Photography by David S. Wallens
It’s not always about the money.
The cost to attend our Amelia Island Kickoff? Free.
And the cost to walk Radwood? Also free.
[How to do Amelia on the cheap? Follow our Porsche 911.]
Where was our 1984 Porsche 911 on display the second weekend in March? At those two free events.
Did we have fun? Lots.
And did people enjoy seeing the car? A steady stream of questions would say yes. Common ones asked:
Did you drive it down from New York?
Where’d you find the ’80s BMX bike?
Does the radar detector work?
What do you call the color?
The answers helped get the conversation started and quickly turned this from a static show or some kind of pulpit to boast of cubic dollars spent and heroics with welders into some personal, genuine interaction.
First, no, I didn’t drive down from New York–those plates simply remind me of home and, like everything else on the car, are period appropriate for 1984–but that icebreaker has helped me meet many people who also know a good bagel.
I have been riding BMX since the early ’80s, I’d discuss with others, and for this year’s Amelia I brought along a retro Skyway T/A: ’80s looks but built with modern geometry. Those who also rode back in the day would immediately recognize the bike, while kids learning about the early days of the sport would pepper me with questions.
The radar detector? Well, I’d joke, it works at covering a crack in the dash and sparking conversation. And the color is called Ruby Red Metallic. And yeah, you’re right, depending on the light, it can change from brownish to candy apple red.
And that’s been a big take-home message with this car: lots of stories, involvement and adventures along with very little pain. This is a ’60s car built in the ’80s that’s very suitable for today.
Cleanup before the big Amelia weekend or any other outing? Just the usual Tim McNair One Hour Detail: Griot’s Garage Best of Show Detailer followed by the company’s Ceramic 3-in-1 Wax, SD-20 cleaner to give the tires a natural sheen, and then some Griot’s Vinyl & Rubber Dressing as needed on the trim. Oh, and a quick interior vacuum and Sprayway glass cleaner inside and out–and yes, cleaning the rear window requires some contortion.
Easy mechanical prep, too. Check the tire pressures and give everything a quick inspection before the 2-hour drive. Autobahn Daytona serviced the car not too long ago.
That Friday morning dawned early–like, before dawn–as most of the staff had to truck from our home base near Daytona Beach, Florida, to Amelia Island’s Main Beach Park. Our call time was 8 a.m.
The occasion? Our Classic Motorsports Amelia Island Kickoff Presented by Sunoco, where the Porsche sat among the other German cars. The event welcomed more than a hundred cars and thousands of guests–and again, no charge to spectate. Our judging crew included luminaries like Wayne Carini, Tom Cotter and Bill Warner.
Saturday also started early as I had a 7 o’clock load-in time for Radwood. I splurged for Royalty parking and got a space at the head of the fairway. And once parked, again, I did more cleanup before a busy day.
Issues during the entire weekend outing? Not a one. Still happy with the KW suspension. The car hummed along as planned. The engine always started and ran smoothly, as it has for more than 15 years–other than that one breakdown due to an unplugged crank angle sensor.
When your friend asks if they can be photographed with your car, you say yes. It’s a way to spread the joy, right?
I have a friend who models and also loves cars. She raced karts as a kid and knows the current scene. We’ve also done several photo shoots together. Maka’s big ask: Could we pair the two and photograph her with the Porsche? Sure, I said.
I knew of some old warehouses that would provide the perfect backgrounds, while a lack of curbs and traffic would allow us to position the car at will and work freely. This wouldn’t be one of those cheesecake model/car photo shoots, though. Dress like you own the car, I told her.
The only catch: We only had about an hour and a half for the one day that worked with both of our schedules. We’d make it work. I got the car cleaned up, she wore something smart and confident, and to give the photos a true ’80s look, I loaded up a film camera–the same Canon A-1 that I have owned since middle school.
We got the images.
Others have come to me with the same ask. It’s fun, creates memorable shoots and exposes more people to our classic cars. No one has complained that it’s just a G-body 911–and not even a Turbo at that. To 99% of the population, it’s really cool–still cool enough to turn heads at a Hagerty hangar party, a Porsche Club of America get-together or the local hardware store parking lot.
To quote a 15-year-old Porsche ad campaign that’s been a common theme regarding my time with the 911: Engineered for Magic. Everyday.
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