FLATOUT April 2010
N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E N I A G A R A R E G I O N P O R S C H E C L U B O F A M E R I C A
A Drive Through the Finger Lakes—photo by Sue Reesen
Upcoming Events Page 3
President’s Message Page 4
NRPCA Members Report Page 5 Coupe & Speedster Page 5 NRPCA By-Laws Page 6 Member BIOS Page 14 Car Nutz Tales—Part 4 Page 17
WGI Opening Day Page 19
Technically Speaking! Page 21 Historic Poster Page 24
Picture Page Page 40
Puzzle Page 41 APRIL 2010 Page 2
EXECUTIVE BOARD Fairport, NY 14450 Message from your President….. Tel# (585) 377 1495 President [email protected] Jim Arendt See the full report on page 4.
780 Washington Street DE Chairperson Jim Arendt Spencerport, NY 14559 Bert Xander President, Niagara Region PCA Cell# (585) 749 2786 10 Lavender Circle [email protected] Fairport, NY 14450 tel# (585) 388 1431
Vice President – [email protected]
Rich DeAsis 2 North Clinton Street Driver Ed Registrar ______Dansville, NY 14437 Curt Hinchcliffe We’re almost ready to start the 2010 driving season! Cell (585) 750 4231 5 Black Watch Trail [email protected] Fairport, NY 14450 tel# (585) 314 8506
Secretary [email protected]
Mike Cohn
7 Round Trail Drive Newsletter Editor Pittsford, NY 14534 Tom Lyons Tel# (585) 385 8828 25 Tyburn Way mcpor Rochester, NY 14610 [email protected] 585 381 8535
[email protected] Treasurer
Bill Schicker Flatout Advertising 20 Edendery Circle Sue Juby Fairport, NY 14450 95 Alton Way Tel# (585) 377 1495 W Henrietta, NY 14586 [email protected] (585) 321-0304 CHAIRPERSONS [email protected]
Membership Webmaster Curt Hinchcliffe Jim Arendt 5 Black Watch Trail 780 Washington Street Published monthly Fairport, NY 14450 Spencerport, NY 14559 Statement of Policy: FLATOUT is the official publication tel# (585) 314 8506 Cell# (585) 749 2786 of the Niagara Region Inc., Porsche Club of America. Statements appearing in FLATOUT are those of the au [email protected] [email protected] thor and do not constitute an opinion of the Niagara Re gion Inc., Porsche Club of America, FLATOUT, or its staff. The editors reserve the right to edit as necessary all mate Social Events rials submitted for publication. Permission is granted to Bill Schicker reproduce any material published in FLATOUT provided full credit is given to the author or photographer and to 20 Edendery Circle FLATOUT. APRIL 2010 Page 3 UPCOMING EVENTS
COMING UP NEXT MONTH May 1 – Tech Inspection at Eksten Autoworks May 2 – Autocross #1 at Seneca Army Depot May 4 – Monthly Meeting in Batavia May 14 16 – Zone 1 Concours & Rally May 16 – Breakfast Run to Letchworth St. Park May 24 25 – Spring DE at Watkins Glen May 26 – Fall DE registration opens May 28 30 – Porsche ‘Clash’ Club Race at Watkins Glen
HPDE INSURANCE PROGRAM’S POLICIES ACTUALLY PROTECT YOU WHERE YOU NEED IT MOST: THE TRACK. The Niagara Region PCA DE program has been approved by Lockton Affinity Insurance Program for automobile physical damage coverage. As any High-Performance Driver’s Education enthusiast knows, finding the single-event coverage you need to pro- tect yourself during events is almost impossible. Over the past 5 years many auto insurers have changed their policies to exclude coverage for claims "occurring on a surface used for racing", "at a high-performance driving event", or "use of an auto at a racetrack". HPDE Insurance Program is pleased to offer single-event insurance without these exclusions, meaning our policy protects you where you really need it – on the track. And you can get it FAST – our easy online system lets you get a premium indication instantly and you can even purchase your insurance policy electronically. It’s insurance at your fingertips. Note: This insurance policy provides physical damage coverage for your automobile while you are participating in a High-Performance Driver Education event. This physical damage coverage will begin when you enter the grounds of a race course and end when you leave the race course premises. Liability coverage is not included in this policy. Participants that have more than one (1) claim with the HPDE Insurance Program in a 3-year period are not eligible for this coverage. For information on this program, go to www.PCAHPDEins.LocktonAffinity.com .
Don’t Miss Any NRPCA Social Events Sign up for Bill Schicker’s E-mail notifications by sending Bill an e-mail to: [email protected]
WATCH FOR SPECIAL HARD COPY EDITION OF FLATOUT NEXT MONTH
APRIL 2010 Page 4
President’s Message
It is very encouraging to see our club’s membership numbers continue to rise. Membership is up by 9 since January 1 of this year, bringing our total count to 359 as of this writing. Perhaps the uptick is due to a strengthening of the economy? Possibly more club members getting involved in our events and activities thus realizing the benefits of club membership? Whatever the cause, it’s a great thing!
A growing club is a healthy club. There have been many new members recently who have attended our monthly meetings and club events, such as the Watkins Glen opening day on April 24. It is wonderful to meet new members, and existing members who have ventured out to one of our club’s activities for the first time. The addition of people with new Porsche experiences adds flavor to our club, helping to keep things fresh and interesting.
I do encourage more of our members take advantage of all our club has to offer. I invite all 359 members to come on out to a monthly meeting (they are more “social” than “meeting”), participate in a breakfast run, or sign up for a track event. Whatever your pleasure, our club has a wide variety of activities and events to meet every Porschephile need. What better way to enhance your Por- sche ownership than to get involved with a club full of Porsche fanatics?
Take care,
Jim Arendt President, Niagara Region PCA
TECH ADVISORS WANTED
In an effort to provide technical assistance to our members, we are seeking a few individuals to serve as Tech Advisors for our club.
A Tech Advisor will have a basic understanding of the technical aspects of a particular Porsche model, and be available to answer member questions regarding that model. You needn’t be a certified master mechanic to be a Tech Advisor, but simply possess a general understanding of a particular Porsche model. Contact information (phone number and/or email address) for each Tech Advisor will be posted on our website for our member’s convenience. More info at http:// www.niagarapca.org/pages/23 .
If you have any questions or are interested in serving as a Tech Advisor, please contact Jim Arendt at Presi [email protected] .
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Want to advertise your business in Flatout? Well now you can. Contact Sue Juby at [email protected] for details and cost options.
APRIL 2010 Page 5
NRPCA Members Report April Members Report Member Stats Coupe & Speedster Primary Members 353 By Chad T. Comeau Affiliate Members 267 On a snowy February morning a few of us Niagara Region 356ers got together to view Mark Pelkey’s 59 Coupe and my Life Members 1 55 Speedster. The cars were nestled deep in Northern Cla rence at Smith Restoration. At the time, both cars were in Transfers in 0 various stages of the restoration process and were a delight to Transfers out 0 view on a snowy February day. Mark Pelkey’s Coupe was in the process of being prepped for paint and my speedster was Renewals 29 still on the rotisserie waiting for the paint prep process to be Non renewals 4 gin. It was great to see both cars in various stages at the same time! The Coupe is now back in its original factory color Total Members 621 of Ruby Red and my Speedster will be painted its factory color of Speedster Blue. 356 interests in the Niagara region con tinue to grow and it will be great to see both of these cars back Welcome Our New members – on the road!
Kossakowski, Kenneth R. Littman, Roland C.
Zuccaro, Anthony
APRIL PCA ANNIVERSARIES
40 Years Craig Erickson
25 Years Kent Backman Dennis Figo Arthur Kriesen 20 Years Christopher Jacobs Steven Psaila 1 Year Roy Barley Sam Curran Paul Mezzanini John Roe Gary Sennikoff
APRIL 2010 Page 6
NRPCA By-Laws
The Niagara PCA Board of Directors is proposing amendments to the club’s By- Laws. These proposed amendments are believed to be the first since the club was chartered in 1962. The purpose of this proposal is to clarify and simplify ambigu- ous verbiage which will allow club leader- ship to operate more efficiently to better serve club members. Proposed amend- ments are notated on the attached docu- ment as such: deleted text contains a strike-through; added text is contained within a box.
Club members have until May 15 to review the proposed amendments and to submit statements of reason against the adoption of any amendment to our club’s newsletter editor Tom Lyons by email ([email protected]) or snail- mail (25 Tyburn Way, Rochester, NY 14610).
The proposed amendments and a sum- mary of any reasons against adoption of amendments will be published in a hard copy of the May, 2010 Flatout newsletter, which will be mailed to all club members. A ballot will be included for club mem- bers to vote on the proposed amendments.
Ballots must be signed, will include space for a family-active member, and will include a return date of June 30, 2010 to be mailed to the club Secretary. To be approved, the amendments require a ma- jority of the votes cast. Results shall be published in the July, 2010 Flatout news- letter.
Please direct questions to any club offi- cer. (Contact info on page 2.) APRIL 2010 Page 7
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Member Bios
READ THIS!!
..When we did the members survey last winter one of the things many members requested was information about other members and their cars. Starting in March we published the first set of Member BIOS starting with club leader ship and me of course. I couldn’t ask you to do it if I didn’t do it. Since March I’ve published several member BIOS. First I want to thank those that shared their information. I have certainly enjoyed reading them and based on feedback I’ve gotten, many of our readers have enjoyed reading them too. Also since March I have sent out many requests for member BIOS feedback. The return rate has not been good. If I have already sent you a request, and you know who you are, please take a little time to finish your BIO and send it and a few pictures back to me. Without your help this column could disappear. If anyone wants to provide me with BIO info and pictures and I have not contacted you yet please let me know ([email protected] ) and I’ll get you the form to complete.
Name: Gordon Fox What do you like to do in your Porsche? Short trips. I was the autocross chairman for many years in the 70’s and 80’s. We also went Wife’s/Husband’s name: to a number of track events around the north Peggy Fox east. I think I may have won the last Porsche Club sponsored hill climb down near Elmira. Porsche banned hill climbs soon afterwards Years NRPCA Member: since they were too dangerous. I also instructed at PCA events for many years. 18 years then the last 4 or so
What is your favorite story/event/incident Other Family Members: involving you and your Porsche? N/A A bunch of Porsches from Niagara Region went to Canada for the inauguration of the Upper Can
ada Region. We met a small group of Porsche What got you interested in Porsche? drivers and they told us to follow them to Port Hope where the event would be held. We got on Going to SCCA races with Fran McAllister in the the 401 and quickly got up to 100 mph and when l970’s. He made an off the cuff comment once, since the speed increased beyond the 100 mark the we didn’t have children at the time, that we should get 356’s started falling behind. That was as fast as a Porsche. So we started looking and bought a new they could go. At one point I looked across the 1973 914. Goes to show, a flippant comment to some divided highway to the west bound lanes and one might be a life changer sometimes. saw 3 police cars with all the officers staring at us as they sped by. The Canadians never slowed and we kept up the pace to Port Hope. When did you get your first Porsche?
August 1973 we bought the 1.7 liter 914 at Irmer’s Porsche Audi in East Rochester. I sold it to a student What is the worst thing that has happened to of mine who was just graduating in 1976. I then pur you and your Porsche? chased my 1974 911 which I had until the mid 1990’s. When the 911 (74) was new to us, we took a trip In 2005 I purchased a 2001 911 with 7200 miles on it. to Maine and I, apparently, got a bad tank of gas. This car is a whole bunch different from the 1974 911. When I got home the engine would not start. I had it towed to the Porsche dealer and after a week of bafflement the mechanics pulled the fuel What Porsche(s) do you have now? filter which was full of dirt. It ruined the injectors The 2001 911. and, surprisingly, the dealership replaced all six injectors for no charge. The car was way out of APRIL 2010 Page 15
Member Bios warranty. They said something about pollution con 14. B&W in pits at Glen 90?? #57 (note: it was trols being covered until 50,000 miles. It ran like a n't unusual to see these old race cars at Zone bandit from then on. One events) What would you most like to do with your Por- 15. PCA parade concourse at Portand Maine. sche? 1986. Look at it. Drive it occasionally. I think my days of getting it sideways in the 90 at the Glen are done. It’s still fun to drive even though I get passed all the time I am not 100% sure of dates, etc. but the info is on the expressways. I think some people see a Por probably fairly accurate. Again, use what you sche and speed up to pass you just to show you up! want. If I run across any other pictures I'll for Over the people kept saying one car or the other was ward them to you. Sorry these descriptions “just as good if not better” than a Porsche and that I aren't the way I mailed them to you but I tried to should buy one of those cars since they were much ID each pic I sent. Gordy Fox cheaper. I saw these cars break at Watkins Glen and I was able to drive mine home, put it in the garage and bring it out the next weekend to do it all over again.
I finally got some time to look those pics over and tell you a little about each. 1. The blue 914 in the foreground at the Corvette Porsche challenge autocross at Greene, NY. (early 80's) 2. The silver 914 (guy w/ umbella) Tom Tresohlavy with a 914 he built into a race car. He won a 1st place at the Aspen Parade in the race cars division. (1980's) 3. Silver 911 on autocross track Greene again. 4. Orange 911 at Avon Autocross Craig Erickson (not entering the track he's sideways) 1970's 5. B&W 917 at the Glen. Chuck? Stoddard from Stoddard's dealership in Cleveland Aug 77 6. Yellow 914 (close up) late Walt Leising at Avon? July 1988 7. Man with flag late Mike Bohan at Avon PCA Auto cross. July 1988 8. 5 men lined up on fence. Result of "Top Gun" event. Sept. 1990. From right Gordy Fox, Lou Betdstadt , unknown, unknown, Dave Wolfanger.
9. Man next to white 911 Lou Betdstadt July '88. At autocross at Spencer Speedway.
10. Silver 911 at Glen. Late 70's. G. Fox driving, Craig Erickson riding. 11. B&W at Glen Aug 77 Starting line up. 12. 914's. 356 and 911 Avon Autocross 1970's? 13. Tom Tresohlavy's daughter (Kim) at timing tower at Avon 1980 or so. Now a computer teacher in Qatar (Middle East). APRIL 2010 Page 16
Member Bios
huge grin they get is a great reward and I’ve made some good friends at the events. Name:
Dave Hostetter What is your favorite story/event/incident involving you and your Porsche? Wife’s/Husband’s name: I had just purchased the 911SC when one of my Susan Aunts was in town and saw the car. She com mented on how cute Years NRPCA Member: the car was and 24 Years! that she liked the
luggage Other Family Members: rack on Dave and his car the back Jonathan (19) & Eric (16) (actually a whale tail spoiler)! What got you interested in Porsche?
I moved from Toronto to Watkins Glen in High School. I was amazed by all of the exotic cars that came to What is the worst thing that has happened to town for race weekends and spent a lot of time at the you and your Porsche? track watching Formula 1 and Cam AM and IMSA I’ve been very fortunate and I don’t have any bad races. I always loved the Porsche 934s, 935s and stories (knock on wood). I’d rather comment on then the ultimate 962 race cars. the best things that have happened. I’ve become friends with so many great PCA people through the car and the club. The people are generous When did you get your first Porsche? with their time and knowledge and I’ve enjoyed I bought a 1978 911SC in 1986 and then drove it for many events and hope to continue to do so for a 17 years. very long time.
What Porsche(s) do you have now? What would you most like to do with your Porsche? My current car is a factory 1985 911 Turbo Look coupe, white/black. I like to continue to upgrade performance when possible while keeping a balance for street and track driving. I try to keep the car as nice as possible while driving it daily during the season. What do you I hope to keep this car for a very long time and like to do in maybe add a track car someday your Porsche?
Drive! I drive the car as often as I can during the driving sea Dave son including the commute to work. I also drive and instruct at Drivers Ed events whenever pos sible. I enjoy instructing new drivers at DE events as they experience the fun with their car on track. The APRIL 2010 Page 17
Car Nutz Tales Part 4
CarNutzTales #4 – Porsche #2 and Return to USA the older Porsche. Only two days after listing it on the bulletin board at the American Express By George Leopard office I had a deal with an American hippy finish ing his tour of Europe and heading home. He would buy the car ($500) if I’d deliver it with him This tale runs concurrent with CNT#3, but focuses to the port of Bremerhaven in Northwest Ger on a different car. many for shipping. We set off at normal cruising Not long after my initial arrival in Germany, to sup speed (160 clicks 99 mph) and had a good plement my $130/month Army pay, I had started buy Autobahn ride, going through a mountainous ing and selling a few cars I could easily fix at the hobby area where we saw a steam locomotive pulling shop at the Rein Main Air Base. It was easy to buy a its load through the snow covered valley far be car cheap from a GI leaving the country, tart it up and low, just like a tabletop train set. The car’s VW resell to a new arrival. In addition, I was always thirst transmission occasionally popped out of gear on ing after the next, newer (supposedly better) version of a bump, but I coolly put it back in gear telling my any car I owned. I had picked up a fair amount of Ger passenger “they all do that”. man (now forgotten), driven by the necessity of inter I still had some leave coming, so following the facing with German junk yard parts sellers. In the Bremerhaven drop off I took a train (also with a process I found a 356B Porsche (T6) that had had a steam locomotive) to Amsterdam. A couple days front end collision. I bought it for $250. This was go were spent wandering around and eating pickled ing to be a much easier job than the Speedster, so I herring and french fries with mayonnaise from sold the Speedster to another car nut. I figured the “B” street vendors. I got my cultural satisfaction from would be a great improvement on the 356A I already the beautiful architecture and canals, and a short drove, so my entire focus shifted to this car. tour of the famous red light district. Then I re I bought a new front body metal section and a wind turned to Frankfurt. shield (the two costing as much as the car) and cut the The Army offered an option where personnel damaged part off the car a few inches behind the returning to college could get out three months headlights. After teaching myself oxy acetylene weld early. I was approaching this date and was ea ing, I then butt welded the thin sheet metal sections ger to move on with my life. Three additional together using coat hangers as welding rod (still do months seemed like an eternity viewed from the sometimes). This was not easy, but I got through it desk of a 26 year old Army clerk typist with a with a really good smooth weld. There was also sig Masters degree. I started searching for an MBA nificant metal patching needed on the fenders ahead program where I could continue my studies, of the doors – bondo was my friend in disguising my hopefully with a beginning date after but near the inexpert work in this area. I also found I had to do a auspicious date of 12/12/70. My plan was to top end engine overhaul, so I blindly forged ahead with take a semester of courses related to the stock that (just like working on a VW). With all the body market, while using the university job placement work the car looked like “Patchwork Hell “ until I had it service to find a more interesting position than repainted. Blut orange (blood orange) was a radical the one I had left at Kodak. Penn State had such color available on 911S models starting in 1967 – the an MBA program; I got admitted and was sched pigment was arsenic sulfide – and it appealed to me. uled to arrive just after New Years. At this point, with the car radiant in its new paint, eve rybody in the shop suddenly became inter ested in my project. It looked great, ran well, and I was verrry happy. 356B Porsche (T6) Now I needed to sell Continued on next page APRIL 2010 Page 18
Car Nutz Tales Part 3 Con’t
Continued from previous page one else hiring, big raise offered by EK Co.). Sue had a year to go to complete her degree program, so we began a year of traveling be A second trip to Bremerhaven to ship the 356B tween Rochester and State College. I usually home was the next order of business, this time in made the 220 mile drive down on Friday night cluding a boat and train side trip to see relatives in and back Sunday night, moving pretty fast where England. To my surprise I was welcomed at the I could. I found it faster to go on Rt 14 via Ge London train station by my uncle in a big chauffer neva and Elmira than the normal route straight driven Daimler limousine, and momentarily fought off south from Rochester. Rt 15 was very slow go the chauffer who grabbed my duffle bag, as I ing all two lane and under construction in sev thought I’d have to tip him. This was my first contact eral places. I could go really fast (85 90) on Rt 14 with my mother’s successful older brother Joe. I along Seneca Lake and south of Elmira to Trout was treated to fine dining and a tour of the English Run, then through the Pennsylvania hills due to seaside for the next couple days with him in his per good, mostly two lane roads, little traffic, and no sonal Daimler V8 250 (a badge engineered Jag MkII cops. The Porsche never missed a beat and with the refined Daimler hemi V 8 engine). Back in was an absolute blast to drive this way. London I blundered into the movie “Woodstock” near Piccadilly Circus. Insulated by Army life and my car hobby I had no idea what was going on back in the States, and had heard nothing about the event be This is the car in 1972, complete with chrome fore that day. bumpers added by the prior owner. The next article covers the start of my foray into owning a A week before shipping out from Frankfurt I sold series of cars that didn’t last too long and/or were my one remaining car, an old Opel Rekord for $75, a quite troublesome. I sort of lost my way for a $60 profit. Before I knew it I was picking up the 356 while. in Baltimore. The battery was frozen from a winter crossing of the North Atlantic, and new tires I had Copyright 3/23/2010 – George S. Leopard stored inside the car for shipment with it were stolen, but at least the car itself was fine. I arrived at Penn State with $27 in my pocket after getting the car through customs and paying the first month’s rent on an apartment. Three weeks remained before my first unemployment check, so a 20 pound bag of potatoes , cooked many different ways, had to serve as my main diet until then. The head of the finance department wasn’t too happy when I explained my 3 month plan. He told me to get the #!x%% out of his office. Fortunately he passed me on to an assistant who was more understanding and lined me up with some interest ing courses for the duration. I made 37% in my model stock portfolio in the three months I was there. During this time I met my wife to be, Sue. She was an artist (a strangely attractive and mysterious profession to me, an engineer) and had recently done paintings of race cars. She was amused by the way I dressed (decrepit tennis shoes in the snow). On our first date, shortly after receiving my first unemployment check, I cooked her a fancy din ner in my apartment – my best potato recipe and my first meat in three weeks, a pork roast. Thus began our courtship. For economic rea sons, I returned to Kodak in Rochester, NY at the end of my 3 months at Penn State (recession, no APRIL 2010 Page 19
WGI Opening Day
Watkins Glen opening Day chilly. It was after all “early o’clock” in the morn ing. Tom Lyons
Photos by Sue Reesen Be cause of Opening day at Watkins Glen usually signals the the size of start of the Porsche driving season. It’s the first the group “wheels under” event for our club. (The BMW club we split did beat us to the highway with their breakfast run the tour earlier this year.) into two parts. Bill and Jane Our open left the ing day event mall at is really a two 9:45 and part deal. Coffee and donuts led one The first part group on a is a scenic route that drive through took them the Finger through Hammondsport. Tom and Babs left 15 Lakes fol minutes later and led the second group on a new lowed by laps route. Babs did it again. She came up with a on Watkins whole new route to the track. This 70 mile route Glen Interna features several miles of “Porsche” roads and Meeting at Eastview Mall tional Speed scenic views of three different lakes. I can’t wait way. to see what she comes up with next year.
As in previous years, we met at Eastview Mall in With smaller tour groups, when we left the Victor NY. We had almost 30 Porsches show up for mall for the ride to the track we were able to drive the ride down including a good sized group from the cars like Porsches rather than Checker cabs. Buffalo lead by Rob Dean. We also picked up a few I certainly would not admit to doing anything ille Buffalo strag gal like speeding but I will say we weren’t daw glers in Penn dling. Yan. As it turns out the BMW club Many was also of us who heading down survived for opening the fiasco day and they of opening were also day 2009 meeting at had some Eastview. trepidation They showed about NRPCA members all up with an what was interesting going to happen. collection of Lined up for our laps cars including several BMWs and Minis as expected We were but the also brought two Vipers and a Noble. The told that NRPCA group had mostly Porsches as you’d expect clubs had but we also had a VW and a Lamborghini. Bill the priority on Saturday and that we had a reser Schicker and Jane Fairchild brought coffee and vation for our three laps on the track for 1:00. donuts and were met with great enthusiasm. The Yeah Right. That’s gonna work. Well it did. It weather at the mall was bright sunshine but a little worked great. Just prior to 1:00 we got staged APRIL 2010 Page 20
WGI Opening Day and were actually on the track a few minutes after website’s calendar. There are also many events 1:00. The short delay that made us a couple of min coming up at WGI. Hope you can get to the utes late was to accommodate construction vehicles track for a couple of them. that had to move from one location on the track to another. Mike Evranian, Group Sales Manager at WGI did a great job listening to complaints from 2009 and adjusting to accommodate us. In Mike’s defense, 2009 caught WGI off guard as they had over 3,000 cars show up and were forced to deal with the crowd as best they could.
So now the waiting is over and we are Kids had a good time too heading out on to the track. I am lined up right behind On the track at WGI the pace car and my only concern was how much I could push the pace car to up the speed. Well the answer was, not much. Even though I was ½ a car length off his bumper most of the way around the track, the highest speed we could attain was about 75 MPH. I was looking for over 100 MPH like we were able to accomplish in years 2007 and 2008. I’ll have to talk to Mike about that. ; ) A family friendly event And then, just like that, our laps were over. I know several cars lined up for more laps. Babs and I had to beat it. We were attending a surprise 40 th birthday party for my nephew in Buffalo and had to hit the road.
Now it’s official. Our first driving event is in the books. I think everyone had a great time. Many thanx go to Mike The bus stop and the entire WGI team for making this a great event. NRPCA has several more driving events coming up fast. Be sure to check out the list of events on our APRIL 2010 Page 21
Technically Speaking! THE PORSCHE 924 - A DIFFERENT DIRECTION The engine choice was slam dunked by the low cost, high volume requirement and was the VW By Dean Lewellen built EA831 engine used in the Audi 100, VW reprinted from Going Places , official newsletter of the LT van, and later in the American Motors Grem Arizona Region PCA lin no kidding! The transmission/clutch location It has been said that the first production Porsche, the went through all three possible combinations for Model 356, grew out of the bold inspiration and enthusiasm placement with the result being a rear mounted for sports cars by Ferry Porsche, aided by the design stud transaxle gearbox with the clutch assembly ies based on prewar and postwar Volkwagens by Erwin mounted in the traditional location in the fly Komenda and Karl Rabe. The Model 356, first produced in wheel bellhousing. This arrangement provided 1948, was a groundbreaking, pathfinder design concept for a large polar moment of inertia for the car which is as timeless today, as seen in the current Model about its lateral axis, which is what makes the 996, as it was fifty four years ago in Gmund, Austria. When 924 944 968 configurations so incredibly stable the Model 924 arrived on the European motoring public in corners. The location of the transmission at scene in early 1976 and in the United States in June of the rear meant that the drive shaft mounting, 1976, it was clear that a new and radically different direc support and control was very important since tion had been taken by the Porsche design staff in Zuffen the drive shaft turned at engine speed instead hausen, Germany. The Model 924 grew out of perspiration of gearbox output shaft speed. Many hours of instead of inspiration and was an austere, sales and mar trials and testing was done on a BMW 2002 keting department driven design solution utilizing Volks "test mule" equipped with an Audi engine (front) wagen and Audi components instead of tapping the enthu and transmission (rear) trying out several candi siasm for and dedication to the pure performance sports dates for the drive shaft design of choice. The car niche Porsche had worked so hard to create during the final design was a hollow shaft (read torque Company's first thirty years. tube) mounted solidly between the bell housings on the back of the engine and the front of the To be more fair to the business side of Porsche, the transaxle. The actual drive shaft, 20 mm in di marketing reports defined the need for a less costly, entry ameter and sixty seven inches long, was level Porsche which would capture more market share than mounted inside this tube on four ball bearing the Model 914 had been able to establish. The VW supports mounted in concentric rubber rings on Porsche business agreement that fostered the Model 914 the shaft and tube. Splined connections mated was still in force and the Porsche and VW employees who the drive shaft to the clutch and the transaxle at staffed the VW Porsche Vertriebsgesellschaft (VG) would each end. be the catalyst group to define the requirements, approve the designs and manage the production, sales and market Suspension components were also found in ing of the Model 924, which had the internal project/ VW and Audi factory parts bins. The rear trailing contract number of EA425. Erich Filius of Porsche and arm suspension was lifted directly from the VW Klaus Schneider of VW jointly headed the VG and were Super Beetle. The half shafts connecting the responsible for establishment of the basic parameters of transaxle drive to the rear wheels were from the the new car more interior space, maximum use possible of VW Type 181 utility vehicle known in the United low cost, high volume VW based components, and, a de States as "The Thing". The front MacPherson sign that unified with other Porsche product offerings. The strut suspension was cobbled from Super Bee unified design meant that the new car was to have techni tle front coil struts linked to Rabbit/Scirocco cal similarities with and family resemblance to the more lower wishbones. The rack and pinion steering expensive, purely Porsche sports car being developed to gear from the Rabbit/Scirocco was employed replace the Model 911. This was the early 1970s, folks, and with a slight modification in the steering ratio the replacement car we are talking about was the Model and kinks added to the steering column for 928 which arrived in 1978. It never did replace the Model crash protection. VW front shocks and Boge 911 as the top flagship of the Porsche fleet and 928 pro rear shocks were also specified. Optional Por duction ceased in 1995, but that's another story. sche designed anti roll bars were a rare 924 unique suspension feature. The braking system As the design solidified around the two main drivers selected was from the VW K70 sedan and was use of VW based components and unification with the 928 a front disc/rear drum setup which was a ten to be configuration several design options fell by the way year step backward in time for a Porsche brak side. No front wheel drive layout like the Audi 100 or VW ing system. Rabbit, no rear/mid engine layout like the 911 or 914, the Porsche people would not agree to a live rear axle design, and, only water cooled engines met the unification criteria. Continued on next page APRIL 2010 Page 22
Technically Speaking! Continued from previous page four speed manual transaxle provided for an overall weight distribution of 48 52 per cent front to rear which made for well balanced handling. The EA425 (924) was fitted with fourteen inch, stamped A five speed gearbox was made available in steel wheels with a rim width of 5 1/2 inches. Truly this was 1979 and a turbocharged engine producing 143 parts bin engineering at its best, if you were a marketer, or, HP was offered in 1980. Things were really get at its worst, if you were an engineer. ting better fast, making getting fast better. A special "Turbo" Sports Package was offered A member of the Porsche styling team, Harm Lagaay, is which included 16" wheels, heavy duty stabilizer credited with the overall styling theme of the 924. The hid bars and shocks all around, and, vented four den headlights, inclined engine and tradition of no grill gave wheel disc brakes now we're talking Porsche! the car the popular wedge shape rising to the large rear window/hatch at the rear. As with the mechanical compo Production of the original Model 924 ceased nents, the body and interior parts were selected from exist in 1982 as the ten years of knowledge and ex ing VW stock wherever possible Golf/Rabbit heating and perience gained allowed for a controlled evolu ventilation system and door latches from the Scirocco. The tion to the Model 944 series of water cooled Lagaay team was able to provide an interior of Porsche Porsches. However in 1987, the Model 924 was design origin. Some unique features were the three large reintroduced as the "924S" which was really a main instrument dials in front of the driver which housed 924 body and chassis with the 944 engine and the speedometer in the center, very un Porsche like, a fuel running gear. These cars are rare and special and water temperature gauge on the left, and, the ta making excellent candidates for the "944 Spec" chometer on the right which had the red line portion of the class in local Valley of the Sun racing venues. tach in the upper quadrant of the gauge. Some early and on going controversy has existed over the steering wheel As with the Model 914 program, the Model shape which is somewhat eccentric when centered to pro 924 project provided many priceless experi vide more clearance with the driver's legs. The problem ences and lessons learned about joint venture comes when the wheel is turned ninety degrees or more partnerships for the people of Porsche. They during cornering in that this nice clearance becomes real also got to put into practice the knowledge and interference between steering wheel, hand and legs of the capabilities they had acquired through con unsuspecting driver. tracted development work with and for other vehicle manufacturers by designing, building History of the EA425/924 project contains a story about and testing their very own automobile powered the dark days of the project which began in the fall of 1973 by a water cooled engine. The Model 924 today when the VG agreement between Porsche and Volks is a fast fading icon of the Porsche marque, but wagen was mutually dissolved. Since Volkswagen had put its technology lives on and improves in the evo up most of the $50 million spent on development up to that lutionary lineage of models such as the 944 and point, they claimed the rights to the yet unborn sports car 968 editions of these water cooled wonders. as a Volkswagen future product, much to the chagrin and disappointment of the Porsche now ex partners. Well, the References: oil crisis of 1974 took a bitter toll on VW's vision of the fu Ludvigson, Karl, Porsche Excellence Was Ex- ture and the waves of red ink swirling on their balance pected, 1977 sheets swept most of the VW management team from their James, Drayton, Editor, The Porsche Family seats on the sinking ship. Porsche properly procrastinated Tree, Published by PCA, 1995 and in early 1975, the new Managing Director of VW met with Porsche leadership and reached an accord which would see the 924 built in a VW factory in Neckarsulm, which was on the block for closure and was located twenty seven miles north of Stuttgart. It was a win win solution. Porsche would own the design, the tooling built so far and be the responsible manufacturer of the Model 924. Volks wagen employees would build the car, order and/or supply the parts, keeping their jobs after all.
The Model 924 was first offered for sale in the USA in July of 1976 as a 1977 model at a base price of $9395. The Audi four cylinder engine was rated at 95 SAE HP @ 5500 rpm. This engine produced 110 HP in European tune. The APRIL 2010 Page 23
Porsche Takes Top Spot
Porsche takes top spot in dependability study Toyota, whose reputation has come under scru tiny in the face of massive recalls, fell two spots Porsche leaps to top of closely watched depend- from its third place standing last year. While av ability study; Toyota loses ground to rivals erage vehicle quality across the industry im Dan Strumpf, AP Auto Writer proved from last year's survey, Toyota's quality score fell slightly.
NEW YORK (AP) Porsche shot to the top of a closely watched study of long term vehicle depend However, the Japanese nameplate still swept ability, overtaking U.S. and Japanese rivals, J.D. four segment awards, more than any other Power and Associates said Thursday. brand, while its luxury Lexus brand took one seg ment award. Japanese rival Honda took three awards, while Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln brand The German took two. sports car brand took the No. 1 spot The industry average was 155 problems per 100 in the annual vehicles, J.D. Power said, or less than two prob study, which lems per vehicle. That's a decline from 167 prob gave it ninth lems per 100 vehicles last year. place last year. Lincoln came in sec Sargent said that's roughly in line with the indus ond, while try's historical rate of quality improvement. 2009 911 Carerra Buick and
Lexus tied for third. Mercury "If you don't improve by 5 to 10 percent every and Toyota rounded out the top five. year, you will get left behind," he said.
The annual study measures problems experienced Chrysler Group LLC was the only Detroit auto by the original owners of vehicles after three years. maker without any marques above the industry In last year's study, Buick and Jaguar tied for fewest average. Land Rover owners reported the most problems, but both brands lost ground to rivals this problems among the 36 brands surveyed by J.D. year. Power.
U.S. brands had a particularly strong showing this J.D. Power's 2010 dependability study surveyed year, reflecting concerted efforts in Detroit to catch more than 52,000 original owners of 2007 model up to foreign rivals who have traditionally dominated year vehicles between October and December the quality study, said David Sargent, J.D. Power's 2009. The results are watched closely by auto vice president for vehicle research. makers and are often used in advertising. Own ers' opinion of a car after three years can be a
major influence on their opinion to buy that brand Top five finishers Lincoln and Mercury are owned by again. Ford Motor Co., while Buick is owned by General
Motors Co. The Cadillac DTS full sized sedan, which is sold by GM, was named highest quality car over The firm also releases an initial quality study, all. which measures problems in the first 90 days of ownership. That study usually comes out in June
"The domestics are moving a little bit faster catching up," Sargent said. APRIL 2010 Page 24
2010Historic Porsche Posters 911 Turbo APRIL 2010 Page 25
Niagara Region Porsche Club of America 2010 Driver’s Education at Watkins Glen International Spring Event: May 24 th & 25 th Fall Event: October 11 th & 12 th 2 full days of track time each event Qualified instructors for all run groups Additional classroom training $325 fee per event
Go to www.niagarapca.org to register on line! Registration opens February 1 st for May event, May 26 th for October event
• $325 Registration fee for primary driver each event • $200 Registration fee for second driver of same car (note: second driver must be in a different run group than the primary driver) • Instructors drive free • $25 Garage space • This DE will feature “Advanced Passing Protocols” for all Run Groups • Early registration is suggested • Car technical inspection MUST be done prior to the event (tech forms available on www.niagarapca.org) • Snell 2000 or higher helmet required • Roll bars required in Cabriolets • All makes of cars welcome (no SUV’s) • Acceptance e-mails will be sent about 6 weeks before the event APRIL 2010 Page 26
Niagara Region Porsche Club of America Is pleased to offer the second annual.... 2010 Advanced/Solo High Performance Driver’s Education at Watkins Glen International June 23 & 24 2 run groups Over 5 hours of track time each day Standard PCA DE protocols and passing rules apply Open to advanced (solo) and instructor run group participants $385 entry fee
Go to www.niagarapca.org to register on line! Registration is open now!
• Garage space - $25 • The number of participants is very limited so register early • If you are unsure if you qualify for admittance, contact our Chief Instructor, Rich DeAsis at [email protected] • Car technical inspection MUST be done prior to the event (tech forms available on www.niagarapca.org) • Snell 2000 or higher helmet required • Roll bars required in Cabriolets • All makes of cars welcome (no SUV’s) • Acceptance e-mails will be sent about 6 weeks before the event APRIL 2010 Page 27 APRIL 2010 Page 28 APRIL 2010 Page 29 APRIL 2010 Page 30 APRIL 2010 Page 31
Zone 1 Concours d’Elegance & Rally May 14, 15 & 16, 2010
On May 14 16, 2010, Metro New York Region will host the 31 st Annual Zone 1 Concours and Rally at the Old Westbury Garden’s and Mansion in Westbury, New York. Weekend activities will include a Rally and a Full & People’s Choice Concours. This event is geared for both the novice level as well as the experi enced PCA member. The 31 st Annual Zone 1 Concours will include 2 categories: one a fully judged Concours (no undercar riages, but wheel wells), and a "peoples choice" car show (wash and shine). Concours preparation will be on Saturday at the host hotel and the concours show will start promptly Sunday morning, placement of cars by 8:30 am. If you have any concours questions, contact Daniel Deegan at (585) 924 0271 or email: [email protected]
The 13 th Annual Zone 1 Rally will be designed to test the competitors’ ability to drive and navigate. The rally will start at the host hotel on Saturday, will be about 2 hours long and will be challenging for both novice and experienced rally teams. The rally will run in two separate classes based on experience. Both classes will run unequipped; meaning only simple hand held calculators with single memory functions will be allowed plus stock odometers. All roads will be paved so rally cars can participate in the concours the following day. There will be a novice meeting at 10:30 am and a Driver’s meeting at 11:45 am. The first car off will be at 12:31 pm. Rally awards will be given out at dinner. Questions about the rally, contact Bob Michaelson at 973-492-2014 or email: [email protected]
The host hotel for the weekend will be the LaQuinta Inns & Suites of Garden City. A Friday night hospitality room spon sored by Zone 1 will take place from 9:00 to 10:30 pm, at the host hotel. Event registration will take place Friday evening during hospitality. Saturday evening will feature a cocktail reception, a buffet dinner, guest speaker and rally awards at the Holiday Inn of Westbury.
Weekend Schedule Friday Evening Registration & Hospitality Saturday Mid-day Rally (starting from LaQuinta Inn) Saturday Morning Registration & Rally Novice School Saturday Evening Dinner & Rally Awards Saturday All Day Concours Preparation Sunday All Day Concours d' Elegance at the Old Westbury Garden’s and Mansion in Westbury
Hotel Reservations The LaQuinta Inns & Suites of Garden City is the host hotel for the weekend .Participants who wish to stay at the hotel should make their own reservations by calling the hotel directly at 516 705 9000 (before April 13, 2010 to receive group rate) and asking for the Zone One Porsche Club of America rate of $149.00 per night.
Concours, Rally & Dinner Pricing Information (dates are postmark) Concours Only - $30/car ($40 after May 1) Rally Only $30/car ($40 after May 1) Concours & Rally Combo $45 ($60 after May 1) Saturday Dinner $45 per person ($60 after May 1) ======Registration is to be completed at www.ClubRegistration.net . Payment is processed by PayPal during registration. Registration will open on February 12, 2010. APRIL 2010 Page 32 APRIL 2010 Page 33
10th Annual “Porsche Clash at the Glen”
Zone 1 PCA is bringing Club Racing to the Glen on May 28 – May 30 for a weekend of Porsche racing, with 2 Sprint races for each race group on Saturday and 3 90 minute Enduros on Sunday! For more information see our web site: http:// zone1.pca.org/ . Site registration at the “top of the hill” will open at 4 PM, Thursday, May 27, 2010.
We’ll have commemorative clothing for all entrants and a Saturday night dinner with door prizes will be available for a small fee. Awards for the sprint races will be distributed at this dinner. Extra dinner tickets may be purchased in advance. Directions, Maps and Hotel information can be found at www.theglen.com. Garages will be available for rental on a first come, first served basis for $200/half and $400/full for the three days.
For those who would like to have some extra track time at the Glen before the event, the Metro NY Region will be holding a Driver’s Education event on Wednesday & Thursday, May 26 th and 27 th , the two days immediately prior. Information con cerning this separate Driver Education event can be found on the Metro NY PCA website at www.metronypca.org or by contacting the Metro DE registrar, Dave Hartman, at [email protected]
We’ll have race registration & tech inspection Thursday from 4:30 to 7 pm to process the large number of participants quickly and efficiently and to reduce the Friday morning crowd. All registration will be done at the Watkins Glen Registra tion Building up the hill from the track entrance. The Registration building will be open all three days for drivers and crew to get event credentials.
Each driver must fully complete a PCA Racing Entry Form and Medical Form for entry. A Racer’s Biography is optional, but highly recommended. To be eligible to enter a Sunday enduro, the car MUST also be entered in the Saturday sprint race. Entry in the Saturday sprint races is not required for the second driver sharing a car in the enduro. A mandatory 5 minute pit stop is required during the enduro, although the same driver can drive the entire enduro if he/she chooses to. For the Saturday and Sunday sprint races, a second driver of the same car will result in one of the two drivers being “ classed up” to allow the car to race in two race groups.
All Entrants are required to have a current PCA Club Racing License. (Completed license application forms must be re ceived by the Club Racing Program Coordinator three weeks prior to the event.)
We plan to fill up each group with as many cars as the track will allow. If your particular race group is filled to the maximum at the time of receiving your application and prior to May 16th, your name will be wait listed. All stand by entrants will be contacted immediately should a slot become available. There will be absolutely no new registration at the track! Final can cellation date to get a refund is May 21, 2010. See you at the Glen!
Registration opens April 8th, 2010, via clubregistration.net ONLY. All applications must be received no later than May 16 th , 2010!!!!
Sincerely, Susan Davis and Ken Jensen Zone 1 Club Race Registrars APRIL 2010 Page 34
Zone 1 48 Hours of Watkins Glen, June 18-20, 2010
North America is fortunate to have a road course like Watkins Glen International. The facility is the continuation of a road racing tradi- tion dating back to 1948, when sports cars raced on the 6.6-mile course through the village of Watkins Glen. The permanent road course was built in 1956 and has been continually upgraded since that time, now hosting NASCAR, Gran- dAm, IndyCar, HSR, SVRA and PCA events. The Zone 1 48 Hours at Watkins Glen is not only a driving event, one of the longest running Driver Ed events in PCA, it is also a social event, bringing together members from the Zone and be- yond.
The driver education event will consist of nearly two hours per day at speed for each entrant on Saturday and Sunday. Friday is our annual Zone 1 Instructor Day, including PCA National Instructor Training. This year, the entry fee will in- clude a Saturday evening reception with an open bar in the front of the garages. The cost of the event is $260 per entrant.
Registration will be handled by http://clubregistration.net and Paypal remit- tances. Registration opens on April 15 and closes June 4. It is sure to be a sell-out again this year! More details can be found at http://zone1.pca.org after April 1 st .
After your registration fee is paid and your application is accepted, you will re ceive a confirmation email with additional information and requirements. Please read the email and make sure that you follow all the requirements con tained in the registration package, including a pre event technical inspection.
If you have a Zone 1 Voucher, complete the registration and make your Paypal payment. Upon acceptance, send your Zone 1 Voucher to the registrar and you will receive a credit for the amount of the voucher. APRIL 2010 Page 35 APRIL 2010 Page 36 APRIL 2010 Page 37 APRIL 2010 Page 38 APRIL 2010 Page 39 APRIL 2010 Page 40
Porsche
Picture Page
60 years of production at Zuffenhousen 60 years of production at Zuffenhousen APRIL 2010 Page 41
Porsche Double Puzzle Drive it like you stole it !! Page 42
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