We met Glenn Furley at a tech session in 2021 and were intrigued when he shared some of the family history of his Signal Orange 1970 911T. We were anxious to learn more and share Furley’s story with our readers.
How long have you lived in the Austin area and what brought you here?
GF: I moved here in 1978. The atmosphere of Austin in the mid-seventies is what drew me here. Both of my parents and my two older sisters went to school at UT so I had been visiting Austin for a long time and I knew from an early age that this is where I wanted to be. I’m so glad I got here when I did.
How and when did you acquire this Porsche?
GF: This car was my dad’s daily driver until he was 90 years old. He always said when people would offer to buy it, “sorry, it’s in the will”. I took ownership of it in 2018 after both my parents sadly passed away.
My dad purchased it in 1983 from a family friend who had bought it in 1974. The car was originally offered to my dad for $8,000. After procrastinating a few months he was convinced the car had already been sold. Sitting around the dinner table at the next family gathering, he was regretting not buying the car. My oldest sister Nancy questioned whether the car had actually been sold. She made the call to find out, and sure enough, he still had the car. Even though my dad still hadn’t seen the car other than in photographs, he quickly offered him $6,000. After the offer was accepted, my parents flew out to California to drive the car back to Texas, having never driven it before. Theirs was truly a memorable start to another Porsche love affair.
What is your favorite thing about this car?
GF: I have a few but overall, my favorite thing about the car is just driving it, which I do as much as I can. Like my dad, I would much rather use and enjoy it versus keeping it parked in the garage. I also really love its bright factory color, Signal Orange.
Seeing other people’s reactions to it and talking about it with them brings me a lot of joy too – it’s definitely a conversation starter whether it’s in a parking lot, stopped at a light, or rolling down the road. People are drawn to it and often ask “is it fast”? I tell them that it’s definitely more fun than fast, explaining that the “T” stands for Touring not Turbo.
Luckily, I really enjoy working on it too as the maintenance is fairly constant. Thankfully it’s easy to work on. It’s great as it keeps me busy and gives me regular opportunities to network with other Porsche enthusiasts.
Any special features or modifications?
GF: The most visible modifications are the 16 inch Fuchs wheels, window tint, and the Euro version tail light lenses. I really wanted the wheels for the improved handling and wider stance that they give the car. What I didn’t realize is how much they would actually brighten up the overall look of the car. I kept the original 15 inch Fuchs wheels to use on certain occasions.
Other modifications include the Weber carburetors which were added 30 years ago. The car originally came with Zenith carburetors. The Webers are from a 1966 911. I just had these Weber carburetors completely re-manufactured by Paul Abbott. This involved machining for new bronze throttle shaft bushings to replace the factory nylon versions. It also included re-machining the throttle housings and top covers by milling for flatness and sealing efficiency. While they were at it, they re-machined the throttle bores 0.2mm oversize and installed new, custom-fitted throttle valves.
As far as special features, it has factory coco mats that actually have Porsche embossed in them. It also has the original radio that I had reworked to enjoy that mono listening experience. Recently when I went to replace the steering wheel cover, I was surprised to find out that the original leather steering wheel was still in great shape. The cover had apparently been protecting it all of these years.
As always, there are a few things on my list to correct such as the finish of the engine lid grill and lettering on the rear of the car. I learned recently that the grill and lettering should actually be polished.They didn’t start making those black until 1972. While I think the black looks good as a contrast to the orange, the polished finish is going to brighten the back of the car up overall just like the wheels did.
How and when did your interest in Porsche begin?
GF: I always joke that I was born with it. In 1957, my grandparents bought a new 356A while they were working in Spain. They drove it around Europe and then shipped it back to New York. They then drove it to Houston visiting family and friends along the way. They ultimately gave it to my dad when they returned abroad. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter in September 1961, when I wasn’t even a year old, hurricane Carla put the house and car under four feet of saltwater. We lived in Texas City and always went to my grandparents house in Houston during hurricanes. My father was worried about a tree branch falling on it in Houston so he decided to leave it in the garage, never imagining there would be a 10 foot tidal surge. The car was unsalvageable and by then my parents had three young children. For years after, when we were together as a family, we’d always point out any Porsche we saw. So it was that one 356A that started my early interest in Porsche.
What makes this car special or unique to you?
GF: This is the vehicle I got to help my dad work on over many years. He was a mechanical engineer and this car was his passion. Along with the car came all of the records since 1974. When I look back in the log that my dad kept, I get to see all the things that we worked on together. Pulling the engine more than a few times for various reasons was just part of the pleasure of owning this vehicle. Getting to share my dad’s passion for this vehicle makes it very special, and to have the history that goes along with this car makes it unique to me.
Have you owned other Porsche cars?
GF: My Porsche ownership started in 2016 with a silver 2009 Boxster S. My preference at the time was a white Boxster with the espresso colored top and matching leather interior. After extensive searching, I wasn’t able to find exactly what I was looking for so I expanded my parameters. Silver was my second choice and was much easier to find. Only eight short months after purchasing the silver car, the white 2013 Boxster S I had been looking for showed up at the dealership down the street. I drove past it every day for a week almost hoping someone would buy it. After a week, I finally pulled in and drove it home later that day.
What do you love most about Porsche cars?
GF: I love how they have always been designed for function, quality and performance. They never stop striving for perfection.The older cars are just such classics, and to think that there are still variations being made now of the same car they were making 50 plus years ago. They’re so recognizable down to their sounds and smells, making the whole Porsche experience unique.
I also love how the newer cars clearly continue to be designed for precision driving – something I got a real appreciation for the first time I took the Boxster to Circuit of the Americas. It was perfectly designed for the track.
What is your favorite Porsche story?
GF: My favorite Porsche memory is the story my dad used to tell of being pulled over for speeding one afternoon. He had been the only car on the road at the time and noticed another car approaching fast in the other lane. As it got closer his thought that it might be a police car was confirmed. After some questioning the officer told my Dad he just couldn’t write an 80 year old man driving an orange Porsche a ticket that day. I hope if I’m in that same situation one day that it will work for me too.
What PCA events do you enjoy?
GF: The High Performance Driver’s Education sessions that I’ve done in the 2013 Boxster S have far exceeded my already high expectations. Having complete confidence in the car has allowed me to begin to see what the car is truly capable of.
The tech sessions are always educational for me and I look forward to them second only to the HPDE’s. Having questions answered by professionals is invaluable for a project person like me. The organized drives are a fun way for my wife and I to meet people and learn about new routes nearby.
Interview and photographs by Jonathan Haggar