I was lucky enough to become the new caretaker of my first
911
, a '95 993 C2, in November of last year. I very quickly learned to love every minute I spent in the car!
In March of this year I was in turn unlucky enough to have some fairly serious front-end damage occur, through no fault of my own. Between wrangling with the party which caused the damage, their insurance, my insurance, and the repair process, I finally got the car back and on the road just last week.
I have a (very) long-term plan to make over my 993 as a RS tribute, so decided to pay for some "upgrades" as part of the repairs. To this end, the front bumper was replaced with the Euro spec part, RS front splitters were added, and modifications were made under the front hood to install the RS washer fluid tank and tubing and the RS hood strut (as the existing shocks were failing anyway). As a final detail the existing headlight washer nozzles were removed to complete the RS look.
As I had a business conference to attend in Asheville, NC last week, I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to take the refreshed car for a long drive and get reacquainted. The Blue Ridge Parkway offers a nearly perfect place for just such a drive. On my way to Asheville, I took Route 226A from Marion up to Little Switzerland (a wonderful driving road, if you ever have the chance) and then followed the Parkway all the way south to Asheville with a few stops for scenery including a trip up Mt. Mitchell, the tallest peak east of the Mississippi:
After the conference wrapped up mid-day on Friday, I got back on the Parkway and headed down to Mt. Pisgah for lunch at the great restaurant in the Pisgah Inn. Feeling the need to work off said lunch, I then laced up my boots and took off for a nearly 7 mile round-trip hike up Mt. Pisgah and back. On the way back down the mountain, I got caught out in the open in a driving rain storm with lightening crashing all around. Not something which has happened to me in a long time, and not fun! The picture below shows the weather, of course, on the mountain after I had returned to the car and changed into dry clothes:
After my hiking adventure I drove north back to Little Switzerland to spend the night in a great little spot called the Alpine Inn. As food is always a priority for me, I finished the evening by taking a short drive in the early evening up to the nearby town of Spruce Pine for a very tasty dinner.
I got up early on Saturday to watch the sunrise from the deck off my room, and then enjoyed a quick breakfast before leaving the Inn behind to once again head north on the Parkway. You can just make out Table Rock in the distance here:
The early morning drive was especially beautiful with cool temps, the morning light coming through the trees, and the fog hanging low in the valleys.
My next stop was Blowing Rock, for a short stroll through town and a bit of shopping looking for a gift for my wife's upcoming birthday. Upon returning to the car, I found it had been spending time with some good company. What a pretty car!
A few more stops were made along the way to see the always beautiful sights and scenes of the Parkway. One quick stop was to see Flat Top Manor, the home of Moses Cone, now located within Moses H Cone Memorial Park. Though in need of considerable maintenance and repair, it is still a very impressive house!
The final stretch of my drive was to continue following the Parkway north all the way to Fancy Gap, VA. I left the Parkway there and turned south on NC 52 and ultimately back to Raleigh. I had to make one last stop, however, at Pilot Mountain for a final hike to top off the trip.
In all I drove approximately 1000 miles and the car's performance was nearly flawless. The 993 is a true joy to drive, and now it looks even better IMO. I hope I will be able to have many more years and miles of fun drives with this car!
Thanks for the gorgeous photos, and the concise account of your journey. Best wishes for many happy miles of smiles with your 993.
Thanks for the great post and enjoy your
911
now that it is all sorted out.
I love these road trip posts!
I bet the sound of that air cooled, NA, flat 6 is mesmerizing !
Cheers
Thanks, Dave! Hope the GT4 is treating you well!
The sound is absolutely addictive!
