Slipstream - February 2017

Kruder’s Cars & Conversations
By Debi Gibson, 914 Passenger
Photos courtesy of the Author
o what’s a Kitzbuhel?
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Read on to find out!
Well, most weekends
I’m asked that about
my newest 914 that putts along in
true 70s style. Debi is typically in
the passenger seat all bundled up,
enjoying the nostalgia of the old
radio and its vintage charm. So
this month, she asked if she could
interview the guy behind the wheel
and the author of the monthly
Kruder’s Cars and Conversations.
So here it goes -- we are putting this
month’s conversation in “reverse.”
The story as heard and narrated by
Debi Gibson . . .
Bill Kruder, owner 1971 914/4 and
1982 911SC, member since 1996
12 February
Debi Gibson: So it’s clear to most
how much you enjoy hanging with your
Porsches looking for any excuse to pick
up a box of donuts and hang with your
car and friends. When did you first realize
you had a passion for cars?
Bill Kruder: Well, my oldest sister
Sharon and husband Bill had a
‘68 Tangerine 912 when I was 17.
She used to take me out in it, and
one day she actually let me drive
it. I never forgot it! Guess it kinda
stuck.
It really got me into owning
sports cars . . . Fiats to MGs to VW’s.
I had a special love though for German
cars.
DG: Fitting with the last name
Kruder! When did your first Porsche
enter the story?
BK: It wasn’t until we moved
here to Dallas in 1994 that I decided
it was time to own my dream car.
In 1995 I did months of research
on which Porsche to own and I decided
on the ’82 911SC Coupe.
DG: What’s so special about that
one?
BK: Well the SCs are really
known to have strong engines. I really
like the color Platinum because
they aren’t as common, you don’t
see a lot out there. It was important
to me that the car I owned was all
original too, and she was. I found a
two-owner car in Hot Springs, AR,
in the Dallas Morning Newspaper
in the Classifieds. After Fed Ex pictures
went back and forth (before
iPhones of course) I purchased a
one-way ticket to Arkansas, had the
car checked out, and drove it five
hours home.
DG: What did your friends and family
think?
BK: They thought I was a little
crazy. “Why would you want such
an old car to be your daily driver?”
It just kinda fulfilled a boyhood
dream. Having just moved from
Chicago after 20 years, it was nice
to drive back and forth to work and
have it waiting for me in the garage.
DG: I know you retired from JC Penney
after nearly 40 years with the company.
So you parked it every day in their
garage? I bet you got some looks and
comments with the coupe parked there.
BK: Oh Yeah, I did! No one
could believe it and it sparked a lot
of cool conversations.
DG: So tell us about your latest find?
How did you pick your second Porsche?
BK: I always loved the 914 for its
quirkiness, and when I first started
with JC Penney there were two guys
that had them. I thought it would
be cool to own one!
DG: So how did you find “the one”?
BK: Well we started looking for
it in August of last year and found
one up in Indiana. I had an offer
drafted, but a couple things didn’t
sit right, and the owner was kinda
dragging his feet. So one Saturday
morning after Porsche Cars and
Coffee, Robert, Peter, Greg and I
(some of our local Mavericks) decided
to make a trip to a local cigar
shop and the story really began!
Hunting for the 914 over cigars
DG: Oh, trust me, I remember that
Saturday well.
BK: Well we sat down talking and
Robert started looking on eBay.
He was flipping through the listings
and discovered this car right
here in DFW, all original, and what
sealed the deal for me was that it
had the original delivery and service
documents from Hagestad’s
Porsche Dealership in Denver!
DG: And why was that so important?
BK: If you’ll remember just
months earlier I had written my first
“Kruders Cars and Conversations”
on Bob Hagestad himself. He’s the
longest running member of PCA in
Maverick Region. I learned from
that interview that Bob and his dad
had opened up VW and Porsche
stores in Denver along with a lot of
other cool stories. We really developed
a connection from that, and
like with all my articles, the people
I meet become friends.
DG: So you bid on a car on eBay
then?! I still can’t believe it.
BK: Yes! The bidding began that
morning . . . it wasn’t until 8 hours
later that I “owned” Bob Hagestad’s
car. It was quite a day! Four guys
staring at their iPhones, cigars in
hand, like expecting fathers.
DG: So what are some of the characteristics
you love about this particular
914?
BK: Well the fact that the car
was a special order. Of all things,
you couldn’t purchase a black