michel Posted 3August, 2014 Report Share Posted 3August, 2014 Sure was-Friday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
withers Posted 3August, 2014 Report Share Posted 3August, 2014 This thread proves that if your name is Simon - you own more than one Porsche! Congrats Simon, looks like fun oh and your wife is majorly cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Man Posted 3August, 2014 Report Share Posted 3August, 2014 Yeah, great buys Simon and what a champion of a Mrs you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonR Posted 4August, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 Here's the whole story: Sooo … Flew down down to Canberra on Saturday morning to look at a '76 911. This car: Some of you will also know that I've been talking to Michel about his '67 912. This car (and in Michel's pics above): My wife is now officially sick of me talking about, looking at, and agonising over my first Porsche purchase. Secretly I'm hoping that one of the cars is going to be a disaster, and I have the decision made for me. I much prefer the long hoods, but can't afford a pre-'74 911. Next best, I figure, is a 912 or a mid-seventies 911 -- still slim hipped and simple. Owner of the '76 picks me up from the airport and the car is surprisingly tidy (I've looked at some truly awful cars in my ~$30K price bracket). Car runs well, appears to be straight, I can't find any evidence of accident repair front or back, but I'm a rank amateur so I've got no real idea. The car is listed as fully restored, which it's not. It has no legitimate history, so it's real condition is completely unknown. Michel helped me with some detective work, and managed to turn up that it's definitely not as restored as the current owner thinks, but for $30K this is absolutely the best car that I've seen and driven. Bear in mind that the last time I drove a 2.7 was probably 12 years ago, and my recent experience is in a '88 cab; and an '84 backdate. Both 3.2s. However, I like the car, which puts me in a bit of a conundrum. My wife wants a long hood. So, phone call back to base. I let her know that I think that the '76 is probably a good car, but unknown. Which leaves us with our budget spent, and no long hood. So the big question: if she wants the 912, is she prepared to sell the Golf which is her daily driver/kid run-around car? In a heartbeat, she says, I don't even need to think about it. LOL. Michel has kindly gone out and trailered the 912 back from where it was in storage, picks me up from the city to give it the once over. Needs lots of work, but in person, the issues were exactly as Michel explained them and less scary than in the photos I had, and in the end I think completely workable. Argh! This trip wasn't supposed to be working out like this. Phone call back to wifey -- are you sure, there's going to be a lot of work in this. Is it beautiful she asks. Without a doubt I say. Then do it. Are you sure, this is what you have to deal with: No question she says. Deal done, deposit agreed upon. Michel is helping me get some bodywork done so the 912 will stay in Canberra for a couple of months while it gets that done and then prepped to drive again, and we'll fly down together and drive it back over a couple of days. One day in Canberra, two cars. Back to the 911 I go, pay up, get in and at 6.00pm I'm headed back to Brisbane. Is this what these things on the back are for? I'm terrified that the 911 is going to implode on the way back. The heater doesn't work, so I'm freezing. I drive through rain (it doesn't leak); a bushfire (it doesn't burst into flames); I keep saying to myself next town I'll stop and sleep, but I'm excited and having a ball. Luckily, I work in a deadline based job so working through the night is a regular occurrence, and one of the things I'm actually good at. So I just keep going. Stops every two hours or so for refreshment: Back in Brisbane, 9.30am Sunday morning, 25 hours after I left for Canberra. Exhausted and terrified about what I've just done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonR Posted 4August, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 Yeah, great buys Simon and what a champion of a Mrs you have. Is it appropriate to point out she's also smart and pretty, or is that just mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh Posted 4August, 2014 Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 Nice work mate, a lot of fun to be had with both of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleazius Posted 4August, 2014 Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 Very nice story, similar to my own enthusiasm in driving the car home, was having too much fun and just couldn't stop driving - congrats on the double purchase! I can't even get my wife to sit in my 911, let alone own a 912. Sounds like a real keeper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonR Posted 4August, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 I'm going to be looking for a lot of help and advice over the next little while … Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Posted 4August, 2014 Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 Epic story. Bring the 911 to Cars & Coffee next month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonR Posted 4August, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 LOL … was just posting that in the Cars & Coffee thread … Looking forward to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlatSix Posted 4August, 2014 Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 Congrats Simon! I now feel the need to change my name to Simon so I too can enjoy a few Porsches in the garage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coastr Posted 4August, 2014 Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 I know what you mean about terrified. Driving back..."what's that rattle?" "Is that noise normal?" Keen to see the 76 - I had put it down to 'too good to be true' and being less than keen on a mid winter Canberra trip just skipped over it. I find feeding the throttle in on an opening radius third gear corner swats the doubts and niggles away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonR Posted 4August, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 Coastr, It is too good to be true from the point-of-view that it isn't fully restored as listed. Clean and tidy, new paint (in original colour), interior redone at some point. Gear box definitely not done (Michel confirmed with previous, previous owner). Engine apparently 'done' but what 'done' is or means no-one has any paperwork to show for it, so I'm assuming 'not done'. However, doesn't blow any smoke, runs and pulls well. Definitely the best car I've seen at that price in the nine months I've been looking. It appears to be a South African car, but it'll take a bit of leg work to confirm that. Definitely not converted, speedo in kms. It wasn't worth the $36K the owner originally put it up for sale for, but even given the potential issues, I think that the $30K was probably fair. I would have liked to get it for less, but the PO wouldn't take less as he felt he'd already dropped the price enough. I've gotta blame my wife, she was that one that just said, stop talking about it and just go and look at it when the price dropped to $30K. So really it's all her fault that I bought two cars. I'm keen to show it off -- but if I've made a terrible mistake, just don't tell me straight away, just give me some time. LOL. Looking forward to going on a SMT, and will definitely be at the next Brissy Cars 'n' Coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonR Posted 4August, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 Holy dooly, Porsche Australia just got back to me … the 911 is an Australian spec car. Doesn't necessarily mean Australian delivered as there's no delivery information, which is strange apparently. Can't follow it up with Germany as they're on summer holidays at the moment. I'm chalking this up as a minor win though … it'll be interesting to see what the outcome is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coastr Posted 4August, 2014 Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 I wouldn't worry what anyone else says about it - if you're happy than that's all that matters. We all have different priorities when it comes to choosing cars. Funny you should say the wife prodded you into it. A very similar story to mine. The thing is we all stress and worry we are buying a time bomb but it's the punters who plonk down 30-40k on a generic new car and then get depressed 3 years later when it's out of warranty and worth 50% of what they paid that are signing up for guaranteed pain. Chances are they'll never really enjoy it after the initial buzz wears off. Even if you end up dropping 10k on an engine rebuild you've still got a classic Porsche with a new engine. Those are my pre-prepared lines to tell myself and anyone else for when, inevitably, one of my old cars stops working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tscott Posted 4August, 2014 Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 Is that the red 76 that was listed as 'full restoration' with the cloth insert seats and the whale tail ? that was a nice looking car. Congrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveF Posted 4August, 2014 Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 Congrats Simon from one '76 owner to another. You will love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonR Posted 4August, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 Is that the red 76 that was listed as 'full restoration' with the cloth insert seats and the whale tail ? that was a nice looking car. Congrats Yup, that's the one. I'd been talking to the owner on and off for a couple of months, but just never got the confidence up to spend the money going down. There was just too much that was suspect about it to warrant spending the money. It wasn't until he dropped the price that I thought it worth the trip. Bear in mind it's not actually fully restored. PO took it on face value, and was told that it was. Partially restored, but in good condition for it's age would be how I'd categorise it. It's going in for a once-over on Monday so I should know more about it's true condition then. It does look tidy though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonR Posted 4August, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 I wouldn't worry what anyone else says about it - if you're happy than that's all that matters. We all have different priorities when it comes to choosing cars. Funny you should say the wife prodded you into it. A very similar story to mine. Even if you end up dropping 10k on an engine rebuild you've still got a classic Porsche with a new engine. Those are my pre-prepared lines to tell myself and anyone else for when, inevitably, one of my old cars stops working. I'm totally with you on all those points. It's just hard being a noob. I'm really lucky to have been driving a friends 88 cab since Christmas. He gave me the best advice so far: if it doesn't put a smile on face when you drive it, don't look any further. I've been chasing cars that may have been good deals and mucking around, and soon as I drove this one, I knew looking at all the duds was worth it, because this wasn't. And if it's just me (and the wife) who think so, I'm good with that. Compared to what we've paid on leasing new cars in the past, even a $10K rebuild isn't the end of the world. I just need it to not be in the same year I bought the car! LOL. And I know it'll need it at some stage, and I'm fine with that. I just don't want to drive a new car any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
withers Posted 4August, 2014 Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 Nobody here will tell you you made a mistake Simon, instead they'll rally around and provide you with the assistance and advice you need to sort out any issues that may arise. Just try and enjoy it and don't worry about what hasn't been done, until you have to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonR Posted 4August, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 4August, 2014 Nobody here will tell you you made a mistake Simon, instead they'll rally around and provide you with the assistance and advice you need to sort out any issues that may arise. Just try and enjoy it and don't worry about what hasn't been done, until you have to! Thanks Amanda! I'll try and do exactly that … Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike737 Posted 6August, 2014 Report Share Posted 6August, 2014 What a fantastic story Simon. You're almost making me want to fly up and check out both your rides once you've got the 912 cleaned up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonR Posted 6August, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 6August, 2014 There will be pics! But if you make the trip you can drive them as well! Lol ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike737 Posted 6August, 2014 Report Share Posted 6August, 2014 Might have to make a trip to cars and coffee up there one day so I've got an excuse otherwise I might be in trouble from my other half. Driving them would be fantastic but I'm also just as happy to passenger and admire! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonR Posted 6August, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 6August, 2014 CNC seems as good an excuse as any! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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