NewsLetter - Fall 2023

Fall 2023

IN THIS ISSUE

2023 Board Members

President Erik Apotheker

203.733.1470 president@fsrpca.org

Eastern Vice President

Keith Stone eastvp@fsrpca.org

Assistant Eastern Vice President Carlton Harris asstvp-eastern@fsrpca.org

Western Vice President

Mike Ball

804.240.9296 westvp@fsrpca.org

Assistant Western Vice President & Tourmeister

Dave Wallace asstvp-western@fsrpca.org

Secretary & Archivist

John Greene

757.663.8249 secretary@fsrpca.org

Treasurer Jerry Kent 757.971.7849 treasurer@fsrpca.org

Past President

Melinda Cagle pastpresident@fsrpca.org

HO Editor

Brad Jublou editor@fsrpca.org

Charity Chair

Ruth Apotheker charity@fsrpca.org

Membership Chair

Ken Thomas membership@fsrpca.org

High Performance Driver

Education Chair

Marco Estrada dechair@fsrpca.org

Safety Chair

Mark Hugel mark.hugel@cox.net

Presidential Musings

News from the Secretary

Membership Tips & Reminders

Welcome New Members

Membership Anniversaries

Editor’s Corner & We Have A Winnah! (Again)

“Hot

Treffen

Horizontally Opposed (HO) is the official publication of First Settlers Region (FSR), Porsche Club of America (PCA). All opinions, views and information appearing in HO are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the PCA, FSR, its Officers or the Editor.

The HO Editor reserves the right to edit all material submitted for publication. Permission is granted to reprint any material provided that full credit is given to the author and to Horizontally Opposed.

This publication, and previous publications of Horizontally Opposed, are available to view on-line at www.fsrpca.org.

Advertising rates, schedules and commercial partner marketing support is available to all parties interested in engaging the members of the First Settlers Region of the Porsche Club of America. Please contact HO Editor, Brad Jublou, at editor@fsrpca.org for more information.

Presidential Musings, Erik Apotheker

As we approach the end of the year, it’s time for us to reflect on our club’s achievements and plan for the future. My current focus relates to three important aspects of our club’s functioning: elections, volunteerism, and activity planning.

Elections: Every year, our club conducts elections to choose a portion of its leadership team. These positions are essential for the smooth operation and growth of our club. The elected officials play a pivotal role in setting the direction of our activities, ensuring that we uphold our club’s values and mission, and foster a sense of community among our members. By the time you are reading this we should have elected our 2023-2025 Secretary and an Activities Officer. Your participation in this democratic process is crucial to our club’s success and we appreciate your participation.

Volunteerism: Our club thrives on the dedication and enthusiasm of its members. Volunteering is not only an opportunity to give back to the local Porsche community, but also a chance to build friendships, and make a positive impact. We are actively seeking volunteers for various roles, including club communications and event support. If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to any member of the board (all are listed on our magazine masthead).

Activities: To keep our club vibrant and engaging, we need your input and ideas. Activity planning is a collaborative effort, and we welcome suggestions for events, workshops, or initiatives that you believe will be of widespread interest. Your creativity and passion are valuable assets. If you have any suggestions or would like to join the activity planning committee, please contact our Vice Presidents Mike Ball or Keith Stone (contact info can be found in our magazine masthead).

While participating in our events, make it a point to mingle with all the members you can. It can be a great way to build connections and enjoy the company of like-minded individuals. Here are a few tips for successful mingling:

1- Initiate Conversation.

2- Ask What Brought You to the Group or Event – Open Ended Questions Go a Long Way.

3- Find Common Interests.

4- Be Approachable.

5- Respect Differences of Opinion, or Backgrounds.

6- Follow-up. If you make a connection you’d like to continue, exchange contact info and plan to meet again at the next event.

Remember that mingling is about building connections and enjoying the company of others, so relax, be yourself, and have a great time!

Our club’s success is dependent on your active involvement. By participating in elections, volunteering your time, contributing ideas for activities and attending them, you can help shape the future of our community. Together, we can make FSR an even more dynamic place for all its members.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our club. If you have any questions or need further information on any of the topics covered, please feel free to reach out to me at president@fsrpca.org.

I look forward to seeing your active involvement in the upcoming year.

Keep the Porsche spirit!

News from the Secretary, John Greene

Today is a far cry from 3 months ago: sunny then, raining today…again! Let’s hope that, by the time you read this, this persistent heat wave is over, and fall and cooler weather are nearing.

This quarter’s HO consists solely of the July Board of Directors (BOD) meeting minutes notes. That’s because the BOD meets bi-monthly, and the next BOD meeting isn’t until September. As a reminder, anyone may attend a BOD meeting anytime. They’re all held on ZOOM, however, so if you’d like to sit in, just let any BOD member know and you can get the ZOOM link in advance.

Regarding the July meeting, highlights follow. You’ll also see throughout there are lots of other “things” going on besides just this meeting!

• FSR’s checkbook balance continues to be healthy, with about the same balance ($135,000) as last quarter. The deposit on the Fall DE (October 13-14, 2023) has been paid as well.

• The President noted that, after expenses, and helped by shirt and glasses sales, the Club used only $4300 of the $7500 upfront cost of the 75th Anniversary event at Upper Shirley Vineyards, so that was good news. He also said that the registration for the 11th Air and Auto Classic, to be held in Virginia Beach on 7 October, is open.

• Our Membership Chair reported that membership remains essentially flat for the year with primary membership down 5 members, or 0.006% from year end 2022; new member enrollment at mid-year is consistent with prior years at 47; member renewals are down slightly from last year; and there have been 11 transfers out of the region this year, four of which were to Shenandoah.

• There will have been the Western New Member Social event at Mike and Mary Ball’s house by the time you read this. If a new Western area member, I hope you were able to attend. The Eastern New Member Social will be held at Checkered Flag Porsche on 15 September. The date coincides with the new 2024 Cayenne “launch” party.

• There were also two summer Fun Runs: one to the Eastern Shore, finishing up at the Cape Charles Distillery; and one (ac tually two in one weekend back-to-back) from Williamsburg, including a ferry ride, and then on to Smithfield Station or a late lunch/early dinner. Both were very well planned, attended, and thoroughly enjoyable. Who knew all those roads were there on the Eastern Shore besides boring Route 13?!?

• And The Charity Committee Chair reported that cars would be needed at one or more of the Horizons Hampton Roads (one of FSR’s approved charities) sites in August for, as it turned out, dozens of 1st-6th graders to “ooh and aah” over the cars. It was a fun time!

That’s it, see you this fall and, as always, thanks to all those who volunteer for your Board!

First Settlers Region Membership

Tips and Reminders, Ken Thomas

• Is your PCA member profile current? Your home address, email address, and phone numbers are important to both PCA and First Settlers Region in communicating with you. If you are not receiving Panorama, Horizontally Opposed, or event notifications/updates, you may need to update your profile.

• Have you made a model change or added another Porsche to your garage? Then please update that in your profile. The year and model Porsche information is frequently used in event planning, club statistics, etc.

• Have you reached a membership anniversary milestone? PCA no longer automatically issues recognition of these milestones If you want to receive the recognition for your length of membership, contact PCA at 410-381-0911.

• Have you downloaded the FSR App? It’s a great tool for staying current on all things FSR. It is available at both Apple and Android App stores.

• Digital PCA membership cards are now available. To opt in or learn more, visit https://www.pca.org/members/digital-membership.

• Are you an FSR Fun Run fan? The “Ride with GPS” App has taken our Fun Runs to another level! Routes are planned and calculated using the App and the route link is sent to each participant. Use this link to join the free-to-members FSRPCA Club account. https://ridewithgps.com/auto_approve/Club/10164/3IHvYtPhckMKWtwQ.

• Support our Sponsors. Thank them for their support. They support our events and activities with their advertisements, sponsorships, and in-kind support. Not sure who they are? Our sponsors are routinely found in Horizontally Opposed and at events such as Air & Auto, Turkeys in the Trunk, and more.

• Do you need a new or additional First Settlers or PCA window cling? Let me know and I will get them to you.

• FSR operates on volunteers. A big Thank You to everyone who volunteers at events, serves on a committee, holds an office, or works behind the scenes to make our region better. If you would like to be more involved or serve on the Board, reach out to any current Board member to share your interest.

• Have you attended an event lately? We have a wide variety of events on the calendar each year. The events are centered around driving, social, and charitable activities. We also have tech sessions, track events, concours, and our popular monthly breakfasts. Every event is a great opportunity to meet and engage with other members and make lifelong friends.

• Feedback is always welcomed. If you have a suggestion to improve the region, please share it with any Board member

New Members May, June and July 2023

Welcome to all new First Settlers Region members! We are happy to have you join us. Please come out to an event and meet your fellow members, have some fun, and see a lot of beautiful Porsches!

May 2023

Merlin Figueira

Gregory Brown

Alexander Scott

Doug Sturm

Glen Allen PCA Test Drive

Spotsylvania

Steven Koprowski Midlothian

Randy Nachman

Williamsburg

Shelley Kay Marriner Chesapeake

Curt Lutz

Rawad Sleem

Phillip Boegner Glen Allen

George Mcgrane Chesterfield

Marie Brinkman

John Butler

Kiran George

911 Carrera

911 Carrera S

Panamera 4 E- Hybrid

911 Carrera 4S

718 Cayman GT4

Panamera

Cayman S

911 Carrera 4S

Panamera

718 Boxster S

Chesapeake 2023 Macan

June 2023

Virginia Beach 2007 911 Turbo

718 Cayman S

Michael Salyer Williamsburg

Paul Gilbo Richmond

Rick Yentes TI Potomac Virginia Beach

Dag Zapatero

Paul Crump

Phillip Billups

Geneva Spreen TI Monterey

Daniel Dunham

Tommy Salmani

George Bryant

Robert Kuhlke

July 2023

Virginia Beach

Duane Hayes Williamsburg

William Turner

Macan S

Cayenne

Cayman S

Cayenne GTS

Boxster

911 S

Boxster S

Boxster

911 Carrera

911 Carrera 4S

912

Boxster

911 Carrera S

Member Anniversary Milestones for the Third Quarter 2023

Ken Thomas, Membership Chair

Congratulations to all our members who celebrate membership milestones in the third quarter of 2023. Thank you for your loyalty to the Porsche brand, the Porsche Club of America, and First Settlers Region. We hope you are enjoying your membership and all the benefits that are available to you. If you haven’t come out to an event lately, consider joining us for an event this year. First Settlers offers many popular events throughout the year with a focus on driving, social, and charitable activities. Our monthly breakfasts are very popular also. Hope to see you at an event soon.

40 Years

35 Years

25 Years

20 Years

15 Years

10 Years

5 Years

Jim McCormack

Leo Smith

Obin Robinson

Michael Shammas

Dean Kostov

Stacey Mills

Michael Tiller

John Jones

Gary Baskin

Warren Ragsdale Akhil Jain

Tim Gifford

Patrick Liles

Stan Grabill

Daniel Schweiss

Mark Jones

Earl Fuller

Mark Ferguson

James Byrne

Riaz Vaziralli

Matt Anthony

Robert Radin

Gary Tyer

Timothy Madden

Jeffrey Allen

Timothy Gould

Ryan Andrew

On the cover:

Walt Pristou took this picture of his recently revived 1972 911T. His hellgelb (light yellow) car is the subject of a two-part article, “Rebuilding the Time Machine,” Part 1 of which is later in this issue. As always, Walt’s trusty Navigator Hermann stands ready to accompany him.

If you wish to submit a photo or original piece of art to be considered for a future cover, please email editor@fsrpca.org.

Editor’s Corner Brad Jublou

“Shore Thing.” A Fun Run was held on the Eastern Shore on 15 July and it was quite a trip. Organized by our Eastern VP Keith Stone and his wife Laura, and ably supported by our Tourmeister Dave Wallace and his wife Nancy, the run started in the picturesque town of Cape Charles. The route ran north on the Atlantic side of the Eastern Shore; stopped for a break at Wachapreague; headed northwest, eventually crossing Route 13 to take in a windshield tour of quaint Onancock; and then south down the Chesapeake Bay side to finish back at Cape Charles. Hosting us in Cape Charles was the Cape Charles Distillery, owned by FSR member Liam Duncan, where any number of tasty and interesting concoctions were available to “cut the dust.” For those that decided to order ahead, lunch was delivered to the distillery from Liv’s Café & Deli in Exmore, and I have to say: their “Parramore” was one of the best deli sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life. No exaggeration.

In summary: 93 miles of wonderful back roads; 46 Porsches; lots of great scenery; awesome drinks and deli food.

Brad

WE HAVE A WINNAH! (Again!)

By Erik Apotheker

No one from this area ever wins one of those PCA raffles, right? Think again. CONGRATS, Sudeep Menachery!!

For the second time in three years, I received an email from Vu Nguyen, Executive Director of the Porsche Club of America, which truly excited me to a point of being giddy. As soon as I saw it, I knew what it was all about, but unsure as to who else might soon be delighted by the news. Then I was a bit overcome by the task ahead; it is far more complicated than you would anticipate when you are trying to enhance such joyous news.

After some brainstorming with Mike Ball and Ken Thomas, the plan was hatched. After a few phone calls, two fibs (with the most utmost of good reasons) and an email back to Vu, everything fell apart. Frustrated by the situation and further complicated by a business trip, an audible had to be called. Still envious to heighten the forthcoming news, I perpetrated a well-timed text. It read:

Sudeep will add his new acquisition to the garage alongside his 718 Spyder and we couldn’t be happier for him. His medical practice has not allowed much time to participate in FSR events, but Sudeep vows to change all that. Guess this nifty-gifty, the results of a two ticket purchase, will change all that.

A Fun Run in Sudeep’s honor will be organized once he has taken possession of his new toy. This couldn’t have happened to a nicer man. I just hope he has now forgiven me.

“Hot Track!”

By

Kira Mellups, Drivers Education Registrar

Marco Estrada

Get to know your High-Performance Drivers Education (HPDE) Committee

Running an HPDE takes a lot of work and hundreds of hours to put together. From negotiating track contracts to organizing volunteers during the event, it is a team effort. Let’s meet our friendly HPDE Committee!

Committee Role: DE Co-Chair with Michael Shammas and Chief Track Instructor

How long have you been doing HPDEs? 15 years

How did you get started? As part of the buying process for my first 911. I took it to Racewerks for a pre-purchase inspection. On my way out, John Kopp (shop co-owner) said to me “So are we going to see you at the track?” The rest is history. Do you drive in the HPDEs? Yes

What do you drive on track? BMW M3 and GT4 after it is broken in.

What do you like most about the events? Camaraderie first and foremost. The fun of the event, the tall tales about lap times, and the people.

Michael Shammas

Committee Role: DE Co-Chair

How long have you been doing HPDEs? 15 years

How did you get started? I decided to register for an event with some friends and got hooked. Do you drive in the HPDEs? Yes

What do you drive on track? BMW E46 race car

What do you like most about the events? I am always looking forward to our events. I love the people, the cars, the dinners and drinks and get-togethers and, of course, being on the track.

Kira Mellups

Committee Role: Registrar

How long have you been doing HPDEs? 2 years

How did you get started? My parents were both Porsche racers in the 1970s and I essentially grew up at the track. Later on, my dad was a DE instructor for Potomac. After I bought my Porsche in Germany, I signed up for a Porsche women-only track experience at Baden-Baden, and then the following year at Leipzig. My cheeks hurt from smiling after those experiences; I was hooked and wanted to do a REAL DE. When I moved back to the US, and COVID was slowing down, I volunteered to help at the Zone 2 Club Race. I loved meeting all the enthusiastic drivers and volunteers and signed up for the first HPDE I could following the race.

Do you drive in the HPDEs? Yes

What do you drive on track? 2007 Cayman S

What do you like most about the events? The people are amazing. I have felt so welcomed and at home at all the HPDE events I have attended. I also love being on track and pushing my limits as far as I can, keeping in mind that I want to keep the shiny side up since I have to drive home at the end of the weekend

Greg Kahles

Committee Role: None yet as I just became involved with the committee

How long have you been doing HPDEs? Not long! I only have one “official” DE under my belt.

How did you get started? I took the Porsche Track Experience 2 Day High Performance Driving Course at Barber Motorsports Park. I wanted to explore HPDE more and to continue developing my driving skills, so I tried out the 1-session “Intro to DE” event with PCA FSR. I thoroughly enjoyed the intro session and signed up for the next session.

Do you drive in the HPDEs? Yes

What do you drive on track? 2014 Cayman S

What do you like most about the events? I enjoy exploring my limits in a safe environment and learning from those more knowledgeable than I am. Of course, driving a Porsche around a track at MY maximum speed is exhilarating! I have been surprised at how much the techniques taught, discussed, and practiced at DE events translate into useful driving skills on the street at legal speed limits.

Lee Eason

Committee Role: HPDE Volunteer Coordinator

How long have you been doing HPDEs? 7 years

How did you get started? I got started by driving Ed Merry’s Cayman R in the Intro to DE session, fall of 2016.

Do you drive in the HPDEs? Yes

What do you drive on track? 2001 Boxster S

What do you like most about the events? I like meeting new drivers and asking how their experience was, and seeing the huge smiles on their faces. I also like talking with other drivers in my run group and learning from them.

Chris Stanley

Committee Role: Head Track Technical Inspector (responsible for ensuring that the cars are safe for a weekend event)

How long have you been doing HPDEs? 16 years

How did you get started? I bought my first 911 (my 1987) in 2007 specifically to participate in HPDE events after learning about them through a fellow PCA member. I was hooked after my first event and immediately purchased a trailer and began adding safety gear and upgraded brakes to my car. I also volunteered to help with technical inspections at the track. I was asked to head that process after a couple of years. I became a PCA instructor in 2011. For 5-6 years I attended 6-8 events per year. I then began participating in “wheel to wheel” racing and eventually ceased taking my own car to the track. Do you drive in the HPDEs? I still volunteer for the tech inspection role, and occasionally instruct, but I am not currently driving at these events.

What do you drive on track? None on track, but I currently own three 911s (1987, 1999 cab, and 2005 S) and a Macan GTS.

What do you like most about the events? I still attend to help people transition to this wonderful sport and to maintain friendships.

Mark Hugel

Committee Role: Safety Chair (Regional)

How long have you been doing HPDEs? Since 2012

How did you get started? I got started as soon as I bought my first Porsche. I attended FSR breakfasts for almost a year while I was researching what P-car I wanted. I drive my car to Virginia International Raceway (VIR) and back. Came home on a tow truck once. ��

Do you drive in the HPDEs? Yes

What do you drive on track? 1982 911SC

What do you like most about the events? The camaraderie at our events is awesome. I have been told many times by non-FSR HPDEers that they always circle our events on their DE calendars because our region folks who host the events are so friendly.

Alan and Adam Wilhite

Committee Roles: Classroom instructors, promotion check rides

How long have you been doing HPDEs? A long time

How did you get started? From Alan: I took my older son, Jason, to our HPDE event at VIR for his 35th birthday in my 996 convertible, and I signed up for the Intro session. Jason never returned but I was addicted. Yes, DEs are extremely addictive. Adam followed shortly after, he was hooked, and I bought another 996 for him.

Our current jobs are classroom instructors of the Green, Blue, and White run groups. The courses are evolving, and I hope they are getting better each event.

Do you drive in the HPDEs? Yes

What are you driving? We have decided to use my 2001 911 Turbo Porsche #7 as our track car.

What do you like about the events? From Kira: I think it is safe to say that Alan and Adam like everything about the events! They have been involved at every level from green student through instructor, and have volunteered in several roles. From Alan and Adam: We want to thank all the event volunteers. We couldn’t have the event with your help. Especially I want to thank Kira Mellups, our current registrar, for the many hours to prepare for the event, and Scott Hoffman, previous registrar, for all the additional jobs he took on to get our events off the ground.

From Kira: Perhaps you’ve noticed some common threads among our committee members. Everyone was hooked pretty much right away. Everyone, except Greg, loves the people. Greg just wants to go fast. Driving your Porsche (or even your BMW race car) on the track is a thrill like no other and we have all had great experiences and made life-long friends at HPDEs. Come and join us!

Our next HPDE is at VIR on October 13-14. You can search on motorsportsreg.com or go to this address for more information: msreg.com/FSRFall2023VIR

Treffen Georgia Mountains

By Pam Michaels

Adding to Treffen Asheville (2017) and Treffen at the Greenbrier (2020), George and I attended our third, Treffen Georgia Mountains (TGM), this past April. The host hotel was the Barnsley Resort, located in Adairsville, Ga., about halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga. “Treffen,” the German verb for “to meet,” is a great description for these PCA events, where members gather with friends old and new to enjoy the region and the cars. Smaller than Parade, Treffens are three-day/four-night events with drives, socials and dinners – and nothing competitive. No concours, no quizzes, no rallies.

Getting There

We decided to drive the 1989 911, splitting the trip from Virginia Beach to Adairsville with an overnight stay and visit with George’s cousin Charles in Charlotte. The car was prepped and ready to go, complete with a new brake light switch, which is attached to the master cylinder rather than the brake pedal like most normal cars. (Yes, this is foreshadowing.) We had an uneventful drive to Charlotte and a nice visit with Charles and his family. Wanting to just get on the road the next morning, we opted to stop for gas and a Chick-Fil-A biscuit on the way out of town. Slowing for the left turn into the shopping center for the CFA, George uttered, “Oh $h!t!” – or maybe he said something else. I looked around for what could possibly be wrong. As there was nobody in front of us, I thought someone was going to rear-end us, but no, the brake pedal had gone to the floor! With a combination of shift work and use of the handbrake, George got us to a parking space right next to CFA. Suffice it to say that what was supposed to be a 20-minute stop for breakfast and gas turned into a two-hour event. In the parking lot, with me in the driver’s seat and George “under the hood,” he saw that brake fluid was squirting out from the brake light switch every time he asked me to step on the brake pedal. That new switch had failed, and in a major way. Looking back, we know we had luck on our side: (1) the brakes didn’t go out while on the interstate; (2) Charles works from home, and we were just two miles away; he was able to take us to the local Auto Zone and back to our car; (3) the Auto Zone that George found online (thanks to modern technology) actually had a brake light switch in stock (because it’s the same switch as a VW Beetle, FYI); and (4) while George travels with a well-stocked toolbox, Auto Zone had the required 22mm deep socket in stock, which we needed for the repair. Still in the parking lot, George installed the new switch, and we were on our way – with a well-deserved chicken biscuit.

We rolled into Treffen Georgia Mountains just in time to check in to the hotel, go through event registration, and, though we missed out on the appetizers, make use of our free drink tickets at the welcome social before our 6pm dinner reservations.

Treffen Georgia Mountains

Following the standard Treffen program, we had six organized fun runs to choose from, all offered on both Thursday

and Friday so that we and the other 300 or so attendees could get in on our top two picks. Saturday is reserved for NDO, or Navigator’s Day Off, where you can do your own exploring. As experienced Treffen and Parade goers who sometimes over-schedule ourselves, we opted to do just one drive and enjoy two leisurely days on our own. On Thursday we signed up for the drive and visit to the Coker Tire Museum in Chattanooga. The drive ended with lunch at Nic and Norman’s, whose owners are a director and an actor from The Walking Dead series. (Who knew? Certainly not us.)

We explored Adairsville on Friday morning, stopping in at the train depot and welcome center, which had historical displays depicting the great locomotive chase of the Civil War. We stumbled upon and ate lunch at Character’s BBQ, a hole-in-the-wall kind of place that claimed to have the world’s best BBQ. I haven’t had BBQ from all over the world just yet, but the BBQ was delicious and sold out by 2pm, much to the dismay of the folks coming in after us.

On Saturday, we drove to Wolf Mountain Winery and sampled the wines and had a bite to eat. That drive was one of the six organized tours, about two hours from the resort, but on NDO, Treffen-goers can pick up the route instructions for any of the tours and strike out on their own.

Why Attend Treffen?

If you’re “car people” or married to someone who is, go to Treffen! Be advised that registration sells out quickly (as in, in minutes) and can be expensive, but registration does include most meals. There are two Treffens per year, spring and fall, and the event checks a lot of boxes you may be looking for in a PCA event:

3 Enjoy lots of Porsches

3 Experience a new city or town

3 Stay in a nice hotel

3 Follow an itinerary you didn’t have to plan

3 Discover new places you didn’t have to research

3 Drive fun roads

3 Learn/See/Do something new

3 Meet new people

3 Reconnect with PCA members you’ve probably met somewhere before

3 Strengthen ties with members from your own region

Having been to Treffen Georgia Mountains, I can say we checked all the boxes. We were grateful that FSR members Jim & Betty Kendall and Dave & Karen McFaddin were also there… not only was it good to hang out with them, but they were instrumental in making sure we knew the best line to get in for that free drink at the welcome party.

Rebuilding the Time Machine, Part 1

Some TLC for a 1972 911T, or What I did on my COVID vacation

by Walt Pristou

First things first: I want to thank Lutzo, Mark, and the crew at LMN Motorsports for everything they did to help bring a survivor back to life. Without them the car would not be on the road today (and I would not be having so much fun!).

History: My father purchased the car in 1974, second hand, trading in a 1.8L 914. He passed away suddenly in late 1978 and when I graduated from Purdue in 1979, my mom passed the car down to me and I have been the caretaker ever since. My first job out of college was with a defense contractor in the San Francisco Bay area, and in July 1979 my brother and I drove the car from home in Ohio to California. The car was my daily driver for years, traveling to Pensacola with me when I joined the Navy in 1984 and then to Oceana for the next several years.

By the early to mid ‘90s, to no surprise, the car began to leak oil. With another Navy move on the horizon, I drove it back to Ohio for safe storage. By the dawn of the millennium, it was really leaking oil and I knew it needed some major work. Unfortunately, at around the same time, I went through a couple life changes and the car slid down the old priority list…and remained there for years. At least I was able to keep the car in one piece and inside the whole time. (And I got my daughters through college with zero student loan debt ��! )

As retirement was getting larger on the horizon, I started to get the bug to get the car back on the road. I transported it from Ohio to its current abode, my garage in Portsmouth. By the fall of 2018 the 911 project was coming into focus and my first step was to survey the condition of the car and try to determine the scope of work required to get it back on the road. By now the car had been sitting for 20 years, but overall it was in pretty decent shape.

I knew that the engine needed to be rebuilt, but the transmission had never given me any problems so I crossed my fingers on it. The brake system would need to be totally overhauled, I would need new suspension components, and the fuel tank needed to be cleaned and refurbished. A closer look at the body revealed some surface rust in the usual places for a non-galvanized car. Inspecting underneath, I found no structural rust at any of the suspension mounting points, and the tub floor in the trunk and cockpit were solid. Having found no showstoppers myself, my next step was to find a shop and a mechanic who knew how to work on old, air-cooled cars.

Since getting the car in 1979, I had never joined PCA, and I never really thought about it much. An old friend is a member of the Florida Citrus Region and when talking to her about getting my 911 back on the road, she recommended I join and talk to members to find a shop in the local area. This was by far the best advice I got during the whole project. Thanks Karyn! At the second breakfast I went to at Pop’s Diner, Mark Cook from LMN just happened to sit across the table from me. I went to the shop and met Lutzo, and we put together a basic game plan. My original vision was to keep the car as original as possible, get a driver on the road as quickly as possible, control costs by using the original parts as much as practical, and leave all the cosmetic work for later.

I got the car to LMN and they dropped the engine and trans and started work on the engine tear down. The engine disassembly was not a straightforward process. It’s funny that all the shop manuals you ever see show the disassembly of a brand-new engine. My 50-year-old engine did not want to come apart quite so easily, and Lutzo actually had to cut off a couple of rusted studs to get one of the heads off. The inspection after the disassembly was encouraging. The magnesium cases were in good shape but needed inserts and new head studs. All the major internal components (crank, rods, cam shafts, oil pump, etc.) were still useable. The cylinder heads needed to be rebuilt and the mechanical fuel injection (MFI) pump and throttle bodies had to be sent out to be overhauled, but again, no showstoppers.

It was obvious that the engine rebuild was going to take a while, so I decided to bring the car home and get to work on repairing some of the body and corrosion problems. This was the first departure from my original game plan and presented a major increase in scope of work and cost (automotive paint is really expensive), but I decided improving some of the cosmetic issues was worth the effort and cost. It had been a while, but I had painted cars and motorcycles back in high school, so I figured I could handle it myself.

Rust never sleeps. You can’t stop it, but you can slow it down. One of the biggest issues with the older cars is that the bodies were not galvanized and there is going to be rust just about everywhere that body panels come together. Before tearing into it I needed to find a modern coating system that would be compatible with the 50-year-old paint on the car (solid enamel, no clear coat), and match the color. Paint technology had changed just a little bit since the ’70s and I needed to get smart fast. I talked to Phil Rowland at Eurofinish LTD and he was really helpful explaining current coating systems and some of my options.

Sherwin Williams Automotive had an array of systems, and has a store off of Military Highway in Chesapeake. I brought in my gas cap, explained what I was dealing with, and a paint guru named Mark set me up with a complete system and a quart of custom blended, color matching topcoat!

I started the disassembly by removing the turn signal housings to expose the rust around the nacelles. The bumpers needed to come off the car and there was a lot of rust along the bottom edges of the body.

My process was to clean up the corrosion, seal the substrate with a corrosion resistant coating, and then apply the Sherwin Williams primer and topcoat. I decided to use an airbrush to paint the nacelles and around the headlights since the areas were small and the airbrush worked well at blending in the new paint over the original. The bumpers required a lot of sanding to remove all the chips and gouges. I quickly remembered why I hated painting cars.

I slowly worked my way through the body work, section by section, throughout the summer. The color match of the new top coat to the original paint was superb, and it blended really nicely over the original paint! Reinstalling the bumpers was a chore, especially shimming the rear bumpers to get them to line up correctly with the fenders (with new body seals installed), but the final results showed that the time, effort, and cost were definitely worth it.

By the fall of 2021, I had the body reassembled and Lutzo was almost finished getting the engine back together. It was time to bring the car back to LMN. In Part 2, the car comes back together and gets back on the road.

Porsche Documentation

by Jim Hamel, FSR Tech Chair

In this article I will discuss documentation. Specifically, documentation regarding your Porsche, both before and during your purchase. Documentation means many things to different people, so I’ll try to sum up what I intend to cover here. I want to cover the various types of documentation, and sometimes other sources of information, you may be interested in about your car, and I will focus on different items when you are researching the potential purchase of a Porsche, with more detail about purchasing a used Porsche. I will break the article into sections for the various stages of your Porsche experience.

Pre-Purchase

In this phase I’m really thinking about your decision to buy a Porsche, and then deciding which model. Your interest in a Porsche almost certainly didn’t come from some kind of document. It was more likely a friend’s or neighbor’s car, or one in a movie, or just one you saw on the street, or heard driving by. However a P-car piqued your interest is not what this article is about, but how you started (or could start) the chase of your Porsche acquisition is.

OK, multiple sources exist that can help you narrow down the search for your perfect Porsche specific model or models, and even sub-models. Magazines such as Excellence, 911 & Porsche World (UK-based), and especially PCA’s Panorama, cover the many facets of the Porsche experience, including tests of new and older models, articles showing how owners have let Porsches become integral parts of their lives, Porsche restoration and customization, Porsche motorsports activities, and much more. Multiple websites and video channels also exist to provide lots of detailed information on all of the Porsche models.

One very helpful source for model specific background and details is Porsche Cars North America’s (PCNA) website archive. I was able to download all of the PDF files for Porsche’s 2002 996 model introduction packet. Because Porsche was introducing the typical mid-life upgrade of the 996 series this year, they provided lots of documents describing the changes, and new models in the range. Lots of great information for a sponge of minute detail like myself.

During Purchase

Once you’ve decided on the Porsche model(s) you want to pursue purchasing, the real documentation and information search can begin in earnest. This is one of the primary focuses of this article.

First, you need to locate the car or cars you’re potentially interested in purchasing. There are many sources for locating potential cars, mostly on-line, such as cars.com, autotrader.com, the PCA Mart, cargurus.com, bringatrailer.com, hemminghs.com, and now even CarFax.com. Porsche dealers themselves list their preowned car inventories, and even CarMax gets Porsches into their system.

However you find it, now you have a car to investigate. This is where it gets interesting, and given the right mindset, fun. I normally start my process getting a CarFax report. While CarFaxes have a reputation of being spotty and certainly don’t get all potential records of maintenance or incidents, they can usually provide some details, and sometimes, lots and lots of information. Depending on the information, or lack thereof, in the CarFax report I might also pull an AutoCheck report. It’s similar to CarFax but frequently contains different information.

When I bought my 2002 996 Cabriolet, I located it on Cars.com at a small, independent dealer outside of Philadelphia. They acquired the car at auction and had minimal background information regarding it. The car had the owner’s manual and the other booklets in the glovebox, but the maintenance book only showed dealers service stamps through ~64,000 miles. Thankfully, I pulled a CarFax report on the car and it provided a ton of information.

While my car had a bit over 92,000 miles on it, the CarFax showed it only had one previous owner, who bought it at Porsche of the Main Line (POTML) in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, and had regular service performed at POTML throughout the car’s life. My independent dealer said when they bought the car at auction it had come from POTML. With this information I called the dealer, trying to find out why they wholesaled the car out. I talked with one of their sales staff and he remembered the car. When I asked them why they didn’t keep it on their pre-owned lot he told me that they normally didn’t keep higher mileage cars to sell, plus the vivid Speed Yellow color was a risk to them. If they found someone who wanted a color like that the car would just sell itself, but because it’s a bit of a polarizing color it could sit on their lot for too long and would tie up too much capital. Solid reasoning if you ask me. I asked him what the previous owner replaced the car with? He was hesitant to provide too much information, but when I asked if it was another Porsche, he confirmed that it was. I viewed that positively since the owner couldn’t have had too bad an experience with the car if he bought another one.

One interesting entry in the CarFax report was that with about 6,200 miles and less than a year of service, they had the engine checked, and it was removed to complete repair. Since it had accumulated over 84,000 miles since that service, I wasn’t too concerned over whatever had happened at that 6,200-mile point.

Based on the above information, plus a successful Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) from a local independent service shop, I completed my purchase of the car.

Knowing that my new-to-me car was sold and maintained by POT-

ML, my next step was contacting the dealership again. Bingo! I talked to the salesman again that gave me the earlier information, and he extracted a printout of the car’s service history from their maintenance data base and e-mailed it to me. The printout was a new trove of detailed information regarding my new car’s service history. First, that 6,200 miles/less than a year service entry described the “Client heard a metal-to-metal noise and then found several quarts of oil on the ground please check.” Obviously, the car experienced a catastrophic engine failure, which I suspect was the Intermediate Shaft (IMS) bearing failing; but the records didn’t provide any more specifics, just that the engine was exchanged with a factory replacement.

The details of the services identified in the printout provided me with a great understanding of my car’s maintenance past. One key maintenance action at 72,587 miles described that the previous owner had the troublesome 996 IMS bearing replaced with an LN Engineering ceramic bearing upgrade. Learning that one fact saved me about $1,500 by not needing to have it done myself. I had already budgeted for the upgrade in my head when I negotiated the price of the car.

Notably, the salesman also emailed me a copy of the build sheet for the car that stated the options and the sticker price of the car. It isn’t the original window sticker, but it’s the next best thing, and it’s an official Porsche document! Note that these build sheets per VIN number are available from any Porsche dealer, usually at some minimal cost. Suncoast Porsche offers these for $13 each from their on-line store.

In addition to the POTML salesman I also talked with a woman that was in the finance department (I think), and she was also willing to help me in my background search. She made copies of all of the service receipts for the car for the previous seven years,

blacked out the previous owner’s personal information, and emailed them to me. She would have gone farther back but the dealership only maintains records for seven years according to state law.

While I commissioned an independent Porsche service shop to conduct the PPI, and the results were satisfactory, I wanted more. So, in coordination with a trip to the Hershey Porsche swap meet, I scheduled a Post Purchase Inspection at POTML. Not only were they familiar with the car, I thought I might be able to get more of the history while it was undergoing the inspection. I requested the same service advisor that the previous owner had used and he gave me additional background, with more documentation. He also gave me copies of the service invoices for the car, again with all of the previous owner’s information appropriately blacked out, and he had a few more records than I previously received.

While I was at the Post Purchase Inspection, I discovered that the car was involved in an accident to the left rear quarter panel. The body shop POTML normally used made the repair, using all new Porsche parts. I had noticed that there had been some work to the left rear but this provided me the details of the extent of the work.

Subsequent to this dealership visit I suspect that I might have the most complete set of service and maintenance records for a high mileage used Porsche that didn’t come with any records upon the purchase. Pure gold to my anal-retentive mind.

Summary

In summarizing my discussion regarding documentation for your used Porsche purchase, I provide the following recommendations:

• First and foremost, get all of the documentation regarding your prospective car you can when purchasing the vehicle. That’s probably the easiest route.

• If your car came with incomplete, or even non-existent, records, don’t despair. There are many other sources you can explore to potentially uncover details regarding your car. Pulling a CarFax or AutoCheck report can provide an excellent starting point for discovering the history of your car

• If you can identify the Porsche dealer that originally sold your car, don’t hesitate to contact them. While some are hesitant to provide any information about cars they sold in the past, some can go out of their way to be helpful. My personal experience certainly demonstrates this.

• Not all of the sources you will explore are 100% accurate or complete, but frequently they contain useful information about your car, and they might provide other leads you can follow in your pursuit.

75th Anniversary Celebration

Pictorial

On 10 June FSR celebrated Porsche’s 75th Anniversary with a fun and ambitious schedule of activities across our region. Although the day started with the usual breakfasts at Joe’s Inn at Bon Air and Pop’s Diner in Chesapeake, the rest of the day was anything but “usual.”

Members near Richmond then headed over to Euroclassics Porsche for an Open House featuring live streaming of the LeMans 24, a special car display, snacks and drinks. Members in the Chesapeake area had a Fun Run from Pop’s to Checkered Flag Porsche which featured a special car display, music by the Red Stapler Duo, snacks to make a light lunch and drinks.

After each dealership visit, Fun Runs departed for the final venue of the day, Upper Shirley Vineyards. Festivities at Upper Shirley included a cocktail reception, dinner, and an awards ceremony.

My Autobiography, by Murray Walker Book Review by Erik Apotheker

First glance at the book jacket or online review suggests that this Murray Walker autobiography is going to be the story of a Birmingham, England man who through the years honed his communications skills until he became the voice of British and Formula 1 Motorsports. Clearly, one of the themes of this self-written and introspective look back at his career also intertwines the complexities of career decisions, entrepreneurism, a fun-seeking spirit, and a passion for most things motorized.

Born the son of a motorcycle trail riding champion, he first experienced the roar of a race engine at the age of two. While he may not have truly recollected that exact moment, the experiences during his teens and twenties synthesized an exhilaration that underpinned his future endeavors. Serving in WWII as a tank driver may have been an exception, but given the tone of the 376 pages, it is my assumption that it did not, unless I’m very much mistaken.

Post war, he took up roles in advertising and public relations. An ad exec by day with clients like Esso, British Petroleum, Mars Petfood, Vauxhall Motors, Dunlop Tyres, Simoniz and others, his recounts of his travels, attempts to solve his clients’ problems, and in general the “characters” he met in its own right, justifies the time to read this book.

Ad exec by day and a slow but steady evolution into broadcasting is a story of opportunity, happenstance, and downright being challenged by his superiors. Over the years he assumed broadcast commentary for the Isle of Mann TT, British Rallycross, Touring Cars, the Indy 500 and of course Formula One. What was surprising was that he was also reasonably successful in his Powerboat, Regatta, and Great Britain versus The Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships commentary as well. All of the situations he was thrust into helped develop a sense of preparedness, a comfort behind the microphone, and a turbo-tongue that spooled up faster than his brain. One of my favorite excerpts was his recounting of how he came to host the British Weightlifting Championships. Expressing a lack of familiarity when assigned the job, he was told “Don’t worry that you don’t know anything about weightlifting, nor does anyone

else and you have got until Saturday to find out.” Demonstrating an adventurous spirit and a desire to provide for his family, he muddled through with positive ratings. But his quick wit and even faster mouth produced a slew of bloopers over the years. These “Murray-isms” became a hallmark of his, endeared him to the race community and fans alike, and became the conduit to friendships he developed with the likes of Stirling Moss, John Surtees, Michael Schumacher, Mike Hailwood, Professor Sid Watkins, Martin Brundle, Ayrton Senna, David Coulthard, and Nigel Mansell to name a few. Roberto Moreno called him Dad, given his likeness to his real father, and his off-air antics were the strengths of his friendship with James Hunt that occasionally led to snide comments being made on air, boosting ratings even higher. These Murray-isms were not enough to hold him back from award winning performances or being bestowed an OBE by Her Majesty The Queen in 1996. They simply came from his attempt to narrate the races, while in reality, he was fully engrossed and even perhaps a bit overwhelmed by the on-course action. Here are some of my favorite statements that you can learn more about the story behind. All a product of a slick tongue and overexuberance, which humanized and endeared Murray to countless people around the globe.

- “There is no doubt in my mind that if the race had lasted 46 laps instead of 45, it would have been a McLaren 1st and 2nd, but it didn’t, so it wasn’t”

- “He’s in front of everyone in the race except for the 2 in front of him”

- “Do my eyes deceive me or is Senna’s car sounding a bit rough”

- “And we have had five races so far this year – Brazil, Argentina, Imola, Schumacher and Monaco”

- “Excuse me while I interrupt myself”

- “Unless I’m very much mistaken”

AWARD

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For more information, please visit us in person at 4859 Dolton Drive Ste A, Virginia Beach, VA 23462. Alternatively, you can get a FREE consultation by calling us at: 757-330-8099. We hope to hear from you soon, to have your Porsche be the next to receive The Royal Treatment!