Today combined some of my favourite things; Porsches, boats, islands and travel., it doesn’t get much better than that.
I delivered a lovely Porsche 996 Carrera 4S to a client on Jersey, in the Channel Islands. This involved an early morning blast along the coast to Weymouth, my favourite seaside town. Then it was straight onto the futuristic looking fast cat for a 40kt cruise south to the Channel Islands, stopping briefly at Guernsey before arriving at Jersey, with it stunning rocky coastline. It’s a regular holiday haunt of our family; today, though, I was travelling alone and, sadly, on the island for just a few hours.
Once the 911 was handed over to its lucky new owner, it was straight to the airport for a 50 minute flight back to the mainland on a neat little 19-seater plane.
The Porsche performed faultlessly and was a joy to drive, as is any good 996 Carrera 4S.
Before the car was sold, it had to have the rear main seal (RMS) and radiators replaced, as these were leaking slightly. Both typical 996 (and 997) issues and no big dal but I wanted it right before handover.
Also, I fitted an IMS Guardian to the Porsche, a new device developed by my American namesake, Jake Raby. The Guardian is a simple and affordable monitor that gives early warning of imminent IMS (intermediate shaft) bearing failure. If this bearing breaks up, it can destroy the engine. It’s a rare occurrence but one that has gets a lot of publicity on the internet and, understandably, 996 and 997 owners worry about it.
An IMS Guardian gives the owner welcome peace of mind, and I’m offering a supply and fit service in southern England. Do please get in touch for more information.
Oh, and as a complete coincidence, it’s ten years almost to the day that I made a ferry crossing – much longer and over a very stormy North Sea – from Harwich to Hamburg, to collect my first Porsche 911, a green 964. A lovely car which I should never have sold. I told the story of that car and trip in 911 &Porsche World magazine in 2002.
