JAY KERR HAS BEEN ADMIRING FINE CARS since he was a young boy. Jay had several experiences that solidified his lifelong love of fine cars. As a boy, he recalls a trip with his father to check out Leny’s Auto on Dupont Street in Downtown Toronto. The visit introduced him to super cars like the Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari Testarossa. Spending that morning perusing the specimens had him imagining what it might be like to own one of his own. However as impressive as those were, the Porsche brand also took hold in a young Jay’s imagination.
One day a 911 Turbo drove down his street. Jay recalls “I don’t think I had seen many cars so beautiful!” He was so enthralled that he immediately hopped on his bike to give chase, doing his best to not lose sight of it. Jay lucked out as the car pulled into a nearby driveway. He stopped in and promptly asked the driver if he could look the beauty over. The owner graciously let him look around. Jay remembers being able to “…smell the heat coming off the rear engine.” From that moment, he was in love.
Jay also remembers another local neighbour that always had a pair of Porsches parked in the driveway. A blue, 911 Cabriolet and white 944. “Something about the lines of the 944 with the long front end and wide wheel arches have always made me love that car. To me, the 944 is the underdog of the Porsche world. And who doesn’t love an underdog!”
While dreams of the 944 lingered, Jay worked his way through some other coveted wheels; first with an Austin Mini and then a prized Alfa Romeo 4C which he really enjoyed. But he recently found the Alfa wasn’t getting much use. He decided in May 2019 to finally start a concerted search for the 944 of his dreams.
It surprised Jay how quickly the dream became reality. The Auto Trader search took but a week or so. After a brief look over a red 944 in need of some serious cosmetic work, he chanced upon a new listing for what appeared to be a mint condition white 1986 944. He called the owner immediately to arrange a viewing. The owner said he could come the next morning. One problem however, he was scheduled to work but Jay had a very gracious boss who granted him the day off.
When he and his parents pulled up to the owner’s condo, Jay immediately fell in love. It had the classic phone dial wheels, a recent respray of white paint and looked gorgeous. With a more than reasonable price tag, Jay found himself the owner of his first Porsche that day. While he has updated a few cosmetic items and changed the front lower control arm, he says “It rides like a dream.”
Jay now finds himself scouring the classifieds for 911s and other Porsches. ‘I’m hooked,’ he says. “The drive, the sound, the feel, I am a new convert. I don’t know how much longer I’ll have the Alfa, that’s for sure!”
Welcome to the club, Jay!
Send your Porschephile story to: Jillian Weir at editor@pcaucr.org
Story by Jillian Weir, Porschephile Editor, photos by Jay Kerr, UCR Member
