And so the story continues…
It’s been happening … I knew it would happen … It was bound to happen.
The comments…
“Hey Robbo! How’s that midlife crisis going?”
“Wow, Robbo! You bought a hairdresser’s car…”
“A Porsche Robbo? Yeah, good, but it’s not a proper Porsche”.
Some of these are entirely predictable, others just ill-informed.
For a start, anyone who has known me for more than 15 minutes knows that I have been a life-long petrol head – scratch the midlife jibe.
For all I know, hairdressers prefer automatic, soft-top, four-seater Peugeot CCs or Holden Astras or Saabs or 3 series BMWs. I really haven’t paid much attention, to be honest, but manual Boxsters need to be driven, not operated. Scratch the hair dresser jibe.
And most disappointing of all, “not a proper Porsche”, especially when it comes from owners of front-engined, transaxle cars, who I’d have thought would have some empathy. At least I have 6 horizontally opposed cylinders! Hah! Enough said.
Then there’s the occasional comment and the steadfast lack of courtesy from other road users, just cos it’s a Porsche. It only took me 2 days before I got my first “PORSCHE W**KER! Interesting.
Anyway, the beast is now back from NINEAUTO, refreshed, fettled and fixed. IMS bearing is done, all the lights work, there are no oil leaks and it goes around corners better than originally intended (Aaah, Konis!)
Just prior to taking it down to Stuart, I was demonstrating to my 6’2” 20 year old son the finer points of heel and toe-ing and double declutching. Suddenly from the passenger seat came a cry of anguish. I was a tad miffed, thinking I was going pretty well, only to see him sitting upright, then more upright, then leaning forward until his scruffy scone was all but touching the windscreen header rail. It seems the power seat mechanism had developed a mind of its own. I had to tell him to get out and start walking while I headed home, swapped cars and collected him!! Imagine if that had happened when Mrs Robbo was in the passenger seat? All that rose-coloured-acceptance could have evaporated in a flash! I had a quick look myself, but, nuh, best leave it to the experts, so I asked Stuart to have a look while it was down there. I’m pretty sure he knew the answer before he asked the question… “Robbo, do you want to replace the switch? $1,000+?” At more than 10% of the purchase price? I don’t think so. So he got it to an appropriate angle … and pulled the plug. Now the seat goes forward and backwards but doesn’t raise, lower or decline. Just like in the olden days!
Anyway, with all of this good stuff done I took it to my tame RWC bloke who not only passed it but managed to breathe life back into the air con! Personally, I’m not a fan of soft tops so now I can leave the roof in place!!
Confident, now, that I will make it to wherever it is that I intended to go without the gnawing trepidation, I am counting down to the first track day!
By Robbo (Ian Roberts)