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Manuel characterizes the Calaway approach to maintenance as “by the book, and then some.” Not only was he diligent about routine work, but he had developed a list of items he wanted replaced at specific intervals, regardless of their current condition: wheel bearings, clutch cable, soft parts in the braking system, suspension bushings, and even the electronic ignition box. And Manuel changed them as requested. Calaway had even calculated the life-span of such items as the engine wiring harness. “On top of that, he would always say ‘anything you see it needs, just do it. Don’t worry about the cost.’” While this kind of fanatical attention might seem a prescription for both madness and poverty, the results speak for themselves. Over the past 38 years, the T has been driven more than 831,000 miles with nary a major problem nor a breakdown. Its engine has been rebuilt three times over the years, and the gearbox has been gone through twice. Even so, the T remains a “matching numbers” car, as the original crankcase halves, cylinder heads, crankshaft, and connecting rods are still in use. Cosmetically, the T has fared well. It has been repainted twice, reupholstered once. These were occasions when Calaway’s meticulous streak really showed: out came all window glass and trim, out — at least on the last occasion in 1996 — came the engine. All sealing rubber was replaced and the result was a car that, simply stated, looked like new, even upon very close inspection. Somewhere around the 650,000-mile mark, the proud owner composed and sent a letter to Porsche Cars North America, advising them of his satisfaction with one of their products. PCNA responded by presenting Calaway with a handsome plaque attesting to his loyalty to the marque. Bill Manuel closed his shop in 1995 but didn’t cut his ties with Porsche. He currently supervises the service department at Rusnak Porsche in Pasadena, California. Eventually, Jack Calaway left Southern California and moved to Oregon. Even so, owner and mechanic stayed in touch — with Calaway telling Manuel at one point “you must have thought I was crazy, spending all that money on the car. But it is an old friend.” They discussed the right brand of tires to put on the narrow wheels in order to maintain original handling characteristics and other detail work necessary to keep the car just as it was in 1970. Jack Calaway died in November of 2007, leaving behind a library of more than 4,000 books about his passions and his “time-machine” 911. Shortly thereafter, Manuel was surprised to receive a call from the executor of the estate informing him that the 911T was bequeathed to him in Calaway’s will. “I’ve never owned a Porsche,” says Manuel. “When I heard about Jack’s death, I wondered what would happen to the car and hoped he had made some provision for its care. But I had no idea it would come to me.” The prospect of bringing it down from Oregon in wintry conditions was not appealing, so Manuel arranged to have the T delivered to San Francisco, then drove it home to Southern California. Fortunately, the T had been well maintained right to the end, according to Manuel. “It’s the closest thing to driving a new 1970 Porsche,” he opines. “The suspension, steering, and engine are all tight and responsive, just the way they were many years ago.” If such a thing is possible, the T looks more impressive in person than it does in photos, and still gives off more than a hint of that new-car smell. It starts with a single twist of the ignition key and doesn’t smoke or make any unwanted noises. Now the “daunting responsibility” —as he describes it — of keeping the T in pristine condition descends on Manuel. He drives it regularly, and has no intention of turning it into a museum piece or deviating from any of the dicta laid down by Jack Calaway in terms of originality or attention to the finicky details that separate a lovingly maintained jewel from just another old car. One change is planned, though: the original radio failed many years ago and was replaced by a newer Alpine unit. Manuel is looking for a proper Frankfurt to put in its place. Jack Calaway would have liked that. Manuel finds the experience of owning so unique a machine great fun. “I drive new Porsches all the time at work and they’re great,” he says. “But every time I do drive one, I look forward to getting back into the T.” 
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