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TRANSCRIPT
Volume 54, Issue 624 April 2015
Chesapeake Region
Patter
Pre-Purchase Inspection Page 12
2
Chesapeake Region
Patter
3
5
in this issue
President’s Message Gary Martinez
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 [email protected]. Please send images in their original size. Editor: Michael Murphy Contributing Photographers: Lynda Sobus, Aniano Arao, Mick Whitlock. Contributing Writers: Bob Rassa, Aniano Arao, Steve Graham, Pat Walker, Bob Pur-gason, Mike Cook. Advertising: For questions about advertising rates and placement in the Porsche Patter, please contact Michael Murphy, [email protected].
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.
10 Upcoming Events - Autocross Instruction
Your Name and Car Badge - How To Order
Tech - PPI At Ralph’s Auto Service
Tech Tips - Under Coating Removal
Review - Porsche 1979 Turbo
In The News - Buried Ferrai
Pat Walker
Editor
Rob Mairs and Jim Earlbeck
Rob Mairs and Jim Earlbeck
Jay Ramsey
Editor
11
Membership and Anniversaries Aaron & Minta Miller 7
12
20
22
28
Market - For Sale Editor 33
PCA License Plates Bruce and Laurie Tarsia 35
9 Upcoming Events - April 2015 Events Calendar Editor
Chesapeake Region
is TT he Chesapeake Region of the Porsche Club of America serves it’s club
members and hosts activities within the Baltimore, Annapolis and sur-rounding 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 perform-ance of the marquee by sharing and exchanging technical and mechanical in-formation.
Establish and maintain mutually beneficial relations with Porsche AG, Por-sche 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 encour-aged and should be sent electronically in Microsoft Word format to [email protected] 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 advertise-ments 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 pub-lished, 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 may provide. 4
Cover Photo: PreCover Photo: Pre--Purchase In-Purchase In-spection by Fraser Dachille at spection by Fraser Dachille at Ralph’s Auto ServiceRalph’s Auto Service
Chesapeake Region
from our president
President’s MessagePresident’s Message
Welcome to Spring!
AA t least I think its
spring.....the calendar says
it is but Mother Nature has-
n’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!
The Tech sessions and Social are in full
swing and Autocross is just around the
corner. In fact, for this month Social and
Tour are teaming up for a combined
event on the Eastern Shore! For all of
our members out that way here’s your
chance to participate without having to
drive for half a day to get to us! These
events, and all those in planning are
brought to you by our tireless Board
Committee members and our volunteers
for the individual events who put in a
tremendous amount of time setting up
schedules, calling vendors and restau-
rants, and managing our very active cal-
endar. For everything they do, let me of-
fer a huge Thank You on behalf of all
our members.
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 en-
ergy. We are always looking for new
ideas for things to do, places to visit, and
activities to try out.
It’s my job to ask everyone, “Send us
your thoughts on activities that inter-
est you or events we can put into plan-
ning.” There is no monopoly on sugges-tions for our Region. If you’ve discov-
ered a great back road eatery or attrac-
tion, send me a note and we’ll try to
work it into the schedule for all to enjoy.
The talents and interests of our members
in nearly endless and if you find it attrac-
tive you can be assured that there is a
large number of our club who will too!
From antiques to breweries, Bar-B-Q
chicken to burger joints, new roads to be
explored and scenery to enjoy, we are
open to it all and will do our best to
make it available to everyone. 5
6
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 win-
ter 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
[email protected] 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 for-
ward to hearing from you with com-
ments, questions and suggestions.
As always, I’m happy to hear from you
directly and you can reach me at presi-
Have fun and Drive Safely!
GaryGary
Membership & Anniversaries
7
New Members:New Members: Jessica Ambrose
Donna Benedict Kerry Chadderton
Frederick B. Denker Bob Fierson
1965 356
2015 Macan S, Dark Blue 1984 944, Red
1974 914, Black 1985 911 Carrera Targa, White/Gold
Hanover, MD
Columbia, MD Easton , MD ,Whiteford MD
Crofton , MD
Primary Members: Primary Members: 775775 Affiliate Members: Affiliate Members: 458458
Total Members: Total Members: 12341234 MembershipMembership
Chris Greenawalt 1996 993 Cab, Metallic Turqouise Baltimore , MD
Jacqueline Hupfl Marc Kahan
2011 997
2013 Boxster
Pasadena , MD
Pasadena , MD
March 2015 Aaron & Minta Miller
Jeffrey W. Lees
2006 Cayenne S, Blue
Columbia , MD Jonathan Lewis
Joshua, Rafter
2014 Cayman S, Blue
2001 996
Clarksville , MD
Baltimore , MD
Andy Spicer 2015 Cayman GTS, Gray Clarksville , MD
Alan Wagner 2013 991 Cab, White/Tan Grasonville , MD
Transfer In:Transfer In: Damon Lowney, from Hudson Champlain
Transfer Out:Transfer Out: Faisal A. Sayeed, to Delaware
Thomas Scott and A. Thomas Beckman, Joseph and Betsy Ruzzi and Farris and Camil Shuggi
10th Year Anniversary:10th Year Anniversary: Daniel and Barbara Ashby and Davis Statton
AnniversariesAnniversaries
5th Year Anniversary:5th Year Anniversary:
Beth and Michael Keyser, Byron and Lisa McAllister and Byron and Lisa McAllister
15th Year Anniversary:15th Year Anniversary:
Robert C. Garcia, Tracey C. Smith
25th Year Anniversary:25th Year Anniversary:
Farris and Camil Shuggi, Charles Gilman, William Johnston, Andrew and Tracy Nagle, Larry and Noah Robinson and Frank Yockey
1st Year Anniversary:1st Year Anniversary:
Christopher Whalen 2013 991 C4S, Aqua Blue Metallic Riva , MD
Derik H. Swee , from Longhorn Howard Schapiro to Delaware
Chesapeake Region
the team
8
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
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
Chief Driving Instructor [email protected] Ellen Beck
Community Service [email protected] Mick & Meg Whitlock
Concours d’Elegance [email protected] Ron Gordon
Concours d’Elegance [email protected] Doug Ehmann
Historian
Membership
Bob Rassa
Aaron & Minta Miller
Webmaster [email protected] Terry Della Vecchia
Insurance [email protected] Lee Rock
PCA License Plates [email protected] Laurie Tarsia
PCA License Plates [email protected] Bruce Tarsia
PCA Zone 2 Representative [email protected] Cheryl Taylor
PCA Chesapeake Region-2015 Events Calendar
Upcoming EventsUpcoming Events Editor
March 1 Tech Tactics East 9:00am to 4:00pm Porsche of Bucks County, Easton Road, Warrington, PA (Second Day)
13-15 Zone 2 DE 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-tion Dinner
6:30pm to 9:30pm Carson’s Creekside Restaurant, 1110 Beech Drive, Mid-dle River, MD 21220
April 4 Hunt Valley – Cars and Coffee
6:30am to Noon 3rd Anniversary Hunt Valley Cars & Coffee, Exit 21 off I-83 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-Tour No. 1
7:00am to 6:00pm Hershey, PA, with Group Breakfast at Shrewsbury Res-taurant 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
May 3 32nd Deutsche Mar-que 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
Autocross Classroom & Course Instruction
Upcoming EventsUpcoming Events Pat Walker
April 11 Autocross Class & Course
8:00am to 2:00pm At Speed Motorsports, 7410 Coca Cola Drive, Suite 110, Hanover, MD
Starts Starts SaturdaySaturday April April 11th11th www.motorsportsreg.comwww.motorsportsreg.com
[email protected]@pcachs.org
10
Chesapeake Region Members Only
Your Name and Car BadgeYour Name and Car Badge
Now you can obtain the new Chesa-Now you can obtain the new Chesa-peake Region Name Badge. Go topeake Region Name Badge. Go to www.pcachs.orgwww.pcachs.org and scroll to the and scroll to the bottom of the page and there in the bottom of the page and there in the middle of the page is button to click middle of the page is button to click that will take you right to the order that will take you right to the order form. form. $25$25, inclusive of handling and , inclusive of handling and shipping.shipping.
This month you have the opportu-This month you have the opportu-nity to purchase a heavy goldnity to purchase a heavy gold--plated plated Chesapeake Region metal car badge.Chesapeake Region metal car badge.
Each metal car badge comes com-Each metal car badge comes com-plete with two brass screws, washers plete with two brass screws, washers and nuts to mount it through your and nuts to mount it through your car grille or plate.car grille or plate.
We are taking orders right now! We are taking orders right now! The cost per metal car badge is The cost per metal car badge is $30$30 or two for $50.or two for $50. This price includes This price includes handling and shipping.handling and shipping.
To place your preTo place your pre--order, send an order, send an email message to the Patter Editor email message to the Patter Editor [email protected] [email protected] and indi-and indi-cate the quantity, name, and ship-cate the quantity, name, and ship-ping address. Once received we will ping address. Once received we will let you know how and when to pay let you know how and when to pay for your order.for your order.
Editor
11
20
48 Chesapeake Region Me48 Chesapeake Region MeWhat’s InvolWhat’s Invol
Saturday, MaSaturday, Ma
Tech Session Tech Session -- Pre Purchase InspectPre Purchase Inspect
Ralph’s A
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
on page 18).
13
embers Learned Firsthand embers Learned Firsthand lved In A PPIlved In A PPI arch 21, 2015arch 21, 2015
tiontion uto Service
Rob Mairs & Jim EarlbechRob Mairs & Jim Earlbech
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
22
Tech Session Tech Session -- Pre Purchase InspectPre Purchase Inspect
Ralph’s A
Jim Earlbeck presents Alan Gunzelman with the $250 Jim Earlbeck presents Alan Gunzelman with the $250 Ralph’s Service Certificate as Alan’s name was drawn at randomRalph’s Service Certificate as Alan’s name was drawn at random
tiontion uto Service
Rob Mairs & Jim EarlbechRob Mairs & Jim Earlbech
Alan Gunzelman’s “Ride” to Ralph’sAlan Gunzelman’s “Ride” to Ralph’s 6 15
Jim Earlbeck announcing the $250 Gift Certificate toJim Earlbeck announcing the $250 Gift Certificate to Ralph’s Auto Service Courtesy of the PCA Chesapeake RegionRalph’s Auto Service Courtesy of the PCA Chesapeake Region
Tech Session Tech Session -- Pre Purchase InspectPre Purchase Inspect
Ralph’s A
Exterior view of Ralph Simmers and Chuck Goldsborough's new establishment (two doors down from Ralph’s previous location).
tiontion uto Service
Rob Mairs & Jim EarlbechRob Mairs & Jim Earlbech
17
Lovely 911 Turbos waiting to be serviced.
Tech Session Tech Session -- Pre Purchase InspectPre 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.
tiontion uto Service
Rob Mairs & Jim EarlbechRob Mairs & Jim Earlbech
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 en-
u 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 JimRob and Jim [email protected] [email protected] 19
WW 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 undercoat-
ing 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.
This old stuff is ugly and messy and in our
opinion, doesn’t belong on your car. But get-
ting it off is not fun! It is a dirty, time con-
suming, greasy, gooey, nasty job that only
some of us fools are willing to undertake.
Being one of those fools and having recently
purchased a car that was covered with this
nasty stuff one of your co-chairs wanted it
off. A number of cleaners, Xylol, paint thin-
ner, Acetone, wire brushes, scrapers and a
heat gun were initially tried but nothing was
working well. By chance I was thumbing
through an Eastwood Company
(www.eastwood.com) catalog and I saw a
product called “UnderGone®” which was be-
ing touted as having the ability to soften rub-
berized undercoatings and tar. The product
was also advertised as being non-toxic, non-
corrosive, 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 person-
ally satisfying. Under-
Gone® really does soften
the undercoating so you
are able to scrape it off
but you then need a con-
tainer to put it in – I used
a trash can. I also suggest
putting some sort of drip
pan and plastic cover un-
derneath the area you are
working on to capture goop that drops off
and make sure you are wearing old
clothes and rubber gloves. I would 20
Tech Tips Tech Tips -- From Your Tech CommitFrom Your Tech Commit
Cleaning The Underside of Y
also suggest good ventilation.
Spray it on and let it soak in for
several minutes and then scrape
it off. The soak time will de-
pend on the thickness of the un-
dercoat 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 to-
gether a short piece for the Pat-
ter.
Rob Mairs and Jim Earlbeck,
21
ttee Cottee Co--ChairsChairs Your Car (Undercoat Removal)
Rob Mairs & Jim EarlbechRob Mairs & Jim Earlbech
Before
After
Review Review -- Porsche 1979 TurboPorsche 1979 Turbo
A Supercar In Its Day, The 930 T
II 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 Volks-
wagen 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.
Times have certainly changed, and a car that was once
feared for being a bit of a handful is, well, still a bit of
a handful. But as the values of nearly all air-cooled
Porsches have surged, the 930 Turbo has been pulled
out of the classified pages of sunny resorts, replete
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 require-
ments for the 1976, Porsche started developing the tur-
bocharged version of the 911 in 1972, with Ernst Fuhr-
mann from the racing side of the company at the helm
of the project. Fuhrmann already had experience with
turbocharging gained during the 917/30 Can-Am race
cars, with the company first adapting the 3.0-liter flat-
Turbo Sees Surge In Boost, Values
Jay RamseyJay Ramsey
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.
Porsche debuted the 911 Turbo model at the Paris mo-
tor show in 1974, surprising crowds with its perform-
ance stats, muted looks, and hefty price. Early on, Zuf-
fenhausen had viewed the turbo model as a means to
an end; a homologation special to satisfy racing re-
quirements for the company team. But with the re-
quired number cars already spoken for by the end of
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 improve-
ments 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
brought the output to 253 hp and 282 lb-ft at 4,000
rpm, along with a 0 to 60 sprint time of just 5.3 sec-
onds. Those weren't just supercar figures for the time -
- they were better than the majority of what were con-
sidered the supercars of the era. The KKK turbo-
charger in the revised 930 gained an air-to-air inter-
cooler for the 1978 model year, helping the Porsche
66
23
Review Review -- Porsche 1979 TurboPorsche 1979 Turbo
A Supercar In Its Day, The 930 T
run circles around its mostly uncompetitive competi-
tion, 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 com-
promise by Porsche fans given the existence of a five-
speed unit at the time. And it also kept its very short
89.4-inch wheelbase which, combined with the often-
startling 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 Zuffen-
hausen.
"This was one of the top cars on my list that I've al-
ways 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 ac-
tually 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 immedi-
ately."
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 compart-
ment, 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
Turbo Sees Surge In Boost, Values
Jay RamseyJay Ramsey
on the car's window sticker. The rear engine layout,
combined with a short wheelbase, could induce over-
steer 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 ex-
tremely 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 Por-
sche 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, should-
n'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
66
25
Review Review -- Porsche 1979 TurboPorsche 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 respon-
sive 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.
"This is terrible to drive in the city because of the
clutch and the transmission. But again, once you're on
the highway, it's fine," Peters says.
"Are the lower gears just too tall?" we ask him.
"Yeah, and the turbo lag is terrible," Peters says. "The
turbo lag was improved significantly with the B&B
headers and exhaust -- that took it down to starting to
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 val-
ues weren't that high on these. The maintenance is
relatively expensive and they're probably less enjoy-
able to drive as a weekend tourer than a regular 3.2-
liter Carrera."
With supercar performance comes supercar mainte-
nance, and even when the 930 Turbo wasn't trading
north of $100,000 on the collector market, it could still
generate an impressive maintenance bill. We asked
Peters about the items he's had to address in the recent
past and if this model has any particular Achilles' heel.
"These things always have oil leaks. I mean, it only
has 34,000 miles on it, so I don't drive it much," Peters
replies. "I just got this back a couple weeks ago, it was
$25,000 for the service because it had a bunch of oil
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."
Despite the hefty bill, this was a pretty major overhaul
for the Porsche -- definitely not a yearly maintenance.
But these cars are complex and they do require expert
attention, especially when it comes to doing anything
while the engine is out. A similar procedure on a mod-
ern 911 could easily cost just as much, simply with the
parts and labor costs, so Porsche owners shouldn't be
surprised by major engine-out work on the 930s.
As we pull over, Peters lets the car idle for a minute to
let the turbo cool down. On these cars, that's non-
negotiable.
"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
ruin your turbo. Other than that, they're pretty bullet-
proof. The problem is, if it needs any major service it
takes a long time, and you may have to take the engine
out like in a Ferrari. So that's expensive. I've wanted
an old Ferrari 308 or something, but everyone that has
one just says, even if they love it 'Don't buy one of
these things, it'll ruin your life.'"
The time to buy one of these passed a few years ago,
back when a low-mileage example could be picked up
for around $25,000. In fact, models that are valued
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s
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Turbo Sees Surge In Boost, Values
Jay RamseyJay Ramsey
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 com-
pletely 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.
66
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16
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
In The News In The News -- Buried FerrariBuried Ferrari
Sometimes Real Life Stories Are S
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 authori-ties who came and roped off the area. A team of investigators arrived and unearthed the rare car.
quite the case with a young group of boys in California. They were digging in their yard when they found something that would make anyone’s jaw drop and their mouth
start drooling. In 1978, these kids were dig-ging in their yard when they came across something big, something metal, and some-thing very very valuable. A buried Ferrari! After exhuming the Italian sports car, it was obvious that someone had planned on re-turning to retrieve the vehicle. It was very
crudely mummified with towels in the vents and tape on many of the seams however the windows weren’t fully closed causing a lot of interior damage.
Farmers Insurance was contacted and be-cause 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
Stranger Than Fiction - Here’s One
EditorEditor
29
In The News In The News -- Buried FerrariBuried Ferrari
Sometimes Real Life Stories Are S
the ocean so he could claim insurance on it. The thieves buried the car with the intention of returning to pick it up. The buried Ferrari was then auctioned off after being on display with the incredible story being reported across the nation. It was purchased by a young mechanic who owned his own shop in California. The going 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
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 car even has a vanity plate which reads “DUG UP”. How perfect is that?
Stranger Than Fiction - Here’s One
EditorEditor
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Items for Sale, Rent, Loan and Free!Items for Sale, Rent, Loan and Free!
MarketMarket 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 ([email protected]) for details or to submit a classified advertisement.
For SaleFor 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 ti-tled. I've actually been stopped/been given warnings by two police officers, and nei-ther 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 [email protected]
33
Items for Sale, Rent, Loan and Free!Items for Sale, Rent, Loan and Free!
MarketMarket 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 ([email protected]) for details or to submit a classified advertisement.
For SaleFor 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 [email protected]
34
Items for Sale, Rent, Loan and Free!Items for Sale, Rent, Loan and Free!
MarketMarket 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 ([email protected]) for details or to submit a classified advertisement.
For SaleFor Sale
2007 Cayman S $38,500/obo White/Black, like new, heated garage kept, non-smoker, 6-speed, 19” Turbo II wheels, sport chrono plus, PASM, PCM with navigation, auto climate, Bose sound, heated leather sport seats, Alcantara sport steering wheel, bi-Xenon 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 443-801-4559. [email protected]
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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 [email protected] or
410-592-3847.
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Volume 54, Issue 624 April 2015
54 YEARS STRONG
CHESAPEAKE REGION