Is automotive bliss just a Porsche 911 away? | Column

The debate’s been going on inside my head for a while. Modern performance cars have gotten really good, so do I just buy one–a Porsche GT3, BMW M4, Shelby Mustang or the like–or should I do it the Grassroots Motorsports way and buy a lesser car, fix it up and modify it?

I wanted something fast, fun but also comfortable enough to drive 500 miles to an event. And it had to be reliable enough to get me back home. 

[Are we in the modern golden age of performance cars? | Column]

While I was primarily bench racing and dreaming, I actually stumbled upon and bought the perfect car to scratch that itch. As often happens around here, it happened by accident–and, of course, after I had decided to let the current market cool a bit.

This all started when a good friend sent me a picture of the 1962 Rolls-Royce he had just bought. He explained how, sadly, a collector up his way in Charleston, South Carolina, had passed away, and his widow was liquidating his car collection.

While a Rolls-Royce is not my kind of car, I complimented him, then quickly turned the conversation to something else in that photo. Please tell me more about the Guards Red Porsche 997 in the background, I said. 

My friend admitted he was so obsessed with the Rolls that he hadn’t paid much attention to the Porsche. He promised to go back and learn more. 

After looking the car over, he called me in a great state of excitement: She was looking to unload an absolutely perfect 2007 Porsche Carrera that had covered only 24,000 miles. It was heavily optioned, with 19-inch wheels and tires, the better stereo, heated seats and even navigation–which, I realized, was likely kind of dated technology. 

He concluded by telling me that if I didn’t want it at the below-wholesale price she was asking, he would buy it.

The final bit of good news: It had the six-speed manual transmission.

While it wasn’t really what I thought I wanted–it wasn’t a GT3 or even an S–I decided it might be all I needed to solve the imaginary problem I thought I had. Plus, if I didn’t like it, I could make a quick buck and put the money toward something faster.

Rather than ship the car, we decided to take a mini vacation and head toward the French Quarter of beautiful Charleston to retrieve the car in person.

[Why did we just buy a water-cooled Porsche 911? | Project Porsche 997]

The trip started off on a high note, as my friend fetched us from the airport in that vintage Rolls-Royce. Then he took us to a row house built in 1750; the Porsche was stored inside. Even if the car hadn’t worked out, the tour of that house was worth the trip.

But the car did work out. It was truly stunning and even better than advertised. It was virtually brand new. The black interior still smelled fresh, and there was nary a mark anywhere on the car.

Our first stop was nearby Autometrics Motorsports. This huge, widely respected Porsche race shop had agreed to look over the car and make sure we weren’t missing anything before covering the 350-mile trip home. 

The shop’s staff said we had a keeper. The 997 is considered the last analog 911, they noted, and you can still see the engine when you open the lid. Plus, this 911 is simply smaller than the ones that have come since. 

Then they put the car on the lift and declared that it looked new–no undertray damage, no mechanical needs whatsoever. The only issues they found: It was low on power steering fluid, and the front tires were original.

Before even leaving their parking lot, we were on the phone with Tire Rack for some new Bridgestones. We’d take it easy on the way home and stay off the highways. 

Once the new tires were mounted, we immediately took the car on our sister magazine’s Orange Blossom Tour. Then we hit the PCA Werks Reunion at The Amelia’s concours. The following week, we went to The FIRM to baseline the car and then to a PCA cars and coffee that Sunday.

As it turns out, this Porsche does everything amazingly well and is probably the best car I’ve ever had. We’ll tinker with it a bit more, but the stock 335 horsepower and balanced chassis might just be enough. 

Of course, doing this the Grassroots Motorsports way feels morally right, but if I hit the lottery, I might still spring for that GT3.

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