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.

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