the boxster blog with a different spin

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

OUCH: BOXSTER BUMP SHATTERS LOCAL GIRL

My baby has an owie. A nice woman in the (you guessed it) Gelson's parking lot, backed into me. Said woman was almost crying, with the distinct look of horror of "oh my god I hit a Porsche!". I ended up giving her a little hug. It's Christmas afterall. We traded insurance info of course, I'm not crazy!


Estimated cost of repair $489, or replacement $800ish. Thank god for Farmer's Insurance.

Friday, December 22, 2006

I'VE GOT THE BOXSTER BLUES...CAR HEALTH INSURANCE?

I've got the Boxster Blues...Car Health Insurance?

Why does a young person buy health insurance when they won't have the need for the inside of a doctors office until they're over 30? Probably because of that one in a million possibility that they might land in the hospital. No, this is not an advertisement for "hospitalization coverage"; it's a car saga.

If there was car health insurance, I'd buy it. At least my repair costs would be fixed. Yes, I bought my Boxster used, yes I bought an extended warranty, yes, I have car insurance (a lot of it).

But none of this offered me any protection for the costs of on-going repairs.

I'm only pondering this because my last car repair bill was three grand (they said I burned out my clutch and kept driving it until I melted all the surrounding components!). Sadly that is about right.

Then an ignition switch and a starter...

My latest is above five hundred--a faulty air mass sensor. Wanna bet that's a $50 part wholesale?

Some car manufacturers have suffered sales loss due to a bad rep for the sky high cost of repairs. They responded by offering an ALL costs of repairs built in to the car purchase price. I would vote for that. At least I wouldn't be trembling every time I turned the key.


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Saturday, December 09, 2006

ENTIA NON SUNT MULTIPLICANDA PRAETER NECESSITATEM: UP THE PORSCHE EVOLUTIONARY LADDER

Entia Non Sunt Multiplicanda Praeter Necessitatem*
Climbing Up the Porsche Evolutionary Ladder


Oh sure, I can say I bought this car because it's well engineered, or because I love the feel of the road, or because, for that matter, it has better mileage than my Mitsubishi Outlander did! Unfortunately, if we apply Occam's Razor (and we must), from the Latin above-translated: the simplest explanation is usually the right one), I bought this car to jump to the top of the prestige ladder!

Woe is me, how little did I know when I made that leap! It turns out that by all measures I am at the BOTTOM of the Porsche prestige ladder. Above the lowly Boxster are (in ascending order), the Boxster S, the Cayman, the 911 and (drum-roll please), the Carrera GT (coming in at approximately $440,000).

The Boxster, as it turns out, is alternately known as Porsche's entry level car, the car for the comman man, and even more aptly put: "the poor man's porsche".

I trade my tales from the road with a fellow Porsche owner on a weekly basis. This week I related an event that happened on the way home from work. As I sailed through traffic with scarcely an effort, I was suddenly overtaken by another car (technically all I saw was a blur) and before I could even react, the car cut me off and whipped around a corner. Not necessarily an uncommon event in LA, but this was on a virtualy empty street. I knew instantly, as I watched the blur take shape in front of me, this was a deliberate act. My adversary? A Carrera.

"Of course it was a Carrera", my friend laughed, "they eat Boxsters for sport". "It was yellow" I added, rolling my eyes. "Yellow?" my friend asked, "that's even worse!". Apparently there is an entire personality profile associated with those who own these cars, by model... and COLOR.

I had to swallow my pride for a moment as I came to terms with my place in the Porsche species. These bigger, faster, stronger fish might snap at me just for the fun of it, if for no other reason as to make sure I always knew I'd make a tasty lunch.

Poor Darwin might roll over in his grave, if forced to hear this application of his theory of natural selection.


*Translation: Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity (see Occams Razor)


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GUZZLE THIS BOXSTER!

Guzzle This Boxster!

Okay, I admit it, I now officially have a favorite blogger. His name is Ken Goldstein (and if you say "Kenny G." you're not my friend anymore)! Except in the blogosphere, Ken and I don't know each other, but we both blog the nonprofit world, we both were born in the summer of '61, we both ran to northern california the first chance we could... But, I'm sad to say that's where the similarity ends...we don't drive the same car. LOL

Okay, ready for the segue?

My last post got me a bit of flak from my hybrid-driving-Brother-in-Law. So this blog's for him.

I sometimes read another Blog, called The 13th Story-and other Random Thoughts. I would enjoy his comments on my posts occasionally...and now, it turns out that the Ken, of Nonprofit Consultant Blog, and Ken of Random Thoughts are one and the same person. Turns out Ken is also a guitar player and here's a little tune I found on his site:

The Prius Song (jingle parody) (K.R. Goldstein)

I think Ken has missed his calling and could give Barry Manilow a run for his money in the jingle writing game!

Parting thought: think Ken R. G - contains a hidden social message: Ke NRG (energy get it?)



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Wednesday, December 06, 2006

CRUMMY PORSCHE?

Crummy Porsche? My Boxster Adventure Continues

My car and I aren't speaking. Ever since i figured out that my repair costs are just over $4oo a month it just hasn't been the same. I didn't realize my feelings had changed until I heard myself using the adjective "crummy porsche" to my Dad today. Even though we were on the phone I could hear him rolling his eyes. "You've changed Pam", he sighed.

Less than 15 years ago I was living in a yellow school bus (sitting on blocks). I was driving a '69 Ford Maverick. I always backed into my parking spaces because it was 50/50 that the car wouldn't be starting of its own volition. I know my family thought I could do better, but they also enjoyed the vicarious experience of having a crazy daughter in california. Don't get me wrong, I liked being a color-character too.

So what's my conclusion? My Maverick only started when it wanted to, and also ran me major bucks at the mechanics, and my boxster only starts when it wants to and rules my bank account.

I guess things haven't really changed so much.

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