YOU AND YOURS
Timbessell and his Boxster S
Tim Bussell has an eye for a good car; hence it will come as little surprise to learn that he’s worked his way through quite an eclectic mix of vehicles over the years. He commented, ‘I like all kinds of cars, classic and modern, but especially high performance vehicles, of course’.
Starting out with a ’65 Ford Zodiac as his first car, it wasn’t long before Tim stumbled across a black ’65 Mustang Notchback, which caught his eye and the rest, as they say, is history. That first taste of V8 muscle sparked a fire inside a young Mr. Bussell, which still burns bright today. Tim doesn’t just drive the cars though; he enjoys tinkering with them, too. Over the years he’s restored various vehicles with perhaps the biggest project being the ground-up restoration of an E-type Jaguar. This project turned into a show-quality classic, which he enjoyed for six or seven years before moving along to his next project.
Some people prefer the ‘build’ while others prefer to spend less time in the workshop and more on the road – Tim’s automotive interest strikes a balance between the two extremes, as he enjoys all aspects of classic car ownership. From restoration through to running repair and on to the joys of attending events – it’s about taking the rough with the smooth and really making the most of the whole experience.
Tim told us, ‘whilst I do enjoy American classics, it’s the German cars that I really enjoy driving the most’. Everything from BMW to Audi (the A5 being his favourite ‘modern’ ride) and, of course, Stuttgart’s finest, too.
His first Porsche was a black ’85 Targa, which he drove on a daily basis. Tim went on, ‘I owned that car in my late 20s and even took it on quite an epic drive as part of a honeymoon tour’. And what a trip that was, driving down through France, along the Riviera and even taking in the principality of Monaco, where the newlyweds mapped out and followed the Formula 1 circuit. From here, they drove back through Italy taking in the twisting roads around the lakes before crossing the Alps to enjoy the legendary Simplon Pass as they travelled into Switzerland. The Targa was his first Porsche and, following that epic road trip, Tim realised it certainly wouldn’t be his last.
Road trips and events are something Tim Bussell really enjoys; hence he’s a big fan of charity rallies and meetings such as the epic Goodwood Revival. In fact, Tim actually got involved in organising a successful car event, which was held in Rochford, Essex. He explained, ‘It started as a one-off fundraising idea for the dementia charity, Peaceful Place, but was
such a success that it just grew and grew’. The concept was to organise something more than just another classic field event, hence he took inspiration from the Revival and similar meetings and put together a unique and fun-filled day, which appealed to classic and retro car owners, and their families, too.
Tim was involved with the Pure Nostalgia – Classic Car & Retro Show for eight years before passing the running of the event over to Gemini Events more recently. He commented, ‘It was a lot of fun and I met a lot of great people, but it was also a lot of work to organise, hence I decided it was time to retire from the world of event promotion and free up some time to enjoy my own cars’.
Other interesting vehicles in Tim’s ‘back catalogue’ include a TVR Griffith, which was followed by another TVR – this time a rare, Triumph-powered Vixen model. In fact, his current stable includes classics such as a ’65 Sunbeam Tiger, a ’59 MG Roadster, a ’67 Mustang, a ’70 Corvette Stingray and a Ford Thunderbird project, which is approaching completion. Tim explained, ‘I also owned a Porsche 356 Speedster replica until recently, which was a lot of fun’. This wasn’t any old Speedster replica, however – this was a Legend replica, which was built around a custom-made tubular chassis etc (i.e. was not based on a shortened VW floorpan). This was followed by a ’77 2.7 Porsche in silver (see photo), which he enjoyed driving regularly for several years. He laughed, ‘Everywhere I went somebody would ask me if it was for sale and I regret eventually letting it go, but you know how it is when you’re a classic car fan…there’s always a price and you’re always looking at something else that has grabbed your attention!’
And that brings us to the 2001 986 Boxster S, which Tim is currently enjoying. He explained, I have a friend who races Porsches and knows far more about the marque than I do and he’d suggested that I should keep an eye open for a Boxster’. He continued, ‘He was clear that it should be the S model, and that a low mileage example in good condition would make not only a great driver, but would also be a sensible investment’. For Tim, it’s not about riding the investment market, of course – however, if you can enjoy a Porsche for a few years without losing money, then surely that makes perfect sense?
He commented, ‘As soon as I drove the car I realised that it was for me – it drove like a modern 911 and just felt so wellbalanced’. And so, a deal was struck, and Tim is now the proud owner of this 52k mile Boxster S in silver. It’s a well-spec’d car, with Tiptronic and full leather interior etc. However, it’s the hard top that makes it stand out from the typical silver/black softtop combo that was so very popular for many years. Tim explained that the hardtop has been fitted from new, and that he was pleasantly surprised to find that, upon removal, the soft top is in perfect condition and has survived very well indeed.
The car has plenty of history and, in more recent years, the brake calipers have been overhauled and re-finished and the rotors have been replaced with aftermarket performance/cross-drilled discs. The wheels have also been fully refurbished in gloss
If you can enjoy a Porsche for a few years, without losing money, surely that makes sense
black rather than the original silver, but otherwise the car is mechanically exactly as Porsche intended. Out on the road, it’s a great looking car, and the hardtop certainly suits the swooping lines, making this Boxster quite a head turner. At this time of year, the hard top really makes a difference – not only is it significantly warmer (and faster to demist etc), it also reduces the road noise whilst driving, making this Boxster a little comfier and easier to live with in the winter. That said, Tim tries not to use it too much in poor weather and stores it in a dry barn when not in use, which will certainly help to keep it in great order. Best of all, he’s had no issues or problems with the car at all. He commented, ‘The battery wasn’t great, so I fitted a new one, but otherwise the car has performed faultlessly and is a great advert for the Boxster range as it’s never missed a beat and is a real treat to drive’. And, they’re great value right now, partly because there are plenty of used examples out there to choose from (after all, it was one of the most popular sports cars of its time), and partly because prices haven’t exploded – well, not yet, anyway!
In closing, we asked Tim if he had any future plans for the Porsche or if there were any other models on the radar. He replied, ‘I’d love to find a Speedster or a ’73 RS but, as the prices are stratospheric, I’m quite happy to drive my Boxster for now – and no, I don’t plan to change anything about it… I’ll just enjoy it exactly as it is’. PW
At this time of year, the hard top really makes a difference