Right, I don’t think I’ve told this story on here before, although some ON here have probably been regaled with it in the past.
A few years ago, and for a few years, I really fancied a Porsche, (yep, the quintessential mid-life crisis car). Nothing spectacularly spendy, a 2nd generation, 2.7 litre Cayman and after going on and on about it to my partner, she enthusiastically* came around to the idea. So like the good mechanical engineer I am, I thoroughly researched all the problematical areas to look for, (IMS bearing, front mounted radiators but not the bore-scoring issue, that’s the 3.2’s for example) and after a few weeks found one in my area that looked nice, had service history at a sensible price from a garage with good review. Cool, I’ll arrange a test drive for the weekend.
So I rock up in morning armed with my list of checks and in the showroom it looks exactly as advertised with none of the warning signs of an impending wallet raping. Even had some new receipts for ignition coil packs the garage had done when it came in. Test drive went well, I like it so I shake the blokes hand and give him a small deposit it hold it while I sort out the balance.
That same evening I’m sitting at home and get to thinking about the practicalities of ownership, because this is going to be my daily driver too. How will I transport my bikes being the chief one as I do a 2 or 3 day per week half drive half ride commute in addition to weekend MTB trips with all the muddy gear etc. Can’t put a tow ball on them, central exhaust pipe. Roofbars? Seasucker bike rack? Hmm, again coming back to the mechanical engineer idea of function being greater than form…
Rang the bloke up at opening time the following day, told him I’d changed my mind. Didn’t even have the brass balls to ask for the deposit back. Bought a Diesel Transit Connect instead. My missis still pisses herself about the shortest mid-life crisis in history. 18 hours start to finish, done.
*I can still remember the exact words of endorsement, they were, “Well you might as well go and get one now before you get so old you look like a dick driving it”. I was 45 years old at this point.
