We are now the proud owners of a 1976 911S!
Before I get too carried away with this post, there are two things I’ve been meaning to write about. I’m not really sure why I haven’t before now… I guess I just didn’t feel like it. If I had to pick something, I’d probably say it’s because I really didn’t have a lot to say about it.
1) My dad sold the 1967 911S my grandfather bought in Germany and brought back to the United States. This car stayed in my family, and was only driven by a hand full of people, from the time he bought it until my dad sold it in the summer of 2011. While it had always been considered an heirloom, the car grew to be far more problematic than it was worth. When a car leaving you stranded is a very real concern, it’s time to let it go. I looked forward to having the car but if I’m honest, having my grandfather’s shotgun isn’t a bad second choice.
2) Late last year, my dad sold the 944’s that we raced for 10+ years in the 944 Cup. This was an eventuality that’s timeline was fixed when Melissa and I moved to Seattle. I could go on for paragraphs about those 10 years; I’m not going to. It was a major portion of my life and one I’m very glad I got to do with my dad. I have one or two regrets, namely how abruptly it all ended and never winning a race, but by and large I’d consider the time extremely well spent. Aside from my relationship with Melissa, it’s the longest thing I’ve committed to in my life. I think that speaks for itself.
Where was I? Oh, yeah… we now have a 911. If this seems a bit out of left field, you’re probably not alone as the cards were kept pretty close to the chest on this one. I’m sure I’ll get a couple of the same questions, so I’ll attempt to answer them without having to make you ask. Hopefully I get them all.
I thought you wanted less cars, not more. What gives?
It’s true, we’ve been talking about becoming a one car family for some time now. Melissa is going to leave her car in Virginia to be sold by friends there. I’m also going to be selling my Subaru so we can buy one car that’s more suited for city living and can also be considered “ours.” The to-be-named replacement car will serve as our primary car for pretty much everything, so while not technically a one car family, it’s the car that will get driven by both of us most of the time.
What about your motorcycle?
As much as it pains me to say it, I am going to sell Emma. Unless I’m going to pay to park it at work and drive it all year round, owning a motorcycle in Seattle is not practical. I commuted for awhile last summer, but it got old pretty quickly. Now that I take the bus every day (for free), the bike has been relegated to when I get out on weekends during the summer. While I love the thing, I just can’t justify paying $600+/year in insurance (plus registration) for two dozen rides max. I will probably buy something when Melissa and I are ready to explore the PacNW on a motorcycle, but I can’t see that happening in the next few years.
Are you going to drive it to work?
Save a rare occasion, I’ll still be taking the bus every day. Amazon pays for all my busing, so I only ever drive when I need to be at work really early or have something to do directly after work. I’d say I drive to work 4-5 times a month… and I’ll probably end up driving the 911.
Why this car and why now?
The short of it is that the right car came along without even looking for it. Older 911’s are getting very expensive, to the point that most examples are actually considered collector cars. It remains to be seen if this car will end up as a collector’s car, but it’s unlikely it won’t be worth at least as much if we ever decide to sell it. It was also a marriage of convenience given we’ll be going down to one car and the Ducati is heading to the chopping block. Now we’ll have something that’s fun, can be driven in the rain AND can serve as a backup vehicle.
What about the car?
It started life as a 912E and had ~50k miles on it before it was completely gutted, rebuilt and upgraded with a 2.7 L 911S engine. Given the only real difference between the 912 and 911 of the era was the engine, it’s now titled as a 911S. It’s got a bit under 6k miles on the rebuild, so it’s about as fresh as you’re going to find a 37 year old car.
You love personalized plates, are you going to get one for this?
Heck yeah! Washington actually lets you put authentic antique plates on cars that are at least 30 years old, provided they show the year the car was manufactured. A quick eBay search resulted in the plate below last registered in 1976. The number doesn’t have much significance beyond GT stands for Grand Touring (auto racing, etc.) but it’s definitely cooler than a random strong. The best part is I never have to renew them or pay for new decals. Score.
What now?
It’s being shipped from Ohio to Seattle over the course of the next week. Then, we spend some time getting to know each other while Melissa finishes up grad school. Hopefully by the time she visits in April, the new car will have a name. After that, we live happily ever after.
Eff yes! I’m not a fan of the color, but awesome outweighs that by a great margin. Congrats! We’ll likely do something equally silly/awesome when we end up somewhere… I’m looking at Datsun roadsters and TR6s, but I should just go ahead and fulfill the dream with a 911.
Vids of you working on it are all I request… and a drive 🙂
Congrats again!
I wasn’t crazy about it at first, but it’s grown on me. A lot of the 70’s colors are doodoo brown on the inside or outside… or both. Given it’s original, I’m sure it’ll be a major talking point.
It’s not a ’67 like G’pops, but close as a ’76. Not an out of the box 911S, but a 911S it is. Some irony in all of that.
Not a soft window targa, but the color and “early” 911 body style will make you many new acquintances, just like the SWT.
There’s a smile beneath G’pops think Italian mustache right now.