TIPEC All Torque 91

L AL E U Q R TO ECEMB ISSUE 91 D

ER 2011

Misano Historic Weekend 911 & Porsche World Silverstone track test

Sean Smallman drives across Europe

997 Carrera versus 3.2 Carrera

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Chairman’s Chat TIPEC (0845 602 0052) www.tipec.net All Torque is published bi-monthly by TIPEC (The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club) Text & images are © their authors/photographers.

Front cover image: ‘Max’s’ 930 Carrera RS photographed at the Misano World Circuit, Italy,

by James Garrard.

All Torque is based entirely on submissions from TIPEC members. This is your magazine and we need your involvement! Please submit via email, or on CD/DVD (or paper!) to the address below.

Submissions for issue 92 (February) must be in before Friday 6th January 2012.

Editor & designer: Tony Blow tony@typescape.com All Torque, 23 Squire Street, Glasgow G14 0RP Printed by: The Lavenham Press Ltd, Suffolk (01787 247 436) Advertising in All Torque is managed by: TIPEC club office, 10 Whitecroft Gdns, Woodford Halse NN11 3PY (0845 602 0052) TIPEC Chairman: Sean Smallman (07500 332 790) sean.smallman@tipec.net Vice Chairman: Jim Hearnden (07930 353 232) tr7v8@phaetonconsulting.co.uk Treasurer: Paul Bird (01922 428 409) paulpsb928@yahoo.co.uk Advertising & Club Liason: Clive Gosling (07791 480 999) clive.gosling@tipec.net Membership Secretary: Steve Potter (01295 810 223) membership@tipec.net TIPEC Membership, 32 Blenheim Rise Banbury OX17 3QX Communication Director: Derek Flanagan (07767 254 820) derek.flanagan@btconnect.com All Torque & TIPEC are entirely independent of Dr. Ing. H.c.F. Porsche AG, Porsche Cars GB Ltd and its dealers. All registered Trade Marks owned

by Dr. Ing. H.c.F. Porsche AG, including the word ‘Porsche’, the Porsche Crest and Porsche Script are acknowledged as such and are their property.

Whilst all due care is taken in the production of All Torque; neither TIPEC, its officers or the editor can accept responsibility for the advice, information or opinions expressed herein. Opinions contained in any article published herein are of the author or editor and do not reflect the official position of TIPEC, its management or membership, unless clearly stated by a club official.

The ‘December’ issue already!

Another year almost over, time seems to have flown by. With the global economic climate showing little sign of a speedy recovery, many cars have changed hands. A new reason for some members parting with their weekend toy is to support those in the family facing ever increasing tuition fees.

On a positive note, cars do seem to be selling for stronger money than 12 months ago. Classic cars are the third best investment to make at the moment, with speculators pushing the prices up across the board. Some models have reached ridiculous values. Even the much maligned 964 is now starting to become coveted. A good one for under £20k will be hard to find including Targas which seem to be in vogue at the moment. Like many others I believe the 968 is a bit of a sleeper and if I find a good one, I will be filling that empty bay in my garage.

Porsche will unveil the 991 in the dealerships this month. To those lucky enough to get an invite to their local Porsche Centre, take a friend who is willing to drive.

At the last two launch parties for the Cayenne and Panamera, alcohol flowed freely and I confess to having a Champagne induced hangover the day after.

No doubt demand for the new Coupe will be strong and it will be interesting to see if early cars are resold for a premium.

2011 will also be remembered for the passing of our good friend Brenda Marginson. To recognise the contribution that Brenda made to the North West Region as the Assistant Regional Organiser for many years and to the Club, the RO of the year trophy will be fittingly named in her memory.

The Club has had another solid year financially, consolidating our position despite putting on a free to enter National Show. We have enough funds to pay the Regional Dividend at £2 plus £1 administration per member. We are going to look at buying more regional show equipment next year and ensure that every region is capable of displaying the Club’s colours.

In my last column I announced that we would be going back to Hatton for our National event in 2012. Put Sunday 27th May in your diaries, the show will be free to enter and we will be raising money for the Variety Club; a charity which is dedicated to improving the lives of children and young people that need help.

Advanced warning too that the date for the TIPEC AGM is Sunday 22nd April.

Haley and I would like to wish you and your family a joyous Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Best Wishes,

All Torque 91 page 3

Club news Club offer from Motorbooks Leading international transportation publisher, Motorbooks, have a wide range of Porsche titles. To order the below Motorbooks Porsche titles at a special club discount, please telephone 01206 255 800 quoting offer code ‘TIPEC’ along with the relevant ISBN number(s).

• Porsche: A History of Excellence £15.00 (ISBN 978-0-7603-4016-5) • 101 Projects for Your Porsche 911 £16.50 (ISBN 978-0-7603-0853-0) • 101 Projects for Your Porsche Boxster £16.50 (ISBN 978-0-7603-3554-3) • How to Rebuild & Modify Porsche 911 Engines, 1965–1989 £18.50 (ISBN 978-0-7603-1087-8) • Porsche High Performance Driving £14.00 (ISBN 978-0-7603-2754-8)

Porsche: A History of Excellence

• Porsche 911: Perfection by Design £14.00 (ISBN 978-0-7603-2975-7) • Porsche 911 Performance Handbook £20.00 (ISBN 978-0-7603-3180-4) • Porsche 911 Buyer’s Guide £13.50 (ISBN 978-0-7603-3484-3) • Illustrated Porsche Buyers Guide £13.50 (ISBN 978-0-7603-3606-9) • Complete Book of Porsche 911 £22.50 (ISBN 978-0-7603-3939-8)

Randy Leffingwell, Motorbooks, £20.00, ISBN 978-0-7603-4016-5. www.ukmotorbooks.co.uk

Diary dates for events in 2012 TIPEC Annual General Meeting April 22nd (Sunday) Laon Historique May 11–14th (Friday–Monday) Prescott Hillclimb May 12–13th (Saturday–Sunday) TIPEC national event at Hatton Country World May 27th (Sunday) Le Mans 24h June 16–17th (Saturday–Sunday) Le Mans Classic July 6–8th (Friday–Sunday) Prescott Revival August 11–12th (Saturday–Sunday)

Don’t judge this book by it’s cover.

The pop-art styled, posterised, neon-coloured collage of Porsche’s Stüttgart musem and the 918 Spyder hybrid concept has nothing to do with the book within. Porsche: A History of Excellence is a concise history of Porsche and its models, from the designs Ferdinand Porsche developed for Daimler-Benz in 1923 right up to the Boxster, Cayman and 997.

Randy Leffingwell’s coffee-table history of the marque is not an exhaustive, academic study, but more of a celebration. Lush photography from the vast Porsche archives accompanies the author’s own shots (Leffingwell is a renowned photographer) and paints a vivid picture of how Porsche wanted its own vehicles to be perceived at the time of each model’s launch.

If you’re looking for an approchable and attractive overview of what Porsche stands for and what they have acheived, it’s a fine book and does that well. My only criticism is that the book stops short at 2008, then jumps backwards to end with the introduction of the Cayman in 2000 … and yet displays the 2010 918 Spyder concept car on its front cover.

Porsche: A History of Excellence is available to TIPEC members at the reduced price of £15.00 as part of the Motorbooks offer at the top-left of this page.

024POR185:AI Template

Change of address for All Torque Please note that the postal address for All Torque has changed, and update your address books accordingly.

Submissions should now go to: Tony Blow, All Torque, 23 Squire Street, Glasgow G14 0RP Tony’s email address is unchanged at tony@typescape.com This magazine is all about our club, produced entirely by TIPEC members for each other to enjoy. Please consider submitting an article of your own. It doesn’t need to be professional, it just needs to be about our club or the Porsche cars we all love.

Maybe you have been on an interesting day out with other TIPEC members, or maybe you have found a brilliant driving road. Maybe you have undertaken some DIY spannering and want to share what you learned in the process, or even just want to share your Porsche and it’s history with the rest of the club.

Please put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and send a brief article to our editor, Tony Blow. You don’t have to do it all by yourself, your fellow local club members may be able to help take photos or proofread your efforts. It’s a great way to get involved more with TIPEC and give a little back to the club.

28/7/09

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All Torque 91 page 5

Member’s cars Craig Moore is making progress with his 968, and proving that like-for-like repairs with original Porsche parts are not the only option!

Large savings can be made with solid DIY repair work.

Following its arrival in the summer, I’m gradually working through the list of little improvement jobs I made not long after I first picked up my 968. However, a few weeks after the car arrived, I realised the unmistakable fuffing from an exhaust blow was beginning to make itself heard.

So, crawling underneath the car, I looked in vain for the source.

No mistake, there was definitely a problem, but I couldn’t find it.

A week or so later, my other car was being MOTed and I mentioned the problem with the 968 to the tester. “Bring it over” he said, so having positioned the car over the MOT bay’s pit, we had a walk around underneath and a good poke about. Quite quickly, the problem was found—a crack running around the top of the centre silencer section, just rearward of the centre joint flange. Hmmm.

Back home, I put in a call to Porsche Reading. I was expecting expense, but even so it was quite a shock to be told a new rear exhaust section is over £1,300! At the moment, that’s just not going to happen, with too many higher priority calls on my debit card, so another solution had to be found. Casting around, scrappies had used systems from £500, and I found a few exhaust manufacturers online who might be able to build a bespoke system for me, and probably at less than half the cost of that Porsche original part. But maybe the crack could be mended, and delay the larger spend?

Another quick phone call to Ty at Excel Car Body in Reading, and he was happy to take a look at welding a repair. I ordered in a

new sealing ring and some replacement bolts as the inspection in the MOT pit showed that the system has probably never been removed before. The old bolt heads were well corroded, so a bit of hacksawing to cut through them would be the way forward.

In fact, it took about 20 minutes of perseverance, trashing three blades on an air saw to get through them, but after that it all came apart nicely.

After cleaning up behind the flange with a flap wheel, the crack was clearly visible. Excel’s John Nutt rigged up the MIG welder, and set about building up a nice clean line of weld to seal and secure the crack. With a bit of grinding down afterwards, we reassembled the system with the sealing ring and a smear of exhaust jointing compound, and before long the car was back on its wheels.

It’s surprising just how much quieter the car was after the repair—both on the outside and the inside—and the journey home revealed some additional power. I wouldn’t have believed such a fault would have made quite such a difference, but it surely does. Let’s hope it also helps lift the fuel consumption from a troubling 22mpg!

Job done, it’s cost me £4.65 for the bolts, nuts and washers, £10.85 for the new sealing ring, £66.60 for 90 minutes labour (bargain!), and £4.17 for a pile of donuts and muffins donated to the chaps in the workshop!

I know it’s not the most exciting of stories, but it’s a good example of how the budget can be shaved significantly with a repair rather

than replacement; over £1,200 in this instance alone. Yes, I will inevitably have to fork out for a new system at some point, but it will be interesting to find out for how long I have put off that day.

Otherwise, my cheapo daily driver 968 continues to give good reliable service. I had to replace the struggling and under-sized battery that came with the car, the belts and rollers were done

by Simon Hope at local specialists Hillcrest near Nettlebed shortly after the car arrived, I changed the fluids, filters and plugs myself, a new iPod compatible Bluetooth stereo went in, and pre-winter projects like sorting the heated rear window (done) and replacing the ditchfinder tyres (three different brands!) are the priority

before bad weather sets in. I gave the paintwork a machine polish, but my technique must be lacking as I didn’t achieve the results I was hoping for so there’s more to do. And getting the rear hatch to release when I want it to is an ongoing saga of adjustment and re-adjustment, plus I need a new boot key-lock as this one refuses to work more than five times with my repair technique. All in good time …

The important thing is, I’m enjoying the car. It goes well enough, looks good, is fun to drive when the road opens up a bit, and refreshingly, other drivers seem to fall over themselves to let me out of side turnings. It sure isn’t my looks that are doing it!

Writing by Craig Moore & Photography by John Glynn All Torque 91 page 7

Member’s cars Paul Dunster is able to compare three ages of 911, having started off with a 911 SC before jumping to a 997 Carrera and then back in time again to settle on a 3.2 Carrera.

We need to start back with a reminder of my classic car history.

My first car was an Austin Healey Sprite but after five years I changed jobs and was given a company car (Vauxhall Cavalier 1300 rear wheel drive) and this continued with several different employers and cars for 20 years. All this time there was a desire for a classic car and this was finally realised with the purchase of a 1968 MGB Roadster (in need of TLC) and 19 years later this is still going strong.

Part of the choice of the ‘B’ was the space behind the seats that would allow seats and carrying of children, which was great until my elder daughter became so tall she was well above the height of the windscreen! A visit to the Malvern Classic Car show revealed that a Lotus Elan +2 would give sufficient space to carry children and coincided with my wife no longer bothering to put her car in the second garage, so there was a space in need of using! The Elan was a great car and much enjoyed but the engine compartment fire and perceived fragility meant it was time to have a change. I had never owned a car with more than four cylinders, so fancied something along those lines. I was thinking about an MGB GT V8 but the family didn’t think we should have another MG, the next alternative was a Porsche 911 and although this would be a lot more expensive, it was agreed.

“

mean buying a new car and I could not run to a new 911, so the choice became a new Boxster (collected from the factory) or a second hand Carrera 997. My daughter then reminded me of previous comments that the only Porsche is a 911 (I may live to regret this comment), so that was the decision made.

I found my Carrera privately and have written several articles for All Torque about that car so will not dwell on it … but now we come to the point of the article. Why go back to a classic Porsche and what is the comparison between modern and classic?

The why is easy: I had decided to retire (early) in July 2010 and had taken the 997 back to the factory (see article in All Torque Issue 87 April 2011) and as the year progressed I could see that the car was going to get less and less use. It just didn’t seem right to have that sort of car sat in the garage week after week doing nothing. Also with the additional free time I would now have, an older car that I could do the work on must be the better solution.

The 997 was sold in November (knowing that lots of bills would be coming up in March the following year: service, MoT test, rear tyres, insurance, tracker …) and if you remember last winter you will realise it would not have moved a wheel for three months.

The 997 was just so effortless, you only need to think what you want the car to do and it is there, whereas with the 3.2 everything has to be worked at. I don’t need to have a gym membership.

My Guards Red 911SC was the result and I enjoyed this car for three years, including doing a full top end rebuild of the engine after the inevitable broken head stud. I then got to that time in life when you realise your own mortality, with every week another tale of lost or seriously ill friends, and that life is for living. Thoughts turned to ‘what would a new Porsche be like?’ A day at the local OPC driving the full range (well the sports cars, sorry … I have no interest in the Cayenne at all) revealed that what was wanted was a quick Porsche. I really liked the idea of collecting the car from the factory but this would

”

So, what to replace it with? I considered an original 911 (pre-impact bumper) but there are few for sale and the prices are getting too high.

I looked at 911 SCs but again there were few for sale … but I found a 3.2 that would suit my requirements. This was a private sale with the car residing in Bedfordshire.

It is very difficult to make a comparison between the old and the new, in many ways they are similar (the dashboard and cabin layout) but then so different (the driving performance). The biggest difference

is the performance. The 997 was just so effortless, you only almost need to think what you want the car to do and it is there, whereas with the 3.2 everything has to be worked at. I don’t need to have a gym membership, steering the 3.2 is just as good an exercise and the pedals (even the accelerator) need a good push. The aural experience is also very different with the very mechanical and windy (almost whistle) of the air-cooled engine compared to the tuned sound of the sports exhaust on the newer car (it would have been only half the car without the sports exhaust, if you are thinking of buying a modern Porsche don’t even consider one if it is not so fitted). Both cars have very good steering but the power steering of the modern car makes it a lot easier without losing the feel and the older car feels every bump with the wheel feeling alive in your hands, especially on B-roads.

Although the older car is only slightly smaller physically it feels a lot smaller inside and to drive on the road. It allows more space around it in the garage at home, so much easier for me to move around. From a comfort point of view I didn’t experience much difference, I was very comfortable driving the 997 to Germany last year but would have no concerns taking the 3.2 on a similar journey, although the higher noise Gmund qs 30/6/08 16:49 Page 1 level could be a problem over long distances. The look of the two cars is great, there is the classic 911 shape in both. The 3.2 has the ‘over

the top’ whale tail spoiler but the view of the rear wings in the 997 door mirror takes some beating. The biggest difference is down to the running costs. The depreciation of the 997 in the two and a half years of ownership was one and a half times the cost of buying the 3.2! For the newer car it is obligatory to have the service work done by an OPC, whereas the 3.2 cost £205 for all the materials required for a full service, and the oil change next year will only be approx £50.

Tyres were another high cost with a set for the 997 now coming in at £1,300 but for the 3.2 £500 will be sufficient. The 3.2 does need some TLC and there will be a regular expenditure especially over this winter but I’m sure this will add to the value of the car.

Was this a correct decision? For me at the time yes but I’m not totally sure this is the best solution for the long term. Do I miss the 997?

Yes every day, the effortless performance is totally addictive (as with any addiction you don’t know until it’s taken away) and the sports exhaust was great. Do I enjoy the 3.2? From the practical point of view yes, I enjoy the challenges of driving and working on the 3.2 and the lower cost of ownership, but …

So in conclusion the head says you need a 3.2 Carrera but the heart says you want a 997 Carrera.

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Misano World Circuit I started to take holidays in Italy about four years ago when my wife’s parents invited us out to stay for a few weeks. They have been holidaying in Riccione Italy for the last 40 or so years, so they know the area very well. When we first arrived back in 2008, I asked where all the background noise of engine revving was coming from and that’s how I began going to Santa Monica race circuit (or Misano World Circuit as it is now called!)

Riccione is located in Emilia Romagna half way between Bologna and Ancona. It is easy to get to by air, or, if you want to do what the in-laws do, drive down. We always get the two hour BA flight from Gatwick to Bologna and then the hour and a half regional train (only 18 euro return) to Riccione. The regional train is a lot cheaper than the Intercity and is great if the air-con is working, just not much fun when it isn’t!

If you don’t mind going to Stansted to get your flight (and possibly risk the threat of being charged to use the loo!) you can also fly direct to Rimini and get a 15/20 minute taxi to Riccione.

The hotels in Riccione are numerous, clean and very good value, as are the camping sites for those who wish to brave a tent! We stay at family run 3* Harry’s Hotel where the food and company is excellent. There are many good eating places in and around

Riccione and I do recommend trying the local ice cream, highly tasty, and try asking for a ‘bombolone’ with a coffee … yummy!

For those stupid … err, I mean brave, enough to do the tent thing, the best camp sites are Camping Adria or Camping Fontanella where good facilities can be found just a stone’s throw away from the beach.

Most beach attendants will charge for use of sun beds and shades which is the norm, but in turn they keep the beach litter free, offer free use of changing rooms, toilets and give medical assistance if required. Beach area 26 is where you’ll find me. Gian-Carlo is a very friendly man with much to say … sadly not in English … but through a weird version of charades we have lots of laughs no less!

The local area has a lot to offer: Riccione (the ‘pearl of the Adriatic’) has a very

cosmopolitan feel, with a variety of infamous night life during the summer months. There are lots of historic places to visit nearby: Republic of San Marino, Ravenna, Faenza and Urbino to name just a few. Romagna is renowned worldwide for its food and the people are genuinely nice. The local vino ain’t bad either!

If you can’t speak Italian, you’d be surprised what a smiley face and good hand gestures will get you. (That’s my way of communicating unless my wife is around as she ‘speaka da lingo’). Anyway that’s enough of the holiday sales pitch; let’s get down to Misano World Circuit (MWC).

For the last three years I’ve been heading the five miles from Riccione up to Santa Monica for a fun filled weekend of high octane fun, sun and the smell of burning brakes and clutches. The MWC area is big … very big!

The track itself holds host to the MotoGP (very big following in Italy—here especially thanks to local boys Valentino Rossi and Marco Simoncelli). The track also hosts the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia, historic racing and corporate events. The track forms the shape of a ‘T’ which is a 4.226 mile circuit, with stand seating most of the way around, VIP hospitality areas, a full medical centre, fully equipped pits with pit crews, race control and parking for 1,000 cars plus.

I try to get an advance notification from the web to see what’s going on in the year ahead, (www.gruppoperonirace.it or www. misanocircuit.com) and time our holiday with the historic Porsche event. They also hold the Porsche Carrera Cup in Spring time—sadly I’m normally busy at work then.

The normal race program for the historic weekend is packed and this year was no exception. Think of it as a mini Goodwood in the 35–40c sunshine without the crowds of people, and track side views of the action. An overview of this year’s weekend events is as follows: Friday 22nd July • Two hour Classic ‘Memorial Angelo Rossi’ • C.I.T.S. • Challenge Formula Classic • Italia cup • Clio Cup Italia • Challenge Formula Renault 2.0 • Five Hundred Cup

Saturday 23rd July • Italia cup • C.I.T.S. • Five Hundred Cup • Qualifying Sessions for: Clio Cup Italia Classic ‘Memorial Angelo Rossi’ Six hour MISANO Challenge Formula classic Challenge Formula Renault 2.0 Italia cup—new Fiat 500's • C.I.T.S. • Five Hundred Cup Racing starts for: • Clio Cup Italia 1 - Race 25 min • Challenge Formula classic 1 - Race 25 min Weekend Main race feature: • 17.50–23.50 Six hour MISANO Sun 24th July Race day for: • CITS 1, Challenge Formula Renault 2.0 • Five Hundred Cup 1st race, • Two hour Classic ‘Memorial Angelo Rossi’ • Challenge Formula classic 2 Race 25 min • Clio Cup Italia 2 Race two 25 min • Italia cup – 1st Division 25 min • Italia cup – 2nd Division 25 min • CITS 2 - Race 25 min • Challenge Formula Renault 2.0 2 - Race 25 min • Five Hundred Cup 2 Race 23 min As you can see there is a lot to cram in to a weekend, sadly this year I only could do the Saturday, as I was flying back on the Sunday,

but for 15 Euros for the day, it was the biggest bang for your buck.

My day started by cycling my way up to MWC race track … yes I did say physical exercise! Not for the faint hearted and not easy in 38ºC! The kind man on the gate did speak English, luckily for me, and guided me in to the team areas with my trusty steed of a bike.

After washing the torrent of sweat falling from my brow, I changed and headed out for a scout around the team hospitality units.

As luck would have it the first team I came across was one I befriended last year, Sporting Life 2 (Info at: http://web-960074854.simplywebsite.it) headed up by Dr. Michele Rescigno, and his friend Max, they race three Porsche 930 Carrera RSs all with the IROC stamp.

When I got chatting to Michele, I discovered they had had nothing but problems with their cars all weekend. Max’s white and red 930 had distributor problems, then as he went out to the first qualifying session his clutch went, then I heard Michele had problems with a cracked injector, on his green 930 RS. I did however manage to fly the TIPEC flag on the teams cars, as Max and Michele both agreed to let me put the club stickers on the cars for the remainder of the season, which will look good when they get to Imola with the historic racing in October. We may not be there in body but TIPEC will still have a Writing & photography by James Garrard All Torque 91 page 11

presence. The team did get some results during the weekend as I later found out via email from Michele, but only by the skin of their teeth.

The rest of the day was taken up with group shots with the pretty Pepenero ladies (who tend not to wear a lot of clothes), fresh pizza, beer, a distinct lack of sun cream (I didn’t forget to take it, just forgot to put it on in the excitement … and ended up looking like Poe from Kung Fu Panda, just red instead of black!)

I saw really hardcore racing with historic cars and modern hatch backs, a few crashes, then a quick chase around the paddock to see what and who was about before heading to the pits and race track to see the brolly dollies up close … err, I mean cars … and then the start of the finale, the six hour Gruppo Peroni race with Porsche GT3s/GT2s, Ferrari 430s, and BMW M3 series cars.

What a race that was, it was proper tooth and nail racing, they really went for it. The good thing I find with the Italian lot, is the lack of safety control. There is no health and safety executive to worry about (it’s Italy!), which means when I say you can get close to the action, you really do. I witnessed a GT3 RSR doing a tyre change during the six hour race as I was standing in the pit garage, less than three feet from the car. When it pulled away at high speed, power sliding past me, and out on to the track!

Writing & photography by James Garrard All Torque 91 page 12

The racing was so intense as night fell, you could see the exhausts glowing on the GT3s as they were passing at top speed, along with that very distinctive high pitched sound of the GT3s exhaust gases breaking the sound barrier as the hot gas escapes into the cooler night air.

In the Silver Cup Group, dominated by Duller Motorsport and their trio Cremonesi/Belicchi/ Lancieri (Bmw M3 V8), they finished five laps in front of the fastest of the two Oregon Team Megane V6 (Barthyan/Simoni/Bonacini) and six in front of Conte/Zanin/Bellin BMW M3 V8.

First to drop out of a track fight were Rolf and Mark Ineiken in a GT3R, Then it was the turn of Red Bull team headed up by the only English drivers on the track, F1 guru Adrian Newey alongside Joe Macari. They were facing technical problems with the gearbox on their Ferrari F430. Only three gears available and the overall winning chances faded away a mere eight laps from the end of the race with a very sorry sounding (and almost on fire) gearbox.

All in all after the winner’s ceremony at 12.25am(!) a mass of fireworks and to see the cars pushed back into the garages, I was ready for a stiff drink and bed … no such luck!

I still had to cycle down the five miles of dark, pothole riddled Italian country lanes to get back to the hotel! I did at some point do a very stupid thing indeed, I began to think (not wise after a day in the sun) …

A short time after seeing the Red Bull team retire, I headed down to the pit wall to see the chequered flag drop on two Ferrari 430s and a Porsche GT3. Down went the flag … the night sky erupted with the sound and light of fireworks. Everyone in the stands came down to the pit wall to see the front runners finish.

The winner’s results of the six hour race went to Cioci/Perazzini/Casè, in a Ferrari F430 LM as they managed 207 laps in 6h.00.08.614. Less than three seconds behind the teammates Kauffmann/Aguas/ Cirò again in an F430. Third place for Rolf and Mark Ineichen in the Porsche 911 GT3 R of the Swiss Stadler Motorsport.

I thought I could go down an unlit unmade road which was under construction. I thought it would save me time … you can guess what happened next. It was like a scene from a Monty Python sketch. One minute I was cycling along minding my own business, the next I was upside-down in a very large hole looking at the stars, thinking to myself what a bloody idiot I’d been for going down that road in the first place!

Take my hint, if you do decide to venture out to Italy for your high octane fix, drive or get a taxi to the track!

AND REMEMBER THE SUN CREAM!

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Tina live at Silverstone You might remember Tina (my 944 S2) from the April All Torque where I showed how I eradicated rust from the wheel arches; a DIY job as I am running Tina on a fairly tight budget.

However, I made sure I bought a car with full service history, so when the service was due I had to bite the bullet and take Tina to a garage to get the book stamped. After consultation on the TIPEC forum, I settled on RPM in Cheddington, Bucks. The bill was steep, a 48K service along with timing belts and chain and a few other bits and bobs, but with my wallet considerably lighter, I went away happy that I could at least tell the difference in the car—she sounded sweet and felt really good.

Since buying the car, I had wanted to get on track to see what she could really do, but my small running budget had prohibited that option to date. Then on a dreary Monday morning in the office, the phone rang and it was RPM on the line. 911 & Porsche World magazine were planning a track test at Silverstone the following Monday using three of RPM’s racing cars; a 944 S2, a 911 SC and a Boxster.

The three racers were to be compared to their road car equivalents and they wanted to use Tina for the story.

I was asked to Silverstone for photos, then Chris Horton from the magazine would turn a few laps. I would then have the rest of the day to blast around as I saw fit. All track time and insurances paid for of course, so in effect it was a free track day. The next seven days were the longest I can remember!

A little rain in the morning turned into a fine, warm and sunny afternoon on the day of the event. It was an evening track session starting at 5:30pm and Tina was washed, buffed and polished to within an inch of her life, looking superb for the camera. Upon arrival I bumped into fellow Thames Valley member Nick Ramsay, there to stretch the legs of his fabulous GT3. I was hoping I might get a chance to follow his line through a few corners and learn how to do it. Oh, how wrong was I …

With the driver briefing done, the next hour was tedious to say the least. It took ages to get the photos done and I thought I might never get on track. One kind chap (whose name unfortunately eludes me) took me out in his 911, which seemed rather well sorted and he knew how to take the corners too. This was handy as we were using the new full Grand Prix circuit and I had never driven that layout before. First impressions of the track from a passenger point of view is “Bloody Hell these corners are much tighter than they look on TV!” There was also a vast array of machinery on track ranging from a 1 Series BMW to flame spitting Nobles and a few racing cars too. Speed differentials looked like they could be quite large.

After about three laps in the passenger seat, a rather fast 911 (I didn’t see which model but it was not old at all) flew past us down the new pit straight. We tucked in behind it through Abbey and Farm Curve and into the braking zone for Village Corner. Right at this moment it was as if the 911 in front went from 5th to 1st and dropped the clutch as the engine pretty much launched itself out the back of the car and began spreading itself over the tarmac. The session was red flagged, with, I suspect, one very upset 911 owner on the sidelines.

Once the photos were finally done, it was time for Chris Horton to take Tina out for a couple of laps. Sat in the passenger seat of my own car, it felt very weird but Chris promised to go easy as this was my baby and he just wanted to get a feel for the car. We headed out the pits and down to the Maggots, Becketts, Chapel Curve section and off down the Hanger Straight. Stowe was where it got interesting as we flew through the right-hander and down to Vale. Approaching the corner I thought to myself “I’m pretty sure we should have braked way back there.” The next thing I knew we were on top of Vale and Chris launched the car in, the back end gave up and we pirouetted round, ending up facing the wrong way on the tarmac! I must say the skid marks looked pretty cool, but other than that all was fine as we returned to the pits.

Now it was my turn to exercise my talent. With my brother-in-law on board, sweaty palms and my heartbeat picking up slightly, I knew that I was going to drive within my own limits, but the other part of me really wanted to see what Tina is capable of. We rolled out the pits and I buried the throttle in second gear.

My first lap was rather slow. I just tried to get a feel for the corners and where to brake with the intention of picking up speed as I went. The second lap was a little faster but I wasn’t pushing yet.

Lap three and I think I’m turning into Cole Trickle and I’m Dropping The Hammer … Copse corner approaches with some speed. Now I scare myself slightly as I stand on the anchors and realise I am not Cole Trickle and this is going to be tight. Breathe deep and turn in. I’m sure I didn’t get the apex quite right but I had managed to wipe off enough speed as I was still on the black stuff at the exit.

The most noticeable thing was it felt like the car was going to roll over onto the passenger door—it’s a great road car but this was some serious body roll. I think the door mirrors are now scuffed on the edges from rubbing on the track.

As the evening wore on, my confidence built up and lap times tumbled, but poor old Tina was by far and away the oldest, slowest and cheapest car there. I spent a lot of time watching my mirrors and getting out the way of immensely fast cars, some with flames shooting at me as they passed.

The slow corners like Vale, Village, The Loop and Luffield were where I got to test Tina the most. The slower speeds gave me more confidence to push, as there was less chance of spearing off into the walls. Village into The Loop was the best part. Braking hard from Farm Curve down into second gear and you could really throw it in to the first tight right-hander of Village. After the apex you could bury the throttle and feel the tyres digging into the tarmac for a quick spurt before braking hard into the tight left-hander of The Loop.

Coming out of the Loop in second gear, again you could bury the throttle hard, up into third and keep the power on right through the left-hander of Aintree and onto the Wellington Straight. It was a great feeling going through there when you hit the apex of each corner. On one lap my brother-in-law saw fit to blurt out the definitive term “NIICCEEE” so I must have been doing something right.

So what have I taken away from my first track experience in Tina? Well the most prominent thing is on the road it is fabulous, but when you really push her, those shockers really are a little shocking. The brakes are strong so you can be sure she’ll stop at the end of the straight and the balance of the car feels really good. If I had a lot more talent I could easily push the car to the limit with full confidence that she will behave through the faster corners. I now want to sort out the suspension, learn how to drive and do a few more track days. And I have to get a job with a six figure salary so I can go racing properly, as it’s clear from this experience that I have missed my calling in life.

One piece of advice. GO AND DO A TRACK DAY. It’s much safer than trying to drive fast on the road (Not that I ever do, Officer …) and you learn so much more about your car and your own abilities. Even if you have one of the older, slower cars like I did, you will have an awesome time.

Special thanks to RPM Technik in Bucks for inviting me along and for looking after Tina.

Writing by Neil Hack & Photography by Antony Fraser for 911 & Porsche World All Torque 91 page 15

Eight days, 1,800 m five countries in a 9 For the last few years we have enjoyed driving the Porsche over to France for our main holiday. This year we wanted to go further afield.

To start with we looked at a driving holiday with one of the specialist Driving Tour Operators. Although there were some excellent routes on offer, the cost for some of the Tours was bordering on ridiculous. A few late nights on the Internet had everything sorted, a good balance of driving and relaxing with a route to tick some of those must do boxes.

I would encourage everyone to take their car over the Channel.

We do not speak any foreign languages and get by with a ÂŁ1.99 French to English pocket translator and the international use of mime. Driving on the right is not at all difficult, you quickly adjust and instinctively stay on the right side of the road. The roads and motorways are much quieter and a joy by comparison to over here.

Speeding is the same the world over, if you get caught there is usually a fine to be paid—on the spot in France, graduated to how much over the limit you were caught going.

Something usually goes wrong at the last minute, this trip was not going to be the exception. Late Saturday night I dropped the dust cap after checking the tyre pressures. This actually turned out to be a blessing as it allowed me to spot that the offside rear was down to the webbing on the inside edge. A tyre letting go at a ton plus on the Autobahn does not bear thinking about. Only Kwik Fit were open

on Sunday and they did not have what we needed. A web search found that Elite Tyres in Rainham had some and they opened at 8:00 am Monday, our departure day. I amended the time of our tunnel crossing which was easy to do and did not cost anything (well done EuroTunnel).

Day 1: Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart, Germany. 561 miles New tyres fitted, it was double quick time to Folkestone to catch the train over to France. We were five hours behind our original schedule and were not looking forward to the long drive through France into Germany. The drive to Stuttgart was pretty boring to be honest, not a lot to see and happily uneventful. Getting used to the pace of the Autobahns took a little while, before I let the 4S loose and started pushing the BMWs and Audis out of the way. At 22:30 we arrived at our hotel exhausted, had a quick beer at the bar and hit the sack.

miles, 996 C4S Cabby Day 2: Porsche Museum

Day 3: Stresa, Lake Maggiore, Italy. 260 miles

On entering Porsche Platz we could not see the museum and were a little lost. We finished up driving past security and entering the factory. A 911 wrapped in foam with a huge spoiler on the back came out of a building in front of us. This was a clue that we might not be in the right place, at which point I could see a security guard waving at me in the rear view mirror. He was very good humoured and gave me directions to the museum car park.

A good day for driving, blue skies, 22 degrees, the hood was down all the way. Autobahns into Austria/Switzerland/Italy with the Alps lining the route. We started the day by treating the 4S to a tank of 102 ron rated fuel, a bargain at 1,55 euro a litre. With the snaking San Bernadino Pass in Switzerland taking us back down to the valley floor I thought she could do with the extra squirt for overtaking.

We both really enjoyed the museum, a modern building with the cars uniquely displayed. Renting the headsets for an audio tour at 2 euro each is a must do. Haley found the commentary useful, especially the history and why the different models came about. The exhibits in the museum are more than just an archive, there were a few gaps amongst the 80 or so cars on display. They had either gone out to compete in motoring events or were on display at shows around the world.

We spent hours walking around taking pictures and I asked one of the team the all important question, is it Porsche or Porscha? She replied most definitely Porscha, only the posh English and the stupid French say Porsche.

The museum has a gift shop with lots of Porsche goodies for sale.

There is also a Porsche Drivers Collection store in the showrooms across the road. 6,000 euro for a mountain bike was the most expensive item on display. We concluded our visit with a late lunch in the popular Boxster Restaurant.

The drive was better than I had imagined, a good thrash through to Austria. We had a bit of luck and ducked paying the toll because of roadworks. The roads were relatively quiet which allowed us to take in the beautiful scenery which became more and more dramatic as we approached the Swiss Border. We were driving on Route 13 which has the four mile San Bernadino Tunnel taking you through the mountain rather than around it via the famous pass. Time was against us, so sadly we opted for the tunnel. Once through the tunnel the road is single lane and winds down the valley. We had loads of fun on this stretch, the car was perfect for this type of road. Plenty of poke for the overtaking on the short straights and good grip with the four wheel drive for the tight bends.

We continued to Italy and Lake Maggiore, this was by far the slowest part of the journey. The road ran parallel to the shore of the lake and was the main route for all the villages and towns which have been built in the valley. Whilst the view was very pleasant, it had been a long day and we just wanted to get to our apartment in Stresa. After a little over seven hours behind the wheel we arrived, our base camp for the next four days.

Writing & photography by Sean Smallman All Torque 91 page 17

Our apartment was modern and well equipped, everything we expected from the great reviews the residence had received. The location could not have been better, 100 meters from the lake and in the pedestrian zone of the old town. A choice of open air restaurants which were excellent value for money and the food was of good quality. Overall a great place to chill out, relax, explore the lake and the mountains.

Overlooking Stresa is the Mottarone at 1,500 meters above sea level. It is accessible via cable car or by a series of zig-zag and spirally roads. The drive to the top seemed to take forever. Just when you thought that must be it another series of steep straights and hair pin bends had to be navigated.

“

Vehicles must travel at 70 kmph and blue lights on the walls are used as markers to measure distance from the vehicle in front.

The mountain itself stands almost regal against the skyline, its peak covered in snow, the king of the Alps and the highest in Europe at 4,800 meters. When you emerge from the tunnel you can see the glacier, a pure white carpet that runs down the slope a few hundred meters from the road. The road takes you down the mountain and the scenery soon changes as you hit the autoroute.

Getting used to the pace of the Autobahns took a little while, before I let the 4S loose and started pushing the BMWs and Audis out of the way.

”

Eventually we made it to the top, the Alps are no different to the Grand Canyon. You soon run out of superlatives and you find yourself just saying ‘wow’ all the time. From the peak we could see Monte Rosa the second highest mountain in the range and the seven lakes twinkling in the valleys below.

This inspired us to go and explore. We found a route to Lake Orta, using sat-nav’s shortest not fastest option. It turned out to be a brilliant drive, really smooth tarmac and not another vehicle in sight.

I was using the brakes sparingly and with confidence building I was able to push the 4S through some very sharp bends. This was one of many excellent roads in the area, Stelvio may have the Top Gear seal of approval but the mountain roads in the Western Alps put a huge smile on my chops. Definitely worth another visit to see what other gems there are to be enjoyed.

We ate up the miles and played Russian roulette with an ever darkening sky and the inevitability that the hood would have to be put up at some point. Haley blinked first during a rest stop, I was more optimistic and insisted that we could enjoy the wind in our air for a while yet. She gave me that ‘on your head be it’ look and we left the service area.

After a few miles the sky went black, the cars on the opposite carriageway had their lights on and you could see the rain sheeting down in the distance. Fortunately a parking area was 1,500 meters away, the hood was put up and I escaped the ‘I told you so’. Less than a minute after setting off the thunder and lightening started followed by very heavy rain, at 20 mph you could just about see enough to drive safely. The storm soon passed and by early evening we arrived at the hotel, ready for a good meal and a beer or two.

Day 8: CEC to Calais, Rochester. 300 miles

Day 7: Stresa to Chalons En Champagne. 430 miles

After a very good nights sleep we woke early and decided that the order of the day was getting home, the sooner the better. The leisurely drive along A-roads to Calais went for a Burton, we hit the motorway and put the clog down. We made the train with time to spare and at 2pm we tucked into Big Macs at Maidstone Services.

The penultimate leg of the trip, our destination was a hotel in a National Forest in the Champagne region. I chose a route which took us through the Mont Blanc Tunnel, another tick on my driving ‘do before I die’ list. The tunnel which is 7.2 miles long has strict safety rules, these were introduced after a serious fire in the late nineties.

It was a really good holiday, a couple of extra days in the Alps would have been nice. We will go back and explore the region further and find some more great driving roads. The petrol bill was £460, at an average of 25mpg. The 996 did not skip a beat and was comfortable to sit in for the eight-hour plus, long driving, days.

Writing & photography by Sean Smallman

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Porsch-Apart open evening September 21st (Wednesday)

RO Andrew Lane 01772 740 625 07949 167 698 (mobile) andrewclane@btopenworld.com ARO Dave Hallett 01254 876 374 07595 071 392 (mobile) dhallett@tesco.net ARO Richard Sholl 07970 147 779 (mobile) rksholl@sky.com

This was the second annual open evening held at Porsch-Apart and as last year was very well attended by TIPEC, PCGB and other Porsche owners in the North West. Proprietor Simon Butterworth and his team kept up the standard of fayre and refreshments. The raffle prizes were of very high standard also and some TIPEC members went away very happy. However the prize of the evening had to be a set of PAGID pads and discs. Well done to the lucky chap who won those! Again a lovely evening was had catching up with people. Many thanks to Porsch-Apart for their hospitality.

Meetings are held first Monday of every month from 8pm at The Dressers Arms, near Wheelton, Chorley PR6 8HD. When this falls on a Bank Holiday, we meet on the second Monday instead.

Professional Detailing Session October 3rd (Monday)

Well folks that’s almost another year under our belts, and by the time you are reading this I hope you have all got your Christmas shopping sorted and got your letter off to Santa for a new Porsche! The last few months have been steady with us still managing a few outings in the cars before some get laid up for winter. Read on to see what we’ve been up to:

Finer Details in Castleton, Rochdale were our hosts for the evening which also tied in with our monthly meeting and again we had a good turnout. Owner Iain Brown (no not that one!) opened up his doors around 7:45 for us to mill around and admire his work and do a general meet and greet. Again, we were very well fed and watered before we got our monthly business out of the way and got down to the detailing.

Before & after on the Aston-Martin DB7 at Finer Details

Iain has been at this now for over ten years and this clearly showed in his knowledge and demonstration with the orbital buffer. We were presented with an Aston Martin DB7 which despite only having 21,000 miles on the clock you would have been forgiven for thinking it had gone twice round! Such was the state of the bodywork. Of course a couple of hours is never going to be enough on a car needing this much attention, but it was clear to see that Iain will have this car looking pretty sparkling by the time he will have finished.

Also on display was a gorgeous 993 Turbo in a special order paint (answers on a postcard!) and one of our members’ cars. Anthony Richardson entrusts Finer Details to look after his 996 MK2 GT3. Iain was very pleased with the evening and has said he will hold another in the spring so if you couldn’t make this one be sure to get along to the next. I also believe TIPEC members will qualify for a discount.

Autumn Breakfast Meeting, Specialist Cars of Malton October 16th (Sunday) A bit of a last minute arrangement this one, but well worth the journey. A small group of us met at the McD’s on the A59 at stupid o’clock in the morning so we could have a good clear run up to Harrogate and then on to Malton. We arrived by 9:30-ish and already the whole area was awash with Porsches, Ferraris, Astons, you name it!

For those who aren’t familiar with these meetings, they are arranged by owner John Hawkins and all money raised from the breakfast sandwiches and coffees etc goes to charity. Once we’d had a look at the metal parked up on the roadside we ventured over to the showroom. First to greet us were a couple of 993 RSs at the gate. These were shouldered by a couple of 997 GT3 RSs. Walking into the yard had us gaping at the new McLaren, a pure white Carrera GT and a whole host of 911s from the last 25 years.

On stepping into the showroom our jaws were on the floor again. Greeting all who were there was the latest GT3, the 4.0 litre! I don’t any of us were expecting that. Also on display was the road-going 962 that was recently featured in GT Porsche magazine, the red 959 from Mexico with delivery mileage only (some of you may have seen this story on Pistonheads), another Carrera GT, the list just goes on. However for sheer “I’ve not seen one of those for ages”, first prize

993 Turbo, also at Finer Details

The white Carrera GT at Specialist Cars of Malton

Star of the Specialist Cars of Malton Big Breakfast—the very exclusive GT3 RS 4.0

had to go to the chap who turned up in a Cavalier SRI Cabriolet! They surely are a bit of a rarity these days.

North East

The day was finished off with a run back to Harrogate for some lunch, and then a steady drive back to Richard and Diane Sholl’s house to finish off the day with tea, biscuits and Porsche chit-chat. The sun even came out for the afternoon for a bit of roof down action. You can’t beat it in the autumn.

RO wanted!

ARO Andy Blythe 01642 809 031 ac.blythe@mbro.ac.uk

Coming up By the time you get this we will have had our annual quiz. I will bring you more details in the next issue, but would like to extend our sincere thanks to Porsche Centre Wilmslow and Porsche Centre Bolton for the fabulous prizes they donated. These had a retail value of over £160 and I think we were all thrilled by their kindness.

On top of that we had a donation of prize material from Simon butterworth at Porsche-Apart.

Cheers Simon.

Secondly the Christmas do will have been and gone at the Viking Hotel, Blackpool. We missed last year but have more than made up for it this year with 22 of us going along. Again we will have more details/ embarrassing photos (only joking!) in the next issue.

Well that’s about it from me for this year. It’s been another whirlwind of activities. I would like to thank Richard Sholl and Dave Hallet for stepping up to the plate as AROs. We hope you, the members, have enjoyed taking part in the activities we have arranged this year as much as we have enjoyed organising them. We have still a good amount of regional club funds at our disposal, so why not have a think over the holiday what you would like to be done with it and come down to the next meeting and have your say.

Meetings are held first Sunday of every month 7:30pm at The Sporting Lodge, Low Lane, Stainton Village, Cleveland, TS17 9LW, just off the A19. In June and July we are meeting on the SECOND Sunday of the month.

Raby Castle—two events in one day Several of the guys made an early start to go to Raby Castle and join Club Porsche GB for their Northern event. The convoy left for Raby with a spirited drive toward Darlington and onto the flowing country lanes to Seahouses and Raby. Our progress was slowed considerably when we had to drive over a mile on looses chippings at 20 mph. It seems as though the annual Northern PCGB meet at Raby is often our best attended event of the year and as fine as it is, it’s not a patch on our annual TIPEC bash down South. Dare I suggest next year we get a posse of Porsches to trundle down? It’s only once a year and I can safely say the German engineering is up to it. Rant over.

Specialist Cars of Malton were in attendance with a particularly good looking white Carrera GT. I was very pleased to see Frank has managed to get his 928

I will finish by wishing you all, old members and new, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

All the best!

Low mileage members’ cars at Raby Castle

back on the road—his ongoing repairs have reached the point where his shark can be back on the road where it belongs. Well done. Like most cars in our club we drive them because we love them and there are always one or two jobs that need attention.

Back at Raby I found myself particularly drawn to the old 911s and retro restorations. I love the combination of an old look with relatively modern running gear. If I ever get to build one though I would leave it on carbs ... you can’t beat the sound of induction roar down deep trumpets with minimal gauze filtration. A well maintained two-tone green 924 Turbo found a soft spot for me too.

It’s funny who you end up parked next to at shows and by pure coincidence two high mileage water cooled cars with over 120,000 miles parked together and two of our lowest mileage 911s with around 40,000 and 28,000 on their clocks parked together.

A nice contrast of the cars in the North East.

Around about lunch time the weather had its say as the heavens opened and we decided to head over to Saltburn Historic Hill Climb. This event has only recently been reinstated, however the coordinators are not allowed to time vehicles up the hill as it’s a public road. To see these historic vehicles tearing up the hill is a wonderful sight. This event harks back to the days when British bikes were at the front of all racing. An impressive display of two, three and four wheeled iron was on display and not a catalytic

Early morning meet up for the trip to Raby Castle

This Carrera GT from Specialist Cars had a colour change

TIPEC North West Region members at the PCGB Raby Castle event

There were some lovely older 911s at Raby Castle too

All Torque 91 page 21

It wasn’t all four-wheeled at Saltburn Historic Hill Climb ...

Lincolnshire

October 21st–23rd (Friday–Sunday) SWoTY to Isle of Skye

RO Gordon Collins 07783 103 327

December 3rd (Saturday) Christmas party at the MacDonald Hotel, Aviemore

Joint meetings with the local PCGB are held on the second Sunday of every month from 1:30pm at The Dovecote, Newark Road, Swinderby LN6 9HN.

Yorkshire

We meet at half-past one. If you wish to eat you can of course arrive earlier or later, it’s just an informal gathering of Porsche fans to kick a few wheels and talk Pork. Hope to see you there.

Meetings are held first Monday of every month 7:00pm at The White Rose, Wide Lane, Morley, West Yorkshire, LS27 8PL (Tel 0113 252 3720).

The White Rose is situated just off the M62 J28, just before you reach the White Rose Centre.

RO wanted

Scotland

... and the four-wheelers weren’t all Porsches either!

converter in sight. The smell of Castrol R filled the air.

The cars put on a wonderful show struggling for grip on the oil dropped by the bikes and the occasional cloud burst. All this combined with the sea air and fish and chips on the sea front. Over the last ten years owning my 944 I have attended many static car shows and as good as they look all polished up I think they look better going past at speed!

RO and ARO required, to host monthly meetings at a local pub/hotel with support from the members and the committee and to attend/organise local events.

RO Stewart Gordon 01698 841 692 (evenings) 07974 808 342 (mobile) flashgordon944@blueyonder.co.uk ARO Alan Neilson 01324 871 543 07793 234 096 (mobile) alz1933@alanneilson.fsnet.co.uk ARO Neil Fraser 0131 660 0143 07946 616 782 (mobile) neil@fraser72.freeserve.co.uk

November 10–13th (Thursday–Sunday) Classic Car & MPH show, NEC Birmingham

Cheshire & Staffs RO Steve Taylor 07774 912 069 (mobile) stephen_taylor@datascope.com ARO Dave Watson 07889 804 598 (mobile) watson_david@btinternet.com

Meetings are held first Wednesday of every month 8pm for an 8:30pm start in the 007 bar, upstairs at Bo’Ness Motor Museum, Bridgeness Road, December 10th (Saturday) AF0313 TIPEC ad_Layout 1 12/10/2010 11:56 Page 1 Bo’Ness EH51 9JR. The BIG North East TIPEC Christmas curry night out www.motor-museum.bo-ness.org.uk

Meetings are held third Tuesday of every month 8pm at The Whipping Stocks, Stocks Lane, Over Peover, Knutsford, WA16 9EX.

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Gruppe Central Anglia RO Trevor Read 01473 684 876 trevor.read@malcolmandrew.com ARO Colin Clarke 01284 706 247 Meetings are held fourth Tuesday of each month 7pm at The Bunbury Arms, Ixworth Road, Great Barton, Suffolk IP31 2NX. www.nextnorth.com/bunbury/findus.htm Helmingham Festival of Classic and Sports Cars August 7th (Sunday) This was the third year running that the Anglia Region attended the attractive Helmingham Hall venue deep in the Suffolk countryside, with twenty members taking the club stand. Fortunately the weather was fine enough to picnic, albeit a little breezy, and luckily the showers held off until we were ready to make our way home late in the afternnon.

Overall, the numbers of cars on display and visitors, appeared slightly up on last year, with probably 600/700 sports and classic cars in attendance.

because there really was such a range of things going on that everyone could be happy, and even though it was the first day of October the sun shone!

of the year is our TIPEC Christmas Lunch. This year we are heading to Alveston House Hotel with a record number of members attending.

Not only were there some fantastic cars going up the Hill Climb for the Championships but I was awe-struck by the Wall of Death. If you want to see some fantastic images of that day at Prescott then go to Brian and Sarah’s video clip at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1QSzlpRrLc

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone across the whole TIPEC network a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Thank you Martin for taking me up in your Boxster for the cavalcade—I definitely want to put Prescott’s Autumn Classic on the list of must-do events for 2012!

Another pleasant trip out was our Sunday Gloucestershire Drive which included a stop at a lovely café restaurant called Av8 (get it?) based on Cotswold Airport—alternatively known as Kemble. Apart from the gale force wind that was blowing it was an interesting location and one I know I shall be going back to.

At the time of writing we have just two monthly meetings left for 2011, November 1st and December 6th, but our main remaining event

I hope that the Bristol region will continue to go from strength to strength and I look forward to lots of lovely outings with you all in 2012!

Come and meet us on the first Tuesday evening of each month at 7:45pm at The Fox, Easter Compton— just five minutes from Cribbs Causeway!

18th December (Sunday) Christmas Lunch at The Alveston House Hotel, email Sue for details.

If you are one of our members that doesn’t receive my emails with all our plans please get in touch with me and update your details—you are missing out on lots of info.

You can email or phone and the details are on www.tipec.net under the Bristol region.

As usual, we were pleased to be able to make a club donation via the organisers to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice.

Our ARO hopes to arrange a club stand at the event again next year, and will extend invitations to our neighbouring regions early next year for them to consider joining us for a great day out.

Bristol RO Mick Simmons 07793 905 918 (mobile) mjs019@gmail.com ARO Sue Simmons sue.simmons1@gmail.com Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month 8pm at The Fox, Easter Compton, B35 5RA, one mile West of M5 J17 (Cribbs Causeway).

Well, as the evenings grow darker and the temperature falls it’s still good to see that some of our Bristol TIPEC group members are still prepared to venture out in their dream machines ...

The Cavalcade at the Prescott Classic

We have continued to have good attendance at our monthly meetings at The Fox and I am especially pleased to welcome some of the newer members that have become regular faces over the last few months.

We had a couple of excellent outings although it’s a shame we didn’t have more people along with us: The Autumn Classic at Prescott turned out to be one of my favourite events of the year and this was

The awe-inspiring Wall of Death!

Porsche racer at the Prescott Classic

Central

presentation of a boarding certificate—Graham’s second certificate of the weekend!

RO Paul Bird 01922 428 409 07831 877 983 (mobile) paulpsb928@yahoo.co.uk ARO Brian Rowledge MyMerak@aol.com

WotY officially ended after the Concorde visit and we timed it rather well as the Emirates A300 Airbus arrived at 12:30 and we were able to see her land.

You can’t believe how big the thing is compared with a 747!

Meetings are held second Monday of every month 7:30pm onwards at Westmead Hotel, Redditch Road, Hopwood, Birmingham B48 7AT.

Another absolutely great weekend with a fine bunch of friends and for me one of the highlights of the year.

I’m not quite sure where 2011 has gone? I think someone pressed the fast forward button whilst I wasn’t looking but we’ve had another year packed with loads of options to get out and enjoy the Porsche!

After WotY there has been a lot of running around in readiness for the NEC and I hope that by the time you read this we are celebrating a successful show for the club. Planning is well underway for 2012 but won’t be finalised until just after Christmas so if you have an idea for an event or thoughts about anything club related please get in touch.

Since the last write up we popped along to Shackerstone Festival at the beginning of September and I have to say it’s a really different event. Situated as is it in fields adjoining the canal there are lots of boats moored to look over or take a trip and it’s only a short walk to the railway station if you fancy a step back in time with a steam engine ride. Factor in the classic cars, birds of prey, horse and dog displays, traders, oompah band and beer tent and I guess there is something for everyone.

Some of you may remember that I have been canvassing opinion over the last few months about the possibility of moving our club night away from its traditional slot through the winter months and perhaps having a Sunday morning meeting instead.

I note that one region has just put something similar into place so I would welcome your thoughts on this now that the dark nights are upon us.

On 11th September I took a run up to Harewood House in Yorkshire with Steve Jones to give the 928 a good run. We met up in Derby and then cruised up the A38, M1, and A1 to Harrogate and made really good time considering we never went above 70. Lots of Porsches, Astons, Jags, Ferraris, Lambos, TVRs etc to drool over so we had an enjoyable few hours poking around before heading back mid afternoon.

Nice to see some of our northern TIPEC folk and have a catch up. The only downside was that on the return leg the 928 started making a little noise that I suspect is alternator sourced so I will have to look into this over the winter.

A week later than normal on 7th October, Andrea & I set off for the WotY in Cheshire and after a bit of a nightmare on the M6 finally arrived at the hotel in time for a bit of a wash and brush up before dinner.

Graham & Carol Waller struggled and arrived very close to dinner but we got a cold one in for them and soon all thoughts of traffic were forgotten as we settled down to eat and drink the evening away.

Saturday we had an organised trip to Jodrell Bank observatory where I am delighted to say Graham received a certificate after completing the quiz designed for visitors—we ribbed him about it for the rest of the weekend. On from Jodrell to Cheshire Oaks where everyone set off on their own to lighten the wallets and hit the credit cards before heading back to the hotel late afternoon.

Dinner on Saturday evening was a repeat performance with the girls swapping details of purchases and plenty of tales encouraged by copious amounts of alcohol. Sunday morning, after a leisurely breakfast, we set off for the short drive to the Manchester Airport Visitor Centre.

We had pre-booked a private tour of Concorde that includes a visit to the flight deck and ended with the

Finally Brian and I would wish you and your families all the very best for Christmas and New Year. Let’s hope that 2012 brings us all a little more prosperity and time to play Porsche!

who wanted to watch the farce that was England vs France could see us being dumped out of the world cup 12–19. So, to brighten our day up, we headed off. Jodrell Bank was our first stop. What a wonderful feat of engineering this is.

A very interesting and informative tour which appealed to the schoolboy physicists. We then headed off to provide the ladies with a bit of shopping at Cheshire Oaks. A huge retail park and very testing on even the tightest closed of wallets.

In the evening we had our meal and reflected on the day. Sunday morning, after breakfast, we headed off to Manchester airport for our dedicated tour of Concorde G-BOAC. We toured the cabin with an expert guide, sat in the cockpit, and where the Queen sat and the late Queen Mother. This one is kitted out for weddings and corporate events.

Then we were treated to an unexpected landing of the Emirates Air Airbus A380-800 gliding in effortlessly, and very quietly. After which we parted and went our separate ways. Do it again? You bet!

Some information about forthcoming events The NEC classic car show is on 11–13th November and will be over and done by the time this edition hits the news stands. It runs over five halls encompassing concours cars on display. Many clubs use this as their flagship event and there are always car-related things to buy. This runs alongside the MPH Show which is a showcase for new vehicles being manufactured.

See you all ‘out and about’ in 2012.

December 12th (Monday) Club Night and Christmas dinner at the Westmead

East Midlands New RO & ARO wanted!

Outgoing RO Graham Waller graham.waller@wfhowes.co.uk Outgoing ARO Alan Fuller susancarolfuller@googlemail.com Meetings are held third Tuesday of every month 7pm for food (meeting proper begins 8:00pm) at The Field Head Hotel, Markfield Lane, Markfield, Leicestershire LE67 9PS. Well it’s nearly Christmas, and this is the final foray into magazine writing for 2011. Again, much has happened since the last penning and we look forward to 2012 with anticipation, least of all as the bi-annual Le Mans Classic occurs.

October saw our WotY (Weekend of the Year) where we tie up with the Central region for a weekend away in a nice hotel and share some times together. This year was no exception, and Paul Bird did a sterling job as ever. However, due to availability, it was put back a week which meant some couldn’t make it.

This year we went to Stockport—it doesn’t sound very exotic, but we stayed in a beautiful family-run hotel, luxurious surroundings and excellent food, notwithstanding the company we kept. On the Saturday morning, our start was delayed so those

Our regional Christmas meal is now booked. We are attending the Field Head hotel’s party night on Saturday 10th December. There is a tribute act performing (I think it’s a tribute, you never know, the real thing may turn up!). Don’t ‘Cry Me a River’, instead ‘Come Fly With Me’ and see ‘Me and Mrs Jones’. If ‘I Haven’t Met You Yet’ then just ‘Hold On’ ’cus ‘Baby – You Got What It Takes’. You need to go as ‘The Best is Yet to Come’, yep if you haven’t guessed yet, it’s the one, and only ... MICHAEL BUBLÉ.

Tuesday 27th December sees our Not the Boxing Day drive (NTBDD). Alan and Susan are hosting this event, and Nathan has put a tour from Loughborough ending at Alan’s house. Let’s hope we can see some countryside this year! Anything’s a bonus after last year’s fog.

Also, advance notice for those going to Le Mans classic next July. 6–9th July 2012 is the date for your diaries and with Central region and Travel Destinations, should you wish, we intend to convoy to Le Mans (that’s in France) with a wellrehearsed process.

We will be travelling down to Kent on Thursday 6th evening for a final night of luxury in a cheap hotel. We then catch an early-morning Eurostar to France arriving at Le Mans around lunch time/early afternoon. Two nights’ camping, racing, drinking (noooo), socialising then head back Sunday 8th and for those wishing to do so, a half-way stop at a decent hotel to freshen up. We will then head back in earnest on Monday catching the midday Eurostar, then back home.

All Torque 91 page 25

For those interested, Travel Destinations are organising the trip and will require an £85 deposit.

The total cost is £299 + any extras (grandstand tickets £39, circuit lap £150, helicopter flight £135, vintage bus lap £35, picnic 2 days/2 people £65).

Call them on 0844 873 0203. Please let me know so I can inform Paul for convoy purposes.

Also, as discussed at the last regional meeting, we have our annual option to re-elect the RO/ARO at the next meeting. 2011 has been my third year of running the region and as most of you know, I have changed jobs this year. As such I’m sorry to say that it has become increasingly difficult for me to act as RO effectively. It is because of this that I have decided to step down at this time. Alan also said that he would be stepping down as ARO at the same time.

The region was set up over four years ago with just 10 members, and I took over from Chris Belfield when there were 15 or so. Over the past four years we have increased our membership to 40 with a varied list of events.

If anyone wants to take up the mantle for this most satisfying of functions then please let me know and put your name forward at the next regional meeting. I will still be around to assist, and will do so wherever possible and if a suitable RO is found, then I may stand as ARO but I cannot spare the time with my career challenges as they are.

The RO/ARO combination needs to put a list of events together, inform the members what is going on, and write a bi-monthly regional report for All Torque. It is not necessary to write monthly notes as I do (Central do not) but work with whatever suits. I will support anyone who is elected.

(See the last edition of AT for an article by Paul Bird with more details).

May I take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued membership and support—I couldn’t have done it without you. You are the club. Without you, there is no club.

South Central RO Pete Garrett 07804 030 695 (mobile) garrett-peter@sky.com Meetings are held from 9:30 am on the first Sunday of every month at The Red Lion, Evenley, Nr Brackley, Northants NN13 5SH.

The 1st Sunday meet at The Red Lion (details at the top) is a Classic Car meeting held by the pub, but this Sunday the lovely Shelby GT350 and the DB9 were outnumbered by 11 Porsches of all ages.

This was a great morning out with tea, coffee and the compulsory bacon roll followed by a few more photos from our cameraman Perrie hanging out the back of his cabriolet to get that all important moving shot.

December

Looking back to September we had a good turnout for the Wings & Wheels show at Turweston Airfield, with around 10 South Central club cars on show, we put on a good display for the second year running.

The weather was a little kinder this year just being cloudy without the raw wind from last year, it’s a good show to wind down the year as it’s all done at a slow place.

I think the stalls could do with some better stock, Mike who buys that old tat?

October The 30th October was our first photo shoot meet for the 2012 SC calendar, this was held at the Silverstone Porsche Centre thanks to Mike for arranging this.

By the time this is printed we will have had our first Sunday morning meet on the 4th and should have got our Christmas meal booked?

Next Year!

January and February will be quiet months with just the Sunday Morning meetings taking place on the 8th Jan and the 5th Feb (09:30–Noon).

March will see the start of our evening club nights which will be a Curry night. Details will follow closer to the time, the Sunday mornings will still take place.

Just to finish off by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Best wishes for the New Year and thank you for your support in my new role.

After a damp cloudy start it started to rain but not before Perrie got us all parked up in some form of order and climbed the 20ft high aircraft style steps to catch a few opening shots!

November 6th November was the start of our Sunday morning meeting which will replace the evening ones during the dark winter months, this was helped by the clear blue skies and was well attended with some new faces which was great to see.

The recent Wings & Wheels show at Turweston Airfield

Final list of events for 2011 December 10th (Saturdays) Christmas Party at the Field Head Hotel, Markfield December 27th (Tuesday) Not the Boxing Day Drive If there are any events you would particularly like to attend next year, then please let me know as these take some time and planning, so the earlier I know the better.

Please don’t forget you can renew your membership online at www.tipec.net And with a two year deal of £50, it must be one of the best value car clubs in the country.

Please also let me know if you have changed/are changing your email address or your residence.

This is essential to keep the database up to date, and to ensure continuity in the delivery of your All Torque magazines. You can let me know, or direct to Steve Potter (membership secretary on membership@tipec.net).

Clive, hard at work with the microfibre cloth—no surprise there then!

South Yorkshire & North Notts.

Outgoing RO Mike Marot 07787 122 654 (mobile) mike.marot @btopenworld.com ARO Dean Lancashire 07860 198 627 (mobile) dean@tachart.com Meetings are held first Sunday of every month 5–5:30pm (meeting proper begins 7pm) at Ye Olde Bell Hotel, Barnby Moor, Retford, Notts, DN22 8QS Well Ladies and Gents, the end of the year is upon us once again! Cold dark winter nights, and I hope your favourite cars are snugly tucked away in nice warm garages? Well mine is!

Yes the festive season is here once more, where do the years go? One consolation is that Spring is just around the corner, then time to do it all over again.

I would just like to add, it’s been a great 2011 with some ‘fun things’ that have happened, and with some ‘fun’ people, but time has come to let our mighty region be led by another contender.

I will be standing down as your RO for 2012.

My work commitments have increased and therefore spare dedicated ‘Porsche time’ is limited, but at least I have now attained my qualification as a ‘Race Instructor’.

So nominations have been requested, and hopefully at our December meeting we can announce the new team.

Since our last editorial we ventured on the annual ‘WotY’—this year it was centred around Skipton ... and organised by ‘WotY Corporal’ Dave Warren. Here is his report:

SYNN WotY 2011, Skipton, North Yorkshire October 7–9th (7 Porsches & 1 BMW!) On Friday night we all met in the local public house, close to the hotel, after making our own way to Skipton at various times (and speeds!) A nice hearty meal and 1 or 2 (or 3) drinks were had by all. We chatted and spoke of how Porsche is far superior to BMW before going back to our hotel.

Saturday morning we met for a hearty breakfast and got ready for our 78 mile trip. Porsches were cleaned, fluids checked, and some of us topped up our oil (Dave & old smokey!), before setting off, led by the WotY corporal and his trusty assistant in old smokey.

The drive took us over some breathtaking scenic roads, if only the fog would have cleared so we could see it, and on some really narrow lanes. We drove down roads that cycles would have struggled on!

After about 20 miles the route took us through a cattle gate onto a road full of bulls! We all continued with caution until Dave (WotY Corporal) met a bull that refused to move! So in true SYNN style, on we went, hitting the bull’s nose-ring with old smokey’s N/S mirror! The bull looked quite upset and shook it’s head (in pain I assume!)

We stopped in a lovely village called Malham, where coffee and cake was on the menu (well you’ve got to) and had by all. Then off again into the fog and rain!

The run, despite the weather, was a huge success and all cars did well, even the BMW! That evening some of us ate in the hotel restaurant whilst some ate in the pub again, before meeting up to discuss the day over several more drinks.

Four hardcore racing car fanatics woke early on Sunday to watch the Japanese Suzuka Grand Prix in the hotel bar. Then it was breakfast and checkout.

Some of the group went home whilst some braved the wind, rain and cold to walk into Skipton for a spot

of shopping in the closed shops (a lovely move for the men!) The weekend was great and a lot of laughs were had by all.

The hotel was average (like the BMW) and weather terrible but we didn’t let it dampen our WotY spirit.

Roll on 2012.

(Dave Warren, WotY Corporal) Other things to look forward to before Christmas are: 17th December (Saturday) The SYNN TIPEC Christmas ‘Dinner and Dance’ at the lovely Ye Olde Bell.

Well folks, its been an interesting year ... thank you for your support. I look forward to seeing you all soon. And if you would like some ‘On Track’ one to one driving tuition in the new year, then please give me a call. Special rates for TIPEC members of course!

I have included a selection of ‘photos’ from this years activities—enjoy!

More details of all our region’s upcoming events are available on the SYNN website at www.synd.org.uk

North London & Herts Informal meetings are held first Sunday of every month around noon at The Goat Inn, Vicarage Causeway, Hertford Heath (Nr. Hertford), Hertfordshire SG13 7RT. RO and ARO required, to host monthly meetings at a local pub/hotel with support from the members and the committee and to attend/organise local events.

SYNNers out paintballing at Delta Force

Spotted at the Specialist Cars of Malton Big Breakfast. New car, Dave?

The SYNN Weekend of the Year dinner

All Torque 91 page 27

Gruppe South South East RO Derek Flanagan 01342 717 754 07767 254 820 (mobile) derek.flanagan@btconnect.com Meetings are held second Wednesday of every month 8pm at The Bolney Stage, London Road, Bolney RH17 5RL, just off the A23, 10 miles south of Crawley.

Club Nights - For those of you who haven’t made it along to a monthly meet yet, we always welcome new members and prospective members, come and see if you like us, we’re a friendly bunch no matter what model of Porker you own or desire and you will be guaranteed to receive a hearty welcome.

You also have the opportunity of winning our own regional lotto with all SE Region members going into the hat each month, but you have to be at the meeting to win if your name is drawn out.

SE Region members and their cars Welcome to new member Simon Huber who joined the club after displaying his amazing Speed Yellow Martini liveried 935 which has a power output of 580/630 bhp, max speed of 198 mph and 0–60 mph of 3.1 secs ... and has 935 fanatic James Garrard drooling. Simon has also advised us that Total 911 magazine are doing a full feature on his car, published in their December issue (no 82) which is now on the magazine shelves.

We also welcome Jane Handley who has taken advantage of the fantastic bargain prices of early Boxsters and purchased her first Porsche.

Porsche Centre Mid Sussex (PCMS) A special winter/classic labour rate of £60.00 per hour +VAT from November this year and for the first two months of 2012 for any members wishing to have project work performed on their car. This has been a great success over the last three years so PCMS would like to continue this special offer to TIPEC members. This labour rate will be for project work over 10 hours but will be flexible. Also there will be no collection/delivery service or loan car available with this offer.

This October we went to the Crawley Bowl for our annual Ten Pin Bowling evening followed by an evening meal at the Happy Meeting Chinese Restuarant.

We held our third session at the F1 Simulator at Pure Tech Racing in Horley in October when Jason Brown proved that his previous win was not a fluke as he again beat all the TIPEC opposition.

Whilst the outside show season may have finished we are fortunate in the South East to now have two major car runs between London & Brighton. On Saturday 5th November,The RAC Future Car Challenge is in its 2nd year, but is already gaining momentum with over 100 electric, hybrid and low-emission vehicles driving the 60 miles from Brighton to London in a test of their energy efficiency. In addition to the mainstream car manufacturers there are some stunning sports cars such as the Tesla roadster, 400 bhp Lightening GT with a 225 mile range, 170 mph Vince Nemesis claimed to be the world’s fastest electric car and the Radical SRZERO with a 0–60 mph of 3.5 secs. The big guns included the Vauxhall Ampera, Chevrolet Volt Peugeot iOn, BMW ActiveE, Toyota Prius PHEV and Land Rover Range Rover-e SUV. The event is an opportunity to compare the

various cutting edge automotive technologies, set eyes on the latest vehicles and be inspired. There are also numerous celebrities from motorsport, TV and entertainment, including Damon Hill, Paddy Hopkirk, Kevin McCloud, Derek Derenalagi (the South African blade runner). This was followed on Sunday 6th November by The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. November 5th (Saturday) The London Regent Street Motor Show.

This was the inaugural Regent Street motor show and it was a captivating place with vehicles from the past present and future lining the historic thoroughfare of over 300 vehicles along 1/3rd mile stretching from Piccadilly Circus to Conduit Street in celebration of over a century of motoring. In addition there were vehicles from the veteran car run representing the 19th Century plus 100 cars from the ’60s representing the 20th Century in a themed display and over 100 cars from the RAC Future Challenge run demonstrating green energy and efficiency for the 21st Century. The current holder of electric car record at 137 mph ( set over a decade ago), the four wheel drive Bluebird Electric car was also be a Regents street as well as other entertainment and celebrities.

November 6th (Sunday) Goodwood Breakfast Club The Goodwood Breakfast Club meeting was five years old this month with the theme of four wheel drives.

November 11–13th (Friday–Sunday) Classic Motor Show at the NEC (including the MPH and motorbike show) Once again a group of SE Region TIPEC members joined forces with Brighton & Hove Motor Club and hired a mini-bus for our annual trip to this fantastic show that has everything for the petrolhead. This method of transport allows us to relax and socialise on route as well as being the most cost effective method of making this trip.

December 14th (Wednesday) Christmas Dinner We are having our festive Christmas Dinner at the Bolney Stage on our monthly meeting on 14th December when we will also have a Christmas raffle and the usual lotto draw.

Simon Huber’s amazing Speed Yellow Martini liveried 935. Not a car for the faint-hearted!

The beast’s vital statistics ...

Southern RO Nick Snook 07929 113 390 (mobile) nicksnook@gmail.com ARO Jim Tarrant 01202 601 886 jim.tarrant@hotblack944.fsnet.co.uk Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month from 7:30pm at The Angel, 188 Ringwood Rd, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 9AP The October Club Night and fun quiz at The Angel, Longham, was well attended with plenty of Porsches in the car park including a pair of 964 Cobalt Blue Turbos.

Jim and Steve W won the quiz and shared the excellent prize kindly donated by Keith. I promise the next quiz will be easier!

In November we gathered for the monthly lively get together and natter at The Angel with some going outside to admire Andy’s splendid under bonnet lighting. December meeting will be the Region’s Christmas meal and Member of the Year award.

December 6th (Tuesday) Southern Regions Christmas meal February 7th (Tuesday) Southern Region’s AGM

The under bonnet lights fitted to Andy’s 928

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All Torque 91 page 29

South East London & North Kent RO Jim Hearnden 01634 869 658 07930 353 232 (mobile) tr7v8@phaetonconsulting.co.uk ARO Paul Greer 07799 412 870 (mobile) prgreer@blueyonder.co.uk

Thames Valley highlights of 2011: Silverstone Classic

The Prescott Open 2011 (© Magic Car Pics)

Brands Hatch (© Raw Action Photography)

Not so good ... the Nürburgring strikes again

Meetings are held first Friday of every month 7:30pm at The Woodman, Goathurst Common, Ide Hill, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 6BU. 01732 750 296 Our club meetings are the first Friday of the month starting at around 19:30 to 20:00 at The Woodman.

(If coming for the first time please make a note of the Pub’s telephone number in case of getting lost, as there is virtually no mobile phone reception here and you are unlikely to get Paul or me!) If you have not been along to a meeting please come along. Partners are more than welcome and it is not all car chat. The venue does good, reasonably priced food. We now have 44 people on the SELNK list & a lot of these Paul & I have never met. It would be great to see some of you in the forthcoming few months.

The latest calendar is now out and should be in your inbox for those with a valid email address. It is in Excel format and you can download a viewer from the Microsoft site. Please advise if you are interested in any events so Paul & I can advise the venues. Paul & I have started on a 2012 calendar, we’ll try to get this one buttoned down earlier than the moving feast we had last year. If you have any comments on things we have done or things you want to do then shout.

Paul & I are coming to the conclusion that the Woodman, although an ideal venue in some ways, is not as good as it should be. With this in mind we’ll look at a new venue for next year, if anyone has any ideas we’ll be more than grateful to hear them.

There are two or three members that I don’t have email addresses for. If you have an email address and do not see mails from me, then please send me a mail to tr7v8@phaetonconsulting.co.uk and I’ll add you to the list. That also applies to people in adjacent areas who would like a copy of our calendar. Please also ensure that you update address, car and email details when you renew membership.

October club meeting A poor turnout, partially my fault. I was away in the US and had to cancel the Scalextric event for this evening.

It appears that from my poorly worded mail, people assumed that there was no club night! Sorry for that.

November club meeting A better turn out with eight attendees on a quite chilly autumnal night. A wide ranging discussion including the forthcoming Christmas dinner and also most importantly various trips to France, specifically Le Mans Classic & Laon. Everyone seems to have enjoyed Laon this year and hence are quite keen to go back.

December 3rd (Saturday) Christmas dinner, The Bull Hotel.

Thames Valley RO Craig Moore 07748 733 000 (mobile) craigwmoore@btinternet.com ARO Jason Gibson 07958 459 725 (mobile) jasongibson@blueyonder.co.uk Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month 7:00pm at The Novello, Bath Rd, Littlewick Green, Maidenhead, SL6 3RX. So I'm told a few factual errors (corner names etc) crept into my Nürburgring article in the last issue of All Torque. I won’t list them all here, but I’m sorry if it caused you to throw down your magazine, grind its pages into the carpet and vow never again to waste your day on its contents. I’m fallible.

Whatcha gonna do?

I really hate this time of year. Months of cold and bleakness ahead, only fading memories of summertime fun to cling onto. But it’s fun to look back and take stock of a busy year of club life.I’m particularly pleased that the region’s membership has held its ground, as I was expecting the recession/ depression/deflation/stagnation to have meant a few people would leave us. But we’re hanging on in there with about the same number overall, and indeed it seems that our club nights have become a little busier too. That’s not to say any of you who haven’t attended are let off—we still need to see your face sometime, and the Porsche you’re packing.

Anyway, many miles have been travelled, and a whole range of experiences enjoyed. The joy of getting these cars by the scruff of the neck and giving them a good seeing to just doesn’t diminish.

Hope you got to enjoy yours too, although I am aware of one or two of our guys who haven’t had so many opportunities this year due to work and family commitments, or broken cars. Maybe 2012 will be better. Make some space for yourself in your diary, and plan to get along to a few more things. You know you deserve it!

As the new year is just around the corner, I’m also starting to think about things to do. I’d really welcome lots of input from you guys, as it seemed to me that in 2011 I organised events that I enjoy but others apparently didn’t, given the demand for some of them. I tend to organise things around major petrolhead events, or just opportunities for a good drive and something nice to eat.

If that's not your bag, please tell me what is, or I’ll just have to guess and hope. Things already on the tentative list are the Prescott Open (again), and obviously the Classic Le Mans. It’s probably too late if you haven’t already booked for that via the Club’s recommended travel agent (other travel agencies are available), but there will be other great events to enjoy.

Finally, as this is the final magazine of the year, I’d just like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous and healthy New Year.

Have fun!

Cornwall & Devon RO Keith Dunkley 07711 112 245 (mobile) keith@barcuba.net Meetings are held third Sunday of every month 12:00–2:30pm at The Winds of Change, South Petherwin, Near Launceston, Cornwall, PL15 7LP. ARO required, to assist Keith in hosting monthly meetings and attending/organising local events.

Wessex RO Pete Blackler 07779 203 278 (mobile) peter@blackler7827.fsnet.co.uk Meetings are held fourth Tuesday of every month 8pm at The Wheatsheaf Inn, Braishfield Road, Braishfield, Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 0QE.

TIPEC classifieds 1989 Porsche 944 Cabriolet finished in Baltic Blue £4,900 ono (including private plate) Please call John on 0208 402 6841 or 0797 483 170 155,000 miles and £20,000 restoration by the previous owner including: New wings. Bare metal respray. Retrimmed front seats. New soft top (with all weather car cover and Tonneau cover) New timing chains belts as well as K&N air filter. Optional extra’s on the car include: Electric windows. Electric roof. Electric seats and mirrors.

Limited Slip Diff. Interior condition excellent, finished in full ‘Linen’ leather with a black dashboard and carpets.

The overall condition of the body work is very good for its age though there are a couple of minor blemishes on the bodywork that need some attention. Just under the window rubber on the passenger door there is some slight bubbling, no bigger than a finger nail. This hasn’t turned to rust yet but would benefit from a minor respray. Also on the driver’s side A Pillar, I have touched a slight scuff but would again benefit from a minor respray the cost of which should be under £250. Aside from this the bodywork is perfect.

The car comes with a comprehensive history, has been kept garaged. The only other downside of this car is a faulty mechanism in the driver’s seat that will need to be replaced, although the seat is in a comfortable position for my 6’1”.

The car is used as a third car, usually at weekends.

MOT until June 2012.

www.TIPEC.net You can use the TIPEC website to register or renew your club membership, advertise cars and parts for free, download old issues of All Torque, and keep up-to-date with events in your region.

If you look to the bottom-left of the homepage, you will find a link to TIPEC’s online discussion forum.

This is the place to trade banter with fellow club members on a day-to-day basis, ask questions and share knowledge, up and down the UK (and worldwide!) Here’s an extract from a thorny diagnostic problem: Forum: Porsche Models; 924, 944, 968; First thing to do once you get your new 944? duncs: I am collecting my 944 next week … my plan is to get it into a local specialist soon afterwards and have a service, check over, belts checked and also the oil and gearbox oil (it’s an auto). It was last serviced 3k miles ago, last year.

Anything else you’d recommend that I should get the specialist to look out for or do? I was thinking about freshening the car up with new shocks however it rides just fine at the moment so they don’t appear to need doing.

Richy_S: Get it checked over then drive it for a while and get to know it. I’m sure you will

then find a few bits you want doing.

lindsayhbrown: +1!

Althejazzman: In a service, many people often suggest new spark plugs, and/or HT leads and distributor rotor arm. I wouldn’t necessarily replace the shocks for the sake of it unless you notice any problems in driving.

cox: Ask him to check the engine mounts. If it’s a twin cam also get him to pop the rocker cover off and check the condition of the tensioner slipper pads/chain, etc. Might be worth checking for uneven wear on the brake disks (i.e. pistons might need repairing). A good service will probably do the car a world of good. If you’re keeping it for a good while then change all the main servicable ignition parts (HT leads, sparks, etc), new air filter, oil filter, fuel filter, etc. If it’s been a while then brake fluid etc wouldn’t hurt either, depends how much you want to spend!

Mine are 150k and 26 years old without any noticeable problems. Then as Rich said, just drive it, you’ll start to build up a list of things that need doing, or that you’d like to upgrade.

Pastry: I’d say wheel alignment at the specialist, thorough corrosion inspection by yourself. You’ll find out the rest by driving it. cococola: Stand back and admire what a fantastic car that you have just bought.

And as suggested, take it out for a good drive, give it a wash and polish, then pull up a chair, crack open a beer and sit and admire a great ’80s/90s sports car.

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