his Dad's 90's or so LeBaron convertible.
Kid looks at me a with a smile says, Sir, that is a really nice Porsche, he even pronounced Porsche with 2 syllables. I said Thank you very much and than his father grunts and says "Ferrari's are better"
Was getting Coffee in the 996 and as I was getting into my car there was a 9-10 year old boy getting out of his Dad's 90's or so LeBaron convertible.
Kid looks at me a with a smile says, Sir, that is a really nice Porsche, he even pronounced Porsche with 2 syllables. I said Thank you very much and than his father grunts and says "Ferrari's are better"
A week ago I was in the parking lot at the golf course, and I ask an old guy I've known for years for a ride in his cart up to the clubhouse. He looks at my badge and asks "Is that a Corolla? A Porsche Corolla?"
05-14-2010, 07:05 PM
#187
Rennlist Member
I was at the gas station... Nice looking girl says nice car.. I said , Yeah its a bit dirty... She said "I'll help you wash it" As she smiled real big.
05-14-2010, 07:24 PM
#188
Rennlist Member
I cant get the image of waking up in a pool of my own blood out of my head though....my 5ft nothing wife is the reason they came up with the qoute "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"
05-14-2010, 07:46 PM
#189
Rennlist Member
I didnt say I took her up on it. although..... it was tempting to continue that conversation
05-14-2010, 08:51 PM
#190
Parts Specialist
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
I will admit - NOTHING like that has ever happened to me
I seem to attract large women (see Tims post), old women, and oddly nice looking guys
WTF is that about
I seem to attract large women (see Tims post), old women, and oddly nice looking guys
WTF is that about
05-14-2010, 09:01 PM
#191
Nordschleife Master
05-14-2010, 09:27 PM
#192
Drifting
I enjoyed putting off work for the past hour to read the stories, has been a very entertaining read! My story isn't in a P-car (although one does come into play near the end) but hopefully you find it entertaining!
Background: My roommate and I were signed up for the Marshalling course at Mosport raceway last weekend... and our plan was to camp overnight at the track and work on my car ('99 Jetta) while there (needed to replace the catylitic converter, already had new parts and borrowed ramps from a friend). We were looking forward to working under the car in the paddock with all the race teams.
So Friday evening we get to Mosport and decide a good spot to be is the other end of the paddock, because there are 2 new GT3 Cup cars over there. Since it's not raining, we decide to start working on my car. We setup the ramps and across from us is a Versace-sponsored team, decked out with all the equipment/trailers/tents etc and 2 nice looking WRX race cars. As we were pulling my car onto the ramps the wheels slipped a bit (no biggie, just spun on the metal from the tires being a bit wet) and they started laughing. I just thought to myself "don't let it bother you". At this point they had stopped to watch what we were doing. Anyway, get the car up on the ramps. To change the cat, we have to take the old one off which is 6 nuts up near the engine (not fun to get to let alone try using a wrench) and then 2 bolts right under the car for a sleeve clamp. I didn't even consider those 2 at first thinking they'd be easy, it was the 6 near the engine I was worried about as I expected them to be really rusted from 10 years being on there. They were. Having said that, the first 3 I tried loosened with only a decent amount of effort. So at this point, I'm pumped thinking the whole job is going to take an hour. It didn't. The next nut started stripping, so I got a different sized socket which fit better (ya, different sized nuts on the same part... ). I gave it 110%, it doesn't budge. My friend gave it his all... doesn't budge. At this point, its also getting dark, so we borrow a flashlight from a race team and keep going. Then it starts to rain, but not bad and we're under the car. So we figure we'll heat up the bolts with a propane torch I bought. I'm lying on my back under the car, and my friend lights the torch and passes it to me under the car, and I navigate the blue flame across my chest, overtop of me and up into the car's components to the bolts. After awhile I try again, and finally get all 6 bolts loosened. At this point I'm pumped, because to me that was the only speedbump I saw happening, and we had gotten around it. It's now pouring rain but we're into it and don't care. There's also a mini stream of water flowing right under the car wehre I'm lying. Comfy. So I ask my friend to work on the other 2 bolts at the middle of the car while I take off the 6 I've loosened. Well, those other 2 are much much worse than the first 6, so corroded you can't even tell that they're bolts. No matter how much heat and WD-40 chris used, they wouldn't budge. One ended up fracturing after awhile, which wasn't a bad thing because we can get new bolts, but the other one had no chance. So now the one side of the exhaust is off (the side coming from the engine) and the other doesn't have a chance, and I knock over the flashlight and it burns out. Great, it's now pitch black and cold and we're both soaked and have a half-finished job.
We got out from under the car and it looked like I had gone swimming. We decided that we couldn't do anything more that night and I changed into my only remaining set of dry clothing. (Minus 1 shirt I had worn for work that day). We then sprinted to my car, pushed it off the ramps, got inside and cracked open a couple of beers. 20 minutes later, with nothing else to do my friend went to his car, I stayed in mine, and we slept in our cars that night. I froze! I was out of dry socks at this point, and had my sleeping bag and pillow on my reclined front seat. I think I slept from about 9 to 12:30 solid, and then it was on-off the rest of the night. I just couldn't get warm. Anyway, woke up around 6:30 to the sound of racecars starting and my god, what a gorgeous sound to wake up to! I was immediately happy.
So after the course on Saturday it was time to decide what to do about my poor car. I had to get back to Toronto that night because I had promised my girlfriend I'd go to her birthday party. Well, it was sunny so we decided to keep going with the work. I ran into a guy I had met at the Porsche swap in Hershey this year and he was there with a race team, so I talked to him a bit, and it turns out he was there with a friend, who owned the goregous GT3 Cup we had been oggling the day before. So he showed me around the car a bit, and then his friend leant me a hacksaw (my plan was to cut off the part we couldn't undo). I started the car (to get it back up on the ramps) and my first impression was "let's just remove the entire exhaust"! it was great, it sounded like a race car at idle (something my Jetta isn't known for). Anyway, sure enough, I just start cutting and the rain starts. So I said forget it and I reversed the process and put the bolts back in that I had taken off previously. By the time I'm done, yup, I'm soaked again! I was so uncomfortable. I then drove back to Toronto and had the greatest shower of my life. You don't appreciate being clean and dry and warm until you've spent 24 hours wet, cold, and dirty!
The best part is, on Sunday the GT3 Cup absolutely obliterated the Subaru team.
Background: My roommate and I were signed up for the Marshalling course at Mosport raceway last weekend... and our plan was to camp overnight at the track and work on my car ('99 Jetta) while there (needed to replace the catylitic converter, already had new parts and borrowed ramps from a friend). We were looking forward to working under the car in the paddock with all the race teams.
So Friday evening we get to Mosport and decide a good spot to be is the other end of the paddock, because there are 2 new GT3 Cup cars over there. Since it's not raining, we decide to start working on my car. We setup the ramps and across from us is a Versace-sponsored team, decked out with all the equipment/trailers/tents etc and 2 nice looking WRX race cars. As we were pulling my car onto the ramps the wheels slipped a bit (no biggie, just spun on the metal from the tires being a bit wet) and they started laughing. I just thought to myself "don't let it bother you". At this point they had stopped to watch what we were doing. Anyway, get the car up on the ramps. To change the cat, we have to take the old one off which is 6 nuts up near the engine (not fun to get to let alone try using a wrench) and then 2 bolts right under the car for a sleeve clamp. I didn't even consider those 2 at first thinking they'd be easy, it was the 6 near the engine I was worried about as I expected them to be really rusted from 10 years being on there. They were. Having said that, the first 3 I tried loosened with only a decent amount of effort. So at this point, I'm pumped thinking the whole job is going to take an hour. It didn't. The next nut started stripping, so I got a different sized socket which fit better (ya, different sized nuts on the same part... ). I gave it 110%, it doesn't budge. My friend gave it his all... doesn't budge. At this point, its also getting dark, so we borrow a flashlight from a race team and keep going. Then it starts to rain, but not bad and we're under the car. So we figure we'll heat up the bolts with a propane torch I bought. I'm lying on my back under the car, and my friend lights the torch and passes it to me under the car, and I navigate the blue flame across my chest, overtop of me and up into the car's components to the bolts. After awhile I try again, and finally get all 6 bolts loosened. At this point I'm pumped, because to me that was the only speedbump I saw happening, and we had gotten around it. It's now pouring rain but we're into it and don't care. There's also a mini stream of water flowing right under the car wehre I'm lying. Comfy. So I ask my friend to work on the other 2 bolts at the middle of the car while I take off the 6 I've loosened. Well, those other 2 are much much worse than the first 6, so corroded you can't even tell that they're bolts. No matter how much heat and WD-40 chris used, they wouldn't budge. One ended up fracturing after awhile, which wasn't a bad thing because we can get new bolts, but the other one had no chance. So now the one side of the exhaust is off (the side coming from the engine) and the other doesn't have a chance, and I knock over the flashlight and it burns out. Great, it's now pitch black and cold and we're both soaked and have a half-finished job.
We got out from under the car and it looked like I had gone swimming. We decided that we couldn't do anything more that night and I changed into my only remaining set of dry clothing. (Minus 1 shirt I had worn for work that day). We then sprinted to my car, pushed it off the ramps, got inside and cracked open a couple of beers. 20 minutes later, with nothing else to do my friend went to his car, I stayed in mine, and we slept in our cars that night. I froze! I was out of dry socks at this point, and had my sleeping bag and pillow on my reclined front seat. I think I slept from about 9 to 12:30 solid, and then it was on-off the rest of the night. I just couldn't get warm. Anyway, woke up around 6:30 to the sound of racecars starting and my god, what a gorgeous sound to wake up to! I was immediately happy.
So after the course on Saturday it was time to decide what to do about my poor car. I had to get back to Toronto that night because I had promised my girlfriend I'd go to her birthday party. Well, it was sunny so we decided to keep going with the work. I ran into a guy I had met at the Porsche swap in Hershey this year and he was there with a race team, so I talked to him a bit, and it turns out he was there with a friend, who owned the goregous GT3 Cup we had been oggling the day before. So he showed me around the car a bit, and then his friend leant me a hacksaw (my plan was to cut off the part we couldn't undo). I started the car (to get it back up on the ramps) and my first impression was "let's just remove the entire exhaust"! it was great, it sounded like a race car at idle (something my Jetta isn't known for). Anyway, sure enough, I just start cutting and the rain starts. So I said forget it and I reversed the process and put the bolts back in that I had taken off previously. By the time I'm done, yup, I'm soaked again! I was so uncomfortable. I then drove back to Toronto and had the greatest shower of my life. You don't appreciate being clean and dry and warm until you've spent 24 hours wet, cold, and dirty!
The best part is, on Sunday the GT3 Cup absolutely obliterated the Subaru team.
You sound like your crazy enough to be a blue flagger! When you've got a year under your belt and enough events, talk to me next year...
