Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
If you’ve been reading our stories here on Power Wheels since Monday (April 20), you’ll know that I am a huge Porschephile. I love all Porsches from the 356 A, B, C and Speedsters to the 911 from the 901-series until the current 992. I love everything in between including the 924, 944, 968, 928, and the current 718 Boxter and Cayman. And yes, I love even the Panamera, the Cayenne and the Macan.
I also collect Porsche books, magazines, shirts, caps, key chains, model cars and toys. And my work as a motoring journalist allows me to drive a Porsche on several occasions. I simply love Porsches.
But the Porsche I would love to have most of all is the 930 or G-series 911 from 1986 to 1988. When I was in college, my text books were covered with glossy Porsche 911 SC, 930 Turbo, and 911 Carrera magazine ads that I tore from current issues. At the time, my favorite movie car was Jeff Bridge’s Guards Red Porsche 911 Cabriolet in the movie “Against All Odds”.
In 1988, I graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Santo Tomas and one of my long-term goals was to get a Porsche 911 someday. Well, that someday came a few years ago when I finally purchased my very own 1988 Porsche 911 Carrera.
I chanced upon it while I was in Makati and I was pleasantly surprised that the year model of the 911 Carrera was the same as the year I graduated from college. The car was finished in Tuxedo Black and not in Guards Red like how I wished my Porsche 911 would be.
However, the shiny black body contrasted very well with the gray leather interior with light gray Porsche script seat inserts that I fell in love with it all over again.
My Porsche 911 Carrera was equipped with a sunroof, European headlights, driving lights and US-spec side marker lights. The front trunk space was clean and carpeted like it just came from the factory.
My little black beauty of a sports car was fitted with the iconic Fuchs wheels with the black spokes, caps and lug nuts, and polished rims while the rear bumpers had the ungainly US-spec rubber bumper guards but these bumper blemishes were minor issues when you look at the whole picture.
Better yet, the engine compartment was clean without any hint of problems or the dreaded oil leaks or intermediate shaft (IMS) bearing problems that these powerful air-cooled Porsche flat-6 engines were notorious for. With glossy black paint, a straight body, panels that line up nicely, and an asking price that was within my budget, I knew I could not lose with this sports car.
So, I dug deep and bought myself a 1988 Porsche 911 Carrera. I paid a measly Five Thousand and Seven Hundred Fifty Pesos to finally realize my dream Porsche.
So what if it was only a 1:18 die-cast scale model made by Auto Art under their Millennium series? Every time I take a lovingly close look at it, I am always reminded of the goal I made after I finished college – that is to one day get a real Porsche 911, preferably in Guards Red. And that day might just come soon enough.
To review previous stories of the different scale model Porsches that we have posted this week, including the Tomica 1/61 Carrera RS 2.7 and 930 Turbo and Hotwheels 1/61 934 Turbo RSR and 934/5 (April 20, Monday), Tonka 1:18 1986 959 (April 21, Tuesday), Maisto 1:18 1987 911 Speedster (April 22, Wednesday), and the UT Models 1:18 1995 993 GT2 (April 23, Thursday), please click “The Rack” button on the header bar near the top right of your screen (if you’re using a PC, laptop or tablet), or type “The Rack” on the Search bar if you’re using a mobile phone. For a change of pace from German sports cars, we’ll feature some Italian vehicles tomorrow.
