There Is No Substitute

“The Car That Made Tome Cruise Famous”

by Fred Tscheulin

                As I slowly worked my way down a long drive that only a Lake homeowner could appreciate, I wondered what awaited me at the end of my descent. What I discovered was much more than I anticipated.

                I was greeted by Ed Trottier who enthusiastically directed me into his garage. There they were, four sets of wheels: Two Italian road racing bicycles, a beautiful 1981 Mercedes 380 SL convertible, and the object of my mission, a 1978 Porsche 928 GT. According to Ed, it’s the car that “made Tom Cruise famous,” alluding to the film Risky Business where, in the movie, he lets his father’s Porsche 928 roll into Lake Michigan.

                Ed, who grew up in West Los Angeles in the 1950s, was a California car-kid from the word go. His first was a ’48 Plymouth convertible, later a Healy 3000 and an Alfa Romero Spider and later a Merkur XR4 Ti, a German-built Ford with a 175hp, 2.3L turbocharged 5-speed. In his mid teens, Ed moved to Durango, Colo., where he lived the life of an American cowboy, riding, roping and branding. Ed  then moved eastward to North Carolina State where he earned a degree in Nuclear Engineering.

                Following a 7-year hitch in the Navy, Ed and his wife Cheryl lived and worked in the Washington, D.C. area. A business trip took him to Richland, Wash., where he first saw a Porsche 928. He learned that the 928 was the only V-8 Porsche production car ever made. It had many non-traditional Porsche features, including a front-mounted, water-cooled engine, 4.5L 5-speed, 8.5:1 compression and an exhaust system that required modification. And, although in 1978 it was named the European Car of the Year, the Porsche 928 is the only GT so recognized before or since. And due to its non-traditional attributes, it was rejected by Porsche purists. Consequently, production was halted at about 25,000 cars. After hearing all that, Ed said, “I have to have one!” So began his  quest for the “BLUMAX2.”

                A search was conducted on the internet during 2002 and 2003 and he located a 928 for sale in West Chester, Pa., just a few hours from where he was living. Accompanied by his father-in-law, Ed went to check it out and take a test drive. It was beautiful! Two weeks later, he was the proud owner of a near mint-condition, 1978 Porsche 928 with less than 15,000 miles on the odometer.

                The car is stunning. It’s painted an unusual stock color called “Minerva Blau,” which is a kind of electric blue paint (not a washed out pale steel-blue). It has a bold stock “Austin Powers” hounds tooth tan/black interior – all original. Working with a mechanic in Rockville, Md., Ed made several modifications that have enhanced the car’s overall performance: (1) Exhaust. A tuned performance exhaust system. Free flowing straight through with no catalytic converter. (2) K & N intake filter. (3) Slotted and drilled disc brakes. (4) Larger sway bar. According to Ed, “It runs better now than it did when new, thanks to the less restrictive exhaust”.

                I asked what it was that appealed to him most.

                “I’m not a typical Porsche owner,” Ed said, “The 928 was ahead of its time and it was designed by an American citizen, Antonin Lapine, with an eye on the future. I was attracted by its design, but mostly by the story behind the car. The 928 is an engineering marvel. It is fast, comfortable and quiet. It has air conditioning, power windows and a large luggage capacity. It is a GT worthy of the Porsche name.”

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