ridgerunner914 Options

[preach]

ridgerunner914 is my social media name if it isn't preach. It is also my new to me 1974 2.0 that I bought from the classifieds here.

This is the start of our story. It has trials, tribulations, swingers, and pirates!

Due to recent life events and too many projects for my age/health I needed a change. I did not really want to but a few weeks ago it got solidified.

My dad owned a repair shop when I was young, so I got into cars. His second location was run by an air-cooled VW guy that had a 356 Speedster as well. This is where I got into VWs and, of course Porsche. While doing research on these and could not get my license yet, I read about the 1970 24h of Le Man and the #40 car that broke hearts. Well it won mine. A 914/6 that dominated it's class and came in 6th overall beating many bigger classes as well. I swooned. I'd seen them driving around as this was the early 1980s, now I loved them.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com-11513-1777662460.1.jpg)

Now it's the 2000s and I finally buy one, I got it for $700 but it was a complete 1974 914 1.7l. Had dreams and dreams of rebuilding it and speccing out this way and that, but life always got in the way. It is also a piece of crap needing a ton of work.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com-11513-1777662460.2.jpg)

So I would not rush that build and get my fancy tickled I bought a 2007 Cayman S. That I love still, but it is not an air-cooled VW that my heart desires. No pic for that it is in my profile and not a 914.

Welcome to two weeks ago. I had just come off of a long work trip and made decent money, 46-ish days straight 10-16hrs a day. So I called work and said I am taking the week off. They said OK, understood. Now, at the end of that week, I did something I tried like hell not to do which is look at the cars FS here. But I did. Well sheet. Friday I called up work and said I needed another week off to buy a car and get it home, a more hesitant OK this time.

Mine is the one in the back.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com-11513-1777662461.3.jpeg)

I answered the ad and sent a DM. Ends up being a guy named Brad, and he is basically brokering the deal for the seller. He also built the car as it sits. he also has a very good reputation by name and by his old shop name. We talked on the phone quite a while about this car, that car, this other car, oh and this one, don't forget that one, etc. This was Friday. I said I'd buy it, sight unseen. We negotiated a price and after a few phone calls the owner accepted my final counter offer. I'd be there asap. But there was a storm brewing. Midwest got whacked with their last storm of the year (I hope anyway).

So I secured financing and a one way flight from Boston to Peoria Thursday at 0800 to fly out about noon. I packed a backpack with 2 changes of clothes, a sandwich bag of toiletries, and a stack of cash. I knew the car had no heat so I put on flannel lined Carharts and an Arborwear hoodie, not to mention my fuzzy lined Vans. I headed to Boston and grabbed the flight. A few hours and a couple of beers in Chicago I landed in Peoria. I was pretty spent at this point so I called up Debbie, the owner's wife, and told her I was in town and would just take an UBER to a hotel for the night. Both Brad and her had graciously offered to get me from the airport. I think this was about 5pm local so -1h from mine.

Continue next post.

[preach]

Pull into a hotel I got with points, yay. 2 restaurants, good. Saturday night though, not good. I have spent enough long stays in hotels that I do not like weekends. Even though I know I am only here for one night, I know what is up. I was that guy and parked next to a C8 'vette. I actually tried to find the Corvette guy and looking like one I wanted to play a redneck that hit his car while backing my shit pickup next to him then go out and he'd see what I brought to the table. He must have been on the white collar side because I didn't see any jorts.

Both restaurants are jamming. I feel like $5digits is enough so far so my cheap side kicks in. I go to the bar and I can't even remember what I ate I was so smoked from the long day. My back was killing me, I was still stressed out from a possible failure, but I was freaking alive and so wasn't my car! I actually live for this stuff, grab a set of unknown keys in one hand and your fellas in another and GO!

So, parties all around, but I am used to that. They tend to fall off between 12 and 2. Each night I have also been on high alert since car and thieves.

About 1am the Pirates show up. I am on the first floor abutting the elevator. Well they were after my gold! As you know, 914s have a grill behind the rear window and the only place a US /4 would have any indication it was a Porsche was on that grill with PORSCHE letters in either gold or silver (not sure why, maybe 2.0 gold and 1.x silver, or trim, or???), well mine are gold.

So I hear 2 couples, drunk, heading to the elevator and the guys are expounding about the car next to the Corvette, neat. Then one of them goes I want those letters, you'd not even get a fingerprint off of that grill. The other three talk him down for now but I am on high alert. I'd fall asleep for a bit, check the window to see my car, repeat.

If you were to pop them off from the top they probably would have broken the plastic dongle and the metal clip would have fell into my engine top x14. It my fan would suck them up and one wedge in a cooling fin and create a hot spot... I would have bought him a set online instead.

Anyways, they were still there the next morning and, honestly, it was cool to hear my car was cooler than a C8 (I love Corvettes).

I get up, ask for a push. Seriously, I never had to ask 2x really. Today was rough though. I don't know the Webbers and it was cold. I gave it the normal 2-3 pumps for fuel and choke and the first 3 times it tried like hell and did not want to start. The night before I had already asked a friend to be ready for a 10hr day with his f150 and trailer.

My first guy gave it hell 3x, then I went in for another guy. RAWR, I was on my way.

I had thought that I filled up before I got the the hotel so I'd be ready for the day but was hesitant. I stopped and looked at my bank and could not tell since even dinner did not show up yet. So I drove about 100 miles and said I better fill up even if it is a couple gallons. It was 9! I guess I did not fuel up last night.

Cruise up through NY on I84 and into CT. First thing I see in CT is a burning Subaru Forester on the other side of the highway, just like a friends last year...weird. After Hartford was the next cool thing, and the coolest yet.

I see a GT3 up ahead of me, I casually step up until he sees me but I messed up and made him skittish so he took off. I gave chase and we ripped to the maximum speed limit in the state! I did not keep up great but well enough that he backed down to my side and I could see him say WTF? I just shrugged. He gave me a thumbs up and took off.

Now, remember George? He was the owner I bought this from. He had a dog, I can't remember it's name, but a Bully, he barked and barked at me from his cage until I turned around and said hi then all wiggles, then repeat. George had many bulldogs in his lifetime and, well my first impression of George was a bulldog. Big man to my 6'2" 200# and due to age had jowls. This car had a bulldog sticker in the back window and is pretty much a bully.

The next bit sucks and is scary.