Pelican Parts: Stories from Our Readers

My Family is from Mexico but is hard to say which city we grew Up. My father (Antonio) was a High way Patrol officer (Call in Mexico "Policia Federal de Caminos") and he loved cars, airplanes, motorcycles and antiques. In Mexico the High way patrol officers get moved to different cities quite often, So Until I was 10 we lived in 13 different cities.

He was a pretty good car and motorcycle driver, therefore he loved high speed chases. As well as buying old cars and restore them.

I barely remember a couple of Ford T’s. Well, When I was 9 months old, my mother and two brothers died in a car accident, I was lucky and I only got a broken leg. My father was very sad but far from hate the cars he loved them. He was a good High way patrol Officer and during his life he saw lots of car accidents and he didn’t think that he could die in one of his toys. When I was 10 years old he died in his newest acquisition a motorcycle Kawasaki 1000 cc. Eye witnesses said that he was killed by a drug dealer who my father tried to capture 6 weeks before. =(

My stepmother took everything of our family belongings and left my brother and I just with some cloth. She said that my father left no will eventhough we saw it 1 month before my fathers’ death. My Grandmother took the hard job of raise my brother and I.

When I was 24 years old I finished my degree in Computer Science, So I felt very confident in create my own family. I was in love with this nice girl (Pilar) and suddenly she left me because she wanted to study an English course in the US. (I got My passport and I was saving money to reach her in California, but one day she called me and told me "... Hey Carlos, How are you?, Don’t wait for me because I have a new boyfriend and we’re going to get married...". I felt bad really bad and I did not know what to do, so I started to learn English to keep my mind busy, then I Met Jennifer, a nice Canadian girl. One day she told me that she was going to go back to Canada and I decided to go with her.

I confess, I never understood the passion of my father for cars and motorcycles until I got my Porsche and this happened when I got it...

About a year ago Jennifer and I were going to get married. One day Jennifer introduced to me one of her friends and her husband (Miguel). Miguel and I became very good friends. One day he told me that he had a Jaguar and he was restoring it the same day he showed to me some pictures of his last project car, you know the classic before and after photos, and he did a really good job. The following week I started to think about buying an old car and restore it. I tough that a BMW with sunroof will be the right one. I started to look around for a seventy-something BMW, when suddenly one day Outside my office there was a funny yellow car with a targa roof and I kind of liked it. I showed that car to Miguel and he said, "...That car is a PORSCHE 914, but is in a really bad shape, don’t buy it, I know where is one that looks good....".Next day he took me where the other car was (914, 73, 2.0L) and it looked ok.

In that time I just wanted a BMW, so I was not very interested, but the lady (the owner) said "..c’mon, take it for a spin...", I said " Ok, what the heck...". I remove the roof and I took the Trans-Canada Calgary to Banff and I felt the car kind of powerless , however it was nice driving a car without roof. My fried and I stopped in a gas station and I let my friend drive the car. While he was driving I browsed the Owner’s manual and I found out that it has 5 gears and the 1^st gear is left-down instead of just up. So the car was not powerless any more!!. After I drove it I didn’t have any doubt in my mind. I just thought "I got to get it!, I got to get it!, I got to get it!,..". So I bought it.

The Owner of that 914 was and old lady who lives in Banff. One day she got a broken leg skiing and she is not able to drive anymore, that’s why she was selling the car. She bought the car because when she got married her husband bought one and they took it on their honey moon. The husband died some years later and she bought another one to remember her husband.

Anyway, I was broke after I bought that 914, when my fiancée saw it outside of her house, she wanted to kill me because our wedding was very close and we where broke!!. She said ".. Carlos, Why you bought that car, you know we don’t have enough money for the wedding expenses.." I didn’t know what to do so I took her for a ride, and after 15 minutes in the car, her face showed a little smile. Then, I knew it!! She liked it. When we got married I used my 914 for my wedding. =) (she loved it)

About 3 days after I bought my 914 I saw a 73 911 really cheap, it was an unfinished project car. But I did not have any money left, so I told Miguel and he bought it. (In order to buy it he sold a Yamaha 600, A BMW, Jaguar, and a Honda Civic). I remember when the previous owner of that 911 told me laughing when he saw my 914 "... That is not a PORSCHE, that is a VW...." I felt really stupid, because I was very proud of my brand new PORSCHE and I like my car, because it is fun to drive and it handles like no other.

When I went for my Honey Moon (I worked very hard and sold my computer in order to get the extra money for our Honey Moon, because my previous savings I took them to buy the 914) I left the car with Miguel. He told me, that one day he was driving to work in the 914 when he saw this guy driving to close to him in a brand new Pontiac Grand Prix (you know the wider one because is better in curves....)and Miguel increase the speed and the other guy did, When Miguel took the exit of the high way he didn’t slow down (like a semi circle) neither the guy from the Grand Prix. Miguel did the turn without any problems but the Grand Prix didn’t, the guy couldn’t make the turn and the Grand Prix jumped into the grass... =) That’s the price of driving a car that is not a PORSCHE.

One day I was waiting for a green light when another car stopped by me, it was a 1971 Pontiac GTO, and three hundred meters away the two lanes become only one. When the green light appear, both of us stepped on the gas....... I made it first =)....

I was enough fun for the summer, it was time to restore my car. Miguel lent me his garage for 3 months, so I worked 3 hours a day and 10 during the weekends in this 3 months. I had a friend who just moved from Mexico (Eugenio) to take a course of English for 3 months. He was helping to restore my car. He is a very nice guy but not "very bright". I remember when we remove the windshield I showed to him how to remove the trim of the windshield. When he inserted the screwdriver, he broke!! the windshield. In another time he was grinding one fender and suddenly he got fire in his T-shirt. He convince another friend of us (Ramon, a good Mechanic of cars) to move from Mexico to help us. After Ramon arrived Eugenio left to Mexico.

When we took apart the car we found lots of rust. It was everywhere covered with Bondo. (suspension, mounts, rocker panels, trunk, battery tray, fenders....etc). I have removed all the rust on it but when I welded the right rocker panel I twist the car a little bit and I don’t know what to do now... =(. I have to figure out the way to straight it and I just hope to put it on the road this summer.

I met a guy (Fred) who had another 914 and told me he just bought a 914 without tranny, interiors, engine etc, but just a few parts of rust. He is a really nice guy, and I told him that my car had rust everywhere he gave me a hand and sold it to me very cheap. The bad news was that it was a 1972 and I did not want to convert my 73 in a 72. So I was stuck with a shell of a 914, then I remembered the yellow one (outside my office) that it had no body (all rusty) but it was complete and 71. then I bought that one too. As result I had 3 cars, No place to park them (I live in a basement suite) and on top of it Miguel wanted his garage back by December of 97. I had a hard time trying to find a spot where to park the cars during the winter. I ended giving for free the 72 and 71 to Ramon, like a gift for his help.

Today we have removed all the rust on it but when I welded the right rocker panel I twist the car a little bit and I don’t know what to do now... =(. I have to figure out the way to straight it and I just hope to put it on the road this summer. (the car is away during the winter)

I don’t know what is the problem with many people who said "the 914 is not Porsche...". First, VW was started by Ferdinad Porsche and VW makes pretty good cars (I have had 4 VW beetles and 1 rabbit and they were awesome!!), now Porsche wants to build a SUV together with VW. The 356 shares lots of parts with VW beetle and the 356 is one of the most expensive Porsches ever.

Now I dream in getting a BOXTER and a seventy-something 911 Targa.

I just hope to get one of those before I die.

After driving my first Porsche (half VW) I understood the slogan "There is no Substitute..." and I believe it.

Thanks,

Porsche dreamer.

Carlos Acevedo

By the way

The guy who laughed at me and sold his 911 for $3,500.00 Can Dlls to my friend made a Big Mistake, My friend was buying some parts for his car and a person asked for the serial number of the car and found out that the value of the car is $30,000 US DLLS and $50,000 in excellent shape.

SO I think, That guy cannot judge me for lack of knowledge about Porsches =)

P.S. I apologize for my English, because it is not my first language. I started to learn English 2 years ago. Thanks, Cheers =)

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