I randomly went to my local u-pull-it junkyard on a Saturday afternoon. Not looking for anything specifically, just to see what was new, as they cycle inventory very fast - about 300 cars a week in and out.
I typically go straight into the yard which is ahead and to the right. This time I took a look to the left which is the incoming "processing" area for draining fluids, cat removal, etc. Low and behold there's a sad little Porsche sitting next to various half crushed cars. My eyes get big and my first thought is what time do I need to get up in the morning to make sure I get first crack at it once it goes out.
I go back into the building and ask about it rather nervously and trying desparately not to appear too eager. I know a bunch of the staff there, so I was hoping to find out some details ahead of time. Manager says a guy brought it in with a blown engine, but it's got a bunch of aftermarket stuff on it.
Occasionally if they're in a good mood, they'll let you put on a hard hat and go out and look, but you can't get any parts until it actually goes out. So I go out. It was about a 100 ft away when I first spotted it, so I didn't know if it was really a 951, but you already know that it was at this point.
As I walk up to it, the first thing I realized was it still had wheels. All 4. This is known as a "miracle" in this yard. Not only that, but they had near new rubber! So I'm going to get an extra set of wheels for the race car, what else? Dark tinted glass all around, and ... and... this is odd... there's no body damage, just oxidized paint and a bunch of rock chips. Why is this out here? It's too bad I can't just buy the whole car........
Open the door.
12 way Porsche script cloth power seats (stained and driver seat has a tear, but cleanable and fixable).
Had a big stereo. No deck or amp, but all speakers and wiring intact.
Oh nifty! Boost gauge and MBC in custom panel below stereo!
Open glove compartment - pants feel a little tighter.. ARC2 and ARM1.
(Um. Am I in the twilight zone or something? This is a cheap a$$ junkyard. They don't EVER get cars like this. It's one size fits all pricing, so they don't spend very much on cars they take in - which means they don't get cars like this!)
Pop hood.
Huntley MAF
Huntley FPR
Weltmeister strut bar
Koni adjustables
camber plates
Ground Control coilovers
Hypercoil springs
Brembo drilled rotors
ss brake lines
KFP pads
Blown engine??? Who cares!!!
The walk back to the offices took an eternity. I thank the manager for letting me go take a look. He asks me if I want to buy it (he knows about my race car). How much, I ask trying to keep from twitching.
---QUICK! in 3 seconds or less, what would you pay for this car?---
Oh, how about $650 he says.
No joke.
You take VISA right?
So I call my friend up (one hand went for the wallet and one for the cell) and kindly ask that he GET DOWN HERE WITH THE TRAILER BEFORE THEY CHANGE THEIR MIND!
So we get it home and I immediately start poking and prodding. I wonder what exactly is blown. Hmmm. Timing belt seems fine. Turns over by hand just fine. Eh, what the heck, let's hook up the battery and try and see if it'll start.
And it does.
Of course it was quickly determined that it must be related to the Exxon Valdez given all the oil it was puking on the crossover pipe... But it runs, and runs well.
If it help you hate me any less, there's probably 400 hours of labor in getting the car to point you see at the end of this album, including various seals, gaskets, and some bigger parts, but all told, much less than $2000 invested in it.
