I'm here for the enthusiasts, not the snobbery

My wife used to be a Transplant Nurse.  They called them Donorcycles.

" 1 - All Porsches are ugly. This is an indisputable fact no one wants to talk about and means all debate needs to stop right there."

I agree, even after a person showed his 2, (No disrespect intended). They are butt-ugly, but we are in a personal taste context so saying All Porsches are ugly is like saying all Simaudio components are ugly.

I"m glad you are here for the enthusiasts. 

   I would hope there are no prerequisites for being a audiophile... and would hate to think that my appreciation and love of music, stereo equipment, and everything involved was not recognized because I did not fit someone's definition of an audiophile.
I really don't apply the audiophile label to myself, when someone asks what I like to do or my hobbies I say; I love music, history, technology, old Jeeps. I mean, when they read my eulogy I would hope and rather it say something like "He was a good man, a good person, good neighbor, proudly served his country. Lover of life and always took solace in music, it took him to different places, different times, he connected with it." As opposed to; "  He was a good man, a good person, a Audiophile..."

Looking back I have always been enthusiastic about listening to music, as far back as I can remember. When I was 10-12 I was sitting in front of the speaker in the living room recording music from the radio with a cassette tape deck and microphone.
In the following years pictures show me with portable stereos listening to music.
In my teens I was in music stores searching for that song I had heard on the radio and immediately fell in love with.
From there it was stereos to listen to music, for years I had All In One AVRs until finally a few years ago I made the transition to separates.
I also took all my CDs and put them on a computer with Plex for a media server that is connected to my preamp. I recently found some missing music and went through the entire library adding folders, correcting information, and added a couple hundred songs I forgot I had. Sometimes I feel I am curating a collection, future generations need to know about and hear music like Jay Ferguson's "Thunder Island" or less known but just as good "I come alive". Or Saigon Kick's "Love Is on the Way", or Poco's "Heart of the Night", Cat Stevens, King Harvest, or countless other great artists and songs.

So if all this means I am a audiophile than I'm a audiophile. I just know that I love music, stereo equipment, all of it, and at the end of the day I just want to listen to music.

Oh yeah and I appreciate Porsches for what they are as I appreciate sports cars in general, but I prefer Domestic. 78 Pontiac TA with 455 in my younger days, now a Dodge Charger.

Had a couple of bikes, laid one down. Like they say it is not a matter of If but a matter of When. You have to be willing to accept that, and the ensuing pain.

  Well that was only going to be a paragraph...

Those of you that like Porsche stories......I got a special edition last year, called "Exclusive"....basically, a Cayman S very dressed up, lowered, carbon fiber, etc.  The dealer gave me a code, that took me to the Porsche factory via computer to watch my new car being made.   Saw the leather being stitched, etc.  I saw the finished car being put on a boat (looked very much like a giant parking garage inside....hundreds of cars of different brands, each had their own parking space.  I saw the car travel across the Atlantic, go through the Panama Canal, and then up to California.  It was then trucked to Scottsdale, when I raced to the dealer to see my new car in person.   An absolutely fabulous experience.

Maybe it’s the virus, although personal attacks had been on the rise before the Covid 19 outbreak.  Social distancing has led to the decline of being social.
@Erik-I think you would have been better, not to have mentioned motorized vehicles.  I’m sure there are other sites, where car and bike enthusiasts can talk about their interests.  It would be nice to stick to the subjects this site is about.
.  

Porsches are only ugly when they’re sitting still. When they’re running they are a thing of beauty, provided you’re driving. It’s easy to get killed at those insane speeds but I’ve enjoyed a good long life. Let her run.....

I’ve always thought the early year Porsche Cayman had beautiful lines and years later purchased an ‘06. This was its first year of production, which is typically a no no, but after reading Road and Tracks review which commended Porsche getting the bugs worked out first (probably on their Boxster model) and the 06 Cayman being rated dependable with low rate of unplanned maintenance, i pulled the trigger and bought one over the internet. Ive enjoyed the car tremendously as my daily driver for over 3 years now with no repair issues. That brings to mind a question; has anyone experienced regret buying a new audio product from its first year of production?  I suspect not. 

I agree with "eric_Squires", I think that he said it best. My regards to all who wish to be involved with Audio, the equipment, the science and engineering, and most of all the music.

Totally agree with you Eric..!!

I wonder how many working musicians cannot actually read or write music? Are they really musicians? Of course they are--they're just limited or "challenged." Maybe not very successful.
Contrary to some of the "music first" arguments often seen here, I would like to admit that I willingly listen to equipment along with the music and therefore consider myself an audiophile. We even listen to our rooms, for Pete's sake. Lucky Pete.

Firstly, what does your second statement "Any motorcycle is more fun and exciting than any car." have to do with "All Porsches are ugly.

Trolls do not have to explain themselves.

Aligned with you perceptually, just not on your final metaphors.  Firstly, what does your second statement "Any motorcycle is more fun and exciting than any car." have to do with "All Porsches are ugly. This is an indisputable fact no one wants to talk about and means all debate needs to stop right there?"

I suspect you need optometric care if in summation you think appreciation of minimalism is devoid of beauty.

Yeah, there are some less than striking Porsche, but for the most part their signature cars stand apart for gratuitous appreciation for form and motion.

Cheers mate.

Hilarious. I guess the $300 paint job was the deluxe package if he was painting cars for $50.

I had paint come off when a car was hand washed. It was a large touch up. Paint was cracked.

Scheib's commercials still haunt me:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkdtOOYdQOs

@sokogears

How about a '71 Mustang in 1980 for $900? Worst repaint I ever saw. Earl Scheib job.

When I was a kid growing up in Huntington Bch, CA my dad had his green and white 1955 Chevy station wagon painted all white by Earl Scheib.  When getting it wet to wash with ordinary garden house and nozzle it looked like it was getting dirtier.  From just the weak spray of the hose the Earl Scheib paint was just peeling off the car. 

Does that make you a racist? 😲  (It looks like I’m on another roll, I haven’t even had breakfast yet.)

Whoops.  I  "raced".

All motorcycles are more fun than any cars?  Seriously?  I races sport bikes, but driving a Ferrari FXX anything beats the hell out of any bike you ever rode, and that Ferrari is practically a dinosaur.  What is true is that any bike you can buy is much more exciting than a car that costs the same.

Couple of threads have shown up lately. "Should you be an

audiophile if you..." either have a certain type of gear, have a certain amount of money, or don’t make your own.

I personally reject all of that. I’m here for the enthusiasts, and those who suffer. That is, people who are enthusiastic about listening to music via electronics and those who are suffering with problems who need a little help. That’s how I try to build a community.

Also want to point out, again, that this hobby was built by hobbyists and tinkerers. The range included backyard self-electrocuting iconoclasts to scientists in acoustics and electrical engineering.

I’m happy to welcome them all.

             Me Too

@rocray....awhile back, the spouse tired of the Yamaha scooter she commuted to CSUSF, to/fro the bookstore/coffee hangout....
"Shitty brakes, randumb numb handling, no Power...."

So she inherited my RD350...helmet and leathers to match the marroon tank....and that took care of those complaints....;)

"You let your wife ride an RD?!" astonished co-worker 'sclaimed....

Sure...she's not subject to the homone-driven idiocy us guyz are prone to, she's about the right size and weight to enjoy it....and now she's capable of getting away from the brain-dead in an Impala.

Me?  Moved on to a 550 Vision shafter with the fairing.
Great commute bike, once I put air horns on it...:)

Our Ferry
who art in Zuffenhausen
hallowed be thy horsepower
and deliver us not
into Tempos
for they are boring....

I am sure there is more, these are the bits I have on the flesh and blood RAM

Uncle repaint doesn’t count. I’m talking about a company (thankfully out of business) who did it day in and day out. I think the charged like $2-300 back then. And it wasn’t worth it to the previous owner.

"Lets talk about bad repaint."

What now? Am I supposed to post a picture of the first speaker I have ever made?

At least these equipment racks are decent from the distance, as long as lights are off. Who would have guessed that spray paint from the can drips and makes bubbles?

Dude, my crazy uncle painted an MG with a brush and latex paint. 

Lets talk about bad repaint.

How about a '71 Mustang in 1980 for $900? Worst repaint I ever saw. Earl Scheib job. You could see the mustard colored paint in the trunk edges (and door jambs) not covered by the instantly fading, peeling red paint. After that, I never had the urge to buy one because of nostalgia. Worst handling car, couldn't go 5 feet in snow and was terrible in the rain, but pretty fast in a straight line. Transmission went after a couple years and was sold as a junker within a few years.

glubson, You're right. Gasoline was $.70 per gal then!!! 

I bought a 68 Camaro SS 396 for $700 in 1974 in the middle of the oil embargo. In 76 I bought a 74 MGB. 

isochronism,

That happens. We have all overpaid for things at times.

In 1978 I purchased a 65 GTO standard 4bbl powerglide original paint from original owner 90k Miles for $650.

A Triumph 650 cc for $1000. Shirley, you jest! 

Robert- you are right on the money. Problem is, I have to have a sunroof.
I'll probably stick with the GTS - not a fan of the turbo.

Never interested in just a straight line. It's the fun in the twisties mostly. Speed is fun too, especially in the GT3.

Great thread....Except walking can be more exciting than motorcycle....Remember your mother eyes when you first walked, and imagine yourself older in an hospital bed....Or better, imagine yourself walking in a forest.....


I apologize because while dreaming of a motorcycle all my life I cannot buy one being too easily distract.... :) When I was young I go to buy one and try it, the price was near 1000 bucks (Triumph 650 c.c.)....But I prefered to buy the one thousand dollars books I has ordered months before, and after that the magical moment was passed, I forget my motorcycle dream and the money was there no more....


I even try flying with man-made wings, but walking is my way......In my dreams I was always flying without any wings anyway.... :)


My interest for cars ended after seeing a Bugatti 1936 Atlantic….Beautiful design a cross between Michelangelo and Salvador Dali for the design....


I prefer electric bicycle to motorcycle now.....I hesitate between buying one or buying a Berning ZOTL amplifier tough....

"I have lost most of the desire for something fast on the road ... 99.99% of the time which you can't take advantage of anyway."

As much as speed limits are limiting, road surface in North America may make a Hummer a tossable vehicle. Not to mention that curves are sometimes hanging in wrong directions, etc. Increase the speed at your own risk.

My husband wants a GT4 but there is a long waiting list. Maybe the next version. 

In terms of pure driving, I don't think any 911 touches the 718 GT4. The others are faster, but in my limited driving experience, the GT4 is far more fun. If you are just interested in straight line, there are certainly cheaper ways than a GT3. In pretty most most pavement conditions (and drivers), our baby Tesla is going to match a GT3 till well past legal speeds. Now that I am on a track somewhat regularly again, I have lost most of the desire for something fast on the road ... 99.99% of the time which you can't take advantage of anyway. A tossable convertible is in the future plans though.

sokogear,

Oh man, you have some catching up to do.

Take Zuffenhausen delivery of some hybrid model. Drive to Zell am Zee (pass by Schüttgut) and then Gmünd. Enjoy Tauern Autobahn views. Pick your way through Germany, take the loger way through Schwarxwald, to Maison Blanche at Le Mans and be careful while there. Drop it off somewhere. Pick it up in Charleston, SC, right there close to Porsche Boulevard. If you insist, you can go to  Atlanta and check the track, but it does not have any history in it. Drive across the continent (avoid Interstates), and find your way across Texas, Marfa included, to Cholame, CA. Take a picture. Send it to your friends with a caption "Little Bastard" (the car, not you, but they will understand).

It is simpler than it seems. It may appear snobbish, but it ain't bragging if you can back it up. You and your own car at those spots.

You could skip Zuffenhausen delivery, but you could bring your current car and do, more or less, all of it with it.

I am not making fun of it. It may be a little project, but I promise you will like it.

While you are doing it, slow down. The life you save might be mine.

I can't afford new ones, so I guess I am not a true Porschephile since I never had a factory tour. Haven't even been to the new US HQ in Atlanta with the track package that is supposedly a great thing to do. Maybe one of these days...

GT3 is insane. Surprisingly comfortable off the track. Just drove one for the first time last week and it made my GTS seem slow, and it's only about a half second or so slower 0-60. It's light, and the engine only has about 45 more HP, but they get every bit of power possible out of it and the exhaust is so loud it makes your think you're going faster. I would get one if I could get a sunroof in it and the engines didn't blow up that year 2014.....after that I couldn't/wouldn't afford it.

Eagle GT is certainly beautiful, but if it is anything like the Singer 911s, they are WAY out of my price range. You'd be better off finding the older model 911 you want and having a shop fix it to you specs. Plus I think the Singer waiting list is years, as it is the "in" thing for the movie star and Silicon Valley tech guys who live in LA and SF where 911s are a dime a dozen.

sokogear,

Zuffenhausen delivery has been around for a while, at least 20-ish years but possibly more. It does not depend much on the dollar strength, I think. Some manufacturers have such arrangements (BMW, Mercedes, Audi), too. Usually, the final price is a few thousand dollars lower than if you picked it up at your local dealership, but do not quote me on that. Mercedes used to give you two weeks insurance, hotel, etc. but I think that is gone now. Some used to give you airline tickets, too. The car is the same one you would have gotten at your dealership, no grey zone there.

Unfortunately, these days Porsche has suspended the included factory tour so you will need to time the delivery of your next little one to when they reopen it.

Could one even be a Porschephile without having walked the hallowed grounds of the car factory? Of course, not. Those who drive a Porsche and have not been there and done that are just snobs. We have to agree to agree on that.

https://www.porsche.com/international/accessoriesandservice/factorycollection/factorycollectionatzuf...

Check the PDF at the bottom of the page for details. Your local dealer will guide you through the process.

Sokogear check out the Eagle GT, the most beautiful car ever made on steroids. 
Eric, check out the Singer 911, the greatest sports car ever made. The 911 is an endearing car for several reasons. People love the fat ass, women love the cabs, they are very tough little cars, you can keep them going forever, they have a scream like nothing else, the motor is in the right place. When you floor it at the apex it squats down and rockets out like no other car. It is the most practical sports car ever made. It has roof racks, you can stick your wife in there with a weeks worth of luggage, bikes on the top and actually go somewhere. Try that on your bike.
If I put you in a GT 3 I could scare the crap out of you every bit as good as you can do on a motorcycle. And now you can even get them with a great sound system. not so with a bike. I am sure bikes are a lot of fun. I particularly like riding around on Sundays going no where burning fossil fuel. The obesity rate is something like 20% now. The next time a group of motorcycles passes have a look. The obesity rate is 80%.
I'll take my bicycle any day and yes geoffkait I do wear a helmet. What pisses me off more than anything is when a motorcycle passes you they frequently gun it just to destroy your ears. I have a very long middle finger for them.

If the dollar is strong enough, the currency value might pay for the trip if you actually buy it over there. This was done a lot in the 1980s, but you have to make sure it can be legally registered in the US if it is gray market.

Back to your wunderbar car again eh sokogear? Know this ditty?

Bitchin’ Camaro The Dead Milkmen

Bitchin’ Camaro, bitchin’ Camaro
Donuts on your lawn

Bitchin’ Camaro, bitchin’ Camaro
Tony Orlando and Dawn

When I drive past the kids
They all spit and cuss
’Cause I’ve got a bitchin’ Camaro
And they have to ride the bus

So you’d better get out of my way
When I come through your yard
’Cause I’ve got a bitchin’ Camaro
And an Exxon credit card

Bitchin’ Camaro, bitchin’ Camaro
Hey man where ya headed?
Bitchin’ Camaro, bitchin’ Camaro
I don’t want unleaded!

"The people that have them for the status can be spotted a mile away. Some are snobs and like driving but have no knowledge of Porsche history."

How to decide how much knowledge is enough to qualify as a non-snob?

Is not taking a Zuffenhausen delivery sign of a poser, or is taking a Zuffenhausen delivery sign of a poser?

Is staying at Prunner acceptable, or it has to be Dullnig?

Are only hybrids true Porsches?

"The rider never travels as far as the bike. Ask ambulance drivers :)"

Do they know which direction geoffkait was coming from? He is directional, don't you know, and he is usually in the opposite direction of everybody else.

On a more serious note, "never" in that above sentence discredits the whole sentence.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Old Jags are the nicest looking. Good luck getting one to run. My favorite is the XJ12 cab (not sure if Jag calls it that) from 30+ years ago. British racing green with a tan interior with a tan convertible top (must be clean). My dream car for days when the top can be down. I would only drive a convertible with the top down and unfortunately where I live, cab says are about 120-150 days a year. Subtract out the days when pollen is deadly and you're down to 60-120 days a year. Not worth it. San Diego or Hawaii - definitely.

Porsches have evolved incrementally for over 50 years. At least you know what the hell it is when you see one. Take the badges off most new cars and most of the time you have no idea what they are. 911s are an icon, fun to drive, hold their value incredibly well  (or appreciate after about 8 years), and are very reliable. What's not to like? The people that have them for the status can be spotted a mile away. Some are snobs and like driving but have no knowledge of Porsche history. Most of the snobs buy SUVs.

As far as motorcycles, off road or dirt biking is fine. On public roads you have gotta be nuts. I saw up close (by accident) one time around the corner from my house at a 5 point intersection when I was riding my bicycle the remains of a motorcycle accident that was being cleaned up with cops and EMS at the scene, literally scraping the rider off the ground. The car (SUV) was hardly damaged.I don't mean to scare you, but motorcyclists keep hospitals in business. It's like my ortho surgeon who replaced my ACL said after the operation, "you can play basketball again, but the over 40 league keeps me in business - I wouldn't" Since I tore mine without even touching another player, I quit playing.

He drives a brand new 911 C4S Cab and always leases to have the latest model. He is the both guy above. Enjoys driving tremendously and goes to the occasional PCA event, but like most doctors, is very status conscious, very worried about keeping up with the Joneses. 

Welcome, post traumatic stress syndrome. 🤕

I'm with you Erik, bikes are more fun-- and this place loves people with your decent helpful attitude. Cheers!

another silly response from  resident 'g' goeffkait --- ’d be more concerned about putting some skin on the asphalt. I once came upon a turned over motorcycle on the highway and wondered where the rider was. As it turned out he was about 100 yards up ahead, being attended to'  ------
again talk w/o benefit of knowledge or experience .   The rider never travels as far as the bike. Ask ambulance drivers :)

The only issue is,she just doesn’t understand my love of this audio hobby. I guess you can’t have everything.