Everyone deserves a friend like this...

Hey, Moe! · 09-16-07, 08:28

I have played tennis an a pretty regular basis for 20 years with a gentleman who has become a good friend. We don't see much of each other away from the court, but he is fun to play against, and a very agreeable person.

I knew that he had done pretty well in his career, but we rarely discussed it. He preferred to enjoy the tennis and the exercise. Though his wife typically drove a nice M-B, he often showed up to the courts in a Chevy pickup.

Back in the spring, he bought a black Cayman S. I have seen it a few times, and have offered to work on it (has dealer-installed swirls).

We played early today, and I cut it short, because I needed to make a two-hour drive to see my mom in a rehab hospital. She has emotional as well as physical issues, which makes the visit difficult.

I was hoping to make a 45-minute side trip to see my daughter in college, and maybe have dinner with her. I was still sort of dreading the trip, when he said, "Why don't you take the Porsche?"

I was flabbergasted! I expressed my concern, and he just grinned and said, "It's as easy to drive as your Focus."

I took it home, and gave it a decent wash. It has some bug issues in addition to the swirls, which I did not have the time to address.

It was so easy, and so fun to drive. I drove prudently, and resisted the Shelby and the 335i who tried to get me to run with them.

After visiting my mom (I showed her the car, and she worried about me driving it), I caught up with my daughter.

I will say that picking up your daughter at college in a Porsche is priceless. She is a car fan, and she just flipped out. We had dinner, I drove through campus a bit so the students could stare, and I dropped her off and headed home.

A trip that I dreaded turned out to be fun. I don't think that there are too many people who would do something like that.

Now, If I can just grab it for a day to work on it. I have the 4-inch pads for the Cayman's curves, and it seems that Porsche paint is kind of soft--should be to work on it with a PC.

Is that a friend or what?

todd@bsaw · 09-16-07, 09:06

Wow, that is awesome.
I had a client of mine loan me his new Audi S4 for the weekend. I'm not sure what is more fulfilling... seeing someone's sincere generosity or being trusted with a car worth more than someone's house.

skyscraper · 09-17-07, 07:29

Hey Moe! you are in central PA? wish I was friends with that guy, Ive been drooling over a Cayman S for years! saving what I can to make that happen!

Hey, Moe! · 09-17-07, 03:46

Skyscraper--welcome to Autopia!

Yeah, I'm in Central PA, though that encompasses a lot of ground. I'm about an hour west of Penn State.

If you can get one, even a used one, I don't think you will be disappointed. Easy to drive hard, not as quirky as the 911 and its descendants.

My friend is just one of those guys everyone should know. A very good people person who has done well in business. Very, very unassuming.

He bought a Corvette a year ago as a mid-life toy. When he visited his son in May, the son fell in love with the Corvette. He sold the 'Vette to the son, and drove home in the new Cayman S.

I'm rooting for one to show up in your driveway one of these days!

Puckman · 09-17-07, 04:30

Now that's a cool story and thanks for sharing. Somehow it restores my faith in humanity.

smprince1 · 09-17-07, 04:37

Chalk it up to karma ... or call it what you want. What goes around comes around. If you had not been a good friend to this person, he most likely would not be such a good friend to you

JuneBug · 09-18-07, 04:37

Like "Earl" says - it's that karma thing, I swear it works!

Hey, Moe! · 09-18-07, 08:37

It does restore one's faith in humanity, to be sure. It is my nature to be nice to someone, and see where it goes.

We got together to play tennis back in 1986, on a blind call from him. We've been doing it pretty regularly ever since, though we don't see too much of each other off the court.

We simply "clicked," in terms of competing hard against each other, but being ultra-sportsmanlike and friendly at the same time, which is not easy to do. But we do it, and enjoy the competition and the workout.

I certainly plan to "kidnap" the Cayman for a day soon. I am drooling at what the final result will be, and will be tickled to give him back a "stunner."

JuneBug · 09-19-07, 06:17

Hey moe, you know Edge manufactures their pads up in PA, ever been to their site? Someone posted a while back that it was worth the trip, I'd call first.

Hey, Moe! · 09-19-07, 08:54

No, haven't been there, but I sense a road trip coming : )

Hey, Moe! · 09-19-07, 09:11

Oh, I looked at a map. The Edge factory is close to Philly. That's a four-hour drive, with nasty traffic at the end of the trip. We'll see.

DieselMDX · 09-19-07, 10:28

great story and amazing car