May 2020 Volume 58, Issue 5
|
|
|
|
Tour from the past.
Something to look forward in next "few" months.
|
|
|
|
HELPING HANDS
By Gregg Plourde, Past President
World events have moved very quickly recently with the COVID-19 pandemic quickly changing the way we live all around the globe. First and foremost, I wish to thank all the Health Care workers who have joined together in the fight against the virus. You have given up so much of your personal time and work long hours to tirelessly care for the afflicted patients in our area. I would also like to thank the workers who are in the essential categories – Law enforcement, first res ponders, food and agriculture, energy, pubic safety, transportation, utilities, and more. Thank you all for your dedicated support in this unprecedented emergency.
With the shelter in place orders by National, State and Local and many of us staying at home the question comes to mind, what can I do? With the shortage personal protection equipment that we have all read about and the national request for everyone to wear a face mask, three club members have taken that question and turned it into action.
Liz Houser, Kelley Murphy and Rebecca Plourde are busy at home making face masks by the hundreds. The masks are going to local hospitals, VA hospitals, friends and neighbors throughout the Sacramento area. Most of them are to relieve the shortage of masks used by non COVID-19 care givers. They have given up their supplies to those who directly care for the coronavirus patients. I know there are a lot of people around the country doing the same and I really appreciate their efforts.
If you see a health care worker personally, on TV or via the Internet, If you see a brightly colored mask with themes like cats, fish, jelly beans, cars and motorcycles on them they were probably made hand made by Liz, Kelley or Rebecca!
|
|
|
|
SVR Chair Positions – Open
Steve Barker, President SVR-PCA
The SVR Board of Directors recently reviewed the club chair positions and there are a number of opportunities that need to be filled and would like to ask for anyone interested to let us know and we can answer any questions you might have to get you started.
We have 4 open chair positions that include the following:
·
Charity Chair
·
Historian
·
Social Media
·
Technical
Although these positions have an end goal, we are looking for members that enjoy working on a project that both serves the club and allows your creativity to shine!
The following is a brief summary of each position:
|
|
|
|
Charity Chair
SVR provides its members a common interest to get together as a car club and also serves a bigger purpose. Many organizations have greatly benefited thru the contributions that SVR has made. Examples such as funding the
Sacramento Children’s Home
with their programs to promote child safety, positive parenting, education, mental health, and improve the healthy functioning of families,
Ride to Walk
to enhance the lives of children and young adults with neurological disabilities by providing innovative therapeutic
horseback riding
activities and most recently SVR supported
Angel Flight West
, for those that have a rare condition, require specialized medical treatment or surgery, have a difficult to diagnose condition, or have a child with a rare or serious illness, that may need to travel a long distance to a center of excellence facility. In addition the club supported the
Friends of the Folsom Zoo
whose
mission is to preserve and enhance the lives of the animals living at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary.
There is a long list of organizations and especially the lives of people within our region that SVR has affected by the contributions made over its many years as a club.
The person we are looking forward to working with would be providing the leadership in bringing together the resources to hold a charity event and continue to contribute to a worthy cause that adds another shining star to why we are more than just a car club. The charity events have been held in back yards, online, or as part of a club event such as the SVR Christmas Party using auctioneers like Kirk Bradford and Kim Nelson to enhance the bidding process to silent auctions and even for the first time Lois Robert’s online auction. There’s no telling what can come out of the experience but you know one thing for sure is the people that benefit from your work will be extremely grateful for having an impact on their lives.
|
|
|
|
Historian Chair
The Historian Chair has traditionally kept track of the articles and documentation from the clubs past. As we pause to reflect on the history of SVR the role is now more project related in capturing the spirit and rich history that has been part of SVR’s past. From the history of the Logo to compiling an artwork of Membership Directory covers the person we are looking for would take this opportunity with a creative approach. The goal is to develop a way to restore and display aspects of the history of SVR that could be a part of SVR events such as CRAB, Xmas Party, Meet the New Members that would be informative to both long term members and new.
The goal that comes to mind is how to convey the spirit of the Sacramento Valley Region that defines who we are and what we do. This can be a collaborative effort to bring out the best of what it’s like to be a member of SVR.
|
|
|
|
Social Media Chair
With the advancement of technology and the speed at which information is shared, the Social Media Chair position was created to advance SVR into the social media spectrum in order to provide a way of
both sharing and consuming information in a multi-media
approach. The SVR Facebook page has shown how events can be captured as they take place, allow members to interact and a means of sharing video and photographs.
We have members with experience in social media that are eager to work with the person that has an interest in developing new ways of spotlighting club events. The position oversees the use of social media as a means of increasing our regions interest for its members and prospective members that reaches a global audience. It helps augment the newsletter, The Drifter and the SVR Website, as a means of promptly announcing and updating members on social and competitive events.
As the Social Media Chair your role oversees the content developing a Social Media Policy Guideline.
|
|
|
|
Technical Chair
The Tech Chair position offers the chance for the right candidate to work with our sponsors in scheduling technical sessions and presentations and ensure the event is properly advertised. The responsibility of this chair person is to propose subjects for potential technical classes and sessions to the SVR Board of Directors and coordinate the schedule with the Social Director.
If writing technical articles is your interest, having them published in the Newsletter and on the SVR Website will get lots of attention. This chair position opens the chance to work with the National Technical Committee that is available as a resource for articles and questions related to everything Porsche.
So what are you waiting for! One of these chairs might be for you but you need to turn the key to get started.
|
|
|
|
Dear Porsche Club of Sacramento,
Thank you for your donation of $3,600.00
Again, we are so thankful for your generosity and hope you take great satisfaction in knowing the important difference that your donation makes to the lives of the animals living at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary. On behalf of the board of directors and Staff, thank you for your donation.
Sincerely,
T
he mission of the Friends of the Folsom Zoo Sanctuary, Inc., is to preserve and enhance a city treasure by assisting in the enrichment of the lives of the animals living at the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary.
|
|
|
|
Our Favorite California Roads
By Vicki Hubbs & Liz Houser
(aka the Twisty Sisters)
When we got involved with the Porsche Club we were thrilled to find a group of people who loved twisty roads as much a we did. Many of these roads we discovered in our younger days on motorcycles. Some of the reasons a road makes our “list” is that it is well maintained, has light traffic, can by driven by both experienced and newer drivers, is fun to run in either direction, has gorgeous scenery and colors. We’ve also included some decent places to eat. The following roads are North of Sacramento and easy to get to:
1.
Hwy 49 out of Nevada City to Downieville – always a fun day run, plenty of curves, nice pavement, decent rest stops and you can get a good burger at the Two Rivers Café.
2.
Gold Lake Highway to Graeagle is a good road, with beautiful views. Hwy 49 continues onto this road from Downieville. We like to eat at Gumba’s great Italian food & pizza. You can continue onto Quincy & spend the night.
3.
Speaking of Quincy – Quincy/LaPorte road is a very twisty, technical road. It has amazing views but NO services. Would recommend taking this road in the morning when your feeling perky.
4.
Bucks Lake Road/Hwy 162 is a very fun road up and back. You have to wait ‘til the snow melts and the trees are cleared off the road, but well worth it; big sweepers, great views, smooth road. You can either have lunch at Bucks Lake Lodge or come back to Feather Falls Casino in Oroville where they have a nice buffet and brew pub.
5.
Hwy 70 down the Feather River Canyon winds along a river with amazing sweepers, breath-taking views and scenery. There are a couple rest-stops on the road, but services are very limited. You can take this route home from Bucks Lake Lodge.
6.
Mount Vernon Road runs between Rocklin and Auburn and has some of the smoothest pavement in Placer county. It’s fun little road for a lunch run, plenty of twistys and several wineries.
7.
Bangor Road, Dog Bar Rd. and Marysville Rd. are all off of Hwy 49 and worth exploring. You’ll wind around and end up in Colfax, Nevada City or Grass Valley. They’re all fun roads with good scenery and plenty of twistys. If you end up in Colfax check our Dine & Dash or PJ’s Roadhouse Café.
These are just some highlights of roads we enjoy. We hope to highlight roads in other areas of California in future articles. While you’re setting home in self-isolation, look these roads up on Google maps and plan your own route. Once we are “released” we hope to see you in person on one of our drives where we’ll explore some of these roads in person! Stay safe and keep shining on your Porsche.
|
|
|
|
President's Message
Steve Barker
photo by Steve Barker
Greetings to all members of the
Sacramento Valley Region PCA!
To the new members that have joined in the past couple of months I want to assure you that the lack of events is not our normal mode of operation as a club! We really do like nothing more than a brisk drive thru the foothills steering and shifting or shifting and steering around the twisty turns on our way to a friendly restaurant to share stories about the last tour we took! For those that have been members over the years you know what I’m talking about and I feel your pain because your arm hurts so badly from washing and polishing your beautiful car, or SUV. In the meantime, check your batteries and charge if necessary so when the time comes you don’t hear that “click, click, click” when you turn the key.
A full month has gone by since the last edition of
The Drifter and like everyone we have changed how we do many of the things we do. Our Board of Directors now meets via video conferencing using Zoom which to my surprise is really an interesting experience. It allows members to dial in from wherever they are, either by cell phone, tablet, or laptop. The first part of the meeting allows folks to get dialed in and someone usually has a good story to tell. Once everyone is on the call the agenda gets displayed on everyone’s devise and we get down to business.
Julie Lee does a great job sharing the documents during the call so it keeps us all on track. We have been starting the meeting with the latest virus guidelines from the Governor which sets up
Rob Lee to go over the events for the next month. Based on the guideline determines what we need to cancel or postpone. It is painful knowing so much work was done by so many members to put on the best events ever to see them have to be cancelled. As we work our way thru the agenda it’s a good chance to get updates from all the BoD members and guests as you will see in the minutes. Everyone on the call realizes the seriousness of this bug and as they say we will get thru it.
What are you doing?
After a month of only making ‘essential’ trips to Costco for food, Safeway for ice cream, Home Depot for Home Depot stuff I have had the chance to rebuild my lawnmower, because the grass is still growing, leaf blower got a new carburetor, weed whacker I found in a “free” box down the street that works like a charm, and Rita had me put sliding shelves and a Fantastic Fan in the travel trailer. Now I can focus on removing a stump in the back yard and cleaning the garage. Does this all sound like what everyone else is doing?
By the way, have you noticed the price of gas! Also do you realize that one of the effects of not driving so much has been the improvement in the air quality? Gee, the government is throwing billions of dollars into global warming and all we had to do is shut down the economy for a few weeks! My guess is that neither will last very long once life gets back to normal. In the meantime Rita and I are taking our night walks around the neighborhood and seeing new faces as we go up and down the streets. Have you noticed small groups of neighbors sitting in driveways 6 feet apart? There is a whole new way of socializing taking place! I watched a live event on Facebook the other day of Neil Sedaka, some of you remember him, in his home in New York play all his hits by himself with his parrot behind him walking back and forth on its cage.
This might be a good time to bring up some SVR Chair openings that we currently have. I sent in an article to
Mike Willis and
Bill Fargo to publish in
The Drifter and on the
SVR-pca.org Website explaining what we need for help. Please read the descriptions and let me know if it sounds like something you would be interested in taking on. They don’t have to be long term positions so rest easy thinking if you volunteer it’s for life! There are some projects that I would like to see someone focus on since, if you don’t know this, we have a club anniversary coming up next year. Yes that’s right 60 years!
Speaking of the 60’s! How about these flower children that played a pivotal role in PCA and led the way in what we are today!
Dwight & Linda Mitchell, 1965, President 1983 & 1994,
Ray Johansen, President 1971 ask him about what it was like when he joined in 1966,
Jim Karver, President 1973 when he joined in 1969! Some of our other members from the 60’s generation include:
James & Ryan Thompson 1969,
John & Barbara Smolich, 1969,
Reinhard & Jan Riedle 1969,
Fred & Nancy Myeron, 1966,
Robert & Sarah Daves, 1968,
Delores & Richard Johnson, 1969,
Gerald & Madelaine Kiliany, 1966,
Phillip & Barbara Marks, 1964.
Lastly, out of the 1965 SVR Roster
Pat Wilson was the Publicity Officer who joined with
Larry in
1961!
Congratulations to all of you and my apologies if I missed anyone. The source for this list was from the SVR Roster for 2019 and the 1965 SVR Roster.
If you have any comments or would like to tell us your story of what it’s been like to be a member of SVR please drop me a line! We’re all here to make our club a fun place to be a part of, meet others and enjoy our cars, and SUV’s!
Stay healthy and be sure to wear your mask!
Steve
Janis
Taken by Steve Barker at one late night rehearsal!
|
|
|
|
From The Editor - Mike Willis
This month's issue is going to be a lot different there is limited pre and post event coverage. Instead will have other interesting things like Advertiser Spotlight, some embedded videos.
With us doing The Drifter online it gives us the opportunity to link all of our advertiesr's web pages. In addtion will now link the club officers to our own web page.
Just in from Golden Gate region
. AX in 2020.
Sad news from Ed Hunter, GGR's AX Chair.
Alameda declined our application so looks like we're done there. Crows has gone dark (no replies to our emails) so they may be shut down at the moment, we are periodically pinging them. There are also a few other options we are pursuing, but zero contracts still at this point. Sorry we don't have better news. I suspect when we have a date from government when we can start getting back together, Crows and our other leads will be better about about returning our calls. one would hope anyway.
Hopefully we can all get something together in the 2nd half.
As soon as we get an update, will post.
|
|
|
|
Bill Fargo, Photography & Flyers
Dick Murphy, Advertising
Ed Parra, Reporter
Skip Quain, Contributor
Rik Larson, Proof Reader/Tickler
|
|
|
|
Rob Lee
Vice President
Please contact me for recent calendar changes.
|
|
|
|
PDK (Pretty Darn Kwik)
Rik Larson, SVR Member
EVENTS CANCELLED
All of the SVR events in May have been cancelled. CRAB 38 will be rescheduled to 2021. The SVR Board of Directors will consider the status of the June events at their May 13th meeting (via ZOOM). And the June Porsche Parade that was to happen at Palm Springs (La Quinta) was cancelled. And now that the federal guidelines have been issued for the three phase 'reopening' we just might see some sporting events (but with no spectators). Have you seen some of the electronic racing events on TV? Not bad.
PASSING OF MARY ANN BEHRENS
We lost Mary Ann in early April. Mary Ann was 85 years old. She and her husband of 62 years, Bud, were members of PCA since 1976. They originally joined Yosemite Region and transferred to Sacramento Valley Region in 2006 . Mary Ann served as Zone 7 Representative from 1999 - 2000. She and Bud were part of the original group of inductees to the Zone 7 Wall of Fame in 2003. They both were also awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards in Zone 7. She and Bud were long time Zone 7 AX instructors. She always reveled in the fact that she could beat Bud's time on the track, much to his chagrin. They traveled extensively to participate in Porsche Parades around the country as well as events at the local level. They were also invited twice to Chile to instruct wealthy young adults how to drive their fancy sports cars. Due to all that's going on in the world, there will be no service but please have a glass of wine and remember Mary Ann's talents, friendships, tenacity and love of life
.
|
|
|
|
2020 PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS - CANCELLED
The organizers have decided that the 2021 event will have the same classes as was planned for 2020. This means that they have retained two special classes…………a class for the Porsche 917 and a class for the cars from the 1950-54 La Carrera Panamericana event. Doing a little research on
Wikipedia
uncovered some interesting stuff. The races were held in Mexico (dangerous and deadly). The event was patterned after the popular Italian races, Mille Miglia and the Targa Floria. In the inaugural event there were 132 competitors (9 of which were women drivers). Americans won the first 4 places (an Oldsmobile 88 being the winner). Porsche had some success in the races with probably the most notable being a win in the Small Sports Car category in 1953 with a 550 Spyder.
The Carrera name was later picked up by Porsche for the name of some of their road cars. And in 2009 the Panamera 4 door touring car was introduced……with the name inspired by the Panamericana.
The race was revived in 1988. Interesting to note that Studebaker won all but two of the races held from 1993 to 2016.
|
|
|
|
Ladies Drive Re-scheduled to August 29, 2020
By Liz Houser
We are looking forward to the 2020 SVR Ladies Drive! (Ed. Note, and the very first "ladies" drive for SVR) It was tentatively scheduled for June but after consulting with restaurants we’ve decided to postpone it to August 29
th. We have a really fun day planned and hope you will join us.
After a very leisurely drive through the foothills, we will have lunch on the patio at Feather Falls Casino in Oroville. There will be a fashion show by LuLaRoe consultant Claire Lynn with opportunities to purchase items. After lunch we will drive back to Bennett’s Kitchen in Roseville, where our member Kelley Murphy has arranged for a hosted wine reception.
So be thinking about who you’d like to be your co-pilot, your welcome to bring your man along for the ride, but feel free to substitute a girlfriend, sister or Mom for this tour. If you can drive to the store, you can drive on this drive, the route will be comfortable for all levels of drivers. If you’d like to come, but don’t feel comfortable driving, contact me at
lizhouser3103@gmail.com and I’ll try to find you a seat in another car.
|
|
|
|
Is Paint Protection Film
Right for You?
By Collin Fat
Photos by Michael Justis
What is Paint Protection Film:
Paint protection film (“PPF”), commonly referred to as “Clear Bra,” is a transparent 8 mil polyurethane film designed to protect the most vulnerable areas of a vehicle’s paint from unsightly damage caused by road debris, rocks, bird droppings, insects and other environmental contaminants. The film is offered in a gloss or satin finish and is intended to be indistinguishable from the factory paint. Today, it is the go-to product to prevent damage to the paint on your prized Porsche.
The History of Paint Protection Film:
The 3M Company first developed paint protection film during the Vietnam War at the request of the military to protect helicopter rotor blades from shrapnel and debris, which reduced the blade maintenance, repair and replacement costs. It proved very useful and served the intended purpose. In the 80’s, the race car industry adopted the technology as a way to protect the painted finish to optimize aerodynamics. When first developed for domestic automotive applications, the films were thicker, less conformable, and the type of adhesives used to help keep the film bonded to the paint would fail, causing it to separate and yellow over time. These issues were eventually resolved, increasing the useful life of the product from a few years to now more than seven (7) years, depending on the quality of the brand of film used and how the vehicle is maintained. Your average daily driven vehicle should expect a minimum of 10 years of performance with the highest quality film, whereas a “garage queen” stored indoors can expect considerably more time before replacement is required. There are several manufacturers of paint protection film, which produce films that range in longevity, quality, and performance. Brand names include XPEL, SunTek, and 3M, just to name a few.
Another recent development in the technology of paint protection films is self- healing characteristics, where minor surface scratches to the film or stains left from bird droppings will heal themselves. Quite miraculous how far things have come from the 1970’s Colgan front-end bra of yesteryear!
Choosing an Installer:
When thinking of replacing the original paint protection film on my newly acquired GT3RS, I had to look no further than one of our advertisers, Appearance Solutions and owner Michael Justis. Not knowing how involved the process might be to remove the existing film and have it reapplied, Michael extended an invitation to me to meet him at Folsom Cars and Coffee so that he could look at my car. After he had a chance to look at the condition of the current film and areas of wear from debris accumulated prior to my ownership, Michael recommended replacement of the front bumper, front fenders, doors, both rear fenders and the roof, which had some imperfections from the previous install. We agreed on a price and the following week I dropped the Porsche off at his shop where Michael was also redoing the film on yet another GT3RS! Michael had done my 2003 Turbo a few years back and I was very aware of his attention to detail and quality of work.
Why Apply Paint Protection Film:
I think all owners of Porsche want to protect their cars’ finishes from rock chips and road debris, and there is no better option today than applying a paint protection film such as XPEL Ultimate Plus. Though expensive to install, in the long run it is less expensive than having damage caused to your front bumper re-painted and will help hold the value of your Porsche on re-sale.
When should you apply the film? Does the car have to be brand new or newly painted? It really all depends, and part of the cost of a great installation is to get any paint correction done before the application of the film. This can involve minor touch up paint and polishing of the paint on your car so that minor imperfections are not magnified when the film is applied. Some cars may have to have areas re-painted as paint correction may not be enough to hide any blemishes. If you have a new car or a car that has been recently painted, its best to let the paint fully cure and get the film applied soon after. This way you will not pickup any damage to the pristine paint on your vehicle and the installation costs can be significantly less. XPEL has a limited warranty of 10 years against defects in the material and I know that Appearance Solutions will always stand behind their work should any issues related to installation occur.
What is The Process?
If your Porsche has fairly well cared for paint and only needs a little TLC regarding any necessary paint correction, the crew at Appearance Solutions will keep you fully informed. First, the car will be thoroughly washed to remove old wax and any contaminants on the paint’s surface. For my Porsche, Michael’s team then began by carefully removing the existing film. This process is done in part by using steam and the technique in which you pull the film from the surface, so that it can be removed safely. Once all the old film is removed, any leftover glue is cleaned and the vehicle is fully washed before beginning the paint correction process.
|
|
|
|
Next, Michael’s team assessed the condition of the underlying paint and what was needed prior to the application of the film. The team then goes the extra mile to remove trim such as headlamps, side markers and other trim so that his crew can wrap the film into the cracks and crevices that other film installers avoid and where you can actually see where the film stops. With the type of attention to detail that the Appearance Solutions staff goes to, you cannot tell if the car has paint protection film or not. It is really invisible to the naked eye. The film is done by sections and laser cut from patterns supplied by the manufacturer and modified by Appearance Solutions to allow all the seams to be hidden. Once cut, the film is applied with the help of a solution of baby shampoo and a diluted mixture of isopropyl alcohol so that the film can easily be applied to the car and more easily move into position.
For a job like mine, the whole process can easily take a few weeks, or 4-5 days if you just want to cover the front bumper, headlights/foglights, hood, fenders, and side mirrors. Cost of course will be substantially different for each application. Overall my car took about three (3) weeks to complete but due to the coronavirus, there were some delays.
The final result was a concours perfect application that I can be proud of and know will prevent my car from getting damage to its rather pristine paint-to-sample Aqua Blue Metallic. In addition to the paint protection film, Michael also applied XPEL’s ceramic coating. This product is just amazing. It repels all kinds of dirt and dust and makes washing or dusting your Porsche a simple task. Dust just does not stick to the surface of the film! In fact, I think that you can save so much effort in that a simple wipe down with a microfiber cloth is all you will require to keep that Porsche looking its finest in between washes. Also, the ceramic coating can substitute for any waxing and polishing if applied.
The following are photos that Michael took for me to document the effort that went into the application of the film.
|
|
|
|
YOUR LOCAL EXPERT IN ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS
|
|
|
|
Elva MK 7
By Skip Quain
In the early 60s, Ferdinand Piech’s Engineering Bureau realized both the 356 GS/GT Carrera and the 718 WRS Spyder were becoming outdated and noncompetitive. Additionally, there was the immediate need for a stopgap design for the 356 GS/GT Carrera to allow Ferdinand “Butsi” Porsche to develop the radical design for the 904/906 Carrera GT.
To replace the 356 GT/GS Carrera Piech turned to family friend Carlos Abarth. In 1947 Abarth had worked with Ferry Porsche to develop the Italian Cisitalia 360 Gran Prix car based upon Dr. Porsche’s type D design.
Piech’s design criteria was for a light weight, aluminum bodied, aerodynamic design to fit on the 356 GT/GS chassis. The order was for 20 bodies mounted on the 356 GT/GS Chassis. A display car was required to be delivered to
Stuttgart in January 1962 with the 20 Porsche 356 Carrera GTL Abarth models to follow.
Abarth went to Franco Scaglione from Bertone to design the
light weight, aluminum bodied, aerodynamic body for the 356 GS/GT to fit on the 356 GS/GT chassis. While at Bertone, Scaglione had designed the Alfa Bat Wing series of cars.
|
|
|
|
After receiving the display car, which was late arriving at Stuttgart, the testing began. The engineers of the Engineering Bureau found several concerns: The windows leaked, the interior was plush and designed for a street design, not a race car. The seat was too large. A smaller seat was added and no interior was added. The engine ran too hot, resulting in the rear deck lid being modified with four rows of louvers.
|
|
|
At its first outing the Porsche 356 Carrera GTL
Abarth
(
display car) with non-homologated disc brakes, finished 2nd in the sports class at the Nürburgring.
At the 1962 Le Mans, the Porsche 356 Carrera
GTL Abarth
driven by Herbert Linge and H.J. Walter was a success. The Abarth Carrera GT was the factory’s sole GT entry. Timed at 138 mph on the Mulsanne straight, Linge said the car was still accelerating past the speed trap. Unfortunately for Linge and Walter, the race was a wet one. The Abarth windows leaked allowing water in the Porsche floor pan, but didn’t let the water out. Seats and floorboards were awash most of the 24 hours. The Porsche 356 Carrera GTL Abarth was a success. It finished 7
th
overall and 1
st
in GT 1.6
Subsequently, this car won its class at Monza and the Tourist Trophy before finishing out its career as a Hill climb racer for Swiss privateer Siegfried Lang.
The 20 Porsche 356 Carrera GTL Abarth were immediately sold at a price of $ 6,500 (1960 prices) and remained competitive until 1964 when the 904 Carrera GT was introduced at Sebring.
As a note: Piech would have committed for an additional 20 cars if the workmanship on the Display Car had not been so poor. Even with the excellent track record of the Porsche 356 Carrera GTL Abarth at Le Mans, it could not counter the poor workmanship of the Display car. Today the Abarth Carrera is one of Porsche’s most sought-after models that demand prices from $600,000 to $800,000 at Auction.
In 1962 Piech was also looking for a competitive car as a stop-gap design to allow the Design Bureau to develop the 904 Coupe managed by Ferdinand “Butsi” Porsche. The 904 Carrera followed by the 906 Carrera, would be street legal following Porsches philosophy of Designs that GT cars could be driven on the streets to and from competitive events.
|
|
|
|
To replace the 718 WRS Spyder, an all-out racing design, the light weigh Elva Mk7S-Porsche came to Porsche’s rescue.
The Engineering Bureau was developing a new line of pure racing cars: 910, 907and 908 which were still several years away. These pure racing designs that would allow Porsche to compete for over-all wins, not just compete in the Under Two Liter class.
|
|
|
|
The Elva Mk 7S -Porsche story.
At the end of December, at the 1960 Gran Prix of Puerto Rico, Oliver Schmidt, Mid-West importer for Porsche, Carl Haas, Elva importer, von Hanstein, Porsche Race Director, and Dan Gurney gathered to discuss Porsche’s need for a replacement for the 718 WRS.
Gurney, Porsche’s leading F1/Sports Car driver, had just finished 3
rd
in the Gran Prix of Puerto Rico driving the heavy 718 WRS (1411 lbs., 240 bhp). The group agreed that the 718 WRS Spyder was outdated and needed a light weight competitive
design.
Carl Hass, the US Elva distributor, suggested that the Elva Mk 7, a new light weight mid engine design could be modified to accept the model 547 Fuhrmann Four Cam motor and von Hanstein agreed. Haas contacted Elva owner Frank Nichols and explained the problem that Porsche was facing.
von Hanstein who would be returning to Stuttgart upon arriving presented the Elva Mk7S – Porsche concept to Piech and the Engineering Bureau. Piech set up a meeting at the Porsche racing works with von Hanstein and Elva owner Frank Nichols to discuss the technical issues involved in converting the Elva Mk 7 chassis to accept the wider model 547
Fuhrmann Four Cam motor. The major issue would be widening the rear of the Elva chassis to accept the type 547
motor. As the Porsche four cam was air cooled, no plumbing for coolant would be required.
In 1963 the initial Elva Mk 7S-Porsche was delivered to Bill Wuesthoff, Mid-West Porsche distributor. The initial Elva Mk 7s
Porsche arrived in
the United States in late August for a tune-up event from the Wilmot Hill, Wisconsin track. The Wilmot race showed positive results for the Elva Mk 7S-Porsche.
With positive results from the Wilmot event. Wuesthoff, entered the Elva Mk 7S Porsche, with Augie Pabst as co-driver in the September 8
th
500-mile Road America event. Pabst, a leading amateur driver had co-driven with Wuesthoff in his Porsche’s Spyders over past years in USRRC and SCCA events
The 500-mile Road America event was the last race in the 1963 USRRC series. Cars from all over the US were entered. In its first major race the under two liter Elva Mk 7S – Porsche won the 500-mile Road America event against a strong field of both over and under two liter cars from across the US.
The Elva’s over-all win demonstrated the Porsche 718 WRS Spyder (RS 550, RS60/61) series cars had become un-competitive in US racing. The 718 WRS Spyder had a long history of success in the European Hill Climb series and at Le Mans, The Targa Florio, and other road circuits Europe; In the USA at the Daytona 24 hours event and the USRRC series was over. The 718 WRS Spyder was designed for European Road and Hill Climb circuits that were run on the normal rough roads of Europe. In the US Sports Car racing was moving from course’s built around WW II air fields, to purpose-built circuits such Road America, Daytona, Riverside and Laguna Seca that had smooth tracks to fit the needs of the new generation of Indy cars and light weight mid-engined sports cars which were designed for the smooth race tracks.
|
|
|
|
The Porsche factory took delivery of just one Elva Mk 7S chassis which was modified to accept the wider 2000cc Porsche F1 flat eight motor type 771.
The
Porsche factory entry
Elva Mk 7S Porsche claimed a victory in its first time out at the Rossfeld Hill climb on July 7
th
, 1964 driven by Edgar Barth, Porsche’s leading hill climb driver. Although winning its first Hill Climb event in the Elva Mk
7S Porsche flat 8 type 771 motor. Barth
declared Elva Mk 7S a “death trap”. The rough mountain roads caused the lighter Elva Mk 7S chassis to flex resulting in handling and braking problems.” Barth elected to go back to his heavy “Grossmutter” “a nice fat grandma RS” (Porsche 718 RS Spyder). The RS received the moniker “a nice fat grandma RS” because the 718 RS Spyder had an exceptionally long career. Driving the “Grossmutter” the rest of the 1964 season winning Barth the 1964 European Hill Climb championship.
In Europe the Elva Mk 7S had successes running on converted WW 11 air base circuits, but had handing and brake issues on road courses running on rough European roads. In the US the Elva Mk 7S -Porsche did well on courses such as Road America, Daytona, Riverside and Laguna Seca that were on the USRRC and SCCA schedule.
|
|
|
|
A note: in 1964, George Follmer ran a Corvair powered Lotus 23B in the USRRC series, similar to the Lotus 23 Lotus Twin Cam I drove in vintage events. After poor results Follmer gave up on the Corvair motor. Tom Nuckles, owner of Trans Ocean Motors, offered Follmer a 547/3 1966cc four Cam motor. Bruce Burness (Former Shelby engineer) engineered the mating of a Porsche motor into the Lotus 23B for the 1965 season. With the four Cam 547/3 motor Follmer won the 1965 USRRC Championship beating Jim Halls 415 HP Chevy powered Chaparral on points.
|
|
|
|
Weaverville tour
by Liz Houser
photo Liz Houser
Join us for a fun-filled, old fashioned July 4
th weekend in the beautiful Trinity Alps. This 3-day tour will leave Rocklin on July 3
rd, and take the “scenic” route to Granzella’s for lunch. Then we’ll be heading out the curviest road in California, Hwy. 36 on our way to Weaverville, via Hayfork. We will spend July 3
rd - 5
th at the Weaverville Victorian Inn (call 530-623-4432 to book a room from the Houser Room Block).
We will receive a small-town welcome to Weaverville’s annual July 4
th festivities, including a rodeo, parade, and various charity meal functions. Tour price of $140 per person includes:
·
Lunch & dinner on Friday
·
Pancake breakfast plus a ice cream/pie social after the parade on Saturday
·
Lyons Club BBQ dinner on Saturday
·
Admissions to rodeo & bull riding on Saturday night with a dance to follow
·
Continental breakfast at hotel on Sunday
·
Hospitality room snacks (please BYOB)
We will be participating in the bell ringing ceremony in town center, so please bring a bell that means something special to you. The folks in the town started the bell ringing ceremony in 1976 to celebrate the bicentennial and thought it was such a great idea, they just kept the tradition going. My friend’s grandpa, Leonard Morris served as the master of ceremonies for the bell ringing ceremony from 1976-1999, the torch was then passed to her brother, Scott Morris, who will lead us in this year’s ceremony.
We will also be driving our cars in the parade. So put on your Red, White & Blue and decorate your Porsche too!
|
|
|
|
In The Zone
By: Collin Fat, Zone 7 Representative
Sacramento Valley Region
May 2020
Coronavirus Update:
I hope that this column finds you all safe and in good health as we struggle to deal with the current pandemic both on a personal, business and club level. The pandemic has certainly caused club members and their region leadership concerns for their personal safety as well as life as it once was prior to the pandemic. With all regions in Zone 7 cancelling or rescheduling events as we enter spring, I know that many of you are itching to get back to normal. However, that does not seem likely as I sit and write this column just a week or so prior to California’s anticipated apex in regards to infections in our great state. Temporarily cancelled are events which we have come to expect from our region leadership such as dinners, cars and coffee gatherings, tours, track days, autocross events and tech sessions just to mention a few. The big question is when will we get back to normal? I am not an expert and our comeback is so dependent on what each of us does individually to help prevent the further spread of this virus. Keep the faith, we will get out of this and get back to normal soon. It will not happen overnight so be patient.
So what are some of the activities that you as a Porsche enthusiast can do to fuel your passion? Well, here in the state of California, all of us are under stay at home orders and may only venture out for essential activities such as going to work, caring for a loved one, going to the grocery store or going to the local pharmacy. Of course, activities such as riding your bike, jogging, or taking the dog for a walk are still allowed. My take on this is that it is ok to take your Porsche out for some exercise too but not in a group of 5-6 Porsches with friends on an unofficial Porsche Club drive. I highly recommend that this type of group activity be highly discouraged as anyone seeing a group of Porsches, regardless of the number, may associate this activity as flagrant disregard of prohibitions against group gatherings and a non- essential activity. Done solo, I think it not an egregious walk around of the stay at home order and no different from a cyclist going for a short ride. Besides, our Porsche still needs to be exercised too.
There are many other activities that you can take on at home while under the stay at home order and here are a few ideas to keep you busy;
1.
Detail your engine compartment
2.
Fully detail your car’s exterior with a clay bar, polish and some paint correction and a good application of wax
3.
Fully detail your car’s interior with a vacuum, carpet steam clean, leather cleaning and conditioning. Also include detailing of your seat rails, fresh air vents, door pockets, glove box, and center console storage.
4.
Pull your wheels off and give the inside barrels a thorough cleaning to rid wheels of that unsightly accumulation of brake dust and road debris.
5.
Organize your garage and go through old files and boxes that you have been keeping for years but are unlikely to ever need. De cluttering your storage will go a long way to keeping you positive.
6.
Write an article for your club newsletter. With many events cancelled there is not much to report on post event.
7.
Attend the next club board meeting. It could be as simple as attending virtually to see what your board does and the energy required to plan and re-schedule events.
8.
Support our local advertisers and sponsors. Even though that annual oil or brake fluid change is not due for a few months or miles, take it in early and show your support for our sponsors.
9.
Get bids on your current automobile coverage to insure that you are getting the best deal possible. Do an annual review of your current coverage. Is it all needed? Do you need a guaranteed value policy for that collector car?
10.
Post a short article on the club’s Facebook page about what you have been doing while under lock down and share any unique Porsche related activities you are thinking of participating in once the lock down ends.
At the PCA National, there have been several events that have been cancelled or rescheduled. Among the events that have been cancelled include several West Coast Club races and Treffen Broadmoor. Refunds have been issued for Treffen so watch your mail. National just announced the cancellation of Parade with refunds already in the works. I know that many members in the region have been looking forward to visiting the desert in late June but due to an abundance of caution and information that was provided by local health officials, it was decided the event be cancelled.
Several club racing events across the Zone have been either cancelled or rescheduled including the Zone AX series at Marina April 25-26
th
, and the club race at Thunderhill on April 25-26
th
. In addition, Sacramento Valley Region has rescheduled their multi-day, multi-event CRAB event to May 2021 due to the issue with the coronavirus.
At the time of the writing of this column the Werks Reunion in August is still on schedule. Due to unforeseen issues with the current pandemic, events could be subject to change.
On a positive note, most region boards are meeting on a regular basis, though many in a virtual manner. All regions hope that Porsche Club activities can resume in earnest by June if not earlier. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and do our share to prevent the spread of the virus so that we can all return to enjoying our club activities.
One benefit from the social distancing and stay at home order issued by the state of California is that I have had the opportunity to attend several region board of director meetings via tele conference. These region board of directors meetings include Sierra Nevada, Golden Gate, and Diablo Regions. I am happy to report that these regions are working hard for their members and dealing with the havoc to event schedules.
Events of Interest:
1)
Loma Prieta Region 50th Anniversary Gala; March 28; register at MotorsportReg with keyword search for 'LPR'
Rescheduled to August 29.
2)
West Coast Race Series Event #3, April 25-26, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana,
Cancelled
3)
Zone 7 AX #2, April 25, Marina,
Cancelled (lost use of site)
4)
Zone 7 AX #3, April 26, Marina,
Cancelled (lost use of site)
5)
Zone 7 Concours #1, April 26, Porsche Livermore,
Cancelled
6)
Zone 7 Concours #2, May 17, Porsche Fremont,
Cancelled
7)
West Coast Race Series, May 22-24, WeatherTech Raceway, Laguna Seca,
to be rescheduled
8)
West Coast Race Series, June 6-7,Utah Motorsports Campus, registration opens April 20
9)
Zone 7 Concours #3, June 7, Porsche Rocklin
10)
Zone 7 Tour by Shasta Region; June 11-15; SOLD OUT -
wait list in effect
11)
Zone 7 AX #4, July 18, Alameda
12)
Zone 7 Concours #4, July 19, Carmel Valley Community Park
13)
Mammoth Tour by Sierra Nevada Region; July 24-26;registration opens May 1st or so
snv.pca.org/events/mammoth-high-altitude-porsche-tour-2
14)
Zone 7 Concours #5, August 2, Reno
15)
Werks Reunion in Monterey; August 14, featuring the Porsche 914;
werksreunion.com Registration will open mid-May.
16)
PCA Fall Treffen at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia; September 16-19;
treffen.pca.org. Registration will open June 17.
Note that past Treffens have sold out in as little as one hour due to their growing popularity.
|
|
|
|
Rebecca Plourde, Membership Director
|
|
|
|
SVR NEW MEMBERS AS OF April 2020
|
|
|
|
SVR Member Anniversary April 2020
|
Since we use e-mail for most of our communications, it is necessary to keep our e-mail address current with SVR and PCA. To update your information, go to
www.pca.org
and login. You can then make any updates (address, car, e-mail etc.). Also, even though we receive the information from PCA monthly, you can send the same updates to:
membership@svr-pca.org
. New Member badges will now come with a removable colored sticker to encourage introductions at club events. They can be removed at any time. Welcome to the Sacramento Valley Region of the Porsche Club of America.
SVR - PCA Member Services
Not a Porsche owner but interested in the PCA? Try the PCA Test Drive program. For information, go to:
www.pca.org/pca-test-drive
Need to update your PCA information? Update your PCA record at
www.pca.org
Do you have 2 e-mail addresses? Want Club info sent to a second email, work, home, spouse, friend...? It’s as easy as e-mailing your second e-mail address to the Membership Director at:
membership@svr-pca.org
How can I contact the SVR-PCA by mail?
Sacramento Valley Region-PCA,
Post Office Box 254651,
Sacramento, CA 95865-4651
|
|
|
|
SVR BOARD MEETING MINUTES
APRIL 7, 2020
BOARD MEETING VIA ZOOM
DUE TO RESTRICTIONS LEVIED
BY THE GOVERNOR OF CA AND COVID-19
Attendees:
Board Members: Steve Barker,
President
, Bill Fargo,
Webmaster
, Rob Lee,
Vice President
, Julie Lee,
Secretary
, Bob Peake,
Treasurer
, Gregg Plourde,
Past President
, Rebecca Plourde
Membership Director
, Mardi Quain,
Social Director
, Mike Willis,
Drifter Editor
, Greg Zajic
, Competition and Safety Director
Guests: Kirk Bradford, John Hawk, Rik Larson, Kim Nelson, Ed Parra, Alma Thompson, Gary Thompson
Call to order 7:08 p.m.
Vice President, Rob Lee welcomed everyone.
Old Business:
Minutes from the March12, 2020 meeting Approved via email (quorum) vote on March 15, 2020, final Minutes distributed on March 15, 2020.
New Business:
a)
President’s Report:
Steve Barker stated that everyone signed up for events through the May 31, 2020 should receive a refund.
Additionally, Steve Barker led a discussion on preserving Club documents. Motion to approve scanning of all Club documents going forward, made by Bill Fargo; seconded by Mardi Quain. Motion Approved.
b)
Vice President’s Report:
Rob Lee reported that the SVR Events Calendar (#12, dated April 4, 2020) has been updated and reflects the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on club activities:
-17 Events Canceled (CRAB 38, to include all events; three Concours; three Tours; five Dinners/Breakfasts; three Autocross events; one Rally School; and one Detailing class. There is one remaining event in May that a formal cancellation notice has not been received (356 North/South Event).
-3 Events Postponed: two Autocross events (one class and one driving school) and one tour (Pacific Grove).
Insurance issues: Three approved insurance requests (Pacific Grove Tour, Whale Watching Tour, and the April 4-5 Thunder Hill Autocross event) have been canceled by PCA.
The request insurance coverage of the June 7th Concours event planned at Niello Porsche was received but will not be sent to PCA until early May or until it is determined that this event will take place.
Bottomline: All club events from Mid-March to the end of May were impacted.
c)
Treasurer’s Report:
Bob Peake reported on the P&L for the club and stated that the Annual Budget Update will be given at the May Board meeting.
d)
Social Director’s Report:
Mardi Quain led a discussion on 4 Open Chair positions: Charity, Historian, Social Media and Technical. An article, written by Bill Fargo, will be placed in the Drifter describing each of these positions and asking members to volunteer. Rik Larson will do an email blast and Bill Fargo will put the information on the club web page. Additionally, information will be placed in the Drifter for those looking for Technical information to refer to the Panorama Magazine.
Mardi Quain also provided the following:
-All club activities have been canceled through the end of May 2020. See Vice President’s calendar for details. Event hosts for May are looking for available dates later in 2020.
-Collin Fat, our Zone 7 Representative advises that most Regions are evaluating their calendars on a month by month basis. He also said the Zone 7 Concours schedule for May is being evaluated and a decision will be shared in the near future.
-SVR became a major sponsor of the California Auto Museum, and one of the benefits of this sponsorship is that CAM is developing a webpage for SVR. That content is now in development, and the details of the page will be released soon.
e)
Membership Director’s Report:
Membership Report for March:
Primary Members – 855
Affiliate Members – 528
Total Members – 1383 (includes 8 New Members, 1 Transfer In, and 0 Transfer Out)
f)
Niello – Kim Nelson reported that Niello had approved the annual budget that will include funds for Awards, Advertising, CRAB, etc.
g)
Digital Projector –Gregg Plourde gave an update and will purchase this equipment once the Stay at Home order is lifted.
h)
CRAB38 – John Hawk reported that CRAB38 has been cancelled as well as all associated events. Everyone who had signed up will receive a refund through Eventbrite. Due to the circumstances (Covid-19), Eventbrite waived their normal fees. Gregg Plourde stated that a record of all who signed up will be kept.
May 21-May 23, 2021 is the tentative rescheduled date. Sponsors will be contacted to see if they would consider being a sponsor next year.
i)
Webmaster- Bill Fargo stated he was keeping up on all the changes, updates and cancellations.
j)
Autocross – Greg Zajic reported that the Autocross School and events will be rescheduled for later in the year.
k)
Drifter – Mike Willis reported that the May issue will hopefully feature some advertiser “spotlights”. Dick Murphy is working on this endeavor.
Meeting Adjourned at 9:43
Next Board Meeting:
May 13, 2020, 7:00 p.m.
ZOOM CONFERENCE CALL
Respectfully Submitted – Julie Lee, Secretary
|
|
|
|
 |
TrackMasters Racing is a leader in the High-Performance Driver Education events in Northern California and invites SVR-PCA drivers to participate in these events. For the complete schedule click the link below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
SVR 's Classified Porsche Ads. For additional information and ads Click below
|
|
|
|
PCA Members may place non-commercial classified ads for no charge. Photos will be published on this web page at no charge.
Non-PCA members may place ads on our webpage, on a space available basis, as follows: Ads without photos $20.00; Ads with photos $35.00. All ads run for two months unless canceled. There will be no refunds for paid ads.
Ads must be submitted electronically with attachment to
classified@svr-pca.org. PCA members must include your PCA membership number on all submissions as proof of membership.
Paid ads will not be published until payment has been received. Checks must be made payable to PCA-SVR, and mailed to: Porsche Club of America; Sacramento Valley Region; PO Box 254651; Sacramento, CA 95865-4651
|
|
|
|
Sacramento Valley Region Web Store
|
|
|
|
Sacramento Valley - Red House® - Mini-Check Non-Iron Button-Down Shirt
Price:
$72.99
|
|
Sacramento Valley - Eddie Bauer® Ladies Hooded Soft Shell Parka
Price:
$104.99
|
|
Sacramento Valley - Element 095
Price:
$33.99
|
|
|
|
2020 West Coast Race Series Calendar
as of April 17, 2020
May 22-24
th
WeatherTech Raceway,
POSTPONED
June 6-7
th
Utah Motorsports Campus
August 29-30
th
Sonoma Raceway
September 19-20th High Plains Raceway
September 26-27
th
Thunderhill Raceway
October 10-11
th
Sonoma Raceway
|
|
|
Submitting Material to the Drifter
The Drifter is Produced online monthly for its members. Written contributions are welcome and should be e-mailed to the editor. The deadline for submissions is the 15th of the month prior to the month of publication. Submissions in WORD or TEXT are preferred.
Photos are always welcome.
Photos should be sent separately from the text. (You may also use a downloadable link to the photos.)
To change your email address or street address, please email our membership director to insure uninterrupted delivery.
Rebecca Plourde at
or call her at 530.210.9686
All material in this newsletter is protected by copyright.
However, newsletter editors of other Porsche Club of America regions may reprint any article provided that credit is given to the author and Sacramento Valley Region and that The Drifter
is cited as the source.
|
|
|
|
Follow SVR on Social Media
|
|
|
|
|
|
