What's the best highway (including starting and ending cities) to drive a 912? Did you buy your 912 a long distance away and if so how did you get it home? (New comments and stories are welcome)

From: Karen Boosman-Staudacher; We just purchased our 1976 912e ( Ice Green Metallic w/sunroof) from 912 registry member Rick Walters in Reno, Nevada. Given that we live in Apex, North Carolina (near Raleigh) we had to get the car to us, so we decided to fly out to Reno and drive the car back. So, on November 11, 2006 we did just that. David (my husband) and I arrived in Reno around noon on Saturday the 11^th, made contact with Rick and went to pick up the car. Rick had primarily been using the car as a Sunday driver but was confident that it would make the 2600 mile trip back to Apex. And he was right! We ended up having to go the southern route (south out of Reno, through Vegas and picking up Interstate 40 in Kingman) due to the potential of snow if we had taken Interstate 80. We stopped in Kingman [AZ], Tucumcari [NM], Ft. Smith [AR] and Nashville [TN] on our way home and took a lot of Route 66 through Arizona and New Mexico (picture attached). The car drove like a dream. We had dry weather all the way through until Nashville where we hit rain until we got to Asheville, NC. Our defrost was a little sluggish, but the car did fine otherwise. Now, it’s safe and sound in a warm garage waiting for the weather to clear up a little here so I can show it off.

From: Michael Newlon; California Highway 1 between Pismo Beach and Santa Cruz is one of the most beautiful drives in the U.S., if not the entire world.  Making the drive in a Porsche on a cool and damp Sunday morning is even better.

From: Randy Weis , '69 912; Trip across America!!!!!  I purchased a 1969 912 from a Registry member who was selling the car on E Bay.  This was my first E Bay purchase as well as my first Porsche.  Am an avid German car fan having Audis, BMW’s and an Opel in the 70’s.  The car was a totally restored 1969, bare metal restoration, new paint, wheels etc. and looked great on line and when I picked it up.  The car started, stopped, started, and handled great.  There was a linkage problem that hounded me for the first two days of my journey.  With some creativity on my part, the assistance of a local mechanic in Grand Junction, CO, I was able to get the car home safe and sound from LA back to Connecticut some 2,800 miles, with an average daily temperature of 95.
I started my drive on Saturday July 30, the first day of owning my car, and my pre-work prior to my purchase was reading the Registry website which was invaluable, plus reading Duane Spencer’s complete Porsche Guide.   After starting out of LA heading up route 15 in CA, I was amazed at how little acceleration the car had and the top speed was around 55mph.  Since I had 2800 miles to drive, I was very concerned.  Around 7:30 on Saturday morning, I decided to call Duane Spencer at home and find out why the car could be performing so poorly.  Duane’s first comment was to never buy a car on E Bay, just what I wanted to hear, but walked me though everything it could possibly be, and suggested that I stop in Vegas at “Carls” and have them look at the car.  I struggled to get through the dessert….creeping, shifting on the slightest hill, many calls back to Duane….etc.  I removed the insulation that kept falling on the fan, removed the rain tray to get as much air to the engine as possible.  Along the way, I removed the accelerator stop, and even cut out the floor board to get more pedal for more power.  Upon arriving at Carl’s place, he said I had a problem with the right carb (Webbers) and there seemed to be linkage adjustment issues.  Carl said it would take a couple of days to sort it out but I was trying to get the car back home.  I asked Carl if it would hurt to drive the car as is, and he said he did not think so.  I should also say that along the way, Keith from San Francisco, part of the TAN Network was in contact with me to make sure I got to where I was going.  I made it as far as Grand Junction, CO, before the part that the linkage cables and the accelerator rod connect into broke.  Thanks to Eric Hermann of Grand Junction, he welded the part and got me on my way.  I continued my journey till I arrived home on the following Thursday.
Once home, I went to my local Porsche mechanic, Tullio Ferri of Bridgeport, CT who looked at the car and admired how clean it was and essentially original.  He too said there was a problem in the right carb, which later turned out to be damage from a carb fire, that once he rebuilt it and adjusted the valves, has the car running like new.
I like originality in my cars.  The paint color is from a 72 Porsche, and the wheels are 16inch chrome Fuchs.  I will leave the paint as is as it is a respectable job, less than a year old, but am contemplating going to the steel wheels and hubcaps.
Back two weeks now, I am driving and enjoying the car immensely.  My thanks to Keith, Duane, Carl’s Porsche in Vegas, and Eric Herman the local mechanic in Grand Junction, CO….I could not have made it back without them.  Randy Weis

From: Fred Marin; A great trip on your 912 is the 100 miles from KEY LARGO to KEY WEST, FLORIDA where you drive with the GULF of MEXICO on your right and the ATLANTIC OCEAN on your left.           WELCOME TO MARGARITAVILLE. LIVE FOR TODAY!!!!!~FRED

From: Keith Workman; keithwork@hotmail.com ; Sitting pretty between the Nevada and Utah state line on I-15 is a deep, vertical-wall canyon carved by the Green River. One of the finest roads ever built climbs several thousand vertical feet off the Nevada desert into the high plains of Utah through this canyon for several miles. The climb under power is a great drive but the return down is like free-fall in a Porsche dream. Wide, high-banked, long, smooth turns invite the Porsche to slip through the turns and scream past gravity's acceleration on a course guaranteed to boost your adrenaline and make your Porsche your praise for the rest of your driving days. Keith Workman
California, Colorado and the West at Large

From: Rich & Susie Gubanich; Hello Again Mr. Becker, I just wanted to share an October ride story:
Oct. 7 was our 27th wedding anniversary and the day was sunny, and cold (about 55 degrees F).  I took a 1/2 day vacation from work, and Susie and I put about 125 miles on our 1976 912E.  We live in Western Pa. and drove north along the Allegheny river up through Ford City, Kittanning, etc.  The combination of driving the Porsche with sun roof open (and heater running), having lunch along the river, with my lovely wife (and best friend) Susie .... it just couldn't get any better.  Western Pa. offers some great roads for Porsche driving ... We especially enjoy Route 66 north which runs all the way up to the Allegheny Forest ... Thanks for a great site, and the only thing better than owning an old 912 is having two 912's in the garage ...
Rich & Susie G

From: T.P. Stephens;  North Cascades Highway, Washington State. Lots of 15-35 mph curves with wide shoulders and God given views. Truely breathtaking. Then try the loop back through Stevens Pass. More of the same.

From: Jeanette Ahlgren;  This is a sensational road though, and only rarely gets mentioned because during the winter it often gets flooded or blocked by slides. But in the dry months, it is awe inspiring.

First off, driving your 912 on ANY road, automatically makes it the BEST road.   However, some of the best Porsche trips up here in Northern California, DO require that you pack a lunch, get gas ahead of time, and carry a tool kit, as there is NO place to get help.
Admirers of your car, yes, metric tools, no.  My favorite road by far for the 912 and the 931S is really a road to nowhere in particular. The scenery along the way (an endless photo opportunity.) IS the destination.
From Hwy. 101, peel off at Junction 36 (Alton), and head east through some of the (remaining) VERY old, VERY tall redwoods along side the Van Duzen River. At Grizzly Creek Park, plan to eat lunch and hike. But DO try, however, NOT to "become one" with the poison Oak!
Jeanette Ahlgren

From: Wallyware;  Take off the air filters, adjust the webers, put on the velocity stacks. Head south on Hwy 101 about 9:00 pm on an October Northcoast evening like tonight.  Take the Pepperwood turnoff for the Avenue of the Giants. Put on some Bob Seger, open the front vent, toggle around 3200-4000 rpm, and enjoy the input.  Not Le Mans, but a real price performer. At Garberville make a 180, rinse, repeat.  Sustained yield/sustained 912's forever. Wallyware@aol.com

From: Julien;  Chicago to LA cos you still get kicks on Route 66!

From: Helen Rebera;  Ooooh well let me think.  Possibly the Westway out of London, or the A3, or the M6, or the M25 (all the way round- anticlockwise) or maybe us lot in the UK better just read about California driving and dream.  I suppose there is always the Blackwall Tunnel for atmosphere !!

From: Dean Klein; Wed, Just drove it...NC 276 from Brevard, NC to Pumpkintown, SC. 13 miles of hairpin turns and sweepers, then 6 miles of WFO road. Yeee ha.  Just got my 912 Targa out of storage. Amazingly good ; Cheers, Dean
-----------------------
formerly in Antarctica now wanderin' around America
Sat, 05 Sep 1998 From: Dean S. Klein;  Attached you'll find a few more photos of my 912...in it's "natural" habitat. These photos were taken the last day I was in Asheville, NC
prior to departing for Antarctica. I just had to take the pup out for one more "wag of the tail" before I left on my long journey. Thanks again for such a great site! Dean Klein

From: James D. Weber;  I can think of two. Highway 101 and 1 from Eureka, Ca thru the Avenue of the Giants to Legget and then Hwy 1 to Mendiceino. Or Hwy 101 from Florence, Or north to Lincoln City. Most of the time you are right on the ocean's edge with great views and curvy roads. Jim Weber

From: Brian Jackson; Pacific Coast Hwy...LA to SF

From: LJ Carlin; Rte 78 Pa. From Hamburg to Frystown.

From: gpratt;  Hi Rick, We have so many great roads here in Oregon to drive our Porsches on it is really hard to pick one,but there is one starting in Blue River on the McKenzie River that winds out through the mountains to a town named Westfir,which is located on the Willamette River.  The road is the reason for an annual event we call "Der Aufderheide Run." We try to do the run with other car clubs,alternating the starting point from one River to the next each year. It is a great road,only a few miles out of Eugene,where we live.  Thanks for asking,come and try it,I know that 912 will really like this road.
Have fun, Glenn Pratt, V.P. Cascade Porsche Club

From: Mark Tracy; No question, Hwy 1 between San Luis Obispo and Monterey, California.  Mark Tracy '66 912

From: DENVERMAUK; The best road to drive the 912 would have to be  RT 33 east in Virginia. From Elkton to Green Valley over Afton Mountain.

From: Giolli, Florio;  I love to travel Interstate 60 from Tampa to Clearwater Beach in Florida.  The most beautiful road on earth. Swaying palms, Gulf of Mexico on both sides. What an experience. Florio Voice-Mail 1-800-227-4230 X8243  Mobil at 727-415-6756

From: Heiner Botz, Autoboutique; The very best highway is the A5 in Germany (Basel to Frankfurt)! There is no - really no! speed limit!  :-) Manne

From: Alexander Wachter; arriving at the office I enjoy the silence because of the noisy sebring-exhaust of my 912. At this time I drive every day to work, about 25 miles one way.  Nice trip to go on weekends is from Munich, Germany via Starnberger See, Murnau, Garmisch Partenkirchen and arrive to Castle Elmau behind Garmisch for a 5 o clock Tea. This is perfect especially at Oktober and November because of the coloured leaves and beautifull landscape of BAVARIA, Germany. Regards from the Oktoberfest - Alex avw@gmx.de

From: Kim Wersal; My top tour would be from Saint Mary, Montana to West Glacier, Montana: The Going-to-the-Sun-Road. Its a very limited season - June until October - but the combination of narrow, winding roads with awe-inspiring scenery is unbeatable. My Targa is still in pieces, so it'll have to keep until next June, but the top will come off and I'll be touring....
Kim Wersal
Kalispell, Montana

From: jack frost;  Ortega Highway in San Juan Capistrano to Lake Elsinor, CA.

From: Robert Burn; The best 912 road known to man is California state route 120 from Big Oak Flat to Lee Vining:  that's the Tioga Pass road. It's best in October after the tourists have left, in the early morning when the air is crisp, and in a Targa naturally.  Bob Burn
p.s. The park rangers use radar, so make sure your detector is on.

From: brian reynolds;  Dear rick, no where in michigan. brian

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