Another Porsche Road Trip

Go to Quebec, your on a roll . Lots of metric stuff up there.

Woody wrote: I'm doing 79 and a New York Mercedes just went by me like I was going backwards.

79 is an obstruction. We have places to go.

Wall-e wrote:

Woody wrote: I'm doing 79 and a New York Mercedes just went by me like I was going backwards.

79 is an obstruction. We have places to go.

People to see,things to do. People to do,things to see?

Actually had to pick up a set of allen wrenches at the farm supply store this weekend to cut a 3/4" chunk off of a 14mm wrench to pull the transfer case drain plug on a friend's X5!

It must be 14mm season.

Woody wrote: I've got a great story to tell you guys tonight!

As I was walking out of the Welcome Center near Brattleboro, I saw a white haired guy step away from his Jaguar sedan and head toward me. He was holding a map, so I thought he was going to ask for directions. Instead, he said that he had been looking at my car and noticed the PCA sticker on the window. He asked if I knew of any good Porsche mechanics in the area. He went on to say that he had bought an '83 911 SC a couple of years ago but couldn't get it to idle properly.

I asked him a few more questions about the car and then told him that I think I knew what was going on. I asked if it was a Targa and he said that it was. I asked if the top leaks and he said that he thought that it did a little bit. I told him to take a look for a relay near the ECU under the passenger seat. They get wet and nasty and then the car won't idle for crap.

I told him about another 1983 911 SC Targa: The Dirty 911. I pulled out my phone and brought up my old build thread. Somewhere in the middle of it, I had photos of the bad relay in that car and showed him how to fix it. He was thrilled.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/the-dirty-911-the-project-begins/46463/page4/

Then he told me that he had only owned one other Porsche, as he started off as an MG guy. In 1958, he traded in a two year old MGA, plus another $700 that he had borrowed from his father, for a 1956 Speedster.

He said that he had belonged to a sportscar club in the midwest before he and the Speedster moved to Massachusetts in 1965. He said that his friend had a Jaguar XK-SS , and they would race each other on back roads. The friend sold the Jag for $9000, and they couldn't believe how much money he had gotten for it. He couldn't remember the name of the magazine, but it was the one that was featured in Hemmings Sports and Exotics not too long ago.

He introduced me to his wife and dog, and again told me how they were anxious to get the Porsche running right. He didn't mind getting stranded on his own, but said that he didn't want his wife to have to deal with that sort of thing. He said that he had recently had surgery and was getting too old to have two non running cars...

The Speedster is gone, as is the XK-SS, but it seems that he owns an MGTC that he thought he would restore some day. He's coming to the realization that he's not going to get around to it at this point in his life.

He has my info and I have his. He's going to let me know how he makes out with the Porsche, and said he'd contact me when he's ready to let go of the MGTC.

None of this would have happened if I was driving my truck.

Filled the Frunk.

About half an hour after I discovered that the in-dash CD player had crapped out, it occurred to me that the car came equipped with an equally unused six CD changer in the Frunk. I'd never used a six CD changer in my life, and since I couldn't figure out any way that CDs could migrate from there to my dashboard, I figured that I'd give it a shot.

Victory!

Cool little town.

Cows.

You can't tell from this angle, but that is a huge dropoff.

I was more than a little concerned about the emotional state of the white cow.

Now, these cows were moving with a purpose and, impressively, in single file. They were either motivated by food, or about to become food.

I have forgotten the name of this place, but it is in Vermont.

Cayman in repose.

I was hoping that this guy would clear out the Smokeys for me.

It didn't last long.

Home safe.

You were right, that is a Cool story.

Now I really need a Cayman!

Woody, you and my father would have got along very well.

When I was a teenager he would often get up on Sunday morning and tell us that he wanted Lobster Tail for dinner. There were two places he liked to go to for lobster tail, Bookbinders in Philadelphia and Captain Frank's on the wharf in Cleveland.

Since we lived 30 miles east of Pittsburgh, we made a bunch of road trips. Though he usually did not use the back roads. Get that 57 Chrysler 300 on the turnpike and let her rip.