misteralz
Posted a lot
I may drive a Volkswagen, but I'm scene tax exempt!
Posts: 2,393
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It's not the car it was, or used to be. curse word, it might be better.  2013 seems like such a long time ago. Because, well, it was. I could just about afford a 964. Just about does not mean 'could', because in reality I couldn't. But there had been a couple of deaths in my family in reasonably quick succession, and y'know what? This isn't a dress rehearsal. I made a semi-convincing business case which involved me selling my 914 (although I didn't, but I've decided that this year is going to be the year...) and permission was granted. I looked at one, loved it, didn't love the seller, swithered, and it sold. Turned out it was a Cat D, and the Experian report the seller had was out of date. Bullet dodged. Another I'd arranged to view sold the day I came back from holiday. Ended up chatting later to the boy who bought it. He negotiated a decent bit off it, then a few months later the clutch disintegrated. It was an '89 car as well, so complications. Bullet dodged, again... This one? This one I almost didn't even go to view, the pics on Pistonheads (or wherever, I can't remember now) were that bad. And the retrim looked ATROCIOUS. But it was on the doorstep. |
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misteralz
Posted a lot
I may drive a Volkswagen, but I'm scene tax exempt!
Posts: 2,393
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So I went for a look. I liked the seller, and the history file was an inch thick. Good start, or so I thought. He threw me the keys and told me if I could start it, then I could take it for a spin. Uh oh. I had no idea, and have grown to hate the Hamilton and Palmer immobiliser, but I'm too chicken to rip it out. Maybe one day.
Anyways, the good points? Drove straight, nice colour, no real grot, interior nowhere near as bad as in the pictures, seller selling because his son is learning to drive and they've no space for a second car.
Bad points? The MoT's a week long, it's got an oil leak, and that means it's very smokey, and the original plates are long gone. Needs brakes as well, or at least them facing. Sod it, says I. Let me get it on a ramp and do a compression and leak down test and if it's as good as it initially appears I'll give you this much for it, deal?
Deal, says Mr. Seller.
Jesus. I've just (at least in principle) bought a 911.
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misteralz
Posted a lot
I may drive a Volkswagen, but I'm scene tax exempt!
Posts: 2,393
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Saturday morning it's up on my neighbour's ramp and we've got big torches and the rear undertray's off. It's solid. Sure, the powder coat's peeling off the ARBs, and one of the bumper mounts is crusty, but no biggie. We then attempt to pull a plug to compression test it. It's stuck fast. Now, it's not mine yet, and I'm not about to rip threads out of the aluminium cylinder head of an expensive car that isn't mine. Sheepishly we box it back up. It sounded good when it drove past my road end and completely missed the turning. I'm sure the oil leak is easily fixable. I really want a 964. How gambley am I feeling? This gambley. This is not a dress rehearsal. He brings it out a few days later when the bank transfer has cleared, and I give him a lift home. Soon as I return I fit the period-correct plates I'd already bought. A week later I've commuted in it a few times and I'm in love. It's late September and I can't tell the aircon doesn't work. Early October it flies through the MoT, a few days late because I'm forgetful and excited but in my defence it WAS garaged whilst it was out! It gets used sporadically on nice, salt-free days, then come April I pack 5 litres of Mobil 1, a rucksack, and a tent:  |
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misteralz
Posted a lot
I may drive a Volkswagen, but I'm scene tax exempt!
Posts: 2,393
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Takes AGES to get off the ferry at IJmuiden, then it's a quick blast down the A9, A5, and A4 to visit some pals in Den Haag, where I have my first proper wobble/fright/call it what you will. Sitting at a set of lights and the pitch changes. It's still idling steadily, but it sounds much louder, grumblier. Christ. Half an hour or so off the ferry and it's dying.
I look to my right in despair, and there's a sodding 512BB next to me.
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Davey
Posted a lot
Resident Tyre Nerd.
Posts: 2,294
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Love this already, in for the ride.
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K11 Micra x3 - Mk3 astra - Seat Marbella - Mk6 Escort estate - B5 Passat - Alfa 156 estate - E36 compact
Mk2 MR2 T-bar - E46 328i - Skoda Superb - Fiat seicento - 6n2 Polo - 6n polo 1.6 - Mk1 GS300
EU8 civic type S - MG ZT cdti - R56 MINI Cooper S - Audi A3 8p - Jaguar XF (X250) - FN2 Civic Type R - Mk2 2.0i Ford Focus
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Very nice, keep going with the updates.
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zeberdee
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 970 
Club RR Member Number: 2
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Yes !!!!
I can only dream of owning one of these .
👍
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misteralz
Posted a lot
I may drive a Volkswagen, but I'm scene tax exempt!
Posts: 2,393
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misteralz
Posted a lot
I may drive a Volkswagen, but I'm scene tax exempt!
Posts: 2,393
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I'm totally into it now. Covering huge distances with ease, doing high speeds with ease, still getting mid-20s mpg. Loving this thing. LOVING IT. Why didn't I get one of these before now? Well, because you couldn't afford it and had nowhere to put it, idiot.  Somewhere in Baden-Wuttemburg, on it, concentrating harder than ever, but happy. And then:  Remember that inch-thick history file? That means jack if the history was collated by badly-shaven chimps. Remember that plug we couldn't get out? It's out now.  I was doing around 130 at the time. In Imperial units, because I still used those back then. I thought I had a blowout initially, what with the whopwhopwhop sorta sound. Then I downshifted to pull into a handy Rastplatz, and the noise changed with revs. ShIIIIIIIIIIIIIt! Naturally you fear the worst, and start thinking about recovery home, when the car's going to get there versus when you are, and obviously how much of a world of pain is this going to be, both mentally and financially. I can't really afford this car, remember? The spark plug is still attached to the plug lead, and has obviously been cross threaded. About 4mm in, then left. Then, yes, left, exit stage left. We clean the threads as best we can, and with a bit of contortion we can see that yes, there's a bit of damage to the top of the thread, but right now we're either screwed or we're not. Let's roll the dice. The plug screws in on the original thread, all the way. Go through the stupid immobiliser routine and turn the key. Whoomp. Jesus. Lucky save. I pull back on to the Autobahn and swear blind I'm keeping it under 100 for the remainder. Twenty minutes later we're approaching Rheinland Pfalz. At 120. |
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2p2g1m
Part of things
Posts: 118
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Twenty minutes later we're approaching Rheinland Pfalz. At 120.
Love it!
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Brigsy
Part of things
Posts: 611
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Great read, in for more updates!
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misteralz
Posted a lot
I may drive a Volkswagen, but I'm scene tax exempt!
Posts: 2,393
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Thanks! There's still another eight years of road trips and life and maintenance and upgrades to come. It's going to take a while...
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Paul Y
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,948
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Until you have actually owned an air cooled 911 you really will not get what all the fuss is about. Looking forward to the next update. P.  |
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mat88
Yorkshire and The Humber
Posts: 1,542
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Jan 11, 2023 15:46:44 GMT
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This has the makings of being epic. Bookmarked!
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As most others have said, I'm in and bookmarked,
Absolutely love these,
Looking forward to seeing where this takes you,
Nigel
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BMW E39 525i Sport
BMW E46 320d Sport Touring (now sold on.)
BMW E30 325 Touring (now sold on.)
BMW E30 320 Cabriolet (Project car - currently for sale.)
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bilkob
Part of things
Posts: 176
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Brilliant, just brilliant stuff. THIS is what RetroRides is about……..
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964s are probably my favourite 911s, and 911s are probably my favourite cars. Looking forward to more!
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Jan 12, 2023 12:08:25 GMT
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My Citroen Ami spat a cross-threaded plug out the head once. WOW IT WAS LOUD! Gunshot in the car loud. The roofers working over the other side of the road nearly jumped off their scaffolding! That was only 600cc, can't imagine what it would sound like on a proper-size engine with proper compression and stuff!
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misteralz
Posted a lot
I may drive a Volkswagen, but I'm scene tax exempt!
Posts: 2,393
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Jan 12, 2023 12:36:45 GMT
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My Citroen Ami spat a cross-threaded plug out the head once. WOW IT WAS LOUD! Gunshot in the car loud. The roofers working over the other side of the road nearly jumped off their scaffolding! That was only 600cc, can't imagine what it would sound like on a proper-size engine with proper compression and stuff! Yeah, but that was one half of your plugs - this was one twelfth of mine... Thanks for all the compliments, guys. I'll get back to this soon. Life's thrown another curveball at us. Which might make for another interesting thread, to be fair. |
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