DSSA
Supporting Vendor
- 748
- 767
- Jul 26, 2002
-
Hatfield,
Pennsylvania
Being car guys, I figured you may appreciate my pain...
I was out in La Jolla, CA last week for funeral services for my grandfather. Everyone on that side of the family was all "Grabby Hands" with his stuff (to the point where several of them had to rent Uhauls to move everything), and while they kept asking me if there was anything I wanted, everything that I said would mean something to me was met with "Oh...so-and-so is already getting that". They were things that really didn't have any value other than sentimental, but every time I was shot down. Things like a fossilized clam he used to joke about, the binoculars that we'd use to watch passing ships (and the local 'fauna' on the beach) out the living room window, etc...
I was asked (yet again) right before we went out. I responded, "Well, everything seems to be claimed, and I can't imagine that no one else has laid claim to it., but what about the Welcome Package from when he bought his Carrera GT?".
Amazingly, they said that no one else wanted that. (WTF??)
So, while I was out there, I shipped it in a large box bubble wrapped to the point where the box size cost me over $100 to ship it. I couldn't get my shipping software to work on my laptop out there, so I had to bend over and pay a UPS Store to ship it.
Well, it arrived yesterday. The box looked fine, as did the outside of the Porsche box as well. One thing I *didn't* account for, was how much the foam inside the package had deteriorated over the years, due to the salt air, and just time itself. I opened it up, and my stomach dropped...
Everything inside was coated with black, sticky residue from the broken down foam. I'm going to try to figure out how to best salvage it once I can bring myself to look at it again, but what a disappointment--both family history and automotive history lost...
The irony of it, is that this may be a small version of the disappointment that he felt when he purchased the car.
After purchasing quite a few 911s over the years from his local dealership in San Diego, he had become quite familiar with the owner.
When Porsche opened up orders for the Carrera GT, they helped him get the first slot in allocation for the U.S., meaning he would have the very first one available for U.S. sales.
There was a decent wait for them at that point, and over that time period, he got knocked down a spot on the list by a Hollywood A-lister (turned out to be Jay Leno).
So, he awaited the second available.
He went over to Germany to do the pre-delivery of the car, and drive it on Porsche's test track, then waited again for the car to be shipped over.
Finally, it arrived, and he drove to the dealership to pick it up.
The owner met him when he arrived, they chatted a bit, and then the owner said "Mr. Schneider, I know you've been anxiously awaiting delivery, but you wouldn't believe the traffic having this in the showroom has brought in to us. Would you consider allowing us to keep the car here for a week or two for display?".
Torn, but appreciating how well he had been treated by them in the past, he agreed to let them keep the car for display purposes for two weeks.
They were two, AGONIZINGLY SLOW weeks, but they finally passed.
Once again, he arrives at the dealership, the car is prepped and outside awaiting him. He talks for a while, gets in it, starts it up, and pulls out of the dealership. The first light he gets to pulling out from the dealership is red, and he stops. Brand new car, sticky, heavy clutch...the light turns green..he goes to pull away...stalls it, and is immediately hit from behind by a younger guy in a landscaping truck.
The car is towed back to the dealership, and sits there for a couple of months while Porsche ships equipment to the U.S. to be able to confirm that the chassis is straight and repairs can commence.
Finally, the car is repaired, with exception of the rear bumper cover. Porsche doesn't have any covers available other than units slated for assembly line cars.
He takes the car anyway, and proceeds to drive it for several months with no rear bumper.
"I actually liked it." he told me. "You could see all of the exhaust and some of the engine.".
A close friend who knows the story said he's surprised that he didn't put one of those Band-Aid Stickers on the back that says "Oops!".
Had they been around in 2004, and had he known about them--he probably would have.
So, as disappointed as I am today, I can only imagine the level of disappointment he felt, and am going to have to mentally put a 'Oops!' band-aid sticker on it.
If he was able to shrug it off an laugh about what he went through, I need to put on my big-boy pants and do the same over this much smaller disappointment.
I was out in La Jolla, CA last week for funeral services for my grandfather. Everyone on that side of the family was all "Grabby Hands" with his stuff (to the point where several of them had to rent Uhauls to move everything), and while they kept asking me if there was anything I wanted, everything that I said would mean something to me was met with "Oh...so-and-so is already getting that". They were things that really didn't have any value other than sentimental, but every time I was shot down. Things like a fossilized clam he used to joke about, the binoculars that we'd use to watch passing ships (and the local 'fauna' on the beach) out the living room window, etc...
I was asked (yet again) right before we went out. I responded, "Well, everything seems to be claimed, and I can't imagine that no one else has laid claim to it., but what about the Welcome Package from when he bought his Carrera GT?".
Amazingly, they said that no one else wanted that. (WTF??)
So, while I was out there, I shipped it in a large box bubble wrapped to the point where the box size cost me over $100 to ship it. I couldn't get my shipping software to work on my laptop out there, so I had to bend over and pay a UPS Store to ship it.
Well, it arrived yesterday. The box looked fine, as did the outside of the Porsche box as well. One thing I *didn't* account for, was how much the foam inside the package had deteriorated over the years, due to the salt air, and just time itself. I opened it up, and my stomach dropped...
Everything inside was coated with black, sticky residue from the broken down foam. I'm going to try to figure out how to best salvage it once I can bring myself to look at it again, but what a disappointment--both family history and automotive history lost...
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The irony of it, is that this may be a small version of the disappointment that he felt when he purchased the car.
After purchasing quite a few 911s over the years from his local dealership in San Diego, he had become quite familiar with the owner.
When Porsche opened up orders for the Carrera GT, they helped him get the first slot in allocation for the U.S., meaning he would have the very first one available for U.S. sales.
There was a decent wait for them at that point, and over that time period, he got knocked down a spot on the list by a Hollywood A-lister (turned out to be Jay Leno).
So, he awaited the second available.
He went over to Germany to do the pre-delivery of the car, and drive it on Porsche's test track, then waited again for the car to be shipped over.
Finally, it arrived, and he drove to the dealership to pick it up.
The owner met him when he arrived, they chatted a bit, and then the owner said "Mr. Schneider, I know you've been anxiously awaiting delivery, but you wouldn't believe the traffic having this in the showroom has brought in to us. Would you consider allowing us to keep the car here for a week or two for display?".
Torn, but appreciating how well he had been treated by them in the past, he agreed to let them keep the car for display purposes for two weeks.
They were two, AGONIZINGLY SLOW weeks, but they finally passed.
Once again, he arrives at the dealership, the car is prepped and outside awaiting him. He talks for a while, gets in it, starts it up, and pulls out of the dealership. The first light he gets to pulling out from the dealership is red, and he stops. Brand new car, sticky, heavy clutch...the light turns green..he goes to pull away...stalls it, and is immediately hit from behind by a younger guy in a landscaping truck.
The car is towed back to the dealership, and sits there for a couple of months while Porsche ships equipment to the U.S. to be able to confirm that the chassis is straight and repairs can commence.
Finally, the car is repaired, with exception of the rear bumper cover. Porsche doesn't have any covers available other than units slated for assembly line cars.
He takes the car anyway, and proceeds to drive it for several months with no rear bumper.
"I actually liked it." he told me. "You could see all of the exhaust and some of the engine.".
A close friend who knows the story said he's surprised that he didn't put one of those Band-Aid Stickers on the back that says "Oops!".
Had they been around in 2004, and had he known about them--he probably would have.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
So, as disappointed as I am today, I can only imagine the level of disappointment he felt, and am going to have to mentally put a 'Oops!' band-aid sticker on it.
If he was able to shrug it off an laugh about what he went through, I need to put on my big-boy pants and do the same over this much smaller disappointment.
You must be logged in to view this image or video.
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