Patter - Porsche Club of America – Chesapeake Region

Chesapeake Region
Patter
Volume 54, Issue 624
April 2015
Pre-Purchase Inspection
Page 12
2
Chesapeake Region
Patter
The Porsche Patter is the official newsletter of
the Chesapeake Region of the Porsche Club of
America. Contributions to the Porsche Patter
should be sent to the Editor at least four weeks
preceding the month of publication in Microsoft
Word format via email to editor@pcachs.org.
Please send images in their original size.
Editor: Michael Murphy
5
President’s Message
7
Membership and Anniversaries
9
Upcoming Events - April 2015 Events Calendar
10
Upcoming Events - Autocross Instruction
11
Your Name and Car Badge - How To Order
12
Tech - PPI At Ralph’s Auto Service
Rob Mairs and Jim Earlbeck
20
Tech Tips - Under Coating Removal
Rob Mairs and Jim Earlbeck
22
Review - Porsche 1979 Turbo
28
In The News - Buried Ferrai
Editor
33
Market - For Sale
Editor
35
PCA License Plates
Gary Martinez
Aaron & Minta Miller
Editor
Contributing Photographers: Lynda Sobus,
Aniano Arao, Mick Whitlock.
Contributing Writers: Bob Rassa, Aniano
Arao, Steve Graham, Pat Walker, Bob Purgason, Mike Cook.
Advertising: For questions about advertising
rates and placement in the Porsche Patter,
please contact Michael Murphy, editor@pcachs.org.
Pat Walker
Editor
Jay Ramsey
Bruce and Laurie Tarsia
Letters to the Editor are welcomed. They should
be brief and may be edited for length. Please
include PCA membership number and contact
telephone number for verification.
Unless otherwise reserved, permission is granted
to reproduce material published, provided full
credit is given to the Porsche Patter and to the
respective author.
To subscribe, join the Porsche Club of America.
Details at www.pca.org.
The Porsche Patter is published monthly by the
Chesapeake Region, Porsche Club of America.
Subscription is limited to members of the
Chesapeake Region, Porsche Club of America.
in this issue
3
Chesapeake Region
is
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Cover Photo: PrePre-Purchase Inspection by Fraser Dachille at
Ralph’s Auto Service
he Chesapeake Region of the Porsche Club of America serves it’s club
members and hosts activities within the Baltimore, Annapolis and surrounding geographic area, including Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The
general objectives of PCACHS are, as indicated in the by laws:
Promote the highest standards of courtesy and safety on the roads.
Promote the enjoyment and sharing of goodwill and fellowship engendered by
owning a Porsche vehicle and engaging in such social or other events as may
be agreeable to the membership.
Promote the maintenance of the highest standards of operation and performance of the marquee by sharing and exchanging technical and mechanical information.
Establish and maintain mutually beneficial relations with Porsche AG, Porsche Cars North America (PCNA), Porsche dealers, and other independent
service sources to the end the marquee shall proper and continue to enjoy its
unique leadership and position in sports car annals.
Promote the interchange of ideas and suggestions with other PCA Regions
throughout North America and the world, and in such corporation as may be
desirable.
Establish such mutually corporative relationships with other car clubs as may
be desirable.
Establish a community service initiative with the goal of engaging members
to participate in activities that benefit the community through fundraising or
volunteering of time.
The Porsche Patter is published monthly. Articles from members are welcomed and encouraged and should be sent electronically in Microsoft Word format to editor@pcachs.org by the
15th day of the month preceding publication. The editor reserves the right to edit or reject all
material submitted for publication, including advertisements, and the right to cancel advertisements at any time, for any reason, at the editor’s sole discretion. Statements appearing in the
Porsche Patter are those of the contributing authors and do not constitute the opinions or policy
of the Chesapeake Region, Porsche Club of America, its Board of Directors, or the editor of
this newsletter. Unless otherwise reserved, permission granted to reproduce material published, provided full credit is given to the author. The Chesapeake Region, Porsche Club of
America, neither endorses and advertiser nor warrants and product or service they
4
may provide.
Chesapeake Region
from our president
President’s Message
fer a huge Thank You on behalf of all
our members.
Welcome to Spring!
So this is the time of year where I make
my pitch to everyone in the Region to
lend a helping hand in this effort to keep
our Region active and
healthy .Organizing these events is a
time consuming task which our Board
attends to with good spirits and great energy. We are always looking for new
ideas for things to do, places to visit, and
activities to try out.
A
t least I think its
spring.....the calendar says
it is but Mother Nature hasn’t quite made up her mind
yet. But it won’t be long before it warms
up and stays warm, the brine (yes, brine,
not salt) they’ve lain down on the roads
is all washed away and we’re back out
there with our cars!
It’s my job to ask everyone, “Send us
The Tech sessions and Social are in full your thoughts on activities that interswing and Autocross is just around the
est you or events we can put into plancorner. In fact, for this month Social and ning.” There is no monopoly on suggesTour are teaming up for a combined
tions for our Region. If you’ve discovevent on the Eastern Shore! For all of
ered a great back road eatery or attracour members out that way here’s your
tion, send me a note and we’ll try to
chance to participate without having to work it into the schedule for all to enjoy.
drive for half a day to get to us! These
The talents and interests of our members
events, and all those in planning are
in nearly endless and if you find it attracbrought to you by our tireless Board
tive you can be assured that there is a
Committee members and our volunteers large number of our club who will too!
for the individual events who put in a
tremendous amount of time setting up
From antiques to breweries, Bar-B-Q
schedules, calling vendors and restauchicken to burger joints, new roads to be
rants, and managing our very active cal- explored and scenery to enjoy, we are
endar. For everything they do, let me of- open to it all and will do our best to
make it available to everyone.
5
Chesapeake Region
from our president
Let us know, we’d love to hear from you
and to work to put together a program
for all of our members.
We are shaking off the doldrums of winter in a big way and there will be a
stream of announcements for events and
activities. So keep an eye out for e-blast
messages from me and come out and
join us, sharing the joy of just being back
on the road. You can always email me at
president@pcachs.org with any ideas or
suggestions which you might have. It’s
your Region, your club, your party; we
are here to make it happen and look forward to hearing from you with comments, questions and suggestions.
As always, I’m happy to hear from you
directly and you can reach me at president@pcachs.org.
Have fun and Drive Safely!
Gary
6
Membership & Anniversaries
March 2015
Aaron & Minta Miller
Primary Members: 775
Affiliate Members: 458
Total Members: 1234
Membership
New Members:
Jessica Ambrose
Donna Benedict
Kerry Chadderton
Frederick B. Denker
Bob Fierson
Chris Greenawalt
Jacqueline Hupfl
Marc Kahan
Jeffrey W. Lees
Jonathan Lewis
Joshua, Rafter
Andy Spicer
Alan Wagner
Christopher Whalen
Hanover, MD
1965 356
Columbia, MD
2015 Macan S, Dark Blue
Easton , MD
1984 944, Red
,Whiteford MD
1974 914, Black
Crofton , MD 1985 911 Carrera Targa, White/Gold
Baltimore , MD 1996 993 Cab, Metallic Turqouise
Pasadena , MD
2011 997
Pasadena , MD
2013 Boxster
Columbia , MD
2006 Cayenne S, Blue
Clarksville , MD
2014 Cayman S, Blue
Baltimore , MD
2001 996
Clarksville , MD
2015 Cayman GTS, Gray
Grasonville , MD
2013 991 Cab, White/Tan
Riva , MD
2013 991 C4S, Aqua Blue Metallic
Transfer In:
Transfer Out:
Damon Lowney, from Hudson Champlain
Derik H. Swee , from Longhorn
Faisal A. Sayeed, to Delaware
Howard Schapiro to Delaware
Anniversaries
25th Year Anniversary:
Robert C. Garcia, Tracey C. Smith
15th Year Anniversary:
Beth and Michael Keyser, Byron and Lisa McAllister and Byron and Lisa
McAllister
10th Year Anniversary:
Daniel and Barbara Ashby and Davis Statton
5th Year Anniversary:
Thomas Scott and A. Thomas Beckman, Joseph and Betsy Ruzzi and Farris and
Camil Shuggi
1st Year Anniversary:
Farris and Camil Shuggi, Charles Gilman, William Johnston, Andrew and Tracy
Nagle, Larry and Noah Robinson and Frank Yockey
7
Chesapeake Region
the team
President
Executive Vice President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Past President
Autocross
Autocross
Patter Editor
Publicity
Social
Social
Tech Session
Tech Session
Tour / Rally Master
Tour / Rally Master
Safety Chair
Chief Driving Instructor
Community Service
Concours d’Elegance
Concours d’Elegance
Historian
Membership
Webmaster
Insurance
PCA License Plates
PCA License Plates
PCA Zone 2 Representative
Gary Martinez
Mark Hubley
Claude Taylor
Lynda Sobus
Michael Murphy
David Dukehart
Rick MacInnes
Pat Walker
Michael Murphy
Pat Walker
Bob Costello
Kathy Costello
Jim Earlbeck
Rob Mairs
Steve Graham
Mike Cook
John Jensen
Ellen Beck
Mick & Meg Whitlock
Ron Gordon
Doug Ehmann
Bob Rassa
Aaron & Minta Miller
Terry Della Vecchia
Lee Rock
Laurie Tarsia
Bruce Tarsia
Cheryl Taylor
president@pcachs.org
executive@pcachs.org
vicepresident@pcachs.org
treasurer@pcachs.org
secretary@pcachs.org
pastpresident@pcachs.org
autocross@pcachs.org
autocross@pcachs.org
editor@pcachs.org
publicity@pcachs.org
social@pcachs.org
social@pcachs.org
tech@pcachs.org
tech@pcachs.org
tour@pcachs.org
tour@pcachs.org
safety@pcachs.org
instructor@pcachs.org
communityservice@pcachs.org
concours@pcachs.org
concours@pcachs.org
historian@pcachs.org
membership@pcachs.org
webmaster@pcachs.org
insurance@pcachs.org
pcalicenseplates@pcachs.org
pcalicenseplates@pcachs.org
8
zone2rep@pcachs.org
Editor
Upcoming Events
PCA Chesapeake Region-2015 Events Calendar
March
1
Tech Tactics East
13-15 Zone 2 DE
April
May
9:00am to 4:00pm
Porsche of Bucks County, Easton Road, Warrington, PA
(Second Day)
All Day Event
Virginia International Raceway (VIR), 1245 Pine Tree
Road, Alton, VA 24520
18
Board Meeting
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Rick & Gloria Merriken’s, 11416 Elfstone Way, Columbia,
MD 21044
21
Tech Session Ralph's for PPI
9:00am to Noon
Ralph's Auto Services, Inc., 12300 Owings Mills Blvd,
Reisterstown, MD 21136
22
Social – Cars and
Coffee
9:00am to Noon
Annapolis Harbor Dock for Cars and Coffee
25
Volunteer Apprecia- 6:30pm to 9:30pm
tion Dinner
Carson’s Creekside Restaurant, 1110 Beech Drive, Middle River, MD 21220
4
Hunt Valley – Cars
and Coffee
6:30am to Noon
3rd Anniversary Hunt Valley Cars & Coffee, Exit 21 off I83 to Hunt Valley Shop’n Ctr.
11
Autocross Class &
Course
8:00am to 2:00pm
At Speed Motorsports, 7410 Coca Cola Drive, Suite 110,
Hanover, MD
18
Hershey Swap Meet- 7:00am to 6:00pm
Tour No. 1
Hershey, PA, with Group Breakfast at Shrewsbury Restaurant and Coffee Shop
25
Autocross No. 1
8:00am to 12:00pm BWI Parking Lot on Mathison Way
26
Social
1:00pm to 2:30pm
Lemon Café, 337 High Street, Chestertown, MD 21620,
lemonleafcafeofmd.com
3
32nd Deutsche Marque Concours
8:30am to 3:00pm
Nottoway Park, 9601 Courthouse Rd, Vienna, VA 22181
http://www.dmconcours.com/porsche-info.html
9
Tech Session - Car
Corral
TBD
Car Corral - various product and service demos
14
Social
Dinner
Howard County
16
Autocross No. 2
8:00am to 12:00pm BWI Parking Lot on Mathison Way
20
Board Meeting
6:30pm to 8:30pm
TBD
30
Tour No. 2
TBD
TBD
9
Upcoming Events
Pat Walker
Autocross Classroom & Course Instruction
April
11
Autocross Class &
Course
8:00am to 2:00pm
At Speed Motorsports, 7410 Coca Cola Drive, Suite 110,
Hanover, MD
Starts
Saturday
April
11th
www.motorsportsreg.com
autocross@pcachs.org
10
Your Name and Car Badge
Editor
Chesapeake Region Members Only
Now you can obtain the new Chesapeake Region Name Badge. Go to
www.pcachs.org and scroll to the
bottom of the page and there in the
middle of the page is button to click
that will take you right to the order
form. $25, inclusive of handling and
shipping.
This month you have the opportunity to purchase a heavy gold-plated
Chesapeake Region metal car badge.
Each metal car badge comes complete with two brass screws, washers
and nuts to mount it through your
car grille or plate.
We are taking orders right now!
The cost per metal car badge is $30
or two for $50. This price includes
handling and shipping.
To place your pre-order, send an
email message to the Patter Editor
www.editor@pcachs.org and indicate the quantity, name, and shipping address. Once received we will
let you know how and when to pay
for your order.
11
Tech Session - Pre Purchase Inspect
Ralph’s A
48 Chesapeake Region Me
What’s Invol
Saturday, Ma
ot even a late March snow
is included in a Pr-Purcha
race car mechanic and bus
Ralph walked us through
performing the PPI. Ralph starts with
the best way to observe the straightnes
body right at eye level. If he suspects
and indications from under the car th
where body filler may have been used.
wear and tear, functional operation of a
Once the interior is complete and confi
20
on page 18).
tion
Rob Mairs & Jim Earlbech
uto Service
embers Learned Firsthand
lved In A PPI
arch 21, 2015
wstorm could keep 48 members from joining us to learn firsthand what
ase Inspection (PPI) from one of the areas most accomplished Porsche
sinessman - Ralph Simmers. After introductions of Ralph and his staff,
each step he takes in determining the issues, if any, he discovers while
an initial inspection of the exterior panel conditions. He indicated that
s of the exterior body panels is to view it on the lift, as it places the car
the car has been in an accident there will be telltale paint differences
hat bodywork has been performed. Using a magnet, he also locates
After the exterior is fully explored, the interior is equally reviewed for
all controls, whether they be mechanical or electrical.
irmed, it’s time to determine the condition of the suspension (continued
13
Tech Session - Pre Purchase Inspect
Ralph’s A
Jim Earlbeck presents Alan Gunzelman with the $250
Ralph’s Service Certificate as Alan’s name was drawn at random
22
Rob Mairs & Jim Earlbech
tion
uto Service
Jim Earlbeck announcing the $250 Gift Certificate to
Ralph’s Auto Service Courtesy of the PCA Chesapeake Region
Alan Gunzelman’s “Ride” to Ralph’s
615
Tech Session - Pre Purchase Inspect
Ralph’s A
Exterior view of Ralph Simmers and Chuck Goldsborough's new
establishment (two doors down from Ralph’s previous location).
Rob Mairs & Jim Earlbech
tion
uto Service
Lovely 911 Turbos waiting to be serviced.
17
Tech Session - Pre Purchase Inspect
Ralph’s A
As Ralph said - “If the suspension attachment points to the car are not solid
points are solid, a thorough check of the steering, tie-rods, ball joints and th
at the 6 and 12 o’clock positions. If play is found, worn out suspension bal
said “the engine is like a pump, and that a leak-down test will determine if the
determines out of spec internals, you are looking at big bucks to tear-down
most Porsche engines are generally good for many thousands of miles, as lon
Ralph fielded many questions, including many on the intermediate shaft be
gines typically fail right before they reach 40,000 miles. So listen up all you
IMS bearing checked. Ralph said he uses L&N Engineering replacement p
large paper weight that’s going to cost around $25K to replace.
tion
Rob Mairs & Jim Earlbech
uto Service
and rust-free, you have nothing to control the car properly.” If the attachment
heir rubber boots are checked, including checking for play in each front wheel
ll joints and other suspension components would need to be replaced. Ralph
o-rings and seals are within acceptable tolerance or not.” If the leak-down test
n an engine and replace the worn out components. However, Ralph did say,
ng as you change the oil and filter regularly.
earing failure problem. Ralph said it was his experience that the effected enu procrastinators who own cars with the M96 and early M97 engines, get your
products to fix this potential failure. When the engine fails, you now have a
Rob and Jim
tech@pcachs.org
19
Tech Tips - From Your Tech Commit
Cleaning The Underside of Y
W
e know that there probably
are not many of you out
there in Patter-land that
want to go about removing
the undercoating on your car but if you have
an older car that you are either restoring or
preparing for a Concours, this product might
be for you.
In the ‘60s and ‘70s many Porsche dealers
added an asphalt or rubber-based undercoating to the underside of their cars in the hopes
of protecting our cars from rust – and also to
make a few extra dollars on the sale.
through an Eastwood Company
(www.eastwood.com) catalog and I saw a
product called “UnderGone®” which was being touted as having the ability to soften rubberized undercoatings and tar. The product
was also advertised as being non-toxic, noncorrosive, CFC-free, and biodegradable. It
was worth a try so I bought a few aerosol
cans ($12.99 each plus shipping)!
Pretty amazing results and
no harm to the original
paint. However it is still a
messy job but it is one of
those jobs that is personally satisfying. UnderThis old stuff is ugly and messy and in our
opinion, doesn’t belong on your car. But get- Gone® really does soften
ting it off is not fun! It is a dirty, time con- the undercoating so you
are able to scrape it off
suming, greasy, gooey, nasty job that only
but you then need a consome of us fools are willing to undertake.
tainer to put it in – I used
Being one of those fools and having recently a trash can. I also suggest
putting some sort of drip
purchased a car that was covered with this
pan and plastic cover unnasty stuff one of your co-chairs wanted it
off. A number of cleaners, Xylol, paint thin- derneath the area you are
working on to capture goop that drops off
ner, Acetone, wire brushes, scrapers and a
heat gun were initially tried but nothing was and make sure you are wearing old
20
clothes and rubber gloves. I would
working well. By chance I was thumbing
ttee Co-Chairs
Rob Mairs & Jim Earlbech
Your Car (Undercoat Removal)
Before
After
also suggest good ventilation.
Spray it on and let it soak in for
several minutes and then scrape
it off. The soak time will depend on the thickness of the undercoat and you may need to
make several passes. After
scraping and wiping (with rags)
it all off I sprayed and wiped
with “Simply Green®” cleaner
and voila, the original paint!
***
f you have any products,
tools, techniques or have
come across a unique way
to accomplish something
on your car, send us a note and
we will work with you to put together a short piece for the Patter.
Rob Mairs and Jim Earlbeck,
tech@pcachs.org
21
Review - Porsche 1979 Turbo
A Supercar In Its Day, The 930 T
I
t wasn't that long ago that the Porsche 911
Turbo, the famous 930 model, could be found in
good condition for the price of a new Volkswagen Golf. The 930 Turbo that debuted in the
late '70s has always been known as a driver's car. Even
as recently as 15 years ago, it was still considered a
used sports car that was difficult to drive, offering few
of the comforts that would be expected in a 911. And
930 Turbos weren't particularly sought after by those
looking for an easygoing weekend cruiser.
with maintenance-starved seasonal exotics, into the six
-figure range at major classic-car auctions.
The classifieds are where Dr. Brian Peters found his
1979 Schwarz over Schwarz 930 Turbo 15 years ago,
and it's the car that we'll be riding in today. But first, a
bit of history.
Taking the lessons learned from Group 4 and Group 5
race cars in order to meet FIA homologation requirements for the 1976, Porsche started developing the turbocharged version of the 911 in 1972, with Ernst FuhrTimes have certainly changed, and a car that was once
mann from the racing side of the company at the helm
feared for being a bit of a handful is, well, still a bit of
of the project. Fuhrmann already had experience with
a handful. But as the values of nearly all air-cooled
turbocharging gained during the 917/30 Can-Am race
Porsches have surged, the 930 Turbo has been pulled
cars, with the company first adapting the 3.0-liter flatout of the classified pages of sunny resorts, replete
Jay Ramsey
Turbo Sees Surge In Boost, Values
six unit that had been used in the Carrera RS 3.0. The
first versions of the 930 Turbo, which the company
still had some qualms about when it came to finding
buyers, produced 234 hp in North American guise, and
featured an upgraded suspension system, upgraded
brakes, and a redeveloped four-speed gearbox to allow
the chassis to cope with the power. In European-spec,
the debut version of the Turbo produced 260 hp.
1975, Porsche built its way into Group 3 racing when
the 1,000th example of the Turbo, as it was badged in
Europe, was produced months later.
The 1978 model year saw the first major improvements to the 930 Turbo, which had already attracted a
solid following in the U.S. after going on sale for the
1976 model year. The biggest change was the gain in
displacement from 3.0 liters to 3.3 liters, which
Porsche debuted the 911 Turbo model at the Paris mo- brought the output to 253 hp and 282 lb-ft at 4,000
tor show in 1974, surprising crowds with its perform- rpm, along with a 0 to 60 sprint time of just 5.3 secance stats, muted looks, and hefty price. Early on, Zuf- onds. Those weren't just supercar figures for the time fenhausen had viewed the turbo model as a means to
- they were better than the majority of what were conan end; a homologation special to satisfy racing residered the supercars of the era. The KKK turboquirements for the company team. But with the recharger in the revised 930 gained an air-to-air interquired number cars already spoken for by the end of
cooler for the 1978 model year, helping the Porsche
6263
Review - Porsche 1979 Turbo
A Supercar In Its Day, The 930 T
run circles around its mostly uncompetitive competition, though doing nothing for the turbo lag.
Along with the turbo lag, the 1978 model kept the four
-speed gearbox, which was viewed as a bit of a compromise by Porsche fans given the existence of a fivespeed unit at the time. And it also kept its very short
89.4-inch wheelbase which, combined with the oftenstartling turbo boost that would cut in at 3,000 rpm,
made the car a tricky handler.
Peters found his 1979 example 15 years ago, during
the last few years when 930 Turbos were thought of as
needy sports cars from the 1970s that were nowhere as
forgiving as the later, plusher models from Zuffenhausen.
"This was one of the top cars on my list that I've always wanted," Peters tells us as we climb in to go for a
spin around northwest Washington, D.C. "So I looked
for years for one, but when I bought it these were not
valuable, these were not really desirable.
"A lot of them had been really neglected," Peters says.
"I looked all across the country for a nice one, and I
couldn't find one. Except for the ones that were like
three times the price that people had with with 5,000
miles on them. So finally, ironically, one came up in
the Washington Post -- remember when we used to actually look for cars in the Washington Post? I think the
guy was asking high $20,000, and it had at the time
30,000 miles on it, maybe high 20s. I think he was the
third owner, and he was getting older and just couldn't
drive it with the clutch anymore, and he wanted to get
rid of it. And as soon as I saw it I bought it. We went
to the guy's house, he opened up his garage, I looked at
it for about five minutes and just bought it immediately."
As Peters powers up the 930 Turbo the engine settles
to that familiar turbo thrum, a cross between a race-car
engine's idle and the whoosh of a small regional jet
sitting at the gate. It's a rich sound that invites a mental
picture of the things going on in the engine compartment, and sitting in the passenger seat just a few feet
ahead of the engine we can just about feel all those
belts turning under the car's "whale tail."
"These things were nicknamed 'The Widowmaker,'"
Peters says as we pull out of the underground garage
the Turbo calls home. "When the turbo kicks in and
you're not used to driving it, the car just basically flips
around. Or if you're accelerating hard in a corner you
could lose it. Or in the rain, you could lose it. Once
you know how to drive it, it's a great sports car."
The tremendous boost offered by the turbo certainly
came with a bit of a caveat, one that wasn't advertised
Jay Ramsey
Turbo Sees Surge In Boost, Values
on the car's window sticker. The rear engine layout,
combined with a short wheelbase, could induce oversteer and apparently did on many occasions in the
hands of inexperienced drivers. This didn't stop people
from buying them -- not to imply it ever does -- and
the Turbo soon settled into the persona of a status
symbol.
"At the time this thing was crazy expensive," Peters
explains "In fact, at the time -- I have an old magazine
someplace that reviews this -- it was compared with
the 6.9-liter Mercedes because they were both around
the same price. But this car at the time was like twice
the price of a 308 Ferrari or something -- it was extremely expensive. It was ridiculous how expensive
this car was."
A starting price of approximately $37,000, or
$119,000 in today's dollars, made the Turbo a rare and
pricey item, especially viewed in the context of the
rarity of Porsche cars in the late-Malaise era. A Porsche 911 won't surprise anyone in the Midwest today,
but in the 1970s, it was largely a bi-coastal exotic, a
toy for the stereotypical stockbroker, even though the
economic conditions that led to a supercar boom
wouldn't materialize until a full decade after the
Turbo's debut. The car's reputation, therefore, shouldn't come as a surprise when one considers just how
much time the jetsetters of the era really devoted to
learning to drive their cars at anything approaching the
limit. The Camaros and the Mustangs of the time were
forgiving cars with 0 to 60 times far different from
those of the Turbo, and their smog-choked engines just
wouldn't let anyone get into real trouble.
This wasn't the case with the 930 Turbo, as the car's
performance specs are still very much modern even if
no longer in supercar territory. But the car hasn't lost
any of its bark or its bite, delivering blasts of power on
6265
Review - Porsche 1979 Turbo
A Supercar In Its Day, The 930 T
demand as we carve through the relatively mild D.C.
Sunday traffic. The Turbo's suspension feels responsive though not overly harsh, with the chassis refusing
to transfer particularly harsh impacts into the cabin.
Still, crawling around the city is not what the 930
Turbo is all about, though the nearest autobahn is far
outside D.C.
leaks. I had to have the top end rebuilt which was
about $15,000, and it got to the point where it was one
thing after another that they were finding, and I had
some work done on the air conditioning, and I had to
put new tires on the car. Oh, and I had a new clutch
put in as long as they had the engine out to do the top
end rebuild. I basically had every single thing done to
make it mechanically perfect."
"This is terrible to drive in the city because of the
clutch and the transmission. But again, once you're on Despite the hefty bill, this was a pretty major overhaul
the highway, it's fine," Peters says.
for the Porsche -- definitely not a yearly maintenance.
But these cars are complex and they do require expert
"Are the lower gears just too tall?" we ask him.
attention, especially when it comes to doing anything
"Yeah, and the turbo lag is terrible," Peters says. "The while the engine is out. A similar procedure on a modern 911 could easily cost just as much, simply with the
turbo lag was improved significantly with the B&B
headers and exhaust -- that took it down to starting to parts and labor costs, so Porsche owners shouldn't be
surprised by major engine-out work on the 930s.
feel the turbo around 2,500 rpm. Otherwise it's like
driving a [Citroen] 2CV. Until it hits 3,000, and then
it's like a rocket ship. Which is another reason the values weren't that high on these. The maintenance is
relatively expensive and they're probably less enjoyable to drive as a weekend tourer than a regular 3.2liter Carrera."
As we pull over, Peters lets the car idle for a minute to
let the turbo cool down. On these cars, that's nonnegotiable.
"They're famous/infamous for oil leaks," Peters says.
"They all have oil leaks. The turbos, if you drive it
relatively hard and then you turn off the turbo, you
With supercar performance comes supercar mainteruin your turbo. Other than that, they're pretty bulletnance, and even when the 930 Turbo wasn't trading
proof. The problem is, if it needs any major service it
north of $100,000 on the collector market, it could still
takes a long time, and you may have to take the engine
generate an impressive maintenance bill. We asked
out like in a Ferrari. So that's expensive. I've wanted
Peters about the items he's had to address in the recent
an old Ferrari 308 or something, but everyone that has
past and if this model has any particular Achilles' heel.
one just says, even if they love it 'Don't buy one of
these things, it'll ruin your life.'"
"These things always have oil leaks. I mean, it only
has 34,000 miles on it, so I don't drive it much," Peters
The time to buy one of these passed a few years ago,
replies. "I just got this back a couple weeks ago, it was
back when a low-mileage example could be picked up
$25,000 for the service because it had a bunch of oil
for around $25,000. In fact, models that are valued
e
e
A
s
s
"
p
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"
P
J
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Jay Ramsey
Turbo Sees Surge In Boost, Values
even higher than the 930 Turbo weren't that much more
expensive, hard as that is to believe in 2015.
As we pull over again to snap some photos on a deserted
street in Georgetown, a passerby notices the Turbo and
stops for a chat.
"I've got a 356 SC 1963 cabriolet which I've had completely restored -- I basically drive it on Sundays," he
ells us. "Unfortunately, I've collected a bunch of cars
over the years and don't have the time to drive these
hings."
"Are you selling this thing?" another passerby asks.
Peters is holding on to this one.
Jay Ramey is an Associate Editor with Autoweek, and
has been with the magazine since 2013. Jay also likes to
kayak and bike.
6267
In The News - Buried Ferrari
Sometimes Real Life Stories Are S
Some Kids Were Digging In
Their Backyard When They Hit
Something. Police Have Never
Seen Anything Like This!
We all grow up digging around in sand
boxes hoping to strike it rich and find some
hidden ancient treasures. What we typically
find is an old Matchbox car or a present left
behind by a cat. Either way it’s very rare to
find something desirable. Well, that’s not
The boys actually discovered a 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS buried just a few feet under the
dirt in their yard. The family had just moved into the house and immediately called authorities who came and roped off the area. A team of investigators arrived and unearthed the
16
rare car.
Editor
Stranger Than Fiction - Here’s One
quite the case with a young group of boys in crudely mummified with towels in the vents
California. They were digging in their
and tape on many of the seams however
yard when they found something that would the windows weren’t fully closed causing a
make anyone’s jaw drop and their mouth
lot of interior damage.
Farmers Insurance was contacted and because of the VIN number they traced the
last owner. After the investigation, it turns
out that the owner of the car had actually
hired thieves to steal the car and dump it in
start drooling. In 1978, these kids were digging in their yard when they came across
something big, something metal, and something very very valuable. A buried Ferrari!
After exhuming the Italian sports car, it was
obvious that someone had planned on returning to retrieve the vehicle. It was very
29
In The News - Buried Ferrari
Sometimes Real Life Stories Are S
Editor
Stranger Than Fiction - Here’s One
the ocean so he could claim insurance on it.
The thieves buried the car with the intention
of returning to pick it up.
restoration.
Everything on the car has been restored to
the exact factory condition. However, this
car comes with some incredible history and
an awesome story.
The buried Ferrari was then auctioned off
after being on display with the incredible
story being reported across the nation. It
The car even has a vanity plate which reads
was purchased by a young mechanic who
owned his own shop in California. The going “DUG UP”. How perfect is that?
price was estimated to be between $5,000
and $9,000.
He fully restored the buried Ferrari and
often enters the car into car shows. Here
are the pictures of the car after the complete
31
32
Market
Advertisements in the Market are free for members of any PCA
Region. A $10 fee is charged for advertisements submitted by
non-members. Contact the Patter editor (editor@pcachs.org)
for details or to submit a classified advertisement.
Items for Sale, Rent, Loan and Free!
For Sale
RACE/TRACK 993 $48,000
Many on Rennlist and in PCA know my 993 to be a very well developed and prepared
car that is fast and forgiving. It is that rarest of racecars in that it has taken me to the
podium quite a few times and, yet, it has never been wrecked.
This car spent the first four years four or five years as a street car and then became a
car that I drove 99% on the track. It is technically street legal since it's tagged and titled. I've actually been stopped/been given warnings by two police officers, and neither of them cited me for the loud exhaust, roll cage, etc. Lucky, I suppose. I have a
lifetime emissions waiver from the state of Maryland, so it never needs to be smogged
again.
Contact: Mark Samuel at 410-375-6114
33
mark.samuel.lee@gmail.com
Market
Advertisements in the Market are free for members of any PCA
Region. A $10 fee is charged for advertisements submitted by
non-members. Contact the Patter editor (editor@pcachs.org)
for details or to submit a classified advertisement.
Items for Sale, Rent, Loan and Free!
For Sale
Bridgestone Tires $80/obo
2 Bridgestone Potenza S-02A 205/50 ZR17 Boxster tires
in excellent condition with 7/32” tread remaining.
Original 914 Steel Wheels $80/obo
4 original steel wheels that fit 1972 914.
Contact: Jack Roth at 240-687-0857
docroth48@gmail.com
34
Market
Advertisements in the Market are free for members of any PCA
Region. A $10 fee is charged for advertisements submitted by
non-members. Contact the Patter editor (editor@pcachs.org)
for details or to submit a classified advertisement.
Items for Sale, Rent, Loan and Free!
For Sale
2007 Cayman S $38,500/obo
White/Black, like new, heated garage kept, non-smoker, 6speed, 19” Turbo II wheels, sport chrono plus, PASM,
PCM with navigation, auto climate, Bose sound, heated
leather sport seats, Alcantara sport steering wheel, biXenon headlights, Borla exhaust, RSS sway bars, 3M
clearbra, new battery, brake pads & rotors, car is current
on service with all records included, books/2 keys/all
OEM parts included. 38,000 miles.
Selling due to lack of time to enjoy car.
Contact: Jeff McClure, Baltimore, MD at 443-8014559. jmcclure@cms24-7.com
2013 Boxster Items
Porsche Brand Indoor Car Cover - $175
Coco Floor Mats of Natural Herringbone - $85
Clear Windstop from Pedros Garage - $75
Sold my 2013 Boxster and purchased a new 2015 911, so
these items are for sale.
Contact: Jim Orrell at jjorrell@comcast.net or
410-592-3847.
35
Volume 54, Issue 624
April 2015
346
54 YEARS STRONG
CHESAPEAKE REGIO