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Porsche Club of America • Santa Barbara Region • March 2013
Dinner Drive To The Palms Restaurant R.U.F. Visits The Butterflies in Goleta Porsche Exhaust Systems
AUSPUFF Contents Features
R.U.F Gets Butterflies ..................................15 Drive to the Palms Restaurant ....................16 Porsche Exhaust Systems ...........................22
Monthly Reports
President’s Column ........................................4 From The Editor’s Desk..................................4 Camarillo Breakfast Meeting ........................7 Santa Barbara Breakfast Meeting ................9 Member Anniversaries & New Members ..24
Events
15 16
SBR Events Calendar.....................................3 Murder Mystery Train - Fillmore ...................5 PMS Tour to Library & Botanical Gardens ..11 Central California Coast Weekend Tour .....12 California Festival of Speed ........................13 Camarillo Autocross ....................................19 Santa Barbara Region Rally School ............20 El Camino Real XXX Rally ...........................21 58th Annual PCA Porsche Parade ...............30
Departments
Santa Barbara Region Board of Directors.....2 Membership Gallery....................................18 The Tech Page .............................................22 Down the Road............................................26 SBR Breakfast Maps ...................................26 Zone 8 Listings ............................................27 The Goodie Store ........................................29 Ordering SBR Name Badges .......................29 SBR Classified Advertisements...................31 Directory of Advertisers ..............................31 The Last Word .............................................32
On The Cover Porsche’s latest model of the 991, the Carrera 4S. Photo courtesy PCNA. DER
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Porsche Club of America • Santa Barbara Region • March 2013
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Dinner Drive To The Palms Restaurant R.U.F. Gets Butterflies in Goleta Porsche Exhaust Systems
Der Auspuff, which translates as “the exhaust,” is the official publication of the Santa Barbara Region, Porsche Club of America. Chartered regions of PCA are granted permission to reprint any material herein provided full credit is given to the author and Der Auspuff (with the exception of copyrighted material). Any statement appearing in Der Auspuff is that of the author, and does not constitute an opinion of the Porsche Club of America, the Santa Barbara Region, its Board or Appointees, the Der Auspuff Editors, or its Staff. The Editorial Staff reserves the right to edit all material submitted for publication. Deadline for submittal of material to be considered for Der Auspuff is the 10th of the month preceding the month of publication.
Santa Barbara Region Board of Directors
President DOREEN PANKOW DPankow@sbcglobal.net 805-527-8280
Activities BARRY WEINSTEIN BarryNVal@gmail.com 805-241-5641
Vice President JOHN McNAIR JJMcNair3@verizon.net 805-494-1527
Goodie Store BRIAN RUBINO BrianRubino@verizon.net LINDA RUBINO LRRubino@verizon.net
Treasurer STEVE KALLER Steve@kallermgmt.com 818-489-4225
Past President NICOLAS LIAKAS NicolasLiakas@yahoo.com 818-706-6016 Santa Barbara Region Board Appointees
Secretary DICK LANGE LRLange@pacbell.net 818-865-1498
Advertising TED LIGHTHIZER tlighthizer@sbcglobal.net Archives JAMES OLDHAM oldhamjames@msn.com Autocross DAN BYERS dan_byers@mac.com STEVE DOLL sdoll@naicapital.com Concours ROBERT WATT fineartphotoz@yahoo.com Distribution CHET & JOAN YABITSU yabitsu@charter.net
Membership SUE KINSLING Sue_Kin@hotmail.com 805-386-8112
50th Anniversary NADINE TRACY nadine356@gmail.com Insurance JAMES EDWARDS james.f.edwards@hotmail.com P.M.S. NOLA FORCE nolaforce@gmail.com Public Relations NICOLAS LIAKAS nicolasliakas@yahoo.com Rally DOREEN PANKOW dpankow@sbcglobal.net R.U.F. JOHN & JEANNE MCNAIR jjmcnair3@verizon.net
Editor MIKE POMERANTZ DerAuspuff@gmail.com 805-341-3192
Safety WILLIAM GRISWOLD wngriswold2@hotmail.com Webmaster RANDY FISHWICK randy@my964.com
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SBR Events Calendar
Editor MIKE POMERANTZ
DerAuspuff@gmail.com 805-341-3192
March
Advertising TED LIGHTHIZER Director tlighthizer@sbcglobal.net 805-527-8280
Associate BIRGITTA BAKER Editors JEANNE MCNAIR SUSAN STONE Contributors JOHN ALFENITO CHRIS ANDROPOULOS CAROLYN EWBANK STEVE KALLER DICK LANGE NICK LIAKAS TED LIGHTHIZER JEANNE MCNAIR HENRY VALDEZ
April
Printing MICHAEL DUNWELL Sir Speedy Printing 1161 Calle Suerte, Suite E Camarillo, CA 93012 805-484-7999
Yearly Advertising Rates
Price is for 12 monthly issues, black & white only. Four-color, as available, rates on request. Full Page (7.5 x 10 inches) $1700.00 Half Page (7.5 x 4.75 inches) $850.00 Quarter Page (3.5 x 4.75 inches) $575.00 Business Card (3.5 x 2 inches) $300.00 Deadline for submission of ad copy is the 10th of the month preceding the month of publication. Graphic assistance available at no charge. Please support our advertisers: We welcome commercial ads in Der Auspuff. They help support our club, and we encourage you to make your first call to those who help us enjoy our great hobby. Let them know you saw their ad in Der Auspuff. We also encourage you to promote your own business by becoming an advertiser yourself. For information, please contact: Ted Lighthizer 805-527-8280 tlighthizer@sbcglobal.net
PCASBR is online:
www.pcasb.org www.facebook.com/PCASBR www.flickr.com/groups/pcasb
May
The President’s Column Doreen Pankow
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n this month’s issue on page 28 you will find the region’s Balance Sheet as of 12/31/2012. Our club continues to enjoy a strong financial position while providing a wide array of services and activities to its members. During the month of January, 13 new members joined our region including six transfers in from other regions. At the end of January, our membership stood at 711 primary members. In 2012, our membership remained relatively flat at about 696 members, so I’m delighted to see this increase of 15 members in January. So why was membership flat last year? 113 new members joined our region in 2012 including 37 transfers in from other regions, but 112 members did not renew their membership. Thus we lost as many members as we gained. All of us also play a significant role in affecting member retention. Think back to when you were a new member and the first time you came to one of the SBR monthly membership breakfasts. Did you feel welcome? Were you introduced as a new member? Were you given a list of activities and encouraged to come to an event? How warmly we greet new and prospective members does make a difference whether they return to another meeting or go to an event. We find that once a new member has attended an event and experiences the thrill of driving with 30-40 other Porsches on some fun back roads and enjoys the camaraderie at the lunch, they are usually hooked. So please take a few minutes at our breakfast meetings and events to welcome new and prospective members.
From The Editor’s Desk Mike Pomerantz
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t’s great to be back! Back driving a Porsche again. Wahoo!!! So here’s the story for those of you who don’t know me. A few years ago - I can’t believe it’s been that long already - I had to sell my prized Guards Red 1991 Porsche C2 due to personal, life changing events. It was a tough decision but was required at the time. Even though I was going through rough times, I knew things would eventually improve, and I would own another Porsche again someday. That day has finally come and it sure is great to be back. This definitely proves that when the chips are down, keep a positive
We also know that members personally recruited by other club members tend to participate more and thus remain members in our car club. Each of us has the ability to recruit new members by encouraging our friends and colleagues to join PCA if they already own a Porsche or are thinking of buying one. I also want to encourage all our members with Cayennes and Panameras to participate in our monthly drives and events. We hope you don’t feel reluctant to go on the driving tours. I know you’ll also get a lot of enjoyment driving the back roads with all the other members driving other models of Porsches. So please join us on our drives! Speaking of events, the 2013 California Festival of Speed is being held at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana from April 5th through the 7th. This year, both PCA and POC will be driving competitively at the Festival for the first time, so this event is expected to be the biggest Porsche event in the Southwest. They will also be featuring a Concours d’Elegance on Saturday, a Swap Meet both Saturday and Sunday and an area to park Porsches for sale. You can experience a taste of the Autocross on a mini track with your car and then drive on the big Fontana Speedway track over the lunchtime. There will also be a special display of “Fifty Years of 911” on Saturday, April 6th. So if you have a 911 that you would like to display, please contact Bruce Herrington at: bherrington@tellis.org Volunteers are needed on all three days to help with registration, direct traffic and parking, staff the hospitality tent and Goodie Store, and serve as corner workers, timers, announcers and runners. You can even be right out there with the Porsches on pit lane and direct them as they start the race and enter and exit pit lane throughout the entire race. If you’d like to help as a volunteer, please contact Mike Hodson at aitchpm@ gmail.com or Laura Manz at volunteer@calfestival.org to find out more about the various positions. Volunteers also get free event parking. Admission is FREE and there is only a $10 parking fee if you’re not a volunteer. So let’s show our support by attending this great event!
attitude, keep working through things, even if just chipping away at it, and eventually things will get better. I’m now the proud owner of a 2002 Carrera, Orient Red Metallic with Black interior, 6 speed, and fully loaded. It’s an awesome car, and I had a blast on its first drive to the Palms restaurant. See event story on page 16. During the period without a Porsche, I maintained my membership and want to thank the close friends who let me ride/ drive with them, and Walt at SBAG for arranging the weekend with a 2013 Boxster S in Paso Robles for member test drives. (That was a great date for the weekend, ha-ha!) Since there hasn’t been much response to my Membership Gallery idea, I will start things off with my own car in this new section. Please submit your photos and captions for future issues. Send your high resolution photos to derauspuff@gmail.com. I’m looking forward to many future club events driving the new car, and meeting many new members along the way. See you down the road!
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Camarillo Breakfast February 2, 2013
Cancelled Breakfast Still A Great Success STORY BY CAROLYN EWBANK, PHOTOS BY HENRY VALDEZ
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e had received an e-mail from the President, Doreen Pankow, that the breakfast was cancelled due to a water line break in the lawn area of the Waypoint Café, and since the patio couldn’t accommodate the 100+ members that usually attend, there would be no club meeting. However, we were in the mood for breakfast, so we headed to the Waypoint Café anyway. Under cloudy skies, about 50 Santa Barbara Region members braved the trip to the Waypoint Café. There were about 25 Porsches parked in front of the restaurant, as the parking on the tarmac was off limits to cars and people because of the broken pipe. Since the Waypoint did not want anyone walking on the grass, the patio area was partially full with SBA-PCA members as were several booths inside. Of the many Porsches parked in the front lot, there were a red 959 and a white GT2 RS.
Tony Hart’s beautiful 959.
Members who attended enjoyed having breakfast and a great time talking cars as usual. There was no official meeting, but a good time was enjoyed by all. =
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Santa Barbara Breakfast February 9, 2013
A Special Day for The Special Olympics STORY & PHOTOS BY MIKE POMERANTZ
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t was another gorgeous day in Santa Barbara, not a cloud to be found in the sky. After all in attendance had a chance to have breakfast and socialize, President Doreen Pankow started the meeting by welcoming eveyone. She displayed the PCA Zone 8 Region of the Year trophy for 2012, and thanked the members and sponsors for organizing, serving as volunteers, and participating in all our activities this past year. If you haven’t seen the trophy yet, check it out on page 25. Membership Chair Sue Kinsling gave us the attendance figures for the day: 44 members and guests, driving 29 Porsches. She also introduced new members Ellen & Eric Kramer from Oxnard driving a 2013 Boxster, and Greg Simpson from Goleta with a 2008 Boxster (up for sale) and a 2011 Carrera GTS. Activities Chair Barry Weinstein reminded everyone of the upcoming events and urged those who haven’t signed up for the March 16, 2013 Fillmore Murder Mystery Train Excursion to get their reservations in right away since the event is expected to sell out.
Oscar Briones’ 2001 Carrera 4 leads the lineup. of the Santa Barbara Special Olympics, and Nanette Clark, one of their Gold Medal Olympians, with the SBR’s donation of $1,265.00, which was one of our charities in 2012. The mission of the Special Olympics is to provide year-round training and athletic competiton to disadvantaged children and adults. Then Sara Spataro and Nanette Clark presented Doreen with a Special Olympics Thank You Plaque in their appreciation of SBR’s support. The meeting was adjorned, and everyone was off to enjoy the spectacular day. =
Also, ladies are invited to attend the March 30th Porsche Madamoiselle Society event at the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens to enjoy a docent led tour, lunch and high tea. See the flier in this issue. Also promoted was the Festival of Speed event April 5-7 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. Doreen proceeded to present Sara Spataro, Regional Director
Say hello to Ellen & Eric Kramer of Oxnard in their 2013 Boxster.
Sara Spataro, Doreen Pankow, and Nanette Clark proudly displaying Special Olympics Appreciation Plaque.
Say hi to Greg Simpson of Goleta in his 2011 Carrera GTS and inquire about his 2008 Boxster for sale.
P.M.S. To Tour San Marino’s Beautiful Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens Saturday March 30, 2013 This early California ranch metamorphosed into a cultural treasure of gardens and a research library extraordinaire. Learn when and how it all happened, share with friends at lunch and then have time to wander your favorite area – maybe the restored Japanese Garden? Join the women of the Porsche Mademoiselle Society on Saturday, March 30, 2013, for a 10:00 a.m. estate tour followed by lunch and tea at The Rose Garden Tea Room. The entrance to The Huntington complex
Cost is $70 per person for admission, our 90-minute docent-led tour, lunch, tea and scones, tax and gratuity. Other choices are available (visit online www.huntington.org) or email Nola Force for more details (other choices may not be with this private tour). Please call or email your reservations as early as possible to: Nola Force: 530-966-0916 or nolaforce@gmail.com Send your check made payable to PCA/SBR in the amount of $70 per person to: Nola Force 4121B San Martin Way Santa Barbara, CA 93110
The Rose Garden Tea Room
Details and directions will be sent via e-mail after reserving. Deadline for paid reservations is March 14, 2013. Call or email for your reservation today!
C
Memorial Day Weekend May 24-27, 2013 Explore Morro Bay & California’s Central Coast
ome join us for a fun-filled trip to Morro Bay and the Central Coast over the 2013 Memorial Day weekend.
We’ll depart Friday May 24th from Santa Barbara and drive north to Morro Bay to enjoy lunch at the Embarcadero Grill. Then, take a scenic back-roads drive to the Tolosa Winery & Vineyard and indulge in tasting some of the finest Central Coast wines before checking into the Inn at Morro Bay, our home for the weekend. That evening, we’ll enjoy cocktails and a gourmet dinner at the Windows On The Water restaurant while watching the sunset.
Morro Rock
On Saturday morning, you’ll be free to explore the Central Coast area on your own before meeting for an early afternoon tour of the Piedras Blancas Light Station in San Simeon. You can tour the town of Morro Bay, drive to San Simeon to tour the Hearst Castle, or drive to Cambria, a magical, seaside village tucked
Hearst Castle
Payment and registration must be received no later than April 24, 2013. Make checks payable to PCA/SBR. Mail to Doreen Pankow, 2251 Brownstone Creek Ave., Simi Valley, CA 93063 Names: _____________________________________________________ Email: ______________________________________________________ Cell Phone: __________________________________________________ Amount enclosed: ___________ ($145/person) Cancellations after May 17th will not receive a refund.
amongst towering pines. There you will find art galleries, excellent restaurants, an old-fashioned saloon, boutiques and a great boardwalk along Moonstone Beach. Dinner will be on your own. Sunday morning, we’ll drive to the Montaña de Oro (Mountain of Gold) State Park and take an easy 2 ½ mile roundtrip hike. You’ll enjoy spectacular views of the bluffs overlooking the ocean, and experience the beauty of the spring flowers in bloom along the trail. Then, take a fun drive to Avila Beach via Perfumo Canyon Road, which takes us up over the top of the mountain and winds its way down to the ocean. Following lunch, you can spend the rest of the day exploring Avila Beach and Pismo Beach or return to Morro Bay for shopping, hiking or golfing. Cocktails and a group dinner will be held that evening in the Orchid Room of our hotel, so you can just relax at the end of the day and enjoy the company of your fellow club members. The fee for this trip is $145 per person, which includes a lunch and two dinners (gratuities and tax), a wine tour, a light station tour, and the activity fee. Call the Inn at Morro Bay Inn at 805-772-5651 prior to April 24th to reserve your room. Porsche Club Group Rates: Garden View $139, Partial Bay View $149, Full Bay View $159, per night. You will receive further detail on the itinerary, meals and schedule once you RSVP to Doreen Pankow at dpankow@sbcglobal.net
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For everything SBR - event updates, activity fliers, membership information, name badge order forms, ‘Der Auspuff’ online, event photos, and much more, visit our website...
www.pcasb.org
R.U.F. GETS BUTTERFLIES STORY BY JEANNE MCNAIR, EVENT PHOTOS BY DICK LANGE
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n Thursday, January 17, 2013 eighteen members of R.U.F. in ten Porsches met in Ventura to commence our first R.U.F. trip of the new year. Our destination was Goleta, home of the Coronado Butterfly Preserve, to view the beautiful Monarchs who overwinter in the eucalyptus trees on Ellwood Mesa. But first we needed a little drive time in our wonderful cars, so we left the highway at Carpinteria to traverse beautiful California highway 192 across Carpinteria, Montecito, Santa Barbara and Goleta.
RUF Group at the Coronodo Butterfly Preserve. We were blessed with beautiful clear weather with glorious views of the ocean and the Channel Islands as we approached our exit in Carpinteria. The next hour was spent winding through the foothills with views of beautiful homes, orange groves and quaint Montecito Village. We were able to travel the entire distance to the butterfly grove without returning to the
We were joined by four more R.U.F. members when we entered the Grove and met up with our docent, Lynn Kirby. We walked for ten minutes to a viewing area in a clearing in the grove and were privileged to see a flock of butterflies engaged in “puddling”. Large numbers gathered on the ground in front of us and our docent explained that this behavior allows them to derive moisture and nutrients from the ground. Because of the recent cold weather the butterflies hadn’t been observed doing this yet -- the warm day had worked to our benefit as well as the butterflies’! Lynn explained that this behavior is often brief and we were lucky to observe it. We all settled onto large tree trunks in the clearing to listen to a fascinating talk by Lynn. The butterflies that come to this location do so every year between November and February, and they always migrate from the same location in the Southern Rockies. Lynn demonstrated how butterflies are attracted to sweet and salty nutrients with the help of R.U.F. member Debi Howarth. Lynn took a newly hatched Monarch and placed it on Debi’s hand where it remained for several seconds until Lynn removed it. She explained the butterfly was drawing nutrients, such as salt, from Debi’s skin. It was a beautiful demonstration, and Debi seemed to enjoy helping in the presentation. As we sat in the grove, with sunlight filtering through the trees, there were hundreds of butterflies flying above. It was quite magical to observe. Lynn also told us that this year’s population is approximately 22,000 down from over 50,000 last year.
Debi Howarth helping with the presentation.
The beautiful Monarch Butterfly. highway and were able to get some pleasurable twists and turns along the way.
After a walk to the bluff overlooking the ocean, we returned to our cars for a short drive to the Beachside Café in Goleta for a group lunch. The food was great, and we enjoyed visiting with friends and discussing what we had learned about the beautiful Monarch butterfly. Another fun driving outing with R.U.F. and a chance to see another beautiful attraction in the Santa Barbara Region. =
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Scenic Drive To The Palms Restaurant In Carpinteria STORY BY STEVE KALLER EVENT PHOTOS BY NICK LIAKAS AND DICK LANGE
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ver 100 members of the PCA Santa Barbara Region on February 16 in 50-plus Porsches snaked their way along 70 miles of some of most beautiful back roads of Santa Rosa Valley, around the hairpin curves of Grimes Canyon to Santa Paula, along the Santa Paula / Ojai Road to Ojai, and over the sweeping curves of beautiful Hwy 150 around scenic Lake Casitas, to the small beach town of Carpinteria, where we stopped for dinner at the 120-year-old Palms restaurant. It was a beautiful, warm and sunny Saturday afternoon when our 50 or so vehicles arrived in town and pretty much occupied every piece of available parking on Linden Ave, where the Palms has been welcoming guests for over a century. This is not your everyday “sit down and be served your dinner” restaurant. No, here you cook your own entrée on huge grills they provide for the guests. You enjoy not only a great and inexpensive meal, but also get the opportunity to bathe in the fun and adventure of being your own restaurant chef. The Palms opened early for our group, and our members filled every table in the place.
Members lined up on Hwy 150 on our way to Carpinteria.
The Palms Restaurant was originally built as The White Sulphur Hotel in 1887, which included the town bank and post office. Located only a few blocks from the train station, it became both a beach destination in itself as well as a “stopping off” place for those traveling along the Southern California coast. In 1958, August and Beata Anderson (former owners of the Montecito Inn) opened the restaurant, and in 1968, Kenneth and Sue Anderson bought the restaurant from their parents, installed two 36” grills, with gas fired lava rocks, and invited guests to test their cooking skills by cooking their own meals. Today, Bill and Todd Bennett continue their family’s commitment to great quality and reasonable prices. Everyone who visits enjoys preparing their own meals, all the while laughing and socializing with other restaurant guests around the grill. Joining us for this first one-day driving event of 2013, enjoying the beautiful drive, and meeting, socializing and delighting in the great camaraderie of the people in our club, was a whole host of new members, many of whom you’ll recognize as new friends in the pictures accompanying this story.
L to R: Rick Thiese, Martie Thiese, Mary Vege, Bob Vege
Lori Kantor and Chris Clarke
Dan & Lori Steuer
Trevor Baker and Terrio Seiden
Lindsay & Greg Lippert
Barbara Corfield and Rocky Carver
James & Linda McCulley just bought their first Porsche.
SBR Membership Gallery
2002 996 Carrera, Orient Red Metallic with Black Leather interior, 6 speed, fully loaded, driven by Mike Pomerantz.
2004 996 Carrera Cabriolet, Silver with Black Leather interior, 6 speed, driven by James Oldham.
Please submit your high resolution photos and captions to derauspuff@gmail.com for inclusion in SBR’s monthly membership gallery.
Zone 8 • Porsche Club of America • Santa Barbara Region
CAMARILLO AUTOCROSS
SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2013 w
Where:
Schedule:
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Entry Fee: $85.00 per driver, includes lunch.
CAMARILLO AUTOCROSS ENTRY/REGISTRATION FORM
Make checks payable to PCA/SBR for $85
SANTA BARBARA REGION RALLY SCHOOL Saturday, April 20, 2013 • 10:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Schneider Autohaus 2703 De La Vina St., Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Join us for an introduction to rallying designed to prepare drivers and navigators for participation in Time-Speed-Distance (TSD) Road Rallies, the type of rally run throughout PCA Zone 8 and at Porsche Parades. We’ll begin with a classroom session for an hour or so followed by a short practice rally. We will end up at Max’s Restaurant in Santa Barbara for lunch and a critique. Participants will need note-taking materials and a watch that can be synchronized with a master timepiece. All participants must pre-register - contact Joe Schneider at autohaus@silcom.com Event cost only $5.00 per team.
The Tech Page
PORSCHE EXHAUST SYSTEMS BY CHRIS ANDROPOULOS
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hile mulling over possible subjects for this month’s technical column, the title of this publication caught my eye. As many of you know, Der Auspuff is German for “the exhaust,” and given the number of inquiries I receive about aftermarket performance exhaust systems, it seemed to be the perfect subject. The exhaust note of a Porsche is one of its signature attributes, whether it be the rhythmic thrum of a 356 or the highpitched wail of a 911. I will briefly explain the function of an automotive exhaust system, highlight design considerations that go into the factory Porsche systems, and discuss the merits and drawbacks of the myriad aftermarket exhaust systems available for Stuttgart’s finest.
and rhodium) that convert smog-forming pollutants like carbon monoxide and unburned fuel vapors into less harmful oxygen, water, and carbon dioxide. Catalyst-equipped Porsches also have oxygen sensors installed in the exhaust to monitor engine running conditions and ensure proper catalytic converter function. If the engine is running too rich or too lean, the oxygen sensor provides feedback to the engine control unit, which in turn adjusts the fuel mixture to allow for more complete combustion. Through 1995, only a single oxygen sensor was required, but federal regulations required the catalytic converter of all model year 1996 and later cars sold in the U.S. to be monitored by a second oxygen sensor downstream of the catalytic converter. All current Porsche models feature a total of four oxygen sensors, as
The exhaust note of a Porsche is one of its signature attributes... The basic function of the exhaust system of an automobile is well known: it carries burned exhaust gases that are expelled by each cylinder away from the passenger compartment. It is important for these gases to exit away from the car due to poisonous carbon monoxide being a byproduct of internal combustion. The exhaust system on road cars also includes one or more mufflers to help reduce the noise level created by the engine. Anyone who has been to a car race is well aware of how loud an engine with open exhaust can be. The exhaust system of all Porsches from the mid-1970s onward also contains some form of exhaust after-treatment to reduce the amount of pollutants released into the atmosphere. Porsche used hugely restrictive thermal reactors at first, but installed catalytic converters in all U.S.bound cars by the late 1970s. Catalytic converters contain catalyst materials (usually precious metals like platinum
each cylinder bank has a dedicated catalytic converter. I often receive inquiries from customers about aftermarket exhaust systems for their modern Porsches and how much of a power gain can be expected. My answer in most cases is “not much,” at least in modern normally-aspirated, non-Turbo models. When Porsche began installing thermal reactors and catalytic converters in the mid-1970s U.S. cars, the exhaust systems were extremely restrictive. A significant amount of horsepower can be freed up by installing early style heat exchangers or headers on a 1974-1989 911, albeit at the expensive of legality. Removing emissions equipment violates California and federal law, and the engine will never pass the tailpipe emissions check during a smog test. However, by the 1990s Porsche was designing much less restrictive original equipment exhaust systems that are more difficult to improve upon.
It is often said that an internal combustion engine is a fancy air pump: the more efficiently air is able to move in and out, the more power it will make. This is largely true, but by that notion performance engines should all have exhaust pipes 5 inches in diameter to expel the exhaust gases as quickly as possible! In reality, all engines require a certain amount of exhaust restriction (referred to as backpressure) to keep the combustion chambers of each cylinder warm enough to allow for complete combustion. Of course, too much backpressure will result in restriction at higher RPM, so a balance must be achieved. Countless man-hours are spent by Porsche on the design of modern exhaust systems. The high specific power output of the latest engines requires an extremely efficient exhaust system to extract maximum power while concurrently meeting the latest emissions laws and noise requirements. Careful tuning of the size and shape of the exhaust manifold or “header” pipes enables them to literally extract the burnt exhaust gases from the cylinders rather than merely allowing them to evacuate. A cursory glance at the beautiful headers of the MA1 flat-six engine (used in the 2009 and newer 987/997 and 981/991 sports cars) reveals that Porsche’s engineers did not leave much on the table in terms of power gains to be realized from changing the exhaust to an aftermarket system. Nonetheless, Porsche does make some compromises in its production exhaust systems, mainly due to noise and cost concerns. There are a number of enthusiasts who feel that factory Porsche exhaust notes are not purposeful enough and seek a more aggressive tone. Porsche partially rectified this with an optional sports exhaust system introduced on the 997 series 911s. These systems use vacuum operated valves that open secondary flaps in the exhaust system and allow for a much louder exhaust note and greater flow at wide throttle openings and at higher RPM. The beauty of this system is that a relatively tame exhaust tone occurs at idle and lower RPM (perfect for sneaking into your neighborhood), but a more aggressive tone is as near as pushing a button on the dash or opening the throttle.
For the record, it is legal in California to replace any component of the exhaust after the catalytic converter on any 1976 or later car, hence the term “cat-back exhaust”. It is not legal to install performance headers on a smog controlled car, even if the catalytic converters are intact. It should be noted that the catalytic converters are built into the exhaust manifolds/headers of most post-2000 Porsches anyway. There are numerous aftermarket exhaust systems available for Porsches, almost all of which claim to increase exhaust flow and horsepower. Many also brag of high quality stainless steel construction and weight savings, and there are even exotic titanium systems available. The prices range from suspiciously inexpensive Ebay units to outrageous in the case of some boutique systems. I will not use this column to endorse or condemn any specific exhaust systems, but I would advise
anyone shopping for such a system to be aware that quality and fit can vary widely. The main difference the average owner will notice between the factory and aftermarket exhaust systems will be the exhaust note. Many exhaust manufacturers have videos or sound clips of their exhaust systems available on the internet, in addition to the multitude of owners who have uploaded the same to YouTube. Of course, exhaust tone quality is extremely subjective, and some exhaust systems that sound wonderful at wide open throttle can drone incessantly at freeway cruising speed. The bottom line is to do your homework when shopping for an aftermarket exhaust system for your Porsche! Turbocharged Porsches will realize greater power gains from a freer flowing exhaust system than their naturally aspirated counterparts. Because turbochargers are mounted in the exhaust
Air Cooled Exhaust/Heat Exchangers Porsche offered no water cooled engines for most of the first three decades of its existence. The simplicity of air-cooled engines may be a virtue, but the lack of warm liquid coolant flowing through a heater core in the dash means that providing heat for occupant comfort and window defrosting is a challenge. Like their Volkswagen forebears, Porsche’s air cooled engines use metal shrouds around the exhaust manifolds to capture heat from the exhaust system and route it to the passenger compartment through tubes built into the chassis. This form of exhaust manifold is also known as a heat exchanger. The 356 and early 911 heater controls consist of a knob or levers attached to cables that operate simple flaps to control heated airflow to the interior. These early systems are dependent upon the engine cooling fan to push the heated air into the interior, and consequently heating output is dependent upon engine speed. To say that the heating output of these systems is mediocre is putting it lightly. The air-cooled heating systems gradually improved in the mid-1970s 911s and 914s with the installation of electric fan motors in engine compartments and passenger compartments to move heating air through dash mounted vents. By the 1980s, a thorough perusal of the owner’s manual was required for the uninitiated to properly operate the 911s Rube Goldberg-like system of levers and cables that activated the climate control system. A major concern of the oldest air-cooled Porsche exhaust/heating systems is rust. The shrouds of the heat exchangers around the exhaust manifolds can hold moisture, and the resultant rust can rot away the exhaust manifold pipes. The danger of poisonous carbon monoxide leaking into the heater pipes and passenger compartment is real, so if you smell exhaust fumes inside the interior of your classic Porsche or notice excessive rust on the heat exchangers, deal with it immediately! The heater tubes of many old 356s and 911s have been blocked off for this reason. The heater box flaps can also rust open or closed and cause constant heated air into the interior of the complete lack thereof.
stream, the turbos themselves provide more than enough backpressure to ensure complete cylinder filling at lower RPM. Removing any other restrictions in the exhaust system after the turbochargers will help them spool up quicker and increase horsepower. For this very reason, there are numerous aftermarket high-flow catalytic converters available for late model Porsche Turbo vehicles. They will certainly increase flow and horsepower on turbocharged engines, but are almost certainly not emission legal in California unless they have a documented CARB (California Air Resources Board) exemption number. Even if they are legal, aftermarket catalytic converters tend to not be as high in quality as the factory items and the “check engine” light will often illuminate a few years after installation because of catalyst degradation. There are aftermarket software programs available that can fool the engine computer into ignoring the downstream oxygen sensor signals that monitor the catalytic converter, but this is also illegal and will be caught during a smog test when the car is connected to the state computer via the diagnostic port. Whether your Porsche proudly wears its original exhaust system or sports a flashy high performance system, you can be assured the when you put your foot down, the sound it makes will be music to your ears! =
Chris Andropoulos is the Service Manager and a technician at Schneider Autohaus in Santa Barbara (a Der Auspuff advertiser). Chris is a lifelong Porsche “nut” and is fascinated with and knowledgeable about all Porsches, from 356s to the latest GT3s. When he’s not racing his daily-driven 944 Turbo at PCA and POC track events, he can be found enjoying the beaches, ocean, and mountains of beautiful Santa Barbara.
Membership Page Porsche Club of America SBR Member Anniversaries 48 Years Ed Yates
38 Years
Michael & Cathy Nunn
30 Years
Ron & Laurie Yttri
25 Years
Gene Yoshida
9 Years
Fred Mahintorabi & Sylvia Duran Buck & Shelley Schneider
8 Years
Earl & Celes Buck R. David & Toni Fox Kenneth Just
Douglas & Suzy Garrett
Robert M. & Lisa Freed Ronald & Sherry Maudsley Anthony Principe
20 Years
6 Years
19 Years
Stephen Barber & Carol Bishop Greg & Tricia Braun Paul & Patti Eisenberg
17 Years
George & Marge Vorgitch
16 Years
Erick Bech Rick & Suzanne Principe
5 Years
Neil & Fancine Afromsky John Cliff Alfred Harman Donald & Linda Kuckenbaker Glen & Joanne Macdonald Paul & Tina McEnroe
4 Years
J. Barry Combes
Peter & Mathew Bower Joe Fike Michael Ganschow & Hogan Ganschow Lisa Yan & Alan Grant Frank & Amy Richter
13 Years
3 Years
John Kraus Jon & Betsy Lutz
15 Years
Jerry B. & Harriet C. Goldman Brian & Lori Payne
12 Years
Michael & Joy Felix
11 Years
Daniel J. & Jeanine Byers
Michael & Christine Brooks John Foster Brian Kelly Brian & Fiona Kircher Tom Krause Craig Morgan Liam & Joan Murphy Stephen Rose Edward Rosen Richard & Jill Rosenberg Susan Schwefel & Robert Weindorf
Santa Barbara Region New Members & Transfers
7 Years
22 Years
Sun Ae Lee & David Dablaing Martin Keller & Mary Christine Vujea
1 Year
James & Harriet Edwards Geoffrey Gallant & Debbie Hilton Graham J.Gurney Dennis & Debi Howarth
2 Years
Pat Aoyama Marty Blumenthal Bradley & Karen Gray
New Members Michael DeRousse Santa Barbara 2013 Boxster
Leonard Himelsein Santa Barbara 2012 Carrera Rich Hogue Santa Barbara 2012 Carrera Jim Longo San Luis Obispo 2013 Carrera Jeff Maxson Ojai 2013 911 James McCulley Oxnard 2005 997-911 Samuel Moore Santa Clarita 2013 991 Gregory & Wendy Simpson Goleta 2008 Boxster S James Sterling Calabasas 2013 911S
Robert & Mary Vege Simi Valley 2005 996 Turbo David Wideroe Oak Park 2011 Cayenne S
Transfers In
David Alexander Santa Barbara 2004 911 Turbo From California Central Coast (CCC) Christian Gari Moorpark 2013 Panamera From California Central Coast (CCC) John Sakamoto Camarillo 2006 911 S From Golden Gate (GG) Henry Paul Valdez Thousand Oaks 1972 911 S, 1973 911 T/RS, 1973 911 T, 1979 911 SC From Grand Prix (GPX) Robert & Barbara Wait Santa Ynez 1989 928 From Oregon (OR)
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Down The Road
SBR’s Upcoming Events & Dates of Interest
March 16 March 30 April 5-7 April 13 April 19-21 April 20 May 11 May 24-27 June 22 July 4 July 13-14 July 20 August 17-19 August 24 September 7 September 21 September 28 October 13 October 26 November 16 December 1 December 15
Santa Barbara
Lunch on Fillmore’s Murder Mystery Train P.M.S. Tour of The Library & Botanical Gardens Zone 8 Festival of Speed Camarillo Autocross **DATE CHANGE!** Long Beach Grand Prix SBR Rally School El Camino Real XXX, Boucher/Schneider Rally Central California Coast Weekend Tour Santa Barbara Poker Run & Picnic Lunch City of Santa Barbara 4th of July Parade Ventura Motorsports Gathering 17th Annual SBR Chili Cook-Off Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca Progressive Dinner Pre-Concours Detail Clinic at Lavaggio Camarillo Autocross Tour & Lunch at The Getty Museum 37th Annual Concours d’Elegance Van Nuys Airport Tour of Firefighting Air Fleet Solvang Event TBA Motor4Toys - Woodland Hills SBR Annual Holiday Brunch
SBR Breakfast Locations Camarillo
Moby Dick Restaurant
3TEARNS 7HARF s
Way-Point Café
$URLEY !VENUE s
The Zone 8 Page
happenings BY TOM BROWN, ZONE 8 REPRESENTATIVE
A
very important part of our annual Zone 8 Banquet is our tradition of recognizing the best of the best for the year. For 2012, Zone 8 Enthusiast of the Year went to Suesan Way of Grand Prix Region, who seems to be everywhere all at once. Whether it is something for her region, the Festival of Speed, the national Tom Brown Parade, the upcoming Escape or anything I happen to need assistance with, she can be counted on. Please also join me in congratulating Santa Barbara Region, the Zone 8 Region of the Year. Santa Barbara had a terrific 2012 with a wide variety and a large number of quality events which speak highly of the health of the region. I know they are especially proud of hosting the Street Survival School for young drivers. Both Suesan and SBR are very deserving of these honors! Speaking of volunteers, I’m looking for one. The Zone could use a social media expert. Facebook, Google+, Twitter, YouTube, forums and blogs; these are the modern means of communication, but it is too much for me to handle by myself. If you have expertise in these areas, the time to lend a hand, and an interest in joining the Zone staff, please let me know: zonerep@zone8.org The official 2012 Club Racing results have been released. If you recall, new for 2012, PCA held its first club racing points series, with both national and Zone competitions. The Zone results are now posted on our web site at: http://zone8.pca.org/results_cr.php
As you read this, the 2013 series is off and running elsewhere around the country, and our first event here in Zone 8 is coming up very quickly. Which leads me to my next topic: traditionally our California Festival of Speed is the first Zone 8 club race of the year, and this year is no different. Mark your calendars for the first weekend of April (5-7). Now in its twelfth year, this one will be bigger and better than ever. After a few years’ absence we are seeing the return of the POC to our event, along with the Pirelli GT3 Cup, which will make for an incredible weekend of racing. Beyond the racing, our volunteer team is working hard this year to make this “festival” of all things Porsche bigger and better than it has ever been before. More vendors; more taste of autocross; more track tours; the return of the swap meet; cars for sale; driving skills simulators; 50 years of 911 display; Concours d’Elegance; in short, more of everything Porsche. This is a Porsche Enthusiast’s dream weekend, not to be missed! Naturally it takes an army to run an event of this size, and we are always looking for volunteers, as many hands make light work. If helping out is something you would enjoy, please contact our volunteer chair at: volunteer@calfestival.org As usual, if you are not racing, admission is free with only our standard $10 parking fee. But wait, there’s more! We have a special offer for you. Visit our website and you can download a free parking coupon. Be there, there is no excuse for missing this event! Our website is http://www.calfestival.org and there you can find more information; check out the list of vendors that will be showcasing their automotive products on our vendor row, and find that free parking coupon. You can also email us for information at: info@calfestival.org Don’t forget, there will be door prizes for all attendees and people’s choice awards for the Porsches in the corral. Bring your Porsche! Bring your friends! April 5-7, at the Autoclub Speedway in Fontana, CA. =
Zone 8 Calendar of Events at: http://zone8.pca.org/calendar.php Zone 8 Representative Tom Brown zonerep@zone8.org
Time Trial/DE Chair Dave Hockett davndirc@yahoo.com
Autocross Chair David Witteried dwitteried@hotmail.com
Secretary Skip Carter skipcarter@pobox.com
Chief Driving Instructor Scott Mann scott@renegadehybrids.com
Webmaster Ken Short webmaster@zone8.org
Club Race Coordinator Vince Knauf vvvince@aol.com
Treasurer Linda Cobarrubias MS993@aol.com
Concours Chair Joe Nedza jcnedza@aol.com
Rules Chair Russell Shon rules@zone8.org
Rally Chair Revere Jones Zone8rallychair@aol.com
SBR Year End Balance Sheet
The Goodie Store CASH OR CHECKS ONL SORRY, N Y. O CREDIT CARDS.
Support The Club. Shop The Goodie Store!
SANTA BARBARA REGION MAGNETIC NAME BADGES Our official, strong plastic name badges won’t harm your clothing because they’re held on magnetically! Featuring the SBR logo and customized with your name and Porsche model, a PCA/SBR name badge is the perfect accessory for our next gathering. Badges are only $13 each, including shipping and handling, and usually arrive within three weeks from the time we receive your order. Send your request today. Be sure to include the NAME and PORSCHE MODEL you want listed on the badge. Make your checks out to PCA/SBR and send to:
PCA/SBR Badge 1836 N. Nowak Avenue Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
58TH ANNUAL PCA PORSCHE PARADE
2013
JUNE 23–29
TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN
TOURS CONCOURS, RALLIES, AUTO CROSS, TECH QUIZ GREAT FOOD NEW FRIENDS
JOIN US FOR A WEEK FULL OF PORSCHE FUN REGISTRATION OPENS MARCH 12TH GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT & SPA
FOR MORE INFORMATION & REGISTRATION - VISIT PARADE2013.PCA.ORG
ADVERTISER DIRECTORY Aswell Trohpy .................................8 Automotion .................................IBC Paul Bancroft Roofing....................14 Gary Betz Enterprises ......................6 Walt Branscome, SBAG ...................6 California Tire Company ...................6 Bob Campbell’s 356 Services ..........6 Joseph Carastro, D.M.D., M.S. .......14 Coachcraft ......................................8 Stephen F. Doll, NAI Capital..............8 DSR Audio ....................................25 Steven Z. Freeman, CPA ..................8 Lynn Kuchera, Troop Real Estate .....14 Los Angeles Dismantler...................8 Matt Malamut, Auctions America.....8 Neil McAuliffe ..............................10 MKS Performance.........................14 North Hollywood Speedometer ......25 RS Enterprises ................................8 Rusnak Westlake Porsche ............ IFC George Rasher, Morgan Stanley .....25 Santa Barbara Auto Group .............BC Schneider Autohaus ......................25 Strauss Law Group..........................6 TC’s Garage ....................................8 Robert Watt, Village Properties ......14
PCA/SBR Classifieds
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1971 PORSCHE 914-4 – FOR SALE Owned for over past 10 years, Ruby Red Metallic, Black interior, 5-speed, good project car, runs good, daily driver, lots & lots of extra 914 parts are included. $4,000 takes it all. Call Pete (805) 479-3647 (03/13) 2008 PORSCHE CARRERA S – FOR SALE One owner, always garaged at home and at work, never raced or tracked. Fantastic condition! 6-speed manual, Carrara White, black leather interior, Power/Heated seat packages, BOSE high-end audio package, 19” wheels with brand new Michelins, 50K miles driven and service up-to-date to 60K. Price: $49,900. Jeff Parkhurst 805-479-1304 (01/13) 996 HARNESS BAR AND SHORT SHIFTER KIT – FOR SALE Sparco 996 Harness Bar, Silver, model 30004S, complete with all hardware and instructions. Almost new condition except for small scratch on “Sparco” label. New $449, selling for $349 + shipping. Factory short shifter lever and console assembly, part number 986.424.010.03. $250 + shipping. Contact David at dcverde@cox.net or (805) 963-5848. (12/12) 1997 CARRERA 4S – FOR SALE Red with Black interior. Engine rebuilt top and bottom by Jason Duarte (805-643-1041). Very clean. Beautiful. Runs great. New front tires. New battery. 141,000 miles. $41,000. PCA member. Dave (805) 338-0508 or dlcunningham1@adelphia.net (11/12) PORSCHE PARTS – FOR SALE 996/Boxster/+ (4)black floor mats, 996 “Schnell” silicon cold air intake, 996 plastic radiator fan surround, std. late model tool kit & car jack with foam surround, 912E rear deck H20/rain deflector, bra for late model 356. For info, pics, price, contact Rich at (818) 324-3457 or titleitrich@yahoo.com (10/12) WHEELS, AND MORE – FOR SALE Four used 996 Turbo rims (8/18 front, 11/18 rear) hollow spoke. $1400, or best offer. Two used 997S rear rims (11/19). $400, or best offer. Also, new 997 Turbo lip spoiler, black $100. Call Bobby at (805) 708-3855 or rsdiaz@silcom.com (10/12) WANT TO BUY – USED SPORT SEAT Looking for a used, driver’s-side Sport Seat to use in early Porsche 911/912. Contact Peter Raftery at (805) 339-0441 or rafterys@dock.net (10/12) 1979 911SC TARGA – FOR SALE White exterior with black interior. Seats were covered for protection. Upgraded A/C, upgraded chain tensioners, added oil cooler under right fender for additional cooling. Original paint, clean, no rust, excellent condition. Runs great. 147,000 miles. $23,000. Call Merle (760) 952-1108. (06/12) Der Auspuff accepts classified advertising limited to 50 words or less for Porsche cars, parts, and Porsche-related items. Ads are free to PCA SBR members in good standing and will run for a maximum of three (3) months. Ads are free to other PCA members in good standing as space permits and will also run for a maximum of three (3) months. Ads will be accepted for non-members as space permits for a fee of $10 per month, per ad. Please notify the Editor if sold. Der Auspuff is not responsible for the accuracy of any ad or claims made by advertisers, and does not warrant or guarantee the condition of items offered for sale. Der Auspuff reserves the right to edit or refuse to print any ad it deems inappropriate. Please submit ads directly to the Editor at DerAuspuff@gmail.com
DER
Coming next month in April’s
AUSPUFF
...the last word
Save the Best for Last! Congratulations SBR! Santa Barbara is The 2012 Zone 8 PCA Region of The Year!
Nick LIakas, past President, and Doreen Pankow, President showing SBR’s prized trophy.
REV UP YOUR MORNING WITH A VISIT TO SBR'S ACTIVE FACEBOOK PAGE DAILY UPDATES WITH LOTS OF CONTENT PLUS, YOU DON'T NEED TO "join" FACEBOOK TO SEE IT!
www.facebook.com/PCASBR
PHOTO BY TED LIGHTHIZER
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID THOUSAND OAKS, CA PERMIT NO. 238