silotwo

And so it goes....another night leaving the office later than I promised myself I would, stressful times in life...get on the interstate and call the wife to finally talk about the kids, and my mother, expecting it to be the first uninterupted conversation with her for the day. It's 8:00pm, should I still go see my Mother at the nursing home? No, she says, it's late, you push yourself too hard, take a break. Yeah, I really should, then me talking "oh J.C., I am Soooo tired of this crap" she says "what? what now?" Me - "here we go again, some ahole sees a Porsche and has to prove he can fly up my *ss, I am sick of this sh*t" I signal right, switch lanes to let the ahole blow by and keep talking to my wife. Except ahole doesn't blow by, he just rides to my left keeping perfect pace with me. I say to my wife "oh great, some punk in one of those retro Camero's and he wants to prove that he can beat a Porsche" I slow down, he slows down, and we end up under the speed limit. Finally he jumps on it (impressive I must say) then he changes lanes to be in front of me, slows down, takes off, slows down, then takes off. I say "f this, this punk wants to play so I'm gonna feed him, just wish I was in the C2" She says "okay, I'm going to hang up now so you can focus" (Got to love my wife, she knows me so well, no point in arguing, just let me go, and let me focus)

Well - I hate to admit this, but what started off in my mind as bad ended up being a huge stress reliever. The guy was fast but conscious and safe, nothing stupid, just go when we could and be totally civil when we couldn't. Solid 10 miles. He pulled ahead around a curve at a buck 35 (I really did long for the C2 with it's N specs and M030 - the C4S just felt too squirrely for me so I let him go) But the rest of the ride, try as he might, the best he could do was stay with my tail lights, and he was trying, and that Camaro sounded good, really good - but the PSE was sounding pretty sweet too.

I get home, pull up the drive and pop the garage door open, and in the right stall sits the C2 and I think I should have been driving you today, no way would I have backed down through that curve. I put the C4S to the left, walk down the drive to check for mail and as I am walking back up to the house the sight of two 996's side by side has me smiling even more. And then I notice, again, that the C4S just simply looks bad, like if I was riding behind it I too might want to show my stuff. The C2 looks less so, but I know it is quicker and handles like it is on rails.

And when the other driver finally exited the interstate he did so with window down and a big thumbs up. So no, I don't recommend entertaining everyone who wants to play, but I must say I am smiling now, pain in my neck and shoulders completely gone.

And the kicker is that when I was leaving the office a young guy was at his desk working away. I said "hey, why are you here so late, you trying to make management? Be careful kiddo or you'll end up like me." And he says yeah, be careful or else I'll end up driving a Porsche. I say that it's not all that it's cracked up to be.

But then again, maybe it is, maybe it is...........

wyovino

Nicely written, thanks for sharing.

syncrofly

I bought my 2001 TT in mid December... its been mostly in the shop since then... finally I have some time and a drive to myself, leaving purposefully late so that by 11 PM I'd have a lonely peice of highway to myself on a twisty mountaintop pass normally abandoned on a week night. There was a 15 mile strip I know like the back of my hand. Cruising around corners at 70 I normally take at 35, I kept the top speed low but was enjoying the twisties. Finally a pair of headlights in the rear view mirror but I was still going 75. Figuring I'd be the safe guy, cause what nut would be driving that fast, I pull over and wait to let that speed demon by and leave me my stretch of road, I signal right and pull over.

To my surprise he pulls over also and flips on the cherries. He's pissed, his opening comment is that he's impounding my ride. I have no tags cause the car is new and its clear the highway patrolman was driving for his life for 10 or more miles trying to catch me and was running on adrenaline... Lucky he didn't just shoot at me. By the end he'd cooled down and laughed about how hard it was to catch me and that I'd found the only cop working that night. I still got the ticket of course.

In retrospect I wondered what would have happened had I not been the safety guy and pulled over.... pretty sure he'd of never caught up to me. He probably knew it or he would have had his light rack blaring. (and I would have pulled over..... probably).

silotwo

syncrofly - similar experience but it was in 1973 and a few years before my first Porsce 911 experience. 1970 Mustang Mach I - 351C - good old american v-8. Car was known as the "sleeper" in town on the circuit. Tail end hung low - stock wheels, stock exhaust - but ran like a banshee. Even the top Mopar guys would pull over after a run to "check it out" and shake their heads in disbelief - a stock Ford - couldn't be. Pulled over by the city cops one time too many, got the threat of an impound, threat to call my old man, I almost crap my pants, cop says to never ever let him see the car in the city limits again or I go to jail. Sooooo - being in school for auto mechanics, my instructor tells me to "build it up" make it a 1/4 mile car - so I get at it. It gets built for the 1/4 mile and built to travel it very quickly.

Then late one friday night, ready for the track on saturday, Headers open, cool can ready for the dry ice, I decide to run the lift down and what the hell, roads are empty - "it's 1973 and you run forever on 3 bucks worth of gas." Yeah, the Mach I was a gallons per mile car back then, but who cared, it was pure fun.

I go to the local "mile" straight, flat, and deserted after midnight. And I make my run - until at 107 MPH or so I notice headlights that are staying with me. Oh no, can't be good, shouldn't even be another car on the road. And like you, slow down, signal right, pull over - and so does the other car. No cherries popping, but unmistakable state police car in my rear view. Oh no, impounded for sure, call to the old man? No doubt. I am literally shaking, prepared to be arrested.

Officer walks up to my drivers side window, does the license and registration thing, and with trembling hands I am fishing the stuff out of my wallet. Officer says, "you were going pretty fast, any idea how fast?" Yes sir, about 105MPH. Officer invites me to sit in his car, offers me a smoke, I accept, it's menthol and I hate them but didn't want to be rude. He checks the paper work, then asks me to show him the car.

What's with the tires, illegal - do I know that? Yes sir, they are for the track. What's with the exhaust system, know you can't run open headers on the street? Yes sir, I was practicing for the track. Open the hood, yes sir. What's with the big yellow ignition coil, better spark sir, more complete ignition. What's this can? Cool can sir, dry ice, condenses the fuel. What's up with this radiator fan blade? Flex fan sir, blades flatten at high rpm's, less drag.

By now I am thinking I am toast, he will take me to jail for sure, he is screwing with me.

Then he starts to write in his book, I am silent, motionless, just waiting. And finally he tears off the ticket, hands it to me to sign and says "sorry, I must write you a citation, it is for a modified exhaust system, will cost you 10 bucks in a fine and 10 bucks in costs, can you handle that"? Yes sir.

Then he says, "I am going to let you go with this for only one reason. You are a respectful young man, hell, I can't think of any other kid driving a car like this that would have pulled over and respected my safety". Yes sir, my parents taught me to respect the law. He leaves, I smoke cigarettes and try to calm down.

I get in the car, fire that bad boy up and as I ease the clutch out I think to myself, I wonder what he would have done if I told him I was at top end and I pulled over because the car was as wound as it could be. He had already caught me, he just didn't know it.

4Scargo

Shot down to Iowa today on I-35. A Minnesota State Patrolman was shooting radar 50 miles south. No worries, 73 mph. Look up in the mirror and see him coming about 5 miles later and he flips on the lights. Pull over, way over, on the shoulder. "Sir, you have no front license plate." I keep it in the space between the passenger seat and console. "Yes sir, waiting for the front bracket," I said as I handed it to him....."Nice car" he says "How fast have you had it?" "Up to 75, once, on a deserted stretch of freeway in the dead of night," I says..."Well, actually 138, but that was...." "No ****," he says, "How fast will it go?" "I think 160 or so." "Man," he says. "I'm coming back through in a couple hours with a retro T Bird. I'll wave," says I. "See you then." There are some good cops. BTW this all happened in the state of MN (the state of scandanouvians, the state of nice, then)

Pac996

I do the same to garbage trucks. It drives them nuts

SSST

You wouldn't do that if you had a cab. Just sayin'

Speedyellow993

I can out of Walmart and see a 5-7 year old with his whole arm down my Turbo side intake. His Mom totally not giving a Sh_t that her kid is violating my car. I walk towards my car in total disbelief. The Mom sees her kid doing this and nothing.

I walked over calmly.

The engine fan comes on....and the kid screamed Really loud....

"on my GOD did it just cut your fingers off?"

The kid jumps back And Mom freaks out!!!

Kid starts crying and grabs his hand....

Moms freaking out because the kids bleeding everywhere...


Ok....... That didn't really happen but...

I actually did catch a kid with his arm down my side air intake.

Mom was beside him and said nothing.

I calmly walked up and explained to mom that what her child was doing is very dangerous and that she should teach her child to respect other people's property. I really enjoyed the thought of my first story but would never wish that on any child.

WTF are people teaching or not teaching their kids these days.

SSST

You should have said, "If the cooling fans kick on, it's like a garbage disposal. Your kid could have lost is hand."

LOL!

Speedyellow993

Crazy as it sounds .... This was the second time I saw this. Last time it was at the Toronto International car show. Just wait... With all the stupid people out there. You'll get the same experience. :-)

silotwo

Leaving work yesterday I spotted a spanking new 997 GTS Cab in black. It is parked catty corner to my C4S so I walk over expecting it to be from out of state, a visitor or client. Then I notice it's in state car and from a nearby dealer, it looks fantastic, as I walk around it I notice the vanity plate (top dogs use vanity plates witht the stock symbol and a number - the higher the number the longer it took you to get your exotic)

As I am appreciating the car and to be honest somewhat envious, some other guys start to head out for the day. Two guys stop by and said they were looking at it earlier and thought it was mine, but then they saw that mine was also there. As we are kabitzing I stupidly say, man - this guy is paid way too much money - brand new GTS - big bucks - ridiculous.

One guy looks at me and says it's funny, they were looking at my car earlier in the week and thought the same thing, especially when they realized I still have the other Porsche. I laughed and said no, I am not close to this guys pay grade, and point out that my cars don't wear the vanity plates. And hell, both of mine cost me less combined than this one. Then the guy, with a very serious look on face asks what year my C4S is, I tell him it's a 2004, he literally scratches his head and says "no way" - we all thought it was a brand new car and like I said, that you are paid way too much.

So now I think I need to buy a Ford Focus or something - I think I detected a little resentment.

Dennis C

I picked my car up from the shop today after my alignment. I stopped for gas on the way home at a Shell station. As I was filling up, a car with four people inside stopped at the pump next to me. As they were walking into the gas station, they were looking at my car. I heard one of them say: "Is that a Ferrari?"

It made me chuckle...

Hurdigurdiman

From now on I will keep a clothes peg in the car just for that reason.. To slow up and keep pace side by side with a garbage truck with the clothes peg on my shnozzle haha. That would be a great laugh.

heliflyer

A couple of weeks ago, parked the car in a remote car park on the Welsh Coast.
Got out and locked it then the wife and I headed off for a walk along the coast path. Had gone about 30 yards when a couple parked in a camper van came running up to us shouting and pointing - I could also hear a car alarm going off.
Turned round to see my C4 rolling backwards across the car park gathering speed !! A quick sprint, fumbling in my pocket for keys, managed to unlock car, open the door and jump in and apply the parking brake..
Fortunately the car park was almost deserted so no damage done.
My other car is an auto so I'm in the habit of just leaving it in Park and not applying the parking brake. I can only think I did the same thing out of habit - needless to say I double check that the parking brake is on before I get out of the car now!!

Dennis C

You're lucky there wasn't serious damage!

FWIW, you should always set the parking brake when you park a car with an automatic transmission too. This is especially true when parking on a hill.