Auftragsnummer 964!

...being the adventures of two men and an Indian stick insect across Europe in an old 964/911

This is what Paddy looks like....and no, they don't make snooker cues of them when they grow up. This is as big as they will get.




...and this is what an old 964, or more commonly known as 911 looks like



How to get from Northern Ireland to Finland?



That is the question! Or is it 'Why to go from N.Ireland to Finland?' In short a car - not just any car of course but a flat six 1990 Carrera 4 - needs to go from one place to another and that limits the options for travel. The ones who know about these cars would suggest they're flying machines but I appreciate the motor too much to try to fly across the Irish Sea.

So, not counting the distance from starting point to harbour, taking a road trip from an Island will start on a ferry. On this occasion it will be Stena Line's fast ferry, the HSS, which will take about 2 hours to push from Belfast harbour to Stranraer in Scotland. There is an option of a conventional ferry that runs alongside the HSS but that takes nearly twice as long and for a short voyage in relatively calm seas the HSS is the way to go.

Apparently the destination in Scotland will change to Cairnryan in not too distant future, with Stena line building a new harbour there. The crossing should then be even quicker. But meanwhile we will travel to Stranraer, starting early in the morning of the 29 July 2010. By that time the car that has not been driven in three months will have got a refurbished ABS ECU by Autotek electronics in England, and a new track rod end both fitted by Campbell Autos in Doagh. Since this Left Hand Drive Satin Black Metallic air-cooled 3.6 was purchased in England a few year ago it has been regularly expertly serviced by AMG Cars, a Porsche specialist in Ballyclare, N.Ireland. The very slight modifications to the factory original on this car are the usual cosmetic and performance improvements of tear drop mirrors replacing the elephant ears, a smaller proper racing steering wheel and a lowering kit with on 17" Cup alloy wheels.

That is very little changes to the original and is generally, and certainly by me, accepted by hobbyists as rather finishing touches than tampering with the car's originality.

But it is time to pack the toothbrush and the credit card. And thanks for Captain Ahab for lending his blog for this story.

Holywood 27 July 2010

Oscar Rerafour