We took delivery of Nina on the 27th of July 2008. I can tell you I've always wanted one of these cars since I drove my aunt's 1986 turbo way back in 1987. In 1995 she offered the 951 to me, but I didn't think I could afford the parts to keep it running and passed on it. I have often regretted that decision, but you know how it goes. In early 2008 I found out that my brother-in-law had bought a 944. After seeing it once I told him, "If you ever decide to sell it you let me know." A couple of months later we had worked out a deal and picked her up. Driving home I was having visions of racing this car somehow to satisfy one of my boyhood dreams. Here is a picture tucked away in the garage that first night.
Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I am pretty anal about my machines. I'll go get them, but noone gets to use it until I have checked it out completely. In this case it probably saved the car and someone's life. While checking wheel bearings and brakes I noticed the passenger side ball joint was about to fall off. I made a note of that and moved to the rear of the car. I found both rear axles were missing bolts and the tranny was howling like a cat in heat so I made a couple of decisions. We had to overhaul the entire car's suspension and we were going to start racing in Solo. Parts began rolling in, money was rolling out and I trudged on putting everything together. Nina was getting pretty grand treatment: full delrin bushings, Hyper coil Koni coil overs up front, larger t-bars in the rear, new axles, bearings at every corner, new a-arm and ball joints, new pads, rotors, and some 968 m030 sway bars. I know there was alot more, but I cann't remember and your getting bored. I finished it up one week before the Kansas City SCCA's Solo test-n-tune event.
So here is a little picture that my wife took that first rainy day, what a blast!
