I'm No Edd China, But Time To Try

(Note: I write a tech column in the Hurricane Region, Porsche Club of America newsletter. Desperate for content for the blog, I decided to begin plagiarizing myself.)

The car enthusiast hobby has changed a lot since I caught the bug as a teenager. You probably followed the same path as I did, getting hooked on messing with cars in high school and gradually working your way through a succession of faster/nicer/cooler cars (with a few bad decisions along the way – I see you, Acura Integra). (I take exception to that; mine was an excellent car. -Ed.)

I started out doing many repairs and upgrades myself, from installing stereos to ripping out rusty exhaust components and welding in a straight pipe... and man, did that ‘74 Capri sound cool. In my 20s and 30s I changed my own oil and even attempted deeper repairs on occasion. I have a fairly good set of tools, jack stands, and a floor jack. I did go to mechanics for big stuff, like timing belt changes, but more from a time and confidence standpoint, than an actual skill thing.

It used to be so much simpler. What happened?

But, when I moved into modern Porsche membership with my 996, maintenance got a lot tougher. For one thing, OBDII now rules fault diagnosis. Sure, I’ve changed the brake rotors and pads, but I’m no Ray Munsch or David Brown (Porsche guys I know with real wrenching skills). Modern cars are just too darned complex for the average enthusiast to tackle much other than oil changes and brakes.

This reality has led me to create the “Home Car Repair Continuum” chart. It graphically shows a simple fact: the more expensive and complex the car, the less willing and able the average enthusiast is to repair it himself (or herself!). To be completely honest there is an additional factor at work     

here... let’s call it the sloth of affluence. Generally, we can afford to have done things we could actually do ourselves. But we rationalize we don’t have the time and pay one of the fine shops in the area to maintain our rides (waves at Hurricane Region sponsors). This is not wrong, but it is a bit lazy. I don’t have time to change the oil, but I did watch about 20 hours of basketball during March Madness...

So what to do? I have come to this decision: I am going to try to do everything that I can myself. Oil changes? I can do that! Brakes? I can do those! Motor mounts? Sitting in the garage waiting for warm weather.

Where Should I Get My Oil Changed? (Finding a Mechanic)

(Note: I write a tech column in the Hurricane Region, Porsche Club of America newsletter. Desperate for content for the blog, I decided to begin plagiarizing myself.)

One question that has come up lately, mostly from newer members, is where to take a car for routine maintenance, track inspections, and the like? There have been lots of helpful replies, some recommending local independent shops and some recommending using the dealership.

Since you have chosen the foolish route of owning European sports cars, which are inherently expensive to maintain and prone to needing repairs, identifying a shop and mechanic you trust is important. Just how do you go about finding the mechanic right for you? Well, the first step is exactly what members are doing on Facebook: asking questions. You can also find good options on the pages of this very newsletter. Our advertisers have supported the region and its’ members for years, sponsoring events on the weekend and fixing members’ cars during the week.

While I advocate doing maintenance yourself whenever possible, you can also benefit from having routine tasks done at a local shop. You may find it useful to ‘test drive’ a mechanic before a major problem arises. You really don’t want to get that big repair estimate only to wonder if the shop knows what it is doing. Better to have established a relationship prior to that moment. 

So what to look for? I have a few things I want from any shop. The first thing is basic customer service stuff; do they return phone calls, answer questions directly, and do what they say they are going to do? Porsches can be complex machines, and estimates are just that, so you have to go into any repair with your eyes open. But you should never get surprised when the bill shows up. 

Don’t be afraid to ask about the experience and training of the mechanics at the shop, and to get a short tour. A good shop should welcome the opportunity to show off both their facilities and employees.

Finally, and this is the acid test question: if things don’t turn out exactly as they should does the shop do the right thing? Again, these are complex machines and not every problem is simple to diagnose and repair. To be completely honest I have heard supposed horror stories about many shops in the area. When you repair thousands of cars over the years a few things are bound to go wrong. I had just such an experience, and the shop immediately made it right. I continue to use them to this day.

As for the question of independent shop vs. Porsche dealer… well, there are pros and cons to either option and again, we are lucky to have outstanding examples of each who support the region. So my answer is the same: build a relationship with a shop over time. Owning a Porsche is going to cost you money, perhaps a good bit of it on occasion. Better to spend that money at a shop you trust, where you have done business successfully in the past.

Where Did You Go?

This space has been a bit quiet lately. Too quiet. There are a couple of reasons for this, the most obvious being that blogging is hard work! The time to develop good topics and craft a post that doesn't suck takes time and effort—time and effort I've been using elsewhere.

In the real world I work in digital education, developing resources and helping teachers learn and practice integrating technology in their classrooms. Over the past few years education has rushed headlong into the wild world of social media. As a result I've been tweeting, blogging, and generally writing full time in that space. Great fun to be honest, but all this digital content creation put a real crimp in my car-related thinking and blogging.

Well, I'm determined to turn that around. Starting now. Or soon. In the meantime, I've been writing a column as the tech chair of my local PCA region and realized there was no reason not to share those here as well.

(Waits patiently for laughter to die down. This takes around five full minutes)

It's certainly true, virtually anyone who knows me realizes that perhaps only Lancelot Link is less qualified to dispense automotive technical advice.

Perhaps Oddball said it best...

But I've actually learned quite a bit over the years, usually the hard way. And so why not help others learn from my mistakes!

By the way, if you are interested in digital education check out SAS Curriculum Pathways and our attendant social media outlets on Facebook, Twitter (@SASEducator), and our Pathfinders blog.

Herzlichen glückwunsch zum geburtstag GTI!

As I have related, I loved my 1984 GTI, roll up windows, 100 horsepower, blue velour interior, and all. There was just something intrinsically right about the first generation of GTIs. Somewhat surprisingly Volkswagen has stayed fairly true to that idea through to the latest generation.

This week marks the 40th anniversary of the GTI. Who knows what the 80th anniversary GTI will look like, or be powered by. What I do know is that it will be fast, fun to drive, and I will want one.

Speedmonkey in the UK has a great retrospective. If you are like me, this will bring back a lot of memories... all of them good.

OK, maybe except how I left mine shattered on a Danish highway. Riding away in the ambulance, I apologized. And I still feel bad about it.

# 6 - 1989 Acura Integra LS (Car Mistakes)

Have you ever bought a car, only to realize it was the wrong car? It may not be something you realize right away. In my case it crept up on me slowly over a period of months. But after six months and a cross country drive, I knew I had somehow bought the wrong car.

I had returned from being stationed overseas and my beloved Mustang GT had recrossed the Atlantic Ocean. I was temporarily stationed in Virginia before heading to my next assignment in the Pacific Northwest.

Sammy Hagar was right

Unfortunately the Mustang and I had just spent a couple of years on the autobahn... My driver's license was in danger from the day I returned. The Mustang cruised naturally at about 90-100. In Germany that was flow of traffic; in Virginia that could be a felony. I actually got a speeding ticket the day I picked up the Mustang from the port in Maryland.

After the second or third discussion with the local gendarmerie it was clear something had to change. Somehow that something became a new Acura Integra LS. And just how that happened I'm still not sure.

Essentially a fancy, more luxurious Honda Civic, the Integra from the newly launched Acura brand was a darned good car. It had great reviews from all the enthusiast magazines and I think my mistake was deciding to get one based on reviews, rather than on the actual car.

The first few weeks were fine, with Virginia in the grip of a severe winter. The little front driver was actually sort of zippy and surefooted. But in early spring I took a road trip to Pittsburgh to see friends. It was in the mountains of West Virginia that I first sensed I had chosen poorly. Those beautiful mountain roads just were not the same with 118 horsepower and front wheel drive.

Strangely enough, in every quantifiable way the Integra was a superior car to my dearly departed GTI. I came to realize that it was the unquantifiable that the Integra lacked. Simply put, the car had no soul, and I had no emotional connection to it. It was just a good little car, and that is just not enough—not in my book at least.

By the time the Acura and I had crossed the country together I actively hated it. As soon as it was financially feasible (but far from financially intelligent) I traded in the Integra and bought one of my favorite all-time cars - and it wasn't a car.

What car mistakes have you made?

The Automotive Incomplete Pass

Being a "car guy" means constantly thinking about the next acquisition; What do you need? What do you want? What have you simply stumbled across? Watching the crazy Duke-Texas A&M bowl game on New Year's eve got me to thinking, what were some of the cars I had almost, but not bought over the years? Call them incomplete passes...

1960s VW Beetle

During the search that led me to the Mercury Capri, I seriously considered buying a Beetle that was for sale, if I recall, in a grocery store parking lot near my college apartment. I have no memory of the color or anything like that, only of the newer cassette deck installed in the dashboard. That may have been the reason I wanted the car, maybe the only reason. Anyway, luckily Dad was a VW aficionado and quickly talked me out of buying what was apparently a tired, rusty, clapped out Bug with a nice stereo. Thanks again Dad.

1983 Audi Quattro Coupe GT

You know how you can buy something even though a little voice is telling you, "this a bad decision?" Graduating from college I wanted a VW GTI, but could not find one in the Sacramento area. A used Audi coupe seemed like a decent substitute and I was actually test-driving one at Neillo VW-Porsche-Audi when I mentioned to the salesman what I really wanted. To be honest, the Audi seemed slow and heavy with only 110 horsepower. Well, the salesman  mentioned that they had an '84 GTI in the back. The dealer's wife had driven it for a few months and just returned it. An hour later it was mine. A close call for sure.

1991 Nissan 300ZX

In 1989 the all-new Z was a thing of beauty. And with 222 horsepower from a 3.0 Liter V6, it was fast too. Motor Trend's "Import Car of the Year," and Automobile Magazine's "Design of the Year," I wanted one badly. All that stopped me was the price... But then the salesman mentioned the idea of a lease. I had never even heard of leasing a car, and didn't actually care about the details. But then a hangup, an apparent problem with my credit. The lease offer was withdrawn and I left the dealership, tail between my legs. Later I discovered that one of the credit reporting companies had merged my history with my father's. Apparently Nissan Credit did not believe I had gotten a BankAmericard in 1962 - a year before I was born. It was however all a blessing in disguise, as a few months later I was transferred back to Europe. Most leases will not allow you to take the car out of the country and I would have had to buy out the remainder at a fairly big loss. So thanks for your incompetence TransUnion, I guess.

There have been other incomplete passes since the Z, mostly cars I'm glad I didn't buy. A 1992 VW Corrado for example, nice car but the interior just seemed cheap. And a first generation Honda CRV, I was all for it but Lynne didn't like the car. She thought it was too buzzy and thin-doored. She was right of course. Recently I missed out on a locally advertised 1968 Porsche 912. Underpriced for the current market and in original Irish Green with low miles, I could have made some decent money flipping the car. But just as I went to see it the seller received a significantly-over-his-asking-price offer and I was out. So close...

What was your automotive incomplete?

Yeah, I've Been Busy! (Car Surfing)

New house, grandchild, work, etc., etc... But it is time to get TCOR back on the road! Here is a short thought just to get me back in the habit.

I tend to spend an abnormal amount of time surfing car-related sites. My tastes are all over the place, with a little bit for everyone. Here's a quick sample of where I can be found:

AutoBlog - A good general automotive interest site. Particularly good coverage of auto shows and industry news.

Jalopnik - Originally this was a very snarky and occasionally rude site. It has now generally grown up, with breaking news, reviews, and a crowd of decent writers.

The Truth About Cars - Another older site with good, daily content. TTAC features one of my favorite bloggers, Steven Lang. A used car dealer in the Atlanta area,  I find his insights on the ins and outs of the trade, and particularly auctions, simply fascinating.

Edmunds Long-Term  Road Test Updates - This mainstay of Internet car coverage is of course primarily focused on providing information for prospective new car buyers. I don't find much value in the traditional short road test popular on many car sites. But I like this feature, where staff members post short articles about their daily adventures with the wide variety of cars in Edmunds' long term fleet. And it is not all Camcords and SUVs, the fleet currently includes a Porsche 991 cabriolet, a Tesla Model S, and a new C7 Corvette. They just sold their long-term '87 Buick Grand National! These year long log book comments give readers a much better idea of what it is like to live with a car, rather than simply test drive it.

Curbside Classic and Daily Turismo - Both are fun sites to quickly slide through, aggregating found by the side of the road photos and Internet sales listing for interesting, usually older cars. Often a journey down memory lane, where suddenly a '74 Maverick is kind of interesting simply because you haven't seen one in a couple of decades.

Bring a Trailer - If you have not been to BAT, go now. As addictive a site as a car person can stand. Just go look.

CarGurus - This is my current go-to site for car shopping, particularly related to fairly accurate pricing.

So... Those are the sites that make up my almost every evening Internet car surf. I also tend to wander around Rennlist, the Pelican Parts Porsche board, and a few other spots on occasion. 

What are some of your favorite car websites?