Two weeks ago on Friday I rolled the dice, lived a dream, and took a heck of a chance. My station in life allowed me to do this now. So why not?

I bought a car, sight unseen, flew in nearly a thousand miles away, and then checked it out, paid the man and drove it home.

Sounds great right? How about insurance, tags, payment (TSA much?) and what if this ebay beauty turns into a ****show? So to distract and deflect, I paid for a second ticket, picked from my deep pool of buddies/Family, and selected one of the few truly mechanical guys, who also had a Birthday hitting during the trip. Dennis Autrey, you’re my maaaan MY MAN!!!

Friday morning Dennis showed up at 0310 AM and we rolled to Richmond International where we made it through TSA (confiscated multi-tool) and were wheels up to Atlanta by 0544. Did I mention Dennis and I were BEAT on arrival? He’s 59 in a day and I’m 51... FML.

We make it through Atlanta and TO Sarasota by 1035 and TO the dealership in a sketchy area by 1110 AM, thanks to a nice Uber driver.

After a false start with the dealer, we get into the showroom, where my car (1999 911 aero car), a BMW 2002 and THREE Ferrari of various late 70s, early 80s vintage were sitting, in dust. WTF?!?!

Anyway, after 15 minutes of walk around and start up, and another 15 minutes moving cars, I got to drive the car we came all this way for.

It drove WONDERFULLY. Everything I remember about the 996 Turbo and the 996GT3 I previously had came back to remind me WHY Porsches are so special. I drove the car for 10 minutes and knew it was worth every penny of the $19K I was paying for it. OEM Aero package, OEM leather, and OEM M030 suspension package? All in an 80K car with $8400 in recent work??? HELL YES!!!

We pay the man, load up, and wait, what cigarette lighter? It’s dead what??? Dennis and one of our sales dudes helps me sort german and find the blown fuse. 15 minutes later we’re on the road. Finally I am driving this LOUD car (exhaust bypass tubes) out of Sarasota? Not quite yet. Hungry, we stop for food, gas, air for the tires, and then finally we were heading out of Sarasota by 1:30 PM. I’ve been up since 0215AM. Ugh.

We make excellent time getting to I75 and up and around Tampa and towards Ocala. We slow down getting through some of the smaller towns leaving I75 and heading for I10. We eventually make it north of Jacksonville and into Georgia.

Then just south of Brunswick (oh the memories of FLETC) for a quick gas/pee/go, heading to Savannah. Eventually, after heading into the worst parts of the ghetto of North Savannah, we end up ditching a dinner plan and heading for safer environments in Garden City where we eat dinner and then get snubbed by a young woman who literally did everything she could NOT to rent us a room at Woodside Suites. We were informed we were not the right color, I **** you not.

We end up at a Best Western at the interstate where we sleep for the night. Next morning I get up, get down to the car, warm it up and get it ready for the Birthday boy’s drive. Dennis drives us an hour into South Carolina where we stop for gas, waffle house, and get back on the road with me driving. I take us through the rest of South Carolina, NC, and to the NC border where we gas up at Hermie Saddler's Exxon in Emporia (his nascar race cars sitting outside) and swap drivers again. Dennis takes us all the way back to Richmond International, where I drop him and head an hour north and west for home.

12.5 hours driving, four gas stops, three meal stops, a hotel stop, a pee only stop (for me) and lots of grins and fun with a good bud of mine. I have a number of really good friends who would have been good travel companions, but with the the year he has had, Dennis Certainly deserved the experience and I was happy to share it with him.

This past Friday the weather in Va. Cooperated and I got to really drive it hard. WOW. This car is so communicative, so amazing to push and drive. THe gearing is right, the lack of weight is really key to how well this little 300HP rocket does.

The car... THIS CAR WOW!!! Love it... Keeping it... WOW!!!

 

First mod was to ditch the bypass pipes. Second mod is to install a hands free headunit. My third is to replace the GT3 splitter since mine was missing.

I am investigating building a 3.8L stroker for it. Will also investigate swapping those wheels for some 18s.

More later!!

 

She is a beauty!!!

Isn't the guy's name Hayes or something similar? He has a STELLAR reputation in the Lotus world.

What sort of work did he do to your gem?

 

DIfferent guy, different car. This guy was a part owner in a second rate car lot near the airport and this was his personal car. It was entrusted to them to sell for him, and they had power of attorney.

Car had the IMS bearing done - engine out, Clutch kit done, Complete overhaul of the AC system, replaced all 02 sensors, the MASS sensor, and other issues addressed. They also put on new tires and the wheels in the pics. They also gave me the sport exhaust with the car.

 

I can't wait to see what you do with attending to those first three mods. I'd thinking of doing a fister exhaust. I also have a gen 1 aero. What splitter are you talking about?

 

Love the car super jealous of your lift.

 

Well done. Nice garage too!!

 

Thanks! The Shop is a 30X60 with two lifts in it and enough space for up to 10 cars if I got rid of the wine barrels and pub table.

 

WTF? Are you kidding me right now? I think this is the equivalent of a mic drop drop on stage.

 

And that’s not a “working” shop. That’s my private hobby shop we use to support our NASA and ChampCar racing! I have a very understanding wife! Hahahaha

 

So right now the plan is to install a set of 996GT3 wheels I picked up and am having powder coated. I"ll get some decent treads for them, installing new front rotors and possibly GT3 front control arms while I am at it.

I installed the stock OEM lower lip for now, but might come up with something more unique once I get a few other issues sorted.

I installed a head unit and hands free device and I'll be working on the paint. trying to decide on graphics.

I also bought the X51 oil pan kit I'm going to install after my race weekend with NASA in the 944 in a couple weeks.

Fun FUn FUN!!