Coastalaire
March 2014
Porsche Club of America - California Central Coast Region
Parkfield Shake and Eat 2014 Teststrecke Porsche 2014 Porsche Parade
http://ccc.pca.org/
4 Engine and Transmission
Overhauls
S.G.S. S.G.S.
California Central Coast Porsche Club Of America
August 2009
“Porsche is Our Passion”
u experience u commitment
4 Service: Minor and Major
Factory-Style Service 4 Engine and Transmission Overhauls 4 Brakes 4 Electrical Gremlins 4 Race / Track Day Prep
4 Special Project Cars 4 Parts - Spark Plugs to the
Special Set of Wheels You’ve Been Dreaming About 4 Re-Sale and Consignments With an Ever-Changing Inventory
Stebro Performance Exhaust Systems Motul Lubricant Fabspeed Performance Exhaust Systems
u integrity
Stop by for a visit at 1144 HIGUERA STREET, SAN LUIS OBISPO 93401 Service ~ 545-9323 Parts ~ 540-3300 Sales ~ 540-3300 SGSMotorsport@gmail.com State-of-the-Art Frame & Laser Measuring Equipment Expert & Custom Color Matching Collision Repair Lifetime Warranty on All Repairs
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A Full Service Body Shop Where Quality is Never Sacrificed
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We Specialize in Insurance Claims Local Pick-up & Delivery 2
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CALIFORNIA CENTRAL COAST REGION
PORSCHE
club of america
Coastalaire In this issue
March 2014
COVER PHOTO by Chuck Jennings Coastalaire
March 2014
Porsche Club of America - California Central Coast Region
Departments
4.... .Club and Coastalaire Information 4......CCCR Board Meetings 5......Board of Directors 5......Prez’s Corner 6......Calendar of Events 7......Editor’s Exhaust 16....Porsche Tech 21....Board Meeting Minutes 22....Anniversaries ~ New Members 23....Advertiser Index-Rates 24....Breakfast Club
Club Events
Parkfield Shake and Eat 2014 Teststrecke Porsche 2014 Porsche Parade
http://ccc.pca.org/
8......Parkfield Shake and Eat 9......Teststrecke Porsche Autocross Academy & Autocross
Tom Dobyns and Jim Lokey are planning on tracking their newly purchased GT3
Past Club Events 10.....Woodland Car Display Tour
PCA Events 18....Festival of Speed 20....2014 Porsche Parade
Contributors
Dick Badler Pedro Bonilla Jim Collins Dennis Lyons
Feature Articles 15.....Speedster Carrera GT Engine 19.....Dick Badler
Member Services
Editor
Classified Ads Classified ads are posted in the CCCR PCA website at http://ccc.pca.org/. Submit your text and photo (if required) by email to: Bob Kitamura at coastalaireeditor@gmail.com. The editor reserves the right to edit the ad if it is over 40 words. The ad is Free To Members.
Bob “Kit” Kitamura coastalaireeditor@gmail.com
Associate Editors Bob “Milt” Worthy miltworthy@mac.com Jane Worthy janeworthy@yahoo.com
CCCR / PCA Mailing Address : California Central Coast Region of Porsche Club of America (CCCR/PCA) 278 Via San Blas San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-6976
CCCR Name Badge California Central Coast Member Name Badges. Your Beautiful 5-color CCCR Cost for standard badge with pin, swivel clip or magnet closure: $15.00, First Name, Last Name, optional 2nd line, for example, your club office within the club, your Porsche model. To order: Print (or type) your First Name and Last Name the way you want it to appear on your name badge and send, together with a check for amount as determined above to:
Chuck Jennings concourschuck@gmail.com
Staff Photography
Dave Mills, 1191 Vista del Lago, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405 Questions? Call Dave at 805-547-1191, or email demills@charter.net
Chuck Jennings
Webmaster Eriel Nash
eriel@eriel.com The Coastalaire is available to all CCCR members on the website at http//ccc.pca.org/.
Coastalaire is the official monthly publication of the Porsche Club of America, California Central Coast Region. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the California Central Coast Region of the Porsche Club of America, its officers or members. Permission is granted to charter regions to reprint if appropriate credit is given to the author and Coastalaire, with the exception of copyrighted material. Any material appearing in the Coastalaire is that of the author, and does not constitute an opinion of the Porsche Club of America, the California Central Coast Region, its Board or Appointees, the Coastalaire Editors, or its staff. The Editorial Staff reserves the right to edit all material submitted for publication. The deadline for submission of articles is the 5th of the month preceding the month of publication.
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Board of Directors
Prez’s Corner Chuck Jennings, President
Chuck Jennings - President 805-459-7416 concourschuck@gmail.com
Andy Winterbottom - Vice-President 847-219-2964 awinterbottom@sbcglobal.net
Ken Finney - Treasurer 805-542-9671 klf4slo9ers@charter.net
Sanja Brewer - Secretary 805-541-9245 sbrewer@eyesonly.com
Jim Collins - Activity Director 805-602-2056 jimcollins96@sbcglobal.net
Chuck Stevenson - Activity Director 805-459-9493 chsdesign1@yahoo.com
Eric Ruzius - Driving Events 805-786-2135 eric_ruzius@hotmail.com
Joe Korpiel - Membership 805-927-1244 jkorpiel@charter.net
Gary Thies - Safety
Despite the wet weather, nearly 30 of our members drove to Creston for brunch at the Loading Chute on February 8. We will hold our next breakfast on March 8th at the Shell Café in Pismo. This will be our first event at the Shell Café. Join us and give us your feedback. We hope you are able to join us for our gimmick rally and brunch at the Parkfield Café on March 22. The gimmick rally will be voluntary for those drivers who have a navigator. This rally will not be timed. You will be given directions with waypoints along the tour where you will look for clues to answer questions that may require a bit of shrewdness on your part. Some very nice bottles of wine will go to the first three places. Don’t miss the fun! The Porsche Parade in Monterey, June 15-21, is certain to be a huge event with attendance from all over the world. Demand for daily events and accommodations will be high. Registration opens on April 1. You might want to go online, fill out the registration form, and be prepared to submit your registration ahead of time. Our driving events season opens with an autocross academy on April 26. For those of you who have never before driven an autocross event, you are missing some of the most fun and benign experience you can have with your Porsche. Autocross is not a race. Speeds are relatively slow. The object is to get through the course in the shortest time without hitting the harmless traffic cones that define the course. The academy will feature a two-hour classroom ground school, followed by several on-the-track practice drills with an instructor next to you in your car. You will discover that your car and you are capable of a lot more performance than you imagined. On Sunday, April 7, you will have the opportunity to run your car on the autocross course for recorded times. No one enjoys these events more than a beginner. Curb your fear and your ego, sign up, have a lot of fun, and win a new helmet.
805-489-4535 geta356@yahoo.com
Rich Halvorson - Historian 805-710-2704 halvster@aol.com
Board Meetings All members are welcome to attend the CCCR Board Meetings. Time is available for non-board members to have input during these meetings. Location Date and Time San Luis Obispo First Wednesday of the month Country Club at 6:30 PM 255 Country Club Dr. San Luis Obispo
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2014 Calendar of Events DATE MARCH 3/5 3/8 3/22 APRIL
TIME
ACTIVITY
LOCATION
INFO / CONTACT
6:30 PM 9:00 AM 8:30 AM
Board Meeting Breakfast Club Parkfield Shake and Eat
SLO Country Club Shell Café Parkfield
See Page 22 See Page 8
6:30 PM TBD
Registration for the Porsche Parade Board Meeting PCALA Joint Event
4/1 4/2 4/5-4/6 4/5-4/6
Festival of Speed
See Page 20 SLO Country Club Auto Club Speedway, Fontana Shell Café
4/12 4/26 4/27 MAY 5/7 5/9
9:00 AM TBD TBD
Breakfast Club Autocross Academy Teststrecke Porsche VI
6:30 PM TBD
Board Meeting Driver's Education
5/10
9:00 AM
Breakfast Club
TBD
Solvang/Mission Tour
6:30 PM TBD 9:00 AM TBD
Board Meeting SLO Concours / Corral Breakfast Club Porsche Parade
SLO Country Club
6:30 PM 9:00 AM TBD TBD
Board Meeting Breakfast Club Gathering of Friends Teststrecke Porsche VII
SLO Country Club Shell Café Laguna Lake Santa Maria Airport
6:30 PM
Board Meeting
9:00 AM
Breakfast Club
SEPTEMBER 9/3 6:30 PM
SLO Country Club The Grill at Hunter Ranch GC
Board Meeting
5/17 JUNE 6/4 6/7 6/14 6/15-6/21 JULY 7/2 7/12 7/13 7/26 AUGUST 8/6 8/9
8/9
9:00 AM
Breakfast Club
2014 Activity Directors
Santa Maria Airport
March 2014
See Page 20 See Page 9 See Page 9
SLO Country Club Buttonwillow Raceway The Grill at Hunter Ranch GC TBD
Shell Café Monterey
SLO Country Club The Grill at Hunter Ranch GC
Jim Collins
805-602-2056 jimcollins96@sbcglobal.net
The Coastalaire
See Page 18
Chuck Stevenson
805-459-9493 chsdesign1@yahoo.com 6
Editor’s Exhaust Bob “Kit” Kitamura, Editor
So far 2014 is going great with a good number of you showing up for the events. It helps to have great events to go to and fabulous weather. I hope all of you are getting prepared to sign up for the Porsche Parade, the first day to sign up, April 1st , is coming quick! Do not procrastinate on finding housing because it will fill up fast. Even if you only go for one of the days it will be worth the drive. I have done it many times for the races up at Laguna Seca. Driving a Porsche up and down the coast is not such a bad thing. See page 20 for more details.
be breaking the law!, not that any of us do that sort of thing on public streets. : ) The Parkfield Shake and Eat is coming up this month. It will be a fun time getting there with a gimmick rally that will be sure keep you on your toes or at least your mind from falling asleep. Make sure that you do not miss this event! See page 8 for details.
Lastly, if you missed the Porsche 918 ad then you need to turn back a few pages, we are lucky enough to have the Porsche 918 ad from Santa Barbara Porsche. It will Another great event coming up soon is the Autocross be an incredible feeling to see it for the first time on the Academy and autocross event, April 26 and April 27. city streets, hopefully on the Central Coast. See page 9 for more information. I know I have said it before but this is a great opportunity to be able to Have a great month and see you on the road! safely find out what your Porsche can really do. You will leave the event with a lot more respect for your car Kit as well as being a much better driver. You also will not
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Club Event
The Parkfield Shake & Eat Hi folks! It’s time for a gimmick rally and some brunch. We’ll meet in the parking lot at Spencer’s Market and Taco Temple in Morro Bay off of Highway One at 8:30 AM. We will leave promptly at 9:15.
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March 22 Gimmick Rally & Brunch
The cost is $20 per person, you will pay at the Parkfield Café. We will need a firm headcount so please RSVP to Chuck at concourschuck@gmail.com no later than March 15. Look for an eVite the first week of March.
8
Club Event
UTOCROSS 2014
CCCR -PCA presents
Teststrecke Porsche VI @ Santa Maria Airport
--------
Saturday April 26 autocross academy
- for all beginner and intermediate drivers - in-classroom ground school with qualified instructors - on-track instruction in braking, cornering, line selection, and shifting - qualified instructors ride-along and review - book on autocross techniques included - $65 registration, opens March 15 on Motorsportsreg.com - limited to 35 entrants - receive two chances to win a new helmet
Sunday April 27 teststrecke porsche VI
PorschE santa barbara In 2014 is a major sponsor for this event
- go to Motorsortsreg.com for more details - registration opens March 15 on Motorsportsreg.com - receive 1 chance to win a new helmet
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Past Club Event
Woodland Auto Display Tour and Lunch
story by Milt Worthy
photos by Dennis Lyons and Bob Kitamura On a beautiful Saturday in January, a rainbow of more than 30 Porsches, all in great nick, were arrayed on the Paso Robles Airport tarmac adjacent to the Warbirds Museum—or more formally, The Estrella Warbirds Museum and Woodland Auto Display. This was the first CCCR tour of 2014 and from the great turnout (more than 50 Porsche faithful) may augur a lively Club touring and event season. The Club was given the run of both museums and all the ancillary displays, both indoors and outdoors. The Estrella Warbird Museum is dedicated to the preservation of military aircraft, vehicles, and related memorabilia. Its name, incidentally, derives from the former Estrella Army Airfield from WW II days. The Woodland Auto Display features the auto racing collection, courtesy of the Woodland Family Trust. In addition to autos from the Woodland Family, there are other classics from other sources, and on loan, e.g., a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing that immediately catches your eye on entering the car display areas. Although the cars were a major attraction to the Porsche club members, the main effort of the Warbird Museum organization is the preservation and display of military aircraft. And sitting on the aprons, tarmac, and restoration shops are some of the most important planes and helicopters that were used in the United States’ wars during the past 75 years. For example,
Gathering before the tour
there is the reliable, indestructible work horse of several wars, the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, here in the “B” version. The C-47 was the nomenclature used by the U.S. Army (the U.S. Navy called it the R4D and the RAF called it the DAKOTA), but the twoengine, “tail dragger” was also sold to and used by the military and governments in over 50 countries. The C-47 began life as the Douglas DC-3 which was the mainstay of commercial airlines around the world. As of 1998, there were still 400 in commercial service; not bad for a 60 year old design. Updated with new avionics and engines, the redoubtable DC-3/C-47’s are flying today—hauling people and cargo, reliably and cheaply—at 150 mph. Another important military aircraft on display at the Warbirds is the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, the US Navy’s carrier based multi-use fighter was designed to match the sophisticated and formidable Soviet MiG fighters of the Viet Nam era. This airplane was put in service in 1970, and only retired in 2006—a remarkable 36 years as a front line defensive weapon.
Wanna Race!
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Past Club Event
Parked on the tarmack
Other interesting planes on display are the MacDonald Douglas F-4 Phantom, the Lockheed Shooting Star, and the Sikorsky HH-52A helicopter, used for civilian, military, and government missions.
So how is the food here?
rewarding and educational tour. And it was in our own backyard. Many of us had lunch together right after the tour, the Grill at Hunter Ranch Golf Course proved to be the perfect venue for a great outing on a beautiful day. It was great food with great service and about 25 of us had a chance to continue our conversation about the Woodland car collection. Thanks to Jim Collins and Chuck Stevenson for arranging it all.
Viewing the collection
There were also displays of military vehicles; one was a really nice restored US Navy Jeep and another was a military ambulance. And in the category of something for everyone, there was even a room of “ancient� electronic and radio equipment and a deadly looking quad four 50 caliber machine gun platform, used in WW II against low flying aircraft. Both museums were served by a memorabilia shop which featured some high quality souvenirs and some take home keep sakes of the visit. One of the comments overheard from many of the Porsche Club members was how surprised they were at the size and excellence of the museums, and the fact that many had lived in San Luis Obispo and even in Paso Robles for decades and has never taken the trouble to visit this very valuable and interesting place. They seemed more than nicely surprised; it was
The Coastalaire
March 2014
Joe and Ken telling their story
Yes we out numbered the planes on the tarmack!
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Feature Story
Greg Young and his
Dream Cars
by Milt Worthy How Greg Young and the 300SL happened to be living in Cambria and visiting in Los Osos is an interesting and happy story. It is also fortunate for the California Central Coast Region of PCA because Greg and his wife Cheryl have brought to our magic area a rare presence and two of the most beloved automobiles in the world to share with us. This is only a preface to Greg Young’s journey.
G
I
dly sitting in my garage in Los Osos, I was awaiting a visit from a newly made acquaintance when I heard the growl of a very strange engine outside. I was expecting to hear a 4-Cam Speedster GT. Someone is lost in the wilds of the valley of the bears, I reckoned. I got up and shuffled to the door and I was stunned to find parked in front of my door, a silver 1955 Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing. One gull wing was open on the driver’s side and emerging from the most classic of sports cars was Greg Young, its owner and constant driver. “Emerging” is not quite the right word—it was as if the 300 was reluctantly giving a painful birth to an overdue passenger. The parturition was painful and reversed contorted. But all smiles, and seemingly glad to be in Los Osos, Greg Young disengaged himself from the driver’s seat of the fabled car. The mighty 300SL sat there, ticking and breathing hard, looking majestic and leonine, and pleased with itself for having made the journey from Cambria to Los Osos. If ever a car deserved to cruise the sacred Highway 1, it is the 300SL. I was expecting a Carrera Speedster and a 300SL shows up. Miracles do occur.
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March 2014
rowing up in San Marino, California, Greg, only a Gainsborough’s throw away from the famous Library and Museum, was a teenager more drawn to mobile art than “Blue Boy” and “Pinky.” In high school he began building his own masterpiece, on a 1934 Ford platform, a classic hot rod for challenging the local drag traps in the best tradition of southern California of the 1950’s. Greg ran his rod at San Gabriel Valley drag strips and ran a best of 109 mph in quarter mile straight-a-way. And also in the best tradition of teen automotive education, he worked at a local gas station. At the station in San Marino, Greg serviced, and was around all types of exotic cars, especially attending high-end foreign sports cars from the late 1950’s. He remembers fondly servicing Porsche 356’s and Speedsters, and even changing the oil on a Porsche 550 Spyder. But acquiring a Porsche, even a 356, had to wait until college was completed.
I
n the 50’s and 60’s if one wanted a business degree or to become a lawyer in southern California, there was only one school that counted: the University of Southern California. So Greg became a Trojan, garnered a business administration degree, followed by law school. Greg passed the California Bar and set out to find a job. He was able quickly to land a junior position with 12
Feature Story a prestigious San Francisco law firm which wanted a bright young barrister to help man their Santa Barbara branch. Greg worked hard and prospered with the law firm, handling legal issues for some of the most important private clients in the southland. Greg, later in his own private practice, still in Santa Barbara, continued to serve his network of clients. He married wife Cheyrl in 1977 and, with two children, Grey and Leah, they lived, prospered, and drove cars in Santa Barbara and around the country.
B
ut before Cheryl and the kids, Greg fresh out law school and with a paying job, started thinking about all those Porsches he had filled with gas. Now, he thought he might be able to afford a modest Porsche. Greg’s first Porsche was modest: a year old 1966 912; this was hastily followed by a 1968 911. Several more 911’s came along in regular succession and were always used as daily transportation as well as some weekend racing and autocross. In his 911 period, Greg harkened back to his gas station days and the sight of Porsche 356’s pulling in for service. While filling their tanks (careful not to close the bonnet in the wrong way), Greg admired the form-follows-function beauty of the 356 Speedster and bought one in 1975. This was followed by the purchase of a 1957 Carrera GT Speedster in 1977. In 1982, Greg replaced the ’57 with another Speedster, a 1958 GT Carrera. He found out that his new ’58 Speedster has been raced by Jay Hills and Stephan Schwartz, both well known Porsche piloti of the day. The ’58 Speedster now almost 25 years old, had been raced all over the country, and had seen better days, so Greg disassembled the GT, had the body straightened, the car repainted in its original color, and reupholstered. The tired GT 4-Cam engine was also freshened up with a re-build by the legendary Bill Doyle who was then employed by Rennsport Werk.. (See Side Bar story about the GT details on the following page.) The Carrera GT, now fully restored, was a thing of beauty and a joy forever. And has remained so to this day. Greg reckons that his most memorable trip with the Speedster GT was a drive with
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March 2014
his son Greg, Jr. from Santa Barbara to the Porsche Parade in Lake Placid, New York. Two men, Six Thousand miles in a Carrera GT— talk about father-son bonding: these are real Porsche car guys!
G
reg and Cheyrl still drive the GT as a near daily driver today: 32 years and counting. The Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing also gets lots of driving—in Greg’s hand it is not museum piece: it was built to be driven, he says. But that’s a story for next month.
G
reg and Cheryl have been members of PCA for 36 years. Greg was honored to be a Concours judge at more than 20 Porsche Parades. Their Carrera Speedster has won its Parade Concours class three times. The Speedster has not sat idle as a Beauty Queen, she has been auto-crossed and run in time trials in many PCA sponsored events. Greg was an early Trustee of the 356 Registry and was also a founding Director of the southern California 356 Porsche Club.
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reg and Cheryl moved to Cambria from Santa Barbara last year: S.B. was becoming crowded, and it was time to move on. Whatever the reason, our Region is honored in having Greg and family residing in San Luis Obispo County. It won’t be difficult spotting them at our local events: just look (and listen) for a red Carrera GT Speedster and/or a silver 300SL Gullwing.
The Iconic Profile of 300SL 13
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Feature Story Porsche 1958 Speedster Carrera GT 4-Cam F.I.A Engine by Milt Worthy
motor were back together again. In 2012 the FIA engine was rebuilt by Bill Doyle, still the doyen of Porsche GT 4-Cam motors. (Doyle now has his own shop, called Rennenwagen in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Greg recently spent some time with Doyle in Wyoming, but that is still another story and for Greg to tell.) Greg and his Porsche Speedster GT, with the correct motor, has been together now for 35 years.
T
Speedster GT 4-Cam Engine Note: Greg has owned two Speedster GT’s: the first GT’s 4-cam engine was rebuilt by Bill Doyle when he worked in southern California. When Greg acquired his second Speedster GT in 1982 it was without an engine. So the engine from the first GT was installed in the newly acquired Porsche (it was a correct type engine but not the correct serial number) When the correct numbered engine became available in 1990—see details below—it was re-mated with the correct car, the Speedster he currently owns.]
he engine in Greg’s Speedster features four gear driven, overhead cams, dual distributors and sparkplugs, dry sump lubrication, and a roller bearing crankshaft. It also sports dual Webber 40 DCM carburetors, a cold air box system, and a “Sebring” exhaust. The car came from the factory with aluminum hood and engine lids. Many of the other pieces in the car are also aluminum, such as seat frames and inside door handles. All of this in the interest of saving a few ounces and a few pounds—remember Porsche built the car to race. The aluminum hood, doors, engine lid are numbered and are original to the car. In further attempts to save weight, the front and rear clips are made of thinner than standard steel. These very thin parts are wrapped around a steel rod for reinforcement. The front brakes are 60 mm wide (standard Speedster brakes are 40 mm) And the rear brakes are from the RSK racer and not standard for the car. All four brakes have air scoops in the inside of the brake backing plate to aid in cooling. The gas tank is 80 liter in size and came standard with the car. The roll bar was installed at the factory as they are in all GT Speedsters.
G
reg has serviced his 1958 Speedster Carrera himself since acquiring it. He changes the oil every 500 miles and does most of the mechanical repairs. He knows every bolt, screw, flange, grommet, and clip in the car; he and the Speedster have a long standing symbiotic relationship.
I
n 1990 Greg entered his Speedster GT (No. 2) in the Porsche Parade held in San Diego. A spectator asked if he could look under the car so that he could examine the oversized front brakes. After he had done so, he told Greg how much he liked the car, but that it was missing the F.I.A stamp. Such a stamp is hammered onto the engine in the same place as the engine serial number, but to its right. This stamp certifies that the car is eligible to run in FIA GT Class sports car races and indicates the car’s homologation group. Greg said that he was aware of the deficiency. The stranger mentioned casually that he had a Carrera engine with the appropriate FIA stamp and was willing to part with it. Greg bought the engine and to his great surprise and good fortune, the engine turned out to be the original serial number engine for his car! The FIA engine and Speedster with its original
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March 2014
1958 Speedster GT on Display 15
PORSCHE TECH For the Nth Time!
by Pedro P. Bonilla (GCR PCA)
If I had 1HP for every time that I’ve been asked about N-rated tires in a Porsche, I’d have at least a Carrera GT, a GT2 and a 918 Spyder! Whether over the phone, by e-mail, in person or through the Internet forums I constantly get questions such as these: “Does the N-rating (N0, N1, N2, N3, N4) really make a difference?” “I am looking for new 18” tires for my 996 and I’m wondering if the “N” rating is still a requirement.” “ Apparently a non-N-rated tire can make the 911 kind of squirrelly (?) to drive. Your thoughts?” “ I understand that the rear tires of the turbos (all 996s?) wear on the inner edges faster due to camber. Do the N rated last any better?” “ What are your thoughts on replacing the OEM N rated tires with non N rated tires?” So, for the Nth time, here it goes: An N-rated tire is a tire from one of various Porsche-approved tire manufacturers that has passed a series of difficult and diverse tests designed by Porsche engineers to ensure maximum performance and safety under a wide range of driving conditions. To have this rating stamped on the side of their tires, and to be an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) tire provider for Porsche requires the joint product development efforts of the particular manufacturer’s tire engineers working alongside the Porsche vehicle engineers. In some instances specific tires will only be approved for specific Porsche applications or models. Let’s look at some of the tests required by Porsche for N-rating approval: • SPEED: The tire must be capable of safely handling the Porsche vehicle at any speed while allowing it to reach its top speed on a test track or on the German Autobahn. • NOISE: As tires continue to grow in size and width, noise suppression becomes more and more important. Generally speaking, Porsche performance tires are low profile and very soft (sticky). This makes it even more difficult to manage road noise. You can rest assured that those tires with the Porsche N rating will be as quiet as possible. • HYDROPLANING: The focus in recent radial tire development for Porsche vehicles has primarily included optimum handling on dry surfaces and the safest possible behavior on wet surfaces, even at high speeds. Tires developed by various manufacturers, in concert with Porsche, offer a specific set of wet grip properties which few, if any, other automobile manufacturers demand in equal measure from the tires they use on their vehicles. • BRAKING: Tires must provide a quick, safe and modular deceleration from several speed benchmarks (60 mph - 0
The Coastalaire
March 2014
mph, 100 mph - 0 mph and 150 mph - 0 mph) in the least amount of real estate. HANDLING: This particular heading doesn’t require any additional explanation. Your tires provide the grip that keeps your Porsche “stuck” to the road. Once a tire has been approved by Porsche it is branded with the N-rating. The N-specifications include: N0 (N-zero), Tire N1, N2, N3 or N4. These stamps on a tire’s sidewall clearly identify them as approved by Porsche for their vehicles. The N0 marking is assigned to the first approved version of a tire design. As that design is refined externally or internally, the subsequent significant evolutions will result in a new generation of the tire to be stamped with N1, N2, N3, etc., in succession. Higher ratings such as N1, N2, N3, etc. do not imply speed rating increases but instead refer to the next version (with refinements) of the original design. When a completely new tire design is approved, it receives the N0 branding and the succession begins again. It is important to note that certain tire manufacturers may produce the exact same tire in name, size and speed rating as those that have the N spec approval. NO However, if they are not stamped with the N-rating then it is very likely that they do not adhere to the same rigid production and quality requirements demanded by Porsche.
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PORSCHE TECH This N-rating isn’t free. It comes at a price. All of that development and testing costs the tire manufacturers and Porsche a penny or two. For instance, one of the most popular tires for a newer Porsche is the new Michelin Pilot Super Sport (Max Performance Summer) 265/35/ ZR19 N0. It can be purchased from TireRack.com for $419.00 each. The same tire, without the N0-rating but with N1 Pilot the exact same specs is offered by TireRack.com for $297.00 each. There are N-rated tires for all applications, such as: Summer Tires, Cold Weather Tires, All Season Tires, Off Road Tires, Track Tires, etc. Porsche makes public a complete list of N-rated tires at: h t t p : / / w w w. p o r s c h e . c o m / u s a / a c c e s s o r i e s a n d s e r v i c e s / porscheservice/documentsanddownloads/, but if don’t have access to this web address, just call your dealer. They can provide you with the different OEM tire suppliers and different N-rated tire options for your particular car. The Porsche-approved (N-rated) tire manufacturers are: Michelin, Pirelli, Continental, Bridgestone, Dunlop, Good-Year, Toyo, and Yokohama among a few other select suppliers. Of these manufacturers less than 5% of their production is N-rated. You can check the tire manufacturer’s websites which should include N-rated tire information for their products.
N1
The Coastalaire
TireRack.com (official tire supplier to PCNA dealers). I have never driven a Porsche with N-rated tires where the tires have disappointed me. But I’ve also been very well impressed by Porsches shod with some non-N-rated tires. I’ve found that most of the N-rated tires are outstanding, but the are many, many other very good, even great tires that aren’t N-rated and they offer close-to-N-rated performance at substantially lower cost. Now, having said all that, is it necessary to run N-rated tires exclusively? With what you now know, you’ll have to answer that one yourself. To learn more about tires and Porsches in general, please visit my website at: wwwPedrosGarage.com. Happy Porsche’ing, Pedro Ⓒ2013 Technolab / PedrosGarage.com
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AX & DE Magnetic Bras and Numbers, much more. 954.385.0330 • www.PedrosGarage.com
Generally, N-rated tires can only be obtained from a Porsche dealer or
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PCA Event
The Coastalaire
March 2014
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Feature Article
I GET AROUND
a column by Dick Badler RMR/PCA February 2014
My Parents Bought a New Car They bought a new car last summer. You have to understand. They’re 87 and 85. My father had a stroke, a year and a half ago. Nothing cognitive, but he can’t drive. My mother only drives in daylight. This past fall, they moved into an assisted living complex. I have this vision of my parents coming into the dealership showroom… my father holding on tight to his walker, my mother making her way, following knee replacement surgery. The salesperson doing a few double-takes and finally getting out, “uh, can I help you?” and “What color do you like?” and “Do you have a trade-in?” and “Lease or buy?” They’ve never owned a Porsche. The closest they came was in ’83, when they bought a ’78 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL. My father had been pining for one, for years. This one I found for them. Same year as my SC. Same low mileage. Silver, with the dark blue soft top. I called them up and said, it’s now or never. They called it their “SL-ela.” They kept it for about ten years. The standing joke was that they were going to give it to my wife, when they grew tired of it. Or at least sell it to her. But then, one day, my father told me they traded it in, on a Lexus ES. I told them they’d regret it. They did. My fondest memory is of the ’62 Buick LeSabre. We went crosscountry in it, my two sisters, my parents and I, New York to LA and back, in five weeks. No air. I got the worst case of chapped lips in recorded history, from sticking my head out the window… like a dog… an then moistening my lips with my tongue. Over the course of the trip, I rated my parents’ driving. Turns out, so to speak, that my mother was faster. To pass the time, I played chess with my father, using one of those portable sets where you push the pieces into holes. It was the only time, ever, that I sat in the middle, between my two sisters. My usual place was behind my father, natch. My father drove home for me my first sports car. It was a ’64 Triumph TR-4, which I bought from a family friend, for $800, my life savings. I was 17, and couldn’t drive a stick. That night I just sat in it, and played the radio. The next day, he took me out to learn the wonders of British gearboxes and friction points. At one point I lurched it so hard the fuel lines came off the carburetors. I lost half a tank of gas before we realized what that funny smell was coming from. Then there was the ’67 Buick Wildcat. Convertible. My parents let me drive it into New York City, the night of my senior prom, to the Village, to see B.B. King, at the Village Gate. I remember who I took as my date, I remember a second couple, but I don’t remember who the third couple was. It was that kind of night. My parents took me to college in that car.
The Coastalaire
March 2014
When my first daughter was born, my parents drove up from Virginia in a Honda Accord. I remember my mother rushing into the hospital, carrying a pair of binoculars. She said you never know how far away from the window they put the babies. In recent years, my parents had a 3-series BMW wagon. Which was great for trips from Virginia to Florida for the winter, including a ride on the car-train. Except my father totaled it, one morning. Ran into a tree. Don’t ask. So they replaced it with a Cadillac CTS wagon. Which they hated, because of what they claimed was bad three-quarter rear-view visibility. A few years ago, I got my father a gift subscription to Car & Driver magazine. I took advantage of one of those “renew now and give a new subscription to someone as a gift” deals. It became a routine, during our weekly telephone conversations… what do you think I should replace the Caddy with? I didn’t know how to answer. So I turned it around and said, what do you want? Toyota Avalon, he said. The perfect appliance, I said. But it takes regular gas, he said. How about a Hyundai Genesis? Hmm, I said. It may out-Lexus Lexus, the way Lexus out Mercedes’d Mercedes, at least for the money. Does it take regular gas? That’s what they bought. I visited my parents for Thanksgiving, last fall. I drove the Hyundai, and it really wasn’t bad. In fact, it really was a lot like a Benz for, what, two thirds the price. But the real joy came when I programmed the in-car Nav to get to my sister’s house for Thanksgiving Dinner… the house is some seven miles away and, really, over a route that’s not that complicated. But so be it. We tested the Nav, Thanksgiving Day, and it worked. Let me put this into perspective; my father’s an electronics engineer. To this day, he can explain to you how a computer works. Or a television. He used to argue how Plasma technology is inherently much superior to LCD. And so was Betamax. Around when I was born, he worked on the development of the LP record. But, as I was programming the Nav, he was gently pushing toward me the never-opened, inch-thick, Nav manual, which I simply ignored. But my real mitzvah was programming the Nav to get… home. To quote my mother, “Now we won’t get lost again!” Yikes. So many memories. So many drives to look forward to.
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PCA Event
2014 Porsche Parade Monterey
by Jim Collins, Activity Director CCCR-PCA The 2014 Porsche Parade will be held just North of us in Monterey starting June 15 and continuing thru June 21. The host hotel is the Hyatt Regency in Monterey and there is a block of rooms set aside for those who register for the Parade. The event takes place over a week and includes a Concours, Autocross, driving tours thru the local area, driving school and social activities. Registration for the Parade opens on line starting on April 1st. Those that are interested in attending the Parade you are encouraged to register early for the event, especially if you want to stay at the Hyatt Regency. The rooms at the discounted group rate will only be given to those that have registered. Normally the events are only open to those who register for the Parade so going there for one day may not allow you to do very much. The PCA really wants you to register for the whole week of activities even if you go for only one or two days. Check the PCA website for more information as they solidify there plans. I know that I will see many of you club members there! For those of you that missed Rennsport a few years ago at Monterey then be sure not to miss this great Porsche event.
The Coastalaire
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CCCR-PCA Board Meeting Minutes January 8, 2013 Meeting was called to order 6:35 pm In attendence: Bruce Bero, Sanja Brewer, Jim Collins, Ken Finney, Chuck Jennings, Bob Kitamura, Joe Korpiel, Jon Milledge, Eric Ruzius, Gary Thies, Andy Winterbottom Absent: Teresa Halvorson, Chuck Stevenson December minutes were approved by Jim Collins seconded by Gary Thies. Historian : No report
evolved from an online newsletter to our current color newsletter. The board discussed different options to continue Coastalaire to better serve the club and it’s financial needs. The few options are; Do nothing, Abandon the Newsletter, Minimize to less issues per year or Charge our members dues to offset the printing costs. Jim Collins suggested that we have a membership fee of $25.00 per year, per member. President Chuck Jennings will research other clubs in Zone 8 as to how they handle their newsletter.
Treasurer: We ended the month and year, December 31, 2014, with $8,111.33 in our bank account.
The board had approved $1,000.00 donation for Hospice. Ken Finney made a motion to write the check and Andy seconded the motion.
Looking back on January 1, 2013 we started the year with $4,801.24. Treasurers report was approved by Gary Thies and seconded by Sanja Brewer.
Next month we will review the deficit for new member BBQ and the Holiday party and what minimal bank balance we should maintain for the clubs financial health.
Membership : Joe Korpiel reported we have 293 primary members, 218 affiliate members and 511 total members. Joe is going to auto businesses to promote our membership by passing out PCA Membership Applications and Panorama Magazines.
Safety: Ken will apply for insurance for the various events and check to see if we have a deductible for our insurance coverage.
Driving: We discussed Buttonwillow, Autocross School and the upcoming Driving Academy.
President: Chuck suggested the Autocross School first with a dry skid pad then following with Driver Education.
Activities: Jim Collins made a very detailed calendar of all 2014 CCCR events, which we dicussed as a group. We need to reserve dates for the driving academy. We will plan to have Ground School for this event. We will need to resolve the water barriers with the airport, Bruce will assist with this task. Steve Williams, a new member, may be able allowing us to use his barriers.
V.P. Report: No Report
Meeting adjourned at 8:35pm Respectfully submitted by Sanja Brewer
Coastalaire had a rough loss of $4,300.00 for 2013, due to less advertisers during the year. Other clubs are experiencing a greater loss than ours. Bob Kitamura explained the history of Coastalaire and how it has
The Coastalaire
March 2014
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ANNIVERSARIES
NEW MEMBERS
March
New Members for January
Vicki Milledge Richard Berg Hamp Miller Samantha Curran Judith Savic Douglas Hendry Robin Hendry Lawrence Thomas Sandy Keefer Bob Kitamura Chuck Stevenson Jim Collins Jeannette Powles Craig Swetland Brian Louw Martin Howell Robert Walker Sandy Crosno Peter Herring Maurice Heagren Burke Dambly John Larson Frank Bush Thomas & Shinko Corpora Roy & Carol Coffman Brian Glusovich Sanja Brewer Lynn Swetland Ken Cooper Charles Buzzetti John Cliff Jeanne Hanysz Dean Novotny Robbi Rizzo Kit Steven Megan Steven Rick & Coleen Wolfe Coop Cooper Dennis Robinson Quint Stevens Renate Vet Fred & Nell Griffith Greg Birkholz Tommy Criel Karen Geyer John P. Larson Teresa Larson Rey Ruiz
The Coastalaire
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March 2014
Jonathan S. & Susan Bachellier Templeton 2002 Silver 996 TT Suzy Brown Santa Maria Larry Davanzo Santa Barbara 2014 Gray 991 S Joseph W. & Anne Diehl San Luis Obispo 2006 Red Cayman S Tom L. & Renee Dobyns Shell Beach 2004 Yellow GT3 Helio A. & Erik Fialho Arroyo Grande 2007 White 911 GT3 James W. Lawler San Luis Obispo 2008 Gray Boxster S Andrew & Romy Schneider Stanford, CA 2000 Black Boxster S Jon & Stacey Soble San Luis Obispo 2002 Black Boxster S
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ADVERTISER DIRECTORY 2.........SGS 2.........Vintage Autobody 3.........Porsche Santa Barbara 7.........Adara Med Spa 8.........Rich Halvorson 8.........Fed Ex Office 14.......XKS Motorsports 14.......German Auto 14.......Select Electric 14.......BMW of Santa Maria 14.......Worthy Associates 17.......Pedro’s Garage 24.......The Tire Store 24.......Porsche Santa Barbara
COASTALAIRE 2014 Yearly Advertising Rates All rates are for 12 monthly issues from the date started. Full Page.....$ 950 / year Half page..............................$ 600 / year 1/4 page.....$ 400 / year 1/8 page or Business Card $ 300 / year
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS. Their support of our club is greatly appreciated so you are encouraged to to make your first call to those advertising in the Coastalaire. Let them know that you saw their ad in the Coastalaire. We also encourage you to advertise your business in the Coastalaire. If you are interested please contact Bruce Bero at 805-544-2376 (bbmed@ charter.net) or Sanja Brewer at 805-541-9245 (sbrewer@eyesonly.com).
ZONE 8 OFFICERS Zone 8 Representative
Time Trial / DE Chair
Treasurer
Chief Driving Instructor
Secretary
Concours Chair
Dave Hockett davndirc@yahoo.com
Tom Brown zonerep@zone8.org
Scott Mann scott@renegadehybrids.com
Linda Cobarrubias MS993@aol.com
Joe Nedza jcnedza@aol.com
Skip Carter skipcarter@pobox.com
Rules Coordinator
ZONE 8 STAFF
Russell Shon rules@zone8.org
Autocross Chair
Webmaster
David Witteried dwitteried@hotmail.com
Ken Short webmaster@zone8.org
Club Race Coordinator Vince Knauf vvvince@aol.com
Zone 8 Website - http://zone8.pca.org/
Rally Co-chairs
Tom Gould & Revere Jones rally@zone8.org
The Coastalaire
March 2014
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Breakfast Club
at the
SHELL CAFE 1351 Price Street Pismo Beach Second Saturday of the month - March 8 @ 9 AM
Coastalaire 350 Piney Lane Morro Bay, CA 93442
The Coastalaire
Bulk Mail US Postage Morro Bay, CA Permit No. 79
March 2014
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