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Hi guys,
I'm kind of going about this backwards as I've already posted a couple of pics after I did my headlight restoration, but I figured I'd jump in and add some pics of my new-to-me 911. Car was in really good shape, and passed a PPI with flying colors at Hergesheimer Motorsports in Lake Forest, CA. (I'm in Orange County).
Specifics include
2002 911 Carrera
Seal Grey with Black Interior
78K miles
$21K plus clutch, brakes, IMS, and misc. (All in for ~$27K). Not a lot of those $10K 996 floating around here in Southern California.
Did need front brakes and a new clutch, but I was ok with that since I was going to have the IMS done anyway. Made the purchase, drove it for a weekend, and dropped it off at Hergesheimer where they did the above work and a couple other little things while I had it there. Now that I have it back, I love it! Car runs and looks great, and is really fun to drive. I spent ~6 hours today doing my own detail including clay, polish, couple coats of wax, etc. and I think it came out great. See pics below:
Just wanted to show off the new car, and say thanks to the forum for all the info I was able to pick up here before making the purchase.
I really am pumped. This is my first 'real' performance car. Have had a BMW 3-series, Lexus IS350, Audi Q5 and now this. We'll see how this turns out in the long-run as a daily driver as my commute isn't particularly suited for it (the 6-speed in stop-n-go SoCal highway traffic isn't particularly fun). But when those freeways are wide open, it's awesome. And there's no shortage of twisty roads around here for the weekends.
BTW, I actually have a little bit of an origin story on how this came to be.
My wife and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary back in January. We decided to spend 5 days in Northern California, in the Mendocino area. Since it was a special occasion, we looked at what our options were to rent a 'fun' car since we were flying into SFO and then driving another 3.5 hours north of there. We came across RelayRides.com (I have no affiliation with them). We found we could rent a 2002 911 for $100 a day, which seemed way more fun than the standard mid-size compact we could rent from someone like Hertz.
That experience was awesome. The car's owner met us at the airport when we arrived, right outside of baggage claim, tossed me the keys, and said 'Have fun.' Got in, quickly re-learned how to drive stick, and headed north. Over the next few days, I found myself loving that car. My wife kept asking if I was tired of driving, and I was perfectly happy to just drive with no particular destination or rest. Could be all the wide-open freeway once you get north of Marin, or all the windy back roads along the coast, but that car was perfect for that trip. Throughout the entire time, my wife and I were joking about how it was almost as practical as my Q5. (2(!) cup holders, could actually fit two bags in the frunk, 4 seats (sorta)). By the end of the trip, I was pretty convinced that if I didn't really like my Q5, why should I keep driving something I didn't like and cost more than the price of admission for a 996?
Fast forward to a month later and I am now a Porsche owner and the Q5 is just about sold. Honestly, before that trip, I really never pictured myself owning a Porsche, both from a cost standpoint and as a brand. I've appreciated them from afar at car shows and always thought they looked great, but just didn't seem in my wheelhouse. After those 5 days, I really really wanted to own and drive one. Even my wife, normally not one to want a 'flashy' car, was on board.
For all I know, this could be a couple-year experiment, but for now, I'm really enjoying the car. It handles like nothing else I've ever driven and just looks great on my driveway. That may be one of the fastest turnarounds from not-on-my-radar to in my driveway I'll ever pull off.
These cars are excellent daily drivers. But, as you mention, the old "clutch in, clutch out" game can get tedious in So. CA traffic, which is why I opted for a tip transmission. I use my 996 as a DD in So CA, but also track it and autocross it and haul stuff home from Home Depot in it... excellent all-purpose car!
I know what you mean by "...one of the fastest turnarounds from not-on-my-radar to in my driveway..."
One day I decided I wanted a Porsche, spent about an hour on Car Gurus, and two days later it was in my driveway!
Yup. It's amazing how much stuff you can pack into a 996. I drove mine yesterday not thinking about picking up food for my college age daughter and some friends staying at our house for a tournament this weekend. But I fit 6 bags of groceries and a case of water and two 8 packs of Gatorade no problem. Then I had to swing by lowes for a couple things. Still room in the front seat for that!!
03-02-2015, 02:16 AM
Hi guys. New Porsche Owner Here. 2002 911 C2
Good story, Don! 
