The Grapevine Newsletter Golden Empire Region April 2014
Porsche Club of America
Hear it through the Grapevine Featured Stories A Very Special Thank You from our MARE family
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Porsche announces Boxster and Cayman GTS
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Porsche to Replace Engines that caused GT3 Fires
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Top Gear’s James May on Vintage Porsches
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Social Outings & Members Page GEM Social Meeting Dinners
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Meet new members, Jeff and Tracy Allen
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Another Exciting Drive to Beautiful Parkfield
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Event Calendars & Schedules Our GEM Event Calendar
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California Festival of Speed 2014 Preview
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Registration is open for Porsche Parade in Monterey
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Members Project Pages Our cover photo this month come from a MARE photo shoot. Pictured here we have Dave and Voni Bratcher standing beside their gorgeous yellow 911. Also standing with them, looking pretty in pink is young MARE volunteer Kaitlyn Coburn.
My Vintage 911 Targa Finally come Home
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Out of Town Events Autocross at Shafter’s Minter Field
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Autocross at Santa Maria Airport
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Concours in the Canyon, Cal Inland
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Buttonwillow Raceway Driver’s Ed Meet
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Miscellaneous Out of Town Events
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Porsche Club of America Golden Empire Region Board Members and Chair Persons
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Past President
Omar Olivas
Linn Christopher
Spencer Harris
Betsy Wadman
Pat Wadman
Membership Co-Chairs & Safety Chair &
Newsletter Editor
Insurance Coordinator
Michael Thomas
Mike McGregor
gemgrapevine@gmail.com
Communication Co-Chairs
Loren Stumbaugh and Anna Stumbaugh
Autocross Co-Chairs
Greg Fullmer and Charles Rook
PCA Membership Webmaster
Social Coordinator
Anton Khatsanovich
Tammy Harris
While our cars are very exclusive, our club is not. Did you know that you can add a family member or other interested person as an affiliate member, at no additional cost? The family or affiliate member must also be 18 years of age or older.
Please join us online at our newly remodeled Website and on our Facebook Group page:
For all of the details contact our Membership Chair:
http://gem.pca.org/
Loren Stumbaugh Porsche Club of America Golden Empire Region Membership Chairman Loren7025@gmail.com (661) 747-4416
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ PCA.GoldenEmpireRegion/ And please send any Newsletter comments or content contributions to :
gemgrapevine@gmail.com
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GEM Monthly Social Meetings The third Tuesday evening of each month is all about good friends and good food. Everyone is invited to come out and join us, member or not. Come be part of the Porsche lifestyle with us each month. Our next Social Meeting for the Month of April, will be Tuesday the 15th, 6:30 pm at the Chef’s Choice, Noodle Bar, in Downtown Bakersfield. Check for other dates and locations online at GEM.PCA.ORG
A Good Time was had by all at the March Social Meeting at Tony’s Pizza on Coffee Rd. What’s Tammy up to now?
Turns out that the owner of Tony’s drives a Porsche Panamera himself. Did anyone get that man a PCA app?
The Golden Empire Region PCA Introduces New Members GEM is excited to introduce new members, Jeff and Tracy Allen. The Allens drive this beautiful deep blue Boxster. They have accompanied us on two driving tours already. And I’m happy to report that Tracy has no problem with motion sickness when driving “spiritedly” through the curves. Welcome Jeff and Tracy, it’s great to have you with us !!
Jeff and Tracy on Highway 58 in the Carrizo Plains
Stopping for grub in Tehachapi on their maiden club run
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The first month of each year Southern California holds it’s multi-day affairs for everything Porsche. Starting off Saturday morning with the L.A. Literature Show at the the LAX Hilton. This venue has an incredible selection of Porsche parts, souvenirs, and course Porsche related brochures and manuals.
The following Sunday is the All Porsche Swap meet at Anaheim's Phoenix Club. It too offered an amazing selection of all things Porsche. Many of the dealers and items from the Lit Show were here as well. However, a lot of the larger items such as Porsche engines, transmissions, and even cars themselves were for sale at this event. Pelican Parts and Stoddgard parts were on hand with huge selections of Porsche parts for cars new and old. I went home with an owner’s manual and a new Porsche hood crest for my newly acquired 1971 911 Targa! Next year I’m bringing a shopping cart :)
Not even pouring rain can keep determined Porsche owner’s away from here
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Moving and Shaking in Parkfield, CA GEM enjoyed a great Hwy 58 drive and joins the Central Coast Region for a wonderful Parkfield BBQ Thanks you California Central Coast Region for your hospitality !!
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Another Spirited Driving Tour through the Carizzo Plains
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The Golden Empire Region receives a very heartfelt Thank You from our Friends at M.A.R.E.
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The torn paper comes from the Signature of one of M.A.R.E.’s horse’s paws :)
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Porsche Announces the new Cayman GTS and Boxster GTS
The two most powerful and fastest midengine sports models from Porsche are ready and raring to go: with uprated engines and excellent PASM chassis the Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS set new benchmarks for sportiness in their segment. The independent front and a modified rear end, blackened bi-xenon headlights - with the Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS) as standard - and exterior lettering in silky black gloss are subtle yet unmistakable features of the new top models. The name says it all: at Porsche "GTS" stands for Gran Turismo Sport and has promised outstanding Porsche performance ever since the legendary 904 Carrera GTS dating back to 1963. With the new two-seaters Porsche is renewing its commitment to authentic sports cars for both the racetrack and everyday use. The six-cylinder boxer engines fitted in the new top models are based on the 3.4-litre engines from the Boxster S and Cayman S respectively. Thanks to optimised fine tuning they now deliver an additional 15 hp (11 kW). This means that the Boxster GTS now has an output of 330 hp (243 kW), whilst the Cayman GTS delivers 340 hp (250 kW). The torque has also increased by ten newton metres in each model. What's more, the Sport Chrono package is a standard feature in both mid-engine sports cars. This means
that in conjunction with the optional Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) and the active Sport Plus button, the Boxster GTS sprints from 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds, whilst the Cayman GTS is even a tenth of a second faster. Both vehicles therefore set new reference values. As regards the maximum speed - measured with the standard manual six-speed transmission - the Boxster is the first of the new premium roadsters to top the 280 km/h mark, achieving a speed of 281 km/h. At 285 km/h the sports coupé is even faster. The new top models are the first mid-engine two-seaters from Porsche to be certified according to the Euro 6 standard, and with this measuring method they achieve an overall fuel consumption with PDK of 8.2 l/100 km (9.0 l/100 km with manual transmission). The Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS combine top driving dynamics with the typical Porsche spread with undiminished ride comfort and exclusive features. For example, the combination of PASM and the Sport Chrono package as standard enables the driver to switch between progressive sportiness on the one hand and long-distance comfort on the other hand at the press of a button. The tyres measuring 235/35 at the front and 265/35 at the rear on 20-inch Carrera S10
wheels provide the perfect setup for both. Both two-seaters come with sports seats and leather interiors as standard. Like other GTS models from Porsche they are refined with Alcantara elements. With the new models Porsche is now extending the GTS principle to the Boxster and Cayman. Like the Cayenne GTS and Panamera GTS, these are extremely sporty top models that stand for superior driving dynamics in their segment. The combination of letters originates from the 904 Carrera GTS, a race car dating back to 1963 that could also be registered for use on public roads. In the 1980s and 1990s the 924 GTS and 928 GTS cultivated this principle. It was reborn in 2007 in the form of the Cayenne GTS, and was subsequently also implemented in the 911 series and the Panamera. The new models will be launched from May 2014. In Germany, the the Boxster GTS costs €69,949 ($97,289) while the Cayman GTS makes you €73,757 ($102,586) lighter. Don't worry though, cars are much cheaper in America. In fact, while Porsche doesn't have the info on their website, they do have it in the configurator. The Boxster GTS starts at $74,495 and the Cayman GTS is $76,195. Not too bad.
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PCNA will bring a preview of The Los Angeles Experience Center to Festival of Speed April 5&6
Porsche has released some new details about their Los Angeles Experience Center Currently under construction, the 53-acre site is located in Carson,
Center that offers "customized programs to maximize personal fit-
California and will enable visitors to hit the track in everything from
ness and wellness for race car drivers and endurance athletes."
a Boxster to a 911. As Porsche North America CEO Detlev von Plat-
There will also be a family-friendly cafe, an upscale restaurant and
en toldAutomotive News, “It will be a high-performance training
a conference center that can be used for business or motorsport
center, where enthusiasts can experience and drive the car in all
events.
the conditions you normally couldn’t get in the real world."
The facility will also be the home to Porsche Motorsport North
The track will have a modular design which will enable the compa-
America and have a factory-backed maintenance and
ny to create a variety of courses ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 miles. The
tion area.
company will also allow visitors to drive their own car on the track
The Los Angeles Experience Center is expected to open in late
and then compare it to a Porsche.
2014.
Besides the track, the complex will have a Human Performance
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restora-
Get ready for Southern California’s biggest Porsche Event of 2014 ! Registration is now open. It can be done online
MotorSportReg.com 15
April 2014 Sun
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5 Fontana, CA Festival of Speed
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12 Breakfast Long Beach Grand Prix Weekend
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13 Cal-Inland Concours
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15 Social Meeting 16 and Dinner at the Noodle Factory in Downtown Bako
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19 Bakersfield Breakfast and Drive to Parkfield For BBQ
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26 Autocross in Santa Maria on Airport Runway
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Long Beach Grand Prix Weekend
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GEM Autocross at Minter Field 11
Porsche and LA Yacht Club Event 18
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June 2014 Sun
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1 White Glove Porsche Concours in Dana Point
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7 San Luis Obispo Drivers Ralley
8 San Luis Obispo Concours d’ Elelgannce
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Porsche Parade
Porsche Parade
Porsche Parade
Porsche Parade
Porsche Parade
Porsche Parade
Porsche Parade
Monterey Calif
Monterey Calif
Monterey Calif
Monterey Calif
Monterey Calif
Monterey Calif
Monterey Calif
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Porsche Parade Monterey Calif 29
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July 2014 Sun
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Whale Watching in Santa Barbara
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20 Los Angeles Porsche Concours at Museum Flying in Santa Monica
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Visit the Auto Club Speedway Website
Get ready for Southern California’s biggest Porsche Event of 2014 !
Visit PCA Zone8 / Festival of Speed Website
Registration is now open. It can be done online
MotorSportReg.com
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The Largest Porsche Event in the Southwest April 4-6, 2014 9 AM - 5 PM Auto Club Speedway 9300 Cherry Avenue, Fontana, CA 92335 Sponsors & Vendors: Look here to see why you won't want to miss this! The California Festival of Speed is the Porsche enthusiasts dream weekend. Club Race, Time Trial, Swap meet, Porsche Corral, Porsche For Sale Platz, Porsche Timeline Display, Vendor Row, Concours, Taste of Autocross, Parade Laps, Friends, Fun and all things Porsche. Need I say more? This event has race cars, show cars, it can even have your car! See the cars, meet the drivers and experience the excitement!
Enter an event, or just come for the experience!! Free Admission Just show up and enjoy the fun! Don't forget to bring your Porsche and $10 Parking fee! Stay the Weekend Take advantage of our discounted hotel rates!
Click Arrow to Preview last years event
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Porsche responds to the 991 GTS fire issue with new engines for all 785 GTSs sold
Josh Barnett of Total 911 Magazine reports that the pair of engine failures that caused two brand new Porsche 991 GT3s to ignite were the result of a problem with a piston connecting rod bolt. Speaking to Total 911, Porsche GB Product Affairs Manager, Nick Perry, explained that “the broken connecting rod bolt caused damage to the crankcase” of the burnt out GT3s. After a ‘stop driving’ notice was issued by Porsche four weeks ago, Zuffenhausen has been flat out in an attempt to diagnose the cause of the two catastrophic failures. Just last week, we reported that there had been little further news from Porsche regarding the issue. However, today’s news (which 991 GT3 owners will be receiving in letter form imminently) signals the major breakthrough that all
785 owners have been hoping for during the past month. Porsche have not confirmed if the two bolt failures happened at the big- or small-end of the conrod but, rather than replace the offending items, Stuttgart will now embark on the process of replacing the engines in every 991 GT3 produced so far. Perry did not want to put a timescale on this process as many of the 100-odd GT3s delivered so far in the UK will need to be recovered to an OPC, and the engines need to be built and transited from Germany, before the motor switch can be performed. The new engines, which will feature an improved connecting rod bolt, will also feature on any new 991 GT3 rolling off the production line as of today.
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Your Newsletter Editor’s 1971 911t Targa is finally home ! It’s a pretty special day for your newsletter editor. This little ‘71 Targa has drifted from one garage to another for the last 5 years. But today she has finally come home to mine. George and the Boyz at German Dreams have done a wonderful job of bringing her back to life. A good wash and a little elbow grease on her original Tangerine/23 paint has this little Porsche jewel shining once again. Pretty baby and a delight to drive She shines up pretty well, and makes my driveway look Good !!
The story begins several years ago when a family from the coast moved into my community. Oddly enough it wasn't the Porsche that first caught my eye. It was the white ’88 560SL Mercedes parked in his garage next to it. I’ve always been a fan to the majestic SL styling that Mercedes produced years ago. And as some of you may know, I finally found and bought an old 1975 450SL. Which I have put more money into than I will ever see returned :(
The way she sat the day found her, parked for 5 years After I retired in December I thought it would nice to have another vintage car project to occupy some newly found time. While riding my bicycle throughout the community I became more interested in the small tangerine colored 911 parked next to the white Mercedes in this man’s garage.
She’s now an excellent driver with a freshly refurbished interior.
It’s for sale now, Hint Hint !!
At a Golden Ox breakfast meeting one Saturday morning in early January, Loren commented that someone had suggested to him the vintage 911s were going to be the next Porsche models to see a run up in value after the 356 value explosion. Ken Kenan who was sitting there made a comment to me. “Mike, you need to focus. Stop collecting these old Mercedes and get another Porsche now that you’re retired.” That little ‘throw away’ comment that Ken made was all the inspiration I needed to walk up my neighbor’s door, ring the door bell, and ask if he was interested in selling his Porsche. He through out a price, I looked over the car, and arranged for a repurchase inspection at German Dreams, with sales contingent on the outcome of the inspection.
Thank you Loren and Ken, you two were the catalysis for this purchase
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The previous owner standing in the doorway watching her leave
Her first direct sunlight in over 5 years
Outside of George and Eddie’s German Dreams shop
Off to German Dreams. Please guys, tell me she’s healthy
Funny story here. Told wife I was buying another Porsche. A vintage air-cooled this time. She asked how much did you pay? I said Seventeen, but showed her how much they are selling for nicely restored, upwards of $30K. Her comment was Oh, that will be a nice retirement project.
A couple of days later I stated that I wish I was a better negotiator, I may have been able to pick this up for a couple grand less. “A couple grand less, she asked? I thought you paid $1,700 for the car.” I said umm no, rather sheepishly. It was $17,000. OMG, wrong thing to say! “You paid $17,000 for an old car that doesn’t even run? What’s wrong with you?”
The little 2.2 engine pulls strong. Lots more power than I anticipated. The car has sat for 5 years with fuel in system. Lots of varnish that had to be cleaned out. Fuel pump and filter replaced. 5 speed, but pulls 8O mph in 4th with ease
Well, there really IS a lot wrong with me, but buying this car is not one of them. After she returned to plant Earth I, with the help of several others convinced her the car really was well bought, with lots of upside potential in value. Hope their right :)) The interior turns out to be in much better condition that I original thought. A good wash and vacuum inside made her look fresh. The headliner on the Targa top needs to be replaced. However, the outside of the Targa top shined up nicely. There’s a crack in the dash. And some new carpet is in the works. Wished I shined up this well when I turned 43 years old …... 27
Registration for Porsche Parade is finally open Sign up soon for the driving events, they fill up quickly. Lodging in the Monterey/Salinas area is filling up quickly as well. If your considering on attending start planning now! Click on graphic below for full information on details and scheduling. Or review the March issue of the Grapevine for the complete schedule.
Monterey is the site of our 59th Porsche Parade, to be held this June 15 through 21, 2014. This is PCA’s annual extravaganza of competitive and social events. Only minutes away from the beautiful Pacific Ocean, we’ll be treated to drives on the famous Pacific Coastal Highway, to some of California’s legendary vineyards, and through the hills and valleys of northern California. Of course, Parade has a long history of friendly competition and that will continue this year with the always challenging Concours d’Elegance, TSD rally, autocross, and the tech-quiz. Registration
Registration will open on April 1st (new date!), and there will be a link to register on pca.org and parade2014.pca.org. This Parade will be very popular, but we will accept ALL entries. We can accommodate all entrants for each of the banquets and all competitive events, as well as most activities. Tours on some days will sell out, however.
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Top Gear’s James May on the Vintage Porsche 911
stuff is always excellent, because it was done by Germans - and signs of replacement panels or indeed of another 911 of different provenance lurking within the one you think you're buying. Body repairs on 911s can be pretty expensive, largely because the panels are pricey.
For the first time in my life as a motoring journalist, I'd like to dispense some genuine and heartfelt consumer advice. Here it comes: buy yourself an old 911.
The engine, on the other hand, is easy to maintain and very robust. I have met owners who have covered a quarter of a million miles without a rebuild, so don't be put off by 100,000+ on the clock. Providing the oil has been changed regularly, it will be fine. Even a little smoking is not too much to worry about. Air-cooled 911 engines make some terrifying gurgling and chuffing noises, but this is normal. Clatters, on the other hand, spell trouble.
Regular readers will know that I've spent much of the last year driving a selection of supercars. I'm now ready to record my conclusion to the exercise, and it's this. They're all a bit of a waste of money, really. Buy an old 911 instead. In all honesty, I'd rather have the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, which I thought was one of the finest cars I'd ever driven. But it costs £213,000, and you could save two hundred of them by buying an old 911. Even a new 911 Carrera 2S will set you back about £75k once you've paid for all the bits that should have come with the car in the first place, so, rather than doing without the options, why not do without the car and spend the saving on an old one instead? This is in no way a preamble to some tiresome rant about how cars were better in the olden days. All old cars are terrible, which is why they're not made any more, but the exception is the 911. The basic premise of the 911 is an idea that goes back to before the war anyway, so in that sense they're all old. I'm on my second old 911, both of them 3.2 Carrera coupes from the Eighties. This is the one I'd go for, because it's the one I've got and I know what I'm talking about. It's also one of the cheaper and most plentiful versions out there, thanks to the explosion of 911 enthusiasm during the yuppie era, so there are loads around. Mine cost £15,300 with 48,000 miles on the clock, a complete service history, and in perfect condition save for a stone chip in the bonnet. It's the best thing I've ever bought. The first thing to check when considering a 3.2 911 is: does the roof come off? If it does, it's one of the cabrio versions, and they're for pussies. Having satisfied yourself that the roof is made of proper metal, make all the checks you would on any car - does it actually belong to the bloke selling it? Do the documents exist and match up? Is it in fact just a Beetle with a Porsche badge stuck on? Actually, it is, but you know what I mean. Now the bodywork. All post-'75 cars were galvanised, but that's no guarantee against rot. Weak areas are around the headlights, the trailing edges of the front wings, inside the door pillars and around the rear windows. Underneath, the ‘kidney bowl' around the rear wheel arches gets a bit of a beating, and replacing it is a sort of rib-expander surgery job, and expensive. While you're poking around, check for crash damage, since 911s have always been easy to crash and have often been owned by people who were likely to. Look for uneven welding - the original
Any pre-'95 car will be fitted with the ancient and notoriously cussed 915 gearbox. Changing down into first will normally need some extra clutchwork and, when cold, second might not seem to be there at all. This is as it should be, but any kerrang noises during fast shifts are bad news. Richard Hammond's ‘favourite gearchange' is fourth to fifth in a 915 box. The interior will probably be pretty good, whereas that of a contemporary Ferrari will probably be in the footwell by now. Things like the door bins can become a bit warped and saggy, but all these bits are available for a reasonable price and it all screws together with the toolkit you got for £4.99 with 20 litres of diesel. Make sure everything works. It usually does. I don't believe you need to spend more than £15,000 on a very good 2.3-litre 911. It is the most characterful and engaging car for the cash and probably for twice as much. This is the only bit of car buying advice I will ever dispense. I'm usually hopeless at it. But this is so easy, even I got it right.
Upcoming Activities Out of Town
San Luis Concours, Sunday, June 8 Madonna Inn, San Luis Obispo, CA
with Corral Parking
San Luis Rally on the Beautiful Central Coast, June 7 A brisk timed drive of about 100 miles of breathtaking scenery on the San Luis Obispo County's most challenging and fun to drive roads. 31
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