Livingthe Legend
James McGrath
Minneapolis, USA
@auto.amateur
Auto Amateur
Model 991.1 CARRERA
Year 2013
Acquired 2019
Although I have only been living my dream of owning 911s for the past four or five years, I have admired Porsches, the 911 in particular, for as long as I can remember. As much as I have enjoyed owning and driving cars over the past 20 years, it was only when I bought by first 911 in 2016 that I fell in love with cars and driving, becoming what many might recognise as an ‘enthusiast’. It really started by accident when I saw a ‘911 Buyer’s Guide’ edition of Total 911 magazine in a book store here in Minneapolis, quite randomly. The cover had several different 911s on it and they caught my eye. It quickly became my go-to read with my morning coffee for the next few months. I read that magazine so much it was tattered and worn by the time I decided it was time to seriously think about buying my first 911. I started my 911 journey with a Seal grey 2002 996.2 C4 Cabriolet that I purchased in Brea, CA, just outside of Los Angeles. I drove it home over two days, from California through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, all the way back to Minnesota. A year later I purchased a black 2006 997.1 C2 Coupe from Chicago and then this past summer I purchased my current Agate grey 2013 991.1 C2 from Riverside, CA, another Porsche hotspot just outside of LA.
Over the past few years of owning, maintaining and driving 911s I have opened myself up to a world I didn’t know existed. From fellow 911 drivers on the road who give you the nod or the wave of recognition as you drive past one another, to the folks who watch and comment on the YouTube channel I started shortly after purchasing my 996, to the fellow Porsche owners and other car enthusiasts here in the Twin Cities, many of whom have become very good friends of mine. I’m enthusiastic about the cars that I drive but I love this community that I’m now a part of and would have missed out on entirely if I had decided not to pick up that copy of Total 911 magazine. Now here I am writing my first piece for Total 911. My granddad Jim once told me to follow my passion and it will open up an exciting world of friendships and experiences. I think he was talking about me becoming a footballer for Liverpool, but I hope he’s looking down on me now and settling for this thrilling Plan B.
I’m blown away to have this opportunity to share my passion for 911s with the Total 911 community. From sharing the mods I make to my 911s, to the road trips I take with my local Porsche friends, to discussing all things 911, I’m really excited about the road ahead.
Phil Farrell
Cheshire, UK
@mllx8pjf
Model 996.2 C4
Year 2002
Acquired JULY 2019
It was unfortunate that the offer to write these short pieces came just a few weeks too late and I couldn’t therefore cover the original Fried Egg meet that I enjoyed so much. It was well covered at the time, but for those who missed it, the Fried Egg meets were set up by Lee Sibley as an opportunity for 996 owners to celebrate their cars together.
Having recently attended Part 2, it was great to again see so many beautifully kept examples of arguably Porsche’s least-loved
911. As ever, the morning started with a drive out with friends, this time through some inclement weather. Our destination was RPM Technik in Hertfordshire. Our group was lucky to have Andy Brookes (@993andy) and Joe Williams (@joewilliamsuk) acting as support vehicle in a 991 Carerra T, which meant we got great shots for the scrapbook/Instagram.
FE2 was the first time I’d been to any of the, what I would call, ‘leading’ independent dealers and I was seriously impressed. The cars for sale were all well prepped and the workshop was more like an operating theatre than a garage. Very much up there with what the service areas at
