What better way to spend a little bit of Father’s Day than a visit to Larz Anderson for their annual German Car Day? Our friends from Porsche of Norwell and Palmer Motorsports Park, among many others, were on hand to make it a very fun event!
– story and pictures by Gary Cooper
There is no doubt we all love our Porsche’s. Whether we track them, AX them, rally them, show them or just stare at them in the garage (guilty) – we find ways to enjoy ownership.
For my wife, Ellen, and me – we like to drive our 2003 Boxster and share in the camaraderie of like-minded people. One of our favorite ways to do this is to attend the Blue Ridge Boxster Summit (www.brbs.org) in Little Switzerland, NC.
BRBS, as we call it, started in 1999 as an informal gathering of owners of the original 986 Boxster, and has met continually since – this year’s event was BRBS19. Although not affiliated with PCA, most attendees are probably members. The group has no purpose or agenda other than getting together once a year to drive our cars, eat good food, and enjoy each other’s company.
It’s nearly 1,000 miles from Boston to BRBS so we’d be gone for a full week (the event takes place the week of Memorial Day). Careful packing was a must! Fortunately, our little mid-engined roadster has two trunks.
We left bright and early on Tuesday morning and drove hard for 11 hours to make it to Roanoke, VA. The reason for this (crazy) plan was to allow ourselves a more leisurely drive on Wednesday. We jumped on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Roanoke and spent the entire day on this lovely road driving 220 miles to Little Switzerland. There are countless scenic overlooks on the 469-mile length of the Parkway as well as stops of cultural interest. We enjoyed the Folk Music Center for some live bluegrass music.
When we pulled into our cabin’s driveway in the late afternoon, Ellen’s cousin, Chris Rieder from southern Maine (NCR member) and his wife, Sharon, had left earlier and were already there in their 2008 Boxster coupe (some people at Porsche call that a Cayman but we know better). They stocked the refrigerator with snack and drinks. Most attendees stay at the Switzerland Inn, which is located right on the Parkway and Route 226/226a, also known as the Diamondback. This 12 mile loop has 190 curves – similar to the more well-known Tail of the Dragon. I call it “Porsche heaven.” But we enjoy spreading out in our homey cabin, and we are within walking distance to the beautiful inn. We joined other attendees on the terrace for drinks and then soaked in the gorgeous view by the new fire pit.
The “early” event on Thursday was a trip to the Sierra Nevada Brewery for a tour, beer tasting, and scrumptious lunch.
On the way back we took the Parkway and stopped to take the road to the top of Mt. Mitchell, highest point east of the Mississippi. I took a selfie with Chris and Sharon from the observatory.
The theme of BRBS19 was Western, so we enjoyed a chuck-wagon feast on the terrace and got reacquainted with friends. The social scene is one of the best parts of the event.
The next two days you can sign up for a variety of “Fun Runs.” Think a nice drive, activity, and lunch. Examples are hikes, vineyard tours, shopping and even zip-lining. We chose an enthusiast’s drive on some of the fantastic local roads, followed by some authentic NC BBQ at Pig-n-Grits for Friday, and a drive to Blowing Rock, NC for lunch and shopping opportunities for our “navigators.” One of the best parts of these Fun Runs is the joy and honor of driving in caravan with a technicolor lineup of Porsche cars. By the way, the loose rule is once you attend a BRBS in a Boxster, you can drive whatever you want at subsequent events.
One of the last events of BRBS is the Show-and-Shine, where some attendees present their cars in a non-judged setting on the inn’s lawn. One of our favorites is this 2016 in a stunning color combo of Mahogany Brown over Espresso. Ellen says it reminds her of a Godiva chocolate!
We said our goodbyes on Sunday morning, and already have plans to attend the big 20th Anniversary BRBS next year. As you can tell, we love the event. But it’s mostly the people (sound familiar, PCA members?) that we enjoy. In fact, as one veteran attendee described it – she gets to see 150 or so of her best friends – each year!
Chris and Sharon had made plans to drive to SC to visit the new owner of the 1.7L 914 that they had owned since the 70’s. We decided to make a stop in Charlottesville, VA to visit Monticello on Monday. The Rieder’s then drove back north and met us there.
Before leaving MA I had made arrangements to meet my good friend and fellow PCA member, Bruce Russell, from the Richmond area for lunch at the historic Michie Tavern near Monticello (managed by another PCA member with a 981!). Bruce had some big news – he just come from purchasing an absolute cherry 997 Carrera S at a dealer in Charlottesville. Unfortunately, he did decide to sell his 986, but he’ll always be welcome in the Boxster community! Here’s a picture he sent of his new pride and joy after he got it safely home.
Still needing to make our way home to the real world, we decided to make one more stop in historic Gettysburg, PA and got to take a brief drive around town.
When we pulled into our motel, we noticed a large collection of vintage cars – mostly Detroit iron. It turns out the Antique Automobile Club of America was there on their own tour.
I immediately noticed there were only two Porsches in the lot. One was an original-owner 356A that had been purchased in 1957 for $2,700. The owner suggested I hold on to my 986, but I can’t imagine it’ll ever be worth 10x what I paid for it! Also there was a sweet 1979 SC. Of course I had to press my nose up against the window to get a look inside. I then noticed the owner’s placard and was surprised it was someone I had met before – at last year’s BRBS! What a coincidence!
I left a note under their wiper, and a day later got a nice email from the owner. The BRBS bonds are strong! If you have a Boxster, you should really look into attending the event in 2018.
Thank you, Gary, for once again sharing your story with us! Do you have a story to share? Email it to us with pictures (please be sure to add photo credits) and we may be able to use it in the Nor’Easter, the website, or both.
– Story and pictures by Josh Perrault.
If even the casual classic car enthusiast has been paying attention in recent years, it would very difficult to avoid reading the articles, videos and other media without hearing about the Porsche air-cooled craze. The countless YouTube videos and Instagram posts through the years, not to mention classified ads, have brought the demand and obsession to a fever pitch, and if you’re reading this piece, I’m not telling you something you haven’t already heard. As far as I can gather, no other car meet in this country highlights the air-cooled cars of the Porsche brand to this magnitude and brings owners from all points of the Pacific coastline more than Luftgekühlt. Organized by Porsche guys Howie Idelson and Porsche factory team racer Patrick Long, Luftgekühlt (that’s Luft-gek-cult) has grown to a substantial size in four years. Unfortunately, my experience only includes this year, 2017. I first heard about Luftgekühlt in Road and Track magazine last spring. This is the thing though: there is no real advertising for Luftgekühlt. It is as homegrown as anything gets these days. It is a fairly low key gathering, despite the number of attendees, with the only hype existing on the Instagram accounts of car enthusiasts and Porsche guys. Last year this air-cooled Porsche event was held at Modernica, a modern style furniture company in Vernon, California. 2016’s turnout was huge and I could only speculate that this year would be even bigger. As with liters of displacement, bigger is not always better, but certainly more Porsche is better than fewer. Still, it makes one wish that he had been in the know and attended the first Luftgekühlt when it was an intimate gathering at the cool little apparel shop, Deus Ex Machina in Venice, California.
Nevertheless, back to the here and now. Luftgekühlt, the scene: Picture West Coast, older Porsche guys in their 60’s and 70’s, artist types dressed in black with camera’s alongside an odd demographic of 20 or 30 something hipster types in short beards and flannels. In the broad scheme of things, these younger car enthusiasts are a drop in the bucket. However, you can only conclude that all the research data and articles in automotive magazines – lamenting that millennials are about as interested in cars as they are pleated pants – are complete rubbish. Last but not least, the midlife, mid 40’s guys who have probably remotely been into cars forever and annoy their wives and kids about the romantic greatness of the air-cooled 911s’ and 914s to the point of almost getting kicked out of the house. Guilty as charged.
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This year I decided that, viewing Luftgekühlt through a historic lens, a trip to see it in person was in order. Right now, the last four or five year’s feels like a Porsche renaissance of sorts. Porsche’s have been around for well over 50 years, but we might be currently living in a high point for these cars and it had to be witnessed. Not long ago, people might have been apprehensive to throw money at a car whose value did not exceed the cost of repairs. With the air-cooled market seemingly red-lined, it now makes sense to restore, refurbish, or just plain sort these cars out. New Porsche-enthusiasts like myself, have become bandwagon-jumpers with a new take on Porsches, in large part due to West Coasters like Magnus Walker and The R Gruppe.
“all the research data and articles in automotive magazines –lamenting that millennials are about as interested in cars as they are pleated pants – are complete rubbish”
With full support from my wife, it was now time to work on my fellow music scene and Porsche friend, Chris Casali. Over the last five years, we both watched, disgruntled, as 911’s increased in price while trying to come up with the money to pull the trigger. With some serious luck and some sacrifice, we now both own 911’s that are driven frequently. Initially, he shot me down when I brought up a trip out to Luftgekühlt. Then he thought about it, which meant a maybe. Then it was another no. Finally I got the text “ok. I’m in.” Is there anything better than an accomplice on a completely irresponsible trip that will only fuel your already full-tilt obsession when you get back home?
With the date and location announced for Luftgekühlt 2017 and, being a logistical genius, Chris did not waste any time purchasing tickets and putting a plan together. This year’s version was to be held at Warehouse #10 at 112 E and 22nd st in San Pedro, California and he found a Double Tree hotel just a few miles from the venue. Our plan was to be there at first crack to watch the cars roar in. He also looked into The Peterson Auto Museum in Los Angeles and bought admission for “The Vault” – the downstairs portion of the museum – for Friday afternoon when we were to land at LAX. He also reserved an Audi A4 from Silver Car rental (they only rent silver A4’s if you’re wondering). To sweeten the deal, I saw that the Costa Mesa shop, Auto Kennel, posted about an open house for that Saturday, a sort of pre-game before Sundays main event. Auto Kennel’s owner, Paul, is an R Gruppe member and his shop mostly deals in Older Porsche’s.
On the morning of May fifth, I left Barrington RI at 4:15 AM. Arriving in Cumberland 45 minutes later, I picked up Chris at his house in my wife’s Ford Fiesta and drove north to Logan airport in Boston and flew out. Getting into LAX after noontime, we picked up our Audi A4 Silver Car rental and headed out toward the Peterson Museum. At mid-afternoon on a Friday, it’s all true what they say about L.A traffic. However, the Peterson does not disappoint. The main exhibit was historic Ferraris, amongst other classic and antique cars and motorcycles. The 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO is an outrageously beautiful car. Only 39 were made. The styling reminds me of the Shelby Daytona Coupe. That, and Ferrari’s 1965 250 LM, Ferrari’s first mid-engined V-12 GT car. Among others, a 600 horsepower 1997 Porsche 911 GT1. If you squint your eyes, it resembles a Porsche 959… I think. Maybe its been a long flight… The majority of our time was spent in the Peterson Museum’s Vault. No pictures are allowed in the vault, but I can tell you that there was, in fact, one of the first Teslas and a Porsche 901, not to mention historic west coast custom hot rods, one offs, and the earliest cars ever built. The amount of information our excellent guide provided was ample. A visit to the vault downstairs is well over an hour and well worth the additional twenty dollars.
We turned in early at the Double Tree in San Pedro to get an early start for the hour drive to Auto Kennel in Costa Mesa the next morning. After a comfortable night’s sleep and a quick hit of Starbucks, we made it to Auto Kennel early. On the way into town, we spotted a type 2 Volkswagen bus. I thought we must be in the right spot but the air-cooled bus continued on past the address for our destination. “That’s right,” I thought, “these buses are a regular fixture out here, not a complete rarity at a car show in the North East!”
Outside of Auto Kennel, Chris and I hung on the corner like we when we were teenagers waiting for a concert, until we heard the familiar sound of a flat six engine. The Auto Kennel is a bit hidden in a quiet neighborhood but, within five minutes time, cars were starting to pack into the modest parking lot provided by the owners, Paul and Ed Kramer. As the cars came in, it was even more apparent that the West Coast really does have its own unique style. A blue long hood, with Fuchs wheels up front and Mini Lites out back is something you don’t see back home, as are the roof racks on the green 911 “Latortuga“, an R Gruppe car owned by Paul Kramer himself. A white ’72 911 ST tribute, with R Gruppe and Willow Springs stickers on the quarter windows, attracted it’s share of attention. Obviously somewhat local, with an Auto Kennel plate frame, it looked like a vario ram engine from a 993 – and you can make a safe bet that there was more to the story. It looked like an extremely serious car. Getting the whole story would have been the smart thing to do, but alas, I was distracted by a large presence of mid-year cars and SC’s that had a slight “Outlaw look,” which is sometimes seen sometimes seen on The Pelican Parts Forum, but not often.
Rumor was buzzing that they drove cross-country! These guys bring the saying “get out and drive” to an extreme.
Some of these impact bumper cars had dual exhaust, but exiting in the center – a throwback to the old long hood hot rods. Ditching the impact bumperettes and filling the holes was also another aesthetic that was apparent. These ’74 and ’75 non-sunroof 911S’s were so well done, I think if you were to own a water pumper you would want to trade in the modern performance for the vintage feel and look. A group called The G Program from Oyster Bay, NY rumbled up, complete with support vehicle. G Program also had a slightly antique look, ditching the side rocker trim, center fuel caps in the hood, using euro bumperettes, and slightly lowered – these cars looked and sounded serious. Above all, they looked sports-purpose built. Rumor was buzzing that they drove cross-country! These guys bring the saying “get out and drive” to an extreme.
There was an impact bumper 911S from Nevada and a group of great long hoods, a 356 and a type 2 van that drove down from Canada. The green 911E from Alberta Canada might be the most stunning you will ever see. The color, rally lights on the hood and center dual exhaust would stop traffic. Its partner, the red car, with black ducktail and black BBS style wheels was equally stunning. It was a large turn out. Cars parked out on the street and in the small front parking spots. Certainly accepted, and currently sought after, were two super clean 914’s. A yellow 2-liter with black Mini Lites. Also on hand – an orange 914-6 (“keys on the left brah”). We met people: Mark and Ken in a 993 that belong to a group that have built a Porsche racecar from the ground up and have been enthusiasts for decades but will still take the time to talk with guys like us who are relatively new to the scene. Bruce Ladd from the Mid-West. We made great friends with Brian and Stephen, just two more of the many friendly people we met that morning. As with most cars-and-coffee, people started filtering out before noon, firing up flat sixes and rumbling out onto the street. Paul and Ed Kramer from Auto Kennel were super friendly and they put together a really nice gathering of great cars, great people, and an awesome food truck with breakfast burritos. And let’s not forget the coffee. We started the drive back to San Pedro completely amped for the next day.
The hour drive back went by quickly due to Chris and I blabbering about the cars from that morning – the dark green mid-year non-sunroof 911S with the black wheels possibly the most. About half-way a light bulb went off above my partners head, “We should swing by the venue and see what’s going on.” Why not?
It was an unseasonably cool sixty degrees when we rolled into the adjacent parking lot at Warehouse #10, 112E and 22nd St in San Pedro, and I wish I had my pants on. Crafted at the port of Los Angeles, which is the name of the space where the event was to take place, it is a collection of shops that boast some of the best artisans and craftspeople in SoCal. Its a market/warehouse type atmosphere, there is a brewery, among other shops, and event space. A handful of staff was bustling about and cars were already in the lot, some under plastic sheets due to the heavens that were about to start spitting at us. 356’s were lined up at the South end of the lot, with the wind from the ocean only miles away blowing their thin plastic covers. However, up on the loading dock were cars I most certainly recognized from watching a YouTube video called Treffen 2014 (about 75 times over the last three years). Most of them were the infamous R Gruppe cars, and if there was anything I flew across the country to see, these cars were it. Brilliant and fantastic in both color and aesthetic, it was quite a sight to see these cars lined up together in real life. It is like seeing one of your favorite bands up close, larger than life. These cars were all similar in race-purpose look, yet individually quite different. Indeed, Cris Huergas and Freeman Thomas, the founders of R Gruppe, have formed an exclusive group of cars. In this day and age where we’re told we should be inclusive in many aspects of life, this is a somewhat refreshing notion to me. Instagrammer Ctansman‘s car was already there from North Carolina – white with tan deck lid and hood – along with Lisa from Flying L Racing “Oslo “ with a blue back-date. After seeing all there was to see, my fingers turning white from the cold, we decided to get back to the hotel, grab some dinner, and hit the sheets. We had arrived, and Luftgekühlt was going to be epic.
At the very least, it sounds like a symphony. The best symphony you have ever heard… one that smells of slightly rich fueled up cars and oil.
The alarm at 4:30 the next morning was not as dreaded as usual. There weren’t any school lunches to get ready and no school bus to catch – and there was more than a good reason to get out of bed. We jumped in the A4 and busted out, stopping to fuel up on gas station coffee, and made our way over. Booking a hotel so close to Crafted at the port of Los Angeles was brilliance on Chris’s part as it really paid off. The two of us showed up at the same time as the young staff working Luftgekühlt. Still dark with only a crack of light to the East, it was slightly raining. All I could think of was the cars I could hear coming down the road getting wet. Although, it is not nearly as big of a deal out here in sunny southern California. We positioned ourselves at the entrance to the show, not to mention only 100 ft. away from the entrance to the “air-cooled” parking lot. This lot is for people attending that have air-cooled Porsches only. The first two cars that came in were two 914’s followed by two long hood 911’s. It sounds ridiculous, but a group of flat 6’s and 4’s is kind of like Christmas, warm sunlight in spring, and sound of the surf all rolled into one. At the very least, it sounds like a symphony. The best symphony you have ever heard… one that smells of slightly rich fueled up cars and oil. Its glorious, man. Glorious.
With the sun just about to creep over the horizon, the clouds were breaking up spectacularly. The rain was lightly coming down and the cars were roaring down the hill with their lights on. Rays of early morning light were coming through the clouds and 356’s, 911’s, 912’s, 914’s and 964’s, not to mention the blue safari 911 that drove from NY, were buzzing down the hill and around the corner heading for the entrance. Around six-thirty am, a flatbed dropped off a black SC or Carrera 3.2 with a tail that had a hit on the passenger side nose. Someone had said it happened the day before on a canyon run. Brad from 1552’s wine-red SC came in, complete with a low stance, ducktail and the gold Outlaw 003 wheels. Walking into Luftgekühlt and getting our wristbands, we moved in among the people and cars, intoxicated by the atmosphere and scene. You could see the cars stretched out as far as the confines of the parking lot would allow. One of the many aspects of these older cars, are the array of special colors – sepia brown, signal orange, Mayan green and sunflower yellow. When put together in massive numbers, you question once again why car companies can’t make these colors now. It was quite a colorful Porsche palette of pigment. The R Gruppe cars acquired more company, including Rolly Resos’s car – the white, red and black 911 with Shell emblems, came blasting in. There was a long row of 912’s. The 912 row started with none other than, Anaheim California’s Porsche engine builder, John Benton’s “Mein 12”. John has owned this 912 for decades, during which he has refined, rebuilt, and refined it again. Unusually understated, with only steel wheels and rally lights, today John has racey decals and the number 64 on it. Mein 12 is hands down one of my favorite cars after watching the short piece on Petrolicious, and it was here in real life! Once the underdog like the 914, the 912’s have come into their own, and I suspect some of it is due to John’s attention to the plucky little flat four. Less weight in the back means a more balanced vehicle, and Benton builds these flat fours into little powerhouses. Plus, its white. And white is awesome. Also close by was the Benton shop truck – a VW type 1 bus with a bed. Along the fence nearby were some of the best looking 914’s you could hope to see. The 914’s had defiantly made a showing – yellow with black side script and black Mini Lites, blue with gold wheels… How am I going to convince my wife, Nicole, that I need that 914 2.0 I saw on Craigslist up in Massachusetts?
By now, Chris and I had lost each other in a sea of goodness. The sights, sounds, energy, and enthusiasm were intoxicating. The rain cleared completely and it was shaping up to be an epic weather day. Making my way to the indoor exhibit, I stopped to see Joshy Robots 911T with a box of diapers and case of beer on the roof racks. He has a massive following on Instagram and drives his car without reservation, fighting the urge to cosmetically restore the car. His many fans applaud him for using his car for family duty (he has a baby and wife on board) and also participating in The Pod-casters “Driving While Awesome” Coastal Range Rally they’ve organized the last few years. Next to Josh’s car was a strange, unrestored VW/Porsche that resembled a 356, wait scratch that…rather a Karman Ghia, with a Rhode Island plate! Now if that is not a sign for us to be at Luftgekühlt, I do not know what is. I still do not know what that car was either…
Stepping inside the high-ceilinged, exposed, wooden-trussed, industrial-type building was life-long vintage Porsche builder Rod Emory’s slate-grey type color 356 with a 964 drivetrain complete with roof rack, trail bike, and road cycle. Keeping with that theme was a gorgeous marina blue 914 with matching Fuchs, roof rack and surfboard. See, these cars are totally practical, no ? Along the wall of very unique Pirelli art with exposed upright beams was a Turbo Carrera in chiffon white with the more rare, swooping rear quarter Turbo graphic that thins as it extends to the nose of the car. The majority of the cars inside were historically significant – the 904 Carrera GTS, the 550 Spyder, the 1949 Gmund 356 SL that won Le Mans in 1951. Possibly the most popular these days, and most interesting to me, a white 1967 Porsche 911R. I once read that the 911 R was the reason for the obsession of the two founding members of R Gruppe. Followed by a 2.7 RS, SC RS, 964 RS and 933 RS, also all in white – a sight to behold. The Gulf-liveried 917, a green 959… That is something we will probably will never see again. Working on a mural at the far end of the space, Mark Morgan from Triple Espresso was drawing, in real time, with black ink on a huge white wall, a sort of historic Porsche timeline. Portraits of Ferry and Ferdinand Porsche, Steve McQueen, and all the models from the 356 to the last of the air-cooled 911’s. This was a highlight, because to me, the mix of car design and art go hand in hand, like Ray Bans and beat up Levi’s. Touching upon the subject of art, Singer Vehicle Design had brought three of their cars. These cars are gorgeous and exceed the photos we have seen. The mustard yellow car, white coupe with black side script and the marine blue car with orange Fuchs and deck lid script were all there. The orange Jaegermeister RSR, a perfect Irish green 912, and the list went on…someone actually told me that Mr. Seinfield looked very interested in that green 912. 
Walking back outside, I managed to meet up with Chris who had a huge smile on his face looking at the ruby stone 964 over near a yellow ’73 Carrera RS. The sun was out, the mist had burned off, and it was warm and nice. Also outside, Patrick Dempsey’s Brown ’82 SC. Sitting there like a huge cup of French roast coffee with a shot of cream with gold wheels and whale tail. The interior just as rich, with brown leather with white stitching, and tan carpet. Dempsey’s car has a Momo Prototipo steering wheel. Chris saw Dempsey drive into the lot, and then watched as members of the female persuasion pursued the brown SC. Dempsey’s car was in an area that seemed to be concentrated with colors – a cashmere beige 911S 2.7, a gold 912 with one center exhaust pipe and black cookie cutters, another 912 possibly in signal orange and a white 911 with steel wheels… As we moved toward the front of the building, we noticed Los Angeles clothing-and-style businessman turned car-collector, Magnus Walker. He was hanging out and conversing with a handful of people by his freshly completed Gold right-hand-drive 911 Turbo. As mentioned previously, me being relatively new to these cars, he was a large part of my growing interest. Magnus has changed people’s perception of the brand by highlighting the driving aspect of the cars instead of just waxing and showing them off. Wearing patina and dust as a badge of honor and, like R Gruppe, assuming a race-inspired look or aesthetic, his enthusiasm for the cars is infectious. And most of his appeal lies among the younger Porsche fans. Without a doubt, he has been one of the reasons for the recent interest in older Porsches and the cars increasing values over the last 5 years. Magnus and I met briefly, shook hands, and of course, Chris snapped a picture of the two of us. It may be framed and put on the wall somewhere in the house.
We made our way once again by Mein12 and the line of 912’s, the 914’s with the fender flares, to the “air-cooled” lot. This is the attendees air cooled parking, but get this, these cars will force you to linger as much as the main show itself! These may be “average cars” for the West Coast, but to two guys from the Northeast, they are mind-blowing. Older long hoods that look mostly stock and factory, hot-rod-looking long hoods, early impact bumpers, SC’S, Carrera 3.2’s, 914 2 liter and flat 6, 912’s, a group of really low stance 964’s, owned by younger gentlemen, some with three piece wheels, and the 993, the last run for the air-cooled cars. Some of these cars had patina that is impossible for someone from the salty and rusty Northeast to fully comprehend. Like the green Euro Carrera, but unbelievably, it had Maryland plates. So much for that theory. Some of the paint on these other cars was flawless. The colors on these cars in the air-cooled lot were just as spectacular as the cars inside the show. Due to the vintage, the mid-years, SC’s and Carrera’s had tasteful upgrades and small custom touches. No two were alike. Like any other area of car culture, it relies on individual taste and freedom of expression. Different exhaust notes, backdating exhaust, stock ride height, lowered, differently colored body panels, deleting trim and bumpers to lighten the cars etc – and Luftgekühlt highlighted this aspect as I had never seen before. Many of these cars are interesting because some of them you might be able to stretch to obtain. Your $10,000 914, or your $30,000 ’75 911S 2.7 for example. And that could be the best part about Luftgekühlt. Sure there are historic race cars, and triple figure 993 C4S’s, and triple figure long hoods, and old Turbos, and 964 RS America’s… However, most the people who own them will also hang out and talk to you about that 914 2.0. Because they get it. They appreciate everything. 
The sheer number of people and cars really made an impression. Just the air-cooled lot alone must have had over 200 0r 300 cars, possibly more, not to mention the curated show itself. People have traveled from all over for this annual air-cooled cars-and-coffee event every year in the Spring. How do they know about it, word of mouth, a friend of a friend ? Here lies something possibly even more beautiful than the sound of a flat six with a throaty exhaust: Idelson and Long do not really advertise for Luftgekühlt. They have a website and they announce the date. People on Instagram spread the word fast like a California forest fire. Maybe faster. But it is still pretty much grassroots. Chris asked me rhetorically why I thought they have not opened it up to vendors or manufacturers of whatever Porsche items or parts etc. I believe that would steal the magic. Luftgekühlt is honest and pure right now. The only things for sale are t-shirts, hats, posters and what not. And I am sure that is to cover some costs. But that is all. Its people hanging out, talking about cars and appreciating Porsche’s past. No marketing, no commercialism, and no real hype.
As the sun started to get low in the California sky, Chris, our new friend Brian from the day before, and myself, were almost the last to leave that afternoon. We watched a few transports load up some cars, some of them the real deal racecars from inside the building. We hung out with Lisa, from flying L racing from Yorba Linda California and her two girlfriends, and asked them about their cars. Rod Emory was buzzing out of the lot with a 356. Two red, older hot-rod 911’s were just sitting out as if someone had forgotten them. Charles “cstanman” Stanley drove out throwing up the peace sign. We did not want it to end. We did not want to leave. Brian, Chris, and I finally busted out of the parking lot. It was practically empty, as was the air-cooled lot. After some In and Out burgers, we said our goodbyes to Brain and caught the flight out the next day.
If you are planning a trip to So Cal next spring, make sure it includes the first week of May so you can get out to this air-cooled extravaganza. People say it is a bubble and the values will come down, that it is a trend, that it is for hipsters or wanna-be’s… But this is an era. It is a period where there is great interest in an older, quirky piece of vehicle history. This show is a place where all sorts of people meet to appreciate an odd piece of engineering and styling. It has sparked a flame in the old and young alike. It’s the unique mechanics. It’s the styling, it’s the look, it’s the scene. It has brought together mechanics, enthusiasts, racers and artists. This massive air cooled Porsche show was three weeks now, since returning home I’m still thinking about that weekend in San Pedro…that, and everyone is still posting pictures on Instagram 21 days later! I know we’ll be back next year, for sure, to see the 5th year of Luftgekühlt!
Thank you, Josh, for sharing your story with us! Do you have a story to share? Email it to us with pictures (please be sure to add photo credits) and we may be able to use it in the Nor’Easter, the website, or both.
Suspense Is Killing Me
– Sterling Vernon
Can a car passion ever resemble a horror movie? I imagine it might for some. But for me it’s more of a suspenseful thriller. I’m the automotive equivalent of Hitchcock’s Jeff Jefferies always peering through the rear window out at Lars Thorwald mysteriously dragging his drunk, wondering what is currently happening behind the scenes, hoping I don’t misinterpret the bits and pieces of information I’ve slowly trained my eyes and ears to acquire. Jeff’s aim to be vigilant and prevent tragedy is certainly familiar to any old car owner. You know who you are. We all must keep in mind the comings and goings of our vehicles to maintain a macro view of what routine maintenance to expect. But we also need to be observant of the minutiae, the little noises and scents that provide early clues that a change is afoot. It’s a long, beautiful suspense story that we get to live and breathe. Not sure I’d have it any other way. It sells at the cinema. And it sells me in my garage.
There are a few kinds of automotive “suspense.” There is the constant vigilance, sure. But there is also the actual suspension of the car – the bits that keep the chassis off the road. And there is also another surprising suspension point that I learned about recently – the seats.
To get a bit more used to the “race car” feeling, last summer I decided to put a race seat into my 944 NA that I use daily. I found a nice black seat online with some red and blue Martini-esque stripes on it that would look perfect. After calling to verify the availability of the color and model, I ordered and waited. The seat arrived. It was that hideous tuner-garish blue with white stripes. Gotta love online parts ordering. I contemplated the idea of shipping it back and haggling for a replacement. It just wasn’t worth the effort. Into the car, it went. The fit was good, at least. I quickly developed a new proficiency in understanding the bolts and sliders that hold seats to the floor of the car. In my old 944, one of the seat belt mount points can either be on the transmission tunnel or it can get bolted in between the floor of the car and the seat slider. Details like these seem to change between the pre-85.5 944’s and the later models. There are a surprising number of picky details in these cars over the years.
Once I got the seat mounted, I found I had to re-route the seatbelt through the harness belt holes on the back of the seat just for more comfortable placement on the shoulder. Routing the belt down through the holes in the bottom sides of the seat also felt better but also further increased the gymnastics needed to fasten the belt each time. I can now sympathize with the guys in race cars who strap in, but forget to close the door and now can’t reach it. You’ve gotta pay to play in the race world, apparently.
My big revelation was that suddenly my car’s suspension felt so much more stiff! Like, really uncomfortably stiff. Each drive rather resembled a session with a masseuse devoid of any training or talent with a fondness for blunt instruments. My irrational enthusiasm for “race car-ness” made me tough it out for a few months. But – don’t tell anyone – I was greatly relieved to swap back to some nice, standard buckets. It turns out the springs in your seats are quite critical to the ride quality of your car! Without them, the suspense was definitely killing me.
While “converting” my 911 back to street use (aka “buying a track car”), the suspense was also heavy. My lowering springs were just way too low. Minor dips in the road were accompanied by a sharp scraping sound that would usually be associated with lifelong inmates in your standard horror movie fighting for escape from a stone prison on an isolated island using only a plastic fork. I swapped the front struts for Bilstein PSS10 coilovers, mostly for the ability to adjust ride height. This successfully raised up the front of the car to keep the fork-wielding inmates at bay. But a new problem developed where a heretofore unknown sound came forth each time I turned the wheel a good bit while parking the car. I had lost a good bit of steering angle for some reason. The inmates were again at it with their flimsy instrument. It turns out that the cross section of the coilover at the height where it is closest to the tire/wheel is much thicker than the carefully tapered stock struts that are angled to avoid the half shafts, this being an AWD car. I was getting tire to coilover interference. I had some 7mm wheel spacers kicking around so I threw those on the fronts – so much better. But the ride was significantly bouncy. This was more like the movie where people hit turbulence in an airplane right before falling out of the sky. My car is still perilously low – you can’t reach under it easily. So I had to find some time to jack it up and reduce the rebound setting to full soft on the Bilsteins. Problem solved. The car is still a bit stiff, but it gets over bumps and doesn’t bounce me off the road. The plastic cutlery can finally be recycled.
My last form of suspense is the classic one – waiting for a car to come out of the shop. My 944 Turbo has been under the knife for fresh harnesses, a general health check, and a race dash with lots of sensors to report my driving suckiness accurately. There was a fitting for the brake lines to measure brake pressure that wasn’t aware that the name “fitting” implies that it should fit and needed to be swapped out. It was arriving yesterday and getting fitted after that. That should do it for now. I can’t wait to finally dig into the manual for the engine management systems and boost controllers. It’s a whole new area of learning for me. One I probably should have postponed until my driving is more consistent and proficient. Sometimes you just have to take the jump. I’m not getting any younger. And definitely not any smarter.
A friend gave me some sage advice to bring the car to a pro just to get a baseline sense of whether it is set up adequately right now before I start messing with anything. He’s certainly right. And I’m one of those idiots who doesn’t always follow good advice and likes to at least try to figure things out myself. The suspense of whether this becomes the next horror movie is now something you get to enjoy.
– Bill Seymour
OK, so we’re now back to writing about “moving car events” (the job responsibility of your scribe who is VP Activities). The weekend of May 6-7th saw the Zone 1 Concours and Rally come to NER-land (see article elsewhere in this issue). As an autocrosser, DE’er, tech sessionist and social attendee but never a concourser or rallyer I was poorly trained to be the local event chair for these activities. (And why Concours falls under “moving car events” is a puzzle.) But I learned quite a bit about how these things work and I met many nice folks who don’t run in the same PCA circles as me. The gimmick rally was fun – driving through some pretty Boston suburbs looking for signs that would answer questions. Charlie and Martha Dow did a great job setting it up. I can imagine Rosemary (former LL) and me doing one in the future. On the other hand, while I enjoyed looking at the cars prepared for the Concours, I don’t see myself entering one in the future.
But I did get to the track – briefly – in April. Our winter project of installing a larger engine in the BMW E30 endurance racer took a little longer than hoped. The trickiest part flowed from the decision to remove all the stock wiring. The new engine uses a programmable ECU and it took more than a couple of weekends before it recognized all the sensors and sent out all the appropriate signals. We missed our first race at Watkins Glen. When we finally got it to run and sent it to the dyno for tuning, it had fuel starvation issues. The gas tank is saddle shaped with the pickup at the bottom of one side but the fuel return line going into the other side. Apparently on the track it sloshes around enough to keep both sides filled but on the dyno the pickup side was being drained faster than it was replenished. Weird. But that issue was solved, the car did its dyno thing and we were off to Palmer for its maiden run. Chip took it out first (fortunately as I’m not sure I would have been so astute) and immediately noticed that we lost oil pressure on left hand turns (and with a counter clock-wise track that’s most of them). We tried adding oil but to no avail – going straight or turning right the oil pressure was 60lb+ but as soon as you turned the wheel to the left it would drop as low 15. No good. Back to the shop it went and removing the oil pan revealed that the windage tray/baffles had not been installed. The red-faced engine builder shipped us the needed parts and we went to a Palmer lapping day for a re-test. All good.
So we were set for our first race at New Jersey Motorsports Park but disaster befell: Chip hurt his back. We were already worried about having only 4 drivers for two 9 hour races so we recruited two more drivers: NER/NCR buddy Damon Josz and Kristin Larson’s brother Scott Townsend. After the miserable slog through NY and NJ (why are there so many confusing routes to get past NYC?) we got to Millville in time to unload the trailer and get dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse (TripAdvisor rated #2 restaurant in Millville! – they boast of “Craft on Draft” and list these four beers: Miller Light, Bud Lite, Blue Moon and Sam’s Seasonal. The Lunch Lady would sue). Friday morning we went through tech and let Damon and Scott have a few laps as they had not been at this track. Friday afternoon each driver was to run 5 laps which would then be used to place us in a class. The American Endurance Racing series format puts cars in 5 classes based on similar lap times and then you compete against the other cars in your class for a 9 hour race on each of Saturday and Sunday. They claim that they are able to detect and correct for those who sand-bag in qualifying but that did not seem to be the case… Things were going OK until Scott reported that 1st and 2nd gear had gone missing. While we checked shift linkages and made calls it was also noted that the front brake pads were way too thin (Team Jamaican Bakin’ was better organized when our name was still named Team Jamaican Bacon). With new brake pads installed but no transmission solution, we concluded that the missing gears were not needed in a race so why not press on? OK, here’s a reason: the car doesn’t idle well and stalls easily so getting off the grid quickly in 3rd gear was near impossible. What, me worry?
We were placed in Class 3 (there are five classes) which included 19 out of the total of 54 racers. The fastest lap times for each car (during the actual races – never mind what the sand-baggers ran in practice) ranged from a best of 1:28 down to about 1:45 for the slowest cars. The fast cars included a Nissan GTR, a very fancy Mustang and a brand new BMW 2-Series factory race car (~$90,000 – similar in concept to the Miata Cup Cars) that even had air-jacks (and were total jerks – they were in the pit box next to us). Our best lap of 1:37 put us in the middle of our class.
I drove first and was holding back a bit to avoid the early race over-exuberance. Bad strategy: on lap 4 I got punted in the right rear and spun into the weeds. I managed to rejoin the fray (remember, only 3rd gear and higher) and was advised by my teammates to see how it felt rather than coming in. It felt fine so I continued for another one and a half hours without issue. When I pitted to hand over to Scott the tires were checked and it was noted that there were about 8 inches of missing rim. Ouch! Lesson: you get hit, come in and have a look!
The car was running fine for the rest of the day except we needed to change tires (we had made a poor tire choice for an endurance race – the seconds gained by using stickier tires are way less than the minutes required to change tires) and the brakes were going at the end. Then with 5 minutes to go Dave radioed that the car had died and he was being towed in. Our worst fears were not realized when the addition of gasoline solved the problem. Despite our issues we improved on our starting position and were 6th in our class. Upon inspection the rear pads were totally gone and the brand new fronts were almost gone. The left front tire was toast – expected for a nose heavy car on a clockwise track – but the right rear was worn on the inside. Apparently the hit I took bent something but the car drove OK and there was nothing we could do. The impeccably prepared Team Jamaican Bakin’ (yah, mon) was able to buy one more set of front brake pads from another E30 team (the Miata brake pads and tires lasted multiple weekends!) and we were back in business for Day 2.
Dave started on Sunday followed by Scott, me, Dennis and then Damon. Again the car ran fine except for needing a tire stop. The new brake pads (a different brand) both stopped and lasted better and we had no excitement until Damon’s last shift. The car has a brake bias adjustor which apparently got nudged forward during the driver change so that it had way too much front brake bias. So the first time Damon braked hard at the end of the front straight the fronts locked and he went farming. He realized the problem, corrected it and ran very quickly till the end despite finishing on a totally corded left front tire. We finished 8th in our class.
So while the BMW is somewhat faster than the Miata, we are still sorting things out. With the new engine it has plenty of zip and the handling is pretty neutral if not great. The main issue is the brakes which lock up too easily, don’t inspire confidence in close racing and don’t last. It’s a little puzzling as the car is not much heavier than the Miata (which has great brakes) and has bigger rotors/pads. We suspect that weight transfer may be limiting the stopping power and ducting may be needed to make them last longer. So in addition to working on being better racers, we also need to learn car development. Stay tuned.
Finally, if you go to NJMP (and it’s a nice, well run track with lots of runoff as needed by Bill and Damon), try: Our Mom’s Kitchen Soul Food (get the crab cakes) and the Country Inn and Suites (breakfast available at 6am and they made bacon upon request!).
Addendum to my column from Damon Josz (make of it what you will)…
Guilty. Therefore the names remain. I would add the useful limericks and acronyms that were learned from Bill including ACORN (“All Clear On Right Now”). As I heard these outbursts several times, I quietly assumed these were liberal beliefs exclaimed in a random fashion. Alas I learned a backseat navigation technique and Bill’s prior military training. KISS and PPPPPP were already in my lexicon. Keep it simple stupid… brake bias adjustment/ placement. And…. Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance…. brake pads for an endurance race?
Travel and dining with others provides new views and dialogue. And therefore we quickly adhered to the do not discuss politics, religion or dogs. Friday’s test results in, and…the trans out? Hmmm. 3/4/5 being the only useful gears of any importance, the “no wanking noises” and “we’re here” made the decision clear. Run it. End of day track burgers provided by AER in the garage, the hunger abated. And a couple kegs dulled the senses. Yet Dennis and I had wanderlust and thirst. Bill, Scott, and Dave elected for A/C and hot showers. Dropping the others off at the hotel, a beer store was located. And Our Mom’s Kitchen next door. Hmmmm, soul food. With IPA in hand, what could be better? Fried chicken and (sic) crab cakes. Wit tater salad side. Missed the collard greens, but agricultural greens were waiting on Sunday. The color of the characters were rich. The pleasantries exchanged. And cash only. No seats, takeout only. Just as well. As we started to observe the actual condition of the local eatery, I tend to shy away from box store eateries, a placard was noted. This placard pronounced an inspection had occurred. When was not clear. Why was. The proclamation by a local official, presumed blind and handed a paper bag of single dollar bills, announced that said takeout restaurant was, is, could be, maybe, at this time, that was then and this is now…”conditionally satisfactory.” As not to offend the 3 rather large women, and the minor baseball league/rap ensemble and tattoo artists collective gathered out front, we elected to continue our wait. Momma provided. With a bit of mental math, and no receipt, we paid the bill. Our safe departure and arrival back at Country Inn (review to follow) 3.75 stars, we enjoyed a veranda on a hot summer night with excellent soul food and real beer. And a hotel cookie to finish. The start of Saturday racing, the transmission was declared “conditionally satisfactory” also. Both the trans and Mommas did not disappoint. Side note. The Buffalo Wild Wing box store the next night failed miserably. However, Popeyes Chicken on Sunday had box store redemption. None compared to Mommas soul food. And driving a race car into the trailer after 18 hours of wheel to wheel racing? More than “conditionally satisfactory” we checked the box, excellent.
Zen and the Art of Auto Detailing
– by Glenn Champagne
For those of us who seek an inner peace, a balance of yin and yang, in harmony with the natural and spiritual world, many practice yoga, meditation, Tai Chi, or martial arts such as Aikido and Hapkido. Those of us who take a more western path, may choose the solitude of a mountain top, serenity of a forest, lake, stream, or the peace and tranquility of island beaches.
Even some professionals seek an inner peace in preparation of their work. Some chefs enjoy the preparation of their “mis en place”. Some of you weekend warrior mechanics may clear the garage or work area of all that is unnecessary to perform the task. Tools organized by type and size, separated on individual towels or mats, placed in close proximity, to effectuate focus.
Then, there are the auto detailers.
For these folks, it is as much about the journey as it is the destination.
It turns out that there are hundreds of videos on auto detailing. Google “auto detailing” and count the pages. Some videos run for nearly an hour. How many of you spend one hour cleaning your car?
Some of you are really into this. I know some members who truly find detailing to be a great way to clear the head, relieve stress, and almost as a byproduct, get the car looking great.
What brought me to write a column on this subject? The Zone 1 Concours.
Here it is, the Zone 1 Concours event, cars coming in from as far away as New Jersey and Pennsylvania to compete. But what happens on the day of judging? It rains. How do you run a Concours in the rain? You move it inside! Much kudos to Bill Seymour and Tom Tate for the outstanding parking garage backup plan.
But what really caught my eye was the passion of those dedicated souls working in adverse conditions. Washing a car in the rain – that’s dedication. One of these brave rain car washers told me that he really wanted to win and just enjoys detailing the car. In his case, a beautiful 911 GTS. He doesn’t track, autocross, rarely attends social events, just loves detailing and car shows.
About 10 years ago, I asked a Zone 1 winner, “how many hours did you spend cleaning your car?” His answer – 40. That’s when I learned Concours was not for me. My quest for inner peace will take another path. One that has roads.
As always, check the Events page on Porschenet.com for the most current information on all club events!
Cars with Automatic Braking and/or Lane Drift Correction Systems / Lane Change Assist will only be allowed to participate in DE events if the systems can be turned fully off while the car is on-track. Proof of the ability to fully shut off these systems must be provided (i.e. information in Owner’s Manual, etc.). Drivers must be aware if the system reverts back to operating position if the car’s ignition is turned off and on again.
The Central PA region hosts quite an event each year for the past 41 years.
“This is without exaggeration the largest event of its kind on the planet. It typically brings nearly 650 vendors, around 1,000 Porsches, and over 6,000 visitors from all over the world together in Hershey every year. If you’re seeking an obscure Porsche or an obscure part for your Porsche, this is your best chance to find it. Every dealer and Porsche packrat in a 250-mile radius will be bringing their odds and ends for sale or swap. You’ll see exotic Porsches found nowhere this side of Stuttgart, and Porsche personalities ranging from PCA muckety-mucks to (sometimes) celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld. As always, we’ll feature a People’s Choice Concours, and Sunday autocross, too!”
Our own Gary Cooper, traveling correspondent extraordinaire, made the trip to check it out and was kind enough to share it with us:
Hi PCA NER,
It’s me again, the guy who will drive just about anywhere to enjoy my car, check out other cars, and the friendship of PCA members. I decided to return again to this year’s Porsche-Only Swap Meet at the Giant Center, Hershey, PA – the world’s largest Porsche-only swap meet. The event is put on by our friends in the Central PA Region each April. It typically attracts over 1,000 Porsche cars, 6,000 people and 600+ vendors.
If you’ve never been before (and you can find another nice write up in the current eBrake newsletter by Damon Lowney – who takes many photos for the eBrake – here https://www.pca.org/news/2017-04-25/attending-largest-porsche-only-swap-meet-world), it is sort of a giant flea market/car sale/car show – of course all Porsche specific. Known Porscheophile Jerry Seinfeld has been known to attend.
I have family that lives about an hour and a half away, so I drove down Friday and stayed with them before the Saturday event. The swap meet goes on rain or shine and Saturday morning dawned will rain falling. I left around 6:30am to get there at 8:00 (gates open at 7:30). Parking is $20 and you can choose the general or Porsche-only sections. For another $20 you can put your car in the For Sale section. With over 1,000 cars there is a lot of eye candy, but also cars of every vintage and condition. Another $10 gets you registered in the People’s Concours. I did this, not expecting any trophies, but to get preferred parking and a nice goodie bag. Plus it’s nearer to the food trucks! Luckily, the skies cleared a bit by the time I arrived.
It really is an amazing place. If you are looking for an original lighter for your 911 long body, seats for your 914, turn signal lenses for your 356C, a project car, a fully restored beauty or nearly any other thing – chances are someone is selling it at the swap. And nearly everyone is open to some healthy dickering. If you just want to walk around and ogle cars, or stand by the exit to hear the various exhaust notes as owners hit the road – this is the place for you.
And like any other PCA event, you’ll meet a whole bunch of interesting and friendly folks. I met the owners of Gramma Elsie’s beautiful red 1969 912 (featured in last month’s Pano). So great this car has -and will – stay in the same family.
I ran into my friend from Virginia, Bruce Russell (right), who was there with a few friends scouring the aisles for hard to find treasures. Here Bruce helps to examine a set of early 356 wheels and hubcaps.
haggling for hubcaps at Hershey
Of course, there is. Porsche tent offering a array of goodies for sale.
Then there are sights you just won’t see anywhere else, including a Porsche tractor (there is no substitute, even on the farm).
The front end plows a bit – understeer? Or planting?
There was a car for the future enthusiasts too.
You’re never too young to buy your first Porsche
As well as someone who shoehorned a Chevy LS V8 into a 914.
Sometimes the skies opened up, causing the masses to run for cover and the Speedster replica owner to get creative.
The People’s Concours had great representation across the classes.
There were cars I would have sold my soul to the devil to own, including this stunning blue beauty.
I was surprised to have been chosen for a minor award – the member of the Boxster Register special interest group whose car got the most votes in the Concours. Truth be told, there was just me and my friend John Novotnak and I think he rigged it for me. But, hey, first place is first place! John also took a glam shot of my interior.
Nice new hat, Gary!
Just after the awards were given out, it really started to pour, so we all made our way home with purchases, goodies, awards and memories safely stowed away. It was another great day!