Go get this book
 

A book you should see if your local library has: The Gold-Plated Porsche: How I Sank a Small Fortune into a Used Car, and Other Misadventures, by a guy named Stephan Wilkinson. The man is part gearhead, part adventurer and every bit a great story teller. He went to Harvard, but I don’t believe he graduated because, as he admits, he spent more time working on (“majoring in”) cars than hitting the books. Spent a summer or two on the high seas (and trying to stay out of trouble at a myriad of ports-of-call) as a merchant seaman. On a volunteer basis, drove an EMS vehicle. Built and flew his own airplane, an impressive two-seater called a “Falco” (http://www.seqair.com/). Wrote for Car and Driver, eventually rising to the point of becoming editor where he was, in relatively short order, fired "for general crankiness, insubordination, and out-of-fashion pants..."

Anyway, at his wife’s suggestion that he needed a new project, he bought a 1983 Porsche 911SC to restore, spending around $10k on the car (in horrible condition) followed over the next few years by about $60k for the restore, he being the one doing virtually all the labor. For that money, a friend pointed out to him, he could pick up a late-model, perfectly operational 911 Turbo, "What's the fun in that?" being his response.

About half the book is about the car, the other half is on the other miscellaneous craziness in his life alluded to above. It’s all good.

I can pretty much guarantee you'd enjoy the book.

I read it and enjoyed the story as much as reported. Stephan is a sometimes poster on Pelican and he was very personable in his online presence.

Steve is the newsletter editor in our Hudson Valley Region Porsche club. I recently read his book and also found it a hoot. You can drive the 9W area where he "tests" his cars. I will let him know that he has a following and you may meet him yourself as I am trying to get him to do some of the Boxster stuff as he has one of his own.

AKL

All news to me. Thanks for the responses.

Thanks Frodo. Sounds like a good read. I'll put it on my Amazon list. :cool:

I'm sure he's made back some of his money well at least judging by the way air cooled 911s have risen in value.

Three things I was on the fence about purchasin in the mid 90's:
911
Rolex Daytona
NYC studio Apartment (strictly for subleasing)

I considered these to be luxuries, bad values and over priced..big mistake, they're all worth more today than they were 13 years ago.

Sounds interesting. I just ordered it thru Amazon.

My sister gave me that book a few months ago. I haven't really looked at it, but I might have to read it now. :cheers: