Die Porsche Kassette

Peter Olliviere , President

As of this writing we are still in the middle of a very busy PCA October. We have had our normal Porsches and Pancake Breakfast, and the Octoberfest special event. Those events are planned and executed by our volunteers and Board members. What was not planned for was Hurricane Ian and what it did to the Florida West Coast. But once again when our membership sees a need we rise to the occasion to meet that need. Totally unsolicited a effort was put in motion by the Porsche

Community in Miami to collect two 53 foot trailers of needed goods and supplies and transport them over to the West Coast. People who attend Octoberfest were asked to bring along some nonperishable supplies to be collected in this effort. The response was overwhelming with a trailer being filled to the brim right in front of the restaurant. To all those that contributed, thank You, but don’t go away, this need is going to stick around for a while, and we will need your help again.

By now you know that Gold Coast Holiday Party “HOLIDAY IN PARADISE” will be held at Margaritaville Resort in Hollywood Florida on December 3rd. Do not miss this event, this will be the greatest party in Gold Coast history. We have survived COVID and shutdowns, its now time to celebrate a new year and a new time.

We are now starting the election season for Gold Coast. To continue growing this region in the future we need to have dedicated people at the helm. To do that we need you the member to exercise your right to vote for the candidates of your choice. We have a great slate of members who want to invest the time and effort to help direct the course of this organization, please review the information, and cast the ballet of your choice.

Finally, be aware Gold Coast Region will be celebrating its 60th birthday in 2023. The celebration will begin in December 2022 and run to the end of 2023. Each event during the year will have an anniversary component associated with it, so enjoy the celebration.

SHIFT INTO SOCIAL

Christy Spangler, Social Chair

Happy Veterans Day to the veterans in our membership! Thank you for your service to this great country. With the Thanksgiv ing holiday coming up, I think about how thankful I am to be a part of the PCA Gold Coast Region. Not only is it fun to drive and show our awesome Porsches, it is also nice that GCR contributes to chari ties giving back to our community. This truly is a unique extended family.

This message, then, is to all the volun teers who work hard to make all kinds of things happen for our club, from creating badges, to organizing and supporting socials, tours and many other events and efforts that GCR gets behind. We can’t do it without you all. Thank you!

In the Rear View Mirror

The Rock, Blues and Brews event at the Black Flamingo Brewing Co. was a success with over 50 members in attendance in spite of the rain. It was fun visiting with everyone. Thank you to Mike Del Pozo for organizing the event.

The popular Oktoberfest event was on October 8th at the Biergarten in Boca Raton. We had a great turnout and collected a trailerful of hurricane relief supplies. Thank you to Ian Gerada for organizing this event.

By the time this issue comes out, the October 22, Lake Placid Gimmick Rally and Mural Tour will have taken place. Thank you to Steve and Dottie Kidd for organizing that event.

This Month:

Nov. 3rd - Art and Autos at the InterContinental Hotel at Doral

Nov. 5th - Driver’s Education Class at Porsche West Broward

On the horizon:

Dec. 3rd is our Holiday in Paradise holiday party at the Margaritaville Beach Resort in Hollywood. More information will be coming out about that soon.

Stay tuned for upcoming announcements about these events via emails from Ian Gerada via “enews.” You can also check the calendar on the GCR website at goldcoastregion.org/calendar and on clubregistration.net for events and updates.

If you are interested in joining the social committee, volunteering or have an idea for something fun, contact me at so cials@goldcoastregion.org.

Roger Fabel, Editor

Welcome to the November issue of the Kassette. As I begin my Keystrokes column, I have a question for you. “Are we providing you with the material you are looking for?” Remember, it’s not only our PCA club experience but also the feedback from our readers that helps develop the magazine’s content.

Thankfully, we receive feedback from our readers, which we review and make appropriate changes. We always try to improve each month, and your feedback is greatly appreciated. I would encourage more of you to share your ideas so that the content meets your expectations.

I would like to thank you for taking part in the election process by voting for next term’s Officers and Directors.

When I first joined PCA about 22 years ago, the zone rep, who also became a great friend, provided me with

some great advice. “The club needs experienced leadership, but the club also needs a balance on new ideas.” That philosophy has proven to be spot on. I am very pleased to see the talent and hard work demonstrated by many of our volunteers that have stepped up to be part of the club. As we reach our 60th year, I know the founders from 1963 would be very pleased. After all, we are named GOLD Coast for a reason.

Registration to sign up as a volunteer for the 48 Hours is now open. Please go to the website (https://www. goldcoastregion.org/) and sign up to be part of the largest club race in the world. As one of the national staff members told me, they consider this the Crown Jewel of club racing. If you plan to volunteer for more than one day and need a hotel room, make sure you book it early, as they fill up quickly.

We had many great events in October that have been covered with articles and photos. Of special mention was the check presentation to the Ronald McDonald House in Miami. This was made possible with funds raised at the 48 Hours at Sebring. This month we also want to take a moment to thank our sponsors and advertisers for their continued support of the club.

Steve Kidd has been a part of PCA for 50 years this month, and we did a lowkey interview with him At one time or another, Steve has held most offices in our region, including being zone rep for Zone 12. During his interview, Steve failed to mention that he and Dottie were selected as the PCA National Family of the Year in 2015! This includes being awarded the National Family of the Year and presented their award by the Porsche family. Congratulations Steve!

Ian Gerada , Membership Chair

Events Abound

time of the year

really enjoy

take place in these last few months of the year. As usual we held our annual new member picnic in September followed by a new event, Rock, Blues, & Brews at the Black Flamingo, our Oktoberfest

to be hugely successful with well over 300 people in attendance,

the 22nd October we held a Lake Placid Gimmick Rally / Mural Tour,

of course, I hope you have all saved the date for our Holiday in Paradise Party on the 3rd of December.

like we will be rounding off 2022 strong, as you can see from our membership numbers, we have grown to the highest number of members our region has had in 23 months. This in my mind is fairly impressive as in January 2020 a new region was formed “Gulfstream Region” which was born out of our region, while they are growing in leaps and bounds it is good to see that our membership numbers has remained strong and continue to grow.

New Member Numbers

As of October 13th, 2022, our membership stands at 3,087, broken down into 2032 primary members, 1,055 co-members and 297 PCA Juniors. Thank you and welcome to all our new members for joining this exciting region.

Remember, if you’re the primary member, you can register a comember. * Co-members are welcome to share in your PCA experience at no additional cost. Additionally, they’re invited to all PCA events and receive their own user account on www.PCA. org

*Co-members must be at least 18 years of age to register.

Did You Know

We have quite an active Facebook Group with over 430 members , please join fellow members for discussions and general Porsche chat by requesting to join the group at www.facebook.com/groups/gcrgroup/ you will need your PCA membership number to join as this is a private group only open to PCA members, hope to see you online.

Please take your time to follow our Instagram page where we will be featuring a lot of our event photos –you can follow us on Instagram by following goldcoastpca (https://www. instagram.com/goldcoastpca/).

Trasfers

PORSCHE EXPERIENCE

Member Submission by Adam Weiss

The long-awaited day was almost upon me after an agonizing waiting period for my new Boxster T. As I pulled up to the Kimpton Hotel in Atlanta I knew I was in for a treat. Besides being right next to PEC Atlanta the hotel was decorated with old vintage Porsche pictures in the lobby as well as in your room. From the room window you could look down on the beautiful Porsche building, see various Porsches outside and see the track from a distance. Planes flying right by your window only enhanced the excitement to come.

Before I headed to Atlanta for delivery I talked with fellow Porsche enthusiast Mark Johnson at a recent Porsche event. I was interested in heading north to North Carolina after my

Porsche delivery to drive the Tail of the Dragon, the Cherohala Skyway, and some other roads that I heard so much about. Mark gave me awesome ideas, helped me plot out my route to and from Atlanta and even gave me some restaurant suggestions. Also, he went out of his way and conferred with Josh Vandergriff who runs the Rennsport Dragon Rally.

Day 1. My 9:00am delivery appointment could not come soon enough. I walked over to PEC at 8:30 and eagerly waited for my best friend Jarrod Kaufman to meet me in Atlanta to take delivery of the car. Jarrod was flying in from Newark that morning to share in the excitement and most of all I promised him the track experience of a lifetime. I had been to PEC one year earlier and enjoyed the track experience with my son so I felt it would be special to let my best friend have the pleasure. PEC wasted no time. By 9:15am Jarrod was on the track in a Boxster S with a professional instructor. Besides the oval, he drove an autocross course, spun out on the wet circle, drove hard, and braked harder on all the sections the course had to offer.

An hour and a half went by fast and soon it was my turn to unveil the car. After a short tour of the building, it was show time. The PEC representative brought me down to the New Delivery Lounge and there were two cars covered in a black canvas tarp. I had to

sign a couple of electronic documents, show them my registration and insurance. Everything was in good order and ready to go. PEC made the experience so easy. I then proceeded to uncover my car and glance at it for the first time. I was amazed at how good it looked. Also, I want to mention that PEC handled having the car PPF and ceramic coated prior to me picking up the car. Lots of pictures were taken and any detail I wanted to know about my new Boxster T was explained in a very nice and professional way. After finishing with the car details, Jarrod and I were escorted up to have lunch at Restaurant 356—all complimentary of PEC. While we were at lunch, my temporary tag was placed on the car and the vehicle was moved to another special spot in their garage.

Finally, I was handed the keys and a few parting gifts, and I was on my way. Such an amazing experience. First class all the way. I would definitely recommend PEC Atlanta to anyone looking for a remarkable delivery experience, an awesome track to drive, and the chance to see great Porsche history there with some spectacular cars in the museum. My total time at PEC was around four hours, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Then I was off for my four-hour drive to the Fontana Village Resort just a few miles from the Tail of the Dragon. I set the navigation through Franklin, NC where I would pick up my first challenging road to drive. There was no letdown on the Moonshiner 28 Highway. It was such an incredible drive with lots of curves and beautiful scenery and this really gave me a sampling of my next couple of days of cruising the Great Smoky Mountains. The Moonshiner 28 led all the way to Fontana; dinner, rest and breakfast followed at Fontana Village.

PEC Atlanta & Track from the Kimpton Hotel

Day 2. I woke up early to some nice cool weather and could not wait to drive the infamous Tail of The Dragon Highway (Highway 129). First, I made a stop at Killboy Store, which is at the beginning of the Tail. I picked up some souvenirs and most importantly a map of the area. The map is crucial since cell service is spotty at best in the mountains. Killboy takes photos while you are out on the Dragon and are viewable for purchase the next day on their website. I intended to follow the course Mark plotted out for me and I was ready for take-off.

I hit the Dragon and it was the ride of my life driving 318 Curves in 11 miles. I made the transit successfully in around 45 minutes. I was lucky to be driving on a weekday when the traffic was not bad. I still encountered lots of motorcycles and other cars. The Dragon was just the beginning of my 150 miles travelled on my venture that day.

I continued on past Dragon Harley Davidson and turned left onto Route 72 to Highway 411 South for a very short way to Vonore, TN. In Vonore, I made a left onto Highway 360 South at the advice of the kind women at Killboy Store, who said this was an amazing road along the Lake. I followed Hwy 360 South into Tellico Plains, and then turned left onto the Cherohala Skyway. The Skyway was breathtaking, and I followed it into Robbinsville, NC for lunch and then back to Fontana Village. My new Boxster T performed beautifully.

Day 3. As I woke up feeling more confident in my driving on these roads, I followed Mark’s advice and drove my previous day’s route in the opposite direction. Also, I added in the Foothills Parkway before heading back down the Dragon. The Foothills Parkway was another amazing ride. The road had just been repaved and was a pleasure to drive. The parkway leads you much higher into the mountains and the views are simply fantastic. There are nice points along the way to stop and take pictures or just relax a little. Today I drove a little over 200 miles. Dinner this night was at Topoco Lodge. The Topoco Lodge offers a very nice place for dining outside along the Cheoah River.

Day 4. It was time to start my drive home. I wanted to get in one more awesome highway before heading

back to Florida. Instead of taking the Moonshiner 28 back towards Franklin, NC, I set the navigation to Wayah Road. Wayah has more residential homes on it but in no way was it less technical to drive. So much fun twisting and turning and enjoying these roads! Friday was a long day, and I chose to stop in Gainesville, FL for the night after almost 10 hours on the road. That left an easy 4 hours the next day from Gainesville to Boca Raton.

This was an incredible trip. I am always up for an adventure ride, but It is going to be very hard topping these roads in NC and TN. Thankfully all went smooth, and I made it home safe and sound. What a great bonus to break-in by putting a total of 1500 miles on my new Porsche on the best roads in the eastern USA.

Jarrod Kaufman and Adam Weissat PEC, Pre Unveiling

Adam is raring to go!

The new Boxster T in it’s natural element! Beautiful mountain roads.

DAY BLACK FLAMINGO STYLE

Story by Mark Johnson

It was a rain-rain go away Saturday. Yet, those Gold Coast Region folks who chose to venture out for a bit of camaraderie and a cold brew were treated to an exceptional afternoon at the Black Flamingo Brewing Company in Pompano Beach. Our GCR ‘Rookie of the Year’ for 2021, Mr. Mike Del Pozo, arranged the afternoon for our members to celebrate, comingle, and give back to one of our inaugural golf outing sponsors from earlier in the year. The event was held Saturday September 24th

The Black Flamingo Brewing Company, if one can remember from way back in May, provided “free beer” for all the golfers and attendees at the event which benefitted the Memorial Cancer Institute. The golf event raised nearly $5,000 which has been presented to the Memorial Cancer Institute to honor Mrs. Larraine Olliviere, President Peter

Olliviere’s wife who passed away in late 2021 from cancer.

The Black Flamingo became the gathering place for 30+ Porsches and 50-60+ members to sample and drink the fantastic craft beer they create. The Black Flamingo is located in an industrial warehouse area along Powerline Road in Pompano Beach. As such, the parking was great! Plenty of room to display the cars for a small “attendees’ choice” car show. The winner of the show received a nice emergency/safety road kit. Amazingly, the winner was Del Pozo himself! He claims he did not stuff the ballot box, and we might only guess who did. (It was not Mrs. Leslie Del Pozo, aka Mrs. DP, aka LDP.) In reality, virtually everyone voted for Mike, as he organized the great event to get us out of the house on and grey, cloudy, and wet afternoon.

Photos by Mike Del Pozo, Christy Spangler, and Andrew Moffitt

It was quite a successful and enjoyable gathering. A food truck stationed outside the back entrance to the Black Flamingo provided great food. Columbian Cravings were created by Oiga Mira Vea. The empanadas were spectacular. The craft brews were cold and tasty. It was a superb combination of Porsches, people, beer, and food. Does it really get any better?

Mike Del Pozo (aka MDP) said he’s going to work on a few additional, casual Saturday events. It is highly recommended that GCR members look for the next announcement. These smaller, regional gatherings are a great way to get out and meet your fellow Porsche jockeys. While we may have gotten a bit wet with the Florida liquid sunshine, which seemed to fall endlessly, we each enjoyed the afternoon our legendary Porsche Peeps!

4TH QUARTER

UPDATES

Steve Kidd, Autocross Chair

Our AX program encountered several weather related incidents this fall that re-shaped our Q4 events. Here’s the details Event #6 (our September 10 event), was halted about 45 minutes into the runs due to heavy rains and lightning. The track ALWAYS shuts things down when there is lightning in the vicinity. The lightning persisted for most of the afternoon, so the event was called. While about half the competitors got runs, the other half got no runs at all. The plan is to roll those that did not get runs into the Jan 7 event. If you were one of these folks who worked but did not get runs, hope to see you on the new date.

Event #7 at Buckingham Airport (Ft. Myers) in conjunction with Everglades Region on October 16th was canceled due to Hurricane Ian & the site is now a FEMA/Disaster relief staging area for the foreseeable future. No more information is available at this time and those that registered should have seen a refund thru Everglades club registration. As of this writing, we are unsure if we will be able to offer any more AutoX in 2022. Watch your Emails for updates

Earlier this year, the PCA parade competition rules committee (PCR’s) finalized some significant rule changes and new autoX classes, and were recently made official. One of the biggest changes in AutoX classes was the elimination of 4 sets of AX classes ( Small region, medium region, large region and Parade), resulting in 1 set of revised classes. The new class structure combines larger numbers of car types, and significantly reduces the number of classes. The GCR AutoX program will start using the new class structure in the 2023 AX season.

Tentative AX schedule for 2023

Event #1 1/07/2023 @ Sebring in conjunction with the Suncoast region DE. Thanks again to our friends at Suncoast for the site

AutoX School 2/3/2023 @ Sebring in conjunction with 48hours at Sebring Club Race. Limited to 12 students Event #2 2/04/2023 @ Sebring in conjunction with 48hours at Sebring Club Race Morning Event 9:00-12:00 Event #3 2/04/2023 @ Sebring in conjunction with 48hours at Sebring Club Race Afternoon Event 2:00-5:00 Event #4 4/15/2023 @ Sebring in conjunction with the Suncoast region DE. Thanks again to our friends at Suncoast for the site Hoping to see you at one of our 2023 AutoX events...........Steve

. . . at the Biergarten

article by Ian Gerada, Oktoberfest 2022 chair

On Saturday October 8th, over 300 GCR members and guests arrived at the Biergarten in Boca Raton for our annual Oktoberfest event. This year’s event included a roast pig special, live music, as well as a few friendly competitions of beer holding. We all gathered to celebrate the arrival of Fall 2022, we joined arms, clinked beer steins, and celebrated in Bavarian style with our friends.

But of course, in my opinion, the highlight of the event were the magnificent Porsches parked outside. From a zebra wrapped RWB to two Carrera GT’s, a 2023 GT3 Touring as well as a fabulous Speedster, these were just some of the attractions that kept members talking Porsche pretty much all day.

I would be amiss to talk about our Oktoberfest event without thanking our presenting sponsor, Foreign Affairs Motorwerks, led by Bobby Varela. Bobby handed out Porsche giveaways to members attending, from Porsche Eau de Toilette to Insulated Steel Travel Mugs and a variety of additional giveaways.

It was truly difficult to determine what the best part of the day was. Was it the people – for certain, the cars –absolutely, the roast pig - tasty, or the BIER? Perhaps with any good multiple choice question the obvious answer was ALL OF THE ABOVE.

The party officially started at 11:00 am and lasted until about 3:30 pm. The Biergarten managers, Eric and Dorian, did an incredible job to secure as many parking places as possible, even pulling a city permit to allow us to park as many cars as we could in the front section of the restaurant.

While parking was tight, this is a rolling event – people come, and people leave throughout the day, and everyone managed to find a parking spot.

Once everyone stepped into the Biergarten the camaraderie, beer, and great food took over. We even had an entertaining two-person German combo (accordion and singer) to belt out “Roll Out the Barrels!”

While Southeast Florida was spared from the devastating impact of Hurricane Ian (no relation), Ruben Fuentes & Mark Johnson headed up a spectacular effort to bring in relief donations, all supplies collected at Octoberfest were delivered to International Aircraft in Miramar, from where they were delivered to the west coast where they were desperately needed.

For those who attended I am sure you will agree that it was a fun event and for those who didn’t make it I hope to see you at next year’s Oktoberfest Event.

GCR Check Presentation to the Ronald McDonald House

Every year the 48 Hours at Sebring Club Race helps raise money for the Ronald McDonald House. This year, Gold Coast Region was invited to the Ronald McDonald House of South Florida’s 40th Anniversary event on September 23rd to present the check. Steve and Dottie Kidd and Christy Spangler presented a check for $4,000.00 to Soraya Rivera-Moya, the Executive Director. Some dignitaries that attended the event included Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez and the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Daniella Levine Cava.

Christy Spangler, Social Chair

FINDING

Sebastián Mercader

A Worldly Kinda Porsche Guy

Sebastián Mercader was born in New York City. Between that day a few years ago and today he’s lived in: Bogota (Colombia), Boston (MA, USA), Geneve (Switzerland) Madrid (Spain) La Paz (Bolivia), Montevideo (Uruguay), Lima (Peru), Cairo (Egypt), Arundel (England), Henniker (NH, USA) Miami (FL, USA) Mexico City (Mexico), Los Angeles (CA, USA) and finally (for now) back in Miami, FL. It seems that Sebastian is a citizen of the world, but how so, and why? Will he ever settle down to one location? And where do Porsches enter the picture?

It is a bit easier to answer the second question. Sebastián is a native-born US citizen living in Miami since 1996. He did complete a three-year stint between 2008 and 2011 in LA and Mexico City, but the balance of his

time since ‘96 has been here in Miami. He is of Spanish and French descent.

He first arrived in Miami as an intern for MTV Latino in the mid‘90s, where he was then hired and worked for Viacom (MTV & Nickelodeon). This was followed by work with BBC Worldwide in Mexico City, and then DIRECTTV Latin America in Los Angeles. Returning to Miami, Sebastián opened MRKDR Productions, Inc. which is a creative agency focused on promotional videos for broadcast and cable streaming networks.

OK; but what about all the earlier living locations? The answer here is almost as easy, but those “homes” were not of Sebastián’s choosing. What? Wait a minute; there are fifteen different locations above, and he had

Member Feature by Mark Johnson

no say in any of them? Of course not; he was young and growing up with his family. His family moved, and often. Sebastián Mercader’s father worked for the United Nations (UN Development Programme) for forty years! Therefore, as Sr. Mercader’s’ talents were needed in many areas of the globe, young Sebastián moved with the family.

This family travel would provide a substantial and enlightening childhood and unique opportunity to observe so many varied and interesting cultures. A typical stint in a location would be roughly two years but could last four or more. At each stop there was enough time to get to know the local culture. The continuous movement also insured that young Sebastián became adept at making friends. He does that everywhere he goes.

Sebastián’s 1993 Amazon Green 964 C2 and the 2012 911 Black Edition

Where does his passion for Porsche fit in to such a life? Sebastián’s father never liked driving. He once asked his dad what his favorite car was. The response: “The one that comes with a chauffeur!” His father was not much of a car guy, then, but they did have pretty cool company cars. The family drove several Mercedes, Volvos, Toyotas (especially the Land Cruiser), as well as Peugeots, and a Nissan Patrol. Apparently, the UN did not see the value of Porsche as a company vehicle for the UNDP. So, where and how did Sebastián get introduced to Porsche?

In the late 70s he was traveling with his mom and grandfather somewhere in the Alps, which meant mountain roads of course. Young Sebastián could hear a faint engine sound growing louder by the moment. Suddenly a car blasted by the family vehicle “faster than the Star Wars Millennium Falcon.” It was Sebastian’s first experience seeing a Porsche in its natural habitat. His mom was yelling at the Porsche 930 driver like a maniac to slow down, and

Seb & ESMERALDA enjoying the incredible twists and turns of North Carolina

Sebastián thoroughly enjoys the air-cooled Porsche lifestyle. To this point, he created a group of South Florida Porsche fans known as the Air-Cooled Breakfast Crew (ACBC). The ACBC meet on occasion for a group breakfast or social event. Regalia include t-shirts, car stickers, ball caps, and coffee mugs. But you’ve got to have an air-cooled PCar to receive an invitation for the informal membership. When the group meets, it is a veritable ogle-fest of collectible flat-6 air-cooled Porsches (911, 912, 914, 356 and even VW Beetles are also welcome!) He is an active member of the Vintage Vices, another group of Porsche fanatics in the Miami area. The ACBC clan grew as an offshoot from VV and shares many of the same members. Between the two ad hoc organizations, Sebastián has made a large volume of friends. He is also a member of the ROUGHNECK BRIGADE, an international Classic Porsche Club with chapters all over the world.

And so in 2014 Sebastián acquired a 1993 964 C2 in Amazon Green, his first Porsche, and still in his stable Sebs made some modifications to suit his personal preferences. These include “52” Outlaw Wheels, KW V3 Suspension, an Elephant Racing Bump Steer Kit, a custom 964 Race exhaust with dual outlets, and a 3.8L engine built by Manny Cueto. Additional personalization includes a lightweight flywheel, 996 GT3 front seats and 993 rear seats, Rennline perforated pedals, 9Eleven headlights, and a very special engine cover nameplate: “ESMERALDA,”

Seb’s grandfather said simply, “I like them without the (whale) tail.” WTG, Pops! Since that day, Porsche became The DREAM CAR

An early morning video taking cruise in south Florida

Sebastián Mercader and his two favorite friends (soon to be three)

After owning the 964 for eight years, Sebs joined the water-cooled Porsche family as well. He acquired a 2012 911 earlier this year. The 911 is a 997 Black Edition, #1378 of 1911 produced. While not a current year 911, the 997 is a substantially different beast from the 964, of course. With both an air- and water-cooled Porsches, Sebastián can enjoy the simple enjoyment of their yin and yang. The 997 has also picked up a few mods to suit personal taste: a KW V3 suspension upgrade, an X pipe, numeric racing pedals and NM automation Apple Carplay mod. Beyond these two PCars, we understand that a Cayenne could be added to the collection in the near future. Early congrats, Sebs! His favorite all-time Porsche model is the 959, a great selection given the many incredible vehicles to choose from.

Sebastián has been a member of Gold Coast PCA since he first acquired the 964 in 2014. He participates in breakfast drives, group rallies, and Porsche related travel trips. A trip this past fall was made in Esmeralda with the Vintage Vices crew to the Georgia and North Carolina mountains. Taking mountain roads with all the elevation

changes, twists and turns was a substantial eye-opener to Sebs, who had been accustomed to the straight/ flat South Florida roads. It is no wonder why the Appalachian Mountain and Blue Ridge area of the US is a popular destination to truly enjoy the driving and handling of Porsche automobiles.

He enjoys the big shows too like WERKS Amelia Island and DRT in Miami. With many of the Miami and Ft. Lauderdale crew he can be found at various cars/coffee events, and a few Thursday night gatherings. Given his world-wandering ways, we might expect that Sebastian would have visited Stuttgart, home of Porsche, but to date he has only had the opportunity to visit the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta. There is a bucket list for travel of course.

Beyond work and cars, Sebastián has had a few other fun and challenging activities in his life. Taking time after leaving employment from Viacom, he had the opportunity to jump on a sailing vessel for a trip from Albuferia, Portugal to Miami. He was given a twelve-month severance package from Viacom (now Paramount) and

made the most of it. As part of the crew, he made sail from Portugal to Gran Canary, Spain, then to St. Lucia in the eastern Caribbean or windward islands (19 days at sea), and then on to Miami. The trip included six months of island hopping in the Caribbean. Sebastián has documented these travels with several videos.

Additionally, he has played rugby through his collegiate days and post education. Excelling at two positions, “tight head prop” and “flank forward,” he has developed a physical toughness that shows through in his gregarious personality. The rugby days fit well with the sailing, and the international travel, as each requires commitment, determination, strength, and an easy-going personality. Camaraderie is essential, which also makes Sebastian a fantastic fit in the Porsche family.

It can be easy to find Sebastián Mercader. Look for Esmeralda, or the beautiful Black Edition 997 known as “Jade,” and the guy drawing a crowd.

With a sailor’s wit, a rugger’s determination, a world of experience, and a love of Porsche there is plenty to discuss.

Drive with him in an ACBC, Vintage Vices or general Porsche run, and you and your car may just wind up in an awesome video. Readers so inclined can explore his videos on www.Vimeo.com/ roughcutvideos We’d suggest these videos constitute must-see viewing! Hang with him a while and you may end up a video star.

ESMERALDA feeling sassy in her home town of Miami

OUR MOST SINCERE THANKS!

The Gold Coast Region of Porsche Club of America is a great group of people. We hold a ton of fantastic events, with low club dues and very reasonable activity fees. We have regular opportunities to celebrate Porsche ownership and legendary camarade rie. How does all this happen? How does the GCR keep the costs of our events so reasonable? Let us offer two groups of folks who help make this possible: OUR SPONSORS & ADVERTISERS!

The companies who sponsor our events and those who advertise in our newsletter are a huge part of our success and the overall enjoyment of the “cars and the people.” In grateful acknowledgement of this significant support, we would like both to thank these companies and honor them for their willingness to provide financial contributions and in-person participation to the benefit of GCR PCA members.

WITH OUR MOST SINCERE THANKS, let us start with our event SPONSORS from the past year.

Adams Polishes Autogeek Car Care

Biergarten – Boca Raton Black Flamingo Brewing Co. Connectica Digital Marketing Country Club of Coral Springs Davis Cigars DP Window Cleaning Dr. Color Chip Foreign Affairs Motorwerks

Fort Myers Porsche Front Row Theater

Griot’s Garage Hagerty Insurance, Garage & Social House of Axes KMW Motorsports M Car Cover P21s Car Detailing & Waxes Parkhaus1 Princess Cruises

Seven Sebring Raceway Hotel SONAX USA

Suncoast Region PCA Tint House Customs Trish Travel TuneRS – Motorsports Union Kitchen & Bar VertexAuto – Miami Vintage Ice Cream Guy Westin Cape Coral

Beyond the many supporting sponsors for Gold Coast Region, the Editor and staff of Die Porsche Kassette club newsletter would like to thank our ADVERTISERS. These folks make our monthly, 36-page, full-color, magazine quality newsletter available to the membership. Many Regions of PCA don’t have the resources to offer a printed monthly magazine; theirs may be bi-monthly, quar terly, or available online. We are fortunate to have these incredible partners who support both our Region and our publications. They are:

9 AutoMotion Porsche Specialists

Connectica Digital Marketing

First Class Autosports Foreign Affairs Motorwerks Impact by Cynthia

Donnybrook Motorsports

Juan Carlos Galvez, MD K2 Motorcars

KMW Motorsports MGM Racing Team mitech one – Managed IT Svcs. Pedro’s Garage

Ryan Ratner Esq.

Seven Sebring Raceway Hotel Trotta Tire Miami VertexAuto - Miami Vision Vents Wells Fargo Advisors Wine Country Motorsports ZEN Auto Concepts

ZWECK

We would like to add our special thanks to our local Porsche dealerships. Each of these organizations has hosted Porsche events and welcomed our membership to their facilities.

Champion Porsche Porsche West Broward The Collection

A special thanks to Champion Porsche & Champion Motorsports, who are a major contributor to the success of one of our joint venture and signature events, the 48 Hours at Sebring.

Thank you to each and every sponsor and advertiser of the Gold Coast Region PCA. Our great club would not be as successful, fun, or enjoyable without your support!!!

JUAN CARLOS GALVEZ, MD, RMSK

50 Years of Friends and Fun!

AJ Moffitt, Staff Writer

On the 50th anniversary of Steve Kidd’s membership with the Porsche Club of America, the Die Porsche Kassette sat down with him to take a look back at the course of his membership.

When did you join the Porsche Club of America (PCA)? My anniversary date is November 1, 1972.

How did you hear about PCA? I was told about the club from the dealership where I bought my first Porsche.

What club region did you join when you joined the club? I was first a part of the Potomac Region PCA. From there, I joined the Sun Coast Region (when I relocated to the Tampa area), and when I moved to South Florida in the late1970s, I transferred my membership to the Gold Coast Region.

What was your first Porsche? A used 1964 silver 356.

What was your first new Porsche? That was a 1972 white 914.

How many Porsches have you owned over your lifetime? Probably about 50. Years ago, buying low and selling high made it easier to “flip” cars. I used to keep cars for a short time, but my current inventory is four Porsches –three of which I’ve owned for 15 years or longer.

What was the first event you did with PCA? If I remember correctly, it was an Autocross event. This might be why I am partial to Autocross and why Dottie and I started these recurring Autocross events with the club.

What positions have you held with the Board of Directors? I have been President, Vice President, Director, and Alternate Director at PCA Gold Coast. In fact, I held the office of President for 5 years! But I also was the Zone Rep for the region at one point, which was a lot of fun. It’s a national volunteer position where I represented Zone 12, which includes all of Florida, some of Alabama, a bit of Mississippi, plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Being Zone Rep was a blast!

What is the most positive change you have seen in the club in your 50 years as a member? Technology. In years past, we had to type-set the Kassette by hand. Everything was done by hand. It was more difficult to tell the members what was happening and keep them involved. With technology, it’s been much easier to distribute the information members need to know to be active.

What do you think is the most popular offering of the club? As the Autocross cochair with my wife, Dottie, you know I am partial to Autocross. And Drivers Ed (DE) is very popular as well. But I think that the most popular thing the club offers is the tours, where everyone gathers at a meeting point and caravans to a location. For example, the recurring tour to Islamorada. This tour has always been very popular, and doing things like this is loads of fun.

What other events did you help implement in the club? Dottie and I went to many events with other regions, and we thought Gimmick Rallies were something the club was missing out on. These are like mini scavenger hunts – some are done in your car, some are done on foot, and others are a combination of the two. So, we were glad to help the club get started with them. Plus, they are a lot of fun to set up. I don’t know if people realize how much work goes into setting up a gimmick rally – from scouting the area to do the rally to coming up with the questions and answers – just everything involved on the backend.

What events really stand out in your mind? Well, of course, the Parade events are always great. Dottie and I go to as many of those as we can. But a few years ago, we went to the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami. It was a toy drive for the kids. PCA is a non-profit organization, and doing such a great thing for a part of the community felt really good. That was highly enjoyable.

What do you see for the club in the future? The club is founded on two great principles. The first is, “it’s not the cars, it’s the people.” The second is “fueled by volunteers.” I think the PCA Gold Coast Region is doing a great job on both of those fronts. As a group, we hold many fantastic events that the people love joining in, and we always have awesome volunteers who help to make these events successful. We really couldn’t do it without these volunteers!

Anything you would like to add? I am just so happy that I’ve been part of such a great organization for 50 years, and I am really excited to see what the club has to bring in the future.

TECHNICAL WIZZARDRY

Clunk! (and other unwelcome sounds)

Pedro P. Bonilla, Tech Editor

A “clunk” is very different from a tick, which has nothing to do with a hiss, a click, a squeal, a knock, a pop a rattle or a bang.

All of the above are sounds that you don’t want to hear coming from your beloved Porsche.

But if you do, we’ll try to steer you in the right direction.

There are hundreds of different sounds a car can make. Some good, others not so much.

Also, please keep in mind that a bad component may make more than one sound, and what I describe as a clunk, you may think it’s a knock.

It’ll be difficult trying to describe the sounds in words, but here we go . . .

Clunk:

That’s the most common one and usually comes from the front end.

If it happens when driving on bad roads, it’s usually a ball joint that’s worn.

Ball joints have a flexible dust boot to protect the joint. When the boot tears, it can allow grease to escape and road grime to come in, doing damage to the joint.

Usually the drop links are the first to go, but control arms, trailing arms, steering arms, etc., all have ball joints that wear out with time and mileage.

If a clunk occurs when driving over bumps, it could be an issue with the suspension, such as a bad upper strut mount or even a bad strut itself (it happened to me recently).

If it happens when you’re turning a corner, it could be a problem with the steering rack, or a worn-out wheel bearing.

Squeak:

I mention squeaking here because many times it’s a precursor to clunking. If your car starts squeaking when the suspension is depressed, it may be one or more of the ball joints that has dried out and is letting you know. If you determine which one it is, check the condition of its dust boot. If intact, you can try to inject some lubricant (high quality lithium grease) into the boot with a syringe or with an aerosol straw tube. If it quiets down, you know it will soon need replacement.

Tick-Tick-Tick:

So many things can tick!

Generally ticking sounds are heard coming from the engine itself.

First check if the ticking varies with engine speed or car speed. That’ll tell you if it’s coming from the engine as you rev it with the clutch in or if it’s from the drivetrain as you accelerate.

Old Strut

New Strut

Strut Mount

Drop Link

Ball Joint Old

Ball Joint New

The fuel injectors (all 6 of them) can tick quite loudly.

The lifters, especially if the oil level is low can tick-tick-tic.

A shredding poly-ribbed belt can tick as it goes around. Believe it or not, a very loud, metallic sounding tick an also be caused by a loose sparkplug.

If you can get the car on a lift, with the engine running, try to determine the general area where the ticking is coming from. The best listening device I use is a long screwdriver. Place the butt end against your ear and touch with the tip where you want to listen. You’ll be surprised what a great stethoscope it is.

Knock-knock:

If you can hear knocking sounds from your engine, get it checked out ASAP— something could be seriously wrong. A knowledgeable technician can tell you if it’s serious or can be easily fixed.

What’s generally called engine knocking really sounds more like clattering and is generally due to using a lower gasoline octane rating than what’s recommended. On high compression engines, you need to use high octane to avoid pre-ignition and knocking, which can damage the engine. Fortunately, most modern Porsches have automatic knock sensors that will retard timing to avoid pre-ignition—but you will lose power.

Grinding or whirring:

If the grinding happens when shifting, you probably have an issue with a synchro in the transmission which keeps your gears from meshing at a synchronized speed and therefore they grind.

A dried-out CV Joint (drive axle) or a failing wheel bearing can also grind quite loudly.

If you hear grinding while applying the brakes, your brake pads are probably worn, or you may have some debris caught between a disc and its pad.

Roar:

Most of our cars produce a beautiful roar as we accelerate (some call it the symphony in flat-6) but if your exhaust note changes all of the sudden to a loud roar, something has happened to the exhaust system. The exhaust manifold may have cracked or one of the gaskets is allowing exhaust to freely escape. The muffler may be damaged, or an exhaust pipe clamp could have rusted out and become loose.

Squeal:

A loud squeal when you rev the engine, especially when cold, is one of the easiest to diagnose. The belt is most likely loose and slipping on the pulley. It could be worn and in need of replacement, or the tensioner pulley may have lost its tension.

Bang! Pop!:

A loud bang, like a gunshot, is usually a backfire. Backfiring happens when unburnt fuel comes out of the engine and gets ignited in the exhaust pipe. This could be due to a vacuum or exhaust leak or a problem with one of the catalytic converters. The bang can also happen in the intake at the throttle body and could indicate an issue with the fuel and or the ignition system, caused by a blocked fuel filter, bad spark plugs, or a damaged cat.

Hissing:

A vacuum leak while accelerating makes a loud hiss.

A fluid leak getting onto a hot engine surface may also hiss.

Rattling:

Rattles under the car means that something is loose and making noise as it vibrates. A loose heat shield in place over the catalytic converters is one of the most common culprits. They are mounted with hardware that deteriorates in time, allowing them to vibrate and create rattling.

Whistle (Coke bottle whistle):

A very distinct and loud “coke bottle” whistle is most likely the air-oil separator (AOS). If the inside membrane tears, it can create this unique sound.

Belt

If the squeal is coming from the wheels without applying the brakes, you probably have some debris between the disc and the backing plate. If it happens when applying the brakes, then your brake pads may be worn out . . . and, if it’s coming from your tires, back off the gas pedal!

For more information on silent Porsches and more, please visit my website:   www PedrosGarage.com.

Happy Porsche’ing, Pedro

© 2022 Technolab / PedrosGarage.com

Octane

2016 981 Cayman GTS

CPO 2015 Cayman 2.7/6 speed

There is one year and unlimited milage available on the CPO. Paint protection and a Becker exhaust was installed. I have the original exhaust. 45,600 miles. This is garage kept and a weekend car. $50,999 Paul Orofino 407-496-0019 Cell paul@mdsinc.me

2006 Cayman S Yellow Track Car

27,000 miles. Roll bar. fresh Foreign Affairs motor. Full MOTEC. 3 sets of rims. Gutted interior – light weight. 2 OMP racing seats with 5-way harnesses. Numerous spare parts. All tricks and mods. Time of 2:23 at Sebring Long Course. $28,000. Mark Kalfas 954-650-1322 mkkalfas@ comcast.net

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Garage Sale

PHOTO FINISH

Christy Spangler, Photo Editor

Waiting in the Fog

Rob Rice submitted this photo of his 2005 Arctic Silver/Metropol Blue Carrera 2S taken early in the morning at Barber Motorsports in Leeds, AL. Barber was Rob’s ultimate destination on a road trip from Miami to Atlanta and the Porsche Experience Center, then on to the famed Barber Motorsports Park and Museum. After the drivers meeting, says Rob, they staged for the first session when fog rolled in and they were forced to wait for the fun to start.

Captured between marking time for the fog to lift and reveal the track, and the moment the red light turned to green, this image certainly portrays the anticipation of track time. And take note of the special license plate on this Porsche: Rob’s father served as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War and so this 911 proudly displays the “Florida Salutes Veterans” plate.

This photo was taken with an iPhone 11.

Submit your photo to Die Porsche Kassette Photo Finish!

Deadline: The 20th of each month to be considered for the following month’s issue.

Submit a high resolution photo along with the requested information to gcr.photofinish@gmail.com

• name, phone number, email address

• title of the photo

• Porsche model, year, and color

a short write up about the photo

location of your photo

• what kind of camera or smart phone you used to capture the photo