Voice of the Vancouver Island Region - Porsche Club of America
Volume 23 Issue 10, December 2020
In This Issue Gold River Run, Fairwinds Drive, Taycan Experience, VIR Donation, Cars & Planes, Spyder Upgrade II
Porscher Advertiser Index 000 Magazine
Porsche Centre Victoria
Villamar
Jason Good Custom Cabinets
900 Degrees Pizza Please show your support for these companies by giving them the opportunity to serve you. Also mention that you saw their advert in Porscher so they know their money is well spent. The display of adverts does not constitute an endorsement of the company by VIR or PCA CONTACT : Members are invited and encouraged to submit articles and photos that would be of interest to the Club. Photos in JPG or PNG formats. Please send submissions via email to the Newsletter Editor at: Newsletter@virpca.org NEWSLETTER DEADLINE: The deadline for the next issue is the 23rd of the month. CREDITS: Dan Bourlet, Henning Wulff, Wyman Lee, Gary Glover, Steve Fairbrother. If we have omitted anyone, our apologies, please advise us and we shall credit you next month.
Click here for our Facebook Group page
Advertising Rates $210 Outside back page $200 Inside front cover $190 Inside back cover $150 Full page $ 90 Half page $ 50 Quarter page $ 30 Business card Please contact the Editor for more information VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
www.virpca.org
Porscher is the official publication of the Vancouver Island Region of the Porsche Club of America and is published approximately monthly. EDITORIAL: Statements appearing in PORSCHER are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Porsche Club of America, the Vancouver Island Region, its Executives or the Editor. All articles and photographs are copyright the author or contributor (unless otherwise noted). Permission for reprints or reproduction of the contents must be granted by the Editor and the author or contributor. Copyright Š 2017-2020 by Porsche Club of America, Vancouver Island Region. All rights reserved.
DECEMBER 2020 Page 3
THIS MONTH’S CONTENTS VIR EXECUTIVE
5
EXECUTIVE COMMENT
6
NEW MEMBERS’ LUNCH
12
GOLD RIVER CHARITY RUN
14
FAIRWINDS DRIVE
18
TAYCAN EXPERIENCE
20
VIR DONATION
23
CARS & COFFEE
27
CARS & FIGHTER PLANES
31
THE TAIL END
38
AGM REVIEW
42
DISCOUNTS & USEFUL WEB SITES
45
CLUB CLASSIFIEDS
46
AROUND THE BEND
48
Cover Photo Victoria Cars & Coffee Photograph by Wyman Lee VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 4
President Tim Evans president@virpca.org
Vice President Garth Webber Atkins vicepresident@virpca.org
Secretary Ross Mosher secretary@virpca.org
Treasurer Trevor Ross treasurer@virpca.org
Director—Up Island Wendy Woodley upisland@virpca.org
Director—Mid Island Dan Bourlet midisland@virpca.org
Director—South Island Imogen Burr southisland@virpca.org
Newsletter Chair Steve Fairbrother newsletter@virpca.org
Webmaster Chair Dave Nickel webmaster@virpca.org
Membership Chair Dan Schuetze membership@virpca.org
Rally Chair Klaus Kreye rally@virpca.org
Competition Chair Vacant competition@virpca.org
Tech (Classics) Chair Paul Rossmo paul.rossmo@prhistorics.com
Past President John McGurran pastpresident@virpca.org
VIR Business meetings are normally held on the 2nd week of every month, refer to “Around The Bend” for dates and places. Meeting minutes are available upon request from the VIR Secretary VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 5
O
ur 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM) is now behind us and we look forward to what is ahead for 2021. Thanks to all members who attended the AGM and a special thanks to the members who are continuing to support the Club by volunteering in our Board and Chair positions. As we continue to deal with COVID-19 and the latest health restrictions, our Cars & Coffee gatherings have been suspended until after December 7th. Our 25th anniversary planning committee continues to meet and move ahead with planning events for next year. Those events will include our usual complement of drives, rallies and social gatherings, along with some unique ones to celebrate the Club’s 25th anniversary. In addition, there will be anniversary souvenir items and clothing offered throughout the year.
test results, it makes anniversary planning for events a challenge. However, we are planning for best-case scenarios with backup plans. We could use some additional planning support and we would love to hear from you if are interested in joining the committee. The Club executive team continues to meet monthly via Zoom and the meetings are open to all members. They are held on the second Thursday of the month with our next meeting scheduled on December 10th at 7pm. If you are interested in attending, just let secretary Ross Mosher know and he will make sure you are included in the meeting notice and receive the link to join the meeting. We welcome and appreciate member input and suggestions at these meetings and it’s a great way to get to know other members.
Please take care and stay While we hope that a vaccine will be availa- safe. ble in 2021, we are obligated to comply with the health regulations in effect at the time. As you can imagine, with our situation Tim Evans changing based on the number of positive President
I
am hijacking the column this month for a great cause — CFAX Santas Anonymous. I volunteer for them behind the scenes in their Systems Admin area. ‘Santas’ provides food hampers and children’s toys to those in need not only at this time of year but throughout the year in terms of grants ($100k+ in 2019) to other organisations that do a great job to assist others around the greater Victoria area.
This year with COVID, it is harder for many families in need to give their kids a memorable Christmas, please consider donating to Santas this year (you do get a tax receipt too). You can donate at the new website CFAX Santas Anonymous or you can drop off new toys at their Broadmead location. Here is a video all about Santas (taken pre-COVID).
Steve Fairbrother VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 6
Giving Thanks
As I write this we are preparing for a Thanksgiving dinner with our daughter, her husband and their two foster children. I am thankful for my family and friends, particularly our Porsche friends. Our typical Thanksgiving dinner is shared with over 30 family members in the Portland area, but we all know that nothing is typical this year. My family is as healthy as can be expected and my father is doing well at 93. Just this week we learned that COVID shortened the life of a Silver Sage PCA member who crafted many of the trophies in my cabinet. If I had learned any driving skills from him the trophies might be more impressive, but I thank his wife for sharing him with us for several years. I also learned yesterday that COVID caused the death of a college classmate. Although we didn't stay in touch, I am thankful for the fun we shared. We are all weary of COVID and hope for a return to normal soon. I look forward to putting a lot of miles on the Porsches next year to attend events in all ten regions in Zone 6. Meanwhile, we can stay in touch with our various devices, continue to browse the region websites and browse all the PCA material available to us on the internet. Happy Thanksgiving. (The babies are up from their naps and don't allow me much computer time.)
Mark Prusynski
PCA Zone 6 Representative
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 7
Vice President I have been getting a fair amount of attention from young men lately. Well, to be more accurate, my car has been getting the attention. But since it’s hard to carry on a conversation with a car, they settle for talking to me. It usually starts with “I really like your car!”. I say “Thanks, I really like it too!” and we go from there. I ask if they’d like one of their own and sometimes they say yes, but usually in a tone that suggests they don’t see it ever being possible. I have tried, carefully, in a few different ways, to suggest that it might be more attainable than they think, but I am still working out a sensitive way to say that. Terms like “affordable” and “not much money” are a matter of perspective and given the job situation that a lot of young people are in, even the bottom end of the Porsche market might as well be the moon. Plus, prices are rising on 944s, and they are not turning up on the classifieds as much as they used to. When I was looking for mine, you could get something rough but moving for either side of $2,500. Still, these young people are interested and that is heartening. We need to figure out how to nurture that. The Executive are open to ideas. I’m wondering about the occasional gift of a bargain-basement project Porsche to a high school shop class. Or do the schools only want cars with computers and electric motors? Happy to hear your thoughts. In other news, the web site update is coming along nicely. We continue to design the look of the various types of pages and the web team is putting together a discussion paper for the Board, to help them decide on choices of host and mode of web page creation. We
hope to decide and move on to the next stage by mid-December. All the best to you and yours for a happy, healthy, holiday season.
Garth Webber Atkins Vice President
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 8
Membership Report December 1st 2020
V
ancouver Island Region has 569 members. We have 349 primary members and 220 affiliate or family members. PCA has 87,912 primary members, 47,108 affiliate members and 17 life members for a total of 136,037 members.
New Members—Welcome! Member
Co-Member
Location / From
Vehicle(s)
Martin Jager
2005 911 Carrera S
Bruce McCallum Bernie Moschenross
2014 Cayman S 2007 Cayman
Renewals: Lapsed: Transfer in/out:
33 6 2
Anniversaries in October & November – Congratulations! Fifteen Years: Ron Beyer, Susanne Reiser Ten Years:
Martin Mansfield, Wanda Harvey, Jeffrey Wood, Jackie Wood
Five Years:
Jean Philippe Wallach, Greg Small, Dan Schuetze, Klaus Mansfield, Gerhard Bosman, Ronell Bosman
One Year:
Sidnee Manchip
Dan Schuetze Membership Chair
PCA Test Drive Do you know someone with Porsche ownership intentions or aspirations? Tell them about the PCA Test Drive program. For US $40 they get 6 months access to PANORAMA and defined access to browse the online PCA Mart to find their Porsche. Contact membership@virpca.org for details VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 10
New Members’ Drive & Lunch — Sunday Oct 4, 2020 In the past we would always host a wonderful new member social at the Cowichan Golf Club with a sumptuous buffet and presentations. Covid-19 and the pandemic prevented us from having any large gatherings this year so we decided to have a drive and lunch with limited numbers as per the health regulations. The weather was a bit gray for the New Member Drive & Lunch to Port Renfrew on Sunday October 4th. The drive started in Duncan and the roads were dry and almost no traffic to deal with on the Pacific Marine Circle Route as we headed towards Port Renfrew. The few cars we came upon were very polite and moved over to let us by as we enjoyed some spirited driving along the way. Once we arrived at the Port Renfrew Pub we enjoyed a wonderful get together outside before moving inside to enjoy a fabulous meal. Thanks to all the new members that came out and hope to see you again in the future and welcome to the Club! A big thanks to Felicia and the crew at the Port Renfrew Pub for the excellent service and good food.
Tim Evans President
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 12
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 13
Gold River Charity Lunch & Drive — Sep 26, 2020 Members gathered early on Saturday morning with coffees in hand, ready to depart on the beautiful scenic drive to Gold River. We arranged for three pickup spots:- Nanaimo, Courtenay/Comox and Campbell River. From Nanaimo, the arrangements were to arrive for a 1pm lunch at Gold River Ridge Roadhouse Pub. With Gary Glover in the lead, the group departed Woodgrove Mall, Nanaimo with 14 people in 10 vehicles. Our stop was short in Courtenay/Comox to pick up 14 additional members in 7 vehicles. It was then onto Campbell River to pick up 2 additional members in 2 vehicles, and time to add some gasoline to reach our destination successfully. The next two hours to Gold River was a twisty, winding, scenic mountainous drive, with tree covered valleys and two-lane blacktop. Truly a must for a Porsche drive, with spirited sections to enjoy. Thanks to Gary Glover we arranged for the $10 registration fee paid by all attendees to this Charity drive would go to the Gold River Food Bank. VIR also donated funds and we were able to present a cheque for the total of $600 to the Gold River Food Bank. The directors of the Food Bank were greatly appreciative to our Club for its generosity in helping their community in this time of need.
We departed Gold River just after 2pm, encountering a few wet sections on the road heading back to Campbell River, where we said goodbye and went our separate ways. Thanks to Gary Glover and all participants for a great time and another memorable VIR drive and event. Thanks to all VIR members that registered for this event, your charity was appreciated. So-long to all until our next adventure!
Dan Bourlet Mid Island Director
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 14
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 15
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 16
Fairwinds Golf Club — Lunch & Drive, Sunday September 20th The weather cooperated to give us a great day for our lunch at Fairwinds Golf Club and drive to Englishmen River Falls. In attendance were 17 vehicles and 28 members. Meet time was at 11am so those members from South and North Island had plenty of time to get to Nanoose and enjoy a sunny morning drive before eating brunch. We were treated to a delicious brunch menu inside the banquet room, with the golf course following Covid restrictions, we were seated four or six to a table. After brunch, we broke up into two groups of cars to start our drive around Nanoose through Parksville and Errington onto Englishmen River Falls. Members were able to stretch their legs and go for an easy walk to view either or both the upper and lower waterfalls before they departed. Before we ended our day, some of us headed for summer ice cream to cap off another enjoyable VIR event. Many thanks to David & Dorota Goede for their assistance in helping me with the planning and organizing of this event. Regards and Stay Safe
Dan Bourlet Mid Island Director
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 18
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 19
Taycan Turbo The Turbo is one of the three current models released in the Taycan electric vehicle range, the others being the 4S and the Turbo S. With up to 616hp available (670hp in Launch Control) the acceleration is, in my opinion, a sensational feeling — probably akin to being in a jet taking off from an aircraft carrier with catapult assist. Note that I did NOT attempt Launch Control, this was plenty! Just like every other Porsche model, it has very smooth, precise steering, excellent brakes and in this Taycan, power there when needed—at any speed or situation. Driving aids: Normal, Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus, Individual and Range (110kph max) Adaptive Cruise Control (first time trying that, loved it) Dashboard —wide left and right dials, but slightly obscured by steering wheel Centre display screen, wider as per Porsche’s current style Controls have a haptic feedback which I liked. Storage was good in the back, with foldable seats too and a Boxster/Cayman style ‘frunk’ Very comfortable seats, rear headroom was good, even if you are tall I imagine The range is around 400km, there is a fast charge available to obtain 80% charge in 20 minutes. One can turn on the simulated engine noise but I easily preferred the sound from the 2 electric motors, and I always wanted to hear more.
Whether you are a certified petrol head or are interested in an electric vehicle, do not underestimate the Taycan. You may not get the raw sound of a boxer engine but you certainly get the same excitement—maybe more! More info available at Porsche Taycan Turbo - Porsche Canada Many thanks to Jason Mui at Porsche Centre Victoria for providing the Taycan for a short time.
Steve Fairbrother Editor VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 20
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 21
778-561-1070
Charity Donation to Cops for Cancer “Tour de Rock” November 8, 2020 It was a beautiful blue sky day, a little windy, but a good turn out to VIR Mid-island Cars & Coffee. This was a special Cars & Coffee where the Vancouver Island Region of PCA was presenting a donation to our good friends at Cops for Cancer, “Tour de Rock”. We had arranged to meet at Wembley Mall in Parksville on Sunday November 8th to present a cheque from VIR for the amount of $1500.
The donation was to be presented to Cops for Cancer representative Norm Smith (and VIR member), however, Norm could not be present so Daryl Major, Co-Chair for Cops for Cancer “Tour de Rock” was on hand to accept our cheque. Our donation was greatly appreciated by Cops for Cancer as fund raising for Tour de Rock has been very difficult this year due to Covid. Daryl and Norm would like to thank VIR PCA for its generosity and continued support in helping children with cancer by giving them a day at camp for time to just be kids. Thanks to all VIR members for their generous contribution. A special thanks to the members present, that added to the donation. Greatly appreciated.
Dan Bourlet Mid Island Director
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 23
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 24
T
here is always a Cars & Coffee meeting near you at weekends! Pop in, meet old friends and make plenty of new ones. You never know, VIR may even pay for your coffee occasionally too! Below are some photos from recent meetings, please feel free to send in yours, especially from Mid Island and North Island!
Up Island
2nd Sat. of month, 10am—Noon, Crown Isle Plaza (next to Starbucks), 444 Lerwick Road, Courtenay Mid Island Sundays 10am, Serious Coffee, 9-1209 East, Island Hwy E, Parksville South Island Sundays 9am, Starbucks, Eagle Creek Village, 29 Helmcken Rd, Victoria
“IT'S NOT JUST THE CARS, IT'S THE PEOPLE” VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 27
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 28
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 29
An investigation into a 356's past often un- Handley, who had purchased the red coupe covers a previous owner's life of adventure new in Stuttgart for $3,250 while stationed in By Paul Hagler Two articles in the recent Porsche 356 Registry (Volume 43-5, 2020) captured my heart. The first was My Long Journey Back to Life “by” Bettina, a 1961 cabriolet. Bettina told her life story, including a long period when she waited patiently for her owner, Mark, to get around to a much-needed restoration. Mark committed to driving Bettina by the time he turned 70 but at age 74 still had not achieved his goal; and to make matters worse, Mark developed health problems before Bettina was finally restored. Bettina’s history of languishing for years before being brought back to life so closely paralleled the story of my 356 that it struck a sentimental chord in me.
In the same issue of the Registry, Jim Perrin referred to a similar story in Years Ago (pg. 60). There he summarized an article that appeared in the Registry in 1995 titled Favorite Cars and Fighter Planes, co-authored by James Graham and Col. Philip Handley. On the 30th anniversary of Graham's purchase of his 1964 356C coupe, he became curious about the early history of his car. He began searching for the original owner and found
Germany in the US Air Force. Handley compared his favorite sports cars to the various fighter planes he had flown and concluded that his 356 was in a special category among sports cars, as was the F-4 Phantom II among airplanes. Handley brought his 356 to North America and sold it in 1965 after being reassigned to a base in Arizona. He had not heard anything about his car until James Graham called him 29 years later to tell him what had become of the car, including its restoration and the fact that it had become an SC. Graham drove and raced his 356 for several years then parked it in a barn. Eighteen years later he brought it out and drove it to the 1987 Registry Holiday in Indianapolis. Again, I was hit with striking parallels. Graham’s account of his car’s first owner was similar to the story I had been told about the first owner of my 1964 coupe, and all three cars were forced to endure a long time in purgatory. It is interesting to contemplate how often similar scenarios must play out around the world with these cars. We 356 owners have loved the car for most of our lives. Unfortunately, when our cars were new, significant obstacles stood between us and ownership. The first and arguably most germane obstacle to ownership was the fact that many of us who own a 356 today were only 10 years old back then—or younger! The second was that Porsches were expensive automobiles 60 years ago. They cost $4,000, for heaven’s sake! A third problem was that our parents instilled the notion that cars should be big enough to comfortably transport six people with all their luggage, have ample horsepower, con-
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 31
sume large quantities of fuel, and be heavy enough to protect the occupants in the event of a collision. You know, like a 1960 Buick Invicta. Road feel and cornering speeds were not high priorities for some reason. I clearly remember my father shaking his head and gazing sadly at the ground when, in 1970, I bought my first sports car, a 1958 Austin-Healey. Dad thought it was cramped, noisy, and utterly impractical. He probably thought I had a screw loose or, at the very least, his persistent efforts to instill a sense A young man named Dennis Loveless sold of pragmatism and fiscal responsibility in me the 356 to me in June 1971. He said he hated had fallen on deaf ears. to sell it, but he needed the money because My errant ways continued with the acquisi- he had been accepted into law school that fall. Dennis told me there had been two pretion of a second Austin-Healey, a new 1971 Porsche 914, and a black 1964 356C coupe. vious owners: the person from whom he Not all at once, mind you. The coupe was ad- bought the car, and the original owner who vertised in the want ads section of the Wichi- he was told had been in the US military in ta Eagle newspaper. In those days, most 1964 and stationed in Germany, where he people found used vehicles for sale on the bought the car new. The original owner purpublic bulletin board at the Safeway grocery portedly watched the car being built at the store or in the want ads of the local newspa- Stuttgart plant and, after taking possession, per. Without the internet, nor even pictures drove it around Europe until he was transto help us screen possible purchases, all one ferred back to the states and brought the could do was phone the owner, ask a few car with him. questions, and go have a look if everything An indication of the potential truth in that sounded promising. story was tucked away in the back of the The newspaper ad I found was typical of the owner’s manual. The Importer’s and Manuera. It was a 1 x 2-inch “for sale by owner” ad for a 1964 Porsche. That, along with an asking price and a phone number, was the only information in the ad. I called ahead for the address and went over that same day to see the car. It was in good shape and ran well, so I promised to return with the money that afternoon. The 356C coupe was seven years old when I bought it for $1,750. It was my daily driver for several years, and I have owned it most of my adult life, almost 50 years at the time of this writing. For reasons I do not fully understand, learning the history of the car has become increasingly important as the years have passed. I suspect it may have something to do with the fact that the car and I have grown old together. VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
facturer’s Statement of Origin to a Motor Vehicle, dated December 5, 1963, officially
transferred the 1964 356C coupe (engine No. P-730.874, serial No. 127.677, H.P. (SAE) 88, Shipping Weight 900 kg) from the Porsche Corporation to Mr. Joe R. Steen, Bitburg/ Eifel, APO 32 Air Base. I have a feeling Dennis never saw that document, because if he had, I think he would have shown it to me at the time. In any case, his tale sounded remarkably similar to the story James Graham wrote for the Registry 25 years ago, when he wrote about Col. Philip Handley, the original owner of his 356. Thinking Dennis might be interested in knowing what became of the car, I tried to find him. An internet search in 2008 came up DECEMBER 2020 Page 32
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 33
empty-handed. Next, I tried to find Joe R. Steen, and for that, Bitburg Air Base seemed a good place to start. I learned that it was a front-line NATO base during the Cold War (1952–1994) and was located in the Eifel Mountains region of Germany, approximately 350 km from Stuttgart. It was the home of the 36th Fighter Wing for more than 40 years as part of the United States Air Force in Europe.
men to fly with the US Air Force, and that was the beginning of a 27-year career as a jet fighter pilot. Joe was a decorated Vietnam veteran who flew more than 100 missions over North Vietnam in F-105s. He went on to become a base commander. After leaving active duty, Joe was recruited by Goodyear Aerospace and spent six years training F-15 pilots for the Royal Saudi Air Force. Joe died in 2017 at the age of 82.
Clearly, the original owner had been either in the Air Force or affiliated with it. Logically, he might have been reassigned to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, where Dennis had purchased the car. My internet search never found a civilian Joe Steen, but a military website listed a Lt. Col. Joe R. Steen, a Commander with the 36th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Surely, this was the same guy.
Joe’s black 1964 356C became my daily driver for two years while I was a graduate student at Wichita State University and continued to be my ride when I moved to Canada in July 1972. I drove it for seven more years, until the challenges of keeping it roadworthy became too much, primarily because of Alberta’s winter weather. To ensure the car would start at 30 degrees below zero, I had to install a block heater and place a small I promised myself I would get in touch with space heater in the engine compartment him someday to tell him what became of his every night. The little coupe complained, but car, but life got in the way, just as it did for it always started. Bettina’s owner, Mark. I wound down my ca- Alberta uses a lot of salt on its roadways, so reer, designed and built a house, went on before long, rust started to show through the amazing wilderness adventures, settled into paint in all the predictable places. To make retirement, and continued crossing things off matters worse, a variety of mechanical and my bucket list. The years ticked by, and I did electrical problems began to reveal themnot try to find the original owner again until selves, so I made the painful decision to it was too late. park it. It is noteworthy that, by that time, Twelve years later, after reading the Janu- the car was 15 years old and had countless ary-February 2020 issue of the Registry and miles on it. I wish I could remember how the 1995 Graham and Handley article, I re- many. After about 1979, it sat lonely and nesumed my search for information about Joe glected in my garage. Although it was not Steen. Suddenly there were many facts urinated on by cattle like poor Bettina, it did available about him on the internet. Sadly, continue to rust for several more years behe had died. It seems terribly unjust that our cause, like Mark in Bellevue, I had a deaccomplishments in life are celebrated pub- manding job, a young family, and other interests like flying and sailing. In spite of all licly after we die. the fun distractions, I never quite forgot Joe R. Steen was an aviator warrior. Accord- about the car, so in a moment of naïve optiing to his obituary, he was born on February mism, I decided to restore my faithful 356 28, 1934, in Petrolia, Texas, and when he was myself. nine years old he moved with his parents to Fox, Oklahoma. As a teenager, he responded I completely dismantled the vehicle, includto a radio advertisement that invited young ing the engine, transmission, and interior, and had all the metal poly blasted. I began VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 34
labelling boxes of car parts that might be reusable and ordered countless new and replacement parts from Stoddard. As work continued, parts and big pieces of rusted sheet metal came off and the realization grew that I was in way over my head.
but it is dependable, easy to work on, and huge fun to drive. It never fails to turn heads out on the street and elicits friendly horn honks, smiles, and thumbs-up gestures from other drivers, and it is a guaranteed conversation starter at stoplights and gas stations.
Through a friend who collects muscle cars, I found Chuck Jacobi, owner of Dream Street Hotrods in Powell River, British Columbia. Although Chuck had produced countless hot rods and muscle cars for a long list of satisfied clients, he had never worked on a sports car before. Fortunately, he agreed to take the car anyway, and in 2000 a several-yearslong restoration began and continued at a pace I could manage financially. I told Chuck there was no way I could afford what he proposed doing, so he offered to keep the car in the corner of his shop and work on it when he had time, and I could pay him when I had the money.
These stories share some themes that provide a common backstory to our love of the 356. Family priorities is one such theme. Children are expensive and time-consuming little creatures who always seem to come along at a time in our lives when funds and recreational time are limited. Where does a 356 owner carve out the time and energy to work on the car after a 60-hour work week and after attending various kids’ sporting events in the evenings and hosting weekend sleepovers for little girls who think 2:00 a.m. is a good time to finally sack out? When there is not enough time or energy to work on our own car, and the need to hand it over to someone with the necessary skills becomes blatantly apparent, how does one justify diverting a small fortune to a shop restoration when a daughter wants to go away to nursing school?
Most of the mechanical work was done by Edward Zadzora, owner of Elegant Motors, and the finished vehicle was returned to me in October 2008. [Photos: rebuild finished 2008 1 and 2 ] Like Jim Graham’s car, it was originally a 356C that became an SC when it was restored. We added a big bore kit to give it a little additional horsepower, which is fun of course, but probably not the best decision in terms of value. For its first big road trip, my wife Carol and I drove it to the West Coast Holiday in Stevenson, Washington, in 2014. Like most 356s, it leaks a little oil now and demands some TLC from time to time, VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
Our own priorities are another theme. Sports cars are a great hobby but not the only one, and let’s face it—life is short. Like Mark, Jim, and Joe, some of us want to fly, too, and not just metaphorically. It may be hunting or fishing, sailing or scuba diving, or some other diversion into which our precious time and limited funds are funneled. No wonder an old car can end up in the back corner of the barn for a very long time. But it is all good, as long as someone finds it and puts it back on the road. Our cars are treasures that should be driven and enjoyed. If you have a 356 that is not yet on the road, make sure it eventually gets there. You will be glad you did and, in all likelihood, you will even forget how much it cost to make that happen. Take comfort in knowing that many 356 owners lurched through the restoration process, and in the end, beDECEMBER 2020 Page 35
lieve it paid off. Who else do you know whose car is worth more with each passing year? Heck, our 356s may be the best investments we have. Finally, discover all you can about your car’s history and don’t wait to get started. You may meet some very interesting people, like Philip Handley and Joe Steen. Anyone who bought a Porsche between 1948 and 1965 surely lived life with a robust sense of adventure. Now, when I get in the driver’s seat, I think about Joe Steen’s hands guiding that same steering wheel just as he deftly maneuvered his F-105 over North Vietnam. I bet he liked driving almost as much as he liked flying. As I see it, the takeaway, in club vernacular, is keep the faith and drive that car like those who drove it before you.
Paul Hagler First printed in Porsche 356 Registry, Volume 44, Number 3, September/October 2020. Many thanks to Paul and Porsche 356 Registry
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 36
Another installment of Rick Barnes’ Boxster Spyder upgrades You may recall my recent enthusiasm for the resulting improvement to our 2011 Boxster Spyder’s performance after installing an IPD intake plenum & larger (82 mm vs. 78 mm) throttle body. The Spyder’s 3.4 ltr. motor responded well to the increased air & fuel flow provided by the combination above. It was inevitable then to consider what further improvement might be realized by increasing the flow capability of the cars exhaust system. As with the intake track, Porsche had to strike a balance between cost & performance when designing the exhaust systems for the 987 family of Boxsters. And again the aftermarket provides a wide range of performance exhaust systems ... all offering increased flow capability over factory designs. Those solutions include X-Pipes, low restriction mufflers & catalytic converters, to full Header/Cat/ Muffler combinations. Each varying in cost and degree of improvement. After evaluating various options .. AND keeping one eye on my wallet, I settled on an X-Pipe from East Coast exhaust sys. specialists’ “FabSpeed” as a good compliment to the new IPD plenum & Bosch throttle body on the Spyder. The muffler outlets on the Spyder (and all Boxster models) share a common pipe which connects to a single (or twin) tail pipe configuration. Though cost effective to produce, the arrangement is prone to creating back pressure .. especially at higher engine rpm. FabSpeeds’ X-Pipe design reduces this condition by directing the outflow from each muffler through an X shaped section of pipe with a much larger cross-sectional area and less torturous flow path than the stock piece. Testing shows this design flows 38% more volume than Porsches factory tail pipes, there-by enhancing cylinder scavenging. Dynamometer results confirm +7 hp & +6 lb/ft. of torque. VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 38
Taken on its’ own ... this is a modest gain. However when added to the increase provided by the IPD plenum & 82 mm TB ... the combined result is considerable .. especially as these are external “bolt on” enhancements to the motor and do not require altering the Motronic DME program.
((20hp + 7hp) / 320) * 100 = +8.4% hp ((18 lbft + 6 lbft) / 273) * 100 = +8.8% torque. In reality the net increase may be somewhat higher as published dyno tests are performed on individual components, not combinations. My “seat of the pants” analysis supports this theory as the improvement feels like more than 8%. The installation was a relatively simple procedure. It requires removing the mufflers from the car, so the two may to separated to remove the factory tips and insert the new ones. There are six nuts on studs (not bolts) to remove connecting the exhaust pipes to the catalytic converters and another four nuts & bolts that hold the mufflers to their mounting bracket behind the trans-axle. Regrettably, the six studs on my car where very corroded and I ended up snapping 5 of the six ... even after soaking in liquid wrench overnight and with very little pressure applied to my racket! This meant that I had to remove the header/cat assemblies in order to remove the broken studs and replace them with Stainless Steels bolts, nuts & washers. This step added an additional two hours to the overall process. Total time to complete this installation was 1/2 day. In summary, I am pleased with the enhanced character of the Spyder and the addiVANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 39
tions have taken nothing away from the reliability or livability of the car. I hope you enjoyed the read as much as I’ve enjoyed researching & performing the work ... and documenting the effort to share with you.
Rick Barnes PCA Wild Rose member
This article was published in the Ramblin Rose newsletter. Many thanks to Rick for providing us with his article .
If you are looking for or selling something Porsche related, PCA members can advertise for free in Porscher. Send your classifieds to newsletter@virpca.org
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 40
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 41
T
he 2020/2021 AGM was held online via Zoom this year on October 27th. We had 42 members attend the session.
The previous (2019/2020) AGM minutes were voted on and carried. Tim Evans then announced the 3 awards as shown below. The actual awards were handed out at a Cars & Coffee (see pics). Congratulations to them all and your’s truly was thrilled to receive the President’s Award (the trophy sits beside the PCA’s Newsletter Award from last year!). Enthusiast of the Year: Rally Champions: President’s Award:
Brad Blaney Jeffery Melnychuck / Sue Frew Steve Fairbrother
Our VP, Garth reviewed the Club’s website upgrade process to date. Garth thanked Karl Hoener for leading the process and Dave Nickel and Dave Goede for participating on the team . Karl gave a demo of how to add content to the Events Page. The website will link to MSR.
Next, the Club’s Executive election took place and as there were no nominations from the floor, the following were elected by acclamation:President: Vice-President: Secretary: Treasurer: Director-at-Large North Island: Director-at-Large Mid Island: Director-at-Large South Island: VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
Tim Evans Garth Webber Atkins Ross Mosher Trevor Ross Wendy Woodley Dan Bourlet Imogen Burr DECEMBER 2020 Page 42
Tim discussed COVID issues and how it may affect our 25th anniversary events next year. He also called for volunteers to help us, contact your nearest Director to help. Treasurer Trevor Ross mentioned our new scholarship for youth development to be funded by an annual 10% donation from advert revenue from Porscher. Tim and Marilyn then performed the prize draw, the winners are listed below. Porsche Christmas Tree Decoration Henry Choy, Steve Fairbrother, Keith Glover, David Goede, Klaus Kreye, John McGurran Porsche Taycan 5–in-1 Charging Cable Betty Choy, Louise Egan, Karl Hoener VIR PCA Etched Drinking Glass Imogen Burr, Ron Dempsey, Frank Jaerschky, Ross MacDonald, Al Papp, Sonia Ross Porsche Classic Book Gary Glover, Michael Holan, Wyman Lee, Connie MacDonald, Philip MacIntyre, Ross Mosher, Mike Pellatt, Dan Schuetze, Garth Webber Atkins Porsche Panamera Pen/USB and Notebook Dan Bourlet, Perci Hala Porsche Cube Calendar Brad Blaney OOO Magazine subscription for 1 year Alan Newbert The meeting ended at 7:52pm Minutes recorded by:
Ross Mosher Secretary
We now have a vacancy on our executive team for a Competition Chairperson. This position looks after organizing our track day and autocross events. If you participate in these events and want to ensure that you and others will continue to enjoy them, please consider volunteering. Contact Tim for more details about this position. VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 43
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 44
I
f you have received a discount from anywhere that you believe would be applicable to others in the Club, please advise us via email to newsletter@virpca.org and I’ll add to this list. Note: The discount details may change after publishing, if Porscher is not advised.
Please mention that you saw their advert in PORSCHER if you visit/talk to these sponsors
Where
Discount
Lordco
Up to 30%
Mention Porsche Club of America (show PCA card)
Porsche Center Victoria
Up to 15%
15% for in-house work, 10% over the counter parts
Werks Canada
10%
Discount via VIPC16 code
Blast-It!
10%
Show your current PCA card
Pelican Parts
10%
At checkout, use code Pelican-PCA2020 followed by your 10 digit PCA MEMBER ID (not login ID)
B
Description
elow are some Porsche related sites that Club members may find useful. If you know of any others please forward them to the Editor.
Best forum for 986 owners, run by Pelican Parts 986forum.com/forums PCA Boxster register, another great resource for Boxster owners boxsterregister.org
See the PCA site for other models www.pca.org/special-interest-groups Macan Forum, everything related to Macans www.macanforum.com General car auction site https://bringatrailer.com Pelican Parts forums and classifieds http://forums.pelicanparts.com/ Below are some USED parts web sites:https://www.partsheaven.com
http://rennlist.com/forums
http://www.nineapart.com
http://malahatautoparts.com/parts-search
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 45
FOR SALE - New OEM spec TPMS sensors
(99760602120) HUF RED048V21 433MHz complete with silver stems, application varies by model and needs to be verified, contact me and I can help with this. $325 for a set of 4 Contact Al Sherwood sherwoodal@gmail.com
WANTED - Windshield from a 2013-2020 Cayman or Boxster If you are getting your glass replaced please contact me before you take the car in, the glass shop will immediately toss it into a dumpster if prior arrangements aren't made. I would like your old windshield to use as a pattern, as long as it is intact it will work for my needs, I will pick it up from the shop, no need for any effort on your part other than to help me arrange with the glass shop to save the glass and give them my name. Al Sherwood Sherwoodal@gmail.com 250-818-3885
FOR SALE - Factory set of 17 inch genuine Porsche Cup 2 wheels
Good condition, brand new centre caps. Recently removed from my 964 (not for sale!) Front 7 inch, 47 offset, rear 9 inch 55 offset. Reply with name and phone number, thanks. PCA members’ price is $1200! David Barss carrera@shaw.ca
FOR SALE — 911 Fog Lights 1984-1989, perfect condition $900 (Pelican price $1600!) Steve Cropper
250 752 1510
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 46
FOR SALE — Front window seal For 1978-87 911 SC , 2 vent window seals (new) & 2 mirror gaskets 2 Door channel felts. Misc other rubber parts $ 170 total Steve Cropper 250 752 1510
FOR SALE — 981 Porsche Parts Reduced Prices! Fabspeed Maxflow Cat-back exhaust (lifetime warranty), $3,200 new, offers $900 GT4 deep tint tail lights, 981.631.145.80/146.80, $1,450 new, offers $500 981/718 6 speed Short Shift kit (used in GT4 and Spyder), $335 new, offers $150 Boxster GTS center Radiator conversion (parts list available), $1,162 new, offers $400 Boxster GTS front bumper cover + pieces (parts list available), $3,000 new, offers $800 Boxster GTS rear diffusor (parts list available), $449 new, offers $180 Boxster GTS AC lines (2) (front), $576, offers $100 Contact Al Sherwood sherwoodal@gmail.com with questions or offers, Thanks!
FOR SALE — Front Fairing Fits 1985-1989 911’s newly painted by Terminal Auto in Arctic White. Perfect condition $400 Steve Cropper 250 752 1510
FOR SALE — 993 front brake air intake High quality fibreglass air intake for Porsche 993 front brake cooling with functioning Narva bright lights. Like new, compare pricing at Pelican $350 US each. Painted Arena red, removed from my 993 turbo. A very sexy and functional addition. Pelican part information at tinyurl.com/ai-barss2 $250 Reply with name and phone number, thanks. David Barss carrera@shaw.ca VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 47
Up Island Mid Island South Island
Thursday Dec 10 7pm
Ongoing Cars & Coffee Times
2 Sat. of month, 10am—Noon, Crown Isle Plaza (next to Starbucks), 444 Lerwick Road, Courtenay. Sundays 10am, Serious Coffee, 9-1209 East, Island Hwy E, Parksville Sundays 9am, Starbucks, Eagle Creek Village, 29 Helmcken Rd, Victoria nd
Club Executive/Business Meeting — Zoom
The monthly Executive/Business meeting will be held via Zoom conference. If you wish to “attend”, advise our Secretary (Ross Mosher) so we have an idea on online capacity.
Porsches Helping Pets Auction
Soon
Wendy is organsing another event to raise funds for BC-SPCA. Items include 2 nights in Mt. Washington ski condo. Please contact her for details and dates etc
Contact Ross
Contact Wendy
What Year Is That 911? (Part 1) — Zoom
Tuesday Jan 19 7pm
Wed Feb 3 7pm
This online meeting will be a discussion by VIR's Technical Chair Paul Rossmo of the air-cooled 911 from its introduction to the end of production in 1998. Registration and details at msreg.com/what911-1
Contact Garth
What Year Is That 911? (Part 2) — Zoom
This online meeting will be a discussion by VIR member and Porsche Centre Victoria’s Tyson Johnson. The models from 1999 to present. Will be discussed. Registration and details via MSR to be advised.
June 18-24 2023
Porsche Parade 2023 Palm Springs, California
Contact Garth
Contact PCA
If you are looking for or selling something Porsche related, PCA members can advertise for free in Porscher. Send your classifieds to newsletter@virpca.org VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 48
VANCOUVER ISLAND — PORSCHER
DECEMBER 2020 Page 49