Cars And Track StaffMY FIVE-DAY, 2,903-MILE JOURNEY HOME IN A NEWLY-PURCHASED 991 STORY AND PHOTOS BY JAMES GRIFFIN
My trip of a lifetime began with unexpected words from my better half: “Why don’t you buy that 911 you’ve been wanting?” Well, why don’t I? Finding the right car became a bit of a challenge, as I was only interested in a dark blue 991 coupe. I eventually found one for sale in the PCA classifieds, listed in San Diego, California. I was a little nervous about buying long-distance, but after a long conversation with the owner, I convinced myself he was a proper enthusiast. Intending to make it a track car, he had added the center-mounted third radiator, Carrera S wheels, brakes and rotors, and various suspension mods.
After we agreed on a price, I started mapping out a route home to Virginia that would let me visit my kids at college in both Arizona and Kansas, and stay with friends along the way. I bought a one-way plane ticket and met the seller at a Navy Federal Credit Union (not hard to find in San Diego) to finalize the deal. The car was exactly as described, if not better. It was pristine: 70K miles, but the interior looked like it had never been sat in. I had been at the beach in New Jersey the day before leaving, so I dipped my toes in the Pacific Ocean at Torrey Pines State Park just so I could say I’d been in both oceans on successive days.
That night I stayed with a friend from college, then set off early the next morning for Phoenix. I planned a circuitous route that avoided interstates as much as possible and headed up Palomar Mountain toward Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Halfway through my first day, I began to wonder if this might be the single best day of driving of my life so far. Gorgeous scenery, almost no traffic, and only 108 degrees outside! The 991 was planted, rock-solid stable, and the A/C kept me perfectly cool. I was in love.
Day two brought too-short stops in Sedona and Flagstaff on the way to visit Meteor Crater. After the crater, I made the obligatory stop in Winslow, Arizona, to take the classic photo “standing on the corner.” Old Route 66 runs through Winslow as well, so that’s two more things checked off the bucket list. The last stop of the day was a detour through Petrified Forest National Park.
I listened to a number of car podcasts on the 991’s Bose stereo as I crossed the interminable plains of eastern New Mexico, northern Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. I visited another friend in Kentucky and stress-tested the 911’s cargo-carrying ability by adding a dozen bottles from the Buffalo Trace distillery to my existing luggage.
By the time I arrived home, I had covered 2,903 miles in just five days. The 14-way seats were supremely comfortable. I averaged 66 mph for the trip and got exactly 29.9 mpg. I surely could have broken 30 if my right foot didn’t have quite so much lead in it. Would I do the trip again? Absolutely, but slower. I’ll keep scouring those PCA classifieds, but only for cars from California.
