April 5th 2006
Travel from Kansas City to South Dakota by Air
Purchase 1989 Porsche Carrera 4 911
Drive car 6 +/- hours back to Kansas City
Let's start at the beginning: this project has been in the works since I sold my previous Porsche a year ago. Since that time I have been on the lookout for a specific Porsche - a Carrera 4. Living in Kansas City I deal with all seasons. Since I wanted my next Porsche to be a daily driver, I wanted AWD. The Carrera 4 from 1989 to 1992 met most (if not all) my Porsche needs. Problem was, I couldn't find one that fit my strict requirements:

1. Red, Black or Silver
2. Tan or Black interior
3. Less then 100,000 miles
4. 5 speed
5. Records, History, Clean CarFax
6. CD Player
7. Prefer to have mostly stock
   (so I could make modifications of my own)

Victory had a few, but never returned my calls to f-them. Daniel Schmitt in St. Louis were very cool but didn't have any in stock. PCA had a few from time to time, but nothing that fit all my wants. Fast forward to this past January - PCA lists a 1989 911 C4 (guards red) with 91,000 miles, CD, very clean, and it's not that bad of a distance from KC. Steve O. We shoot back and forth emails then talk. I tell him I only have a certain amount I can spend. He has to think about it - no problem. While I'm talking with Steve a 944 Turbo S comes up for sale in Atlanta (my fall back car if I couldn't find a 911 that was right). Steve and I can't work things out so the deal falls. The 944 goes south as well.

So then I get some great news about a new job. I'm also creeping up on my 30th birthday. My wife and I talk it over and I start the search once more for a solid 911 - except this time I up the years: 1989 to 2001 (AWD, of course). I find a couple, but nothing as perfect as the 1989 I had tried to get earlier in the year. My wife says:

"Just email him, offer him what you want and see if it's still for sale. If it is, great. If not, you'll just have to wait till one comes available..."

I ping Steve O. again (keep in mind I had already purchased www.89c4.com months ago in anticipation of purchasing his car) about buying his car for a new price. He shoots me back asking for the night to think it over. Next day I get his email:

"the car is yours..."

Then it gets really scary!

I am financing the car though my bank. No big deal, except I wanted to pick up the car this week (my birthday week). USAA being kick ass allows me to send a faxed application on Saturday, to be approved on Monday, to overnight the funds on Tuesday so I could make my flight on Wednesday AM. I loose the fax number, try and get it, finally call them and get a new one. Fax goes though. All should be well...

Monday gets away from me. I realize at 9pm that I have yet to contact USAA to ensure they got the fax and I'd have my funds on Tuesday. Nope; they never got it. Long story short, Daniel has me re-fax the documents to the original fax number, but instead of the funds getting to me, they'll be next day 8AM FedEx'd to a drop location 1 mile outside of the Sioux Falls Airport - are you KIDDING ME? What if it doesn't get there? How am I going to get home? What will this guy Steve O. think of all this? What the F@#K!?

4:30am
Alarm goes off. Pack kids, pack wife, drive to airport, hop on plane. Guy in front of my (as we are freaking landing - seriously, with like 30 seconds left on the flight) gets all pissed off that I've been wearing my iRiver the whole flight and tells me so. If I hadn't been half asleep I would have probably been arrested.

10:30am
I land in Sioux Falls SD - and I thought MCI was a small ass airport? I call Steve O. He's 5 minutes away. A red 911 pulls around the turn. Good god, what a beautiful machine. Steve O. is one of the nicest guys (PCA guys can be real dicks in my experience). His friend (name is escaping me) who would be driving him back kept saying "You won't find one nicer or well kept..." and he was absolutely correct.

10:43am
Moment of truth - would the FedEx depot have the funds? I had called during my layover to make sure and the person I spoke with was going my tracking alone (not physically looking at my envelope). The nice lady behind the counter says "I sure hope we have it..." I almost jumped the counter and screamed "YOU BETTER F'ING HAVE IT LADY!" They do, Steve O. gets his check, we sign over the documents, and I load up the 6 in-dash CD changer with some tunes and off I go.

THOUGHTS FOR THE AFTERNOON

"Damn this wind SUCKS...I only feel comfortable driving 120 MPH..."

"Wow, 2 speed traps in 20 minutes...someone trying to tell me something?"

(as I'm leaving the Wendy's parking lot) "Cool car..." I wave - because I'm cool like that

"Huh, wonder if the break light and Longitudinal and Transverse Interlock Warning Light coming on and STAYING on is a bad thing...?"

"Steve is right, I don't think I'm going to take the speakers out of the back - sorry kids, you ride in the trunk..."

(At a stoplight 10 minutes from home) "Dude, sweet Porsche - what year?" "1989" "yeah, that was the year I was born..." "Holy crap, seriously? God I feel old..."

"Is it dorkey to take a picture of the first place I stopped to fill her up?"

"How about the second place I stopped to get a bite to eat?

TRIP END-NOTES

This wasn't so much a road trip as it was a pickup and delivery. I was so excited to get her home I didn't really stop anywhere cool to document (hence the pictures of Wendy's and a bug smeared windshield). What this entry does is allow me to play with future formatting, image placement, and other stupid information no one cares about. And if anyone cares, I got 4th in my office NCAA Men's Basketball pool - no cash - sucks, cause I have to fill her up with Premium now...