944 Enthusiast Owner needed for Classic & Sports Car article!

[motornoter]

Hi All
I'm writing a buying guide on 944s for Classic & Sports Car. We've already photographed a really superb Cabriolet (winner of several Club concours awards in the past) and now I need to have a chat (by phone or email) with a really keen 944 owner - ideally someone who's owned their car for a few years at least, driven it a lot, had a few problems, maybe made a few mods, maybe not, but who's pretty knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the cars.
I only need to fill 140 words in the Owner Panel, so it's not a life history, just a booster to the buying guide giving your thoughts on why the 944 is a great car to own, any hints on buying, problems you've had with your car and solutions, club or forum that have been really useful, that sort of thing.
Who's up for it?!
Please PM, post or email me on MMcKays (at) aol (dot) com if you can help. I will also need a head'n'shoulders photo of you, but don't worry if you're shy as it will only be used about the size of a second class stamp!
Thanks
Malcolm McKay
PS if anyone's got any pet hates about buying guides on the cars, things that are missed out that should be in there, please let me know - also any recommendations for particularly 944-sensitive specialists (there must be a list on here I guess, I've not spotted it yet!)

 

[edh]

How about MarkK?

He has 2 beautiful turbos, one standard, one 400hp - and he won Future classics in a 944 turbo last year

- OK - not your typical owner...

 

[j4mou]

surely simon is the ideal candidate? 944_man...

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Copied from my e-mail to you:

Hi Malcolm,

The Porsche Club have a display Register for helping find cars for things like magazine articles. I'm the Register Secretary for the 944 model, if you want to talk to me then i'm on 07971 832 780. All contact details for the different models are available through the office.

I'd really struggle to understand why you'd want to restrict someone's buying decision to 140 words, though. This is real people's money, and they should expect more from a magazine article.

I find it odd that you'd consider writing a buyer's guide and then ask for 140 words from an "expert", rather than starting with the people who own, work on, and are enthusiastic about the model. An older Porsche could be the bargain car of someone's dreams, or it could be the worst purchase they ever make. I could talk for hours about poor buyer's guides, I hope yours isn't another one that misses the really important areas prospective buyers need to be aware of! [&o]

 

[j4mou]

Where is the "like" button? []

 

[Ewan]

Paul - as a C&SC reader i am confident that the main body of the article will tackle all the main points. The 140 word bit is just to give one opinion, from just one owner (and I don't believe a buyer would make a purchasing decision on just this small piece of information). It simply adds a personal touch to what can otherwise be a fairly sterile piece of prose.

Having run an 2.5 S, then an S2 coupe, then a Cab, and now a modified Turbo SE, maybe I should do it! (Of course, I'll make it clear that white is the fastest colour[]

 

[DavidL]

ORIGINAL: Ewan

Of course, I'll make it clear that white is the fastest colour]

Ha. That's only because you don't clean it yourself, otherwise it would be cow poo brown in your part of the world!
Anyway pink is the fastest colour everyone knows that. It used to be red but went too fast!

 

[Copperman05]

I think we should be happy they are writing an article about our cars, 140 words in the "I've owned one" box is common. I sure someone will be willing to help Malcolm.

Jon Trasler fits most of your criteria...

Edd

 

[Copperman05]

Or Ewan!


Edd

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Paul - as a C&SC reader i am confident that the main body of the article will tackle all the main points. The 140 word bit is just to give one opinion, from just one owner (and I don't believe a buyer would make a purchasing decision on just this small piece of information). It simply adds a personal touch to what can otherwise be a fairly sterile piece of prose.

Fair enough, but it does say:

I only need to fill 140 words in the Owner Panel, so it's not a life history, just a booster to the buying guide giving your thoughts on why the 944 is a great car to own, any hints on buying, problems you've had with your car and solutions, club or forum that have been really useful, that sort of thing.

That's around 60 words to ask for a whole mass of info that needs to fit in to 140 words? [8|]


I might be coming across as a bit harsh here, but I'd write 140 words about sills alone. We've seen plenty of poorly-written magazine articles, and I always wonder why the writers contact the car Clubs so late, and only ask for a small input?

When we've been asked to contribute from the beginning the articles have been so much better. I'm not trying to claim to be some sort of expert here, but I can put the author in touch with pretty much any owner or specialist they might need.

 

[Mike_Pollock]

There is a buyers guide in the FAQs - is that difficult to find?

I'm with Paul.

But then again I rarely read car mags even if my Dad has a C & S subscription from me!

 

[Copperman05]

Its a 140 word summary on what the 944 is like to own, not a full buyers guide. I think we have to respect the mag know what they are doing (I hope so), passing judgement before its even published seems somewhat dismissive.

And he does say:-

PS if anyone's got any pet hates about buying guides on the cars, things that are missed out that should be in there, please let me know - also any recommendations for particularly 944-sensitive specialists (there must be a list on here I guess, I've not spotted it yet!)

Edd

 

[Ewan]

No one can fit a comprehensive buyers guide into 140 words, but I should be able to make the points that:
red=pink
S2=slow
Turbo=fast
Turbo sent to JMG or Promax=even faster
This covers the key differences between the models and colours and even mentions some specialists[]

 

[Copperman05]

red=pink
S2=bullet proof
Turbo=always has 'mechanical issues' and therefore
often sent to JMG or Promax to get fixed

Edited for inaccuracy's[]

Edd

 

[colin944]

Your all wrong,well not totaly some of you are on the right track.I'll try to give an unbiased and honest opinion of our cars.

S2 is best in any colour. End of story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[loc944]

That's only because you can't decide which colour to paint your's Colin.

Alan.

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: pauljmcnulty

Paul - as a C&SC reader i am confident that the main body of the article will tackle all the main points. The 140 word bit is just to give one opinion, from just one owner (and I don't believe a buyer would make a purchasing decision on just this small piece of information). It simply adds a personal touch to what can otherwise be a fairly sterile piece of prose.

Fair enough, but it does say:

I only need to fill 140 words in the Owner Panel, so it's not a life history, just a booster to the buying guide giving your thoughts on why the 944 is a great car to own, any hints on buying, problems you've had with your car and solutions, club or forum that have been really useful, that sort of thing.

That's around 60 words to ask for a whole mass of info that needs to fit in to 140 words? [8|]

I might be coming across as a bit harsh here, but I'd write 140 words about sills alone. We've seen plenty of poorly-written magazine articles, and I always wonder why the writers contact the car Clubs so late, and only ask for a small input?

When we've been asked to contribute from the beginning the articles have been so much better. I'm not trying to claim to be some sort of expert here, but I can put the author in touch with pretty much any owner or specialist they might need.

Have to say, I'm with McNulters on this one. Let's remember that magazine writers are approaching the area from a totally different angle to that which we (as owners) approach it; they are solely trying to make money from their publication. If they could do that without needing to have any contact at all with cars or their owners, they would. The cars are difficult because they break down and get dirty and hence don't look good in photos and the owners are unreliable and change their minds and never turn up where they are meant to be on time for their photo shoots (which is probably why Mr Motor Notor would rather only have contact with us by eMail or telephone than actually meet us.)

I've outlined my reasons for not wanting to be involved in the motoring press on this forum before, and it looks like I'm doing it again here.

As far as McNulters' point about badly written articles is concerned, who here remembers the five or six-page article in one of the bigger about-Porsche publications* about the 944, with the opening line of the article (in 348-point text, inch-and-a-half high) being "994"? (Yes, I did type that correctly.) [X(] Owners clubs (and PCGB in particular) are very good on the detail - which is why they exist - however detail is where the devil lies in writing articles like this so don't expect too much of the detail of what you may (or may not) say to actually be published.


Oli.

* - Name omitted to spare their blushes

 

[pauljmcnulty]

ORIGINAL: Copperman05

Its a 140 word summary on what the 944 is like to own, not a full buyers guide. I think we have to respect the mag know what they are doing (I hope so), passing judgement before its even published seems somewhat dismissive.

And he does say:-

PS if anyone's got any pet hates about buying guides on the cars, things that are missed out that should be in there, please let me know - also any recommendations for particularly 944-sensitive specialists (there must be a list on here I guess, I've not spotted it yet!)

Edd

Edd, I'm not passing judgement before it's published, merely pointing out that it's not possible to get in to 140 words what the OP asks for, ie:

I only need to fill 140 words in the Owner Panel, so it's not a life history, just a booster to the buying guide giving your thoughts on why the 944 is a great car to own, any hints on buying, problems you've had with your car and solutions, club or forum that have been really useful, that sort of thing.

Unless anyone could actually cram all that in to 140 words!

I'd really like to see buyer's guides in magazines start out from the premise that the important things are given more weight. Number one point to look for when first buying a 944? Get to be around the cars and the community and learn before you even think of buying. I've got a buyer's guide from a Porsche mag that has a whole column on looking for accident damage, something that is a given on ANY used car, yet makes no mention of the sills or wings corroding. That was a big article, with loads of research and information, and it fails to mention a critical area. It places more importance on the sticker in the boot than corrosion around the suspension mountings!

One way to improve them might be to involve the experts like specialists from the outset? Someone who works on the cars for a living would be well placed to advise what to look for. Anyway, I hope it's an article that doesn't portray the 944 as a cheap car to buy and own, but more as an equal to the '80s 911s but better to drive. []

 

[Ewan]

I have officially thrown my hat into the ring, so heaven help the value of S2 versions if I'm picked[]

 

[colin944]

Where is Oli when we need him??????????????????????????????