The Classic Porsche 911

Like most things in my life, including watches, style, and my overall perspective on taste, it always starts with an intense passion for wanting to know more. You could really sum this up as an obsession, matter of fact by most peoples standards I think it would be better defined as a sickness. I have always been this way, even when I was a kid, I always wanted to know more. When the small ember of interest enters my mind, it quickly grows into an uncontrollable fire. I become obsessed and deeply immersed into the origins, the roots, and the stuff that most people don’t even care about. For example, what is the paint make up of early 911’s, what did the correct enameled key fobs look like and where were they made, I even wanted to know why the color of the fiberglass used in the engines air duct varied by coloring over the years. My obsession or well er…  I think my passion for these details, is at times by the average person’s standards is totally out of control – The good dudes over at 000 Magazine know what I’m talking about

Not to over-romanticize this but driving an early Porsche 911 is an experience that sticks with you, one that you think about subconsciously, and most importantly something that evokes an emotional response and feel that is unlike anything in this world. Before we get into the details, I want to thank someone who not only helped me with the acquisition of my 911 and who has also become a very close friend who’s name is Marco Gerace, Marco who owns and operates TLG Auto in Los Angeles works on vintage Porsche and has been in the Porsche world since he was born as his father Tony Gerace started TLG in 1978 in response to the impersonal experience offered by Porsche dealerships in the Los Angeles area which is very similar to the reason I began Craft & Tailored. In my profession as a vintage watch broker and collector, I find myself consistently in the advisory position with our customers by teaching them and by helping them understand the tiny little details of the watches they are looking to acquire and or invest in. Marco has become this for me in the Porsche realm and not only deals with my questions, texts, and phone calls. But Marco takes the time to help me go deeper into the details that I lose sleep over and obsess about consistently and continuously.

Those close to me will tell you I’m the guy who is running in 10 different directions and spinning just as many plates all at once. My 911 is the mistress of my mind, she doesn’t care about anyone or anything other than herself, and as soon as your attention sways away from her, she lets you know right away.  The car has taken the nickname “Joelene” after the woman in the 1973 Dolly Parton song “Jolene” as the song is about a woman who’s after her man and captures his attention. When that key turns over, and the engine comes to life, the world around me becomes quiet, and I become intensely focused. There is nothing like driving an air-cooled Porsche 911, the experience is immersive, and much like the car itself, it’s distinctive and unique onto itself. The moment you think about anything other than driving that car shit happens, you clip a gear, you miss a downshift, you over or understeer. This car demands your full focus and attention at all times.

Everything about this car is analog. It’s a cable, belt, bolt, or spring that makes things work, not a computer chip or some form of software and you can feel that from the moment you open the door. When I walk up to the car, my attention immediately moves from the other things I am thinking about in my life and moves directly to the 911. The click and pop of the door to the distinctive musky smell of the cockpit, which can be described as a mixture of oil, fuel, and age are instantly intoxicating. The turn of the key that brings the flat six 2.7 K-Jetronic engine to life with its distinctive and iconic raspy whirly rumble. Immediately your attention and focus move into the car as you need to use the hand throttle to match the running rpms until the motor gets to running temp which requires a dance between the accelerator pedal and the hand throttle get things just right. The five-gauge cluster is simple yet refined. From the fonts of the VDO gauges, the rev counter being the center and largest of the five gauges, I even love the orange color of the needles that dance around as the car comes to life. The Quartz powered clock with lap timer is one of my favorite gauges. Yes, I am a watch nerd, but there is something about the analog nature of actually having a running clock in the car that is just so cool. See what I mean about this experience being immersive? Up to this point, we haven’t even begun driving the damn car yet, we have just gotten into the car and started the motor!

While driving, I always have at least one if not both of the hand crank windows open, regardless of the outside temperature. California and Los Angeles, in general, possess perfect Porsche weather, but I have driven this car through central California with an outside temp of 105 degrees dripping in sweat, and I have driven the car bundled up in the cold rain soaked windy and slippery coast of Carmel California. I have even driven the vehicle in the snow which is rare for California, but yes we do in fact get snow here. The car transforms and reacts differently from a physical perspective in each environment that the vehicle is driven in. When the motor is warmed up to optimum operating temp, and you are in the power band of each gear typically between 4.5k RPM something unusual happens, I don’t even know if I can fully explain it, the low-end noise of the flat-six engine changes. The note that emerges from the motor explains to me why guys like Steve McQueen loved the 911. The gear changes require your attention and a somewhat developed skill, in my opinion. The clutch and pressure plate in the early S cars are fucking heavy and no-nonsense, a smooth gear change is an art form in itself that is an acquired skill that takes some time to develop via smoothness in motion as well as proper rev matching and clutch release. The non assisted steering is direct and responsive, you tell the car where you want to go, and it goes there. I never really understood the term “riding on rails” until I drove my first 911, but I could probably thread a needle with this car which is often the metaphorical sense of things here in the LA traffic. I’m regularly and consistently impressed with how direct the vehicle is specially paired with cars breaking ability. It’s kind of insane if I’m honest, the car could no joke stop on a dime it’s so accurate.