Sam White: My Dad bought a Porsche 911 the week I was born - and now I've got it! S5E3

[00:00:00] Welcome to My Dads Car, enjoy!

[00:00:12] Welcome to My Dads Car, a podcast discussing our personal relationship with automotive nostalgia.

[00:00:18] And you know what? It doesn't even have to be about your dad's car. It can be your mum's, your grand's, your parents, guardians or even a neighbour's.

[00:00:26] If it made an impression, let's talk about it.

[00:00:33] How are we doing? Hello.

[00:00:35] You can hear me, I can hear you. That's all that matters.

[00:00:39] Hold that thought just a second, someone's phoning me, I don't know whether it's this chap.

[00:00:43] There he is. Very fast.

[00:00:45] That telephone call may or may not have had anything to do with Sam appearing on our chat.

[00:00:49] Nice, Sam. How are we doing?

[00:00:51] Hi gents, really sorry about that. I was frantically searching through the wrong inbox, which is real school wearer.

[00:00:58] It happens, it's one of those things.

[00:01:00] I spent ages in a pub a few months ago actually with some friends frantically looking for a discount voucher, much to the waitress' annoyance.

[00:01:07] And that was in the wrong inbox.

[00:01:09] Oh, they also get funny if you don't ask at the start of the meal for some reason.

[00:01:13] I don't know why that would make a difference, but they do often get funny about that.

[00:01:16] Yeah, yeah.

[00:01:17] Ends up expiring Andy by the time you find it.

[00:01:19] Yeah, I got it in the end.

[00:01:22] Yeah, I did feel quite, there was three of us all going through phones looking for it.

[00:01:26] And she was about 20 years our junior.

[00:01:28] Right.

[00:01:28] So we just felt like old men.

[00:01:30] Yeah, sure, sure.

[00:01:31] Who are unable to use the mobile phones.

[00:01:34] I don't have that excuse unfortunately.

[00:01:37] Well you don't have a phone or you're not an old man?

[00:01:39] Well, a bit of both to be honest.

[00:01:41] I've deleted most of social media off my phone, so I feel very much out of the loop now.

[00:01:46] But it's a nice way to be actually once you get used to it.

[00:01:48] Yeah.

[00:01:48] Yeah.

[00:01:48] I don't even read the news.

[00:01:50] I didn't even know about the whole general election thing until my mum told me.

[00:01:52] And I was like, oh, right, okay.

[00:01:53] Nice.

[00:01:54] Yeah, good way to be I guess.

[00:01:55] Off grid.

[00:01:56] Yeah, sure.

[00:01:57] So yeah, quick one.

[00:01:58] We're joined by Sam White today, who you do something with watches.

[00:02:02] Do you want to kind of give yourself a quick introduction and a shout out?

[00:02:06] Yeah, sure.

[00:02:06] Yeah, yeah.

[00:02:07] Thanks a lot for that opportunity.

[00:02:08] I mean, firstly, yeah, thanks a lot for having me on the podcast.

[00:02:11] My day job is as a mechanical engineer, which very much inspired by interesting cars and

[00:02:18] growing up cars, but I'm sure we'll get onto that.

[00:02:19] And then on the side at the moment, I've founded a watch company with a friend and we produce

[00:02:25] additively manufactured watches.

[00:02:27] So additive manufacturing is the sort of industry term for 3D printing.

[00:02:32] Okay.

[00:02:33] And we often use the words additive manufacturing, because when you think 3D printing, you often

[00:02:37] associate it with sort of hobbyist desktop polymer based printers, whereas we're doing

[00:02:43] metal 3D printing using a process called laser powder bed fusion, which is really interesting.

[00:02:49] And we produce the cases that way.

[00:02:52] And then we buy in the movements.

[00:02:54] We also have the dials manufactured here, and it all goes together in England.

[00:02:59] And then we're launching for general sale in a week actually.

[00:03:02] Oh, wow.

[00:03:03] Okay.

[00:03:03] Yeah.

[00:03:04] So yeah, it's our first big week.

[00:03:07] And as well as the additive manufacturing side of things, our other big thing is trying

[00:03:12] to be a British brand, but in the truest sense and actually manufacture everything that we're

[00:03:16] able to manufacture in the UK, we do.

[00:03:19] Nice.

[00:03:19] Whereabouts are you based, Sam?

[00:03:21] I'm in Brixton at the moment.

[00:03:22] Oh, okay.

[00:03:23] Right.

[00:03:24] And then my mate who I founded it with is over in Ellsfield.

[00:03:28] So yeah, we're nearby to each other.

[00:03:30] So yeah, works out well.

[00:03:31] Nice.

[00:03:31] And yeah, where can people find you?

[00:03:33] And if they want to buy your watch, is it kind of online?

[00:03:36] Sure.

[00:03:37] Yeah.

[00:03:37] Yeah.

[00:03:37] Sorry.

[00:03:37] I missed the most important bit there.

[00:03:39] Thanks.

[00:03:39] Thanks for that.

[00:03:40] Yeah.

[00:03:40] It's a p i a r.co.uk.

[00:03:42] And that's a p i a r.co.uk.

[00:03:45] Oh, cool.

[00:03:46] Does it mean anything?

[00:03:48] The word?

[00:03:49] Yeah.

[00:03:49] So I'm complete tangent.

[00:03:52] Yeah.

[00:03:52] Really, really good question.

[00:03:54] Um, so with 3d printing or additive manufacturing, there's no need to print a completely solid part.

[00:04:01] So often they basically skeletonized solid parts and it's known as latticing in industry.

[00:04:07] And we were thinking, where do they already do that?

[00:04:10] And as with lots of engineering things, nature has already done it and done it really well.

[00:04:14] So we sort of thought, oh, honeycomb is sort of a naturally occurring lattice.

[00:04:18] Uh, and then Latin for B is a piss.

[00:04:21] Ah, yeah.

[00:04:21] Okay.

[00:04:22] We thought we can't call our brand a piss.

[00:04:24] So, uh, Matt then thought, oh, well, you know, a piss, a puree, you know, so we went

[00:04:29] in the apia.

[00:04:30] Cool.

[00:04:30] Nice.

[00:04:31] Makes sense.

[00:04:32] Yeah.

[00:04:32] And I think I got in touch with you through, was it Johnny at classic retrofit?

[00:04:37] Yes.

[00:04:38] Yeah.

[00:04:39] And he posted a picture up of your car.

[00:04:41] Yeah.

[00:04:41] Yeah.

[00:04:41] Turns out it belonged to your father or your grandfather or something.

[00:04:45] And, um, yeah, my father.

[00:04:47] Yeah.

[00:04:47] Yeah.

[00:04:47] I mean the Porsche journey started with my grandfather, but yeah, that car was bought

[00:04:51] by my dad.

[00:04:52] Um, the same week I was born actually.

[00:04:54] So it was a bit of a celebration.

[00:04:55] Oh yeah.

[00:04:56] Well, um, we'll get to that in a minute.

[00:04:58] Let's, um, kick things off for me and, um, ask you what your earliest car memory is.

[00:05:02] Ooh.

[00:05:03] Um, I think it would probably be, and I don't know whether I actually remember this or if

[00:05:09] this is a bit of, I know this happened.

[00:05:11] And so manufacturing memory, but probably falling asleep in the back of his 9-11.

[00:05:17] So if I couldn't sleep in the night, which makes no sense because the 9-11 is very loud.

[00:05:22] He would take me out in the 9-11.

[00:05:24] I'd go in the back seat there cause obviously it's a two plus two, isn't it?

[00:05:28] And then just drift off there.

[00:05:29] It's a much more enjoyable task when you've got a 9-11 versus like a, uh, a Zephyr or

[00:05:34] something like that, isn't it?

[00:05:35] I reckon.

[00:05:36] Sure.

[00:05:36] Yeah.

[00:05:37] Yeah.

[00:05:38] And then as well as that, probably, probably there was this, um, road near my house where

[00:05:44] I grew up and we call it Wolfwood, which didn't make much sense cause there are no wolves there.

[00:05:49] But anyway, when you're a young kid, this road goes straight through some dense woodland

[00:05:53] on either side.

[00:05:54] So we sort of imagined ours probably wolves there at night.

[00:05:56] And anyway, so we call it Wolfwood and that road is arrow straight, 60 miles an hour.

[00:06:01] And when they retarmacked it, it was just perfect.

[00:06:04] And it was being in the back of the car with the roof off and dad just absolutely flooring

[00:06:10] it, you know, 6,000 RPM every, every gear that, that, yeah, that was incredible.

[00:06:15] That was absolutely incredible.

[00:06:17] So obviously you drew reference to the Porsche.

[00:06:19] Yeah.

[00:06:20] Um, is it, it's a Cabral is it or a Targa?

[00:06:22] Targa.

[00:06:23] Yeah.

[00:06:23] Targa.

[00:06:24] Um, 73 T, but we've done quite a lot to it.

[00:06:28] Yeah.

[00:06:28] It's no longer just a standard T.

[00:06:29] And what color?

[00:06:30] Uh, yellow.

[00:06:30] So I think I'm trying to remember if it's sunset yellow or canary yellow.

[00:06:35] I definitely should know that I'm earing towards the latter.

[00:06:38] And was that the family car or did you have a kind of a sensible sort of car?

[00:06:43] Cause obviously clever dad chooses to take you around the block.

[00:06:45] It's a Porsche obviously to drift off, but yeah, was there a Cortina or a Cavalier or whatever

[00:06:50] on the driveway?

[00:06:51] I think he tried to make it the family car.

[00:06:53] I don't think that worked out because mom would often with starting it, you sort of have

[00:06:59] to give it a little bit of gas.

[00:07:00] Cause obviously Weber carbs don't have a choke.

[00:07:02] So you get over that by giving it a bit of gas and she would sometimes overdo it, which

[00:07:07] would flood it.

[00:07:08] Um, so we tried that and then that didn't quite work out.

[00:07:10] So I think from my grandpa, we got, it was a green Vauxhall Astra.

[00:07:16] I think it was an Astra.

[00:07:18] Okay.

[00:07:18] But yeah, that was the family car.

[00:07:20] And then what was great was my mom worked for Avis car rental.

[00:07:23] Okay.

[00:07:24] So she effectively got a new car every six months.

[00:07:27] Nice.

[00:07:27] Which for me loving cars as a kid was incredible.

[00:07:30] Was it just yourself in the back, Sam?

[00:07:32] On sort of journeys and stuff.

[00:07:33] Have you got any brothers or sisters?

[00:07:34] Younger brother.

[00:07:35] Yeah.

[00:07:35] He's a, yeah.

[00:07:36] Three years younger.

[00:07:38] It's funny actually.

[00:07:39] When I think back to it, I think it was mainly just dad and me.

[00:07:42] My brother, Aaron was always, um, sort of interested, but not quite as obsessed.

[00:07:48] Mm hmm.

[00:07:48] So I think, yeah, it was mainly just the two of us.

[00:07:50] And to answer your initial question, yeah, the family car was probably a Vauxhall.

[00:07:54] Fair enough.

[00:07:54] And what was your dad doing?

[00:07:56] What was his role?

[00:07:57] Did he drive for work or?

[00:07:58] He, he commuted in it for the first few years, but mainly it was just him doing little jobs

[00:08:05] on it on the weekends, uh, which mom really wasn't happy about because obviously he bought

[00:08:09] it the week I was born.

[00:08:10] So when he should have been looking after me, he was under his car, which is sort of a classic,

[00:08:16] you know, sort of story imagine.

[00:08:18] But yeah, that, that was very much the case.

[00:08:20] Yeah.

[00:08:20] Yeah.

[00:08:21] And he was slowly doing jobs on it, but then realized he was a bit out of his depth.

[00:08:25] And there was someone who lived literally five minute walk, a chap called Laurie Davidson.

[00:08:33] And one morning he was walking past my dad, just as he was getting the car out to go to

[00:08:38] work.

[00:08:39] Okay.

[00:08:39] And they sort of struck up a conversation.

[00:08:41] It turns out Laurie had his own nine 11 and was also a really competent, uh, bodywork

[00:08:46] guy.

[00:08:46] So then he, he slowly, uh, took it right back to its shell and restored it.

[00:08:52] Nice.

[00:08:52] I think it took a couple of years.

[00:08:54] Yeah.

[00:08:54] Yeah.

[00:08:54] And then Chris Turner, uh, who was big in DDK, sadly, no longer with us.

[00:09:00] Uh, he had a garage in, uh, near Wilson junction.

[00:09:04] And then he did a lot of the, a lot of the engine side.

[00:09:07] Was it a, um, just kind of thinking, had he already got this deal lined up prior to you

[00:09:12] being born?

[00:09:12] And it just so happened he picked up the week later, or he was twiddling his thumbs at home

[00:09:16] on paternity leave.

[00:09:17] And it was like, Oh, I'm going to buy a car.

[00:09:18] I think it was probably the latter.

[00:09:21] Yeah.

[00:09:21] I, I, I think it was, he was sort of thinking about it and then had that sudden realization.

[00:09:26] Oh my word.

[00:09:27] I'm going to have a child.

[00:09:30] I'm going to not be able to do loads of things that I want to do.

[00:09:32] This is my last chance to really go and buy something and not get in huge amounts of

[00:09:37] trouble and just went for it.

[00:09:38] Do you know if you were overdue or premature at all, son?

[00:09:40] That's a good question.

[00:09:41] I think, I think a little bit overdue.

[00:09:43] I think a little bit overdue because I remember being, I mean, this is really getting into

[00:09:46] it.

[00:09:46] I bet your dad was looking at the calendar, wasn't he?

[00:09:49] Yeah.

[00:09:50] Yeah.

[00:09:52] Yeah.

[00:09:52] Yeah.

[00:09:53] I think overdue, I think I was quite heavy.

[00:09:54] So yeah, probably overdue.

[00:09:56] Yeah.

[00:09:56] Yeah.

[00:09:56] It's not a question we always ask that one.

[00:09:58] Yeah.

[00:09:59] Yeah.

[00:10:00] Well, I see the relevance, definitely.

[00:10:02] Do you know where he got it from?

[00:10:03] I'm guessing it wasn't new when he bought it.

[00:10:05] So it was, it was over in Italy.

[00:10:10] He didn't go to Italy as well.

[00:10:12] No, no.

[00:10:12] Sorry, love, I'm off.

[00:10:14] Just got to get a car.

[00:10:14] No, he couldn't quite swing that one.

[00:10:17] No.

[00:10:17] Um, so as I understand it, it was owned by a lady in Italy who used it as her daily.

[00:10:25] And I think she specked it out quite well when she first bought it.

[00:10:28] So he went for the target, uh, had a lot of specs.

[00:10:31] And I think that was more of a sort of daily driver for her.

[00:10:35] And then it went from her to, I don't want to say a racing team, but there are quite a

[00:10:41] few photos that he has of it, you know, with various liveries on.

[00:10:44] So it had done some sort of racing.

[00:10:47] And then Nick four, who I think is an ex Porsche works driver.

[00:10:53] I don't want to be quoted on that, but had some sort of background in motorsport.

[00:10:58] Um, I think after being a most sport driver, he went into import and export of Porsches,

[00:11:04] uh, and found the car over in Italy, exported it over to the UK and then dad bought it off Nick four.

[00:11:10] Okay.

[00:11:10] Presumably this would be a left hand drive vehicle with it.

[00:11:13] If it's yeah, exactly.

[00:11:14] Exactly.

[00:11:15] Yeah.

[00:11:15] But it's been all right.

[00:11:17] It makes overtaking a little bit tricky.

[00:11:19] I mean, if I've got my brother riding shotgun, then I tend to trust him.

[00:11:22] But, uh, if I'm taking someone else out for a drive, I don't risk the overtakes.

[00:11:27] And is your father still around?

[00:11:28] Yes.

[00:11:29] Yeah.

[00:11:29] Yeah.

[00:11:29] Yeah.

[00:11:30] So he it's, it's, it's odd actually, cause he had a huge amount of enjoyment out of it over

[00:11:35] the years, drove it all the time.

[00:11:37] Sam absolutely loved it, but he always said, well, the salmon will go to you and your brother,

[00:11:41] you know, which is so kind.

[00:11:44] And, you know, we worked on the weekends, but it was always a view to, you know, as soon

[00:11:47] as you turn 18, Sam, as soon as you can get insurance on it, you're going to be driving

[00:11:51] it and it will, and it will be, be effectively yours.

[00:11:53] Wow.

[00:11:53] And he's absolutely stuck to that promise, which is hugely appreciated.

[00:11:57] So he hardly ever drives it now.

[00:11:59] I obviously keep it at my parents' house, but I'm the main driver of it, which is amazing.

[00:12:02] That's cool.

[00:12:03] Has he ended up with other toys?

[00:12:05] Has he kind of got other stuff to kind of mess about with?

[00:12:07] Yeah.

[00:12:07] So he's got a little one, two, five motor goods bike.

[00:12:12] So he does little bits and bobs on that, but he's not got like a big project yet, which

[00:12:17] he's very much, you know, if I'm ever at my parents' house, when we're watching TV,

[00:12:21] I can see him on his phone.

[00:12:22] And at the moment is his big thing is he wants to get a 904 kit car.

[00:12:27] Okay.

[00:12:28] Something like 904 replica, or I always forget the model number, not the Bergschweider.

[00:12:35] 718 or 550?

[00:12:37] 718, I think.

[00:12:38] And 718 is a bit sort of shorty and pointy.

[00:12:41] Yeah.

[00:12:42] Yeah.

[00:12:42] Or a replica of that.

[00:12:43] And I think the dream is he and mom are going to move a bit further out, get a proper

[00:12:48] double garage because at the minute we've got quite a small single garage, get a proper

[00:12:51] double garage.

[00:12:52] And then I can go down every other weekend and he and I can work on that sort of replica

[00:12:56] together or a kit car or something like that.

[00:12:58] Cool.

[00:12:59] Sounds like fun.

[00:13:00] Yeah.

[00:13:00] Yeah.

[00:13:01] Yeah.

[00:13:01] Really looking forward to it.

[00:13:02] Yeah.

[00:13:04] And you're in the car.

[00:13:06] Yeah.

[00:13:07] Your mom drove.

[00:13:07] Did she have the radio on and or tapes or whatever?

[00:13:10] Well, it was always exciting to go with dad because we were allowed to have the music

[00:13:15] a lot louder.

[00:13:16] Okay.

[00:13:16] And I remember my mom would never want the music on because she'd be, you know, trying

[00:13:20] to concentrate or whatever.

[00:13:22] And I didn't want to get any crashes with the kids in the car.

[00:13:24] She was quite a careful driver.

[00:13:26] I remember I got a lift back with one of my mate's mums when I was at school and she

[00:13:30] would let them blare out the music.

[00:13:32] I was like, why doesn't my mom?

[00:13:33] And they gave me chewing gum as well.

[00:13:35] So I got to have chewing gum for the first time.

[00:13:37] Blare out.

[00:13:38] I don't know, whatever it was, probably S Club 7 or something.

[00:13:40] Take your seat belts off boys.

[00:13:44] Sit in the boot.

[00:13:44] Yeah.

[00:13:45] Yeah.

[00:13:45] Yeah.

[00:13:45] Yeah.

[00:13:46] I couldn't believe it.

[00:13:48] Want to drive?

[00:13:48] Yeah.

[00:13:50] And then I go back to my mom and it's like, you know, child seats, everything strapped

[00:13:56] in all very, you know, wasn't allowed in the front, even with a child seat and all very,

[00:14:02] you know, straight laced.

[00:14:03] So dad was always the one where we could really, you know, turn the music up, have a bit more

[00:14:08] fun.

[00:14:08] He'd drive a bit quicker.

[00:14:09] That sort of stuff.

[00:14:10] Nice.

[00:14:11] Yeah.

[00:14:11] Yeah.

[00:14:11] Your mom went through a spate of cars.

[00:14:13] Did the Porsche kind of have a period of time where that wasn't kind of your dad's car?

[00:14:17] So is he kind of parked that up and kind of got something as a sensible driver or?

[00:14:21] Not really.

[00:14:22] He's quite an impatient driver at times.

[00:14:24] So I don't think he really likes driving for what's the word?

[00:14:28] What would be the opposite of pleasure?

[00:14:29] Utility?

[00:14:30] Yeah.

[00:14:31] Necessity.

[00:14:32] Necessity.

[00:14:32] That's the word.

[00:14:33] Necessity.

[00:14:34] There we go.

[00:14:34] Yeah.

[00:14:35] So he would sort of during the week, like most people live in home counties would be on

[00:14:39] the train all the time.

[00:14:41] So I think come the weekend, if he was going to be on the roads, it would absolutely be

[00:14:45] in his 911 and it would be a decent time, no rush hour.

[00:14:49] And that would be sort of like his special time to relax.

[00:14:51] So he pretty much avoided it at all costs.

[00:14:53] Has he got quite a few miles on it then, that Porsche, Sam?

[00:14:55] Yeah.

[00:14:56] Yeah.

[00:14:57] Yeah.

[00:14:57] It's, I'm trying to think pre rebuild.

[00:15:01] It was definitely in the hundreds of thousands.

[00:15:04] Yeah.

[00:15:04] Oh, wow.

[00:15:04] I think it was 150,000 or something like that, but then that would have been kilometers.

[00:15:08] And it was since reset after it was rebuilt.

[00:15:11] It's currently about 50,000 kilometers, but the little plastic gear on the odometer was

[00:15:16] broken for quite a while.

[00:15:17] And I was a bit slower getting that fixed.

[00:15:20] So it's probably about 3000 more, which is obviously an issue if you're going to sell

[00:15:25] it, you know, you need that needs to be accurate, but I never, ever, ever sell it.

[00:15:28] So yeah, the odometer breaks, who cares really?

[00:15:31] Hmm.

[00:15:31] Any memorable journeys kind of as a family in the car?

[00:15:34] It doesn't necessarily have to be the 911 as such, or maybe after the Astras or?

[00:15:40] Um, I've got a story that always sticks to my mind because I just think it's so ridiculous.

[00:15:45] Um, I wasn't actually in the car, but when my dad was younger, my granddad bought a 928

[00:15:50] brand new.

[00:15:51] Nice.

[00:15:52] And for him, that was, you know, absolute dream come true.

[00:15:56] Like apparently the 928 at the time was pretty much the pinnacle of almost like a supercar

[00:16:00] at the time.

[00:16:01] It was, um, European car of the year in 1978.

[00:16:04] Right.

[00:16:04] I think the only time Porsche has been car of the year.

[00:16:06] Oh really?

[00:16:07] Oh, cool.

[00:16:07] And, um, yeah, obviously brought in as replacement to the 911.

[00:16:11] So yeah, it was big news.

[00:16:12] Awesome.

[00:16:12] Well, I'm not surprised.

[00:16:13] I mean, as I understand it, they're incredible cars, just a little bit over engineered.

[00:16:16] So nowadays they kind of a nightmare to maintain, but anyway, yeah.

[00:16:19] So I had one of those and then they'd had it for a few months and my, um, grandpa went

[00:16:25] to take it up the drive and it was snowing or icy or something and it wouldn't go up the

[00:16:30] drive.

[00:16:31] And he took it out to the dealership, really wound up.

[00:16:34] And the dealership understandably said, you know, you've bought a 928 here.

[00:16:37] This is not designed for going up a drive in the winter.

[00:16:40] If you, if you want it to do that, we can sell you some winter tires.

[00:16:43] Was it an auto?

[00:16:44] Oh, I don't know.

[00:16:45] I don't know.

[00:16:46] Yeah.

[00:16:46] I should find out.

[00:16:47] Cause I'm pretty sure rule of thumb in the snow is if you've got an auto, just stay

[00:16:50] indoors really.

[00:16:52] Yeah.

[00:16:53] Yeah.

[00:16:54] Yeah.

[00:16:54] A lot of them are 928.

[00:16:55] Yeah.

[00:16:56] I mean, it does seem ridiculous expecting it to do that, but anyway, and he got so well

[00:16:59] that he had to buy extra tires that he sold it back to the dealership the next day.

[00:17:04] I know.

[00:17:04] But I think that's probably why my dad was so intent on then getting a 911 just to sort of fill

[00:17:09] that void.

[00:17:11] So is your dad sort of strongly influenced by his dad then presumably with the car thing?

[00:17:17] Yeah, I'd say so.

[00:17:18] I'd say so.

[00:17:19] I think, I don't know if grandpa was a massive petrol head, but I think he always had sort

[00:17:25] of, you know, fairly nice cars, Jags, Porsches, that sort of stuff.

[00:17:28] So I think that probably led to it.

[00:17:30] Unfortunately now he's not as interested in cars because he's got a huge barn and you

[00:17:35] can just imagine the cars that he could have if that was his thing, but it's not.

[00:17:39] But yeah, I think, I think it probably definitely influenced my dad.

[00:17:42] Yeah.

[00:17:43] Fantastic.

[00:17:44] Do you remember kids at schools with interesting vehicles?

[00:17:47] Yes.

[00:17:48] Yeah.

[00:17:48] There was, well, my best friend at primary school, his mom had a Scirocco and that was

[00:17:54] really cool.

[00:17:55] And actually my mom had a Scirocco a few years back and I cannot understand why VW have

[00:18:01] discontinued it.

[00:18:02] I think they are excellent cars.

[00:18:03] Is this the new shape Scirocco or old, old Scirocco?

[00:18:06] I think it would have been, so it probably would have been when I was about 10, I want

[00:18:11] to say.

[00:18:12] So it's probably the newer shape by that point.

[00:18:15] Or the, yeah, the older one almost looks a bit like a DeLorean from Back to the Future.

[00:18:19] Right.

[00:18:19] Right.

[00:18:20] Like kind of square and angular from the eighties.

[00:18:22] A bit like a Stratos or something like that, or not quite that.

[00:18:26] Slightly bigger.

[00:18:27] Obviously the newer ones are a lot more rounded.

[00:18:29] Yeah.

[00:18:29] Yeah.

[00:18:30] I didn't know that they'd tinned it.

[00:18:32] Is that just due to a lack of sales then I assume?

[00:18:34] I guess it must be.

[00:18:35] Yeah.

[00:18:36] I never looked into it much, but I think, yeah, I think they've canned it.

[00:18:40] I mean, I guess maybe it didn't make sense so much in the context of the whole VW lineup,

[00:18:45] I guess with the Golf, they've got so many trim levels now, haven't they?

[00:18:48] It probably fills that kind of...

[00:18:50] What's the term that you use on it, Andy, for Scirocco?

[00:18:52] It's the cousin of the Golf or something like that, or I forget what you're calling it.

[00:18:56] It's a golf in a track suit.

[00:18:58] A golf in a track suit.

[00:18:59] Yeah.

[00:19:01] That's brilliant.

[00:19:02] Yeah, the Mark 1 and Mark 2 Scirocco.

[00:19:03] So Mark 1 Scirocco came out in 74, I think.

[00:19:06] And the Scirocco actually came out before the Golf, about six months before.

[00:19:11] Effectively as a test bed.

[00:19:12] It had basically the Golf running gear underneath.

[00:19:14] It just looked a bit sort of jazzier on the top.

[00:19:17] And then, yeah, even the Mark 2 Scirocco, which ran until 92, I think,

[00:19:20] that still had the same underpinnings as the Mark 1 Golf.

[00:19:24] It just looked kind of a little bit sportier and you drive them kind of lying down.

[00:19:29] They're quite interesting to drive.

[00:19:31] My cousin had one and he was 6'4".

[00:19:34] I think he kind of had to sort of tilt his head as he drives it because there was just

[00:19:37] such a lack of headroom.

[00:19:39] Yeah, quite fun.

[00:19:40] It does surprise me actually with the old 911s.

[00:19:43] Like I'm not tall at all, really.

[00:19:45] I'm 5'8", if I'm being generous.

[00:19:47] And when I sit in the 911, my head's almost above the seat, which does surprise me because

[00:19:52] I always thought that Germans were quite tall.

[00:19:54] I guess back in the 70s, it's not that long ago.

[00:19:57] So I think we were all pretty similar heights back then.

[00:19:59] You've probably got quite small headrests on those as well.

[00:20:02] Yeah.

[00:20:03] And cars of that period, if it's the 73 car, the Golfs for example, didn't even have headrests.

[00:20:08] Right.

[00:20:09] If you'd have had a whiplash injury and just lost your head, it'd just gone backwards

[00:20:12] and not come back again.

[00:20:14] Right, right.

[00:20:14] So yeah, they kind of worked their way through with sort of shorter headrests and then headrests

[00:20:20] have got bigger and bigger as the times have gone past.

[00:20:22] That reminds me actually, I remember at uni when we were learning about automotive design

[00:20:27] and we were learning that actually before they had universal joints on the steering column,

[00:20:31] the steering column was effectively just a shaft of metal.

[00:20:34] Yeah.

[00:20:34] So it would be a spear in a serious collision.

[00:20:37] It'd just impale you, yeah.

[00:20:39] Yeah.

[00:20:39] And that's why they introduced the universal joints and then had it sort of,

[00:20:44] meander a bit on its way up so that it would crumple in a collision rather than just be straight

[00:20:49] through the chest.

[00:20:50] Yeah.

[00:20:50] Amazing to think that you could just build a car back then with no real sort of thought

[00:20:55] to safety.

[00:20:56] Yeah.

[00:20:57] We just build it.

[00:20:58] Yeah.

[00:20:59] With a lot of the older cars, even if the steering column didn't get you,

[00:21:03] the wheels made out of wood and metal and you just kind of face plant that instead.

[00:21:07] And we're, yeah, from a safety point of view, spoiled aren't we now?

[00:21:11] Sure.

[00:21:11] Wrapped in bubble wrap and airbags and...

[00:21:14] Yeah, it's no fun anymore, is it?

[00:21:15] No.

[00:21:16] Padding and everything.

[00:21:17] Cheating really, isn't it?

[00:21:18] All this safety stuff.

[00:21:20] Yeah, sure.

[00:21:20] Yeah.

[00:21:21] Yeah.

[00:21:22] If we go back, Sam, I was going to say about when we touched on music that your dad had

[00:21:27] blaring out.

[00:21:27] Can you remember what any of that was or was the radio on at all?

[00:21:31] Maybe some sports and that sort of thing or anything?

[00:21:33] Yeah, definitely.

[00:21:34] Definitely.

[00:21:36] Never really sport, I don't think.

[00:21:38] And it was never really radio shows.

[00:21:40] Like it was always...

[00:21:41] I can't remember if it was radio or albums, but the one that definitely sticks out is Red

[00:21:45] Hot Chili Peppers because he got me a little, you know, like the little CD players that

[00:21:51] were portable.

[00:21:52] Yeah, yeah.

[00:21:53] I can't remember what the names was, but yeah, he got me that.

[00:21:55] Discman.

[00:21:56] There we go.

[00:21:56] That was what Sony called them, yeah.

[00:21:58] Thanks.

[00:21:59] Yeah.

[00:21:59] So I had one of those and then the first album he bought me was Red Hot Chili Peppers.

[00:22:05] Is it Californication?

[00:22:07] Or is that a single I'm thinking of?

[00:22:08] There might have been an album by the same name.

[00:22:10] Yeah, I can't remember.

[00:22:11] I'm not a huge, huge fan, but...

[00:22:13] No, me either.

[00:22:14] We're talking about around sort of year 2000, aren't we, I'd say with that.

[00:22:17] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:22:19] So anyway, yeah, so it was that album and that would go straight from my little disc player

[00:22:23] thing into the car.

[00:22:24] And then the other one was Nirvana and that was the album cover, you know, with the baby

[00:22:30] in the swimming pool.

[00:22:31] Yeah, yeah.

[00:22:32] And my favorite song, I mean, it's pretty much the song you think of when you think of Nirvana,

[00:22:36] but it smells like teen spirit.

[00:22:37] That was, that was, yeah, that was incredible.

[00:22:39] Yeah.

[00:22:39] Has the Porsche got a cassette player or anything like that in it?

[00:22:42] No, it might have done when I was really young, but then it went to just your standard like

[00:22:50] radio, but like a classic themed aftermarket one.

[00:22:54] And then after that, it went to, I remember Porsche brought out, I can't remember if they

[00:22:59] called it tech equipment or something like that.

[00:23:01] But anyway, it was, it was this aftermarket media player thing for, for the older cars

[00:23:07] that they would install for you.

[00:23:08] And that sort of had like a tiny little screen on and then it would also fold forward and

[00:23:13] then you could put a CD in.

[00:23:14] Oh, okay.

[00:23:15] And you could get Bluetooth on it, radio.

[00:23:17] You could even make calls on it, which was pretty cool.

[00:23:19] Nice.

[00:23:20] Hands-free calls.

[00:23:20] I suppose majority of the time it's just roof off and listen to the, uh, the sweet sound

[00:23:25] of the engine, isn't it?

[00:23:25] Oh yeah.

[00:23:26] Yeah.

[00:23:27] And that's, that was, that's the main, I'd say that's my favorite part about the car is

[00:23:32] the sound really.

[00:23:33] We've got a bit of a unorthodox exhaust on that.

[00:23:36] Not everybody approves of, but it's good fun.

[00:23:40] It's got six pipes.

[00:23:41] Oh really?

[00:23:42] Wow.

[00:23:43] It's funny.

[00:23:44] I sometimes Google the number play XGF 9 8 M and they normally come up when I Google

[00:23:51] that.

[00:23:52] Cause whenever I don't get to a car event, people think on my word, this exhaust is so

[00:23:55] stupid.

[00:23:56] Take a picture of it.

[00:23:58] And then it's normally on some forum somewhere.

[00:24:00] So yeah, if you want to see it, just search that up.

[00:24:03] Do you know the story behind it?

[00:24:04] Is this your kind of your father's doing or was this before he got it or?

[00:24:07] Well, yeah, I, I'm just imagining almost like a set of pan pipes poking out.

[00:24:12] Yeah.

[00:24:13] Yeah.

[00:24:13] Probably got them fitted, uh, the week your brother was being born, wasn't he?

[00:24:17] Yeah.

[00:24:18] Yeah.

[00:24:18] I mean, which would make sense because I think he was quite, he was quite allowed.

[00:24:22] So yeah.

[00:24:23] Yeah.

[00:24:23] Probably.

[00:24:24] Um, so we thought, we thought it was an answer exhaust, but I don't think it is.

[00:24:30] I think it's actually an, I think if you're Italian, a bath or if you're English, a bath.

[00:24:36] Yeah.

[00:24:36] Yeah.

[00:24:36] And I only know that cause I posted it in the DDK forum and someone had a brochure from

[00:24:41] when a bath were making aftermarket exhausts, one of which is four and nine 11.

[00:24:46] And it looks like it might've been one of those.

[00:24:48] Okay.

[00:24:48] Yeah.

[00:24:49] And there's one other chap in California who has the same exhaust.

[00:24:53] That's where the internet's really good.

[00:24:54] Isn't it?

[00:24:55] Stuff like that.

[00:24:57] I know a bath did, um, they did exhaust for Beatles actually.

[00:25:00] And probably three, five, six.

[00:25:02] Okay.

[00:25:03] So the beta ones were four tip.

[00:25:04] Right.

[00:25:05] So it would make sense that they added extra pipes for additional cylinders.

[00:25:08] So yeah.

[00:25:09] Yeah.

[00:25:09] Yeah.

[00:25:09] I guess, um, it's, it's definitely a talking point, isn't it?

[00:25:12] And, um, definitely.

[00:25:13] Yeah.

[00:25:14] It might not be, I guess, to modern taste, but, um, no kind of a cool thing to keep on the

[00:25:18] car cause no one else has got one.

[00:25:19] And it's just the sound.

[00:25:21] You might think it's all for show because the six pipes don't go to individual cylinders.

[00:25:26] It's kind of the six little tailpipes, then go into a drum.

[00:25:29] Okay.

[00:25:30] It's fairly similar to the standard exhaust.

[00:25:33] And then from that, you've got the usual two pipes going into the, uh, bits near the heat

[00:25:37] exchangers cylinders.

[00:25:39] But it's hard to pin the performance gains to specifically the exhaust because there have

[00:25:45] been other things that have been done, but it's certainly adding some performance and

[00:25:50] the sound is just incredible.

[00:25:53] When it reaches to about 4,000 RPM, it kind of goes up an octave a bit on it.

[00:25:57] Yeah.

[00:25:58] There's nothing.

[00:25:59] The closest exhaust I've managed to find is by Scott, a French company.

[00:26:03] Okay.

[00:26:04] That's the closest I've been able to find in terms of sound.

[00:26:07] But, uh, I'd say it's, it's completely unique.

[00:26:10] Oh, brilliant.

[00:26:11] You have to send Andy some pictures.

[00:26:12] Oh yeah.

[00:26:13] Definitely.

[00:26:14] Yeah.

[00:26:15] Sounds good.

[00:26:16] So yeah.

[00:26:16] Any, any other friends with, uh, cars of interest or neighbors perhaps?

[00:26:21] Yes.

[00:26:21] Yeah.

[00:26:22] Neighbors.

[00:26:22] Yeah.

[00:26:23] There's.

[00:26:23] I'm speaking in terms of the neighbors with that, uh, six pipe construction.

[00:26:28] I think when my dad used to commute, he used to commute at 5 AM and that was a bit

[00:26:32] of a joke.

[00:26:33] And the neighbors did sort of speak to my mom was like, sort out.

[00:26:36] Really?

[00:26:37] Yeah.

[00:26:37] I know some motorcyclists, they'll sort of roll their bike out of the closest.

[00:26:41] I won't know if it's too early, but you can't really do that, I suppose, with a Porsche.

[00:26:45] No, no.

[00:26:47] So yeah.

[00:26:48] Then he did start getting the train.

[00:26:49] Yeah.

[00:26:50] So you're exactly right.

[00:26:51] I mean, it was, as soon as I exhaust went on, it was just taking the mic, you know?

[00:26:54] And I guess when you put an exhaust on like that, you can't claim it as a commuter car

[00:26:58] anymore.

[00:26:59] Like you've got no leg to stand on.

[00:27:01] No, but there was a chap with an AC Cobra, not an original, but an AC Cobra kit car nearby.

[00:27:09] Okay.

[00:27:09] And that was quite cool.

[00:27:10] Cause his drive, I remember has like a really thick hedge.

[00:27:14] And then when he came out, you'd like hear the engine start.

[00:27:16] And then you put these little wooden, you know, like sort of ramps to bridge between

[00:27:21] the curb and the tarmac.

[00:27:22] And then you just slowly see the back of it, like emerging out the hedge and then going

[00:27:27] down these.

[00:27:27] And that was always, that was really cool.

[00:27:29] What color was it?

[00:27:30] Blue.

[00:27:31] Yeah.

[00:27:32] A good friend of mine, his dad's got one actually, a blue Cobra kit, but yeah, nice

[00:27:36] one.

[00:27:36] He's taken me out on it.

[00:27:37] Well, he gets to borrow it off his dad sometimes.

[00:27:40] And yeah, you just watch the fuel gauge go down.

[00:27:42] It makes a great noise.

[00:27:44] Probably another one to annoy the neighbors, isn't it really?

[00:27:46] A Cobra.

[00:27:48] At least it, you know, gave us someone else to pin the blame on.

[00:27:51] Yeah.

[00:27:52] And I guess to ask the flat seats compared to a VA is, you know, you can't mistake them,

[00:27:55] but I guess to most people, it's just noise.

[00:27:58] Yeah.

[00:27:59] Definitely.

[00:28:00] So that would be the main, I mean, tractors, I've got a few tractor stories.

[00:28:04] How did you get involved with tractors?

[00:28:06] Um, a friend of mine has a farm up in, uh, Northumberland and we went up there about a

[00:28:12] year and a half ago.

[00:28:13] And, uh, dad was, you know, he sort of said, Sam, you know, you're, you're an engineer.

[00:28:18] You should sort of know your way around these things.

[00:28:20] Now keys ignition, just go and have fun with it.

[00:28:23] It's amazing.

[00:28:25] Um, so I sort of had free range of, uh, I don't know what model it is, but it was a big,

[00:28:30] massive Ferguson tractor.

[00:28:31] Nice.

[00:28:31] And that was awesome.

[00:28:32] Yeah.

[00:28:33] That was, that was brilliant.

[00:28:34] And then one to take off, isn't it?

[00:28:37] Yeah.

[00:28:37] Yeah.

[00:28:38] Yeah.

[00:28:38] I don't know why my brain went there, but, um, we had one near missing it, but it was,

[00:28:44] it was successful.

[00:28:44] Yeah.

[00:28:45] Yeah.

[00:28:45] Was this off road completely or did you take it out on the, uh, the open road?

[00:28:50] All off road.

[00:28:51] Yeah.

[00:28:51] Yeah.

[00:28:51] Okay.

[00:28:52] And it was sort of started out in fairly flat fields, but then there was, I dunno if you'd

[00:28:57] call it like the moors, but you know, fairly uneven terrain and about a mile from the farm,

[00:29:02] there was an old school, um, like abandoned school ruins.

[00:29:06] And we were going to go and drive over to there, but there was about six of us.

[00:29:13] So they all went in the train in the back and then I drove the tractor at the front.

[00:29:17] Okay.

[00:29:17] And, um, her dad sort of warned me is like, you know, the brakes aren't great.

[00:29:21] They're all right, but you know, just watch out cause they're not great.

[00:29:25] And then because of that, a lot of the breaking, I had to use the low range.

[00:29:28] But I remember as we came over the Browah Hill, I didn't put it into low range soon enough.

[00:29:34] Oh no.

[00:29:34] So literally as we went over the crest, I was in neutral going between high range and

[00:29:41] low range.

[00:29:42] Obviously then there's no resistance.

[00:29:44] It sort of got away from me a bit.

[00:29:46] And then I was going too fast to get it into low range.

[00:29:49] And that was seriously scary.

[00:29:51] Sounds terrifying.

[00:29:52] I think that's probably one of the scariest automotive moments I've ever had in my life,

[00:29:56] but it worked out all right.

[00:29:57] The brakes obviously were not great, but not terrible.

[00:29:59] So.

[00:30:00] Okay.

[00:30:00] What was at the other end?

[00:30:01] If you, if you weren't going to stop in time, just to.

[00:30:03] An old school.

[00:30:04] Yeah.

[00:30:05] Yeah.

[00:30:06] It was already ruined.

[00:30:07] So.

[00:30:08] Jeez.

[00:30:10] It was just lots of bumps.

[00:30:12] Trying to think how you describe it.

[00:30:13] Not sort of moreland, like sort of like Heath.

[00:30:16] Is it a tractor with like a cabin, Sam?

[00:30:18] Yeah.

[00:30:19] Okay.

[00:30:20] Right.

[00:30:20] Yeah.

[00:30:20] Yeah.

[00:30:21] Yeah.

[00:30:21] This was a big one.

[00:30:21] Right.

[00:30:22] And what did the passengers make of this?

[00:30:24] Did they think you were just winding them up?

[00:30:25] Lots of screams.

[00:30:26] Did they know you were scared or did they think you were just kind of having some fun?

[00:30:30] I guess it feels like you're going a lot faster than you are as well with all the bumps

[00:30:33] and the noise.

[00:30:35] Yeah.

[00:30:36] Obviously the trailer had no suspension or anything.

[00:30:38] So I, I mean, there were a few screams, but I don't know if it was like, oh, we're

[00:30:44] having fun on a roller coaster kind of screams or, oh my gosh, we're going to die.

[00:30:48] So it's screams, but I mean, all's well that ends well.

[00:30:53] Right.

[00:30:53] And we made it to the school and we made it back.

[00:30:55] So did everyone walk back or are they happy to get on there?

[00:31:00] Safe to say after that trip, no one got an attractor with me again.

[00:31:04] I think that, yeah, I think that's a cool place to leave it.

[00:31:07] So yeah.

[00:31:08] Yeah.

[00:31:09] Thank you very much, Sam.

[00:31:10] Brilliant.

[00:31:10] Good fun.

[00:31:11] Yeah.

[00:31:11] Some nice stories.

[00:31:12] Thanks.

[00:31:12] Thanks a lot for having me.

[00:31:13] Yeah.

[00:31:14] Brilliant.

[00:31:15] Yeah.

[00:31:15] And best of luck with the, with the watch launch.

[00:31:18] Thank you.

[00:31:19] I'd love to say we'll get this episode out next week to kind of coincide with it,

[00:31:22] but I've got loads of episodes to edit.

[00:31:24] Um, it won't happen, but, um,

[00:31:26] they sure want to hold your launch back by two months or something.

[00:31:31] No, I'm sure.

[00:31:32] I'm sure.

[00:31:33] I'm sure.

[00:31:33] I'm sure it will all line up.

[00:31:34] I don't think we're going to sell out that quickly.

[00:31:37] So, I mean, if we did amazing, but I'm sure, I'm sure it will at the time the podcast

[00:31:41] comes out, it'll still be very much relevant.

[00:31:43] Yeah.

[00:31:44] Cool.

[00:31:44] Thank you very much.

[00:31:45] Thanks, Sam.

[00:31:46] Thanks very much.

[00:31:47] Cheers.

[00:31:47] Great change.

[00:31:50] There we go.

[00:31:51] Very good.

[00:31:52] Short and sweet.

[00:31:52] That one.

[00:31:53] Yeah.

[00:31:54] There's some fairly unique tales in there, wasn't there?

[00:31:56] A bit of tractor, uh, driving and, uh, whatnot.

[00:31:59] Yeah.

[00:32:00] The tractor story was kind of not particularly, uh, my dad's related with it.

[00:32:04] Nostalgia as such, but definitely worth a mention.

[00:32:07] Yeah.

[00:32:08] I nearly killed my friends in a tractor.

[00:32:10] Yeah.

[00:32:11] But yeah, some nice stuff in there.

[00:32:13] I think he must be a bit younger than us.

[00:32:15] Yeah.

[00:32:15] When kind of talking about other stuff.

[00:32:17] Judging by the music and.

[00:32:18] Yeah.

[00:32:19] True.

[00:32:19] Um, non Mark one and Mark two.

[00:32:22] Yes.

[00:32:23] Yeah.

[00:32:23] But yeah, some nice stuff in there, obviously kind of focused quite a lot on the 9-11, but

[00:32:26] I think that's quite a cool story that, yeah, he's definitely now bought it the

[00:32:29] week after he was born.

[00:32:30] Yeah.

[00:32:31] And, um, yeah, some, some nice stuff, but obviously yeah.

[00:32:33] A shout out for the, uh, for the Voxelastra.

[00:32:36] Mm.

[00:32:37] And, uh, yeah.

[00:32:38] Shout out to the watch, uh, production.

[00:32:41] Oh yeah.

[00:32:42] Indeed.

[00:32:42] Yeah.

[00:32:42] For the whole watch game.

[00:32:44] So yeah, we'll, we'll obviously tag that.

[00:32:45] Was it a peer watches?

[00:32:46] Something like that, wasn't it?

[00:32:47] Yeah.

[00:32:48] Something to do with French for B.

[00:32:50] Indeed.

[00:32:51] So yeah, there we go.

[00:32:53] Nice little episode.

[00:32:53] Yeah.

[00:32:53] Thanks Sam for joining us.

[00:32:55] Cool.

[00:32:56] All right, mate.

[00:32:56] Have a good one.

[00:32:57] You too.

[00:32:58] And, um, wrap it up.

[00:33:01] Thank you for listening to My Dance Cart.

[00:33:05] I hope you enjoyed the show.

[00:33:08] Please support us.

[00:33:11] Buy us a copy and subscribe.

[00:33:14] And tell all your friends.