The week started in an eventful manner for me. I took the train up to the Midlands to collect a Porsche 996 Cabriolet.
All went well on the return journey until I hit a massive traffic jam on the A34 south of Oxford. The traffic was stop-start and, as I went to edge forward, I stalled the engine. And it wouldn’t restart – the battery was flat. Odd when I’d be driving for a couple of hours. Typically, I was in lane two, so I asked the driver behind me to push me as close into the central reservation as possible – the traffic was moving so slowly, it seemed a safe place to be.
Well it was for a few minutes until the congestion suddenly cleared and the traffic started flowing faster – much faster. I’d already run the AA and they were brilliant, patching me into a conference call with the police to arrange help.
One good thing about the congestion clearing was that help could actually get to me. The two friendly police officers were superb and I was towed half a mile down the road to a lay-by where I’d be safe. I thanked them profusely and, after handshakes all round, I was left to await the AA.
Again, the service from the patrol man was great and he soon had his battery pack out to jumpstart the car, and I was on my way – being careful not to stall again!
The problem was a knackered battery – it as a Lucas item so obviously a few years old – plus we found that the voltage regulator in the alternator was giving an irregular output – as high as 16 volts, which isn’t good. A new battery and an new regulator had it sorted.
Martini 911 Turbo
I had an email from an auction company wanting help with a 1979 911 Turbo that they believed originally had Martini stripes. Not a problem to check usually as you just look for option M42 on the VIL sticker (under the bonnet and in the service book). Trouble is, the stickers were missing. I suggested contacting Porsche for a Certificate of Authentication – for a small fee, Porsche will research a car’s history and supply a smart certificate listing its original specification – always a nice addition to a car’s history.
Click here for more on the Martini option
Porsche 964 Anniversary
We’ve been looking after a rare Porsche 964 Anniversary for a customer and it needed an MoT this week. It was a joy to get it out of the showroom and take it for a drive to blow the cobwebs off. There are less than 30 964 Anniversaries left in the country and values are shooting up – this one would sell for £50,000 today, I’m sure.
Naturally, it sailed through the MoT test without problem and is now ready for its lucky owner to collect.
Click here for more on Anniversaries.
964 Cabriolet roofs
We have a lovely Porsche 964 Cabriolet in stock (details here). It’s in great condition but was let down by its plastic rear window. Inevitably, these discolour and crack over the years and this one was no exception. Our local trimmer is very good but wasn’t jumping up and down to do the job because he wasn’t sure how to remove the rear section of the hood. I had a poke around inside and had to agree it didn’t seem straightforward. So we’ve decided to take the car to a hood specialist. Often in cases like this a specialist company is the most cost-effective solution. These guys do nothing but repair and replace car roofs so they know all the tricks of the trade to ensure a decent job.
