My new (old) 911
Despite all the talk of recession, some of us have never been so busy. I talk to a lot of people in the course of my work and, without recent exception, their workloads are all healthy, with folk spending money on cars and houses, companies bringing suspended projects back to life, more hiring than firing and everyone looking to ‘be there’ as the new growth starts to happen. Many of us feel that the time is right now to step up and take advantage of whatever motoring opportunities can still be found, as things continue to pick up.
It’s my aim to be a writer, Racing Man entrepreneur and sometime valuation consultant, and that goal gets closer every day. I do have other goals, and one of the big ones has always been to drive my own Porsche 911 in California. That dream will soon come true.

Combining one dream (911 on Highway 1) with another (more freelancing) was an easy sell to myself, as our first trip to CA was an organisational disaster that left me wanting more. First off, United Airlines cancelled our direct flight from Heathrow, forcing us to fly through Chicago. Immigration there was a two hour nightmare with another hour to get through security at our transfer terminal, during which time we missed our connection. We finally arrived in Pacific Grove (where we should definitely NOT have stayed) at 09.30 UK time, having been awake forever.
Day two was good fun, but we got lost on the way to Cambria, so didn’t get in until 10.30 US time, by which stage most people still awake were somewhat hammered. No talking to owners until day three. Managed to sort a pair of cars to shoot (yay) but then transpired that a fellow writer felt he had priority over one. The owner insisted there was no agreement and wanted us to do the car. I have lost cars to other mags when there has been a guarantee and it’s not a nice feeling, but with nothing agreed and the fact that our mag is from another country with a tiny crossover at best, I followed the owner’s lead and my play-fair radar and we shot the feature. It is probably my favourite piece yet, so I’m glad we did it. I also promised to hold off publication for a couple of months to allow them to ‘get there first’, so my conscience is clear, though the upset did leave a taste.
Outside of the crap planes and crossed wires, the weekend was A1. California was beautiful, the Gruppers I met were an ace bunch of guys and Jamie (Lipman) and I laughed from Heathrow to Heathrow. Once home, we knew we were going back soon, we just needed a reason. Monterey Historics looked like being that reason, but then August is busy for Jamie and me too, with both work and the wife and kids’ holidays to factor in, so that was a non-starter. We needed another plan.
American forumites are forever saying that cars are out there ready to be bought for sweet Fanny Adams. I started looking into these claims and decided the guys were dreaming. Under $10K, the pickings are slim at best. Porsche scrap dressed up as projects and idiot sellers aplenty, but rustless examples of SC and earlier cars go for proper money. A Porsche buddy in Holland switched me on to Jaxed, a scraper for eBay and Craigslist which eventually turned up an SC Coupe that seemed to have potential. It was a two-owner car from a good home, with the last owner running it for 20 years. Up on the miles, with worn synchros and faded paint etc, but properly rot free: a great project base compared to what I would get here for the same money. The very nice seller and I batted some emails back and forth and eventually agreed a deal: I had bought it. Never mind asking why – the current rationale is why not!

Jamie and I return to CA in late September/early October, when we’ll drive it from San Fran to LA for export. Can’t wait!


