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My dad was the original owner of a 1960 356B and then a '67 912. He died the next year in 1968 when I was five. Ever since I can remember, there was only ONE sports car for me: Porsche. Finally achieved my dream of getting my 997.1 just over a year ago. Still not taking it for granted - every day is Christmas in my 911! Managed to track down my dad's original car a few weeks after getting my 911 - here's a picture of that reunion. One of the most extraordinary things that's ever happened to me. My local region published my 2 part story on this topic. You can read them here:
Growing up, my dad, brother and I worked on my brothers truck for about 6 years on weekends(he was in high school, I was 4 years behind, a little too young to do much other than find tools and hold the flashlight wrong). That basically got me into working on cars. His truck was a full restoration, 67 3/4ton Chevy. One of a kind, I've never seen one like it! Long story short, it was my brother and dad's project, that lasted until I was a Junior in high school, and I never got the chance to do something like that - no more project cars laying around, and his restoration took a looong time (but it is frickin sweet!)
My senior year of high school I had earned a full ride to the University of Nebraska, and realizing he spent all his time in the garage with my brother working on his truck, my dad asked what kind of car I wanted since he didn't have to pay for college. Told him a Porsche, and he laughed, thinking I was insane. Told him no, not a new one as cool as that would be, but a classic. Test drove the SC in Parker, Colorado. Bought it on the spot (we split it 50/50) for 12.9k at ~93,000 mi. Oil fed tensioners and pop off valve already installed. Only ever left me stranded once (CIS fuel vaccuum lines got messed up right about the same time the fuel pump failed). It was the most fun I've had in a car (until the 997 of course)
Over a couple of summers he helped me do electronic fuel injection and SSI headers with an m&k muffler. Sounded sweet, insanely reliable, more power, better fuel mileage, completely bulletproof. That was 2008(purchase) - 2010(mods)
Ended up getting an 07 997 in dec of 16, finally sold the SC for 17.5k at ~183,000 - should've waited a couple years, might have gotten over 20k!
Pics are in reverse order, cant re arrange em for some reason.
My Grandfather was a master mechanic for several companies during the 1930-1960's. He actually really did work on plains, trains, and automobiles. He also owned and operated several gas stations, Mobil, Chevron,Texaco, through the 1960's-1980's. I was born in 71' and I have been around cars my whole life. I have been a gear head at heart as long as I can remember helping out my Grandfather or father around the shops since I could remember. My Grandfather loved restoring Model T's from the 1930's and he drove Cadillacs. My Father was loyal to Buick cars for some reason. So as a kid I was driven around in big, boxy, floating saloons.
As a teenager I was blessed in 1987 with my first car while in high school. It was a 1976 Fiat Spyder 1800. I practically did flips when my dad showed it to me and asked if I would want it for my first car. It was in really rough shape at first, but we fixed it up, new paint job, and it looked like new. Designed by Pininfarina it was such a cool little 2 seat roadster. I considered that my first "sports car". Sure felt that way compared to the "boats" my parents drove! Having mechanics in the family helped out A LOT with that car. FIAT= Fix It Again Tony! could not be more true, but I loved it and learned a lot about cars working on it. Absolutely fell in love with the top down 2 seat experience. So many great memories. Not a fast car or the best handling, but what a hoot to drive at any speed. Had a huge thin wood steering wheel and an air horn that took about 2 seconds to spool up and blow
1990's became my "Fast and Furious Days". I owned and modified several Mitsubishi Eclipses that were 2.0 liter 4 bangers and turbocharged. Around 200 hp + 200 Tq stock with 10 psi of boost. Stock 0-60mph 6.5 seconds and quarter mile 15 seconds @ 94 mph. I modified a few to run 15-25 psi of boost with my best version having upgraded internals and pushing 500 hp while running 25psi of boost. By 1998 with 2.0 4 banger and 25 psi of boost I was running 0-60 mph in the 3.5 second range and quarter miles of 11.7 seconds @ 120 mph. Consider that those were Super car times for the likes of the Ferrari F40 and modified Porsche Turbos in the 1990's!
My 1992 Eclipse GS-T modified to 300 hp and 16 psi boost. Front wheel drive. It was pretty fast, but 1st-2nd gear was a joke with all that torque steer. Loved the look and color back then, but could only manage 13.0 quarter miles at about 106 mph.
Then moved on to a 1994 Eclipse GSX All Wheel drive. Now I had some traction! Modified this to about 375 hp with 20 psi boost. Quarter mile times now into the 12's. 12.5 @ 114 mph.
My Last and Fastest Mitsubishi. Pride and Joy was 1997 Eclipse GSX All Wheel Drive I purchased brand new. By 1998 it was modified to put out 475-500 Hp running 25 psi of Boost. Internals upgraded, ported and polished everything and I helped build and modify the engine with a good friend. 0-60 mph 3.5 seconds. Quarter mile times 11.7@120 mph.
I share my Fast and furious days with ya because I considered all of those cars super fast and sporty back in the day! In a straight line and even on the track back in the 1990's there were few cars on the street that could hang with me, including a couple Ferrari's and many Porsche's I got to do a little racing with.
I took pride in being an underdog for many years driving a car that was as fast or faster then Ferrari's and Porsches of that day. But then one day in the year 2000 my buddy at work purchased a used 1997 Porsche Boxster. I laughed at first and said it had no ***** and not fast, but It did remind me so much of my 2 seat roadster Fiat Spider. As a joke I offered to race him. Instead he tossed me the keys to the Boxster and said lets go for a canyon drive. We swapped cars and after about 3 or 4 turns into the canyon I was hooked. The meaning of "Sports Car" hit me in the face like a Mack Truck. The handling, steering feel, and engine sound were sublime. At that moment straight line speed meant nothing to me and It was all about how it handled in the corners that blew me away and that's even after I had done all kinds of suspension mods to my Mitsubishi's. My Fast and Furious Eclipses got eclipsed by the handling and precision of Porsche. With the Mitsubishi's they were the most fun on full boil and boost. The Boxster was great fun at any and all speeds. I put my "underdog pride" aside and realized ... there is no substitute.... A few months later in the summer of 2000 I purchased a gently used 1998 Boxster. Back in a 2 seat sporty roadster and my first Porsche. I have never looked back and got the Porsche bug bad ever since!
1976 BMW 2002
This was my awakening after years of driving domestic brands.
Purchased in Cali when I lived there in the summer of 1977.
It was a left-over as the 320i was already here. It changed
the way I looked and felt about cars.
When I was about 4 years old. That is the first time I can remember riding in my father's Jaguar XK-120, his daily driver back in the late 1950's. The noises and the feel were something special. Shortly after I got my license, he bought an E-Type coupe. I learned to drive a manual transmission in that and my buddy's mom's Datsun 510! A couple years later I bought my own E-type coupe to learn first-hand the painfully high cost of owning a Jaguar. I owned that Jag for less than a year in the mid-1970's and it cost more in repairs than any of the four Porsche sports cars I have owned over the past 18 years. I will never buy a British sports car again, but I can't imagine not having a Porsche sports car in the garage.
05-18-2019, 07:16 AM
