So I bought me a red, 1986 Porsche 944. It has about 160,000km on the odometer and is in pretty good shape for its age. And despite the pretty decent price I got it for, it was a stupid, stupid purchase. For many reasons.
It's old. It's finicky. There are many, many problems and quirks with 944's that make them... "High maintenance", to put it lightly. It's a front engined rear wheel drive car, which is quite possibly the worst combination for driving in snow. And that means, yes, I plan on driving it all year. Whatever mechanical problems it has are going to rapidly manifest themselves through Calgary's long, cold winter. Chances are, I'll be left stranded somewhere. It should also go without saying that being a fairly old import of a (relatively) niche brand, parts and service will be stupidly expensive. And there are many parts that are broken or are in the process of breaking.
But on the other hand... As soon as I got behind the wheel on my first test drive, I knew it was something special. It felt so solid and planted to the road. The steering wheel communicated everything that was going on, in a way I've never experienced before. It isn't high on power, but that didn't prevent it from immediately being the best car I've ever driven. And that's because it's a proper driver's car, I'd imagine.
The main thing, though, is that it's a total bucket list item. Yeah, I know a 944 is a full 33 increments away from a 911, but it's still a Porsche. And that's something I've wanted and dreamed about for 15 years. When I was looking at cars and it was rapidly apparent a new FR-S wasn't an option on the table, I wasn't particularly thrilled with any of my options (it was mainly between a Civic SiR or an RSX Type-S). But when it occured to me I could buy a 944, I was instantly excited again.
As a close friend pointed out... I don't have any kids to worry about or any major commitments. If I'm going to buy an impractical (seriously, you should see how big the "back seats" are) and unreliable car, now would be the best time to do it. Not to mention that after saving and doing the responsible thing for so long while I've been in school (and, quite frankly, since I started working full time after highschool)... It feels good to make a lunge for something that I really want, logistics or pragmatism be damned.
So it wasn't a rational purchase. No, it was a very, very emotional one. Which is a bit of a first for me.
I think what really pushed me over the edge were the pop-up headlights. That kind of cool-factor cannot be denied.
All this unraveled over the course of about a week of hectic test drives, phone calls, registry appointments, and insurance calls. By the end of the week when I finally had the car in my position I was feeling absolutely bagged and I couldn't figure out why. Eventually I realized that so many interactions and appointments with strangers every single day had really sucked a lot out of me.
Lo and behold, after I had finally sorted out my paperwork and acquired my plates and squirming through dinner with my room mates like a twelve year old desperate to get away from the supper table, I finally was able to go out for my first drive in my car.
And all of the sudden, I felt whole. Not just replenished, but more than I have been in a long time. More than the excitement of my first drive in a long while. I was driving a Porsche. Me. In my Porsche. It's like I'm finally setting off to experience the things I've always wanted to. As if there might be hope for me yet.
Despite all the hassles of the week and concerns about work and the gnawing anxiety about the reliability of the machine I now found myself driving...
All was right with the world.
-Cril
And above me if there is nothing and no one knew I really care
It's just a now, a now I prefer, not the future and not the past
So put the chairs to one side and let us dance
It's a strange kind of peace
It's a kind of peace, it's a strange kind of peace
It's a kind of peace
Faithless - A Kind Of Peace
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