Slipstream - September 2019

Coffee, Cars & Conversation
by Bill Kruder
photos provided by author
So, this story goes way back to
1996. We had just purchased our
‘82 SC and joined the club. Well like
any “used” car, stuff needs repair,
and I heard about this shop with the
strange name of IXXI Enterprises in
Dallas with this incredible mechanic
named Dusty. I proceeded to take my
car there for service for many years.
I was usually greeted at the counter
by this guy that kind of scared me as
he was so serious, and I’m just this
guy with his first Porsche feeling like
I should maybe be driving a Jetta.
Well as time went on, I came to
depend on him as my personal
expert always willing to walk
me thru what need to be fixed
now and what could wait. Fastforward
to about two years ago:
I was at Mayo and who do I run
into but the serious guy behind
the counter.
So here is the next in my
series of “conversations” I
would like to share with you:
Barry and Joan Gibbs,
members since 1969 & 1975
Owners, 2011 997.2 Carrera S
meeting Mr. Stanley one day when I
was out on the sales floor. From there
I went on to work for JC Penney when
they had a Dallas Buying Office here
long before they moved to Plano.
BK: Barry where did you go college?
BG: Well I was supposed to go to the
Air Force Academy - Senator Tower
got me an appointment. But I couldn’t
pass the eye exam to be a pilot.
JG: Looking back, this was near
the height of the Vietnam war, so
it probably saved his life (smiling).
homebuilder, as they were starting
a finance arm of the business. But
admittedly I ended up in the auto
parts and repair business.
BK: And how did that happen?
BG: I had a friend who had a
machine shop and we developed
“oil return tubes” that would allow
you to replace them without taking
everything apart. Being a Porsche
guy this really intrigued me, so we
started selling these out of the house.
People would call and leave me a
message on the “phone mate”
and I would fill their orders.
This lasted a couple years, then
we expanded with a catalog of
parts that we would mail out.
Well as was often the case,
people would often ask me if
there was someone who could
do the work. About this time,
we had taken a SBA loan and
had a bought a warehouse over
on Northaven and near Denton
Drive, so I started installing the
parts. Shortly thereafter I hired
Dusty Rhodes from Forest Lane
Porsche+Audi. He worked for
me for over 20 years.
Bill Kruder: So where are you
two from?
Barry Gibbs: I’m from right here, the
little town of Fruitdale near I-45
and Loop 12. It’s now part of the
city of Dallas. About the time I went
off to college my parents moved
to Desoto. I had really moved out
already so never lived there but for
a summer home.
Joan Gibbs: Oh I’m a Texan, born in
Sherman and raised in Fort Worth.
I went all through the FWISD and
stayed right there and went to TCU
for college.
BK: And what did you get your degree in?
JG: I received mine in Merchandising;
I went on to work for Neiman Marcus
as part of their executive training
program. I had the honor of even
Joan and Barry Gibbs
BG: So, getting the news that I
couldn’t fly, I needed a school to go to
and quick. I signed up at Texas Tech
in Lubbock. I went up there without
ever seeing the campus - probably
a good thing back then (laughing).
Guess it wasn’t all that bad as I stayed
there to get my MBA in Finance.
BK: Interesting as I know both of you
ended up doing pretty different things
than what you went to school for.
JG: Well we had our son Bryan and I
was a stay-home mom for some time.
I did go back and get my teacher’s
certificate and started a 21-year
career teaching.
BG: I did stay in Finance for
a bit working for Centex, the
BK: So was this the start of
IXXI Enterprises?
BG: It was about 1975. Then in
the early ‘80s, during the S&L
scandal, we bought three 60-foot
lots in Dallas on Cindy Lane, which
we built the building on. We ran a
pretty good business out of there.
Then about five years ago, I decided
to retire and sold to Dave Nuccetelli.
BK: Ok let’s talk about how you two met.
JG: That was in 1972. I was dating
one of Barry’s friends as it turned
out, and we were all at Oktoberfest
at Forest Lane Porsche+Audi. Well,
we met that day and became friends.
BG: Yep and I told him if you don’t
marry her, someone else will. So a few
years of friendship; I think this was
1975. Two club members, Richard
and Nancy Corbeille, were from
New Orleans and they asked if we
20 September