Too good to use...

[P50]

I remember seeing her for the first time.

Glinting in the sun looking utterly gorgeous! It was at the Bromley Pageant PCGB Kent area stand. I was blown away by her condition and the immaculate green interior with the almost "special wish" piped red seats which shouldn't work but do. The original Blaupunkt. The perfect drivers seat bolster. The bar code sticker on the N/S door shut. The as new boot area. The plastic gloves and plastic spare wheel bag. The spare fuses in the mint tool kit. I could go on... This was it. The perfect torsion 911 in stunning L699 Granite Green. The car had never had paint. I could see that by the uniform finish throughout. All panels immaculate and in the factory finish. No dinks or tell tale shady finish . No bubbles, no zits no nothing. A few minor stone chips but what does one expect after 27 years? Garaged and cherished from new. Oh to own this car I thought.. (My 911 had to be a coupe, had to be G50, had to be in a non "typical period" colour like red or white and had to be as near as damn it, original and in excellent unabused unmodified low owner/low miles condition. Some hope!)

I had no choice and casually asked if this sublime perfect 911 was for sale. it was. Sorry?!! Why? That's another story but the price was named and I said yes, no questions where do I sign. I know torsion 911's and this car is pretty much a one off as I had been searching for months and prices were zooming up.

After at least three months of faffing and umming and aaah'ing by the seller (The PCGB 3.2 register technical advisor in case you were wondering who would own such a beast?!!) and on and off signals the car was now to be sold and I could come and get it once the funds were wired.

I remember driving it away and thinking that this car was (is) like a year old 3.2. Perfect and sheer joy! They are that good I thought as the revs rose and the wail of the flat 6 climbed to a scream before the next gear on the Getrag 'box was snicked into place - sorry 915 boys but it had to be G50 for me! I care not if the Getrag is heavier or whatever as the shift is precise and tidy. A touch baulky but bliss!

So what's the problem? I am petrified that it will get hit or damaged. Two of my other classics have been knocked of late and both times I could have been in the 3.2. Both have had paint so I was not that Pi$$ed off truth be known. I have a fetish for originality and this Porsche is as it left Stuttgart. No more no less/

But this 3.2 is an ORIGINAL and you cannot get that back if something horrid happened. Some may say life's too short and to some extent I agree but this really is a special car and as time goes on I am more and more reluctant to use it.

So do I sell? I love the car and as you would expect it will be very expensive to prise it out of my ownership! Perhaps so expensive that nobody will buy it thus I will be forced to keep it! Trouble is once it's gone I will I suspect never get another like this...

I love reading reviews and buyers guides. Always the same line. "There are two types of torsion 911's. Ones that will need plenty of bodywork and ones that have had it all done with bills to prove". Well there is a third and they are as rare as rocking horse turds in RHD!

I'm in two minds so for now it stays.

Edited by P50 on Saturday 7th November 14:21

[P50]

drmark said:

Lovely colour.
There are only two types of air cooled 911 owner - those who know their car has some rust (albeit hidden amd not always serious) and those that think theirs doesn't. My first 3.2 - back in the day - was hit by another car in 99 and we found the start of inner sill trouble then. Both the body shop and I were very surprised - Fortunately it was only surface / light. The car was 10 years old, had done 28,000 miles only and was very well cared for. But it was a red one....
I would keep it if I were you.

Edited by drmark on Saturday 7th November 17:28

The general consensus is to keep it and I'm 75 keep 25 go. Basically it would break my heart if some clown clumped it given it's survived 27 years intact.

I concur regarding rust. I forgot to mention that I have owned a good 8 or 9 IB 911's over the years. All special in some way. None were the 12 owner welded up abused heaps.

I bought a 3.2 red G50 coupe off a bloke in Notting Hill. Genuine 58k miles and in '97 so it was 10 at the time. It was a good price and had never had paint but was a million miles in condition to the one I have now 17 years later. I remember having a poke about that car and getting all the mud and crud out from the shuts and rear light areas in the back wing area's. The underseal/stonechip had been breached and the car was getting badly rusty but was not yet rotten.

There was however a hole in the o/s front floor near the bracket for the production line mount! The fuel filler bucket on the n/s front wing was devoid of body shutz and was heavily pitted there too if not rotted through. I painted some protection on and waxoyl but I suspect that only put off the inevitable for a couple of years. The rear bumper was delaminating badly and was splitting. There was no bubbles or cracks at the bottom of the B post where it all starts.

I've gone over mine with a fine tooth comb and I cannot find a thing. Yes that's rare but it's had 3 prev owners who have always garaged it and not used it in winter or horrid weather. The 1st kept it for 12 years and chopped it back into Dick Lovett's in 2000 for a 996 at 22k miles. Each to their own and good job he did really!

The 2nd had it to 2004 and done 4k miles. I bought it off my man who had it 10 more years and kept it in his outrageous luxury garage on carpet! Luckily Lovett's knew it was pretty special in 2000 and it escaped the usual p/x front paint for the mug punter obligatory freshen up!

The history is as you would expect perfect with all MOT's etc and bills. If it was red I would have flipped it but Granite Green is a stunning colour.

Oh yes, the other thing you can't replicate when fixing up an 80's Porsche is the SMELL! it it utterly unique plasticky and only a few still have it. They have to be unsmoked in and unrestored though.

So I think the decisions made. It stays.

Edited by P50 on Saturday 7th November 18:20

[P50]

Adam B said:

got a picture of that?

I'll get one sorted.

[P50]

P50 said:

Adam B said:

got a picture of that?

I'll get one sorted.

Here you go. Green leather faced seats with red piping. I'm hugely glad it hasn't got full leather as after 27 years it tends to "go home" all over the place. The dash leather shrinks and lifts and other areas scuff and wear badly. Porsche vinyl is fantastic quality.

The seat spec is all rather queer but looks good as it's a mismatch! One of the things I really like about it. By rights the piping should be matching green or black.

Edited by P50 on Monday 9th November 21:16

[P50]

cornershop said:

P50 said:

Here you go. Green leather faced seats with red piping.

that would be GreyGreen leather, or GrauGrun (Code 5JX i believe)

Yours is a lovely example and reminds me what mine looked like when i bought it back in 2006. Mine is also Granite Green, and had the same seats as yours until i went 'rogue' and swapped them out for some retrimmed Recaro Furious.

I think you should sell - you've had several IB's, lots more cars and marques out there to own!

When I first saw the car I thought it was grey, When I was told there was green in the colour I noticed it. The colour as you are aware is granite green L699.

The leather however is very green! Can't detect any grey in it at all??

i've just lost my garaging at home and the car is now in professional safe storage for the grim season. I have couple of cars up for sale. For the immediate future I can keep the 3.2 but it all depends on what position I'm in, in a few months storage wise.