Lyndon sent me a link to this classified listing. I’m not really sure what to say about it, so I’m just going to let the pictures do the talking. This car is a customized 1985 Porsche 944 by one heck of an avid Batman fan. It’s located up in Canada and offered for sale for $6,500. Here’s some of the ad description:

The ultimate attention getter Custom 85 Porsche Batmobile. This car gets pictures taken everywhere you go even while your driving. 2.5 litre 5 spd with new solid centre cluth. Tranny serviced and new shift linkage.  Custom Yellow and black seats , factory yellow and black gauges, Clarion 200 watt flip out dvd Mtx 600 watt amp, twin 12″ mtx thunder, 6.5″ and 6 x 9 mtx. American Racing wheels 15 x 7 and 15 x 10, Mickey Thompson N50-15 (345/50) rears. Nos sniper system is new and never used. Twin .223 machine guns (replicas) that light up on the hood. GOTHAM lights up on the rear panel of the car. Fenders are not complete and need to be glassed. I am out of time and have another project that needs to be started. Will sacrafice it for $6500.00  NO TRADES, AS IS you finish. Requires no etest.

This kind of reminds me of those 101 Things To Do With A Dead Cat books from when I was growing up. Salem’s Latte, a little coffee place in Salem, Oregon has come up with a unique use for an old Porsche 944 hatchback window…use it as a drive thru awning.

Salem’s Latte is unique in a couple of ways. First of all, it’s located in the back of a body piercing shop with only a drive thru window (that I know of). Second, they’re the only coffee house in town serving Stumptown coffee, which is a Portland coffee roasting sensation (depending on who you talk to). Aside from great coffee, they also have awesome $1 soft serve ice cream cones! We’ve been there a few times in the Giveaway Porsche while on video.

Back to the 944 window awning. The only problem with it: it doesn’t really work. It’s still a great idea though!

I was thinking the other morning while in the shower, about the little Boxster argument we’ve seen come up several times over the past few months. Don’t get me wrong, I love the lively discussion and don’t even mind a little name calling here and there as people take sides. All part of what makes an enthusiast site great in my opinion.

What struck me though, is that the 944, and in many ways, the 928, were the “Boxsters” of my day. The funny thing is, I LOVED the 944 (hated the 924 though strangely enough) and 928 models. Still do and would like to own each at some point. Two vastly different models, I know, but more critical at the time was they were NOT 911s. Which put us in the same discussions then that we have today with the Boxster.

I remember one time someone telling me that lots of people didn’t like the 924/944 series because of where the engine sits. I guess I just didn’t know enough about Porsches back then to get it. All I could say was “well that’s stupid”. It blew my mind that there were people that didn’t like the 944 purely because the engine was up front.

I’m not sure why I didn’t think about that whole time period sooner, but it kind of put the Boxster into a different light for me. Back in the 80′s, I never thought of the 944 as an “entry level” model or lesser of a Porsche because it was less expensive than the 911 or had a different engine placement. In fact, I had a buddy who had a white 944 that I darn near got my hands on in a trade for a Honda Accord. I wanted that car so badly I could taste it!

In reality, I don’t think less of Boxster owners. As I’ve always maintained, a Porsche is a Porsche and those of us who own one (or two or ten) are dang lucky to have the pleasure of these car’s company in our garages.

What does this have to do with anything important? Not much. Just thinking. As my Dad likes to say, “That and two bits will get you a cup of coffee.”

Will be interesting to see what he comes up with over the next few weeks.

I was 15, had just gotten my learner’s permit, and a friend and I had snagged her parents’ new Camero with the sweet t-top roof. It was a gorgeous sunny day and, of course, we had the tops off (not ours, the Camero’s).

As we were driving around, somehow we happened upon the Porsche dealership. I’d never really thought much about Porsche, but we swung in to take a look at a couple of the cars on the lot. One thing led to another and the next thing I know, a salesman is pulling around a nearly new 1994 944 that had just come in on trade. I think the car was priced at something like $23,000 (it was in the 20′s).

I was looking in from the passenger’s side and trying to not let my awe show. He kind of sat there staring at me until finally he said “Are you going to get in?” Shocked, my friend Lisa and I just kind of looked at each other. She mumbled something about getting out of there to which I said “Have you ever ridden in a Porsche?! Exactly…Get in!”

So with Lisa stuffed in the back seat, and me riding shotgun, we took off with the saleseman. Again I’m trying not to look like a complete idiot, so I asked the only thing I could think of which was, “You’re a tall man. Do you have enough legroom?” Sounds stupid, I know. He replied, “You’re gonna find out for yourself here in a few minutes.” SAY WHAT?!

As we drove through some back roads in Salem, he sputtered out his usual sales jargon with completely off the wall facts like the steering wheel being shaped the way it was because that’s where the German’s put their hands when they drove (take a look at the old 944 steering wheels…you’ll see how stupid that factoid was/is). He also tried to tell me the parking brake was on the left side of the driver’s seat to make it easier to do power slides.

About 15 minutes after leaving the dealership, he pulled over, got out and I took over the driver’s seat. Keep in mind I only have a learner’s permit! I was taking 25 mph corners at 75 mph. At least that’s what’s stuck in my mind all these years. I don’t think I got up to more than about 90 that day.

I have to say, that first drive left a permanent Porsche impression on me. It started a longstanding love affair with the Porsche brand that kept me wanting a Porsche of my own for over 20 years. Funny how a car can exert such a magical effect over us.

Anyone else have a first time Porsche experience?

For my second post in the “Why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Porsche With Me” series, travel with me about 10 years down the road. I’m now a married young man, who’s buddy LOVES Porsches. He owns a circa-1985 white 944, and has outfitted it with a massive subwoofer where the spare tire normally would be. I can’t tell you much about the car itself — engine size, turbo or not, interior color…anything lke that — but I remember an Alpine stereo, and a huge subwoofer. That and we spent many a day going way too fast in the car.

One summer day at Lake Billy Chinook, at the Cove Palisades State Park in Oregon, a buddy and I are charged with getting some extra supplies at the marina, on the other side of the Lake. Now, the lake is huge, and the roads are fairly steep, so the trip takes a little bit of time in any vehicle, but we are tossed the keys to the 944 and told to be careful. Since the buddy with the car is also my boss, I of course want to take care of his ride…and yet memories of that wild night with the 911 Targa also dance in the back of my head. But we refrain, and head straight to the marina for supplies.

The Cove in the summer gets pickin’ hot. In addition to being hot, the park is hugely popular, so parking in the marina lot is a hot commodity, and as we arrive we find no place to park the car, so we circle the lot a few times hoping to catch an open spot as someone vacates theirs. After trying this trick for a while we finally decide we’ll just park in a No Parking zone, run in, be quick, and get back out. Really, what’s going to happen at a State Park…and we’re driving a Porsche…no one’s going to mess with us, right?

We got hung up in the store, and on upon our return to the car (which had thankfully not been towed) we found a bright yellow envelope, with a nice ticket inside. Amazingly, the fine on the ticket was a whopping $100…for parking! We hop back in the car and start making the trip back around to the other side. From here out, the details are a little fuzzy…..

I can’t remember if we devised a plan NOT to say anything about the ticket, and figured we’d just pay it before our boss found out, or if we mentioned it and agreed to pay it, but then forgot…but somehow, well, we forgot. Whatever was the cause, the ticket doubled, and when THAT notice showed up, it didn’t go over well. We had blown our chance to make it right without involving our buddy, and now we all sat around a speaker phone trying to find someone on the other side of Oregon that could help us with the ticket.

Now, there is an unexpected happy ending to the story. Apparently, the State Police patrol the park, and hand out tickets, and even do a little bit of follow up on them, but they don’t handle the finances. The finances are handled by the local government, of which The Cove doesn’t seem to be a part of any. We finally found a helpful lady in our day of phone conferences who pointed out that while we may get another notice or two, nobody was actually going to track us down to make us pay…and we might as well just toss them when we get them.

I was a little nervous that a State Policeman would show up and tow the 944, and then we’d really be in a world of hurt, but ultimately, like the hot summer itself, the ticket and fine, just kind of faded away.

Rule # 2 about leaving your Porsche with me – nobody loves your Porsche like YOU do, and I’m irresponsible.

Old cars, but I love the white cars set against the white winter day.  Reminds me of some Porsche marketing pictures from the mid-80s.