Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

As it was the first really sunny day of the year...and the day before the vernal equinox ....we decided to go for a quick drive to blow the cobwebs from our Porsche 944.

It was such a lovely day, clear blue skies and bright sunshine, we (my ever suffering wife Kim and I) decided to go topless, removing the roof panel from the car.

Home is near Gatwick, so we'd decided to take a run through the countryside past Horsham, on towards Guidford passing through the picturesque village of Bramley and then up to the Hogs Back....and then we had our Thelma and Louise moment....with the Porsche running superbly the moment took over when my wife suggested we just keep driving...and we did.

Through to the M3 and on to the 303 passing Stonehenge and Yeovil and on right down to Weymouth. The only thing that stopped us going onto the ferry was the poor dog and teenage son left home alone....the dog is ok but I cannot trust my son with the house!

For the return we followed the A31 through Dorchester, finally picking up the M27/A27 heading back through Chichester and the towards Brighton before taking the A24 back past Horsham and through to Crawley..

The return drive was amazing especially with the moon tonight which was blood red and enormous as it rose above the horizon just as we passed Southampton...an incredible sight.

We covered just over 350 miles in just over 7 hours ( including stops), used £60 worth of fuel, passing through a total of six unique counties on the journey.

For the first time since I've owned the car ( five years now) I finally had an opportunity to experience what she was designed for......it's a grand tourer in the true sense...designed to travel hundreds of miles at high speed and in comfort and safety.

Whilst many modern cars could now do the task more efficiently and use much less fuel...that's missing the point...it's the way the car effortlessly covers the miles with ample reserves of thrust, such is the torque from the 2.5 ltr 4 pot engine you need not change out of top for anything but coming to a full stop.

It'll trundle along at 30 in top gear, eagerly acelerating all the way to top speed without complaint. The sheer pace...and I mean pace not speed....of the Porsche is stunning today, compared to it's contemporaries it seemed like it was from another planet....no wonder it cost the equivalent of £48000 when new!

Now at nearly 30 years old, the 944 is equally at home trundling around cities, back lane cruising or thundering along the motorways. In a world dominated by Eco-friendly ergonomic politically correct safety cells, she is a real dinosaur......but what a car! Long live the past, it is a breath of fresh air in today's uniform perfection on wheels.

Thelma and Louise can't wait for the next sunny day

Sounds like a great road trip Jon, any pics of the event?

Like you say, it's exactly what the car is meant for

And all I managed is High Wycombe to Chesham, then onto Amersham, Beaconsfield and home again yesterday! But I had washed and polished my 968 first!!!

Unfortunately no photo's as this was a strictly non planned event I'd normally take the camera with me if we are planning a run out...

So here's one I prepared earlier!

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c232/ ... 41107a.jpg

Still a great trip...and I cheated, I bought a clay kit during the week and set to the car on Thursday/ Friday evenings....fantastic result but hard work!

Those unplanned trips are always the best, good on you, these cars are to be driven and many (myself included ) use them as garage queens and don't drive them enough

Jon your car looks lovely

Glad someone else likes actually DRIVING their Porsche As Lindsay says many are garage queens. Mine is out everyday going anywhere and everywhere. Wouldn't have it any other way

Yesterday though my car went a max of 10 miles and I got the folowing done:
All cars washed (2X944, 1XMGB GT V8)
One interior valeted
One polished
One sunroof experiment

Ohhh...multiple classic syndrome ...I suffer the same.

Today it's put the new engine in the MR2 and if all does well an MOT next week.....also next week it's lower wishbones and track rod ends on the Fiat Coupe Turbo.

Tempting fate, after a lot of preparation during the winter, although the was an unscheduled alternator failure a couple of weeks ago...the Porsche is the only one in good fettle at the moment.

Suzuki failed to start. So i took the Porsche. Took the scenic route back from Tesco's. About 30 miles. Rediscovered the joy of driving. I still have to sell it.........

Hurumph! DIY today on the kitchen which seems to be on-going forever! 944 needs clutch looked at which I think is a slave problem, but just need a half decent day to look at it. Irritating thing is the slave is only about 5 years old as it was one of the few things that wasn't a normal service item when it was my work daily driver.
Still the Jeep passed its MOT with just two new CV gaiters needed & no advisories. MOT tester quite impressed as well. Always good when you buy a car with a very short MOT off of E bay!

Ah spring is on it's way. What a nice story.
I had to go to Dorking on Friday so drove to work. It rained from about 6:30am until about 5:00pm so by the time I left the office my 944 was a mess.
Then on the way home some fool gritted the motorway too.
Then came Saturday morning. I tried to resist as I was tired but the sun was beaming into my bedroom and I just had to get up and clean the car.
A wash, polish, hoover, tyre wax and wheel sparkle and she looked amazing.
Although I put her away again without a drive as I had to have an emergency BBQ and go to the theatre. Then came Sunday, although not as sunny as Saturday and a little cooler, I tilted the roof open (Didn't want to tempt fate) and set about the drive from my place in Harrow to my parents place near Oxford.
No motorways just the A41 for a little time as possible and then small country lanes from there on.

The car is amazing to driver. Blasting along with ease the car is so well poised and sits on the road so well. You come up behind a Sunday driver, drop a cog or two and you just breeze on by with such ease.

Amazing cars, I was so pumped up when I got to my parents place. They just make you feel like kings when you get a day like that.

I can't afford my car but I will never sell it. The odd days like these make up for the endless beans on toast that I have to live on.

Come on summer, let's have some more of that sun please.

After waking well before dawn to watch today’s Aussie GP, I walked the dog then headed out in the 944 to meet my local PCGB region for a cleaning day. We do these twice a year—a very swish accident repair place about 40 mins from my place open up on a Sunday morning for us all to use their wash bays, lifts, air tools, etc. It’s a great incentive to get the car properly sorted before the season starts in earnest.

So I set off with a filthy beast of a car (mud all the way up both sides, right to the roofline!) and enjoyed a spirited drive alongside a lovely blue 997 Turbo S to the other side of the country. I had figured he was heading the same way as me, but he kept going when I pulled off to head for the cleaning do.

Bright sunshine and a chance meeting with another Porsche driver in playful mood is always a nice way to drive to an event.

Spent a few hours washing, scrubbing, rinsing, waxing, polishing and rewaxing. Had some great cars in the bays for company: 996 GT3RS, 997 GT2, 997 Turbo, Nissan GT-R, Maserati Gransport, etc …

Then a drive home that turned into a roof off drive home the (very) long way. The car is cleaned up for summer now and I’m tempted to get straight back in it for another drive before my wife comes home from work …