Me & My Car: ’78 Porsche definitely a keeper for Danville owner
The 911 SC has required several expensive repairs since its 1992 purchase, but the man did many of them himself.
Ferdinand Porsche was born in 1875, died in 1951 and in between led a very interesting 75-year life. He created and manufactured the first gas-electric hybrid called the Lohner-Porsche in 1900 and built them until 1905. He attended some college but never completed a formal engineering education. He was a Czechoslovakian citizen until 1934, when either Adolf Hitler or Joseph Goebbels made him a naturalized German citizen.
In 1934, Hitler awarded a contract to Porsche to design and build “the people’s car” or Volkswagen. He also was a major contributor to the German war effort in World War II, including tanks and other weapon systems. Porsche was a member of the Nazi party and a Schutzstaffel (SS) officer with a rank of oberfuhrer (three-star general) as well as a personal friend of Hitler. He was decorated for military service several times, including the War Merit Cross. After the war, he actually served 22 months in French prisons as a war criminal.
Porsche visited some of Henry Ford’s facilities In Detroit to learn about their efficiency and productivity. One of the things that surprised him was the lack of class distinction he found at the plant when, as a high-ranking dignitary, he had to carry his own food tray in the company cafeteria and eat with the workers.
The first car to be branded as a Porsche was the Porsche 356. Production began in 1948 and continued into 1965 with about 76,000 cars manufactured. The Porsche 911 was the successor model and was introduced in September 1964.
Originally the model was called the Porsche 901, and 82 cars were produced and branded as such. French automaker Peugeot protested, though, stating they had exclusive rights to car names with three numbers with a zero in the center. Solution: The 901 model became the Porsche 911.
Porsche 911 designers believe in evolutionary styling as compared to revolutionary styling. You can still buy a new Porsche 911 today, but if you’re working at McDonalds you’ll have to get a lot of overtime. The model’s current price is more than $160,000, but there is a rumor that a lower-priced model will soon be available. Some have suggested an entry-level Porsche is a used one.
This issue’s featured vehicle is a 45-year-old Porsche 911 SC. Its proud owner is Danville’s David Graham, who bought this no-air car in 1992 from a friend whose brother lived in San Francisco, where he bought the 1978 model new. As a San Franciscan he apparently wondered, “Who needs air conditioning?” The color is fabulous, and the car looks brand-new.
“The color is kind of rare,” Graham said. “It’s called Oak Green, a metallic color that was an extra cost option. I had it repainted the same color after someone ran into the right rear fender in San Francisco.
“I got this car from my classmate in dental school who had stored his brother’s car in his garage for 10 years. The brother was a bachelor who met an early death. He kept it running and tuned up, but he never really drove it.”
The car had 50,000 miles on it when Graham purchased it for $15,000, which was definitely a good buy. The interior is all original with beautiful tan leather bucket seats and a sun roof. This model is called a 2+2, not a four-passenger car. The “+2” refers to the “back seat,” which is only big enough for kids, very small people or dogs. Graham is somewhat of a car nut but a cautious one.
“I had a mechanic go through it before I bought it and he said it was a good car,” he said.
Buying a classic car often seems to include surprises, though, and it turned out this one has run up quite a repair record.
“Over the years, I’ve had some problems,” Graham said.
He handed me a written list of the repairs he’s done to the car. They include a gear-shifting problem solved with what’s called a “short shift kit.” The fuel line had to be replaced, as did the clutch, smog air pump, generator, four shock absorbers, master brake cylinder and catalytic converter. And there’s more.
There’s no question Graham has spent some serious bucks on this car, but he’s also mechanically inclined and did a lot of the work himself, even taking out the engine and reinstalling it in his own garage to do some repairs.
This Porsche 911 now has 184,000 miles on it, meaning Graham has driven it 134,000 miles since buying it. That sounds like a lot but only averages out to about 3,400 miles a year.
Although not considered an investment when purchased, it’s turned out to be a pretty good one. Graham estimates the current market value to be somewhere between $45,000 and $60,000, but there are no for thoughts of selling it on his mind. For the owner, this car is definitely a keeper.
Have an interesting vehicle? Contact David Krumboltz at MOBopoly@yahoo.com. To view more photos of this and other issues’ vehicles or to read more of Dave’s columns, visit mercurynews.com/author/david-krumboltz.