When I started Hell Freezes in 2009, I presumed having a blog would be good fun; what I should have realised at the time was how unmotivated I would be to write about nothing. I say nothing when I clearly mean ‘ramble on’ about life and my daily routine, however, I can think of few things less interesting than tiptoeing through the words of someone I don’t know, hearing what mundane activities their day, month or week has brought. Whilst I recognise that some writers are perfectly capable of spinning the unexciting into witty and though provoking text, I am not so presumptuous to believe that I am one of them. Thus, this blog has lay in hibernation; only to be woken when Porsche GmbH decided to place another triumph on our roads.
There is every chance it would have continued to lay dormant had I not decided, after 12-months of track inactivity and my ever increasing speeds on empty rural roads, that I needed (as only a man with motor oil in his blood can justify) to buy another track car. I say needed because the desire to part with my money became an imperative rather than a choice. Having started with a Porsche 968 Club Sport, then talking myself up to a more rapid car, then an even faster one, only to find myself taking delivery of the, at the time, pinnacle of pork: a 2011 Porsche 997.2 RS, I suddenly realised I’d missed the point! Whilst looking at the gleaming, four wheeled, price of a reasonable house in some areas, large spoilered track machine, a realisation hit me like a ton of bricks… I would NEVER feel comfortable tracking a vehicle of this value on circuit. Furthermore, the ‘look-at-me’ colour and cleared for take-off spoilers, wings and skirts (let us not even touch upon the stripped interior, cage, bucket seats and harnesses!) would mean I would never feel comfortable driving it on the roads; therefore, due to my personal quandary, I had bought a vehicle akin to a very expensive garage paperweight. Following soon after this revelation was the kick in the pants I needed: I had always had the most fun on track in a reasonably priced car. In fact, I never should have sold the 968 CS (but that is another story). Armed with this knowledge, I sold the RS.
In selling the wonderful motorsport Porsche, I paved the way to do two things I’d wanted to do for many years, namely buy a 993 and build a track car. I decided I didn’t want a low mileage example because I knew I’d be too precious about it and I also didn’t want the issues that can come with low use cars. In a perfect world, I was hoping to find a 993 that had some modifications that would save me starting from scratch (better for the bank balance and would give me a chance to track a semi-capable car in 2012). As is the way, when you’re looking, with a wodge of money burning a hole in your pocket, the ideal cars on the market seem quite few and far between. I narrowed my search to 3 cars. I looked at one, a total dog, and quite how the current owner thought it was ‘mint’ escapes me; perhaps I misread the ad and they meant ‘comes with a pack of mints in the glove box’ when they stated ‘mint condition’?
The viewing of the second one was a fluke. I had intended to view it on a Saturday but had to cancel on the Friday due to last minute work commitments. The seller and I agreed to rearrange for an agreeable date but before I had the opportunity, I found myself at a clients site close to the vendor. I called him and asked if he could show the car at short notice; the answer was yes! Two weeks later and the 1994 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 was mine.
First registered on Valentines Day in 1994, this 993 Carrera has had a lot of money lavished on it over the past 18-years. Up until 2000 the Speed Yellow C16 was treated like any recent 911 with careful owners: official Porsche Centre (OPC) services and money spent when it was required. However, in 2000 it transferred ownership to a chap who decided the C2 993 body wasn’t as exciting as he would like. He rectified this by buying the original factory Porsche RS Clubsport large rear wing, deep chin spoiler and side skirts. They were painted in Speed Yellow and fitted to the car. The car stayed in his ownership until 2003 when he sold it to a friend.
Whilst the 993 has come with an impressive history and document file, sheets of paper and receipts only tell part of the the story. Work commitments meant there was a delay between paying for the car and collecting it; thankfully, I put this week to good use. During my search for information on 993 RS Speedlines (more on that in another post!) I came across a thread on a forum which mentioned the car I bought. Both the seller I bought the car from and a previous owner were commenting on ‘my’ recent purchase; albeit 2-years before it would enter into my ownership! Through this thread I was lucky enough to come into contact with this owner from 2003 onward.
Thankfully, and as you often find with vintage Porsche owners, he was a real enthusiast and both willing and excited to share his knowledge of my purchase. He explained that whilst his friend started the conversion to 993 RS look in 2000, he helped the process along by removing the rear seats, rear wiper, fitting RS door cards and having Southbound Trimmers supply the RS carpet set for the car. Not satisfied with doing half a job, he then decided to add a very expensive set of OEM RS bucket seats to finish the interior look.
Here is a photograph of the car during his ownership:
He went on to change the car mechanically as well, fitting: fully adjustable K&W suspension, 19″ Cargraphic 3-piece TUV approved Racing wheels, a single mass RS flywheel, Cup air box, a performance chip and having the 911 remapped. The subsequent owner has gone on to fit bi-xenon headlamps, a Cargraphic exhaust and race cats, as well as having Ninemeister set up the geometry and corner weights on the suspension. Therefore, I’ve found is a very nice foundation for a fast road and track 911, previously owned by enthusiasts and just waiting for the final touches to make it a track demon. What I should add is that the owner from 2003 – 2006 sold the car to purchase an original 993 RS and his comment when asked about ‘my’ 993 were “(it) was a fantastic car”, which is always nice to hear from someone who has owned a vehicle you now own and knows a thing or two about fast Porsches.
In the weeks to come I’ll post my early thoughts on my 993 and what I have in store for it. I trust that this is a better use for my small piece of internet property and hope that I have shared something of value, or at least more valuable than what I had for lunch, how much I dislike X-celebrity or a wild conspiracy theory! Until next time, enjoy your cars and stay safe.
when hell freezes, we'll drive there too... 