Who is Gator Bite....?
If you’ve spent some time reading posts here at the Cayman Club, chances are you’ve come across some of mine. I write about a lot of different topics, many times with authority and depth. If you’re lucky, my posts were helpful to you. If you weren’t, you may have been on the receiving end of my moderation. Either way, the thought may have crossed your mind……, “Who is Gator Bite….?”
I grew up the son of an auto mechanic. My Dad owned an Arco station where he repaired cars of all types. I used to beg him to let me go to work with him because I loved being there. I grew up around cars, many of them in pieces. I wanted to fix them. Dad would give me simple jobs to keep me out of his hair, and sometimes to help him. I would clean parts in the parts cleaner, rebuild starter motors, charge batteries, but most of the time he’d hand me some tools and point me toward some old part that didn’t matter, knowing darn well that I’d probably ruin it. But I watched, learned and tried to understand how these magical machines worked.
One of my favorite pastimes back then was to sit in Dad’s ’55 Willies Jeep and daydream that I was driving it. This was an old pickup truck that he used to transport auto parts, push broken cars, plow snow, etc.... It was often in the third bay of the gas station. It had a great big steering wheel, a long high shifter stalk, two smaller shifters, and pedals that went into the floor, like an old 911. 
One day, Dad hopped in and told me to move over. He fired it up and we drove across the street into a parking lot where he taught me how to drive it. He dropped the transfer case into low range and pulled the manual choke out enough to raise the idle, but not high enough to richen the mixture. It was nearly impossible to stall it. Just 12 years old and I was driving manual shift. How cool… That experience has fostered my never ending love of manual transmissions.
My love for Porsche began when I was 15 years old. I fell in love with a 1969 911T that had been abandoned in a neighbor’s front yard. I was going to be 16 soon so I knocked on his door and asked if he’d sell it to me. I came real close to buying that car for $1,200, but he ultimately sold it out from under me at the last minute to a higher bidder. That fascination and emotional loss directed my obsessive personality toward all things Porsche and fostered a passion that has lasted for 25 years. In retrospect, it's probably a good thing that I never got my hands on that 911T. That car would not have stood up well to my abuse and I would not have had the means necessary to maintain/fix it.
Once the Porsche was off the table, Dad found a more appropriate starter car for me, a 1969 Chevy Nova ($700). That thing had a 250ci straight 6 and a 2 speed automatic transmission. I wanted something more powerful and eventually moved my way up to a 1976 Olds Cutlass ($1,000). The Cutlass had a 260ci V8 (4.2L) and an automatic transmission. It wasn't a Cutlass, it was a Gutless, but still 100 times more fun than the Nova. By the time I was 18, I had pulled that engine/trani combo out of the car and dropped in a 350ci (5.7L) Olds Rocket with a Borg Warner T-50 5 speed manual transmission. That Borg Warner transmission lasted about 2 weeks before I blew it up. In total, I blew up 8 transmissions in that car, because I was brutally hard on them, a habit that led me to learn how to remove, rebuild and replace them myself (of course Dad helped with the first few). I could swap a transmission out in that car in just over an hour, without a lift. I turned all of my own wrenches, including a few engine rebuilds (one in a 79 Jaguar XJ-6. Very weird engine.) Why? Because I could. Also because I couldn’t afford to pay someone else to do it. But I learned a lot and I still turn my own wrenches today, even though the latter reason no longer applies.
My love for auto mechanics was undeniable, but Mom and Dad told me I couldn't be a mechanic. I loved messing with electricity, so I decided to beceome an Electrical Engineering. While in college, I worked at an electronic super store called Crazy Eddies, really the first store of it’s kind. I worked in the Car Audio department, as a salesperson. My love for mobile electronics, electrical engineering and automotive repair came together and drew me deeper into the mobile electronics field. I spent the next 10 years installing car audio and electronics. My background and education provided unique skills that helped me understand things that most installer couldn't/can't grasp. I was known as the mad scientist that could figure anything out. Eventually I moved my way up the ladder to the manufacturing side. I’m still working in the 12 volt industry, only at a much different level. Amazing how our passions guide us; and it’s so cool that I get to work around cars and call on businesses that cater to them.
When I was 21 years old, I bought my first Porsche. A 1986 944 Turbo that had only 4,452 miles on it. That car was a huge part of my life. It was more than a car, it was a hobby and a pastime. I attended PCA meetings, read magazines, participated in road rallies, tried a track event, and just enjoyed the car in every way I could. I had that car for 10 years and ended up selling it because of a failing marriage. As soon as it was gone, I was planning my next Porsche purchase. I was hoping to buy a used 993, ideally a 1997 or 1998 C2S. I still love those cars....! But in the process of saving, repairing my own personal finances, and researching the 993s (a spooky exercise), the Cayman was introduced. At first, I really didn’t like it. I thought the roof line was too bulbous and the nose was too long. But I fell in love with those damn rear fenders.
I started researching the new Porsche coupe on the PCA website, in the Tech Q&A section that had been so helpful in teaching me about the 993. But because the Cayman was so new, there was little or no information there. That’s when someone suggested I check out the Cayman Club. I did, and I got sucked in big time. The passion, enthusiasm and excitement here can be infectious and addicting. I started making friends and learning more and more. That’s when it became undeniable that the Cayman would be my next Porsche. My obsessive personality helped me learn everything I could about the car. I ultimately bought a Cayman S and opted to fulfill a childhood dream, European Delivery, an experience that I will cherish forever. Not only was that a dream come true and the close of an ugly chapter in my life, but as coincidence would have it I met a super couple at the factory who have become dear friends to me.
Today I am Gator Bite. Gator Bite is someone more than I have ever been. Gator Bite is the guy I was, plus a collection of experiences that would not have been possible if I had not come to the Cayman Club. It may sound silly, but this chain of events has affected my life in a very positive way. It has changed who I am and who I will be. I have met people that I would have never met otherwise and developed friendships that I would have never known. Friendships that I value very much, many of which I expect (or hope) will last a lifetime.
So now you know a little bit more about Gator Bite. Maybe more than you expected, maybe less. My hope is that by sharing these personal details you will better understand why I care so much about the Cayman Club, why I so vehemently defend it, why I hold member conduct to the high levels that I do, and why I am so committed to protecting its integrity. I hope that the Cayman Club will have a similar effect on your life. I feel compelled to protect it so that it can.
I grew up the son of an auto mechanic. My Dad owned an Arco station where he repaired cars of all types. I used to beg him to let me go to work with him because I loved being there. I grew up around cars, many of them in pieces. I wanted to fix them. Dad would give me simple jobs to keep me out of his hair, and sometimes to help him. I would clean parts in the parts cleaner, rebuild starter motors, charge batteries, but most of the time he’d hand me some tools and point me toward some old part that didn’t matter, knowing darn well that I’d probably ruin it. But I watched, learned and tried to understand how these magical machines worked.
One of my favorite pastimes back then was to sit in Dad’s ’55 Willies Jeep and daydream that I was driving it. This was an old pickup truck that he used to transport auto parts, push broken cars, plow snow, etc.... It was often in the third bay of the gas station. It had a great big steering wheel, a long high shifter stalk, two smaller shifters, and pedals that went into the floor, like an old 911. One day, Dad hopped in and told me to move over. He fired it up and we drove across the street into a parking lot where he taught me how to drive it. He dropped the transfer case into low range and pulled the manual choke out enough to raise the idle, but not high enough to richen the mixture. It was nearly impossible to stall it. Just 12 years old and I was driving manual shift. How cool… That experience has fostered my never ending love of manual transmissions.My love for Porsche began when I was 15 years old. I fell in love with a 1969 911T that had been abandoned in a neighbor’s front yard. I was going to be 16 soon so I knocked on his door and asked if he’d sell it to me. I came real close to buying that car for $1,200, but he ultimately sold it out from under me at the last minute to a higher bidder. That fascination and emotional loss directed my obsessive personality toward all things Porsche and fostered a passion that has lasted for 25 years. In retrospect, it's probably a good thing that I never got my hands on that 911T. That car would not have stood up well to my abuse and I would not have had the means necessary to maintain/fix it.Once the Porsche was off the table, Dad found a more appropriate starter car for me, a 1969 Chevy Nova ($700). That thing had a 250ci straight 6 and a 2 speed automatic transmission. I wanted something more powerful and eventually moved my way up to a 1976 Olds Cutlass ($1,000). The Cutlass had a 260ci V8 (4.2L) and an automatic transmission. It wasn't a Cutlass, it was a Gutless
, but still 100 times more fun than the Nova. By the time I was 18, I had pulled that engine/trani combo out of the car and dropped in a 350ci (5.7L) Olds Rocket with a Borg Warner T-50 5 speed manual transmission. That Borg Warner transmission lasted about 2 weeks before I blew it up. In total, I blew up 8 transmissions in that car, because I was brutally hard on them, a habit that led me to learn how to remove, rebuild and replace them myself (of course Dad helped with the first few). I could swap a transmission out in that car in just over an hour, without a lift. I turned all of my own wrenches, including a few engine rebuilds (one in a 79 Jaguar XJ-6. Very weird engine.) Why? Because I could. Also because I couldn’t afford to pay someone else to do it. But I learned a lot and I still turn my own wrenches today, even though the latter reason no longer applies. My love for auto mechanics was undeniable, but Mom and Dad told me I couldn't be a mechanic. I loved messing with electricity, so I decided to beceome an Electrical Engineering. While in college, I worked at an electronic super store called Crazy Eddies, really the first store of it’s kind. I worked in the Car Audio department, as a salesperson. My love for mobile electronics, electrical engineering and automotive repair came together and drew me deeper into the mobile electronics field. I spent the next 10 years installing car audio and electronics. My background and education provided unique skills that helped me understand things that most installer couldn't/can't grasp. I was known as the mad scientist that could figure anything out. Eventually I moved my way up the ladder to the manufacturing side. I’m still working in the 12 volt industry, only at a much different level. Amazing how our passions guide us; and it’s so cool that I get to work around cars and call on businesses that cater to them.When I was 21 years old, I bought my first Porsche. A 1986 944 Turbo that had only 4,452 miles on it. That car was a huge part of my life. It was more than a car, it was a hobby and a pastime. I attended PCA meetings, read magazines, participated in road rallies, tried a track event, and just enjoyed the car in every way I could. I had that car for 10 years and ended up selling it because of a failing marriage. As soon as it was gone, I was planning my next Porsche purchase. I was hoping to buy a used 993, ideally a 1997 or 1998 C2S. I still love those cars....! But in the process of saving, repairing my own personal finances, and researching the 993s (a spooky exercise), the Cayman was introduced. At first, I really didn’t like it. I thought the roof line was too bulbous and the nose was too long. But I fell in love with those damn rear fenders.I started researching the new Porsche coupe on the PCA website, in the Tech Q&A section that had been so helpful in teaching me about the 993. But because the Cayman was so new, there was little or no information there. That’s when someone suggested I check out the Cayman Club. I did, and I got sucked in big time. The passion, enthusiasm and excitement here can be infectious and addicting. I started making friends and learning more and more. That’s when it became undeniable that the Cayman would be my next Porsche. My obsessive personality helped me learn everything I could about the car. I ultimately bought a Cayman S and opted to fulfill a childhood dream, European Delivery, an experience that I will cherish forever. Not only was that a dream come true and the close of an ugly chapter in my life, but as coincidence would have it I met a super couple at the factory who have become dear friends to me.Today I am Gator Bite. Gator Bite is someone more than I have ever been. Gator Bite is the guy I was, plus a collection of experiences that would not have been possible if I had not come to the Cayman Club. It may sound silly, but this chain of events has affected my life in a very positive way. It has changed who I am and who I will be. I have met people that I would have never met otherwise and developed friendships that I would have never known. Friendships that I value very much, many of which I expect (or hope) will last a lifetime.
So now you know a little bit more about Gator Bite. Maybe more than you expected, maybe less. My hope is that by sharing these personal details you will better understand why I care so much about the Cayman Club, why I so vehemently defend it, why I hold member conduct to the high levels that I do, and why I am so committed to protecting its integrity. I hope that the Cayman Club will have a similar effect on your life. I feel compelled to protect it so that it can.
Total Comments 7
Comments
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Bravo !. . . Super read!
I'm new to the entire Porsche thing but confess that I found this site with interest and now find myself filled with passion as a result of the folks I've met at the first few gatherings I've attended.
Yeah . . . we dig the "geek side" of you!.
Look forward to seeing you, Ina and Kyle again.
CourtPosted 03-01-2009 at 04:57 PM by Courtney
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Beautifully put. And in honor of Paul Harvey and now we know “The Rest of the Story”. Thank you for your commitment to the club. We all appreciate your dedication.Posted 03-02-2009 at 01:04 PM by greycroc
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Nice, thanks for posting!
Hey, I worked at Crazy Eddie too!! Probably around the same time, must have been around the summer of 1991? It was the beginning of the end there, I spent most of my time referring people to The Wiz across the street since we had nothing interesting in stock.Posted 03-03-2009 at 07:37 PM by basch
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Great blog, not self-indulgent at all but the story of a Porsche lover and why you know what you know. Hopefully others will share in the same way. I spent 2 years on Long Island in the late 80's and remember Crazy Eddie's, this was long before Best Buy and Circuit City took over the mass market car stereo universe.Posted 03-04-2009 at 12:20 AM by engnr1
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Great write up - thanks for the insight. And keep up the good work here on CC, I might add - it is greatly appreciated.
Wow, I hadn't thought of Crazy Eddie's in a long time. We used to do the north Jersey electronics store shuffle, going to Crazy Eddie's, getting a price on something, then heading over the Mad Mike's to try to get a better price, and then over to Drucker's ("Don't be a F*&@er - Go to Drucker's!") to try to beat that price. Yeah, I was a teenager and had time to do stupid stuff like that then...
Posted 03-04-2009 at 11:15 AM by Speedy
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Thanks for sharing your background. I enjoyed reading your history and greatly appreciate your knowledge and insights that you have shared to date on our car .Posted 03-06-2009 at 10:58 AM by CMB
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I'll tell you what . . . I just enjoy coming back here and reading this stuff from time to time. I have a fasciantion with fascinating folks who are fascinated with life, passion and doing things the best they can.
Eager to see you and Ina again this summer . . . but until then . . keep driving, tinkering and writing.
CourtPosted 06-11-2009 at 10:12 AM by Courtney
