OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF LONE STAR REGION : PORSCHE CLUB OF AMERICA ISSUE 10
01 [ LONE STAR MAGAZINE ] PHOTO: RICK THOMPSON 04 : THE ROAD TRIP West Texas and The Grand Canyon in the perfect vehicle 08 : KEMAH BOARDWALK CONCOURS 2022 Fun, sun and Pcars 12 : LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE A 930 restoration converts a new member 16 : WHEELS & WARBIRDS Vintage Porsches & Warcrafts 20 : MY HAPPY PLACE A beloved 968 rises again 24 : LSRPCA EVENTS CALENDAR Upcoming Events & ToursCONTENTS IT'S NOT THE CARS, IT'S THE PEOPLE.
02 LONE STAR: THE OFMAGAZINEOFFICIALLSRPCAMEMBERS DEREKSETHERICTINAALEXContributingRICKDEREKDCSETHERICDAVIDORMANDTINAALEXContributingALEXFrontmemberatlarge@lsrpca.comSTANSponsorshipsJASONCopySASHAProductionREBECCAArteditor@lsrpca.comVIKPublisher/EditorInstagramFacebook.com/groups/lsrpcalsrpca.com@lsr.pcaDAYDirector/DesignerCASHWELLManagerSWEENEYEditingCURTISS/AdvertisingTRIPPCoverPhotographyBESZTERDAPhotographersBESZTERDACAMERONDEANLEUNGLIPPERMCDONALDPHOTOGRAPHYROBINSTHOMPSONWritersBESZTERDACAMERONLIPPERMCDONALDROBINS We want your submissions! Submit articles, event coverage and photos: editor@lsrpca.com [ LONE STAR MAGAZINE ] HECTOR Z. PRESIDENTMARTINEZ president@lsrpca.com ALASTAIR DONALD VICE PRESIDENT vp@lsrpca.com DAVID SECRETARYBAXTER secretary@lsrpca.com MICHAEL TREASURERSERGI treasurer@lsrpca.com STAN MEMBERTRIPPAT LARGE memberatlarge@lsrpca.com SHANE AUTOCROSSDOSSER ax@lsrpca.com CARLOS GUEVERA PCA CLUB RACING clubrace@lsrpca.com STEVE COMMUNICATIONSJACOBY comms@lsrpca.com VIK EDITORDAY editor@lsrpca.com DEREK CONCOURSROBINSd’ELEGANCE concours@lsrpca.com ANDY DRIVERSCAOEDUCATION [DE] de@lsrpca.com BILL DE-CHIEFLYONSINSTRUCTOR cdi@lsrpca.com REYNALDO DE-REGISTRARPAGAN registrar@lsrpca.com SEAN SAFETYLLOYDCHAIR safety@lsrpca.com DAVID DIULUS CAR CONTROL SCHOOL ccs@lsrpca.com DANNY GREEN GET TOGETHERS gtg@lsrpca.com LYNN HISTORIANFRIEDMAN historian@lsrpca.com STAN MEMBERSHIPTRIPP membership@lsrpca.com PAM SOCIALFITZGERALDEVENTS activities@lsrpca.com ROBERT AND SUSIE TOURINGSCHNEIDER touring@lsrpca.com DOUG CAROLL PAST PRESIDENT pastpres@lsrpca.com 2021 LONE STAR MAGAZINE SPONSORS DRIVER'S SOURCE IFC FORMULA GARAGE P. 03 GARAGISTI P. 03 GARAGES OF TEXAS P. 05 HAGERTY P. 07 COLLISION PLUS P. 15 PERFORMANCE STOP P. 19 DRY ICE DETAILING PROS P. 19 POLAR BLASTING P. 21 GARAGE ULTIMATE P. 21 MODERN AIR COOLED P. 23 EINERS GARAGE IBC EUROCAR WERK OBC Greetings, With hot summer nights nearly in our rear-view mirror, we’re looking forward to driving into Fall with our ‘New Tour Chair”, Robert and Susie Schneider and opening a new chapter of fall tours. A big THANK YOU to the Goldman’s for their many years of chairing the Tour Program for LSRPCA.
DIRECTORY
LETTER
The Concours Chairman Derek Robins is off to a great start with events at Kemah Boardwalk and Porsche North. Both Concours had record attendance! Big THANK YOU to Thomas Roy for chairing the Concours for many years. Pam Fitzgerald continues with the LSRPCA Social Events Chair. Pam explores new and exciting locations for dinners and social gatherings. Stay tuned to the LSRPCA Calendar for a schedule of this years activities. Danny Green, Get Together Chair ( GTG) has hit the ground running; finding new and fresh locations to gather and explore innovative technologies available to the LSRPCA Members. Stan Tripp, Member At Large, has been working very hard with sponsorship of our LSRPCA Magazine and recruiting new members. Welcome to our new Treasurer, Mike Sergi. Thank you to Rob Van Landingham for his service to the LSRPCA Shane Dosser, Autocross, continues to fill all the slots in every event held! Thank you, all participants that help to make this event, possible. Andy Cao, and his DE Team – Bill Lyons, Rey Pagan and Sean Lloyd – run an outstanding DE program that is 2nd to none. Watch the LSRPCA calendar for future DE’s and Special Events. A special thank you to Steve Jacoby Coms, David Baxter Secretary, Mike Globe Past President LSRPCA in serving on the 2022 LSRPCA Bylaws committee. Exciting events are up and coming, drives and special events. Remember to support your LSRPCA sponsors and Dealerships: Porsche North, West Houston Porsche, River Oaks Porsche Please send your stories, pictures and news with your Porsche to editor@lsrpca.com. We welcome fresh ideas for events or drives or would like to join LSRPCA Leadership? Please contact President@lsrpca.com, VP@lsrpca.com. A special thank you to the LSRPCA Board Members for you continued hard work. Thank you all so much for your continued support. Get out and drive! Hector Z. Martinez, LSRPCA President FROM THE PRESIDENT
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04 [ LONE STAR MAGAZINE : ROAD TRIP ]
WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY: SETH MCDONALD
THE PANDEMIC We were able to execute our first big road trip in February 2020 to Big Bend National Park. However, by March 2020 the pandemic stifled further road trips and the Macan essen tially sat out the remainder of 2020. Fast forward to March 2021 and with travel ability opening up we began planning a road trip for late September 2021, coinciding with a friend’s long delayed wed ding in San Antonio. THE ROUTE We basically planned National Park tours of the west – sans California. Our route would eventually include the Petrified National Forest, Zion, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Canyonlands & Arches National parks. The route also included the infamous “route 666” now 191 in eastern Arizona arizona/)classiccars.com/2020/08/11/devilish-delight-u-s-191-in-eastern-(https://journal.
road trip
THE CAR My wife and I both studied automotive engineering in college so we were quite picky about choosing just the right vehicle for our trip. In an effort to make the best decision possible we made a list of must haves, would like to haves, and luxury options for our ideal vehicle. After making a rather complex Venn diagram along with a spreadsheet of desired options the search began. One of my key requirements was for the vehicle to have chilled seats, as in my mind Texas road trips in summer were brutally uncomfort able without them. I was hyper focused on an estate/station wagon because of its car-like attributes coupled with the extra carrying ca pacity. However, my wife kept pulling me towards a Macan for our ideal road trip vehicle. After researching her suggestion I thought we should purchase a used Macan S model if we could find one reasonably priced and in good condition with the features we both wanted. Well after considerable searching the stars aligned in late September and we purchased a 2016 Macan S from a dealer in San Antonio, Texas. The vehicle had 40,000 miles showing on the odometer, so for a little extra peace of mind we decided to purchase an extended 100K mile warranty.
PRE-TRIP CAR MAINTENANCE Prior to the trip the car had just clocked 50,000 miles so I we replaced the battery, installed new brake pads and rotors and new tires. During its 50K checkup I was informed that the timing chain cover bolts needed replacing, which is a common issue. Thankfully the extended warranty we purchased covered the timing chain cover repair as well as other issues including changing all fluids and a four-wheel alignment just before the trip.
THE ORIGINS Early In 2019 my wife and I started planning an auto road trip to take place the following year with a goal to explore areas around west Texas and the states surrounding the Grand Can yon. However, we needed to purchase a vehicle that would be both be fun to drive and practical for our extended trip.
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• 9 /23 Driving to monument valley via 89A essentially routes you down into the canyon. Fascinating changes of land scape from the lush forest of the north rim into a sudden deep depression of rock and dust before eventually arriving at Lee’s Ferry (main access point of the Colorado River just north of the canyon). We took this opportunity for a quick swim in the Colo rado River – highly refreshing as the water temp remains in the low 60s. A quick drive up to Page for lunch and a quick viewing of Lake Powell (shockingly low nowadays) before traveling south and then back north to Monument Valley.
• 9/22 Driving into the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, was one of the most spectacular drives, in my opinion. The route south starts in what feels like a canyon, however you soon end up on a high Mesa surrounded by open plains followed by a forest. The dense forest provides no clue that you’re approaching the Grand Canyon before finally catching glimpses of it before arriving at the North Rim. We wanted to stay at the North rim for 2 nights, but bookings for lodging are required months in advance. We were lucky to get 1 night and it exceeded our expectations.
THE TRIP
• 9/18 San Antonio to Morenci, AZ – long haul drive along I-10 before cutting northwest in New Mexico. We previously had deter mined that 12 hours is the upper limit for driving in one day. Leaving San Antonio at dawn to maximize daylight we arrived in Morenci just as the sun was setting.
• 9/20 Day in Las Vegas
• 9/21 After our last night “in normal hotels” according to my wife, we proceeded north east along I15 before cutting off to wards Zion. We cruised through Zion and went on several hikes before ending the day at an AirBnB along 89 in a town called Oder ville, which is close to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
• 9/19 Leaving Morenci north on 191 our route heads through an open pit copper mine, which I believe is the largest in North America. This route had dramatic twists and turns as the road was circuitously routed to accommodate the mining operations. Incred ibly massive mining equipment could be seen along the way. The route ends on a relatively high mesa area south of Petrified Forrest National Park – our first park of the trip. We then cruised along I40 and 93 via the Hoover Dam into Las Vegas.
Confused I got up and could hear and see various Porsches driv ing around and staging in a dusty parking area just north of the hotel. After dressing quickly I drove down to their location and discovered a road rally full of vintage Porsches and several REEF 911 Safari editions. All of the rally Porsches made for an even more spectacular sunrise and fantastic photos. We then drove north to one of the coolest spots on the trip a place called Muley Point. It’s essentially like the Grand Canyon but without the forest and was seemingly abandoned. In fact we didn’t see another person while at Muley Point and the approach from the south requires a drive up an amazing switchback road from out of the valley and onto the top of the mesa (Highway 261). The road then turns into an off-road trail for a few miles before simply stopping at the rim of the canyon which resulted in some of my favorite pictures of the trip. We then continued north and entered the southern portion of Canyonlands national park. I regret not spending more time here, however its remote location makes this difficult without camping or dealing with long drives to a motel every day. It was an amazing
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• 9/24 We spent the night at the famous Gouldings Lodge where the rooms have spectacular views of the morning sun rise over the valley. On one morning I awoke not by the usual sunrise, but by the sound of multiple flat six cylinder engines.
• 9/17 Houston to San Antonio for first leg of trip.
[ LONE STAR MAGAZINE : ROAD TRIP ]
• 9/28 We originally intended to stay at a spa in Santa Fe to relax at the end of our road trip however the place was plagued by staffing issues due to the pandemic. We then decided to simply start heading home around mid-day. We ended up driving non-stop back to San Antonio in time for my Dads birthday (29th) arriving a few minutes after midnight.. San Antonio
• 9/27 We spent the morning in Ouray before driving south along the Million Dollar Highway. In all honesty there were sev eral other routes on our journey that were equally impressive and nowhere near as busy. But still it’s one to check off on the to-do list. We then drove at a rather leisurely pace into Santa Fe via back roads off the highway for the evening.
Policies underwritten by Essentia Insurance Company. All third party makes, models, and vehicle names are property of their respective owners. Their use is meant to reflect the authenticity of the vehicle and do not imply sponsorship nor endorsement of Hagerty nor any of these products or services. Hagerty Drivers Club is a registered trademark of The Hagerty Group LLC, ©2022 The Hagerty Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The Hagerty Group, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hagerty, Inc. park and we were able to get a late afternoon hike in before head ing into Moab for the evening.
TRIP DATA Trip from Houston back to
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• 9/25 Day in Moab & Arches – well worth it but we had to get a guided tour as the arches feels like a theme park, insane the amount of people who visit it, both sad and inspiring at the same time.
• 9/26 Our drive was essentially due east on dirt roads through Onion Creek, up the base of Mt Wass and into Gateway Colo rado. I was worried about this portion of the trip as online reviews ranged from people successfully driving mini-vans to lifted Jeeps getting stuck. Fortunately for us the road was seemingly graded overnight and had little to no issues. So, we were able to maintain a decent average speed and experienced only a few slowdowns for some washouts. This route was fantastic as it provided a captivating change of scenery from the dry high desert plains to wooded forest on highway 141 that follows the Dolores River in Colorado. This road while pretty remote offered some stunning scenery. We drove through the canyon mostly alone for several hours before approach ing the high mountains of southwest Colorado and our stop for the evening, Ouray.
• 73 hours 48 minutes • 3763 Miles • 24.2 MPG average • 54 MPH average speed FUEL COST • $690.11 at an average cost of $3.95 per gallon • 174.54 gallons filled ISSUES • We encountered zero mechanical issues of any kind. Oil consump tion was minimal and the average MPG was higher than my pre-trip estimate of 20MPG, I seem to have underestimated the effect the tur bos would have in the mountain roads and just how much cruising at 70MPH we would do. J [ LONE STAR MAGAZINE : ROAD TRIP ]
08 REUNIONKEMAHBOARDWALK [ LONE STAR MAGAZINE : 2022 LSRPCA KEMAH CONCOURS ]
ROBINSDEREKBY:WRITTEN
LSRPCA held the first concours event of the 2022 season on March 5th. We were graciously hosted by Kemah Boardwalk, Einar’s Garage, Haggerty Collector car insurance, and Flowers of Kingwood. Close to 50 Porsches were registered for competition with another 50 Porsches surrounding the competitors as wingman for a mechanical and colorful spectacle. This is always a great venue and we were grateful to be reunited with friends, their cars, and the Boardwalk. The Kemah Boardwalk Staff do an exceptional job of hosting! The weather held off and we had an exceptional day of competition and Porsches. The LSRPCA hosts at least three Concours events a year and points accumulate toward yearly awards for each Porsche category. A concours is a judged event where cars are prepared to “as delivered” condition. Points are deducted from a maximum possible value based on condition and cleanliness.
099 RSLPCA2022 C O NCOURSH 2202ACPLSRCOSRUOCNH
PHOTO BY: ORMAND DEAN
Kemah People Choice winner Ryan Moffett Kemah Judges Choice winner Jeremy Frazier
Various concours rules are used depending on the level of competition. The idea is to show your car in its most perfect condition (usually cleanliness and like new condition.) In general, each car starts out perfect and as the judge finds something amiss, points are deducted. Typically, LSRPCA has just one level of competition, “Touring” where the Exterior (Max. 70 points), Interior (Max 70 pints), and storage (Max 40 points) areas are judged, but not the engine, suspension, or prominence. Our events are based on the practical reality that most of us have other priorities, limited time, and may well use our Porsches as daily-drivers. The odds are that most of the cars shown locally are prepared in a few hours and generally driven to the event prior to a final cleanup. Everyone should have a good time enjoying their cars and meeting other enthusiasts. Our events are designed to be social in nature and participation by spouses, children or your significant other are encouraged. So join us, you learn by doing! At Kemah, the LSRPCA Concours Team awarded medals for placing in each Class and for the “Judges Choice Award” (Highest scoring car), Jeremy Frazier, 2014 Blue Porsche Carrera S, and the “People’s Choice Award” (Participant Ballots), Ryan Moffett, Aqua Marine Blue 1959 356A.
Kemah LSRPCA Concours Judges Thomas Roy, Hector Martinez and Stan Tripp AT KEMAH, THE LSRPCA CONCOURS TEAM
AWARDED MEDALS FOR PLACING IN EACH CLASS AND FOR THE “JUDGES CHOICE AWARD”
This was my first event as Concours Chair, we had another great turnout to start the year, and I’m so appreciative of the many volunteers who judged and helped make it all happen! I placed 1st in my Class in the three 2021 Concours so I know how much work goes into preparing your Porsche, but now I have an even greater appreciation for how much goes into running an efficient and fun Concours and it just doesn’t happen without club volunteers so Thank you! Looking ahead we will have Concours #2 at Porsche North on June 11th, then a “Peoples Choice Concours” in September! A Judges training event will be held soon as well. For more information, visit www.lsrpca.com Concours J ]
[ LONE STAR MAGAZINE : 2022 LSRPCA KEMAH CONCOURS
Congratulations to all! Detailed results are posted on LSRPCA.Com under “Concours-Previous Events.”
LSRPCA PNH Concours 2 Raffle
Kemah Judges Choice winner 2014 Blue Porsche Carrera S
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11 PHOTOS BY: DC PHOTOGRAPHY, DAVIDE LEUNG ORMAND DEAN, DEREK ROBINS RSLPCA2022 C O NCOURSH 2202ACPLSRCOSRUOCNH
12 [ LONE STAR MAGAZINE : LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE ] WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY ERIC LIPPER ERIC LIPPER'S LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE PORSCHE 930 TURBO
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The paper Porsche tags from the Porsche parts department for the leather pouches
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All service records A Porsche branded cassette tape explaining the features of the car
The salesman’s business card
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The original (circa 1987) Porsche leather cases for each set of keys
Factory wheel locks with the plastic covers to protect the lock cylinders2Afactory car cover with the receipt for its purchase
On November 25, 1987, a man named JH Wessels walked into Pens acola Imports in Pensacola, Florida with the intent to purchase a new Guards Red 1987 Porsche 930 Turbo. Although the car had a sticker of $63,295, Mr. Wessels negotiated a price of $55,500 for the car and traded his nearly new 1987 Porsche 928 S4 as part payment. Mr. Wessels was extremely meticulous at keeping every piece of paper associated with the purchase of his 930 Turbo and even kept the plastic wrap that covered the seats and the bubble wrap that encased the owner’s manual on the dealership shelves. Clearly Mr. Wessels loved this car during his ownership, and he showed it in a variety of local car shows as evidenced by a series of photos and trophies now in my possession. Unfortunately, by 2013, it came time for the Wessels family to part with their cherished 930 and a local car dealer listed the car for sale. When the buyers were not flocking to the 26-year-old car the decision was made to list it on a website that had just announced it was going to start an auction format in competition with Ebay. This new auction site was called Bring a Trailer Auctions which, to that point, had been only a classified site connecting buyers and sellers of mostly project cars. They promised a new concept called a “curated format” where BaT wrote the copy and arranged the photographs to promote the cars. Shortly after BaT went live in its Beta mode this car became one of the earliest cars that moved through that site. The sales price was extraordinarily fair in large part because the site was still in its infancy. Today cars sell on BaT at a huge premium but it was certainly not that way in the beginning. When the car arrived, it was in unbelievable condition and surely not something that would typically have been on an auction site. It was so original that it sat on 1987 tires, had a 1987 dated battery, and included loads of paperwork that elevated its provenance. The paint was perfect with hardly a defect to be found anywhere. The plastics were unfaded and the leather interior had no blemishes and not even the slightest hint of wear in the seat bolster. On top of her excellent condition the car came with additional items that contributed to her “lightning in a bottle” uniqueness: Although I expected this, the other bonus was that the car ran and drove in exactly the manner you would expect for a super low mileage 930.
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Unmolested stickers in the engine compartment A complete and original accessory kit in the frunk including gloves, the plastic frunk liner, the tool set, and the tire inflator A complete set of Porsche service manuals
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I own a bunch of hobby cars and perform a wide variety of maintenance tasks on them myself. So by having a reasonable mechanical aptitude in the garage there have been a variety of car “projects” that I have successfully tackled in my spare time.
The most difficult Porsche project was removing the insulating blanket on the firewall in the forward area of the engine compartment. I tried to preserve the blanket but it was just not meant to be as it was shedding on every drive both making a mess and potentially leaving pieces to be sucked into the engine intake. One particularly rewarding project entailed removing the valve covers, adjusting the valve clearances, and replacing various seals and hoses. I also tackled replacing the fuel pump that was operational but sounded like it had inhaled a bunch of Androcks.just to fully indoctrinate me to the Porsche brand, I broke a bolt during one my Porsche maintenance tasks but successfully extracted it after a bit of cussing. Most recently, I had the underside of the car dry ice blasted by Texas Polar Jet here in Houston and the results of that process were amazing. This car is probably the cleanest non-trailer queen out there. I now have 16,000 miles on the car and drive her only on sunny days because I am now preserving a piece of rolling history. I recently brought her to the show at the Kemah Boardwalk and, I am embarrassed to say, it was the first thing that I did with the Lone Star Club. I quickly realized the difference between this club and the one celebrating the cars from Maranello and it can be said like this: Ferrari guys battle for whose cars have the lowest miles and Porsche guys battle for whose cars have climbed Pike’s Peak. I can tell you that I would have no hesitation driving the 930 Turbo anywhere (except perhaps Pike’s Peak) but I would think twice before I left 77027 in the Prancing Horse. I have now started attending the various Lone Star events and hope to see y ou at one soon. J
[ LONE STAR MAGAZINE : LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE ] 93OTURBO
"FERRARI GUYS BATTLE FOR WHOSE CARS HAVE THE LOWEST MILES AND PORSCHE GUYS BATTLE FOR WHOSE CARS HAVE CLIMBED PIKE'S PEAK."
Although it was intimidating because I had never worked on a Porsche before, I kept telling myself that it is just a car and that I should just take my time. I am a multi-brand collector with a lot of experience working on cars from Maranello so why not try working on a Porsche? I found great resources on the Internet, YouTube and with Pelican Parts. I also retained my sanity when wrenching by following the Porsche service manuals, which I found to be surprisingly well written.
16 [ LONE STAR MAGAZINE : WHEELS & WARBIRDS ] WHEELS &
The line of Porsches stretched far into the distance before holding the morning safety de brief at the gates of West Houston Airport, which lead to the hangers of the Commemora tive Air Force (CAF) – Houston Wing. This was Warbird Weekend and the Lone Star Region Porsche Club members were eager to see the historic bombers, fighter planes, and combat vehicles on display. Warbird Weekend, held on April 30th and May 1st this year, is an open house event and mini-airshow presenting some of the finest vin tage military aircraft in the world. Several car clubs support the Houston Wing CAF including the Porsche club, which hosted the car show this year alongside the incredible aircraft being showcased. The really cool vintage warplanes parked next to LSRPCA members’ Porsches pre sented some truly unique photo opportunities.
THE LONE STAR REGION PORSCHE CLUB MEMBERS WERE EAGER TO SEE THE HISTORIC BOMBERS, FIGHTER PLANES, AND COMBAT VEHICLES ON DISPLAY.
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WARBIRDS
WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY ALEX BESZTERDA
[ LONE STAR MAGAZINE : WHEELS & WARBIRDS ]
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Check out more info on the B17 Texas Raiders at www.b17texasraiders.org and the B-25 PBJ Devil Dog at www.devildogsquadron.com J
But why display modern and classic Porsche cars next to vintage airplanes? Interestingly, there is a connection between Porsche and aviation that stretches back before the start of the sports car brand. Ferdinand Porsche, early in his career as a technical director at Daimler-Motoren-Gessellschaft, designed a four-cylinder engine for a gas-balloon airship and even after Porsche started his own company he continued to develop new aircraft engines. Notably after his passing, Porsche designed the Type 678 engine, the first German post-war aircraft engine, based largely on the 356 auto mobile engines. Porsche aircraft engines were the power plant for several airplanes throughout the 1980’s such as the Cessna 182, and the Porsche PFM 3200 aircraft engine still enjoys cult status among sport pilots today. For the LSRPCA members, the event started as a parade style procession with car photos taken in front of two World War II bombers (thanks to the photo skills of Porsche club member Zerin Dube and Houston Wing CAF event photographer Kevin Hong).
Though the day was hot, this was truly a fun and unique event for the LSRPCA to be a part of. A BIG thank you goes out to the Houston Wing CAF (www.houstonwing.org) for hosting the Por sche club and to all the volunteers and organizers that made this event possible.
The PBJ, as the B-25 was designated when used by the US Ma rine Corps, was used for “night-heckling”, anti-shipping missions or close air support of beachheads and landings during World War II. Based on the B-25 Mitchell medium range bomber the Marine Corps’ PBJs flew mostly low altitude missions, thus the standard glass of the nosecone/bombardier position was unnecessary and replaced with a solid nose armed with up to 8 x .50 caliber machine guns. The Devil Dog is based out of Georgetown, Texas and cared for by Devil Dog Squadron of the CAF.
The co-headliner bombers featured were the iconic B-17 Flying Fortress Texas Raiders and the B-25 PBJ-1J Devil Dog. The B-17 Flying Fortress was a four-engine heavy bomber de veloped in the 1930’s and used extensively in the daylight strategic bombing campaigns of World War II. First restored by volunteers of the CAF in the 1960’s (as a memorial to Texas aviators who served), Texas Raiders is one of only 5 remaining active flying B-17s out of 12,731 that were made and is one of the most widely recognized and famous Flying Fortresses on the airshow circuit today. Cur rently the Texas Raiders is cared for by the Gulf Coast Wing of the CAF out at the Conroe/North Houston Regional Airport.
Apart from the bombers, another crowd favorite was the P-51D Mustang fighter plane Glamorous Glen III. The P-51 Mustang was primarily a long-range escort fighter and also a ground attack fighterbomber, participating in World War II and the Korean War. The fast and sleek fighter plane certainly looked glamorous, especially next to what could be described as a Porsche fighter jet on wheels, the black Porsche 918 Spyder. Though this year’s Warbird Weekend pre ceded the release of the blockbuster movie Top Gun, Maverick, fans perhaps knew from the trailer that a P-51 and a Porsche 911S make appearances in that movie.
The Warbird Weekend also featured live history re-enactors from the 6th Cavalry dressed in authentic uniforms and driving period ground vehicles while local vocal artist Maria Thorne sang Big Band standards of the 1940s. There was also a stunning com memorative fly-by which included the missing man formation.
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WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY: TINA CAMERON
The car was beautiful, painted Guards red with a Cash mere leather interior, with the iconic heavily tinted rear hatch window. I loved the streamlined look, and the exposed pop-up headlights, integrated bumpers, and cup-style alloy wheels. It looked classic, sleek, low, and fast. Until that day, I didn’t know these cars even existed. I looked at Don, my eyes dancing with wonder and wearing a big grin. For the one and only time, I didn’t need to know the history of the car. I was ok that it had high miles and a mysterious fuel smell. This was THE ONE. We asked our friend if he would sell the car to us, since he was always buying and selling cars. But, he liked it too much, and said this was a car he was going to keep.
The 968 stole my heart. We started researching and learned the 968 is a rare car. According to the 968 Reg istry, Porsche manufactured approximately 12,000 968s for the 1991-1995 model years, with a top speed of 150 MPH. Porsche exported only 4,242 to the North Ameri can market.
20 [ LONE STAR MAGAZINE : RISEN FROM THE ASHES ] risen from
In 1984 Universal Pictures released Sixteen Candles, a coming-of-age romantic comedy starring Molly Ringwald as Sam. In a scene near the end of the movie, handsome Jake Ryan surprises Sam by arriving at the church after her sister’s wedding, and he’s driving a red Porsche 944. The car was stunning. It distracted me from this pivotal scene when Sam finally gets to hook up with her crush. I decided that someday I would own a car just like that. When I first got together with my crush and future hus band, Don, he drove a Porsche 914. Over the years of our marriage, we owned various Porsches, including 356’s, 914’s, a 911 and a Boxster, but the dream of owning a red 944 was starting to look just like that, a dream. From the beginning, we joined Porsche clubs and at tended as many events as possible. We’ve made wonder ful lifelong, gear-headed friends. It’s been a big part of our lives. We even co-hosted a weekend event ourselves, the West Coast Ramble in San Simeon, CA. While visiting a friend in 2011, he showed us the latest addition to his collection, a 1993 Porsche 968 Coupe. The 968 was the last evolution in the 924/944 models, but with a 3-litre engine and 6-speed manual transmission. It kept many of the styling cues making it recognizable to the 944 and was originally going to be numbered the 944 S3. But after making more enhancements than originally planned, Porsche renumbered it to 968.
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Even rarer is the Guards red and Cashmere interior combination, in which they made only 207. It seemed my dream car was more out of reach than ever. But, two years later, our friend called to let us know he had bought yet another car for his collection and he needed to make room for it, and asked if we were still interested in that 968. YES! Before he could change his mind, we raced over to his house with cash and took possession of the car. I still remember the first time I slid into the contoured seat, the feel of the shifter in my grip, getting up to sixth speed on the highway, with the sunroof open and the warm air flowing down on me, feeling so carefree and alive. I was in my happy place, like no other. The red Porsche I had always wanted was finally mine! In 2020, we left California for a slower and quieter lifestyle in Texas. About a week after getting settled in, we anxiously awaited the arrival of the transport carrying our Porsche collection. We purposely bought a house with a four-car garage to protect them. However, the transport did not arrive. Along the way, the truck driver detoured and headed north to Kansas, to drop off and pickup other cars and then head south to Texas. I wasn’t too concerned about a delay because I had a good rapport with the driver, and our classic car insurer recommends this transportation company on their website, so what could go wrong? But when the new drop date came and went without a call from the driver, I worried. A couple more agonizing days of not knowing went by before we learned there had been a fire. It started because the brakes failed and the rear axle caught fire, which quickly made its way up the back of the trailer. The even ing news in Topeka, Kansas featured the incident. There was our transporter, with our babies on board, on fire. Upset is an understatement. We were first in a shocked stu por. Then we felt extreme sadness. Then, we became really angry. One of our cars, the 914-6, arrived damaged but not to taled. The Boxster and 356 were completely destroyed, and the 968 was severely damaged. We had the 968 brought to us. It rolled off the ramp into our driveway covered in black soot, bumper to bumper, tail lenses melted. The once shiny wheels were yellow and black. When Don tried to start it up, it grumbled horribly and shut itself down. I was beside myself. I cried for hours. We decided that the 968 was too special to go to the crush er or pick-a-part, and we turned down a gracious offer from the friend we bought it from, to buy it back. We were going to do right by it. The estimate to restore the 968 was more than a few pages long. We braced ourselves, knowing upfront it was going to be expensive to fix. But first, we had to see what was under all that black soot, because it permeated every inch. A fellow member of the PCA Lone Star Region recommended a great detail er, Anointed Mobile Detail er. It took two detailers two days to clean the exterior, the interior, and steam clean the engine bay. They also cleaned the residue from melted vinyl inside the windshield. Finally, they ran a deodorizer through the vents to get rid of the strong smokey odor. Unfortunately, the seats didn’t look as good as before, and they would need to get reupholstered. And the sun visors were melted from the heat. She spent six months at The Garagisti, a Porsche restoration shop in Houston. She had been on life-support but eventually moved to the recovery ward. The mechanical work included re placing the engine mounts, wiring harness, drive belt, tension ers and pulleys, timing belt, water pump, starter, power steering lines, thermostat, alternator, cooling fan, tail lamp assembly, oil pan gasket, brake master cylinder, brake lines, and rubber seals and hoses. It needed servicing of all components that were, or could have been, damaged by the fire. It received new gaskets, seals, and all new fluids. The exterior work included repairing and respraying the front and rear bumpers, hood and driver’s side door. We replaced the rear lenses and tires. The wheels were refinished. Just to re place the original XD4 black, red, and gold Porsche crest center caps, set us back $500. We wrote a blank check, and we don’t normally do that. But that’s what becoming emotionally attached to a Porsche and then traumatized by the loss of it will do to you. The day she finally came home from hospital (The Garagisti), and we parked her safely away in our garage, I couldn’t help but wrap my arms around her. My love and admiration swelled for my little red Porsche. Along the way, “it” became “her.” When I take her out for a drive now, running better than ever, with an 80s rock station turned up high, I still experience the feel of be ing in my happy place, wearing a silly grin on my face, not a care in the world. Believe it or not, we didn’t restore her just for my benefit. There aren’t as many 968s around anymore. It was important to us to preserve and keep her on the road where she belongs. The sight of such a rare beauty is a feast for the eyes of any Porsche enthusiast. J
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Crikey mate, I reckon you must be a drongo if you call this a knife. It’s a scalpel! But really, after seven years of support, we’ve decided to make it official, and become an LSRPCA sponsor. We’ve got some incredibly exciting things in the works for next quarter, so watch this space. In the meantime, know that Modern Aircooled has been inner-Houston’s Porsche specialist since 2015, and it’s time to start celebrating that by giving back. LSRPCA membership will get you 10% off any service or repair* (some conditions apply, please inquire). 1718B W 23rd St. Houston, Texas 77008 (832) 582-7344 modernaircooled.com
[ LONE STAR MAGAZINE : CALENDAR ] OUR CLUB HOSTS A NUMBER OF FUN AND ENGAGING EVENTS. If you’ve never been to one of our events, come out and say howdy and more importantly—DRIVE! You can always see what is happening in real time by checking out LSRPCA.COM EVENTLSRPCACALENDAR MONTHLY GET TOGETHERS GTG Visit LSRPCA.com for weekly GTG locations throughout the Greater Houston area. [AX] AUTO CROSS Name: 2021 LSR AX #6 October 16, 2022 Houston Police Academy, 17000 Aldine BOXTOBER FEST ; September 9-11, BOXSTOBERFEST.COM2022 [HPDE] HIGH DRIVER’SPERFORMANCEEDUCATION October 8-9, 2022 8:00 am 5:00 pm Location: MSR Houston [HPDE] HIGH DRIVER’SPERFORMANCEEDUCATION November 3-4 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Location: MSR Houston CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE Saturday, November 5, 2022 Location: King's BierHaus 2044 E T C Jester Blvd, Houston, TX 77008, USA AUSTIN SCHNELL FEST November 18-20 Location: COTA 24 THOMPSONRICKPHOTO:
