skategoat

Northeast cars don't rust if they are kept in a garage for 6 months of the year. Plus, they have no sun damage and low mileage. For the same reasons, Canada is a great place to buy a motorbike. But I hear ya, CA is full of cars that have rusted away long ago in the Northeast.

Porsche dealers won't even take a '84-'89 in trade let alone sell them. They might try to connect you with a long-time customer who is looking to sell a classic. But, since there's no money in it for them, your chances are close to nil. Go with the Porsche Clubs. Here's a list of clubs in the Northeast: http://www.pca.org/regions/regions.asp?Zone=1 Oh and I forgot to say - if you can avoid it, don't repaint. If you have to repaint, don't paint a different colour. Your resale value plummets since a prospective buyer assumes you had an accident or are hiding some body damage. It's better to have an original paint car with a few dents and scratches.

If you're gonna buy a sports car, you've picked the right one. The most reliable Porsche ever made is the 3.2 Carrera. Second most reliable is the SC, made from 1978 to 1983. I would also look at the SCs since there are lots of good ones around. Depreciation curve has flattened out so all you really pay for is maintenance. When you want to get rid of it, you pretty much get what you paid. Maintenance is not expensive if you do most of it yourself. I've owned my '89 Carrera since 1999 and it's been in the shop maybe 5 times. I do all the routine maintenance myself and it's a breeze. The car was hand-built by German craftsmen not by robots and unionized lackeys. Parts are designed so you can actually get at them and remove them. Everything is robust and over-engineered. Best piece of advice I can give you - be patient. You'll see a car, think "that's the one" and worry about losing the deal. But another one will come along. There are lots of those cars around because owners tend to be mature, well financed and care about their cars. Buy a car based on the owner as much as the car. Make sure the owner knows the car intimately. Don't buy from a kid. Don't buy from the corner used car lot and don't buy over the Internet or otherwise, based on description and photos. There is so much you can't see in photos. Almost everyone who does this gets burned. So where do you look? Join the Porsche Club of America as a prospective owner. Then search their classifieds. Post an ad - Car Wanted. Join the local PCA chapter and talk to members. Let them know you're looking. A lot of guys have Porsches squirreled away that they never drive or drive only occasionally. They can't be bothered to put it up for sale (too many tire kickers and hassle) but if they meet a nice guy who is looking, they will sell. Make sure you really, really know the car. There are tons of great books and websites out there. Avoid rust like the plague. Mechanical issues can be fixed. Body problems, especially rust can burn a whole in your pocket. edit: You're not thinking of driving this thing in the winter are you? Cause, A) you'll kill yourself B) it'll dissolve in a puddle of rust.

Clearly, they were on a Mission from God.

My old business partner did the same thing with the bikes on his Subaru. My brother trashed his Yakima cargo box the same way. I destroyed a Yakima cargo box when it opened at 120km/hr on the highway. Bits of cargo box all over the highway. Good thing I had my equipment strapped down inside.

My Thule box fits on my Yakima rack or on my factory rack (Toyota 4Runner). You just have to make sure the crossbars for the rack fit into the clamps of the box. For instance, the factory crossbars for an Acura MDX are too wide for the clamps on my Thule box. I guess you could call it a system but you have to buy a crossbar of some sort for your car anyways since Camrys don't come with factory racks. The universal racks that fit on windows and/or gutters are usually pretty crappy. I had a Bic rack for my Honda that left wear marks on the roof because it had a rubber contact patch on all four corners. Plus, you could remove it with a pair of scissors since it used glorified bungee cords as a retention mechanism. Try your Toyota dealer to see what they offer. You might be surprised. The racks at my BMW dealer were way cheaper than Yakima or Thule.

We need a Bomber outing to this restaurant. "Hey, meester...the women...how much?"

Really, an exposed racking system is going to tempt the thief. Even if they don't get the boards/skis, they're gonna mess up your car, boards or rack in the attempt. I don't transport in anything but a rooftop box. I don't even leave my boards in the back of the truck because I don't want some dirtbag smashing a window to get them.

Guys. He's yanking our chain.

Nice try.

Pistol Pete. The best I've ever seen.

I was at an overly long, excruciatingly boring school concert this evening and I started virtual carving. I imagined myself really cranking a heelside and grabbing the edge of the board. Then I started linking turns. After a half dozen runs, I opened my eyes to find my wife glaring at me with that "what the hell are you doing" look. She said later I was swaying my body and it definitely wasn't to the music. Should I seek help?

For every Anthony Mundine, there are 10 Marc Gastineaus.

I remember Hank Lammens. NHL Totals GP:27 G:1 A:2 PTS:3 PIMS:22 That was on a pathetic Ottawa Senators team too.

I was there 14 years ago and much has changed but I'll throw in a few tips. Stay in the mountains. We stayed in an eco-lodge near Lake Arenal. It was fantastic. We would grab a cup of coffee, sit on the porch and watch toucans fly by every morning. The coast is so hot, you won't be able to breathe. I guess it depends on the time of year. We were there in March. The only bonus is that the water is super-warm. CR is supposed to be the best place to learn to surf because of the warm water and lack of coral reefs. I'm planning to go there in a year and stay in Playa Hermosa / Jaco region. Lots of small, surfer-friendly hotels and guest houses there. San Jose is a hell-hole. Land and get out as fast as you can. CR has terrible roads so don't plan too much travel. It took 4 hours to go from our lodge to the beach. I think it was about 80kms. Arenal is cool if you've never seen a volcano. But I swear the whole area just smells of impending disaster. We stopped for a swim in one of the hot rivers in the area, then I learned later that it was directly in the path of the last big eruption. If all the birds go quiet suddenly and dogs start barking like mad, get in your car and drive like hell. The people were great. Super friendly and no one was out to rip us off like so many other tourist destinations. This part may have changed. Good luck and post a report when you get back.

pebu: Was that a *credit* course?

Heiden also tried hockey in Europe. He was actually not a bad puck handler but he couldn't turn right.

How does that affect the value of a Jays-Sox game?

Definitely more the exception than the rule. I know many expert skiers who tried snowboarding once and only once.

How old is he? Has he even seen the jumps on an Olympic level course? No sane adult is going to hit those at full speed. You have to learn to do that when you're 14 and made of rubber. I'm taking bets that the guy is a complete bust. Like Allee says, SBX favours the big guy, not someone built like Prince. It cracks me up when an athlete thinks he can just transition from one sport to another. They almost always fail. Michael Jordan, Grant Fuhr (hasn't made a dime as a pro golfer), all the track athletes who try to play pro football. Pure hubris.

Who is this guy? do you know him? I'm careful about buying tickets ever since a friend of mine got hosed with counterfeits at MSG.

Thanks for all the info and the offer RDY. I have a few months to make plans. Gotta figure out how I'm gonna get golf clubs and snowboards on the plane.

What if I told you that Blue Jay fans hate the Yankees almost as much as Red Sox fans?

I'm looking for four tickets to the Red Sox/Blue Jays game on July 12 or 13. Can anyone recommend a ticket broker? Is eBay the best way to get tix? And what section do you recommend where we can soak in the ambiance and not get soaked with beer - we'll be sporting full Blue Jays regalia.

If you get the Mac Mini and rip all your DVDs to your Movies folder, then you use Front Row software to playback. It's so simple, even a 1.5 year old could use it. The only problem I can see is the size of the remote. It's pretty darned small and easily lost. You might want to glue a leash to it. Front Row and the Apple Remote are clear winners when it comes to interface and ease of use when compared to the stuff that ships with Windows Media PCs.