Porsche Post January 2016

Porsche Double top

January 2016

ÂŁ4.25 ISSN 1743--3452

www.porscheclubgb.com

Pete Morris on his second-in-a-row Championship win

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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FIRST WORDS December’s Christmas open day has always been an enjoyable way to end the Porsche Club season, and this year’s event was no different. Over 400 members made the journey to Gloucestershire, and I doubt the building has ever been so busy. It is no secret that the Club’s Directors are actively discussing the long-term strategy for the Clubhouse, and seeing the place so convincingly earning its keep does help focus the mind.

It was pleasing to see lots of new members in attendance, and we hope you will join us again at some of the varied events which are scheduled for the next 12 months. The first open day of 2016 takes place on Sunday, 6th March, so if you haven’t yet visited the Clubhouse then this could be an ideal opportunity to do so.

This month’s magazine features an in-depth interview with Pete Morris who, having competed in virtually every discipline on offer, has become a stalwart of Porsche Club motorsport. That solid grounding has ultimately reaped rewards as Pete raced to his second successive Championship victory this season. His story is a fine example of how to make the most of the opportunities on offer from Porsche Club GB, so if you are keen to learn more about the motorsport side of the organisation then please do get in touch with Steve Kevlin by e-mailing motorsport@porscheclubgb.com.

Elsewhere, we take a detailed look back at the Club’s two 2015 factory visits which once again attracted enthusiastic attendances. Interest is now

being canvassed for the 2016 trips, so please do get in touch with Richard Watling by e-mailing factoryvisit@porscheclubgb.com.

Just a couple of weeks into the new year and the Club will be back on the road again as we head to Birmingham’s NEC for the Autosport show. Hospitality will, as always, be available for members and we are hoping to showcase a fine display of race cars. Then, just a month later, the Club will have a presence at the London Classic Car Show which takes place the ExCel arena. The relevant discount code for the London event is published in the news section of this month’s magazine and we look forward to seeing many of you.

I am pleased to report that the Club will be offering members the opportunity to buy tickets directly for the opening round of the 2016 World Endurance Championship at Silverstone. As in previous years, infield parking will be made available for Porsche Club members, and we are hoping to have a larger presence than in previous years. Please call in the new year to secure your discounted tickets.

On behalf of the hard-working Clubhouse team, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and prosperous new year. It is your passion for Porsche that makes our jobs so exciting and fulfilling, and we are continually striving to make your Club even better. We have enjoyed a sustained period of progress during 2015, and if we cover as much ground again in the next twelve months then the future looks very bright, indeed.

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me should you wish to offer us any feedback on Porsche Post and of the Club as a whole, of course. My phone numbers are 01608 652911 and 07788 991473, or you can e-mail me at gm@porscheclubgb.com.

Chris Seaward General Manager

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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Cornbury House, Cotswold Business Village, London Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 OJQ Tel: 01608 652911; fax: 01608 652944 e-mail: cluboffice@porscheclubgb.com www.porscheclubgb.com Patron: Dr Wolfgang Porsche

Porsche Post is produced on behalf of Porsche Club GB by Archant Dialogue Archant Dialogue, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE Tel: 01603 664242 e-mail: mail@porschepost.co.uk www.archantdialogue.co.uk

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Archant Dialogue is part of Archant Community Media

Porsche Club GB business partners:

James Gill Managing editor Matt High Deputy editor Lucy Perkins Art editor Richard Berry Senior designer Rachel Stevenson Account manager Kay Brown Advertising print production manager Isobel Robson Advertising sales director Jamie Kent Finance director Jon Lilley Creative director Zoë Francis-Cox Publishing director Gavin Miller Managing director For advertising enquiries, please contact Victoria Moore (sales) on 01603 772547 victoria.moore@porschepost.co.uk Publications team Chris Seaward, Mike Rees, Richard Rees & Paul Grainger

Porsche Post incorporating Trading Post is published monthly by Porsche Club GB; ISSN 1743-3452 Copyright © Porsche Club GB and various authors and photographers, 2015. Reproduction is forbidden without prior permission

Archive Peter Cook Editorial address As above e-mail address for editorial copy editor@porscheclubgb.com Disclaimer Directors of the board of Porsche Club GB, Club staff, Register Secretaries and Regional Organisers are often requested by Club members to provide information on matters connected with their cars. Such information, advice and assistance provided by such persons is given in good faith, and is based upon the personal experience and knowledge of the individual concerned. Neither Porsche Club GB nor any of the aforementioned shall be under any liability in respect of such information, advice and assistance given to members. Members are advised to consult qualified specialists for information, advice and assistance on matters connected with their cars at all times.

Imported vehicles Porsche cars imported outside the official Porsche Centre network, with a non-C16 specification, may have a lower resale value in the UK, and may also exhibit performance issues.

Performance modifications Members are advised that any modification, or the fitting of any non-Porsche accessory, may invalidate their warranty.

Regions & Registers copy dates Issue Copy date Publication date February January 1 January 23 March January 30 February 20 April February 28 March 22 Please remember that all contributions must be submitted before the published copy dates shown above.

Editorial contributions Contributions to Porsche Post are always welcomed, but to avoid possible duplication it is essential that subject matter is discussed with the editor (editor@porscheclubgb.com) beforehand. Please submit text as Microsoft Word documents only to the above address or, if absolutely necessary, pasted within the body of an e-mail message. It is also essential that all images are copyright-cleared. Although every care will be taken with members’ documents and pictures, we cannot be held responsible for damage to, or loss of, any material.

And while every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of any information within Porsche Post, neither Porsche Club Great Britain nor Archant Dialogue can assume any responsibility for errors or omissions. Published articles do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, other contributors or the publishers, or Porsche Club GB policy.

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Advertisers are reminded that the Porsche script and crest are protected trademarks. Their use in editorial and advertising requires permission from Porsche Cars GB Ltd. If the Club has reason to believe that any items for publication contravene these guidelines, copy will be returned. The advertiser remains liable for space booked.

COVER PHOTOGRAPH: KEITH NEILSON

Porsche Club GB annual subscription rates UK individual membership UK joint membership Overseas

New members £70 New members £73 New members £78

Renewals £60 Renewals £63 Renewals £64

There is a £5 reduction in these prices for payment by direct debit. For further information please contact the membership department at Club Office on 01608 652911

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Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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REGULARS

FEATURES

3

First words

26 Climbing the ladder

7

Boardtalk

8

News

18

Used and approved

20

Events round-up

24

Club shop

52

Regions

93

Registers

115 Events calendar 117 Trading post 138 Advertisement index

Pete Morris: first man to take overall victory two years running

33 Noises off A noisy stereo system is remedied by a Norwegian electronics expert

36 That was the year that was 12 months of factory visits – and the promise of 2016

42 Action this day David Hemmings, his 928 and the fun of a Porsche Club trackday

46 A welcome in the hillside 997 Register’s tour of mid-Wales: great roads and sublime Porsches

48 Vintage view Snetterton, April 1969: Round 2 of the RAC British Sports Car Championship

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50 Clean sweep Porsche Centre Cambridge welcomes Region 24 on their their official Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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Boardtalk News on the latest Porsche Club GB developments from members of the Board

C

hristmas is almost upon us, with the decorations already on the tree and the presents hopefully packed, so it’s time to look ahead at what might be in store for the New Year.

Last month Peter Bull introduced the fantastic range of activities that you can join next year. In my own case, I am now deeply engaged in planning for the factory visits that will take place during April and September.

Germany is such a good place to explore, yet relatively few members have been there, and my mission is to help them to enjoy the variety of the countryside, to drive the brilliant roads and to learn the Porsche story in the factory and the places that are so important to its origins.

In April we shall be back in Osnabrück, where we saw the first GT4s being built earlier in the year, then we head to Leipzig to see the rapidly expanding SUV and saloon assembly plant, before going on track to try out some of the range. Trips to Berlin and Swiss Saxony will occupy the weekend, and we finish in Stuttgart with tours of both the factory and museum. In September we shall return to Stuttgart, but then explore the beautiful areas of Bavaria and the original homeland of the Porsche family. Exciting driving and great company.

My enthusiasm for the motor racing which is at the heart of the DNA of the marque is undimmed since my first excursions to Spa in 1970. This year, 2015, saw Porsche build on its record of Le Mans wins and become the World Endurance Champion for Manufacturers for the 13th time, and the first time since 1986 – a magnificent and much-anticipated result for the company’s many fans. The first round of the 2016 championship will take place at Silverstone

in April, and naturally we aim to become involved and active in our support for the team in its next challenge. Why not put it into the diary and come along to a traditionally warm Club welcome?

My ‘other’ job within the Club is as Commercial Director to nurture the business relationships that we have with our major partners and to explore new areas to increase the range of members’ benefits, as well as growing the top line of the Club’s finances. Our most important partners, David Hamer at Lockton Insurance, and Gavin Miller at Archant Dialogue, both provide long-term stability and enable members to obtain class-leading car insurance and receive surely the best club magazine in the Porsche world, respectively.

Without their help, and that of others, we would

auction sale and the enhanced online presence that is planned we have decisively begun the process. All you have to do is embellish your beloved front-, rear- or mid-engined pride and joy with Swissvax, and you will be there. I am a convert and I hope you will soon be one, too.

Working closely with Chris Seaward and the Cornbury House team, I continue to search for new relevant associations that will increase our member benefits and build the attraction of being a member of the Club. If you have any particular areas that you would like us to consider, or have associations that you could pass on, then do please let me know and we will follow up the leads. The member research we carried out last year received excellent support, and when we repeat it I urge you to respond – it is difficult to overstate the value of the knowledge this gives us to form new connections, and to present the Club in a professional and progressive manner.

By the time you receive this edition of Porsche Post there may still be time to fill those gaps in the gift schedule – if you are quick.

A wheel-cleaning brush for your partner to help you in your cleaning endeavours would probably be much appreciated. But if not, there is a wonderful range of items in the Club Shop range, which has been recently refreshed and enlarged by Mandy Sutch. The new Porsche Sounds book and CDs have been a great hit, and could deal very effectively with competition from that drum kit. Take a look, but whatever you choose, have a safe and happy holiday, and look forward to taking off the car cover in the New Year and firing up that blissful Stuttgart music. We shall be at the Autosport show from 14th to 17th January, and the London Classic Car Show from 18th to 21st February, so see you there!

‘In April we shall be back in Osnabrück, where we saw the first GT4s being built earlier in the year, then we head to Leipzig to see the rapidly expanding SUV and saloon assembly plant’ not be able to grow the Cornbury House team, or the range and quality of events that is our hallmark. We are very grateful to them for their consistently strong support.

Our new partners this year have added considerably to our range of benefits: first, Chris MacDonald at Swissvax, the leading detailing experts, and then Nick Whale and Guy Lees-Milne at Silverstone Auctions, who between them put on our first all-Porsche sale in October linked to a trackday and hospitality at the Experience Centre. This was very well supported by over 300 members, and the car park array was fantastic. Increasingly we want members and the public to know that the best route to membership of the Porsche world is by buying from a Club member, and with the

Richard Watling Commercial Director

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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News

What’s going on within Porsche Club GB and the wider world of Porsche porscheclubgb.com

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@pcgb

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January 14th–17th Autosport International February 18th–21st London Classic Car Show March 6th Clubhouse open day April 15th–20th Factory Visit 15th–17th FIA WEC Silverstone 23rd Officials’ Conference 24th Porsche Club GB AGM May 20th–23rd Manx Tour 22nd Porsches on the Prom, Anglesey

Porsche Club is preparing for one of its busiest event schedules in recent years, with a varied array of national and regional events for members to enjoy.

From trackdays to tours, and from concours to Clubhouse meets, there will be lots to savour as the organisation continues to enjoy a strong period of growth thanks to a recent surge in membership.

The action gets under way at the Autosport show in January, and just a month later the Club will for the first time be part of the London Classic Car Show. A presence at Le Mans, Goodwood Festival of Speed and Classics at the Castle will follow, with the Silverstone Auctions Porsche Sale once again scheduled for mid-October after the resounding success of the inaugural event earlier this year.

In another exciting development, the Club’s National Event will take place in conjunction with the Silverstone Classic weekend from Friday, 29th to Sunday, 31st July. Although plans are still at an early stage, it is anticipated that a large Porsche area will take centre stage, with positive conversations currently taking place about the kind of Porsche-related activities members can expect.

Porsche Club Chairman Peter Bull 8

commented: ‘Members can look forward to a fabulous year of Club events, with a great variety of activities on offer. We are excited about returning to the Silverstone Classic for our 2016 National Event, and I know that for many members it is already the highlight of their year.

‘The directors and Clubhouse team will be seeking to incorporate lots of Porsche-related content into the Silverstone Classic weekend, and our presence there will be significantly greater than in previous years. Of course, there are hundreds of Regional Events taking place throughout the country, so I encourage all members to make the most of what’s on offer.’

Tickets to the Silverstone Classic provide access to both race assembly areas and paddock complexes, as well as to trackside grandstands, huge static car displays and vintage funfair rides, as well as live concerts from headline acts. The booking code for Porsche Club GB members is SCC16043, which secures two admission tickets for the price of one.

Full details of all tickets – which must be bought in advance – as well as hospitality packages and weekend festival camping, can be found on the event website at www.silverstoneclassic.com.

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

July 3rd Open day with Bugatti Owners’ Club 8th–10th Le Mans Classic 10th Porkers in the Trough 8th–10th Royal International Air Tattoo, Fairford 29th–31st Silverstone Classic – National Event September 4th Classics at the Castle, Essex 10th Register Rendezvous, Kedleston Hall October 15th Silverstone Auctions Porsche Sale November 5th Officials’ Conference TBC: NEC Classic Car Show December 4th Christmas Clubhouse open day

Photo by Stephen Mummery

National event at Silverstone Classic – and many others for members to enjoy

June 5th Pirelli Clubhouse barbecue 18th–19th Le Mans 24 Hours 23rd–26th Goodwood Festival of Speed

Those long winter nights will soon make way for a busy year of Porsche Club events. There is plenty to savour and we hope to see many members at activities throughout the UK

Detroit launch for latest flagship 911 Turbos A new Porsche 911 Turbo is always an eagerly anticipated event, and especially so now that even the run-of-the-mill Carreras have twinturbocharged engines in the never-ending quest for more power and performance with ever-improving fuel economy. All eyes, then, will be on the Detroit motor show in January, when Porsche will unveil the latest iterations of this enduring classic.

Coupé and Cabriolet versions of both the 911 Turbo and the 911 Turbo ‘S’ will be available from the start, we are told, and all with 20bhp more, achieved by modified inlet ports in the cylinder head, new fuel injectors, higher fuel pressure and not least Porsche’s famous variable turbine geometry, still unique among petrol engines. This pushes maxima for the Turbo to 540bhp, and for the Turbo ‘S’ to 580bhp.

Both engines also have what is known as a dynamic boost function further to improve response. This maintains the charge pressure during load changes – for example, when the accelerator pedal is released briefly. This is achieved by momentarily interrupting the injection of fuel, but keeping the throttle valve open. As a result, claims Porsche, the engine reacts almost instantaneously to further actuation of the accelerator.

The new cars offer breathtaking driving performance. The 911 Turbo reaches 62mph in three seconds, and its top speed is 198mph – 3mph faster than the previous model. The Turbo ‘S’ sprints to 62mph in 2.9 seconds. Its top speed of 204mph is 7.5mph higher than before. Fuel consumption is down, though – the coupés using only 9.1litres of fuel per 100km, and the convertibles 9.3l/100 km.

This represents 0.6 litres less per 100km }for all versions. This comes as a result of further advanced electronic engine and transmission management with revised gear-shift programmes.

Inside, the new GT sport steering wheel – 360mm in diameter, with a design adopted from that of the 918 Spyder – comes with a so-called mode switch as standard. It consists of a rotary ring with stepped positions that is used to select one of the four available driving styles: Normal, Sport, Sport Plus or Individual.

Another new feature of the Sport Chrono Package is the Sport Response button at the centre of the mode switch. Inspired by current racing practice, it ‘pre-conditions’ the engine and transmission for the best response at the push of a button. In this state the vehicle can produce optimal acceleration for up to 20 seconds, such as for an overtaking manoeuvre. An indicator in the instrument cluster shows the elapsed time. Sport Response functionality can be called up as often as desired, and from any of the driving modes.

Porsche Stability Management (PSM) in the 911 Turbos now has a new Sport Mode. Briefly pressing the PSM button puts the system in a very sporty mode – which is independent of the driving programme that is selected. The separately switched PSM Sport mode alters the PSM’s intervention threshold much more than previously. The new mode makes it possible to approach performance limits even more closely – on a circuit, for instance. In this mode the PSM warning lamp lights up, and a message in the instrument cluster indicates that the PSM system’s contribution toward driving stability is limited. But PSM remains active in background, even in the PSM Sport mode.

Planned to take centre stage in Detroit, the latest 991 Turbos are sure to steal the show. Keep an eye on the Club’s digital channels for all the latest images

A long press of the PSM button, however, completely deactivates PSM, as usual.

The chassis of the new 911 Turbo models, with PASM as standard, now offers an even greater balance between performance and comfort.

In addition, the 911 Turbo ‘S’ offers a full complement of equipment for driving dynamics: PDCC roll compensation is standard, as is the PCCB ceramic brake system. New options for all 911 Turbo models include radar-based lanechange assistance, and a lift system for the front axle that can be used to increase ground clearance by 40mm at the front spoiler lip at low speeds.

Naturally the new-generation 911 Turbo adopts significant characteristics of the striking design of today’s Carrera models, supplemented by typical 911 Turbo special features. The redesigned nose with side air blades and narrow LED front lights gives the front end a wider look, in combination with an additional fin in the central air intake.

In side view the Turbos boast new 20-inch wheels. On the 911 Turbo ‘S’, for instance, the centre-lock wheels now feature seven instead of 10 double spokes. Also new are the wheel dimensions for the 911 Turbo: at 9.0J x 20 at the front and 11.5J x 20 at the rear, the new rims are now each half an inch wider than previously, and thus the same size as the wheels of the Turbo ‘S’.

Prices – and certainly for the UK – are yet to be announced, and while they will naturally be higher than those of the outgoing Turbos, there can be little doubt that given the considerable extra performance and equipment the cars offer they will remain as fiercely competitive as ever.

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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Bernhard, Hartley and Webber World Champions in 919 Hybrid Pirelli Calendar 2016 The 2016 Pirelli Calendar was presented on 30th November to the press, guests and collectors from the world over at the Roundhouse, a former industrial building which was one of the temples of rock in the British capital in the Sixties.

The 43rd edition of the Pirelli Calendar was created by one of the most celebrated American photographers and portraitists, Annie Leibovitz, who shot the work last July in her New York studio. Leibovitz is also the creator of the 2000 Pirelli Calendar, which featured choreographer Mark Morris’s dancers. The 2000 pictures were the first set of nudes of her career.

The 2016 Pirelli Calendar features 13 women of outstanding professional, social, cultural, sporting and artistic accomplishment: actress Yao Chen, the first Chinese UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador; Russian top model Natalia Vodianova, founder of the charity Naked Heart Russia; producer Kathleen Kennedy, the Chairperson of Lucasfilm and one of the most influential figures in Hollywood; art collector and patroness Agnes Gund (with her granddaughter Sadie Rain Hope-Gund), President Emerita of the Museum of Modern Art in New York; tennis player Serena Williams, number one in the world; opinion leader, critic and writer Fran Lebowitz; the President of Ariel Investments, Mellody Hobson, who supports charity projects in Chicago; film director Ava DuVernay, whose films include Selma, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture in 2015; blogger Tavi Gevinson, founder of Style Rookie and online magazine Rookie; Iranian visual artist Shirin Neshat; artist, musician and performer Yoko Ono; singer Patti Smith, one of the top rock stars of all time; and the actress and stand-up comedian Amy Schumer.

The women are of different ages and backgrounds and have different kinds of careers. As was the case with the first few Calendars of the Sixties and, more recently, in Peter Lindbergh’s 2002 Calendar, or Patrick Demarchelier’s 2008 and Steve McCurry’s 2013 Calendars, there are no nudes.

“The 2000 Calendar was an exercise in photographing nudes. It was a simple concept,” Leibovitz says. “For 2016, we did something completely different, but it is still simple.

It is a classic set of black-and-white portraits made in the studio.”

“When Pirelli approached me, they said they wanted to make a departure from the past.

They suggested the idea of photographing distinguished women. After we agreed on that, the goal was to be very straightforward. I wanted the pictures to show the women exactly as they are, with no pretense.

The presentation of the 2016 edition enriches the dedicated website (www.pirellicalendar.com) with new content: videos, photographs and interviews to tell its story.

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Porsche’s meteoric rise back to the top of World Endurance racing continued in fine style as the manufacturer secured the drivers’ World Championship at the final race of the season in Bahrain.

Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber took the crown and the result rounded off a perfect year for Porsche, which also saw the company take the overall victory at Le Mans as well as winning the Manufacturers’ World Championship title at the penultimate round in Shanghai.

In the GT class for production-based cars, in which Porsche competes with the 911 RSR, the competition version of the iconic 911, the company won three titles: Porsche itself took the manufacturers’ title, Richard Lietz took the drivers’ title, and Porsche Team Manthey

won the team title.

Meanwhile, in late November, Porsche confirmed that all six works drivers who have been competing regularly in the Porsche 919 Hybrid will race again in the 2016 WEC. It will be the third consecutive year that Bernhard, Hartley and Webber will share one of the Le Mans Class One prototypes, with Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb in the sister car.

However, in a drive to reduce costs, the two VW Group companies, Porsche and Audi, have agreed to enter two instead of their recent three LMP1 cars at Le Mans, the highlight of the 2016 WEC season. That news will come as a blow to Britain’s reigning Le Mans winner, Nick Tandy, whose opportunities to drive a 919 Hybrid now appear to be limited.

Welcome, Chris!

A warm welcome to the Club’s new membership secretary, Chris Sweeting, who joined the Clubhouse team in November. An existing Porsche Club member, Chris has owned eight Porsches, and currently runs a Boxster and a 968. The Club’s 2016 events schedule is set to be an extremely busy one, so members can expect to see Chris at shows throughout the UK. In the meantime he can be contacted by calling 01608 652911, or e-mailing membership@porscheclubgb.com.

Bicester Heritage has become a popular venue among Porsche Club members. Here’s hoping the January 2016 conditions are a little better than the freezing fog of a year ago

New Year meet at Bicester The first Bicester Heritage Scramble meeting of 2016 takes place at the popular Oxfordshire venue on Sunday, 3rd January and a healthy Porsche turnout is expected.

Once again the Club’s Cotswold Region will have its own dedicated display area on the airfield, with enough space for at least 50

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

vehicles. On arrival you will be directed to the Porsche location, but you should plan to arrive at Bicester before 9am to ensure that you get a space within the Club’s display area. Prebooking is required, and tickets can be bought by visiting www.bicesterheritage.co.uk.

See you there, we hope!

Beat the Winter Blues Winter conditions, such as black ice, can tax even the most experienced driver. Particularly if you’re driving a treasured classic without modern safety aids. The last thing you want is the hassle of an unnecessary accident or an avoidable breakdown.

Carrera Cup GB to support WEC at Silverstone…

The 2016 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship calendar has been confirmed, and includes two rounds at the worldrenowned Silverstone GP circuit in support of the World Endurance Championship.

Following the success of the 2015 season highlight-supporting WEC at

Spa-Francorchamps, drivers will once again be able to perform under the watchful eyes of LMP and GT teams and gain exclusive access to the Porsche Team throughout the weekend. This is yet further evidence of the close ties between Carrera Cup GB and the wider Porsche Motorsport pyramid.

After a virtually perfect 2015 World Endurance campaign, anticipation levels will be high at the opening round of next year’s Championship at Silverstone

...with tickets available from Porsche Club GB For a third year in a row Porsche Club GB has secured infield parking for members at the opening round of the World Endurance Championship which takes place at Silverstone Circuit on Saturday, 16th and Sunday, 17th April.

In a change from recent years, entry tickets will be available by calling Porsche Club, and go on sale in early January. The events team has

worked with the ACO and Silverstone Circuit to negotiate a preferential rate for members, who can buy a weekend ticket at the discounted price of £34 per person, which also includes an infield pass. There will be no handling or shipping fee added to this price, and tickets will be posted directly from the Clubhouse. To order, call 01608 652911 or visit www.porscheclubgb.com.

Trouble-free motoring The obvious first step to trouble-free winter driving is ensuring your Porsche is in tip-top condition. Arrange that service, check tyre pressures regularly and keep oil and water topped up.

Also top up the windscreen washer and clean the wiper blades. Poor weather can dramatically reduce visibility, even in daylight. Keep your headlights clean and switch them on to see and be seen. But don’t blind other drivers with fog lights – only use these when visibility is very poor.

The golden rule Wherever you’re driving, reducing your speed is the golden rule. Official speed limits are meant for dry roads, not roads wet with rain, snow or ice. As conditions worsen leave a bigger gap between you and the car in front. Your stopping distance in these wintry conditions can be an incredible ten times longer than in the dry. All your manoeuvres – braking, steering and accelerating – should be as gentle and controlled as possible. Understand your braking system – cars with anti-lock brakes perform very differently from those without. Accelerate slowly. Pulling away in second gear is a safe way to increase your car’s traction and use lower gears on hills.

As traffic will be slower, it is wise always to allow extra time to get to your destination.

Snowstorms If you’re caught unexpectedly in a snowstorm and get stuck, stay in your car and wait for help. Run the heater for 10 minutes every hour, but make sure your exhaust pipe is clear of snow. There is a danger of carbon monoxide poisoning if snow blocks the pipe allowing gas to build up in the car – so open the window slightly.

And, finally, make sure you have good accident and breakdown insurance, just in case. The PCGB Insurance Scheme allows you to choose your own repairer after an accident – the one you trust with your cherished Porsche – and doesn’t make deductions for wear and tear on replacement parts, like tyres. It also offers, as standard, superb Europe-wide breakdown and recovery cover – including HomeStart.

It is attractively priced, so why not ask Lockton, the Scheme’s brokers, for a quote on 0845 602 9420. It could be the nicest surprise of the whole winter.

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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Another month goes by and once again I’m delighted to report on a highly successful auction at the Classic Motor Show, which took place over two days at the NEC on the 14th and 15th November.

The sale was one of our biggest and best ever, with 80 per cent of cars sold for a total sales value of £4.4 million. As always a fantastic selection of Porsches proved popular with the hundreds of visitors to the sale. Topping the bill was a matchingnumbers 1956 356A T1 Cabriolet, which sold for £196,875, an amazing £26,000 over its lower estimate.

The sale at the Classic Motor Show ended what has been another great year for Silverstone Auctions, and another exciting year for classic car sales as a whole. We’ve had the honour of selling a number a very special Porsches throughout the year on behalf of our vendors and look forward to selling even more in 2016.

Some of my personal highlights of the year include 2010 911 GT2 RS, one of only 16 UK supplied right-hand drive cars, which sold for a remarkable £281,250, more than £30,000 above its lower estimate, and a special 1975 911 Carrera 2.7 MFI Coupe.

This car represented an exciting restoration project for any discernible Porsche collector, and it eventually sold for a substantial £146,250, almost 50 per cent more than its lowest estimate!

Of course 2015 also saw Silverstone Auctions host the inaugural Porsche Sale, held in conjunction with Porsche Club GB. As a Porsche enthusiast myself it was a delight to be joined by so many Club members at the event and indulge in all things Porsche.

We’re pleased to announce that our auction calendar for 2016 is now confirmed so should you wish to speak to the Silverstone Auctions team with regards to consigning a car into any of our 2016 sales, or want to talk through your specific buying or selling requirements please do not hesitate to contact our auction team, either via telephone +44 (0) 1926 691 141 or email enquiries@silverstoneauctions.com.

Project 917, an initiative to inspire young engineers to build a contemporary version of the iconic 917, is gaining momentum. Based at the heart of the UK automotive industry, the project aims to inspire and encourage young engineers to engage with exciting and valuable projects. The team is devoted to skills development and has many years of experience in the niche-car industry, as well as a track record working with the top prestigeand sports-car brands.

Central to the project is crowdfunding, and a campaign has been unveiled on Indiegogo offering exclusive and unique incentives for investors to support it.

The project will be documented on social media and will have a custom ePortal to provide updates and self-development tutorials throughout the build, all open to a wider audience.

Ultimately the finished car will be showcased around the UK to promote the skills and individuals associated with the car being auctioned so that the process can be repeated.

Discover more by visiting www.project917.com.

Nick Whale, Managing Director Silverstone Auctions

Porsche Club at Autosport and the London Classic Car Show Porsche Club GB will once again have a large stand at the Autosport show, which takes place at Birmingham’s NEC from Thursday, 14th to Sunday, 17th January. A range of competition cars will be on display for members to view, and complimentary hospitality will be available throughout.

Later in the year the Club will be present at the London Classic Car Show which takes place at the ExCel arena. Club members can buy tickets at a reduced price for the event by quoting ‘Porsche’ when buying online or by telephone.

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Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

Photo by Kristina Cilia

917 crowdfunding project under way

OBITUARY Dawson Sellar, the Scottish designer who has died aged 69, was a gifted engineer and automotive stylist, writes Lance Cole, whose work not only touched the hallowed ground of Porsche car design, but also helped lay the foundations for a car-design teaching course at the UK’s Royal College of Art. Over the ensuing four decades the department has provided some of the most influential designers in the motor industry.

Fellow Scott and RCA graduate Ian Callum – the Jaguar design chief – recently acknowledged Sellar’s Porsche 928 interior design as an influence upon certain aspects of the new Jaguar coupé.

In 1965 the young Sellar was a student of engineering design at the RCA with his fellow student-designer, Peter Stevens, but within two years the postgraduate pair were founding figures in the creation of the college’s automotive-design department.

By 1967 Sellar, then 23, had come to the attention of the Ford Motor Company through his idea for a three-wheeled city car that could turn within its own length by virtue of steered wheels on one side only. Frederick Ray, then director of Ford UK Engineering, drove the car, and Sellar’s career took off. Ford soon provided the funding and resources to establish Britain’s first school for car designers, to be based within the RCA in London’s Kensington Gore. Sellar and Stevens set up the department.

Born in Edinburgh in 1945, with a father who was an engineer for electronics firm Ferranti, Sellar had engineering in his blood. He showed a childhood obsession for cars, and soon became a Porsche enthusiast, having watched the company’s racing success in the 1960s. He bought a powder-blue 356 Speedster, but his employment as a designer by Ford in 1969 brought him a mundane Ford Escort as a more appropriate means of transport for an employee there.

But Sellar’s Porsche enthusiasm persisted, and by 1971 he had become first British designer to work for Porsche. Other Britons followed him to Stuttgart in the ensuing decades – notably Steve Murkett and Tony Hatter.

Sellar drove a unique development-model 914-6 and created a range of interior designs for the company’s cars, achieving widespread acclaim for his futuristic and abstract-patterned interior for Porsche’s supercar of the 1980s – the 928. Under the leadership of Anatole ‘Tony’ Lapine he also contributed to Porsche body design, including the 911. Sellar’s proposal for the 924 nearly made it to reality, but in the

In the mid-1960s Dawson Sellar devised this ingenious three-wheeled chassis layout for a potential city car (above). Uniquely the two steering wheels were on one side only. That’s Sellar at the controls.

Below: Sellar’s 356 Speedster had to go when he landed a job at Ford in 1969. (Photo via Peter Stevens)

Dawson Sellar, 1945-2015 event Harm Lagaay’s idea was chosen instead.

Dawson Sellar also co-designed the famous ‘Pink Pig’ livery for Porsche’s 1971 Le Mans entry, a snub-nosed 917. From that derived its factory code name, ‘Schwein’, and so it was painted in a decidedly non-Germanic shade of pink with motifs reminiscent of a butchers’ cutting chart. Sellar revelled in his time at Porsche, and remained friends with many Porsche luminaries, notably the late Dick Soderberg.

While working at Porsche Sellar met Urpu, a young Finnish designer, and the couple married in 1975. Crossing the Swabian border to Bavaria, Sellar moved to BMW’s car-design studio in Munich in 1977. There he became an enthusiast for BMW motorcycles and transferred to the company’s motorcycle division, later contributing to the popular K75.

By 1980 Sellar had left BMW and set up his own company, Dawson Sellar Design (DSD), in his beloved Scotland, at Dundrennan near Kirkcudbright. There he developed a freelance portfolio that saw him named Scottish Designer of the Year in 1980. Commissions came from car, truck, and fire-appliance manufacturers. His philosophy was simple: that there is no excuse for bad design, and that good design costs no more and earns better sales.

Understated in both his personal nature and his design style, Sellar hated frivolous decoration which serves no design purpose. What could be closer to the Porsche ethos? He came up with many diverse ideas in his cottage workshop and pursued production of his ‘Arx’ garden swing-seat – which was self-levelling and guaranteed not to spill your drinks. ‘Spend summer sitting on your Arx’ was its tongue-incheek marketing slogan.

A humorous man, Dawson Sellar was great company, and known for his kindness by many friends and clients all over the world. He had several passions – cars, motorcycling, sailing, rare whiskies, and walking his collie, Kate. He was a long-term Porsche owner and proudly drove a blue 928.

Dawson Sellar, who died of cancer just a few days before his 70th birthday, generously and thoughtfully donated his body to medical science. He is survived by his wife, Urpu, his daughter – the designer Susan Corrie – and grandson, Fraser.

Dawson Sellar, Scottish industrial designer.

Born 10th September 1945, died 31st August 2015.

With thanks to Peter Stevens for additional information.

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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USED & APPROVED Pre-owned Porsches put through their paces by the Porsche Post team

C4 Cabrio is in a class of its own For the first of this brand-new series looking at typical used Porsches for sale across the UK, we have unashamedly played it safe with an essentially mainstream, middle-ofthe-road 997 from one of the biggest and the busiest Porsche Centres in the country

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urely one of the friendliest and the most enthusiastic, too.

It can be a daunting experience, walking in from the street to a high-tech, glass-and-chrome showroom crammed with what must easily be several million pounds’ worth of Stuttgart’s finest, but a warm northern welcome awaits at Porsche Centre Leeds – the second oldest Porsche Centre in the UK and part of the very well-known and well respected JCT600 group. And that is whether you are there to purchase either a brand-new 918 Spyder or the most basic Boxster, one of the 45 to 50 pre-owned sports or SUV models, or even one of the handful of classic Porsches routinely in stock (currently a 993, a 1974 Carrera 2.7 and, perhaps uniquely for any UK Centre, a 914 2.0.).

You will be no less welcome if all you want to do is browse and dream; they know that one day you will be back to buy.

Pre-Owned Sales Manager Kristian Keighley is clearly and justifiably proud of both his team

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and the high standard to which they prepare their wares. Certainly they are working to Porsche’s own rigorous protocols – and the manufacturer’s famous 111-point check is just the beginning; there follows several A4 pages of mechanical, cosmetic and electronic assessments – even down to the presence of a Porschebranded battery, and standardised registration plates – but it soon becomes apparent that Kristian and his colleagues consider those stipulations to be the very minimum permissible. Tyres, for instance, must have at least 3mm of tread remaining – Porsche Cars GB allows 3mm this being nearly double the legal requirement – and any servicing due within three months or 3,000 miles will be carried out as a matter of course. Porsche itself allows a slightly less generous three months or 3,000 miles.

‘It’s all about getting it right first time,’ says Kristian. ‘We want customers to be so pleased and completely satisfied with the cars they buy from us that the only reason they come back is either for on-going routine maintenance or to

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

buy another beautiful Porsche, perhaps part-exchanging the car we sold them several years previously. We do get a great deal of repeat business that way and some customers almost even become friends. So if the guys in the workshop demand that something has to be replaced, then that is exactly what happens.

There is no compromise on what is ultimately required within the 111 checks, our trained technicians are the experts who decide what is required on every Pre-Owned Porsche to meet and exceed the standard. In that sense, it is a vital part of our job to make sure that we buy only the best cars available in the market place.

‘Every Porsche has to have a full set of handbooks, for instance, two fully functioning keys – themselves in excellent condition – and naturally we always delete any history from the sat-nav. No less significantly, we also update satellite navigation software for every customer, and fully sanitise the air-conditioning system.

You may not be taking delivery of a literally brand-new car, but it’s as close to that as we can

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possibly make it. And our natural desire to make our customers happy is reinforced, if you like, by a fully independent RAC audit every 12 weeks. All UK Porsche Centres go through the same series of checks on the processes and practices under which we operate, and it goes without saying that failure is most definitely not an option!’

No less an asset in PC Leeds’ ‘armoury’ is Product Genius Ben Stuart. It is one of those modern and rather ephemeral job titles that those of a certain age might well consider meaningless, but the fact is that this highly personable young man – calm, relaxed and above all as friendly as everyone else in the place – is the ideal companion for your roughly 15-mile test-drive; we were certainly very glad to have him along for ours. He knows not just the local area like the back of his hand but, well, the product, too – both generically and individually.

And not once does he use the opportunity for a high-pressure sales pitch. ‘I let the cars do that for themselves,’ he says simply.

What, then, of ‘our’ 911 C4 Cabriolet? First registered in July 2008 – and thus a Generation I model with the 3.6-litre, 325bhp engine – it’s in Arctic Silver with black leather and 19-inch Carrera ‘S’ wheels; transmission is the standard six-speed manual. The three previous – and demonstrably very careful – owners have between them racked up 24,586 miles. It has a good range of options: Bose sound system, telephone module and extended navigation module, heated seats, rear parking sensors, a top-tinted windscreen, and not least the Porsche crest embossed on the seat headrests. It’s on offer at just £10 short of £40,000.

The car is, as we’ve suggested, in exemplary condition – and this in its cosmetically ‘raw’ state: in other words after that full inspection and mechanical check (including suspension alignment), and the rectification of a number of minor defects (most of which some independents and probably the vast majority of non-trade sellers would have glossed over), but before any paintwork or subsequent valeting.

Those defects included minor faults with the ParkAssist and cigarette lighter, a water leak into the rear part of the cabin that had until now not been noticed, and inadequate handbrake performance. Replacement parts included the front brake discs and pads, the non-Porsche wheel spacers and locking wheel bolts, and even one of the missing clips securing the battery cover, the entire process raising an inter-departmental invoice – parts and labour – for a little over £2,000. It all adds up.

‘Naturally we always check the engines thoroughly, too,’ says Kristian Keighley.

‘Changing the oil allows us to look inside the filter housing for any tell-tale metallic particles, and we measure both cylinder compressions and pressure losses. This car’s compression figures

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were all in the region of 185–190psi, which is absolutely fine. Additionally, the ECU is interrogated, to see if there have been any higher-speed ignition “events”, as they are known, and to determine the total engine running hours. This car shows a total of 759 hours – which at 25,000 miles equates to an average speed of only 33mph – and just 27 events in the full rev range check in Range 3, the most recent at 486 hours. Again, that’s nothing at all to be concerned about – and remember, we also provide a two-year warranty on all Porsche Approved cars.

There is no way we could do that if there was the slightest doubt about their history or likely longevity.’

Not that the Cabrio is going to need much work, if any, on the cosmetic front. The standards at Porsche Centre Leeds are more than just the standard, and it is by no means unusual for that to mean removing and repainting the front apron, or even a full front-end refresh including the bonnet and wings to ensure that every Pre-Owned car leaves Porsche Centre Leeds in the very best possible condition. Here, though, Kristian is – we think – very wisely resisting the temptation, if only to preserve the car’s no less essential originality, although the stick-on stoneguards for the rear wheelarches have been removed to see what issues there may have been beneath.

(There were none, unsurprisingly). The wheels, too, are perfect – another Porsche requirement – as they stand, and even the hood looks brand-new.

The bottom line is a car that, despite being nominally some seven-and-a-half years old, looks and drives – and crucially smells and simply feels – like it came out of the factory just

porscheclubgb

DETAILS • 997 C4 Cabrio (Gen I model, 3.6-litre) • £39,990 • Registered July 2008 • Three previous owners • 24,586 miles on the clock • 325bhp engine • Arctic Silver with black leather • 19-inch Carrera ‘S’ wheels • Standard six-speed manual • Virtually as-new condition OPTIONS Bose sound system, telephone module and extended navigation module, heated seats, rear parking sensors, top-tinted windscreen, and the Porsche crest embossed on the seat headrests VERDICT Already in exceptional condition, this car has had the full Porsche Approved Used treatment by Porsche Centre Leeds and is almost without flaw.

Not the cheapest 997 Cabrio you will find, but undoubtedly one of the very best

a few months ago. That alone – should you be in the market for a 997 Cabriolet with the added versatility of a four-wheel-drive chassis for what is forecast to be a hard, snowy winter – makes it well worth a look. But factor in all the obvious and not-so-obvious benefits of its provenance and origin, and it becomes nothing less than compelling. You do, indeed, get what you pay for. And certainly so when you buy from the right place. PP

Porsche Centre Leeds – open seven days a week (10.30am to 4.30pm on Sundays) – is at The Boulevard, City West Business Park, Leeds LS12 6BG; tel: 0113 389 0600; www.porsche.co.uk/leeds. Pre-Owned Sales Manager Kristian Keighley can be contacted at kristian.keighley@porscheleeds.co.uk

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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The Porsche month in pictures

Bahrain, 21st November Jumping for joy, and rightly so!

Mark Webber’s enthusiastic podium celebrations after he, Brendon Hartley and Timo Bernhard were crowned WEC World Champions at the final round of the season in Bahrain. The success concluded a memorable year for the Porsche team which saw them reign victorious at Le Mans, claim the WEC constructors’ title as well as the drivers’ crown. The 2016 WEC season begins at Silverstone on Sunday, 17th April, and Porsche Club will, of course, be in attendance

Daytona 24 Hour Historic, 11th-15th November Porsche Club Honorary Members Andy Prill and Josh Sadler recently competed in the Daytona 24 Hour Historic. Andy, along with Paul Howells, campaigned the famous Almeras Brothers Carrera 3.0 RS (pictured) that boasts a fantastic history including four Le Mans appearances and a class win in 1976. At Daytona, Andy and Paul finished ninth overall in Group ‘B’, and third in class. Josh Sadler and his team came home seventh overall in Group ‘A’, and third in class

Porsche Club Motorsport Awards, 21st November Recognising success in the Club’s motorsport division, the annual awards ceremony saw 140 members gather in Tewkesbury.

The Club’s Patron of Motorsport, Richard Attwood, was in attendance, as was Wayne Nickless of headline sponsor Pirelli. Winners of the Race, Speed and HillClimb championships were all presented with a specially commissioned BRM watch. As always, the celebrations were wholehearted, and continued long into the night!

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Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

Prescott Hill Climb 3rd October Porsche Club member Mike Pollock captured this shot of Ian Cristol at Prescott back in October. The picturesque venue is popular among members, and this year hosted the conclusion of the Club’s Speed Championship.

The Club will once again be linking up with Prescott next July for the third staging of the free-to-attend Social Sunday event

The Porsche month in pictures

NEC Classic Car Show, 14-17th November It was another reassuringly busy three-day stint for Porsche Club GB at the annual NEC Classic in Birmingham. A fine array of Porsches was on display including Phil Hylander’s beautiful 904 Carrera GTS, a low-mileage 959 and Kim Sutch’s immaculate 996 Turbo. Sincere thanks to the team of volunteers who worked so hard to make the weekend a huge success, and a very warm welcome to the 124 new members who joined at the show

Silverstone Auctions Sale, 15th-17th November

Christmas open day, 6th December Four hundred members, 800 mince pies and over 1000 cups of coffee – the annual Christmas open day certainly proved popular!

Some of the Club’s main business partners were in attendance, along with Wendi Billinghurst of Porsche Centre Tewkesbury. A charity stall, run by Ann James, raised over £400 for local hospices, while the ubiquitous Christmas raffle helped further swell the Club’s annual contribution to Hope for Tomorrow

A frenzied bidding war, which resulted in a world record auction price for a 1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo of £60,188, helped Silverstone Auctions to a magnificent total of £4.4 million at its sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show. In total, 80 per cent of the 95 lots on offer were successfully hammered away in the two-day auction at the NEC, Birmingham. Meanwhile, a 1956 356A T1 (pictured) sold for £196,875

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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Tel: 01608 652914 Email: clubshop@porscheclubgb.com

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Navy code: 416 Grey code: 116 £10.50

POM POM BEANIE HAT

NAVY PRO STYLE CAP WITH STONE TRIM

Soft feel acrylic, one size Colour options: Navy Code: 234, Lime Code 234, Fuchsia Code: 123 Code: 106 £8.00

One size with adjustable rear buckle fastening Code: 417 £9.95

CLUB BEIGE CAP PCGB embroidery to front, Rear adjustable buckle fastening Code: 425 £9.95

LADIES SOFT SHELL JACKET These are stylish, practical and warm.

Soft shell three layer bonded fabric.

Windproof and water resistant. Two front zip pockets and one on left arm.

Coloured collar trim that can be unzipped and changed. PCGB embroidery on left chest.

Black code: 372. Red code: 371 Sky Blue code: 560 Sizes: XS (8) S (10) M (12) L (14) XL (16) XXL (18) £59.00

THERMAL MUG The double walled Americano mug will keep drinks warm and has a 350ml capacity. Virtually indestructible with PCGB logo.

Code: 16 £7.00

KID’S HOODIE 80% Cotton, 20% Polyester. Full zip front pouch pockets. PCGB embroidery to left chest.

Navy code: 263 Hot Pink code: 264 Sizes: 5–6 yrs, 7–8 yrs, 9–11 yrs Price £18.50 Size: 12–14 yrs Price £22.20 (inc. vat)

LADIES BODYWARMER Nylon taffeta outer, polyester padding and body lining. Detachable hood, fleece collar lining, full length zip, two front pockets, shaped fit with PCGB embroidery to left chest.

Sizes: XS (8), S (10), M (12), L (14), XL (16), XXL (18) Red code: 555 Navy code: 556 £28.50

BESPOKE CUFF LINKS Shield shape cuff links with PCGB Crest, swivel bar, silver plated.

Code: 14 £15.00

MEN’S BLACK, RED AND WHITE POLO SHIRT 100% cotton. PCGB embroidery to left chest.

Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL Black code: 307 Red code: 309 White code: 325 £23.00

PORSCHE CHINA MUG China mug with metallic Porsche crest and printed gold rim (not dishwasher safe).

Code: 57 £10.00

RETRO SHOULDER BAG Great for travel, work or school. Front zip pocket and internal zip pocket. Internal baseboard, adjustable shoulder strap.

Approx size: 40 x 28 x 18cm. Capacity 18 litres.

Grey – Motorsport Black – PCGB crest Navy – PCGB Code: 205 £17.50

NAVY T-SHIRT V-NECK OR ROUND NECK 100% cotton PCGB logo to left chest Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL V-Neck code: 478 Round Neck code: 484 £12.50

CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE FOR THE FULL RANGE OF CLOTHING, GIFTS AND ACCESSORIES

MENS SOFT SHELL JACKET Windproof, water resistant and breathable.

Right zip chest pocket and two front zip pockets.

Adjustable Velcro cuffs and drawcord hem PCGB embroidery to left chest.

Sizes: S(36/38), M(38/40), L(40/42), XL(42/44), XXL(44/46) Red code: 390 Black code: 384 £65.95

PORSCHE POST BINDER Tidy away your Porsche Post in this binders. Holds up to 12 issues. Code: 98 £8.95

LADIES COOL V-NECK T-SHIRT 100% polyester neoteric textured fabric with inherent wickability. PCGB print to left chest.

Available in three bright colours Hot Pink code: 280 Lime Green code: 281 Sapphire Blue code: 482 Sizes: S (10), M (12), L (14), XL (16) £13.00

WWW.PORSCHECLUBGB.COM

CLIMBING THE LADDER

For many years Porsche Club motorsport has offered enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy and compete in a range of on-track disciplines.

It is important to recognise, then, when a member achieves success – and the record of Club stalwart Pete Morris speaks for itself.

Questions from George Woodward

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Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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ete Morris is smiling in a way you might expect of a two-time Porsche Club Champion. The Midlands-based driver has been competing in Stuttgart’s finest for over 18 years, and began his motorsport career in the Club’s Speed Championship, before switching to the Club’s Race Championship in the early 2000s. In 2015 Morris not only set a new Club record for race victories, but also became the first driver in the Club’s history to be crowned overall Champion for the second year in a row.

In one of the most competitive race seasons in the Club’s history, Morris was still able to

notch up six victories, including the final race of the year at Croft which secured his second consecutive title in his Strasse prepared 996 C2.

His triumph is particularly poignant for Porsche Club as it demonstrates the notional ‘ladder’ that Motorsport Manager Steve Kevlin works so hard to maintain is as effective as ever. That’s a ladder which has seen Club racers go on to compete in Carrera Cup GB and in other Championships further afield. But Peter Morris has stayed loyal to Porsche Club and continues to enthusiastically campaign his Strasse prepared 996.

Pete’s son Ross, 23, has followed in his father’s footsteps by making appearances in

the Porsche Club Championship. In 2011 Ross finished third in class in two races at Silverstone and competed in three races with a 968 the following year. Ross is currently looking into his racing options for the approaching season, but has been responsible for managing the tyre pressures of the Strasse cars since the Club changed to using Pirelli slicks.

Shortly after the Porsche Club Championship awards ceremony – where Morris senior was presented with a specially commissioned B.R.M timepiece - the long-time Club member visited the Clubhouse and spoke to George Woodward about the appeal of the Club’s motorsport programme. ➔

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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Photographs from Keith Neilson and the Porsche Club archive

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2 Pete, there is an obvious first question.

How did you get into motorsport?

I had promised myself a Porsche by the time I was 30, and one night I was playing a game of ‘Spoof’ in the pub with a group of car dealers, one of whom owned a Carrera 3.2. I was about £1,000 up on him, so I told him that if he dropped the price of his car by the same amount I would buy it from him!

Not long after collecting the car I took it to a trackday the Club was holding at Harewood Hill, and the times I was doing up the hill would have placed me third in class. A few of the drivers suggested I take part in the Club’s Speed Championship, which is a mix of hillclimbs and sprints, and that’s exactly what I did. I took my car to 930 Motorsport in Warrington, initially just to lighten it and they continued to look after it and support me in the Championship that year.

Did you have preference between hillclimbs and sprints?

I enjoyed both. The hills are certainly the more intimidating of the two. It’s very much like a rally stage with the trees lining the track and the ponds that you can fall into if you go off the track. As a step up to motorsport and an enjoyable way of competing with the Club, the Speed Championship is both affordable and enjoyable. We’d all go out for a meal 28

together in the evenings, and with Sprint cars a few of us could always drive to the meetings together. But you spend the whole day at a circuit with only five minutes of track time to show for it, so after a while I decided to try my hand at racing with the Club.

So is that why you made the transition?

Yes, I wanted some more time on the track, and I wanted to see if I could compete on another level, so I bought a 968 Club Sport from one of the competitors I had met at Oulton Park. My first race in that car was at Donington, and I remember Tony Brown was in contention to win the Championship.

In my first race I got knocked off at Redgate, and Tony came up to me afterwards and said “Welcome to Club racing”. In race two Tony only needed to finish third to get the points to win, but he didn’t finish third, I did. So I found him at the end of the meeting and said “Welcome to Club racing”.

How did you find the move?

Obviously it cost a little bit more, but the amount of track time you get is just phenomenal. Almost every race meeting has two 25-minute races and a 20-minute qualifying session. You come away from the end of the meeting and you feel just like a real racing driver. That doesn’t detract at all from

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

the Speed Championship, which is what it is – hillclimbs and sprints. Both are great fun, but you’re not going to progress as a racer.

Pete Morris fact file From: Tamworth, Staffordshire Member since: 1996 Competing since: 1997 Occupation: Director of PMC Midlands, a commercial building design and construction company Road Car: 964 Carrera 2 Race Car: 996 Carrera 2 Race preparer: Strasse 1997–2001: Porsche Club GB Speed Championship. Multiple class victories 2002–2003: Porsche Open.

Podium at every race 2004 to date: Porsche Club Championship; 30 race wins, four class titles, two overall championship titles 2014: Listed as a top ten driver in the Autosport Club awards (2015 list not yet released)

Did you find it difficult to adjust from having just your car on the track, against the clock, to having to share that space with a dozen or so other drivers?

You do feel like a chariot driver, it’s like being in Ben Hur! It’s such a rush, I see why all those centuries ago they would have done it and that’s why racing has always existed.

Even now I still get a buzz as soon as the lights go on. I’ll be sitting there staring at them, thinking “what am I doing this for?” with that sick feeling from the nerves in my stomach, but once they go out and I’m racing, everything else just goes out the window. I concentrate on who’s the quickest, where I can make up time and where others might have an advantage over me. It’s just brilliant.

How does being on track for the qualifying compare to the race?

With the standard of the drivers in the Championship now, you need to be starting on pole position or in second place, because it’s so hard to make up the time in race conditions and pass people. The progression over the last five years has been incredible. It’s so close now that I’m no longer looking to find halfsecond gaps – it’s down to the hundredths. I have competed in Britcar, in Porsche Open and raced in the Carrera Cup, but for Clublevel racing the Porsche Club Championship just can’t be beaten – it’s the most competitive out there. If you can win one of our rounds,

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or certainly one of our titles, then people are going to notice you.

You told us that your racing career started with a 968 Club Sport. What car are you competing in now?

I use a 996 Carrera 2. I have always liked the 996 for racing. In fact, I ran a 996 Cup Car when I took part in Britcar. I tried a 997 once, but when I sat down and gripped the steering wheel with paddle-shift gears it made me wish I was 20 years younger. I much preferred the ‘H’-pattern shift of the ordinary manual 996.

So what are the biggest differences between your race-prepared 996 and a road-going model?

To be quite honest, Porsche has built such a good and fast car that there isn’t really much that needs to be done to prepare it for racing.

Obviously you want to bring it down to the minimum allowed weight and make sure it meets the safety legislations with a roll-cage and harness points. I picked up a 996 3.4 for a good price. The engine had done over 130,000 miles, so I was expecting it to need a rebuild, but I drove it home and it ran perfectly. I had no idea the 3.4s were that quick! You don’t really need to make any changes to the engine. In fact, some of the cars out there have already done two or maybe even three seasons on the same engine. But because it started out as a production car and not a full-blown race car from the factory, there are occasions when I have had to nurse it home towards the end of the race. The biggest problem we had this year was managing the weight limit, making ➔

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1: Pete Morris (left) with Porsche Club Motorsport Chairman Brendan Daly at Oulton Park 2: Behind the wheel of a 993 competing in Porsche Open; in what was a memorable year Pete notched a podium finish at every round 3: Crossing the line backwards in a 968 Clubsport at Donington park but still winning the race! 4: Campaigning a 996 GT3 in Porsche Open 5: Leading Gary Duckman and Craig Wilkins at Donington Park in a race which saw three different models of Porsche achieve podium finishes

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6: Finding some clean air on the Brands Hatch GP circuit and leading into Clearways 7: Driving a 964RS in the Porsche Club Speed Championship at Prescott in Gloucestershire 8: Leading team mate Chris Eggington in the 968 Clubsports run by team GVR 9: Battling with Karim Moudi at Oulton Park 10: Surely one of the smartest race teams around? The Strasse cars looking fantastic at Brands Hatch in the summer 11. Behind the wheel of the 993 RS Clubsport which was shared with Colin Belton of Ninemeister 12: At the Clubhouse with 2015 Club Championship trophies and proudly wearing the specially commissioned Porsche Club Motorsport B.R.M watch 13: B.R.M Champions watch

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sure any excess that we removed was being taken from the right places. All 911s need a bit of front-end weight, otherwise the car will suffer from understeer.

And how about maintenance?

You’ll be out on track either for qualifying or the race itself, and the race team will immediately check it and prepare it for the next outing. They’ll check the joints, the steering, the discs, the pads, fluid levels, and that the corner-weights are where what they should be. As long as you haven’t had any incidents, the car should be OK. This season you came in as overall champion. Did you think it possible to get the title again?

As well as the Porsche Club Championship, I also sponsor another race series, and I went to Snetterton for their first race of the season.

Only six other cars turned up and I won the race. A few weeks later I was at Brands Hatch with the Club and looking at the names on the starting grid and the teams behind them.

I didn’t feel that confident, but I was able to come away with a first- and then a second-place finish. I had been planning to focus on the other race series, but those results at Brands Hatch made me think that actually I could be in with another shot at it.

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It can’t have been easy this year. Looking at the results, there were six winners in Class One, and four in Class Two Certainly, and what I’ve liked this year is seeing other people win, especially if it’s their first time on the podium, because I can appreciate how much it means to them.

You mentioned earlier being a part of a race team, and you have Strasse in Leeds preparing the car for you. What difference does it make having a team behind you compared to running as an individual?

In simple terms, if you want to win a championship, you are going to struggle to do it by yourself. You need to be focused entirely on the race. Obviously there is going to be a cost involved in being a part of a team, and that’s going to vary between the different preparers, but because of the results I’ve been bringing in I do receive sponsorship from Strasse. I’ve been with them for two years now, and what I like most about being with them is that’s it’s a real family thing. The wives and the children of all the drivers and team members all come along to the race meetings and are all made to feel welcome. Previously my wife didn’t come to the race meetings with me, but she came along to my first one with Strasse and just had a great time. I owe my success in the 2014 season to my wife. She was diagnosed with

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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cancer on Christmas Eve 2013, which as you can imagine was very difficult to come to terms with, especially at that time of the year. She had to undergo quite invasive treatment, and I told her that I was going to take a year out of racing to help her recover. Obviously I did race that year, but that was down to her, because she told me I needed it as a release from it all. Not only did I win the overall title but I was awarded the Bill Taylor Memorial Trophy, which is presented for consistency of pace over qualifying and the races.

Finishing this season with a second overall title is obviously going to be a highlight, but did you have a favourite race?

Donington Park is my local track, and I always like going there. This year was even more special because the race was shown live on Motors TV, and it was such a battle between me and Gary Duckman in a Boxster ‘S’ during the second race. It was very close, and captured everything Club racing is about. I like Oulton Park, too, but I never seem to have much luck there, and this year was no exception. Before the first race I was doing a piece to the camera for Motors TV and the presenter told me that my next victory would be a new club record, and that was all I was thinking when I slid off in the wet!

Can you talk us through a typical race day?

We always seem to be the first cars on the track,

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and yet the last to race, so I joke that we’re the roadsweepers! Being the first ones out there means that we have to be signed on at 7am, then get the car down to scrutineering to get it checked over, then we’re back to the pits before getting ready to go out on track at 9am for qualifying. We have a big gap between our races and we’re quite a social group, but we do try and stay focused on our races rather than watching the action on the track.

What happens to the car at the end of the season?

The first thing is for all the cars to be taken away for power testing, just to make sure no one is cheating. We discovered that my car was running at 20bhp less than it was at the start of the season. I know that sounds a lot but because of the way my ECU has been mapped, the torque is always there to give me the power out of the corners. During the power test the crew from Strasse noticed that my engine was smoking, so that has been taken out since for a good clean and inspection, but mechanically it was fine.

We’ve got a lot of time until the next race, so I’m having a little think about ways to improve the car and I’m currently considering upgrading the suspension to Ohlins. I mentioned how close the racing has become, so if it can bring the lap times down by a few hundredths of a second then it will prove a worthwhile investment.

This year’s livery on the Strasse cars certainly helped to make the cars stand out from the crowd. Will you be running the same colours next season?

Well, for a while I used to run the Union Jack on my car, but for this season we decided fully to embrace Porsche’s German heritage! Having the matching livery really helps to make us all feel that we’re a part of a team.

When is the first outing for the cars?

The Autosport show in January is always a great opportunity to bring the car out and certainly helps to get get everyone in the mood for another season of racing. Our first test day is in April and there are other Championships which we might compete in and use as test sessions before the Porsche Club Championship starts.

This series is for those seeking true track competition, with three classes providing close racing through the field – the overall title going to the highest-scoring driver from Class 1 or Class 2. Class 3 is intended for those wanting to put a toe in the water as it were. Most races (apart from the Brands Hatch GP) are 25 minutes long, giving drivers ample track time, and the opportunity to experience some major race meetings. Find out more by visiting www.porscheclubmotorsport.co.uk.

So how do other championships compare to the Club’s?

I actually had three years off from Club racing, and I did enjoy my time racing in a Cup car, but it’s just so expensive. By contrast, racing with the Club is just so much better value for money. The hospitality the Club provides at each meeting is incredible, and a great meeting point for everyone. The level of racing has increased, but it’s great that we still have people competing simply for the love of it.

How much longer do you think you will continue to race in the Club’s Championship?

If I can’t finish top three in class at the end of the season then I won’t keep racing. That’s just my competitive nature. There are still people in their 60s racing with the Club, so it’s never going to be an issue of age for me, I just need to get the results. Obviously I’m coming back next year, will I win it for a third time? I don’t know.

But I’ll give it a go! PP

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NOISE S F F O

A suddenly noisy stereo system in his Cayman was naturally a disappointment, says Alan Armstrong, and appeared that it would cost a small fortune to repair, but a helpful Porsche electronics expert in Norway saved the day.

Photos by the author and Tore Bergvill âž” Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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usually lay up my Gen I Cayman ‘S’ over the winter, so when I went to use it again last March I was alarmed to hear some very loud noises that immediately made me wince. First, because loud noises are generally rather alarming, and second, because they usually mean that lots of money needs to be spent in order to fix them.

I quickly realised that the noise – a resonant and very solid ‘whump, whump’ – was coming not from the engine, but from the loudspeakers in the cabin. (And this with the stereo switched off.) I deduced that it must be some sort of feedback or interference from the spark plugs and/or the fuel injectors. I believe both incorporate suppressors to avoid this situation.

Maybe mine were faulty, I decided.

Diagnosis I contacted my independent Porsche specialist, advised them of the problem, and booked the car in for its planned service. I had to drive around 20 miles to their premises, which would normally have been the usual pleasure, but this time, with the loud noises prevailing, it was naturally rather less enjoyable.

The following day I took a call from the specialist to update me. It was nothing to do with suppression, I was told, because the noises continued for a short time after the ignition had been turned off. Further investigation led them to believe that it was the stereo head unit at fault, because when it was unplugged the noises disappeared. They were unable to service or repair the head unit, but they did have a reliable specialist who could take a look at it. I agreed that the head unit could be sent away for diagnosis.

The rest of the service brought no further problems, I am pleased to say, and I collected the car and drove home – listening to the sound of the engine and ignoring the large hole in the centre console where the head unit used to be.

A week later I heard from my specialist again.

The amplifier within the head unit was at fault, apparently, and the estimated cost to repair it was around £400. After my natural shock had subsided we discussed the possibility of replacing the head unit with a second-hand item which, provided it was in working order, and after the necessary reprogramming to make it work in my car, might be a cheaper option.

Helpful photo on Bergvill’s website (top) shows location of so-called ASK amplifier inside the car’s front compartment, and how to detach the electrical connection. Inside the unit is the usual collection of tiny electronic components; obviously the trick is knowing which ones have failed, and how to replace them, but Bergvill’s extensive knowledge and not least a purposebuilt test-rig (above) make quick work of the problem

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Take 2 A search on the Internet found several of the relevant CDR-24 units, and I found a UK-based breaker who had one from a 987-model Boxster, and which he assured me was in working order. I agreed to buy it for a total of £59 including delivery. Within a couple of days the unit arrived, so I made all the necessary connections and turned on the ignition. And guess what?

That’s right: the ‘whump whump’ noises started immediately, even though the (new) head unit was still switched off.

It was unlikely – although obviously not impossible – for both head units to have the same fault, of course, so once again I turned to my computer to see if I could find any comments on the Internet. Sure enough, one Porsche audio specialist made reference to a

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

‘Now, at long last, I had established the problem, but how could I avoid splashing out on a new amp? The Internet came to my rescue yet again’ completely different component that could be faulty. I made contact with them, and they advised me that the so-called BCU – or body control unit – could be faulty. Apparently this unit retains control over certain functions in the car after the ignition is turned off.

In this case, they suggested, the BCU was possibly allowing power to the audio system even after the ignition had been switched off, and so was causing the feedback. Naturally I asked about the cost of a replacement unit, and guess what? Yes, it was £400. I politely thanked them for their advice, and started Googling again to try to find a second-hand unit. Eventually I found one for a £100 at Jasmine Porschalink up in Lancashire.

Hidden treasure But then one of the guys up at Jasmine put yet another spanner in the works. He agreed that it could be this mysterious BCU at fault, but then asked if my car had the additional Porsche Audio Package – to which the answer was yes. Jasmine had come across my problem before, and the culprit turned out to be an additional amplifier located on the bulkhead under the bonnet.

Apparently this amp – made by a company called ASK in Italy – has a design fault, which can be triggered if the unit is shaken particularly vigorously. Jasmine had no experience of having one of these amps repaired, only replaced at a cost of, yes, you guessed it, £400. But that wasn’t such bad news this time, because there is a simple test to determine if the amp is faulty or not. I thanked Jasmine for the advice and went away to investigate.

The ASK amp has its own fuse within the car’s main fuse panel (see photo). Simply remove it and then try the head unit again.

Fantastic: no more noises! Now, at long last, I had established the true source of the problem – but how could I avoid splashing out on a brand-new amp? The Internet came to my rescue yet again, a Google search on the ASK amp bringing up the Planet Nine forum in the US (mainly for Caymans and Boxsters) which highlighted how common this problem has become.

Tore de force There were a number of references to someone called Tore, who it seemed could not only repair the ASK amp, but has also rectified the design fault. I could find no other information about

Author Alan Armstrong has sold his Cayman (above) since writing this story, but we imagine the new owner is enjoying its refurbished sound system

The expert’s view Alan Armstrong’s experience is one now being shared by an increasing number of 997 Carrera and 987-model Boxster and Cayman owners, writes Tore Bergvill.

Sound Package Plus ‘These models were optionally available with what Porsche calls Sound Package Plus. This consists of an additional amplifier in the front luggage compartment, and driving an extra speaker in the centre of the fascia, as well as the so-called ‘woofers’ within the doors. This amp is known to fail.

Design flaw ‘The amplifiers were made for Porsche by an Italian company called ASK Automotive Industries Group, and they were unlucky in their choice of components, I believe, as well as having built in a design flaw or two. The result of component failure is either a dead amplifier or a very loud rumbling or hiss.

Diagnose the problem ‘It is easy to determine if your ASK amplifier is faulty. (And obviously the problem will appear only in cars with Sound Package Plus.) If there is no sound or abnormal sound from the centre speaker, as well as from the woofers in the doors, then you probably have a faulty amplifier. Disconnect the amplifier (or remove its fuse), and turn on the stereo.

If there is normal sound from the other speakers, then you have a faulty amp.

If you still have abnormal/distorted sound, even without the amplifier, then you most probably have a problem within the stereo head unit itself.

Flaws ‘As far as I know a new amplifier is available from Porsche at approximately £400. I have seen changes in the latest versions of these amps that will avoid some of the earlier problems, but the fact that even some of those have been sent to me for repair suggests that the manufacturer has not been able to rectify all of the original flaws.

Test rig The good news is that I have built a bespoke test-rig for these units, and have extensive experience in repairing them. I have them sent in from customers all around the world. Due to the large number of repairs, I am able to offer this at a price of €120 including worldwide return by airmail. My repair procedure covers all known issues in these units, and I do some modifications to avoid any possible future issues as well.

Secrets My website contains details of ASK amplifier part numbers and the other repairs for Porsche electronics of all ages.

him, apart from the fact that he was in Norway. I began a new Google search (‘ASK amp repairs in Norway’), and sure enough I found Tore Bergvill at Bergvill F/X in a place called Hosle.

Things now moved quickly. Tore was, indeed, the man I had been looking for. He responded immediately to my e-mail enquiry with all necessary information, including a photo of the unit’s location, and instructions on how to remove it, despatch information, turnaround time, and time taken for return despatch of my repaired amp – which would come with a five-year warranty. All for a total of €120 inclusive of return shipping!

Peace at last I sent the amp through the Parcelforce system.

Tore received it the following day, and confirmed that the fault was as suspected. On day three he advised me of the tracking number for the return shipping, and within a few days I had received my now repaired amp back again. Plugging it in was a simple as had been the removal procedure, and I reconnected the head unit and turned everything on. Peace at last. Wonderful!

There is a moral to this tale, which I am sure no one has missed. Had I plunged in and replaced all of the items described above – making a diagnosis by substitution, in other words – I would have spent in excess of £1,200 plus VAT. At best I would have obtained a new amplifier, but still with the same inherent design fault as the original unit. As it is, I spent around ¤120, and, when I later sold the car was able to do so safe in the knowledge that the new owner will almost certainly never experience the same problem. PP Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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year th

That was the

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Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

at was!

It has been as busy and fulfilling a year as ever for Porsche Club GB’s perennially popular visits to key Porsche-related sites in Germany. This review of proceedings by commercial director and factory visit organiser Richard Watling ➔

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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S

ometimes Lady Luck turns up when you least expect her to.

Arriving at Stuttgart on the last leg of Porsche Club GB’s most recent factory visit, and hoping – but certainly not expecting – to be able to see the production of the 918 Spyder, I learned that a customer was viewing his new acquisition, and could not be disturbed. But then the customer left early, the afternoon was rearranged and we seized the opportunity of an extra hour in the plant to see this most exciting and exotic new model.

One of our members has said that these visits are not really factory visits, but rather the chance to explore both Germany and their Porsches’ potential. I could not have put it better myself. This time there were many firsts. The visit to VW in Osnabrück, for instance, to see the Cayman in production; the 750th anniversary of Colditz Castle; an ICE train visit to Berlin, with a guided tour of the Reichstag building. (I should not have doubted the enthusiasm of our members for a lecture on the German constitution on a Sunday afternoon – it was fascinating). Then there was the new Classic Remise car show in a former tram terminus, as well as a chilling reminder of how close we came to World War III in 1981 after a tank-to-tank confrontation at Checkpoint Charlie.

Seeing the Cayman GT4 being made and driven for the first time was also unexpected and a rare treat. What a cracking new model this is, and judging by the reaction one for which Porsche will have to reopen its order book. The chance to try six 991s and a Boxster and a Cayman on the private track was again a treat that you could not get anywhere else in the world of Porsche, even if my co-driver found the laps a little too taxing and had the chance to say hello to breakfast for a second time out on track. We certainly give value for money! Snow on the road to Stuttgart via Nürnberg was not welcome, but our visitors are nothing if not intrepid.

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And so back to the future in Stuttgart and time to reflect on the characters that had made our time together such fun during the week.

Never before have we had both a Salsa king and an oriental dance expert on the same visit.

What goes on tour stays on tour, as the saying goes, but what a coup! A detailing expert with almost no room for the luggage among the serried rows of expert products (Swissvax would have been proud of him). Two GT3s and one GT2 lined up at the hotel. We almost always have special-occasion travellers, but this time there was a very special birthday for Wendi from Lovetts in Tewksbury.

Discretion forbids me from spelling out the exact number, but by all accounts she had a wonderful time at this halfway point in her life! Sadly, it seems that Mr Jex has taken temporary leave of absence from the Porsche marque but I am sure we shall see him back before the year is out after an almost unbroken run of 10 years on tour. We will miss you, PJ,

‘New for this year was the visit to Salzburg and the tour not only of Ernst Piëch’s collection of Ferdinand Porsche’s designs but also of the newly opened Traumwerk – Hans Peter Porsche’s almost unbelievable model railway’

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

so come back soon. We have already rescued your co-driver from the temptations of Audi – no matter how good they are and from the same group, too – they just don’t have the same magic. Remember: with Porsche you can be ruled by heart and head at the same time.

No compromise is necessary!

And then it was September already! In fact, I am writing this just about a week after returning from the second visit of the year, which was again to Stuttgart and the Alps, based on the popularity of the last two. But on this occasion with some differences…

We started in Spa – my favourite race circuit for over 40 years – and the Six Hours Classic race, which again thrilled the spectators with the speed and diversity of its grid of over 120 cars. Spa has everything: a big climb after Radaillon, ultra-fast curves, great spectating at pretty well every part, and – of course – the weather. Torrential rain as the dark came forced the field to a steady pace behind the safety cars, but still they battled on to the very end. Our own Simon Bowrey came in very respectably for a first big race in his 2.0-litre 911 so well prepared by Steve Winter of Jaz – and thank goodness for the Brits like them who take half the grid, and nearly that in spectators.

The drive to Stuttgart through the Ardennes, even coping with the famous Belgian ‘Deviation’, signs mostly to nowhere, was as pleasing as ever, especially around Trier and Saarbrücken. Try them if you haven’t been before. The remainder of the group joined us at the Adler reception and started the bonding process even without name badges which were stuck in the post.

Never mind, a glass or two of good Sekt always gets the party going.

Nothing quite as exciting at the factory this time as in April, but still it was – as usual – a polished and interesting tour. There was more to come, though – as we headed off very early on Wednesday and arrived before 10am at Mr Ruf’s emporium 200km away to lust after his hand-built Porsche-based specials – one a ➔

The Hans-Peter Porsche Traumwerk museum shown on page opposite certainly made a positive impression and comes thoroughly recommended by the author; above image shows the reflection of Club member cars outside Porsche’s Zuffenhausen museum

week is built on average. The whole group was really taken with the passion for the marque and the fabulous attention to the engineering detail, even if no customers emerged from among us. They did have a oneowner 993 in the window, though, which ought to tempt someone.

Once more over the following two days we went on the trail of the early period of Porsche’s history. Climbing the Grossglockner pass once more – the best there is, I think – visiting the Gmünd woodshed where it all started, and taking in the Pfeiffhofer museum.

This year some of us climbed the Malta valley to the astonishing hydro-electric dam, the biggest in Austria – and many braved the Obertauern and Katschberg passes where the early 356s were tested for braking and one-in-three hill starts.

We went to the Rossfeld historic event and watched every kind of pre-1966 machinery attempt the climb, with a certain Mr Röhrl the Bergmeister in a 3.0-litre RSR once more.

New for this year was the visit to Salzburg and the tour not only of Ernst Piëch’s collection of Ferdinand Porsche’s designs but also of the newly opened Traumwerk – Hans Peter Porsche’s almost unbelievable model railway, filling a large building created for the purpose, showing a unique display of toys, and containing a restaurant, his car collection and a convention area. We were perfectly looked after by Andreas, but who should be there but Club members Nigel Packer and Christine, who had introduced me to the place a year earlier. I thoroughly recommend you visit when you are in the Salzburg area – it is truly captivating.

So that was it, really, other than the tour of the Flying Bulls aviation centre on Sunday and the private visit to the infamous Eagles Nest on Sunday night, which has become the highlight of these visits. We were once more rewarded with superb weather and a great view before our guided visit and dinner. At five the following morning I crept out of the underground garage in convoy with Mike Baynes in his brand-new and very beautiful 991 Turbo ‘S’ of which he is justifiably proud.

What was I in? A similarly new 991 GT3 loaned by a generous member who had a plane to catch, and trusted me with his very special mount. I hoped to get to Calais by 10pm, but actually arrived at 4pm and was home in Kemble, Gloucestershire, by nine.

Suffice it to say that awesome does not even

Incredible attention to detail at the Hans-Peter Porsche model railway; special access to the 918 production line was a real highlight of the factory visit year; the iconic new GT4 logo on show at Osnabrück

‘The afternoon was rearranged and we seized the opportunity of an extra hour in the plant to see this most exciting and exotic new model’ begin to describe the experience.

So what about the next one, then? Planning is already well advanced for April next year, which will be broadly similar to this year’s with visits to Karmann in Osnabrück, plus Berlin, Leipzig and Stuttgart and probably some other interesting and possibly novel drives. There will be a few places, too, for those who can manage only the Stuttgart section – for, say, two days. As ever though, you really need a week of your time, a nice Porsche to drive (is there any other sort?!),

and a sense of fun and adventure.

Let me know as soon as possible if you are interested, so that I can let you have the details as soon as I have the dates. Now it’s time to see if I can earn some money for a GT3. Well, we can all dream! And it may even come true. I look forward to seeing you at the many great events through the winter and perhaps in Germany next time round.

To register your interest contact me at factoryvisit@porscheclubgb.com for early warning of the dates and plans. PP

From left to right: The Flying Bulls collection of exotic aircraft in its unique hangar. Centre: Starkmut our brilliant guide to the secret restoration areas.

Right: 962 in the Zuffenhausen workshop after its annual service!

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ACTION THIS

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Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

DAY

David Hemmings describes the safe and enjoyable fun to be had at a Porsche Club GB trackday – fun you owe yourself to have!

Photos by Jim Gaisford

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iming is everything. It was Porsche Club GB’s latest trackday newsletter in my e-mail in-box that did it. The last event of the season was fast approaching, it informed me – at Oulton Park in Cheshire on 4th November. And for some reason it suddenly made me ask myself some searching questions.

Why had I not done a trackday for the last 20 years, especially when this iconic circuit is so close to home?

I thought about it a little more, and came to the natural and obvious conclusion that 20 years was just too long. Time to exercise those high-speed brain cells, and think positive. This is a fast, but safe and enjoyable day out, and the chances of ‘bending’ the car would be minimal.

Well, let’s see!

The Club’s motorsport maestro, Steve Kevlin, leads the drivers’ briefing. He knows his stuff, and can lay claim to racing 928s back in the days when he worked for AFN. It all takes at least 20 minutes of serious listening.

The flag system – yellow, red and black, and not least chequered – is explained. Also, how we must always overtake on the left – and only on the straights – and effectively only with the ‘consent’ of the driver ahead.

Sign your indemnity form, and if you are in the novice category (that’s me!) find your instructor, and aside from noise-testing the car, you are just about ready for the track.

No-one goes out unless they have joined an introductory convoy drive around the circuit to show you the lines through the corners.

Significantly – and reassuringly – this applies to all drivers, regardless of previous experience.

A final check takes place before you go out on circuit – you must be wearing an approved helmet and two special wristbands. All these are to be displayed to the marshal in the pit-lane to show that you have attended the briefing. From the cars parked outside the briefing I can already see that I am in the minority, a lonely 928.

My ARDS-approved instructor (Association of Racing Driver Schools) was Howard Hunt from York, who turned out to be my guide for lap after lap, with his consistently calm patient, ➔

instructions. ‘Turn in here, brake at the white board, brake harder, let the car find its line, let the steering unwind, take a straight line here, drift to the right, clip the white line, feed the power in now, watch that marker and just hold that line down the past the pits’. It was at that last point that I just had time to glance at the speedometer, to see thast I was approaching 100mph. It felt more like twice that!

The 928 was poised, balanced, almost serene.

I was regularly being overtaken by every type of 911. It was one thing to view their tailpipes, but quite another to see how much control they had to build into their cornering, whereas the 50/50 weight distribution of the evenly balanced 928 meant that I could concentrate on ‘flowing in and flowing out’. If I get out of the novice class I might just be able to crow about that, but it will doubtless take a while! When a Cayman GT4 goes past a 911 and your 928 you realise that Porsche never stands still in the development department.

I was not counting laps, because I had too much to think about (and to enjoy!), but after somewhere between five and 10 tours of this 2.77-mile circuit Howard suggested that we come in for a break and to cool the brakes. He was right, I was ready for it. Similar sessions were to follow as I alternatively mastered Druids, with its series of high-speed drifting curves, but then the next time made a complete hash of it.

Old Hall corner was interesting, after the run past the pits, but all too easy to overcook if taken too sharply. My own favourite became the long section from Cascades, with the lake on your left, followed by Island bend swooping you down into the Shell hairpin. When you bring it all together it is very satisfying, it’s just keeping the concentration for the whole lap that is the problem for this novice.

The lunch stop coincided with the low-fuel light coming on, signifying that my original start with half a tank (around 35 litres) was rather optimistic. Fuel is available on site, but I chose to drive down the road – it’s just a mile or so – for the high-octane stuff. And another chance to let the brakes cool down a bit. Normally, the 928 can just about see the far side of 20mpg on a motorway run. On track I doubt I was 44

achieving half that, but the fun level was at least several times greater.

I took the offer from Chris Whittle for a passenger ride in his brand-new and brightyellow Cayman GT4 (with full race harness and roll-cage) and was suitably impressed by the acceleration and roadholding. Just a little faster than the 928(!), but never as smooth as a V8, of course… The circuit was never too busy with cars, there were just over 30, but you would never have guessed it, we were all either cooling the brakes or the oil, in the paddock.

Had my car suffered through this high speed bashing? The water temperature on the road runs at about 82–85 degrees and on track was more like 88–92 degrees. The oil pressure never wavered. The brakes went soft and started to fade, but then recovered after cooling down for 20 minutes – a noticeable juddering was the warning sign. The tyres seemed relatively unscathed, just feathered slightly on the edges. I had made sure they were on the handbook settings of 36/42psi front and rear before setting off. The oil level was down only a few millimetres on the dipstick next day.

All too soon the light was starting to fade on this autumnal day in early November and only now (of course!) was the track starting to dry out.

Sorry, did I not mention that before? It started a damp day and it never changed, nor did the sun appear, but the grin on my face made up for it. One thing was certain, I would be looking to return next time that Oulton Park comes up on the Club’s trackday calendar, as it surely will.

The circuit-driving bug had bitten me, for sure.

‘I came to the natural and obvious conclusion that 20 years was just too long. Time to exercise those highspeed brain cells, and think positive. This is • Porsche Club GB’s 2016 calendar is at time of writing (late November) still to be a fast, but safe and published, but naturally full details will appear in Porsche Post in due course. Alternatively, go enjoyable day out, to the Club’s dedicated motorsport website at www.porscheclubmotorsport.co.uk and and the chances of register your e-mail details in ortder to receive the regular trackday newsletter, which by “bending” the car definition will be the very first place where the information eventually appears. would be minimal’ PP

All models of Porsche are welcome at Club trackdays which take place at a selection of circuits throughout the UK. Helmets can be hired and expert tuition is usually available for a modest fee

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

A welcome in the

hillside The 997 Register’s autumn tour of mid-Wales offered the usual classic mix of great driving roads, comfortable accommodation and good food, excellent companionship, and not least some superb Porsches. Report and photographs by Clive White

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ales is a fine place to be during the autumn, with its spectacular scenery, mountains, valleys and changing colours of the leaves on the trees – providing it’s not raining, of course! The Principality can be very wet at times, and the last few 997 events, wherever they have been held, have been pretty damp, too, so we weren’t holding out too many hopes the weather would be kind for our Register’s weekend Autumn Tour between 16th and 18th October. But in the weeks running up to this event we had seen some pretty good conditions, predominantly dry – an Indian summer, in fact, so fingers crossed!

The base for our mid-Wales expedition was the well-known Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells, a venue we last used in 2006. The hotel is very familiar with car clubs, and our stay there went extremely smoothly as we were well looked after, provided with dedicated vehicle parking, freshly refurbished rooms, and good-quality cuisine. In fact, they 46

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couldn’t do enough for us, and as the owner, Justin Baird-Murray is himself a keen driver, that certainly seems to have helped.

Our convoy consisted of 13 997s: four Turbos, two GT3s, a GTS Cabriolet, three Carrera 2Ss, a Carrera 4S Cabriolet and two Carrera 2s – plus the ubiquitous McLaren MP4-12C. Following the Forum announcement, the event had quickly become oversubscribed, and it was a pity that not everyone managed to get a run as it became necessary to limit numbers early on in view of the logistics. We were delighted that several new members were dipping their toes in the touring water and turned out for the first time to join us. Because of this, it was decided to hold a short briefing prior to dinner on Friday evening to distribute our two-way radios, hand out roadbooks for the weekend, and clear up any last-minute queries there might be.

So it was that we set off at 10am prompt on Saturday morning for the first 180-mile leg of our tour. The weather proved to be not as bright as we had hoped for, but it was a

pleasant day, and dry as we made our way out of the town on a northerly heading to Rhayader via a fairly quiet A470. Turning west in the town centre by the clock, we continued into the Elan Valley and the real heart of our tour. This road runs around the five reservoirs of this giant Victorian facility serving Birmingham and surrounding areas, and is situated in the rugged Cambrian Mountains. The lanes through the valley are narrow, twisty and challenging, but the scenery is stunning.

Continuing westward, suddenly the scenery changed into open moorland with the undulating road stretching out before us.

Then into a short forestry section before we dropped down to Devil’s Bridge Falls for a breather and coffee.

From here, we pressed on west, using the A44 towards Aberystwyth, but before entering the town, we turned back south through Southgate to pick up the B4340, a classic 25-mile stretch to our lunch halt at Tregaron.

The final section from Pontrhydfendigaid is truly magnificent, a fast and flowing road with long, sweeping bends – in fact, ideal territory for our Porsche 911s.

The Talbot Hotel in Tregaron provided an excellent lunch. Refreshed and well watered, we were off again continuing south on the B4340, bypassing Lampeter before heading east, first on the A482, then taking a tricky fork left onto the unclassified road through Porthyryhd and over a series of narrow bridges to Llandovery, where we were to pick up the A4069 for an exciting run south over the Black Mountain Pass, one of Top Gear’s favourite roads, down to Brynamman.

Turning east, there was a rather uninspiring piece of road through some little villages and roadside development with a lot of miniroundabouts and several 20, 30 and 40mph speed restrictions before things brightened up again turning north, over the Brecon Beacons once again to Sennybridge, then on through

the Usk Valley to Brecon. About now, one crew succumbed to mechanical gremlins with gear-linkage problems and, rather than risk it, wisely decided to call it a day, but still managed to make it back to our hotel for the evening’s festivities. We have suffered punctures and flat batteries before, but I cannot previously remember a mechanical breakdown on our tours over the last few years, so it’s testimony to the usual reliability of our cars.

Alan Stoneham volunteered to stay with the stricken Carrera 2 to await recovery, while the rest of us threaded our way through to Brecon, to find the tricky turning up past the cathedral and out onto the B4520, another classic Welsh road. As luck would have it, we all managed to stay together (well, more or less) as we wound our way up to Builth Wells and the final run back run up the A483 to our base for refuelling and a well-earned cup of tea.

We then had a splendidly convivial evening with pre-dinner drinks and a fine dinner followed by one of Alan’s famous quizzes, this time concentrating on our knowledge of Wales. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was won by a Welsh couple, Alon and May Williams from Anglesey, who were with us for the first time.

It was a glittering prize, too, consisting of a day out at the Porsche Driving Experience Centre in Silverstone, most generously donated by Porsche Centre Exeter.

Sunday started grey, although it did brighten up. The second leg was to be a leisurely 100 miles or so, starting out on the same road as the day before, but soon heading across the Wye Valley and south-west on the B4358, picking up the B4519 going due south through Castle Madoc and down through Brecon again. Continuing south on the A470, we reached the outskirts of Merthyr Tydfil before turning back north again through Vaynor, stopping for a break at Pontsticill, where we managed to take the owners of the Red Cow Inn completely by surprise, when 30

Our group on the steps of the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells. The hotel is very motor-club friendly, helped by owner Justin Baird-Murray being a keen motorist

Runners and riders Peter Finch Carrera 2S Mike and Helen Hill Turbo Phil and Dee Hunt GTS Cabriolet Rich and Nikki Porter Turbo Andy and Jill Rodgett GT3 Kris and Nikki Sharratt Carrera 2 Aubrey and Beverley Sheppard Carrera 2 John and Pam Stevens Carrera 2S Alan and Marion Stoneham Turbo Nick and Anne West GT3 Clive White Turbo ‘S’ Alon and May Williams Carrera 2S Gary and Jo Willn McLaren MP4-12C Clive Wratten Carrera 4S Cabriolet

of us walked in for coffee. But it was all taken in good heart and they were no doubt grateful for the sudden improvement in passing trade!

Refreshed by our break, we continued on the road beside the Pontsticill Reservoir, up to Talybont on the river Usk and on through Aber Valley to join up with the B4558.

Heading south again, we were to pick up the A4077 at Crickhowell. The last section traversed the B4598 and B4293 down into Chepstow, where a motorcycle festival was being held, and the place was heaving. The MSA route liaison system is supposed to provide warning to its member clubs of conflicting events, but nothing had been heard in this instance. Anyway, we did manage to find parking places in the town and only a short distance from our pre-arranged lunch venue, the Chepstow Castle Inn. By chance, Richard Hammond, formerly of Top Gear, followed us into the car park in his 991 GT3.

He had seen our convoy and pulled in to find out what was going on. Clearly he was not eligible to join us as he had the wrong Porsche model, so we sent him on his way…

For the next hour or so there was plenty of opportunity to chat about the weekend’s activities and the experiences of friends new and old over a very pleasant lunch, and it seemed that just about everybody had enjoyed their weekend and were looking forward to their next outing. After this, there was then nothing else for it but to say our goodbyes and depart homeward to all four points of the compass. Our thanks go to all those who supported us and made it such a special and successful event. PP

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EVOCATIVE IMAGES FROM THE TED WALKER ARCHIVE

THE GUARDS TROPHY WAS ONE OF THE MOST prestigious sports-car races in Britain during the 1960s, writes Martin Broadribb, the name referring to its sponsorship by the now longdefunct cigarette brand.

In early April 1969 it was held as Round 2 of the RAC British Sports Car Championship at Snetterton, a Norfolk location that I recall from my own racing days as being a very long haul home on a Sunday evening.

Two of the three Porsches entered can be seen here, number 74, in the foreground, the sole 906 of Nick Gold, and number 71 – chasing hard, or perhaps recently overtaken? – the 910 of Swedish driver

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Richard Broström, then based in Switzerland.

The cars qualified 14th and 13th, respectively, on the 16-car grid, but in the race they managed both to outpace and outlast much of the faster and more powerful opposition – in that familiar Porsche manner – to finish fourth and sixth in grid order, only three laps behind the winner, and also third and fourth in class.

Charlie Lucas in the only other Porsche – another 910 – came home third from a seventh-place start and won his class, while well-known Porsche racers Richard Attwood, Brian Redman and David Piper all retired in their Lola T70s! PP

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Featured Regional event

Clean sweep The ever-popular Gary Sorrell may have moved on to Porsche Centre Colchester, says John Dunn, but his successor at Cambridge, Franc Mateo, made Region 24 as welcome as ever for their official visit in August, and the proverbial good time was had by all.

Photos by the author 50

I

t’s a little while ago now, but can you still recall what was officially the hottest day of last summer?

In fact, it was Saturday, 22nd August, and the temperatures were into the high twenties. And it was certainly a day to remember for Porsche Club GB’s Region 24 – Cambridge and Bedfordshire – with an expedition to Porsche Centre Cambridge.

Our previous contact there was after-sales manager Gary Sorrell, but he has recently left for pastures new – Porsche Centre Colchester, actually – and so this was to be our first official ‘meeting’, as it were, with Gary’s replacement, Franc Mateo. Earlier, Franc had indicated that he was keen to continue with the Centre’s support of both our Club and Region. Franc and I had spoken about a service clinic, but

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Franc had suggested that the format for service clinics, which had been running for many years, could be improved upon. Franc continued that he thought the core feature of the free inspections for members’ cars should be retained, but he was keen to revamp the format of the event and to involve the participants more at any such future clinics.

Anyway, back to that Saturday in August, and 30-plus members’ cars arrived bright and early at Porsche Centre Cambridge. And it soon became apparent that this would be a Porsche Clinic event with a difference.

Following a welcome from Franc, all those attending were registered and handed a ‘goody bag’. This was certainly a change from the norm since such bags are not normally handed out until the end of the event.

Inside were a number of rather mysterious

‘Inside were a number of rather mysterious items, including a Porsche lanyard, a pair of disposable rubber gloves, and a small bottle of hand-wash gel. The lanyards were different colours – red, blue, yellow and green’ items, including a Porsche lanyard, a pair of disposable rubber gloves, and a small bottle of hand-wash gel. The lanyards were different colours – red, blue, yellow and green – and these would be used to split us into groups that would move around the workshop to the different activies that had been planned. These activity ‘stations’ were as follows: inspection of your own car; a restoration section; inspection of a Porsche Centre car; and, finally, a driving experience.

Members spent around 30 minutes at each station. Rubber gloves were donned at the two inspection bays, and under the guidance of a Porsche technician, members were taken through the various components of their cars. The technicians were also taking notes, and scoring individuals on their knowledge of their own cars, with a prize

to be awarded to the most knowledgeable.

This also applied to the Porsche Centre car which had been set up with some 10 faults to be identified – the odd nut or bolt removed for example, and various other items that would need attention.

In the restoration area was an early 911SC. This car was completely dismantled and undergoing the full works on the engine, body and interior. This car was to be entered later in the year in the Porsche Classic restoration programme. Following that the car will be offered for sale in a charity auction. Also available for inspection and questions were two completely stripped engines, one from a Cayenne and the other from a 911. The driving experience proved popular. Under the guidance of Neil Mills, a Porsche driving consultant, members had

the chance to drive two of the latest 991 Carreras. No event at the Cambridge Centre would be complete without a tour, and we were treated to just that in the hands of general sales manager Andy Matthews. And very informative and interesting that was, too.

Prizes were awarded – after a delicious buffet – for the two most knowledgeable inspections. The winners were Mike Barry, whose 944 was on the lift, along with Steve Bourne and his 996. Well done, both of you.

The was also a prize for – well, let’s just say he probably won’t be offered a job as a Porsche Centre technician any time soon!

But he could be employed using his prize elsewhere in the centre. Yes, Colin Fox was the proud recipient of a coveted pink Porsche broom.

Farewell speeches followed and then it was time to head for home – each of us with a £10 voucher stashed away in our goody bag to spend at Porsche Centre Cambridge.

I know from the feedback we have received how much members enjoyed the event, and are looking l forward to the next event at Porsche Centre Cambridge. We would just like to say thank you to all the staff at the Centre who made this a most enjoyable and successful day. Our special thanks go to Franc Mateo, of course. Well done, indeed, on your first event for our Region, and may we enjoy many more together! PP

Lead image on opposite page shows Colin Fox (left) receiving the pink broom as a ‘prize’ from Franc Mateo of Porsche Centre Cambridge. Clockwise, from top: the yellow group tour the Porsche Centre showroom; Alan Chambers taking a close look at a customer’s 928; Mike Barry (centre) with Porsche staff; Region 24 members enjoy the facilities on offer

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Regions Regional Director’s report While inconvenient to Chris Seaward and the team, I have managed to delay writing this column until after the December Board meeting and the hugely successful Cornbury House open day which took place on 6th December.

I am delighted to report that the Club will start 2016 on a real high.

Through the diligent financial stewardship of Ian Yeoman and the dynamic leadership of Peter

Bull, the Board view 2015 as a resounding success with some great events nationally and regionally combining with a strong financial performance. That is in no small part due to the combined efforts of the entire Cornbury House team under the enthusiastic management and careful guidance offered by Chris. It is due in no small part also to the 31 Regional Organisers and their assistants who devote their spare time to the provision of the enjoyment of their members. Obviously the Register Secretaries play their vital role too.

This great combination has led to an increase in the membership and some amazing statistics for both membership retention and new members. To all those new members reading this magazine for the first time, hello and

Scotland South

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Rob Kellock Vice Chairman and Regional Director regional@porscheclubgb.com

Regions Index

Regional Organiser Scott Laurie 07803 260417 – r1@porscheclubgb.com Hi everyone.

Unfortunately, as I noted in last month’s PP I have not been too well. I have also now been diagnosed with a tumour in my thymus gland, which requires surgery and, like last month, I am writing this month’s report from hospital. I am hoping that by the end of January surgery will be over with no complications and medication will be stabilised. To everyone I look well, but symptoms can be quite debilitating and vary each day.

As some of you may know I have resigned as RO for Region 1 for the moment. Due to medium to long-term recovery from tumour and myasthenia I feel that I should stand down and allow someone else the opportunity to ensure the Region continues to be successful. The Board have asked that I remain as ARO and I am happy to do as much as I can in that role. In the interim Don Alexander will head up the Region with the possibility of taking it on formally as RO with my assistance. However, we have informally discussed different options, including having a small team assist with the organising of events.

If anyone wants to discuss anything relating to the RO position please call or e-mail me, or indeed contact Don Alexander (e-mail: donalexander1948@gmail.com). For the moment R1@porscheclubgb.com e-mails will still continue to be directed to myself until we form a final plan I expect. If there is someone out there that is keen to take on the role and the responsibility of RO please give me or Don a call to discuss.

welcome. Please introduce yourself to your Regional Organiser and attend one of the event local to you which are set out on the following pages.

Whether you wish to engage with the Club in person or electronically, regionally or nationally, meeting friends who are local or friends with the same car, whether you drive a classic 356 or a modern racing car or any Porsche in between, I am quite sure that PCGB will have something great to offer you in 2016.

Wishing all readers my very best wishes over the festive season and for the New Year.

Your Regional reports at a glance R1 Scotland South p52 R2 Scotland North p53 R3 North East p53 R4 Lincolnshire & Humberside p55 R5 North West p55 R6 North Wales p57 R7 Yorkshire p59 R8 East Midlands p59 R9 West Midlands p60 R10 Milton Keynes & Northamptonshire p62

R11 Essex p64 R12 Norfolk & Suffolk p65 R13 Herefordshire & Worcestershire p66 R14 South Wales p69 R15 South West p69 R16 Gloucestershire p70 R17 Southern p70 R18 Lancashire & Cumbria p72 R19 Thames Valley p74 R20 London p77

I would like to thank everyone for the kind wishes and offers of assistance; I have really been overwhelmed with the kindness of everyone. I have very much enjoyed the RO position and hope that I can continue to help the Region as much as possible.

Recent events PC Glasgow test drive day I had been discussing with the PC Glasgow team a Club event for some time and, although it was late in the season, we did manage to have a full day’s driving event including lunch, courtesy of them. Paul Farrell, their Dealer Principal, is a true car enthusiast and juggles a fairly demanding load from Porsche UK with events and client management. He certainly put on an excellent event; inviting 20 Club members to spend a day

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R21 Chiltern p79 R23 Sussex p81 R24 Cambridgeshire & Bedfordshire p81 R25 Kent p83 R26 Dorset p85 R27 Ireland p85 R28G Guernsey p86 R28J Jersey p88 R29 Surrey p88 R30 Isle of Man p89 R31 Cotswold p89

driving Boxsters, Caymans, Macans, Cayennes and a couple of 991s, including a rather nice Targa.

Our day commenced with coffee, cake and a wander around the showroom. Once signed on, everyone was allocated two cars to drive that day and the route was along Loch Lomond and to the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar for lunch. The weather started as torrential rain which, in traditional Scottish style, turned to blue sky with sunshine followed by snow. We all rendezvoused at the top of the ‘Rest and Be Thankful’ to change drivers.

Photos will show a snowy landscape with a car sitting on its roof by the side of the road. Some poor person coming from the north had lost control on the slush and skidded into a ditch, rolling their car in the process. At this point, I think those in the Porsche four-wheel drive cars

PC Glasgow test drive to Loch Fyne

Forthcoming events January 10 New Year’s run and lunch The venue is to be confirmed but we are presently looking at the Inn on the Tay. Please contact Don Alexander ASAP if you are wishing to attend.

PC Edinburgh health check and test-drive day Robin Mears has been discussing with PC Edinburgh about a health check and test-drive day for February. As soon as we get a date I will e-mail everyone with details.

John also mentioned that the event in Austin is well organised with bus transport to the circuit from downtown, so well worth considering if you’re a regular visitor to Texas.

Austin GP

Lastly I would like to wish everyone and their families a merry Christmas and happy New Year.

May 2016 bring happiness, good health and good weather so we can all enjoy our cars.

Regards Scott

Scotland North Photo by John Joss

were more smug than the rest of us. However, my 911 coped with the slushy road and the heated seats kept me nice and cosy.

Lunch was simply lovely, with some excellent seafood available. But, as everyone was driving the bar bill ran to about 20 cokes.

We returned to PC Glasgow just after 4pm for a thank you to Dominic Bell who had organised the cars and drivers that day. An excellent day and one we hope to repeat in 2016. Huge thanks needs to go the Glasgow team for their hospitality and for their time organising and hosting the event.

For anyone that has not been to PC Glasgow recently, there is a new classic section being set up and they have the restored 930 Turbo on display. They are always happy to have a coffee and a natter about service, parts or, if you have the funds, a new shiny Porsche.

Regional Organiser Steve Rose 01224 868052 – r2@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Regional Organiser Gillian Gardiner 01382 778923 Happy New Year to all in Scotland North and beyond!

It’s been a quiet November after the excitement of Gain-an-Hour at the end of October, so not too much to report on. I’ve lots of ideas for the coming year, but feel free to contribute or make suggestions.

I was interested to get the following from R2 member John Joss, as I think it illustrates how membership of our Club can extend beyond the local meeting and the odd run or event...

“I recently had an unexpected opportunity to attend the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, where I watched a great race from turn 15 and saw Lewis Hamilton secure his third world championship.

“The real pleasure of the day was meeting ‘Tuffy’ von Briesen and his wife in the PSL section of the Circuit of the Americas. Tuffy is not only a Porsche Club America member (from the Virginia Potomac Region) but PCA National Staff and PCA Porscheplatz/Car Corral Coordinator. We quickly started discussing cars and talked about my 997 CS, Scottish roads, his car (a trackprepared 996 GT3) and how we both enjoy encouraging our kids/grandkids to get involved with the brand - it is a small world. It was great to talk about our shared interests and demonstrates the value of greater Porsche Club community.”

Forthcoming events January meeting Please note, as usual we don’t meet at the Lairhillock on the first Thursday in January; it’s just too close to New Year. We will have a ‘short drive to a long lunch’ at the Garlogie Inn, Westhill, on Sunday, January 17 at 1pm. See details on the R2 Events pages on the website.

Steve Rose and Gill Gardiner

Diary dates JANUARY 17 Short drive to a long lunch, Garlogie Inn JANUARY 21 Club night, Milton Inn, Monifieth 8pm

North East Regional Organiser Greg Harm 07932 746152 r3@porscheclubgb.com Here we are, on the sprint finish to the end of 2015. As the year draws to a close we’re already

Unit c13, Inveralmond Grove, Perth, Perthshire PH1 3UG

Contact: 01738 481666 Email: callum@spotlessdetailing.co.uk

www.spotlessdetailing.co.uk

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January Offers Porsche Cayenne 25555VR18 Pirelli Scorpion Zero N0 £122.95 29535ZR21 Pirelli PZero N1 £219.95 Porsche Cayman Boxster 23535Z19 Pirelli Pzero N2 £148.95 26535Z19 Pirelli Pzero N2 £211.95 911 991 24535Z20 Pzero N0 £195.95 30530Z20 PZERO N0 £260.95 911 993 20550ZR17 Pirelli Pzero Rosso N3 £137.95 25540ZR17 Pirelli Pzero Rosso N3 £151.95 911 996 22540ZR18 Pirelli Pzero Rosso N4 £126.95 26535ZR18 Pirelli Pzero Rosso N4 £162.95

the Forum. It’s nice to hear what other members are up to with their cars and, who knows, we might pick up some tips. If you’re still having problems accessing the Forum let me know and I’ll try my best to help.

Northumberland Club run Not everyone has tucked their cars away for the winter. A handful of us headed for the hills of Northumberland a few weekends back, which for some was the final blast of the season. It was good to catch up with new member Ross on his first group run in his 996 Turbo. It was a little wet, but the roads were quiet. We first headed up the coast to Bamburgh then turned inland for coffee and cake in Milfield. Next it was through the cloud and mist of the hills into Scotland and Kelso and back down the A68 stopping at Otterburn Mill for more coffee and cake. With all these cake and coffee stops we may need to negotiate a PCGB discount at some local gyms in the New Year!

Greg Harm

The puddles were a rather large on our drive through the hills of Northumberland

Christmas night out If you haven’t booked for our late Christmas night out, there is just about time to get your name down and pay your deposit. In previous years members missed out on our Christmas meals as they had so many social events to attend in December. So, last year we decided to go out in January when our diaries weren’t so full. It was such a success that we’re doing it again at Hardwick Hall Hotel in Sedgefield on January 23.

Chris Mettham has again managed to arrange a private dining room at £25pp for three courses. It promises to be a great evening.

Congratulations I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate our previous ROs Graham and Moira on becoming grandparents of twins. It looks like they’re going to have their hands full, maybe it’s just as well they handed over the R3 reins when they did.

As things are winding down for Christmas there’s not much more to report this month. Keep an eye out for news on how our wine tasting at the Pip Stop went. We will also be announcing the winner of our inaugural Santa’s sleigh Concours competition and the most imaginative ‘not so secret’ Santa gift. Keep an eye on the website and the Forum. If you’re doing some work on your car over the winter, why not share it with us on

Finally, I’d like to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Hope you all find something Porsche-related under the Christmas tree.

Lincolnshire & Humberside Regional Organiser Richard Watkinson 01472 220185 – r4@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Regional Organiser Gavin Marshall 01472 826334 2015 - where did it all go?

By the time you read this article, the year of 2015 will be almost over - I have already started to plan for 2016. I personally have been kept very busy over the past 12 months, planning, researching, organising, and attending the many events for Region 4. I can honestly say that I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Many of the events owe their success to the team effort of the regular members who are always willing to help if asked. There are far too many to mention, but I sincerely thank them all for their help and support.

We ventured into some new areas, for example, Belton House, Woodhall Spa, Belvoir Castle and Harlaxton Manor. I can confirm that we will be revisiting Belton House and Woodhall Spa in 2016 and will reconsider a visit to Belvoir Castle in 2017.

Our regular events, such as East Kirkby’s Props and Pistons, Doddington Hall, two Blyton trackdays and RAF Scampton’s families’ day, were all well attended and enjoyed. We hope to keep them on our calendar.

We resurrected the annual BBQ in September and it was a resounding success; let’s hope it will be just as well supported in 2016.

Sixteen regular members enjoyed our WOTY in the Cotswolds, most paying their first visit to Cornbury House. They were very impressed with the building and the archives. We are planning to visit the North East Region in October 2016.

The pub drive-outs went extremely well every month of BST and were arranged by a different member choosing a different pub each month.

Don’t worry, there are lots more traditional pubs with excellent restaurants for us to visit next year! All suggestions will be considered.

There have been distinct changes to the PCGB website and communications system, which has had its teething problems and caused some stress in some areas. Things are settling down now and we are getting used to the new system.

Please be patient for a little longer – I’m sure the final outcome will be very professional and you will be proud of your Club.

Finally, I am pleased to report that there were several new members who attended some of the events and mixed in very well with us all. I am looking forward to seeing you at more events next year. I hope we will continue to draw in even more new members to enlarge our group.

Once again, as a token of my appreciation, a big thank you to my very helpful and enthusiastic members, who make my ‘job’ so rewarding.

A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Diary dates JANUARY 17 Bowling at Lincoln Book with stevenash41@virginmedia.com JANUARY 28 Visit to Lincoln’s new waste plant FEBRUARY 14 Valentine lunch (TBC) The Pier, Cleethorpes MARCH 13 Visit to PC Sheffield (TBC) APRIL 24 County drive at Woodhall Spa MAY 20 Blyton Lyton novice trackday **Note change of date** JULY 4-12 TOTY Le Mans Classic JULY 10 North Coates Wings and Wheels JULY 17 Lotherton Hall with R7 AUGUST 29 East Kirkby Props and Pistons

North West Committee Contact Allan Crosby 01744 894500 – r5@porscheclubgb.com

Recent events November 11 Club night at PC Wilmslow PC Wilmslow kindly hosted the November Club night, a special occasion celebrating both the 10-year association between the dealership and Region 5 and the first year working with Dealer Principal Jason Shenton. The event is always popular and, on this occasion, 114 guests enjoyed a relaxing evening of socialising, a Q&A session about the 924S restoration project and a fun prize draw.

Mike Ledwidge says “Please bear with me” to Jason Shenton

Phil Graham (L) being presented with the Vincent Mansueto trophy by Alan Crosby

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REGIONS

looking at ideas for next year. Our suggestion box is working well; some excellent ideas, some requests for a repeat of previous successful events and some much appreciated offers of help. I have a number of plans for 2016, alongside the events we’ve already confirmed on the calendar. We’ll look to get some definite dates at our first Club night of the New Year on January 13. 2016 is shaping up to be another busy year in R3.

Forthcoming events January 23 New Year dinner The Region 5 annual dinner will once again be held on a Saturday evening at the Deanwater Hotel. The cost of the dinner is £20pp, children £12.50. To reserve your place (or to receive a copy of the menu), please contact Michael Williams by e-mail at msw2742@gmail.com Reservations will close on January 20, by which date the selection of meal and payment has to be made.

The hotel is offering bed and breakfast at a cost of £73 for a single room or £85 for a double/ twin room. Contact the hotel directly (telephone: 01625 522906) to check if accommodation is still available.

February 21 Portmeirion R5 is again visiting Portmeirion for a winter drive, Sunday lunch and overnight stay. The threecourse lunch (including tea or coffee) costs £25 and will be served in the main hotel dining room.

For those wishing to stay overnight on the Sunday, a choice of rooms have been reserved in the main hotel, the village and Castell Deudraeth.

The dinner, bed and breakfast rate is £169 per room for two people (including an allowance of £30pp towards the evening meal). Single occupancy is £154 with a similar meal allowance.

As in previous years, the group will meet at the Bison Cafe in Rhug prior to a drive over the hills to Portmeirion.

Members wishing to book lunch or lunch/ overnight stay should contact Phil or Nette Graham to confirm numbers and allocate rooms via e-mail (r5porsche.pg@gmail.com) or telephone (01625 524596 / 07941 109613 / 07941 109638).

And finally…

This issue of PP should reach you as the festive season begins. So Christmas greetings from the R5 Regional committee, and may 2016 be a great year for you and your Porsche.

Chris Clark

Diary dates JANUARY 13 Club night at the Deanwater Barry Hart profiles his company, Hartech, one of the leading independent Porsche specialists in the North West.

JANUARY 23 New Year dinner FEBRUARY 10 Club night at the Deanwater Race night in aid of the air ambulance.

Odds on it’ll be a favourite, saving a stewards’ enquiry!

FEBRUARY 21 Portmeirion 2016 MARCH 11 Oulton Park RS trackday MAY 2 Gawsworth Classic Car Show JUNE 4-5 Tatton Park Classic Car Show If you would like your Porsche to be included in the R5 display, please contact Dave Trafford by e-mail at david.trafford1@ntlworld.com JULY 29-31 Silverstone Classic PCGB’s 2016 National Event.

AUGUST 28-29 Oulton Park Gold Cup Region 5’s main event of the year.

North Wales Regional Organisers Sue Taylor 01928 735357 (01766 890844 Weekends) r6@porscheclubgb.com R6 Scottish WOTY This year, North Wales Region headed to the big open roads of Scotland for our WOTY. A huge thank you is extended to Alison, Graham, Annette and Tim for the long hours of effort they put in to arranging the trip.

Having met on Thursday night at Carlisle, the crew had an early start north to their base in Stirling the following day. The weekend was then spent driving the fantastic and empty Scottish roads, including the scenic Glen Coe.

The WOTY gang

November quiz night This month we had a quiz, chilli, chips and rice night. There was a great turn out of around 30 members. Last year’s winning team tried to keep their title, but was pipped at the post by Steve Pigg, Rob Kellock, Dave Pritchard, Brendan Daly and Alan Hughes. Well done guys!

Caernarfon Air World Visit Our drive out this month, arranged by Alan Hughes, took us to Caernarfon Air World.

We met at The Plough at 10.30am on Sunday.

Despite my assurance of no snow, the high hills were plastered with the stuff.

The air ambulance is based at Caernarfon and is amazingly funded by charity donations. Carl, one of the paramedics, gave a very informative talk about how it works - a very efficient machine that can be ready and away in minutes to help save lives. By contrast, the coast guard helicopter is much bigger and takes around 15 minutes to become air-bound. A call out for the air ambulance costs around £1,000 whereas the coast guard helicopter call out is around £15,000.

After our talk, we had time to visit the Air World Museum or go to the cafe to try and get warm. Fortunately, Annette called in sick she would not have liked to have her hair messed up in the wind and rain as we stood looking at the helicopter.

Off we headed towards Caernarfon and the Meifod Country House Hotel. We had a lovely lunch and raised £140 for the Air Ambulance Service.

Thank you to Alan for all the work he did to organise the event and make sure it ran like clockwork.

Silverstone Porsche Experience Day Malcolm Quick reports back from Silverstone: “I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a half-day at Silverstone’s Porsche Experience Centre in October. Many of you reading this month’s PP have also probably enjoyed the experience. Those of you who haven’t, if the opportunity arises take it. You won’t be disappointed.

“What can you expect? One to one instruction for about two-to-two-and-a-half hours with your driving consultant on various tracks, plus an hour long breakfast or lunch.

“I arrived about 12.15pm for the afternoon session. There was the opportunity of looking at a display of about nine new and old cars in the atrium after registering. It’s then up to the restaurant for a three-course lunch where your consultant who, over the next hour will tease out of you what you want from the session, joins you.

It’s then on to the briefing and finally to the car you selected when booking. The Porsche Experience Centre will try to match up as close as possible your road car with one of theirs for the session although you can elect to choose another model or split your time between two cars.

“There are a number of tracks to experience and, depending on time and type of vehicle, you may or may not get to all of them: “Two handling circuits - to enable you to refine your cornering techniques, replicate rural roads with a selection of corners and elevation changes to make life very interesting.

“Ice hill - here you will discover how to regain control of the vehicle as you skate merrily between two fountains of water whilst humming the ‘Bolero’. When you think that has been mastered, your consultant turns off all the stability controls. You then sit there whilst all hell breaks loose (even at only 20mph) gaily spinning the steering wheel every which way thinking that you are going to prang their very expensive car, which of course you don’t... no need to worry. Eventually you get the hang of this as well.

“The straights - at this point at between 60 and 100mph you will find how quickly your vehicle can really stop and also how, under this extreme braking, you can safely change direction without any loss of control; absolutely brilliant.

“Low friction circuit - yes, you will drive round here in circles exploring the effects of both over

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The 924 body shell was on show, having been acid-dipped before receiving a new floor pan and front wings and was surrounded by an assortment of refurbished mechanical components.

Entertainment was provided by the Northern Director’s Road Show and Peter Bull, PCGB’s Chairman and Events Director, gave a brief but positive insight into the Club. Vice Chairman and Regional Director Rob Kellock and Register Director Albert Walsh mingled amongst the members. Once again the Great North Pie Company served ‘Posh Porsche Pies’ with mashed potato and gravy - tasty gourmet fare for the upper crust clientele.

Jason very generously provided two Silverstone Experiences, which were won by new member Sandra Edwards and nicely settled-in member Brian Dewsbury. Wine and Porsche goodies were won by Mike Ledwidge, Chris Oliver, Andrew Painton, Dominic Mannion, Andy Hill and Peter Bull – and no, it wasn’t fixed!

Phil Graham’s 911 50th Anniversary model was the overall winner of the Gold Cup Concours. He was therefore awarded the Vincent Mansueto Memorial Trophy (which he will treasure until next year).

Many thanks go to Jason and the staff at PC Wilmslow and also to our enthusiastic members for making it a fun evening.

Diary dates As ever, new ideas and willing volunteers are more than welcome.

JANUARY 16 Post Christmas Mini Break Lord Hill Hotel in Shrewsbury. Please book your place directly with the hotel and let them know you are from PCGB North Wales Region.

JANUARY 20 Meeting at The Plough in St Asaph FEBRUARY 17 Meeting at The Plough in St Asaph Guest speaker Barry Hayes will talk to us about his amazing journey when he rowed across the Pacific.

Yorkshire Regional Organisers Mark and Carol Jessop 07981 412895 – r7@porscheclubgb.com Carol and I would like to wish all the Yorkshire members a very merry Christmas and prosperous New Year. We hope you have all enjoyed another great year of events and are looking forward to more of the same in 2016.

Club nights Club nights are held on the first Wednesday of the month at the Woodlands Hotel in Leeds just up the A62 from the PC Leeds and just off J27 of the M62 (postcode LS27 7LY). We aim to kick the night off officially at 8pm when we have an organised event.

Newsletter If you haven’t already done so, you should pay a visit to the new Club website and check that your contact details are correct. Everyone that has registered an e-mail address will automatically receive our newsletter; so if you aren’t getting it, then get in touch.

Forthcoming events Club night January 6 is our first Club night of the year and an opportunity to get out after all the festivities.

Please note that there is a possibility that we may not be able to attend ourselves.

New Year dinner On January 23 we are having a ‘wall crawl’ followed by dinner. This will be a late afternoon walk around York’s ancient walls, stopping at a couple of hostelries on the way before meeting up with those not wall crawling for pre-dinner drinks. We will then head for dinner at the Guy Fawkes Inn where we have the whole restaurant to ourselves for the whole evening.

We have space for 32 people with dinner costing approximately £25 per head depending on menu choices. Menus will be available closer to the date.

Chatsworth Porsche Pageant Region 8’s annual Concours and gathering at Chatsworth House is on June 12.

Le Mans Classic It only happens every other year. If you haven’t experienced Le Mans before, this is a great introduction. Come and join us for a weekend away from July 8-10. We have a couple of slots left, so if you are interested get in touch.

Yorkshire Porsche Festival This is our own celebration of everything Porsche in conjunction with Strasse and Specialist Cars of Malton. It’s provisionally planned for July 17.

Yorkshire Classic Run Fingers crossed for this great opportunity, which

is provisionally booked for July 24. Mum’s the word until everything is confirmed.

Silverstone Classic and National Event 2016’s National Event will be held in conjunction with Silverstone Classic over the weekend of July 29-31 and will make good use of the Porsche Experience Centre. More details to follow.

Witton Castle R3’s annual Concours on August 14 promises to be bigger and better. We plan to support our neighbours with an R7 picnic.

Bridlington Motor Weekend If you enjoyed Porsches at the Spa, then this weekend in October (14-16) won’t disappoint.

There is a fantastic programme of petrol head events.

Diary dates Diary dates contains a framework of events already in place 2016. There is still plenty of scope to fit in more, so if you would like to organise something or put forward a suggestion then please get in touch.

JANUARY 6 Club night JANUARY 23 New Year dinner JUNE 12 Chatsworth Porsche Pageant (R8) JULY 8-10 Le Mans Classic JULY 17 Yorkshire Porsche Festival (TBC) JULY 24 Yorkshire Classic Run JULY 29-31 Silverstone Classic and National Event AUGUST 14 Witton Castle (R3) OCTOBER 14-16 Bridlington Motor Weekend

East Midlands Regional Organiser Tom Fisher 07768 317346 – r8@porscheclubgb.com Club night at The Coopers Arms We were delighted to welcome Chris Franklin and son-in-law Pete from Centre Gravity to inform and entertain us about Porsche suspension. Instead of a ‘stand up at the front’ type of presentation they brought along several

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and under-steer. After 10 minutes of this my head was spinning, but at least it wasn’t the car.

“The kick plate - this element will kick the car off course to simulate loss of traction, inducing a skid and then how to correct it. We didn’t get as far as this as we spent a lot of time on the ice hill.

“Off road experience - hmm a bit tricky to explore in a Boxster!!

“Towards the end of the session I found myself on one of the handling circuits, as the sun was setting. This meant a sharp right-hander was totally blind and this made for one or two interesting lines through the corner. I’m not sure how my man sitting alongside thought I should be approaching it.

“The end of the afternoon finished with tea, cakes and a debrief by the consultant. At this point my head was spinning with all the information he had imparted, however, I’m sure I heard him say that I was quite the best student he’d ever driven with and that I should contact Ron Dennis straight away, or was that just my imagination?”

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models of chassis and suspension - the very advanced type that you find inside remote controlled racing cars. Each table had their own car set up with a suspension problem that became evident as the models were propelled. Chris and Pete spent time at each table discussing the various problems and remedies associated with the models. The evening worked really well, leaving everybody with the knowledge that, if they decide to have their car’s suspension and handling checked or upgraded, Centre Gravity would be an excellent place to visit. It was not surprising that a proportion of the room were already aware of Centre Gravity and its highly regarded work.

Chris Franklin explaining the intricacies of suspension set up

Visit to Simon Hadfield Motorsport near Shepshed, Loughborough Ken Coad, 968 Register Secretary, kindly organised this guided tour of Simon’s premises and, along with others from our Region, Kerry and I tagged along.

Simon’s team work on the engineering side of top notch classic race cars. Present examples included formula racing single seaters, Le Mans race cars (GT40s, E-types, Mustangs etc.) and serious Escorts. Simon gave us a brilliant description of his business and international exploits with both his own and customers’ cars.

In the various bays were cars, especially single seaters, being rebuilt to a higher standard than new using as much of the original car as possible.

They were often only designed to last a few seasons and would have been scrapped if badly damaged, but because of they are now in such huge demand they are worth such a painstaking restoration.

Visit to Simon Hadfield motorsport with the 928 Register

NEC Classic Car Show A number of Region 8 members supported Paul Seagrave and the West Midlands volunteered to help on the stand, which was exceptionally impressive this year. I will not go into details because there will be a full report elsewhere in PP. This event has become one of the most important in the Club’s calendar and it was great for Kerry and myself to catch up with members on the Friday. During a break when I have a walk around the show I look for something to add to my dream garage; this year the car I returned to on more than one occasion was on the TR (Triumph) Register stand - a fibreglass bodied car on the TR4 chassis called a ‘Fibrefab Jamaican’ finished in an exotic silver maroon and complimented with chrome wire wheels.

On the same impressive stand was a long-term favourite of mine; a very rare Triumph Italia (TR3 chassis). I have affiliation with both these cars having owned my TR4 since 1973! These cars can be seen on YouTube (NEC Classic Motor Show 2015 - TR Register Display).

Club stand at the NEC Classic Car Show

By now we are looking forward to 2016. Kerry and I wish you all a very happy New Year.

Diary dates JANUARY 4 Club night at The Coopers Arms FEBRUARY 1 Club night at The Coopers Arms With Porsche/car themed quiz JUNE 12 Chatsworth Porsche Pageant AUGUST 14 Tour of the East Midlands (TOTEM)

Coventry Transport Museum I met up with Mandy in her Boxster and Kim in his Turbo for the short journey to the museum.

Arriving at 9.30am, we parked our cars ready for the start of the R9’s 24-car display. We set up the R9 banner then waited for the others to arrive.

Kim and I were talking when we heard the sound of a horn; it was Cyril and Jean who couldn’t find their way into the front of the museum. So Jean got out and Kim hopped in and showed Cyril the route - not easy as there was only one way in.

The sun came out as cars started to arrive, to the great interest of visitors to the Museum, which is free and excellent viewing by the way. Jackie and Barry brought a tin of celebration chocolates for members to nosh – such a kind thought. We wound up about four o’clock after a most enjoyable day; perhaps we could make it an annual event. Many thanks go to the staff for allowing us our display.

Dave

R9 at Coventry Transport Museum

A trip to Porscheshop Paul Goffin reports: “After much consideration and discussion (plus encouragement from R9 ROs), I decided to upgrade my Cayman S (987.1) with a EuroCup GT sports exhaust system and a remap. After looking at various sports exhausts and manufacturers, I decided to go with this version and popped the car over to Porscheshop in Halesowen on November 19.

“The guys did a really good job of looking after us. They dropped Claire and I off at the local train station so that we could visit Worcester for the day and then furnished us with tea and coffee when we returned. I took photos of the new exhaust while it was on the ramp and one of the old one (which Porscheshop are going to send back to me). Great service from a really friendly team.

“They reckon on an increase of 30 to 40bhp, but I’d have to put it on a rolling road to be sure.

West Midlands

Visit to Simon Hadfield motorsport with the 928 Register

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Regional Organiser Kim and Mandy Sutch 07811 114646 – r9@porscheclubgbcom David Jones 01455 220081 – 07836 374295 Davejones996@hotmail.co.uk

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Paul Goffin’s sports exhaust

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There is definitely a noticeable difference in the feel to the performance and the power seems even more accessible than before. There is also a difference in the noise - it really does growl on acceleration! I’m not sure that there’s been much of a difference to my fuel consumption; although I’ve not driven very far to really try that out. I’ve always got around the 28 to 29mpg for my day-to-day journeys and so I’ll see.

“It has taken me a while to reach this point but, in terms of combined performance and sound, I’m really pleased with the result. As we head into winter I have more noise and more power…should be interesting!”

NEC Classic Car Show I was lucky enough to have my 996 Turbo on the PCGB stand at the show. As is the norm with this event, a few Club members turned up to help Paul Seagrave set up the stand and arrange the car display. It took most of the day, but the result was a fabulous looking display.

The Club managed to get a 904 race/road car and a 959S. Paul was very excited to get the chance to drive the 904 into the NEC off the transporter - it sounded fantastic.

Mandy was there to set up the shop helped

by Jess (who is back from Canada) and Chris Seaward who turned out to be a dab hand at cleaning the race centre’s ceiling and floors.

The three days were very busy. The boys and girls serving tea and coffee to members did a sterling job. Saturday was the busiest day the NEC has ever had for this event. Feedback on the cars was great as we had a good mix on display. We even had racing driver Dario Franchitti on the stand. Top bloke.

We managed to sign up 124 new members so, if you’re one of those, welcome to our Club.

At the end of the show on Sunday we all helped to put the display away ready to be trucked back to Cornbury House the following day. The weather had been good so we drove home on dry roads and we made it back with the car still gleaming.

Big thanks to Paul Seagrave for asking me to display my car and all his hard work in organising this great event.

Baz Barnett reports on his Classic Car Show experience: “It was a very proud moment for me driving my late brother Ted’s 944 to the NEC on set up day for this year’s show; it was at last year’s event that I visited the PCGB stand and declared that I had just joined the Club and I was in the possession of a Porsche 944. I spoke at great length with Johnny McGirl who was part of my late brother’s team of volunteers who organised the Club stand at the NEC in the 90s. Johnny was pleased to hear that I now owned Ted’s 944 and it was decided then that the 944 needed to be shown on the stand in my late brother’s memory. After lots of hard work on the car and incredible support from my partner Rachel, my dream came true.

“Thursday was spent hi vis clad with everyone buzzing about the stand positioning and then repositioning until all 11 cars and the rest of the stand was perfect - ready for the public the following day. The hard work from the volunteer event’s team paid off as over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday there were records broken; welcoming almost 200 new members, great Club shop sales and ‘the most people

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through the gate ever at the Motor Show’. The stand was a hive of activity for all three days with all 11 cars surrounded by an inquisitive public. I am so very grateful to initially John McGirl who set the ball rolling, Paul Seagrave, my amazing partner Rachel, and of course Mandy, Kim and Dave for helping make my dream come true.

I am looking forward to next year’s show already, as well as the numerous PCGB events in 2016!”

everything out and delivery. The wheels were made specifically for my car and fit straight on with no spacers needed - I love them. They may not be to everybody’s taste but I’m not finished yet, so watch this space and look out for gold wheels.

Club night Our usual third Tuesday of the month Club night was well attended with 30 members and welcomed new members Jason and Sue Dallow. The Turbo was far too clean so I gave the 944 a run out. As always, Dave was on hand to tell people of forthcoming events and all had a good evening.

Thanks to everyone for turning up and making our job so great.

2015 has been a good year for us and it was great for Mandy to get the job running the Club shop. We’ve had some great weekends with the Club and our own R9 events have been brilliant, in tiptop weather too.

Thanks to Paul and Barbara Seagrave for the use of their beautiful house and gardens for our Concours event and for sorting all the food and drinks.

Dave, Mandy and I have had a lot of fun organising events and Club nights, but the best thing for us is the support we’ve had from our members. We are still learning things and are already planning for 2016.

Club stand at the NEC

A massive thank you to you all.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Happy motoring.

Dave, Kim and Mandy JROs

Diary dates Martin Bennett’s 944

Turbo wheels Some say that when it comes to my cars I like to be a bit different and to blaze my own trail. All I know is I like what I like. Since owning my 996 Turbo I’ve always fancied a set of gold wheels. I know a lot of people will not like what I’ve done, but there’s plenty of 911s out there with gold involved on their wheels. So I got on the ‘interweb’ and looked for my ideal wheel. After a lot of looking I ended up falling for six 19” OZ Racing Ultraleggerras in racing gold with continental contact.

The wheels and tyres came as a package from Wheels Direct who did a great job sorting

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Turbo gold wheels

JANUARY 19 Club night The Bear, Berkswell FEBRUARY 16 Club night The Bear, Berkswell MARCH 15 Club night The Bear, Berkswell APRIL 19 Club night The Bear, Berkswell MAY 17 Club night The Bear, Berkswell JUNE 21 Club night The Bear, Berkswell

Milton Keynes & Northamptonshire Regional Organiser Paul Ebbs 01234 363358 (7pm–9pm) – 07769 805594 (daytime) – r10@porscheclubgb.com While helping on the Club stand at the recent Classic Car Show at the NEC, I reflected on how buoyant the classic marketplace continues to be, with throngs of enthusiastic people wanting to see, amongst all the other cars, our great display of Porsche - particularly the many new members joining our friendly Club. Although showing a possible ‘bottoming-out’ of some of the over-inflated prices (some quite frankly daft, in my opinion) that many so-called ‘dealers’ are asking for certain cars, the positivity is still there as another generation of petrol-heads discover their dreams of

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ownership could become reality.

After attending the officials’ conference at Cornbury House recently, it’s marvellous to report our Club is in a fine position, both financially and with a high calibre of new ideas and forward-looking presentation to the public.

We must be careful to not advance too quickly and forget the mainstay of the heritage Porsche classic cars, which form the basis of a true car club. Being able to respond knowledgeably on the day-to-day running and answering all questions involved with owning a cherished Porsche are essential qualities for our healthy Club (...speech over).

We’ve got many fantastic events already emerging for 2016. Amongst these is the announcement of Silverstone Classic as the 2016 National Event. Although I have reservations as to the merit of piggy-backing onto an existing event rather than having a unique organised Club location, with the welcome support of R10 members amongst many others, I intend to maintain my enthusiastic support for this, trusting the event will yet again improve upon R10’s efforts over the past two years - specifically with a high classic Porsche content (as the event’s name demands) while also catering for the expected usual large membership attendance.

Forthcoming events Stony Stratford Classic Car Show Literally the first event of the year, this fun show has a surprising turnout of lovely cars of all types and shapes. Not to be missed, unless you have over-indulged in the fire water the night before… make sure you are ‘fit’ to come - looking forward to meeting up with all the usual attendees and some new ones too, hopefully!

Bicester Heritage Scramble Well, next up on the calendar is the Bicester gathering. Again, not one to miss - see: http:// bicesterheritage.co.uk/event/sunday-scrambletickets/ for more information and make sure you book you ticket ASAP - they sell quickly!

Dreaming of a white Christmas?

Experience Centre is on Saturday, January 23.If you’d like to join us, e-mail me on r10@porscheclubgb.com with your full name and membership number and I’ll put you on the list. Hope to see you all there. If you can’t make it, check out the other dates for the months ahead on the website.

As ever, any ideas for enhancing the enjoyment of our Region will be greatly appreciated. An investigation is underway for a visit to the Morgan factory, which will be on a weekday. I hope to sort more on this soon in the New Year.

Make the most of your holiday and make time to enjoy your Porsche, too!

Hope to see you all soon Paul

Autosport International at NEC Early year exhibition presence for the Club stand, as usual - I’ll be there helping to spread the word again. Come and see us on the stand and enjoy the hospitality and chat on offer.

January monthly meet Our first scheduled meeting for 2016 at Porsche

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Diary dates JANUARY 1 Stony Stratford Classic JANUARY 3 Bicester Sunday Scramble JANUARY 14-17 Autosport International at NEC JANUARY 23 R10 monthly meet

Essex Regional Organiser Martyn Molyneaux 01245 222937 (7pm-9pm) r11@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Regional Organiser Greg Thompson 01376 573445 – r11gregt@googlemail.com

Recent events Our November Club night was a Scalextric evening put on by Greg, who brought along two different tracks and numerous cars including, as you might guess, Boxsters. Several members tested their skill at driving cars round the track and seeing how ham-fisted they were, with numerous crashes occurring. It was originally intended that the evening would be run as a competition, but this idea was abandoned in favour of members simply enjoying themselves by ‘having a go’ and testing their skill at driving the cars.

Club official’s conference Martyn attended the Club official’s conference at Cornbury House on November 7, where most of

National Events 2016 and 2017 The Club will hold its National Event at Silverstone Classic on July 29-31, 2016 and Club members will have use of the Porsche Experience Club, but at a cost. For 2017, the Board have said that we will return to Althorp for the Club’s main event on August 12-13. Please see the expanded events diary for 2016.

Please note there is no meeting at Rivenhall Oaks in December since our Club night evening is our annual Christmas dinner at Pontlands Park. Our next meeting at Rivenhall Oaks will be on January 12 when it is hoped you will attend to discuss events you would like us to run in the New Year.

Best wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy motoring New Year.

Martyn and Marie, Greg and Kay

Diary dates JANUARY 12 Club night We will be discussing the events you wish to have in the forthcoming year, so your suggestions will be welcomed.

JANUARY 14-17 Autosport International.

JANUARY 20 Technical lecture - SABRE reaction engine A lecture at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre, 7.30pm-9.30pm.

FEBRUARY 9 Club night FEBRUARY 17 Technical lecture Bloodhound 2016 At Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre, 7.30pm-9.30pm. Talk on the Bloodhound

SSC that is designed to reach 1,000mph.

FEBRUARY 18-21 London Classic Car Show MARCH 8 Club night MARCH 16 Technical lecture - the new Ford Focus RS At Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre, 7.30pm-9.30pm.

APRIL 9-10 Official’s conference and AGM APRIL 12 Club night APRIL 15-20 Factory visit MAY 10 Club night MAY 18 Technical lecture on Aston Martin At the Holiday Inn Hotel, Basildon, 7.30pm-9.30pm.

MAY 20-23 Manx tour JUNE 14 Club night JUNE 18-19 Le Mans 24-hours JUNE 23-26 Goodwood Festival of Speed JULY 3 Open day with Bugatti at Cornbury House JULY 8-10 Le Mans Classic JULY 8-10 Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford JULY 12 Club night JULY 29-31 National Event at Silverstone Classic AUGUST 9 Club night AUGUST 13 Help for Heroes event At Robert Lewis’ Museum, Churt near Farnham - joint meeting with Aston Martin.

AUGUST 21 Classic and Sports Car Day At Hyde Hall, Rettendon, with Jaguar, Morgan and Austin 7 car clubs.

SEPTEMBER 4 Classics at the Castle SEPTEMBER 10 Register rendezvous at Keddlestone Hall SEPTEMBER 13 Club night OCTOBER 11 Club night OCTOBER 15 Silverstone auctions/ Porsche sale NOVEMBER 5 Officials’ conference NOVEMBER 8 Club night DECEMBER 13 Club night

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the ROs and RSs met to be addressed by the Board and discuss various Club matters.

It is pleasing to note that the Club is heading toward a profit of £100,000, and that the Club is receiving enthusiastic support from Porsche Cars GB, with the motorsport division also receiving investment.

George Woodward has been taken on as a full-time employee in charge of digital matters so, for information and help with the Forum, or Club web pages, he is the person to contact. As many members will be aware, Jade has left and the new Membership Secretary is Chris Sweeting who, in his young life, has so far owned eight different Porsches.

Regional Organisers Tony and Colleen Wickins 01379 676251 – r12@porscheclubgb.com

Recent events A busy November for R12, starting with a POTM and ending with our pre-Christmas bash at Potters Leisure Resort (full report of Potters will be in the next edition of PP). We had a wellattended Club night when Stuart Mackay entertained us with photos and chat about his summer holiday to Germany. A few of us braved the cold (and snow, would you believe) and took our Porsches to Snetterton for STR’s charity ride extravaganza to raise money for local charities.

We also took our new acquisition, the 911, to Moreton in Marsh for the officials conference the first weekend of November – good to meet up with old friends and hear from the Board how well PCGB is doing.

POTM 23 of us met up at The Fur and Feather Inn, Woodbastwick, on an unseasonably warm and sunny first day of November. An impressive

R12 member cars with the Fur and Feather Inn in the background R12 members enjoying lunch and a good bit of banter!

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display of Porsches in the car park, although we had to turn up in the Volvo as we were caravanning in nearby North Walsham for the weekend. Many thanks to Brian and Rosemary for arranging this lunch for the Club.

November Club night Member Stuart Mackay entertained us with a slide show and talk of a recent holiday to Germany with his partner Kay. Stuart did warn us he had 800 photographs but, with the help of Kay, he condensed the best ones into a very professional presentation. Their journey started at Folkestone and took them some 2,000 miles visiting the Porsche Museum, the Oldtimer Grand Prix at Nürburgring and Spa – to mention just a few highlights along the way.

Stuart said he was amazed how few Porsches are seen on the road in Germany; he could have sold his car at least twice during the holiday! Our sincere thanks to Stuart and Kay for sharing their experiences with us; especially Stuart in his shorts (not for people of a nervous disposition). A warm welcome also to new members Duncan and Marian Russell attending their first Club night and well done to everyone who turned out on a very blustery evening - on the journey home we had to avoid fallen branches and dustbins in the road.

STR’s charity ride day On a very cold November day, with a few flakes of snow (what a difference to the start of November) a few of us donned our winter coats, boots and all manner of warm clothing to support STR’s charity event at Snetterton. The weather obviously was a major factor in the amount of public support but the car clubs and super racing cars turned out in force to offer rides at various prices around the famous circuit. For the first time, clubs were offered the chance to take their cars around the track three times at lunchtime with a member of the public as a passenger (mostly youngsters) for a small fee.

Tony, Stephen and Duncan kindly offered to do this – STR hoped to make this a regular feature of their November charity day if all went well. The rain kept away until just after 2.15pm and, after several trips to the canteen to thaw out, we decided it was time to head home. Well done to Shawn and Theresa Taylor and their team for putting on such a great day.

Looking ahead to 2016 Club nights are from 7.30pm at The Bird in Hand (Wreningham, NR16 1BJ) on the third

Tuesday of the month (except for January and August when there are no Club nights).

No booking is necessary for Club nights unless specifically stated below. Our events calendar is regularly updated on the R12 Club Forum at www.porscheclubgbforum.com which includes links to full details of each event, including how to book. If you wish to receive our local monthly update, please request by e-mail; tony.twservices@btinternet.com February 16 Club night A change in the diary for February Club night.

Instead of a quiz, as planned, we now have something much more interesting booked for that evening. Intrepid R12 members Peter and Allison Coates have kindly offered to share their recent experiences of crossing South America in their Elan; going through Brazil, Peru, the Amazon and the Andes. Their talks are always fascinating with a good splash of humour and, no doubt, lots of great photographs. Come early to get a seat - the last time they gave a talk we were packed out!

March 15 Club night A social evening with a meal and Easter raffle.

WOTY – Now booking Friday, June 17-19 at Potters Leisure Resort, Hopton on Sea, Norfolk, ‘60s weekender’ (aimed mainly at adults) for either two or three nights with a great line up of original ‘60s artists.

Acts confirmed for the weekend are: Friday and Saturday nights: The Mersey Beats, Swinging Blue Jeans, Wayne Fontana, Dave Berry, Vanity Fare and The Ivy League.

Sunday night: The Searchers and The Animals.

The group booking price, based on a group of 20 or more, staying in standard twin-bedded bungalow accommodation with private facilities is: three nights at £279pp or, if you prefer, just two nights at £199pp. Price includes full board, daytime activity programme, leisure and sporting facilities plus, of course, entertainment by stars of the ‘60s. Upgraded accommodation is also available in standard plus bungalows and hotel rooms. Contact Colleen for details and price list of all accommodation on offer.

You will probably receive this edition just before sitting down to your Christmas dinner – so have a great Christmas and we send our very best wishes to everyone for a wonderful 2016.

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Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

Herefordshire, Worcestershire & Shropshire Regional Organiser Steve Cutler 01384 370038 – r13@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Regional Organiser Philip Sloper 01562 885740 – philipjsloper@gmail.com

Recent events November monthly meeting With our normal venue, The Whittington, closed for a major makeover before it re-opens as The Manor House, we met at our alternative venue, The Talbot in Chaddsley Corbett for a general discussion regarding our 2016 programme.

We discussed the events we had completed this year and how well they had been received, attended and enjoyed by the members.

Following this, it was down to members to put forward ideas for the coming year to enable our new events programme to be put down on paper.

The year will see events such as skittles in January, a visit to a wolf sanctuary in February, our Secret Hills Tour, another visit to Curborough, a tour of a dam, a visit to a vineyard, Le Mans 24 hour, BBQ, WOTY, a Concours event and more, along with our usual Regional monthly meets on the last Tuesday of the month.

NEC Classic Car Show Cars owned by two R13 members were featured on the Midland Automobile Club stand at the 2015 Classic Car Show. Phil Sloper’s 1973 2.4-litre 911E was one of four cars on the stand, while Chris Sherwood, who owns an early 911 Phil Sloper’s 911E on Midland Automobile Club stand at Classic Car Show

Forthcoming events January monthly meeting: Skittles evening On Tuesday, January 26 we will hold another of our annual skittles evenings at the Bell Inn in Lower Broadheath (on Martley Road, WR2 6QG). Includes a two-course meal, for about £10pp. Sit down to eat at 7.30pm, followed by skittles. We have to confirm numbers and menu choices in advance; the menu will be available early January so please let Steve or Phil know as soon as possible if you intend to come.

Le Mans 2016 Following the successful 2015 Region 13 tour of France, Germany and Austria, where we had a great time and drove on a vast amount of good roads, next year’s trip will be to Le Mans for the 24-hour race where, hopefully, we will be able to watch Porsche racing to another victory.

For this event we have teamed up with the very capable and respected Lycian Events. The trip will start on Thursday, June 16, returning on Monday. If you are interested please contact Joy by e-mail: joy@lycianevents.com or telephone: 0845 4096010 or 07794 103847.

Diary dates Unless otherwise stated, Club nights are on the last Tuesday in the month, 7.30pm for an 8pm start, at The Whittington, on the A449 near Kinver, DY7 6NY. As well as being shown in PP, our events calendar is regularly updated on the R13 section of the Club Forum.

JANUARY 26 Club skittles night We return again to The Bell in Lower Broadheath, WR2 6QG for skittles and a meal, 7.30pm start. www.bellinnbroadheath.co.uk FEBRUARY 23 Monthly meeting MARCH 29 Monthly meeting Details to be advised.

South Wales Regional Organiser Peter Thomas 07979 884494 – r14@porscheclubgb.com New Region 14 RO This is my last report for PP in the capacity of RO, which I must say is being typed with a heavy heart. I have enjoyed the privilege immensely, and the fab Christmas party was testimony to the spirit and character that exists amongst the R14 membership.

Well, the time has come to hand the RO post over to Huw Jones, who I am sure you will give your continued support to and enable the Region to grow from strength to strength.

Huw is known to many, as he has been a regular participant in the events that have been held over the past few years. To start off his reign, a members’ meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 19 at the Ty Risha Inn, Bridgend. Please come along in to offer support, and feel free to bring suggestions for the forthcoming calendar of events.

Recent events Christmas party What a do! 36 hours later and I’m still feeling the effects. Thank goodness the night porter closed the bar at 3am!

Our largest crowd to date; 47 members assembled in the Bear Hotel, Cowbridge, many arriving early in the afternoon for a few sneaky drinks, to enjoy a three-course meal followed by live entertainment and a disco.

I would like to thank everyone for making it an excellent night and to my Jackie for organising it all.

Diary dates JANUARY 19 Introduction to Huw Jones Ty Risha Inn, Pen Y Cae, Bridgend, CF32 9SN from 7.30pm.

South West Joint Regional Organisers Keith Young and Alan Stoneham 07769 320379 (Keith) 07803 237610 (Alan) r15@porscheclubgb.com

Out with the (not so) old…

Jean and David sign off as Joint ROs. “As we bid final farewell as the Joint ROs and hand over the reins to the new committee, we would both like to thank everyone for their support during our two years – particularly those members who helped to coordinate events.

“A big thank you to our fellow committee members, Keith Young and Andy Moss, who have ably assisted us while we have been in charge!

“We now hand over to your new committee for a few words.” ... and in with the new!

Thank you, Jean and David, you will be a hard act to follow.

Alan Stoneham approached Keith Young with the concept of a continuing Joint RO-ship and they fairly quickly concluded that they should take up the opportunity to represent the South West membership and have a bit of fun at the same time.

Alan is well-known to the group having been a Club member since 2007, previously been on R15’s committee and the last three years as Assistant RS on the 997 Register. He is also a PCGB Forum administrator. Between Marion and Alan, they own four Porsches; a 997 Turbo, a Cayenne 4.5, a 993 Targa and a 928 S4.

Keith, also a member since 2007, has been Events Coordinator on the committee for the past two years and has forgotten his Forum password.

He owns an over-washed but completely oil-dry 964 Carrera 4 Targa, having sold his 993 C2 in 2001 for a song. He also has three Jaguar Landrover products, cherished and otherwise ripe for replacement.

Andy Moss has also stayed on board for additional committee continuity. We have all been involved in setting up the busy 2016 calendar with Jean and David, so feel a strong responsibility to get it off to a good start for 2016, whatever the weather is doing.

Christmas dinner dance It seems like a long time since the south-west social event of the year. We congratulate the raffle-winners and thank all those who made it such a memorable evening! I don’t think we overdid it with the wine - although some did with the dancing!

Next year we will be going to the iconic Saunton Sands Hotel (Brend hotel group) near Braunton in north Devon, who have a number of rooms reserved for the Club and are ready

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3-litre Turbo, was asked to display his beautiful Concours-winning 1951 Lancia Aurelia B50 Cabriolet. Both cars attracted a great deal of attention over the three day show, and even one or two offers! Chris also had a letter published recently in Classic Cars magazine, in which he discussed the scarcity of 3-litre Turbos, of which only 74 were sold in the UK in the period 1975 to 1977, before being replaced by the 3.3-litre.

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to take your booking for a sea view room at prices similar to 2015. To make things more straightforward we have asked the hotel to handle all the payments, accommodation and dinner-dance, directly this year. Be sure to get in quickly with your request. All the details will appear in the Regional webpage or available from the RO. Monthly Club meeting A select group of stalwarts braved the flooded car-park for our last lunchtime meeting of 2015 as we gathered to have a meal or just a noggin and natter at the Swan’s Nest. There was quite an impressive array of cars in the car park and we notice that Geoff has moved from charcoal Boxster to a very nice blue 996 Carrera. There was much discussion about forthcoming social events, especially the Christmas dinner dance at Carlyon Bay – more pictures of that next month.

Try to spot your face (or the back of your head) in the group snapshot.

Lunch at the Swans Nest

Gloucestershire Regional Organisers Elaine Gammon 07854 868396 Stuart Ings 07942 184927 – r16@porscheclubgb.com Happy New Year everyone To start with, we have listed some events below for the first few months but have left out any that needed to be confirmed so not to cause any confusion.

Our job over the Christmas break will be to put all this year’s events onto our Region’s page of the PCGB website with detailed information.

With our work commitments it is not possible for us to take on all the events on our own so we are looking for some help to make this happen.

If you could have a look at the events on the website and pick out something you might like to help with that would be great.

Nick Paul is heading up the Le Mans Classic event and Paul Salter is helping out with the gliding event, we would be grateful of some more like-minded members.

Once again we will continue to support Castle Combe with all of their action days but, at the time of writing, the dates are yet to be confirmed.

Looking forward to getting out and about with our Porsches and meeting up throughout the year.

Elaine and Stuart

Diary dates Happy New Year and please do consult your R15 newsletter for more details of the various events happening elsewhere in the Region.

Keith

Diary dates JANUARY 10 Club monthly meeting Swan’s Nest, Exminster.

FEBRUARY 14 ‘Route, Toot and Shoot’ Tunnel Target Sports Centre, Charmouth.

MARCH 13 Club monthly meeting Swans Nest, Exminster.

APRIL 13 Wheel alignment and tyre fitting SCSPorsche Honiton.

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JANUARY 20 Monthly meeting The first of our 2016 monthly social gatherings at the Huntsman Inn, Falfield.

JANUARY 31 Winter get together With lunch at Sally Pussey’s Inn, Royal Wootton Bassett.

FEBRUARY 17 Monthly social gathering At the Huntsman Inn, Falfield.

MARCH 13 Queen Square, Bristol to Weston Helicopter Museum Via an extended drive over the Mendips.

JUNE 17 Gliding afternoon with evening BBQ At the Bath, Wilts and North Dorset Gliding Club.

JULY 8-10 Le Mans Classic

Southern Regional Organiser Charlie McLaughlin 02380 694081 M: 07966 126464 r17@porscheclubgb.com R17 roundup By the time you come to read this, hopefully all the stress of Christmas has been and gone and you can look forward to another successful year with R17 enjoying our cars and, more importantly, each other’s company.

All our regulars continue to support our Club nights, I am sure once the spring arrives we will see our attendance numbers grow again, to hopefully include some new members who have finally taken the plunge to attend a Club night and see us for what we are – nice people with a shared interest.

We recently had a committee meeting and we are proposing a full year of events, some local, some far away and all with great company as standard. Our broad church gets broader, it’s always a lovely sight to see 20 or more Porsches driving through villages – we always seem to bring a smile to people’s faces. The full timetable will be presented at the dinner dance and online, but do book ahead if it is needed. The dinner dance is full again and I am having to turn people away… please don’t be disappointed.

So, if you have attended one of our events this year, many thanks for your support and, if you are still thinking about it, please make 2016 the year you have fun with R17.

Recent events Swanage Railway Drive and Dine The last outing of the year for R17 commenced with a rather cold and early start on a sunny Sunday morning on November 15. Twelve assorted cars (some Porsches had already been tucked up and were hibernating for winter) and 22 people made their way to beautiful Dorset.

A trip on the Swanage steam railway from Norden was followed by a bracing walk beside the sea at Swanage Bay. We then enjoyed a delicious carvery meal at the Purbeck House Hotel and then some light shopping and more sea air before the return journey.

A lot of the party took in the ‘old time’ atmosphere of the station and steam locomotives and many photos were taken of the trains and

Recent events

REGIONS Region 17 brave the cold but beautiful Swanage Bay

the lovely winter scenery during the journey back.

Some of the group were young enough to be perplexed by how to exit these older style train doors! Many thanks to Peter and Carole Blackler for organising the event.

The 1899 steam locomotive ‘30120’ at Swanage

Even though things are slowing down for events we still manage to get together at monthly meetings and the Lancashire Sports and Supercar Club breakfast meetings at the Phantom Winger. These events run all year round on the penultimate Sunday of the month, starting at 10am from November to March and at 9am, April to September.

November always sees the classic car rally ‘Rally of the Tests’ run through Lancashire.

This event, organised by HERO (The Historic Endurance Rallying Organisation) started at Slaney Hall, Hexham on November 5 and headed toward Dumfries, Darlington, Gisburn, Slaidburn, Dunsop Bridge and The Trough of Bowland, before heading to the finish at Blackpool. Along the route there are regularity sections and tests.

A group of us met for lunch at Garstang Golf Club before setting off for Dunsop Bridge to see the cars through there. Detailed route information is not published prior to the event, but I managed to get hold of some locations and approximate times when the first cars would be coming through. As we waited in Dunsop Bridge we could hear cars passing nearby, so we had to head off to The Trough to find a suitable area to park and watch.

Rally of the Tests passes Graham McLeish’s 993 in The Trough of Bowland

Special thanks to the committee members for continuing to help run the Region, a very happy New Year to you and see you all in January.

Charlie McLaughlin

Diary dates JANUARY 12 Club night Empress of Blandings, starting at 7.30pm.

JANUARY 16 Dinner dance at Elvetham Hotel

Lancashire & Cumbria R17 enjoying the heritage railway station at Norden

Regional Organiser David Baker 01772 451970 – r18@porscheclubgb.com

Stephen Owens and Ian Mitchell on Rally of the Tests

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There are a number of classes for engine size and age, including one specifically for 911s of which there were six. In addition, there was a single 912 and three 356s. Overall winners of the event were Howard Warren and Ian Tullie in a 356, with Neil Wilson and Matthew Vokes runners up, also in a 356. R18 member Brian Goff from Jasmine PorschaLink was also an entrant in an 850cc Mini. Have a look at www.heroevents.eu and click through to Rally of the Tests for more information. The 2016 event will be held November 3-6.

R18 auction The November ‘monthly meeting’ at Garstang GC was the annual auction, organised by Judy Baker.

This is an opportunity to let members bid for items which we have acquired and donated, during the year. As well as Porsche-related items there were some ladies gifts, which saved some members actually having to go shopping for Christmas presents for their loved ones. This year we had 46 members attending who had the opportunity of bidding for a range of items, including ones from Porsche Selection. In addition, there were numerous Porsche posters donated by PC Bolton. Many thanks to Albert Walsh who pushed the bids up yet, at the end of the night, had, in fact, actually bought nothing.

Breakfast meeting Several of us again attended the breakfast meeting at The Phantom Winger. Despite many sports and supercars having been put away for winter there was still a plentiful and varied turnout of interesting vehicles. We usually stay on for lunch at the venue (two main courses for £10), getting in before the families arrive. The December event actually clashes with the

on January 1, starting at 11am. A light lunch will be available. I am also looking for a few speakers, so if you have any suggestions, or would like to do one on ‘my life and cars’, for example, please let me know. The new members night will be on April 20 when we will have Mark Williams giving another talk on photography.

This time it will be how to compose a good photograph. This set me thinking that we should have a photo competition running through the year, themed on R18 events.

Professional photographer Sean Conboy has agreed to be the judge and the best 12 will be made into a calendar. More details later.

We will be going on some visits including Myerscough College Motorsport Department, which we haven’t been to for a few years. A weekend away is also being discussed as is our presence at Silverstone Classic Race meeting.

We will also be attending various car shows, but as yet I don’t know if the German Classics Car Show at Haigh Hall, Wigan will be going ahead.

I am sure 2016 will be another busy year with lots of varied events to suit everyone.

In the February report I will be announcing the R18 2015 ‘Member of the Year’. Welcome to new members Paul Kennady, Carole Williamson, Jacqueline Whitful, Ciro Vivone, and Vivian Westcott. We look forward to meeting you at some of our events.

May we wish you all best for 2016 and we hope to see many of you at some of our events.

David, Judy and the R18 organising team

Judy tries to explain what this item is at the November auction

Somewhat bright Aston at The Phantom Winger

Christmas Lunch at Garstang Golf Club on December 20.

R18 calendar I am busy putting together the 2016 events calendar. The first event of 2016 will be a classic car meeting at The Corner House, Wrightington

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Diary dates DECEMBER 27 Pre-New Year lunch Dahlias Kitchen, Blackpool. Contact Tony Bolton 01253 771669.

JANUARY 1 Classic cars breakfast meeting The Corner House, Wrightington, 11am. See www.cornerhousewrightington.co.uk for info and directions. Bacon barms and coffee as well as lunch available.

JANUARY 5 Social meeting Castle Inn, Bassenthwaite.

JANUARY 20 Monthly meeting Garstang Golf Club. ‘Noggin and natter’ regarding 2016 events.

JANUARY 24 Breakfast meeting The Phantom Winger, Fulwood, Preston.

FEBRUARY 2 Social meeting Greenhills Hotel, Wigton.

FEBRUARY 17 Monthly meeting Garstang Golf Club ‘Noggin and Natter’.

FEBRUARY 21 Breakfast meeting The Phantom Winger, Fulwood, Preston.

FEBRUARY 21 Lunch in Portmeirion With R5, see their report for booking details.

MARCH 1 Social meeting Sportsman’s Inn, near Penrith.

MARCH 6 Classic car breakfast meeting The Corner House, Wrightington 10am.

MARCH 16 Monthly meeting Myerscough College, Motorsport Department 6.30pm.

MARCH Breakfast meeting The Phantom Winger, Fulwood, Preston.

APRIL 3 Classic car breakfast meeting The Corner House, Wrightington 10am.

JULY 10 Porkers in the Trough VII

Thames Valley Regional Organiser John Barnatt 01628 471985 – 07890 181495 r19@porscheclubgb.com Hello everyone, and seasons greetings to you all.

My intention is to plan a 2016 at least as busy as 2015 for the Region.

Forthcoming events BTCC First up is the Region’s run to Brands Hatch on April 3 to see the first round of the British Touring Car Championship. As usual, up to 20 in number, the Region will offer members complimentary grandstand seating and some sort of discount on the online price of pre-booked tickets. Wishing to be good neighbours to our fellow inhabitants of this planet, and intent on keeping the goodwill of the residents of Bell Weir Close, we will meet at Cobham Services just after J10 on the M25. Give yourself time for a cup of the rather good coffee and arrive by 8am to be ready to leave at 8.15am I would like to add the Region’s thanks to PC Reading for the most enjoyable ‘question of motorsport’ evening held back in November. We had a great time; can we have more of those events please Herr Schulte? Before the quiz I spoke to Tim Harvey who was one of the team captains. Tim does the commentary for the BTCC on ITV4. He is a very personable and approachable celebrity and, during a conversation with him about our BTCC visits, he told me that the Carrera Cup Porsches will not be at Brands in 2016. Myself, and the seven other R19 members at the centre have said that it will not stop us going. The event has been a favourite for members over the last 10 years and it can stay in the Region’s event calendar on merit.

June 19 Display of Porches The Region will once again put on a display of members’ cars at the Kempton Great Engine’s Trust museum in Kempton. The museum opens at 9.15am and we should plan to have our cars in position before the general public comes in at 10.30am. Free entry to the museum will be granted, along with a complimentary beverage, to each driver and passenger. In order to generate greater interest I am working with Gaynor Cauter to have a second car club in attendance, so it will be an opportunity to see another car club in display for our own enhancement of the day.

As yet I can’t confirm which other club it will be, but we won’t be disappointed if it is the JOC, the AMOC, or the MGOC will we? I would recommend bringing a snack with you, but there is no need to go mad with the self-catering.

The event usually finishes at around 1pm. I have already booked PCGB’s 356 for attendance.

Summer BBQ in July A member has proposed that the Region uses a private garden for a summer BBQ. This garden has as much parking as the Region has ever needed at the New Forest site and I sometimes wonder if the distance doesn’t deter more people from attending. At the moment it depends on availability but, again, with the Region’s event shelter we should be protected from the elements. As we will not have to traverse the

west in search of our western counterparts.

That’s it for this month – just space enough to wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

PCGB, you know it makes sense. e.

Almost all the people who participate in the WOTY come to Le Mans. Who said that 10 or 12 people traveling together, camping together, eating together and generally imbibing together under canvas can’t be construed as a WOTY? Early morning meet at PC Reading August 6. (Provisional) August 8 Castle Combe Summer Race Day At the Question of Motorsport event, I briefly discussed with Simon Gardiner ways in which the centre can work with the Region and he is eager to run another bacon roll bonanza, where we meet up and enjoy hospitality Porsche style, before moving off to our main event. The Summer Race Day at Castle Combe proved to be popular in 2015 so I will work with Simon with a view to combining both fixtures.

August 8 Early morning meet at PC Reading This early morning meeting at PC Reading has not yet been confirmed. I will be going to the centre after Christmas as requested to discuss it with Simon and Samantha. Pity my poor postman who, from December (January issue), will be bringing along an extra 10 copies of PP for me to take to the centre in Reading.

Pub outing?

Those of you who have been following the barbecuing exploits of Barbecue Bill and his magic tongs on Facebook, will know, on Pie and Pint day, (yes, it was me all along) I have been sampling the wares of many a gastro pub once a week for nearly 18 months and have found some good food available out there for around about £30pp including a pint and a cup of tea afterwards. There are some rubbish places too, but they are few and far between. I would welcome your comments via e-mail.

My idea is to have an event for our less car orientated partners and nothing says ‘thanks for your understanding’ like going out for a meal in the evening. At the moment I have been focusing on the Frimley area but may expand this to take in areas close to Didcot as I have some kind of ‘east meets west’ idea in mind, where the stalwarts of the eastern half of the Region go

London

Regional Organisers Nick and Ed Pike 01189 473925 (evenings and weekends) r20@porscheclubgb.com Opening words Wow! Reflecting on 2015; what a great year in the life of the London Region, which continues to go from strength to strength. A look at the number of galleries on our Region website pages demonstrates how busy we have been. With drives out to Kent, the Chilterns, the Cotswolds, Suffolk and more, plus our favourite; London Landmarks - driving through our great city as the sun rises.

We have been away; Zeeland in the spring where we sat at a beach cafe in the sunshine after a great day’s driving and Normandy in the autumn with crisp clear days. We watched Porsche win at Le Mans 24, a triumph you had to be there to see.

On the unofficial ‘does anyone fancy...’ members have been to Honfleur and Bruges; organised by you after a random suggestion at a regular meet.

We were well represented at big Club events including the WEC at Silverstone, Silverstone Classic and the National Event where we had one of the most impressive displays, right in the front of the ‘Club house’.

Ace Cafe is more popular than ever following the visit of Magnus Walker, known as the ‘Urban Outlaw’ in the spring. We were sad to leave Fatboy’s Diner, but then we found Smithfield Market, right in the centre of London and deserted at weekends.

Quickly established as our new home, more of you have been able to join us, a win all around.

What will 2016 bring? More of the same. Nick and I have really enjoyed our year in the Region and from the feedback know that many of you have too. The London Region are a friendly bunch and if you keep telling yourself “I really must … make it to Ace Cafe, go on an R20 drive, visit Le Mans 24”, make 2016 your year.

Recent events Sunday Escape: Sunday on Sea Following in what has become a tradition; our last run of the season went to the seaside. It was time to revisit the Suffolk roads that we loved a few years ago. Not put off by a misty start, we were soon heading for the beach. A timely stop at

R20 SoS enjoying the Suffolk roads

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infamous M27 to M3 interchange we could hold it on a Sunday if it is not inconvenient. I will get some sort of confirmation in February’s PP. All I can tell you at the moment is that it will not be the weekend of July 9-10. That is the weekend of the Le Mans Classic and it is almost R19’s unofficial weekend of the year.

London Classic Car Show This new entry to the London car scene has already been proved very popular. With an impressive setup surrounding the grand avenue it is a great way to spend a cold and wet February day. A discount code is available for Club members (see elsewhere in PP) and the Club has a stand in a prime slot. Nick and I will be there, stop by and say Hi! The event runs from February 18-21.

Brightlingsea for warming coffee we wondered where the sea had gone. With the tide out and the mist sitting at the waterline it had all but disappeared. Back on some of the loveliest flowing and twisty roads in the county, a favourite of bikers with views across the rolling countryside and the estuary. The mist burned off leaving us with a glorious sunny autumn day.

Heaven! We finally pulled up at our end point; The Crown at Stoke by Nayland, who love seeing their carpark full of Porsches and quickly made us feel at home.

Smithfield ‘Meat’ If you love Porsches and London this meet is for you. An impressive line-up of both classics and moderns the yellow Caymans were out in force with three on display. Good to see a 930 Turbo which stopped by on its way to a family event.

The GTSs were well represented with Ed and Scott’s Caymans and Constantin’s 997. The Smithfield Cafe did a roaring trade as we chatted in the winter sunshine. As the sun set behind the buildings it was time to go home. This has definitely become our new ‘home’.

An impressive line-up at Smithfield Meat

somewhere new; the picturesque town of Veurne and to drive some of the challenging B roads that we love so much. These ones had plenty of twists to keep us on our toes. A big thank-you to ‘Captain Chaos’, aka Chris Collard for organising.

June 16-20 Le Mans We love this event. Are you thinking about joining us? If so, you need to be booking up. The Club partners and R20 favourite, Lycian Events, are very popular with Porsche owners. If you are not sure, take moment to click through to our galleries on our Region pages. It is just as you see in the pictures and more. 2016 is the year Porsche will defend their title. Do not miss out by leaving it too late. Send us an e-mail to secure your place.

Belgian avenues to enjoy

Diary dates

Ace Cafe A drizzly and dark evening could not deter the hardy Londoners from bringing their Porsches to the iconic Ace Cafe. With a riot of colour this was an evening for the unusual with several GTSs and classics ranging from a red 964 to Russell’s silver 933. With Ed’s racing yellow Cayman GTS and an orange 991 GTS the line-up looked cheerful.

Ed’s Cayman at Ace Cafe

DECEMBER 28 Ace Cafe London meet The regular monthly Porsche-only meet at Ace Cafe on the North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London, NW10 7UD, from 6pm (last Monday of the month).

JANUARY 16 East London: Smithfield ‘Meat’ Join us on the south east side of Smithfield Market (Long Lane, London, EC1A 9LH) opposite the Smithfield Cafe from 12noon onwards (third Saturday of each month).

JANUARY 25 Ace Cafe London Meet FEBRUARY 3 R20 ‘On Tour’: Pie and Mash Enjoy an interpretation of a traditional London delicacy in the centre of London.

FEBRUARY 18-21 London Classic Car Show ExCeL, London, E16 1DR. MARCH 13 Sunday Escape: Cars and Stars A run through the Home Counties on flowing roads and a chance to blow away the cobwebs. We will open the list at the end of January.

Chiltern

Secret escape: Bruges Following the weekend in Normandy a group of London members wanted more and a random suggestion to go to Bruges before Christmas suddenly became reality. A casual weekend with 10 cars enjoying each other’s company and a nice chance for Nick and I to sit at the back of the run and happily follow the group. Bruges is a short hop from the Channel Tunnel and we were soon strolling the streets, enjoying the festive ambience. As the rain came in we headed to our overnight stop at the medieval town of Kortrijk.

Sunday brought a drier day and a chance to visit

Regional Organisers Terry Perry 07748 555333 r21@porscheclubgb.com

Recent events

Forthcoming events Ace Cafe Does it still run in the winter? Yes! The meet runs all year round. We are expecting a big turnout for our ‘Cold Turkey’ meet on December 28. With quieter roads and many people on holiday, this is the perfect chance to get out and about. You do need to bring a Porsche if you want to park in the car park.

R21 visit to Prodrive Event organiser Jason reports: “I had previously organised a visit to the original Prodrive factory in 2012 and this tour had been an excellent and very interesting experience. Since then I’d been asked by numerous members to organise another visit and I happily put the wheels in motion.

“On November 22, following a brisk drive to

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R20 on Tour - Pie and Mash A return of an old favourite on February 3. With traditional East End Pie and Mash stores only opening for lunch during the week we will be heading to our alternate version in the heart of the city. Sign up to get your place!

SoS misty start

PCGB members at Prodrive

massive CNC machines that run non-stop, producing parts for Prodrive and commercial customers 24/7.

“As well as manufacturing, Prodrive also repairs cars for private clients. In here we saw a Mini Clubman rally car that had been rolled, had been stripped to a shell and was now being rebuilt for a client. Also we saw two Aston Martins GT4 cars that were in various stages of build for customers.

“We then made our way back to the main factory where they create handmade wiring looms for their cars...and custom work for submarines and catamarans. Prodrive certainly has a very diverse client base.

“In the main factory there were many Aston Martins lined up in various stages of restoration or development including one that had been built for the sole purpose of teaching pit crews.

“The tour finished back at the heritage cars and, surprisingly, we were allowed to sit in the original cars and contemplate these historic vehicles.

“Thank you to our guide Jackie Irwin for a fantastic and informative tour and to her granddaughter who gave up her time to help guide us around Prodrive.”

Many thanks to Jason for organising the event.

Forthcoming events Bicester Heritage Scramble The Sunday Scramble on January 3 is an excuse for hundreds of sports and classic vehicle enthusiasts to come together and enjoy a relaxed social gathering. As well as enjoying the visiting classic cars, motorbikes and other vehicles, you can also glimpse inside the various specialist businesses now on site at Bicester Heritage, who will be opening their doors throughout.

Depending on the weather, the airfield will also be active during the event so you can expect to see the Bicester Gliding Centre in operation.

Together with a selection of traders and a few surprise exhibits, there should be plenty to occupy you all the way through to lunchtime.

Gates open at 9am and the event wraps up at about 2pm.

There will be various catering outlets on site serving hot and cold drinks and a variety of food including bacon rolls, hog roast and burgers. See more at: http://bicesterheritage.co.uk/ Tickets (£5pp) are available in advance at half price to PCGB members. On the website, under Tickets, go to Registered Club Member Vehicle to get the offer price. We have committed to a minimum of 10 R21 vehicles attending so shake off the Christmas and New Year cobwebs with a bit of fresh air at this event!

Club night at the Black Horse This is planned as a social evening on Tuesday, January 5 with no guest speaker or activity so just come along for a chat with like-minded Porsche enthusiasts for a drink and bite to eat from 7pm onwards

Inside the Prodrive facility

R21 New Year dinner There is still time to get tickets for our New Year dinner which will be at the Noke Hotel, St Albans on January 9. Included in the ticket price of only £25 is a three-course meal, a disco and festive novelties. The dress code is smart casual.

Contact the organiser, Jo Walker, on 01296 688760 or 07791 732133 to book. Cheques can be sent to Jo at 16 Ridgeway, Wing Leighton Buzzard, LU7 0TH. Please book now and join us for what will be an enjoyable and relaxed event.

R21 Weekend of the Year (WOTY) 2016 We will be heading to Somerset and north Devon.

Plans are subject to final confirmation but we expect to be staying in Minehead and exploring the roads and sights of the local area on April 15-17.

We will tackle the 1-in-4 climb up Porlock Hill and the open roads of Exmoor. Please put the dates in your diary and look out for booking information in the next edition of PP and on the R21 Forum.

May 15 visit to the Shuttleworth Collection Many of you will have heard of the Shuttleworth collection at Old Warden in Bedfordshire. Based at the aerodrome, the collection contains some of the last airworthy aircraft of their type remaining anywhere in the world including vintage aircraft from 1909-1950. There are also vehicles including 1930s-1940s cars, motorcycles, penny farthings, vans and tractors.

R21 member, Howard Taylor, is part-owner of a vintage Chipmunk DCH-1 which is based at the airfield and will host our visit. Weather permitting he hopes to be able to offer members a flight in his plane. This should be a great day out so please put the date in your diary.

Terry Perry

Diary dates Club nights are normally held on the first Tuesday of each month at The Black Horse, The Vale, Chesham, HP5 3NS. JANUARY 3 Bicester Heritage Scramble JANUARY 5 Club night Social at The Black Horse.

JANUARY 9 New Year dinner FEBRUARY 2 Herts Air Ambulance talk

Sussex Regional Organiser Steve Glanville 07767 888993 – r23@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Regional Organisers Chris and Martin Woolger 07720 849982 or 07802 409272 chris@woolgers.co.uk – martin@woolgers.co.uk

Cambridgeshire & Bedfordshire Regional Organiser John Dunn 01954 789764 – r24@porscheclubgb.com

Recent events Club night November November Club night was another busy evening at the Old Ferryboat. New members were welcomed along with Franc Mateo and four members of staff from PC Cambridge. Edward Parry had kindly sourced a Porsche film, which went through the various stages of the Porsche family and on through to the setting up of the company and production of cars until the mid-‘90s. A prize was on offer for questions following the showing. This was won by Johnny McGirl. Well done Johnny. News at 10 consisted mainly of the events listed below. The raffle and ‘JON’ made their usual contributions prior to our departures for home.

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Prodrive in Banbury, we were met by our host and guide Jackie Irwin. A welcome coffee gave us an opportunity to wander around and inspect the three cars on show in reception; the Colin McCrae Subaru Impreza, a winning Le Mans Aston Martin (009) and a Mini Clubman rally car, all of which Prodrive had extensively worked on.

“The tour began with a passionate introduction from Jackie covering Prodrive’s history, involvement in all types of motor sport and electric powered vehicles and, also, day to day cars. We learnt that the new facility is a work in progress and, unlike the original factory, the facility is contained in one, open-plan building.

This gave us the chance to walk through the space and see various examples of specialism that Prodrive is involved with. We learnt that in the last few years Prodrive has diversified from a pure motor racing company to pioneering new technology and many types of complementary businesses and industries.

“First, we had a close look at the heritage cars on display. Prodrive has six cars in this section, including the original Prodrive 911 rally car, a Metro 6R4, Subaru Impreza and the Mondeo touring car, again, all cars that it has been involved in the development of, as well as their construction and maintenance. Next came the parts, engines and pit equipment that keep racing cars working and successful. Here we learned of the eye-watering amounts of money that are required to run a racing team and keep these highly tuned cars performing at their best.

“After a brief visit to where lorries are prepared for racing meetings in the UK, the tour moved to where Prodrive undertakes work for various car manufacturers. It is currently manufacturing parts for a luxury car manufacturer as well as undertaking research and development for a racing team. We also saw some projects that are more hush-hush and I am not allowed to describe them. Then we moved on to some more heritage cars that Prodrive has worked on, including Jenson Button’s Honda F1 car and the prototype Prodrive 1 car. After that we looked at the

We have listed below events the Region is planning for 2016. Please note that some are still in the discussion stages whilst others have yet to have dates added. However, all being well, we hope to run the following events.

March 6 PCGB Cornbury House open day An opening drive to blow the cobwebs away.

Join a convoy drive down to our Head Office in the Cotswolds. Purchase some Club clothing and have a look around. Once we have numbers we may book some lunch in a local pub. We have booked the Club’s 356 for the day. This is your chance to get behind the wheel and take to the road for a drive of the first model car that Porsche manufactured.

Other events in planning These include the following: Drive and dine MGOC-Swavesey visit followed by short drive for lunch.

WOTY – abroad. Most likely destination is Bruges - dates TBA. Golf and BBQ dates. Late June.

Concours with lunch at PC Cambridge.

Early planning stages at this point but expected August date.

An evening boat trip on a summer weekend.

Dine before or after at a pub on the outskirts of Cambridge. This event is still in the planning stage.

Kimbolton – awaiting dates for our annual feast!

Super Car Sunday at the Sharnbrook Hotel September 4. TBC. Newmarket stables and gallops events followed by wine tasting and nibbles.

Also under consideration are the following: Kempston Police HQ visit Chilli Farm visit Vulcan visit Stately home visits Lightning run Canfield visit Shuttleworth show Stamford Car Show Peterborough Car Show Your suggestions of new events are, as ever, very welcome.

R24 Club nights 2016 Club nights for the Region meetings are on the second Wednesday of each month. The venue is the Old Ferryboat further details at

www.oldenglishinns.co.uk/our-locations/ the-old-ferry-boat-st-ives

to seeing you all at this, the first event for the Region in 2016.

January 13 Club night Our first Club night of the New Year and it tends to be a quiet affair. The committee will be holding a meeting and putting the finishing touches to the events schedule for 2016. Do come along if you wish and enjoy a ‘pie and a pint and a natter’ but none of the normal features of Club night since we would like to see you all at the post-Christmas lunch.

PC Cambridge open day/clinic 2015 A feature article of the day’s event at PC Cambridge appears elsewhere in this issue of PP.

February 10 Club night Come along and join us on our first proper Club night of 2016. We hope to be able to bring you a guest speaker along with all the normal features of Club night. We should also have a further update on more of the Regional events for the 2016 calendar.

Other Club night dates to note: March 9 April 13 May 11 June 8 July 13 August 10 September 14 October 12 November 9 December 14 Christmas Club night R24 post-Christmas lunch This is your last chance to book for our postChristmas lunch.

We already have 50 places taken so come along and join us at the Sharnbrook Hotel on Sunday, January 17. We have reserved our own dining room and bar. The cost is £20pp. Choose on the day a three-course meal (everything from Sunday roast with all the trimmings to a choice of Italian classics from the fine Italian kitchen) rounded off with coffee. We will also be holding a raffle and ask all attendees to please bring along a raffle prize. Previous events has shown that wrapping the raffle prizes proved popular since everyone then has a chance winning the top raffle prize. We will also be joined by our guest of honour, Franc Mateo from PC Cambridge who, no doubt, will be updating us on all things new from Porsche and existing offers from our local dealership. Advance booking only, sorry no turn up on the day. To secure your seat at the table we require advance payment. Payment can be made by cheque on Club night or contact me by e-mail. Space will be limited and we look forward

Thank you In signing off we would like to thank all members of the Region for their support during 2015. As you can see from the events listed above we have a busy and exciting 2016 to look forward to. On behalf of your committee can I take this

Committee back row (L-R) Mike Runnalls, Steve Gillings, Front (L-R) Edward Parry, John Dunn

opportunity to wish you all season’s greetings and all the very best for the New Year.

Enjoy your cars, Club and 2016 events.

John Dunn

Kent Regional Organisers Phil and Pearl Sharland 01797 344121 – r25@porscheclubgb.com Happy New Year We hope the New Year will bring health and happy Porsche driving for all our members.

Recent events Lotus Cars We had arranged a visit to Lotus Cars in November, which proved very popular despite the mid-week date. We had arranged to meet at a hotel just outside Attleborough, Norfolk some 20-miles or so from Hethel, home of Lotus Cars,

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Forthcoming events

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where we enjoyed a good pre-booked carvery lunch. Everyone in our group arrived in good time and before long we were on our way to Lotus.

We managed to arrive in convoy and waited in the driveway before being directed through security to our allocated parking. We were met by our guides and were given a short briefing while enjoying some welcome coffee and biscuits.

Having been split into two groups we set off to view the various operations that contribute to the making of all Lotus models.

Lotus Cars use Toyota engines, to which they add their own exhaust and inlet manifolds. These are mounted into the rear sub-frame assembly just behind the driver, similar to a Boxster. It was surprising to find that all the cars were hand built. Not a robot in sight! As with a lot of manufacturers, all the cars we saw were already sold to expectant owners. We were not allowed to take any photos at any point on the production line or throughout the buildings. At the end of the tour we were taken to the ‘shop’ where we could purchase clothing and other branded items.

There was also a finished Lotus that we could inspect and try for size. Here we were allowed to take a couple of pictures of this car.

All in all this was voted an interesting visit and we may go again and add the Classic Lotus museum to the tour. Unfortunately, we were not aware that this was a possibility until the end of this visit.

Kent Region members enjoy a get together before winter properly sets in

Drive and Sunday lunch This month we held our last drive and Sunday lunch for 2015. We met for coffee at Chart Hills Golf Club in Biddenden on a lovely sunny morning before setting out on a 30-mile drive around the Kent countryside. The weather had been wet the few days before our drive so much effort was put into avoiding puddles and mud on our route, although we tried to keep to A roads to make it a little easier. Hadlow Manor Hotel near Tonbridge served a great carvery lunch which everyone enjoyed and, as usual, the conversation flowed, made easier by being seated at round tables.

Forthcoming events Photo by Philip Sharland

As usual there will not be a Club night in January as Brands Hatch will be closed and the weather is not always kind to us at this time of year.

Engine shop with Ollie Crosthwaite

Club night We were back at Brands Hatch for our November Club night, which was well attended as usual with many new members joining us for the first time. We look forward to welcoming them again soon.

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Sunday buffet lunch At Shampan Indian Restaurant, The Spinning Wheel, Westerham, TN16 2HX. Meet at the Restaurant on February 21. Bring your Porsche or spare car, whichever you prefer. Cost is £14pp.

Payment will be required in advance by February 10 Club night.

Visit to Prodrive, Banbury Cost is £22pp for the visit, which will be in the afternoon of March 5. Numbers will be strictly limited so please e-mail to register your interest

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as soon as possible to ensure your places. We are currently looking at accommodation options for anyone wanting to stay overnight. Full details will be sent out to members via e-mail shortly.

Kent Breakfast Club New event for 2016 on March 20. We will meet for breakfast at different locations around Kent on a regular basis. Not too early, but early enough that there is still time for you to do something else during the day. For our first one, meet at Polhill Garden Centre, London Road, Sevenoaks, TN14 7AD at 9am. Come and enjoy a cooked breakfast, there is always a full breakfast menu to choose from and chat to other members. Bring your Porsche, or not, depending on the weather.

We can always go for a drive afterwards.

If you have not registered your e-mail address with the Club, please do so soon so that we can send you our regular updates on all our events.

Our Regional calendar of events for 2016 should be received by all Kent members shortly.

Our monthly meetings take place on the second Wednesday of each month at The Kentagon at Brands Hatch, Nr West Kingsdown (Main Gate on the A20) from 7.30pm and are always very informal and give an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.

Whatever Porsche you drive you will always find someone with a similar interest.

Don’t forget - if you want to come along to any of the events advertised then please make sure you let us know in advance. Telephone 01797 344121 or e-mail r25@porscheclubgb.com Happy and safe motoring.

Phil and Pearl

Diary dates FEBRUARY 10 Club night at Brands Hatch MARCH 9 Club night at Brands Hatch APRIL 13 Club night

Dorset Joint Regional Organisers Trefor Willingham and Geoff Fields 01747 838158 r26@porscheclubgb.com

Recent events November meeting Well I guess we had to have a quiet month at some point! Just the monthly meeting to report on this month – nevertheless, it was a wellattended meeting, and there wasn’t enough time to go through all the events already planned for next year. We have some entirely new events, and some with a new slant on an existing theme – take a look at the website for more details of those.

Following discussion last month, it was agreed we would have a ‘stone chip evening’ at our November meeting, and as such, Wednesday night found me unbolting badly stone-chipped nose panels from my 944s to use for a demonstration. Both need to be resprayed anyway due to other damage, so there were no worries that they might be ruined by badly applied paint – so of course, contrary to popular belief, I haven’t had all the stone chips rectified on my car as result of the efforts of our members!

Chipex demonstration One of the products recommended by our members was ‘Chipex’, so I contacted the company to see if they wished to demonstrate their product. They were very helpful, and were very happy to send out a demo kit for us to try out. Now I would have thought that a recipe for disaster, as any product is only as good as the person using it, but it certainly showed confidence in the ease of use of the product.

We also had the standard touch-up pen from Halfords, and the official Porsche product for comparison – but I think our members were all familiar with those, and it was the Chipex kit they were interested in. Our very own Geoff Fields is familiar with the product and uses it on his own car, so he ran through the process, initially with Chipex’s own video, and then on the badge panel of my 944. While still a time-consuming operation, it is certainly easier to use than a conventional touch up pen, and very good results are possible – I think many of our members went away impressed, and I certainly had a couple of enquiries of where it could be obtained.

The panels used for the demonstration have now been given to the bodyshop to be resprayed, so I am sure there will be some follow-up discussion when they are back.

If there are other examples of car care techniques that you are interested in, but perhaps haven’t tried for fear of wasting money or it being a technique beyond your skills, let us know and we will try to arrange a demonstration or an opportunity to try it out if we can. If it is something we can unbolt from the car and do in the comfort of the George Albert Hotel, then it is perfect for these winter evenings!

Geoff demonstrating the Chipex kit

Skittles evening The Christmas meal will have been devoured by the time you read this, and the December meeting at PC Bournemouth behind us, but if a grey January is looking dull, there is time to come and join us in skittles against the Woolbridge Motor Club, as well as our regular monthly meeting. In the meantime, season’s greetings from Dorset Region, and we look forward to seeing you all in 2016.

Ireland Regional Organiser Ken Mack 07860 850444 – r27@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Regional Organiser John Hilditch 07907 437303 Swissvax Season’s greetings and a happy New Year to all our members! If you are reading this in between Christmas and New Year and counting the days until you cancel the SORN, then why not take some time and check out the R27 section of the PCGB website which has the 2016 dates for Region meetings, drives and weekends away!

At our November meeting we warmly greeted Mark Smiley and Adam Millar from local detailing company ‘Total Perfection’ who are the allIreland agents for Swissvax.

Swissvax, who offer a comprehensive handmade car care system, is now a very welcome addition to the Club’s growing number of business partners. Mark and Adam gave an excellent overview and demonstration of the Swissvax range and explained the exclusive discount scheme available to PCGB members, details of which are on our Club website. If you are among the many members who run their Porsche as a daily drive then check out the winter protection package offered by Mark and the team at www.totalperfection.co.uk If you missed the demonstration, you will be interested to know that we are planning a few other events with the Swissvax team who, incidentally, count the BBC Top Gear team among their regular customers! And, just as we go to press, I can announce that Swissvax has confirmed that they will be attending our open day in June.

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If you are a new member attending one of our Club nights then look out for the yellow T-shirts or badges, worn by us and our committee members. We are there to introduce you to other members and generally make you feel at home.

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Thank you Ruth!

As always when we hold our meetings there is usually someone celebrating a birthday!

November was no exception; best wishes this month go to Stephen, Desi and Charlie. We are often made aware of celebration by a ‘nod and a wink’ from a partner or friend and then Ruth Boyd, my long suffering partner, immediately makes a dash for the kitchen to bake a cake.

So on behalf of all the birthday boys and girls – a big thanks goes to Ruth for all her ‘Mary Berry-esque’ efforts!

Swissvax. (L-R) Stephen Ogle Adam Millar, Charlie McCloskey, and Mark Smiley

March 19 when we plan to ‘start engines’ for the first drive of the 2016 season!

Full details about all upcoming events will go to each member via e-mail.

There will also be a refreshed look and feel to our monthly meetings in 2016. Our popular self-funding ballot will continue under the watchful eyes of ARO John Hilditch with an even better range of prizes. We will be also reigniting our magazine swap-shop and expanding it to include books. And don’t worry if you don’t have anything to swap, members may wish to make a small (suggest donation of 50p for a magazine and £1 for a book), with all proceeds going to local charities to be decided by members in autumn 2016.

From January, members are also invited to bring along any auto-jumble they may have for sale. But please - a word of caution - you will be expected to take your item home with you if it is unsold! So do consider bringing along a photo of large items.

Remember, I am happy to circulate information about sale items to R27 members by e-mail.

In closing and with New Year approaching, I would take the opportunity to thank all our members for their support during 2015. We are confident that we have a great line-up of event in 2016 and look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

eliminated in the first qualifying session, we nonetheless hoped for an exciting Abu Dhabi GP to complement our lunch at the Red Onion.

With a couple of members joining us on the day we ended up with a table in pole position overlooking the big screens. It is fair to say that once we got talking some of us did lose the thread of the race somewhat, which, if nothing else, shows that we enjoyed each other’s company; or it may have been the fizzy beer.

Apparently, the top three finished in the order in which they started...

Over lunch we were able to look over a copy of a lavishly illustrated book to which Roy Carré has contributed photos called The Birds of Guernsey.

We were so impressed that most bought a copy and some bought two as Christmas gifts. If you would like more information or would like to order a copy (at £12.50) I will pass messages on.

Team Guernsey at the Abu Dhabi do

That’s it for this month. Safe driving and look forward to seeing you in 2016!

Diary dates JANUARY 13 Monthly meeting Do you know how to carry out CPR in an emergency? If not, or if you would like some informal refresher training then don’t miss our January meeting when we will welcome along a representative from the St John Ambulance for some basic first aid training and a practical demonstration that just could save lives!

7pm for 8pm. Gowdy’s, 60 Gravelhill Road, Lisburn BT27 5RW. FEBRUARY 5 Pre-season dinner 7pm for 8pm. Massereene Golf Club, 51 Lough Road, Antrim BT41 4DQ. FEBRUARY 10 Monthly meeting 7pm for 8pm. Gowdy’s, 60 Gravelhill Road, Lisburn BT27 5RW (Early Bird menu available until 6:30pm).

Birthday Boys (L-R) Stephen Edens, Desi Stewart and Charlie McCloskey

2016 plans Last month I promised an update on the plans for the 2016 season, so here goes!

Dates for meeting and drives for 2016 are now available on the Club website. Following a visit during our 2015 drive season to Massereene Golf Club in Antrim when we were all very impressed with both the food and service, we are delighted to be returning there on Friday, February 5 for our annual ‘pre-season dinner’. The cost will be £25pp (including tombola prize ticket), details on booking will be with members via e-mail.

Weekend away Our annual (local) weekend away will take place over the weekend April 22-24 at Corick House Hotel and Spa in Clogher, on the County Tyrone/ County Fermanagh border.

Open day Our annual open day will see us return to the Folk and Transport Museum on Saturday, June 4.

Silverstone Classic Later in the year and slightly further afield, we will be attending the Club’s National Event in July when we will be taking our cars to the Silverstone Classic over the weekend of July 29-31.

Swap-shop and auto-jumble A close diary date for everyone is Saturday,

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Channel Islands, Guernsey Regional Organisers Ian and Angela Banneville 01481 715678 – r28g@porscheclub.com

Member news Faye Spencer took her Boxster Spyder on track on the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans for the first time in October on the annual Lions Club charity trackday.

The Lions Club have been running charity hill climbs, sprints and trackdays for six years and have just broken through £200,000 raised for local charities. The October event raised £10,000.

These events always attract a great variety of machines and as an added incentive usually feature a guest instructor - this year it was David Brabham.

Faye greatly enjoyed her first time on track and increased in confidence throughout the day, despite changeable conditions later on.

Unfortunately, she experienced a problem with the Boxster in one of the final sessions, which meant it had to go home by transporter - this did, however, make for a great photo!

Sad end to a fun day as Faye’s Boxster is trailered away from from Le Mans

Recent events Abu Dhabi do Without Bernie’s double points bonus at the end of the season the closing round of the 2015 F1 World championship did not have the drama in prospect of last year’s race. The dropping of this gimmick was welcomed by race fans but we did not have as many as last year for our Abu Dhabi do, so maybe Bernie had a point.

However, with a sixth pole position for Nico Rosberg in a row, (Lewis Hamilton having a point to prove as he had not won since he clinched the championship), and the prospect of Sebastian Vettel fighting through the field having been

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Twitter Don’t forget to view our Twitter feed for up-to-the-minute Regional and Porsche news: @PCGB_Guernsey 2016 We are currently putting to gather a programme of events for next year and are always grateful to

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receive suggestions for new events or offers of assistance.

As you will either be putting up Porsche shaped stockings or will have by now have unwrapped your Porsche Design socks, may we pass on our best wishes to you all for the festive period and 2016 and we look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Diary dates FEBRUARY TBC Breakfast meeting At Big Vern’s, St Ouens.

MARCH TBC Lunch at Mark Jordan at the Beach SEPTEMBER TBC Jersey Air Show lunch

Ian, Angela, Jean-Marc and Sebastian

Channel Islands, Jersey Regional Organiser Roger Theaker 07979 652525 – r28j@porscheclub.com Sixteenth anniversary of the first R28 event It was in the Millenium Year that I arranged the inaugural meeting of R28 members. At that time the Region was known as the Channel Islands Region, incorporating Club members from both Jersey and Guernsey. The location was Longueville Manor in Jersey and the Sales Manager of the then Porsche dealership, Five Oaks Garage, came along to join the party and even supplied me with a 930 Turbo to drive to the event!

Recently, I discovered the two photographs of the meeting (shown below), which I included in my PP report at the time and I thought it would be interesting to run a competition for Region 28J members to see who could put the most names to the persons seated around the table! I will award a prize from Club Shop to the winner. E-mail your entries to me at r28j@porscheclubgb.com by the end of the month.

Wishing all Region members a happy and prosperous New Year

Surrey Committee Chairman Mike Lucas Regional Contact Keith Morgan 07833 206078 (before 9pm) r29@porscheclubgb.com By the time you read this Christmas Day will be just around the corner, although it seems to have been building up for months with all the TV adverts and Christmas decorations we have been inundated with since the end of September. R29 has had a very good year, with plenty of events of all sorts to satisfy most tastes, and we have seen a lot of new faces, so hopefully this trend will continue into the future. I would like to thank my fellow committee colleagues for all their efforts over the last 12 months, with particular thanks to Brenda Wareham for her time and patience in her role as our events co-ordinator. I’d also like to thank other Club members who have organised events for us to enjoy and, last but not least, thanks to you, the Region’s members, who have supported the Club throughout the year through your attendance at Club meetings and your participation in our events programme. On behalf of the committee, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year.

Peter the quizmaster

Roger Theaker

Recent events

GT3, 996 Turbo and 930 Turbo alongside two Jersey members and RO

November Club night There was a very good turnout at The Star for the November meeting, no doubt due to the excitement generated in anticipation of Peter Keel’s quiz night.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it as Linda and I were on holiday in much warmer climes, but I am told that the evening was a great success and Peter really Members seated at the inaugural lunch at Longueville Manor

looked the part as quiz master with his one-man audio show. The quiz was won by ‘Numpty Corner,’ consisting of Steve and Chris, Dan, David Drury and Gordon, so well done to them. We would like to thank Peter very much for his efforts and hope that we can talk him into a repeat performance next year.

Chislehurst caves and pub lunch Twenty-two of us met at Clacket Lane Services on the M25 on a cold, wet Saturday in November for our onward trip to Chislehurst Caves, near Bromley in Kent. We arrived at the caves’ car park in roughly two groups but there was no waiting around due to the rain and the first arrivals headed off up the hill to The Ramblers Rest pub for lunch.

By the time our second group arrived they were nowhere to be seen; so most of us opted for The Bickley, which was just around the corner from the car park and a lot closer in the wet weather.

We had arranged to meet at the caves entrance at 2pm so there was plenty of time for some lunch and a chat in our respective hostelries before meeting up for our big adventure.

We all duly met at the allotted time and were introduced to Darren, our guide, who was going to look after us during our time underground. Before setting off he gave us a brief history of the caves and explained that there were 22 miles of tunnels in the complex, but we were only going to walk about a mile! We then collected a number of oil lamps to share between us and off we went.

For those that have never been to the caves before it is quite an experience. I think we were all expecting stalactites and stalagmites, but there was none of that. The caves are all man made and are up to 30-metres below the houses and woodlands above.

They were dug for chalk, which was used in lime making and brick making for the building of London and also used for flints to fire the tinderboxes and flintlock guns of old. Within the last 100 years munitions storage was added for the 1914–1918 war, mushrooms were grown in the 1920s and it became an underground town when used as an air raid shelter during the Second World War, with over 15,000 people sheltering there every night during the Blitz. After the war it was used as a venue for dances and concerts up to the late ‘70s and a number of famous names in pop and rock entertained the crowds on a regular basis.

Darren gave us a great tour, pointing out various features that had relevance from past activities that had taken place. He also told us that there were various stories of ghostly figures making an appearance from time to time, so naturally we were all on the lookout for something exciting to happen during our visit. There was great excitement at one point when a light was supposedly seen down one of the side tunnels for a brief moment, but it disappeared and, despite all efforts to identify the source, was not seen again. We continued on our way with a quick check over our shoulders every few yards! All in all, we had a very interesting visit and we would like to express our appreciation to our guide Darren for looking after us so well, and also to Dan Sasson for organising the event.

The caves in air raid shelter days

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The group in Chislehurst caves with Darren on the right

Forthcoming events Visit to Addspeed Details are still to be worked out but it will be a morning visit to the workshops followed by a pub lunch on March 19.

10e Grandprix De Monaco Historique We are flying to Nice and staying in the town, taking the train to Monaco for the races on May 14-16. If you would like to join us please contact Adrian Wood via me at R29@porscheclubgb.com for more details.

For up-to-date information on these and brief details of other events, please see the R29 Surrey area of the Club’s website.

Club nights Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at The Star, Kingston Road, Malden Rushett, Surrey KT22 0DP, starting at 8pm.

Keith Morgan

Diary dates JANUARY 12 Club night At The Star.

FEBRUARY 9 Club night At The Star.

FEBRUARY 21 London Classic Car Show MARCH 5 Breakfast meeting At White Lion Antiques, Hartley Witney.

MARCH 8 Club night At The Star.

MARCH 19 Morning visit to Addspeed in Horsham

Isle of Man Regional Organiser Julian Chappell 01624 816563 (evenings) iom@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Steve Morrow 07624 433268 Steve_m2@manx.net

Cotswold Regional Organisers Alan and Fiona Bartlett 07785 928687 @PCGB_R31 r31@porscheclubgb.com Monthly round up By the time you’ll be reading this the Christmas celebrations will be almost over. We do hope Santa has been kind to you. Sadly, we suspect he won’t have brought us the 918 Spyder we’d been hoping for but then it would mean clearing the garage out so perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise.

Having to scrape frost off the windscreen for the first time recently came as a bit of a surprise and served to remind us that winter really has arrived. As we all know, along with winter comes the crud-covered roads and the need to wash the car every few days, a chore which, at this time of year, is not an especially pleasant one. One product that that has made this particular task a bit easier is the wheel brush we recently bought from the Club Shop. At a stroke, the tedious job

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of wheel-cleaning has become far less onerous with this useful item. In all it was £6.50 well spent. The only downside though is that there’s now no excuse for turning up at events with grotty looking wheels.

Talking of events, while there are many fewer at this time of year compared to the summer months, they have nevertheless been well supported and we’re very pleased to report that several new members have come along to support our recent meetings. We don’t normally like quoting statistics but almost 20% of the Region’s total membership have come along and supported the Region’s events over the last few meetings. For this we are truly grateful as it makes our endeavours all worthwhile. Our sincere thanks to you all.

Club Officials Conference At the beginning of the month we attended the Club Officials’ Conference at Cornbury House.

This gave us the opportunity to catch up with fellow ROS and Register Secretaries as well as hear reports from the Club’s directors. To cut to the chase, we were pleased to hear that overall membership is substantially up this year (around 1,500), finances are rock solid and a strategic plan is now in place for future growth.

Of great interest to us was next year’s Club annual event, which is being held alongside the Silverstone Classic meeting. We took great interest in the outline plans that were presented and the views expressed by the assembled throng. No doubt the events team will provide more details over the coming weeks so you’ll be able to judge for yourselves.

Go-karting at Swindon While we were enjoying the PowerPoint presentations at Club HQ, several Regional members and their invited guests were taking part in Cotswold Region’s group race session at the Swindon Karting Arena (SKA). For those who’ve never been before, the circuit is a fast and level 550m indoor tarmac track housed in a very large hangar on the old RAF Wroughton base. One of the best things about the circuit is that SKA run really quick, Honda-powered

TB R15 270cc karts capable of 45mph on the indoor track. Reports from those who took part mention that they had a thoroughly enjoyable session with seriously competitive driving resulting in some very quick lap times.

Monthly meeting While we didn’t really expect a particularly high turnout for a dark and damp November evening, we were very pleasantly surprised by the large number of members who came along to our monthly meeting at the Red Lion in Long Compton.

As well as providing a report on the official’s conference, future Club events were discussed and ideas presented. It was great to welcome a new member and pleasing to know that people are willing to come along at any time of year. The main topics of conversation centred on the relative merits of Macans v BMW X5s and the wisdom of having a set of winter tyres. Collectively there was a keen interest in whether PC Swindon had relocated to their new premises and when the promised visit might take place. We can confirm that discussions for the latter are in hand and a suggested date is February 13; so keep an eye out for more details!

Once again, our sincere thanks to everyone who came along for your enthusiasm and support for these monthly mid-week Club nights. The Red Lion team looked after us well and, for those who decided to eat, the food continues to be cooked to a really high standard, presented well and served promptly.

Sunday Coffee Cruise On a somewhat misty Sunday morning, members of the Region and their partners felt the compulsion to take their cars out drive along quiet and traffic-free Cotswold roads to join in our regular meet at the Cotswold Gateway Hotel in Burford for a coffee and chat. As it is winter, we really hadn’t expected the phenomenal turnout that we had. It was really gratifying that so many folks made the effort to come along, especially the several new members who took the plunge and came along to see what goes on.

Actually, it was one of our best attended meetings ever. It was also one of our longest lasting as many of us didn’t leave until 1pm. For almost

three hours everyone enjoyed themselves talking and drinking coffee, a format that everyone really seems to like. As it turned out, those who hadn’t yet signed up for our Christmas meal were able to get the lowdown on the format and as a result have swelled the numbers to well over 40 coming to The Mill House Hotel on December 13, which is thrilling for us.

If you couldn’t make this one, the next Sunday morning event will be in January. As always, everyone is very welcome to join in with this and any of our other gatherings.

Forthcoming events It may be winter but we’ve still got a few events taking place in the Region....

Sunday Brunch Scramble at Bicester Another Sunday Brunch Scramble is being held on January 3 at the Heritage Centre, Bicester.

This promises to be another very well attended Brunch Scramble with over 1,000 classic and vintage vehicles and aeroplanes on display. Gates open at 8am.

Monthly meeting Our monthly will take place on January 13, at The Carpenters Arms, Fulbrook at 7.30pm.

Sunday Coffee Cruise There’ll be a Coffee Cruise at The Cotswold Gateway Hotel, Burford on January 24 at 10am.

Everyone is welcome, so please come and join us for coffee and a good natter in warm and friendly surroundings.

Find out more Details of all these and other forthcoming events can be found in the Cotswold Events area on the Club website. As these are subject to change or cancellation at short notice please always check the R31 Forum area and our Twitter feed (@PCGB_R31) before setting off.

Finally, we’d like to thank everyone for all their support and friendship over the last year. We wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year and look forward to seeing you soon.

Alan and Fiona

Photos by Alan Bartlett

Diary dates

R31’s popular Sunday morning meeting

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JANUARY 3 Sunday Brunch Scramble Bicester Heritage.

JANUARY 13 Monthly Regional meeting At The Carpenters Arms, Fulbrook.

JANUARY 24 Cotswold Coffee Cruise At the Cotswold Gateway Hotel, Burford.

FEBRUARY 10 Monthly meeting At The Red Lion, Long Compton.

FEBRUARY 13 Visit to PC Swindon’s new dealership (provisional) FEBRUARY 28 Cotswold Coffee Cruise At the Cotswold Gateway Hotel, Burford.

MARCH 9 Monthly meeting At The Carpenters Arms, Fulbrook.

MARCH 27 Cotswold Spring Tea Bun Run APRIL 10 Cotswold Coffee Cruise At the Cotswold Gateway Hotel, Burford.

APRIL 13 Monthly meeting At The Red Lion, Long Compton.

APRIL 24 Sunday Brunch Scramble Bicester Heritage.

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911 (997) “2S” 3.8 “GEN 2” PDK (58 - 2008) Basalt black with terracotta leather.

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Registers Register Director’s report At Cornbury House…

I can’t believe that this year is almost over, where has it gone? It only seems like yesterday I was standing in front of many of you at my first Officials’ Conference – quite a daunting experience.

However, following the positive responses I received afterwards, I feel more confident that we are moving in the right direction, particularly regarding the DMP and how it will benefit all the members.

I thank you all for your support.

Looking forward, the plan for a ‘Front

356 Register Secretary Fred Hampton 020 7262 8695 – 356@porscheclubgb.com

912 Register Secretary Rowena Purdy 01472 399381 – 912@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Register Secretary Vacancy 1965 to 2015 In 1965, the first Porsche model 902, which became the 9012 for sales purposes, was released in the United States. It filled a niche market for the American 356 owners who felt the 911 was too expensive. For a short time the 912 even outsold the 911, although Porsche’s aim was never to maintain the production of this now classic car, and production stopped in 1965, after three variants had been produced – a short wheel base model, a long wheel base model, and a Targa. The total production was around 30,000.

Fast forward half a century, and our Club celebrated 50 years of the Porsche 912 with various events held round the country. A very wet Blyton track day saw two 912s slipping and sliding round the circuit. Four versions were displayed at Region 4s innovative Pageant at Belvoir Castle. The largest number, 20 in all, celebrated the anniversary at the National Event, Althorp House in August. A year to remember – and here’s to the next 50.

Officials’ Conference: I attended this event, in deepest Gloucestershire, at the beginning of November. I learned what the Board has in store for us, and was briefed on the

Runners’ display next year is gathering support from all the front-engined Registers, and it looks certain that we will put on a superb display. My 944 S2 Cabriolet is going into the body shop to have the front end tidied up in preparation for next year – let’s keep the momentum going!

At the NEC… I spent the best part of three days at the Classic Car Show, and met many members and visitors to the Porsche Club stand, dispensing (hopefully) useful advice and encouraging potential members to join us. I believe that, over the weekend, we successfully signed up over 120 new members, which is a great testament to the professional image our stand portrayed, due mainly to the volunteers and Cornbury

House staff, who amassed a fabulous selection of cars. The Race Centre carried a varied range of merchandise from the Club Shop. As ever, tea and coffee was freely available to the many weary visitors who were grateful to rest their legs. I thank each and every one of you!

Even though I felt shattered at the end, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and look forward to next year’s show!

All that remains is for me to wish you all a merry and peaceful Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year.

Albert Walsh Register Director register@porscheclubgb.com 01282 456371 (evenings)

past year’s successes (including how well, financially, the Club now is). I found out that there are subtle changes in the way the Club is to be run, as well as the appointment of a new Membership Secretary.

2016 event highlights: Those of real interest to us classic car owners are: • The London Classic Show to be held in late February; • The Goodwood Festival of Speed in late June; • The National Event, held as part of the Silverstone Classic meeting, July 29-31; • Classics at the Castle on September 4.

Not specifically classic orientated, but fun to join in: • The novice track day at Blyton in May (organised

by Region 4 and supported by the Club); • Porkers in the Park; • Porsches o’er t’Wolds, on July 19; • The Manx Tour, May 20-23.

There will be others and I will certainly attempt to attend as many as I can this year.

The saga of the wings (goes earthwards)…

The photos opposite will show the true meaning of this heading!

The wings came off to reveal that all was not well in the ‘underskirts’ department (and that is an understatement!). After 50 years (minus a few months) various bits of the car had all but vanished, to the extent that the only item keeping the front and back of the car together were the heat exchangers – the inner sill had vanished.

The outer sill was just about salvageable, but new inners have to be fabricated. That’s not all, because other minor issues (luckily you may say) raised their ugly heads.

So the simple task of bolting on a couple of new wings is going to entail a minor rebuild of the car, including a bare metal renovation.

However, I cannot wait to get my hands on it

The vanishing wing and sill. Oh dear!

again – watch this space. No, it will not be entered in Concours events – it’s still a rallyprepared 912 and, hopefully, will continue to be used as such (once a co-driver/navigator can be convinced to come and join me).

Throckmorton 2015 – rally report Last month I included a report on the Throckmorton Challenge, written by a crew on its first attempt at Regularity rallying. Here is a second report of the same event, but this time written by a crew with more experience of such events – thanks to Johan Derekamp: “The Throckmorton rally is a one-day single venue event organised by the Historic Endurance Rally Organisation (HERO), who considers this event to be a ‘green run’. They adopt a very useful colour coding (akin to ski runs) with blue, red and black being for their most difficult rallies.

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A well-known black run is LeJog (Lands End to John O’Groats).

“I had already completed the 2013 Throckmorton, just weeks after buying my lovely 1965 912. It was literally my first experience behind the wheel, although I had owned several much later 911s – I still have a 1998 993 C4S, and have recently commissioned the restoration and creation of a 914/6 GT. “On that first Throckmorton run I had my brother in law, Ian Benjamin, navigating for me and we did quite well. It was helped by the fact that he has lived in Pershore for 30 years and the rally was run in and around Pershore – very helpful!

“For the 2015 event we had two family entries – my wife entered her 1973 BMW 2002Tii, with her sister Ann navigating, and I was in the Porsche 912 again, with my wife’s sister’s partner, Arthur Oldroyd, navigating for me.

We all attended the very useful HERO training day on the Friday and by Saturday we were all set – ready to go at it! Neither Arthur nor Ann had navigated before, but Ann is a retired geography teacher and we thought this might be pretty useful. I considered that the girls probably had a slight edge, but we knew we would put up a good ‘fight’!

“The Throckmorton offers five regularity tests, lasting about 20 minutes each, consisting of fairly straightforward day-time navigation on public roads. In addition there were 12 tests, or special stages, which were run on private roads (mostly the Throckmorton airfield), which involved cone work, other driving tests, including a timed flat-out run up the famous Shelsey Walsh hill climb.

“If any readers wish to try out a fairly soft rally, the Throckmorton is perfect; it is priced to attract entrants and offers a good taster of all the things that more demanding rallies will offer often over a longer period of three or four days, often involving more complex night-time runs and more demanding navigation.

“The day passed very quickly. The organisers offered interim results after a quarter, half, and three quarters of the way through the day. They relied on getting all the time cards in, in order to offer these unofficial standings; the final results were compiled at close of play. After the first quarter of the day was complete, the girls were ahead of us! I was somewhat surprised (if the truth be known, miffed), because I thought that with our slightly greater experience we would be ahead of them. I’ve done five or six of these now (including the Palma Oris rally and the Rally of the Tests); whereas my wife has done only two (the Three Castles, and the very demanding Poppy Rally in Belgium – both with me as her navigator).

I told Arthur we had better sharpen up a bit!

“The next few sections went well for us. It is always satisfying to see where others might go wrong and you get it right. Equally, it is always humbling to see that you have gone wrong and then to wonder if the others have got it right when you emerge from a section and do not find the expected time marshal.

“The main thing is to have fun together in each car, and to enjoy some secondary family competition as a by-product. The girls were laughing like drains and became quite notorious at each time control. We were slightly more business like because, after all, we did need to win!

“The strangely exhausting day drew to a close

94

Johan Derekamp’s 1965 912 in rally mode

at about 5pm. We all retired to the bar and eagerly awaited the final results. Snacks are always provided, and people were laughing as they compared notes. The Throckmorton attracts a huge range of cars and, typically, about 60 teams. There was everything from a very valuable DB5 to many more modest MGs. Porsches are always very well represented and do very well.

“The results came in and, yes, phew, we had edged ahead of the girls! Arthur and I came 36th, and they came 48th. We all had a great day and absolutely loved it – we’ve already agreed to do it again next year! I’d urge other owners to come and have a go.”

The new Carrera RS book Following Fred’s initial review of the much revised Gruber and Konradsheim Carrera RS book in November’s PP, my chassis-matching numbered copy duly arrived a few days later. It’s now a proper ‘coffee table tome’ – 434 pages and thoroughly crammed with new narrative, data, pictures and graphics. Yes, it is a bit pricey at around £330 delivered, but with the demand for the long out of print original edition commanding four-figure sums on eBay, it surely makes sense

Johan Perhaps a team of 912s next year?

Wishing you and yours a very enjoyable 2016, and I hope to be able to see more of you out and about in 2016.

Rowena

Early 911 (2.0,2.2 &2.4) Register Secretary Ian McLeod 07810 493287 911@porscheclubgb.com

911 Sportomatic Register Secretary Peter Cook 01789 400832 sporto@porscheclubgb.com

911 Carrera RS Register Secretary Fred Hampton 020 7262 8695 carrerars@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Mike Chadwick 01454 232232 – mvc@fly7.co.uk

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

The new Carrera RS book

REGISTERS

to pick up a copy directly from the publisher (www.tag-books.com) while they are still available – especially if you want a specific numbered copy.

We should have probably reminded you last month to add it to your Christmas list.

It’s the perfect place for any RS owner, enthusiast, or prospective buyer, in which to bury their heads over the holiday period, and be immersed in the golden age of Porsche history. Highly recommended.

Generating RS interest…

A good book can revitalise interest in a particular model, and maybe this will be the case with the RS. Now, you might well be thinking that, at current values, the RS is already enjoying plenty of ‘interest’. However, both Fred and I would argue the reverse. As ‘collectability’ and ‘investment’ talk has taken over, we’re sadly seeing less RS activity.

We’ve estimated that there are well over 100 genuine RSs in the UK – perhaps as many as 150 LHD and RHD. And, time was, when you would regularly see them on the road, on track days, in competition, at Club events, in displays, or undergoing restoration. Our erstwhile Register Secretary, the late David Gillhooley, being an active exponent of all of these.

With this in mind, we would love to hear from more owners, and Fred has suggested a possible event in 2016, if we can generate sufficient interest. In addition, any contributions to this column are also welcome – interesting technical pieces, topical RS stories from the past, recommendations and advice, sources for parts, current projects – all would be much appreciated.

911 2.7 Carrera & 3.0 Register Secretary Guy White 01493 750278 91127carrera3@porscheclubgb.com Technical Assistant Tony Ruggles 01992 892333 Mystery car revealed In last month’s report I mentioned a Grand Prix White Targa that had been in the Porsche Sale at Silverstone Auctions. It was described as a Carrera 3.0, but it had neither the correct VIN or engine number for it to be one. I did, prior to the auction, send an e-mail to the auction house seeking clarification of the numbers quoted, but unfortunately received no response.

In the event, the car failed to reach its reserve, and I said that it would have to remain a mystery for the moment, unless anyone reading my column knew anything more.

But by good fortune, my report was read by the owner, William Fitzgerald, who had joined the Club, but whose details had not been passed to me and assigned to the Register.

From the photographs supplied by William,

Emerging from hibernation…

And finally, as you read this, may we wish you a happy new year. We might be in the depths of mid-winter, but the solstice should have passed and the days will slowly be getting longer and warmer as the northern hemisphere tilts back towards the sun. So it won’t be long before those RSs, that are still in regular use, emerge from hibernation, providing their unique and thrilling driving experience – still one of the best of any 911. And, for those who are following the ‘market’, as owners, sellers or potential buyers, Techno Classica, at Essen, is often a good ‘barometer’ for the direction prices might be taking.

it was possible to verify that the VIN quoted on the auction website was in fact correct, and that the chassis was a rare Targa model produced for the Belgian Gendarmerie in April 1976.

A mere 20 of these cars were produced with VIN numbers in the range 9116619011 to 9116619030. As the 1976 Carrera 3.0 Targa had VIN numbers 9116610011 onwards it can be seen how easy it was to make the mistake, especially as this car had been fitted with the wider Carrera rear arches (compared to the narrow-bodied original).

When new the Targa was fitted with a 911 type 83 mechanical fuel injection (MFI) engine (the same as used in the 1973 Carrera RS and 1974/1975 Carrera 2.7) which made it a formidable force for the Belgian Gendarmerie at the time. Unfortunately, at some stage, this original engine has been replaced by a lowerpowered continuous fuel injection (CIS) engine, otherwise the car would have been very desirable and potentially valuable.

Another confusion came about because the car was described as RHD, whereas the original would have been LHD. A careful study of William’s photographs, however, revealed signs of a conversion, which was presumably carried out when the car arrived in the UK in the early eighties, but all done to a high standard by the look of it.

William will still be looking to sell the car, which could either be enjoyed as it is – a very nice condition Targa – or, alternatively, an excellent project for an enthusiast to restore to original.

Production numbers To the Register Resources area on the Club website, I have added a list of chassis numbers, engine numbers, and the numbers produced, for the 1974 to 1977 models. I believe this is a correct and definitive list, because other references misquote the numbers for reasons I have listed on the website.

The list does include the Belgian Gendarmerie Targas mentioned above, as well as the 113 Carrera 2.7s produced at the same time in 1976.

I have also listed the number of RHD cars produced and sold in Australia and Great Britain.

I have all the records for Australia but, unfortunately, only the figures for the 1974 and 1975 Carrera 2.7 in the UK. Guy

An RS enjoys Christmas in the snow

Merry Christmas…

Mike and Fred 96

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

The riddle of the Grand Prix White Targa is solved

Register Secretary Paul Thompson 01531 822 305 Mobile: 07836 261 365 911sc@porscheclubgb.com Technical Advisor David Sewell dave.autohaus@gmail.com

A member’s contribution I am always very pleased to receive material for our SC section. This month we have an excellent contribution from Charles Challinger, who owns a 1981 SC – many thanks.

Installing and using a tracker Last year I was so enthused by an article I read in Practical Classics, I decided to source and fit a tracker to my 911. I settled on the GT06-PRO, which I bought from rewiresecurity. co.uk (to which I have no connection other than being a satisfied customer); it cost £89.99 (including delivery and VAT). It took me an afternoon to fit it and I found the process very straightforward – there is an ideal space in the luggage compartment, just behind the top mount of the front suspension strut on the same side as the fuse box.

The unit is simple to use. You send it a text and it sends you one back, including a link to the car’s location on Googlemaps. You can set all manner of parameters. For example, a boundary which, when breached, will trigger the unit to send you a text automatically. It even has the options to remotely disable the ignition, and to remotely monitor the cabin of the vehicle with a hidden microphone (real James Bond stuff!).

The limitations? It won’t respond in locations where there is no mobile signal - it is essentially a ‘dumb’ mobile phone. You have to top up its SIM card, which you do on-line in increments of £5; the texts the unit sends cost 15p each.

I didn’t install it in order to reduce my insurance premiums - it is a DIY product and self-fitted, so wouldn’t qualify. However, I do enjoy texting my ‘pride and joy’ and getting an answer in seconds. Somehow it makes the car seem even more human!

Nice roads to drive In August, my wife and I decided to have a few days in Scotland. We set ourselves the target of not using motorways, or even dual carriageways, where possible. However, there are parts of the country that you would rather whizz through, so those kinds of roads can then be useful; as was the case from Silverstone to just north of Lincoln, when we used the M1 (between junctions 20 and 21A); and the A46 - which is a dual carriageway - but which passes through pleasant countryside between Leicester and Newark.

Our target was lunch at The Dambusters pub (adjacent to RAF Scampton) – highly recommended for atmosphere and food at sensible prices.

From there we took the B1398 and B1207 route north, close to the Humber Bridge. After bypassing Hull we travelled on the B1248 and B1257 to Sutton Bank in Yorkshire. Following a

bit of A-road action, we used the B6271 and made it to the A1 just south of Scotch Corner, and our overnight stop nearby.

The next day we drove from West Layton, via the B6274, B6279, B6278, B6318, and some wonderful Scottish back roads, all the way to the Edinburgh ring road – a total distance of about 170 miles; fabulous!

On the way south, using minor roads, we managed a visit to the Jim Clark Rooms in Duns (well worth a stop), as we wended our way to the famous Mallyan Spout Hotel, in Goathland, North Yorkshire. This was the location of the Heartbeat TV series - amongst other things, you will encounter the police-liveried Ford Anglia 105E outside the post office.

The 911 really excels on these kinds of roads, and it is a great reminder of why these wonderful cars are so engaging to drive. We are now 29 years, and 180,000 miles, into our ownership and still get that little frisson of excitement when we set off anywhere.

During the trip, we found some really nice places to eat – the aforementioned Dambusters Inn, in Scampton; The Oak Tree Inn in Hutton Magna; Hugo’s coffee shop in Duns and, of course, Betty’s in Harrogate.

So get out the map, turn off the sat nav and find your way like you used to for maximum fun.

SC Register technical collaboration I’m sure we have all done odd jobs on our cars, and in doing so, have learned from the experience. I’d be happy to share my experiences, such as they are, with others.

In the past I’ve replaced the fan motor in the ventilation system (when the bearing squeal in certain conditions became unbearable – a slightly fiddly job but fairly straightforward).

I’ve replaced the sun roof cables (when those little nylon hinges finally hardened and snapped - replacements are in die-cast metal now). As long as you can wield a small file to make the new metal blocks fit the slides, it’s quite an easy job.

I’ve done the ‘standard’ tasks of front wheel bearings, brake discs, callipers, and roll bar rubbers as well.

One job I wouldn’t recommend, which I did on my 1972 2.4S (rather than the SC) was to replace a broken rocker arm on no. 6 cylinder, with the engine in the car – boy that was fiddly!

Charles Next month I will tell you all about how I upgraded my headlamps.

Have a wonderful Christmas…

Paul

911 Carrera 3.2

a good time at not only the Club’s main events, but also at those put on by the Regions. Some of the great Regional events we have enjoyed include R8’s TOTEM and R4’s Tour of the Wolds, but there are so many more to choose from. Fitting them into the diary can be a problem – we still haven’t made it to R18’s Porkers in the Trough yet.

One event we most certainly will be going to in 2016 is the Register Rendezvous event on September 10 at Kedleston Hall (a National Trust property in Derby). Because the Club will be provided with its own dedicated display area, we would like to put on a good show of Carrera 3.2s. So put the date in your diary, we hope to see you there. I will pass on to you any details I receive regarding the event nearer the time.

Hopefully, we will also have our WOTY to look forward to. As we have not received any alternative suggestions from you, we will probably be going to northern France once again. We will update you when the details have been finalised.

If you haven’t picked up the news elsewhere yet, the next National Event will be held over the Silverstone Classic weekend, July 29-31.

The perils of Ethanol I’ve had a look around to see what progress there has been on the increase of Ethanol in petrol, which is due in 2016. The proposal is to provide Ethanol E10 at the high street pumps in place of the current E5. This will sound the end of the use of our cars; all air-cooled models are affected. I can’t see any update yet, so I assume there is a delay – perhaps the Government is a bit busy with other important issues!

Seriously though, if you read about the effect of increased levels of Ethanol in fuel, you will see how serious this additive is as a product.

Once E10 (10 per cent Ethanol) comes in, it will leave us without suitable fuel to use. This is a fact confirmed by Porsche AG (see our column in August PP).

If you are travelling in Europe, where they already sell both, you can see the E content clearly marked at the pump, so check before filling.

Why the fuss? Ethanol works as a solvent.

It can flush the debris from tanks and pipes which can cause possible blockages in the fuel system (pump, pipes, injectors etc.). It evaporates faster than petrol, absorbs moisture, and also has a corrosive effect on some components like plastics, seals and metals.

So take precautions, and be aware that Ethanol can cause a fuel leak with catastrophic consequences when it is in the vicinity of exhausts and electrics. I suggest carrying a good fire extinguisher – a friend lost his beloved early 1970s, one owner, VW Beetle to an engine fire.

Thing to do…

Here are a couple of things that you can do whilst there is less going on in the calendar:

Register Secretary Steve and Sue Edwards 020 8366 7770 911carrera32@porscheclubgb.com Technical Advisor Charles Marsland 01732 848323 Looking back and looking forward…

If you enjoyed the 2015 Club’s event calendar half as much as we did, then you must have had

Log onto the Club website...

There are some great new features, and it is well worth a look if you haven’t been online lately. After logging in, enter My Profile to check and update your details held by the Club. There are one or two items that you can’t change yourself, so please contact Club office to get these corrected if they are out of date or incorrect.

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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REGISTERS

911 SC

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Member’s car out and about in Europe This month we feature the 3.2 belonging to Nick Law “I just thought I would send a couple of pictures of our 3.2 Carrera Targa, taken during the recent Club’s Factory Trip.

“We covered over 2,300 miles and the car never missed a beat – in fact it loved it! We were awarded the title of ‘Best Dressed Car during the trip, which was quite a compliment, considering there were some serious beasts in the group of about 23 cars’.

Nick

Thanks Nick. As I said at beginning of this column, there is so much choice available through the Club activities, and it sounds as if you had a wonderful experience on one of them.

Excellent news to hear you are driving the car as intended, just the sort of holiday Sue and I enjoy, especially if it includes a bit of open autobahn.

I’m sure you have also discovered that you can have tremendous fun with the 3.2 on the country roads whilst driving at slower speeds, especially if there are some hairpin bends involved.

964

REGISTERS

Join the Display Register All members have the option of joining the Display Register. This will put you in line for magazine shoots and other promotional requests.

This month, the Display Register was on the lookout for a black Targa to support a Vogue shoot. Perhaps you would like your car to be considered for future requests? If so, get in touch with Mac and Sue at: (display@porscheclubgb.com) and apply to be added to the Register.

Register Secretary David Bladon 07771 194507 – 964@porscheclubgb.com Register Assistant David Moulton-Bark 07775 821715 davidmoultonbark@googlemail.com

Our car Our car had its last outing in mid-November, so it is now well into its winter hibernation (see November PP). I may try to use it a couple of times this winter when the local roads are dry, but I wont be going far, that will have to wait until spring. Fortunately, our local road doesn’t tend to get salted so it can provide us and our car with some ‘exercise’.

Hibernation tips OK, so winter is here and the majority of us will be taking our cars off the road for a couple of months, maybe longer if the long view forecasts are true. Some things are worth doing before you park it up.

• Change the oil and filter. Why? Because the oil at the end of a year’s driving will have become polluted with acids and carbon; • Fill the tank to the top. This stops the inside of the tank rusting; • Inflate the tyres to the maximum allowed, mine are at 50psi. This will stop the tyres forming a flat spot; • Wash the car and then wax it, but don’t polish it. Leaving the wax on will form a protective coating.

I’d like to sign off this month by saying “Congratulations” to Geraint Evans for retaining the Porsche Club Speed Championship in his Carrera 3.2.

Sue and I wish you all a “Happy new year” – we look forward to seeing you at an event in 2016!

Steve and Sue

Member’s Car This summer I attended an Open Day at Seagrave Mansion, on the hill overlooking Berkswell village. It was a fine day with a good turn out and a splendidly prepared table of succulent foods catered for by Paul’s wife Barbara.

911 Carrera Club Sport Register Secretary Alan Cordery 01798 344481 alan_cordery@yahoo.co.uk

Photo by Andy Borg

Outside the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart

Nearing the top of the Grossglockner Pass in Southern Germany

At Seagrave Mansion

During the early afternoon I stumbled upon Maurice Gale and his wife, who had arrived in their 964. After the introductions I was soon made aware that Maurice had bought this car new, something of a rarity these days. It was very nicely preserved and obviously cherished, here’s what he had to say: “I trained as an aircraft designer and during the latter part of my training the company sent me to Germany to see how they did things there.

This was in 1965, and as part of my visit they sent me for two days to the Mercedes factory, and another two days to the Porsche factory in Stuttgart. So I got to watch some of the early 911s being built. There were some 912s there too, as well as a couple of 901s. As a result of this visit I promised myself that one day I would own a Porsche. But it was many years later before I was able to afford one.

“Unfortunately, when I finished my apprenticeship, the Labour government of the day cancelled all the aviation projects in the pipeline, such as TSR2, the supersonic version of the Harrier, and a vertical take-off cargo plane, so I ended up in IT for the rest of my working life.

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Maurice Gale and his wife and their Carrera 2 Cabriolet

I think look a lot nicer, though I’ve retained the original wheels.

“Naturally I’ve got a large folder with a record of every time a spanner was used on the car, plus all the old MOTs. “The only problem I’ve ever had is that its handling started playing up one day, and scared the ‘living daylights’ out of me because I thought it was going to spin out of control. I phoned the PC in Sutton Coldfield and told them the problem and that it was only happening on a right hand bend. They told me to check the petrol cap. Well that’s what it was, I’d not screwed it down tightly and, with a full tank, it was spilling out and falling over the left front wheel.”

Maurice

“My car is a Carrera 2 Cabriolet, in Guards Red, with black leather upholstery and red piping.

It was registered on August 1, 1990. Guards Red was a popular colour in the ’90s, and for me it was the only colour to have.

“It’s amazing what values they go for nowadays. I saw one advertised on Pistonheads for £50k, though I don’t know whether he sold it for that much. I might go to the Silverstone Auction to see what values they’re actually going for.

“I average less than 1k miles a year, partly because I’ve always had a company car, and with free petrol and the Porsche buried at the back of the garage, it was always easier to use the company car. So it’s only done just over 16k miles in 25 years – it just has the occasional blast around the country lanes. I have never taken it away on holidays, nor taken it to visit its birthplace.

“The only changes I’ve made to the car is replacing the D90s for some Cup wheels, which

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Well it’s in lovely condition Maurice and I hope you’ll get to drive it a bit more.

Below is a sequence of photos of me doing exactly the same as Maurice – a pirouette at Quarry, Castle Combe, when I also failed to securely tighten my petrol cap. Luckily I kept it on the track, mostly: There are plenty of dinners taking place, both before and after Christmas, so I hope you all enjoy the festivities. See you next year…

David

964 Carrera RS Register Secretary Melvin Spear 07860 595355 – 964rs@porscheclubgb.com

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

993 Register Secretary Maurice Piper 01981 258496 mauricepiper@btinternet.com Register Assistant Christian Sanger 07968503385 cjsanger@gmail.com This month, Christian reports on how he investigated a persistent water leak on a Targo.

Finding a leak…

After last month’s talk of suspension and gearbox trouble, I’ve got stuck into a job many specialists seem to shy away from – a leaking 993 Targa!

Following some attempts to improve the water tightness of the roof in the past, by persons unknown, there was evidence of a historical water leak that, I surmised, went back many years. Attempts had been made to fix it with beads of what appeared to be clear bathroom silicone sealant placed in all sorts of places.

Not one of the actual rubber seals seems to have been changed.

The first job was to replace all of these seals because they were nearly 20 years old and becoming misshapen, not to mention that the bonding was coming apart and had been damaged by previous untrained hands.

Water was coming in from at least two or three locations, and had completely destroyed the foam sound deadening panels under all four removable carpets. During a water test with the hose, and with the engine running, nothing much appeared to be dripping inside after fifteen minutes or so of careful spraying. However, when I introduced some water to the trailing edge of the roof glass (where the rear window meets the body shell above the engine lid), the rear window steamed up within a few seconds! The cold water entering above the rear parcel shelf was being heated from underneath by the running engine, hence fogging up the window.

Removing the rubber seam trim between the roof assembly and the body around the rear revealed what looked to be corrosion. I suspect that the bonding between the roof assembly and the body has lost its seal. It looks like the complete roof assembly will have to be removed.

The owner had tried to get several different automotive glazing companies interested in removing and resealing the rear window, but without success – one of which claims to be a 993 glazing expert (I’ve now moved them down my list of recommended organisations, if they’re not prepared to take on this challenge).

In an attempt to dry out the interior completely it soon became clear that a significant amount of water was being retained by the sponge beneath the rear seating and carpet area, with no real way of providing a route for it to get out – litres of it emerged every time you squeezed the carpet below the rear seat wells. It had to be removed or else the dampness would remain for years to come and would, no doubt, accelerate the corrosion of the floor pan.

The only way to accurately identify all of the leaks on this car was to remove the complete interior, plus the trim surrounding the underside of the glass roof, so that the water entry point

Christian

Event for 2016 will take place at Silverstone.

It will form part of the Silverstone Classic, with the Porsche Experience Centre being utilised.

Also, an event not to be missed will be the Register Rendezvous, to be held at Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire on September 10 – so make sure it’s in your diary.

Register members in print David Smith I was contacted recently by 2005 Turbo S owner David Smith. David has owned his Turbo for two years. It has been modified by the addition of: a Milltec exhaust; Forge intercoolers; reprogrammed ECU; and KW fully adjustable suspension with nose lift.

It now gives out 515bhp.

This is David’s seventh 911, with his previous Porsches including a 964RS 3.8 and a GT3. The Turbo’s stablemate is a lovely 1975 2.7 911S, (see photo). They make a great pair, so different but unmistakeably 911.

David lives just south of La Rochelle in France and is a member of three car clubs. As most of you will know, the roads in that area are far less congested than back in the UK, making the driving a far more pleasurable experience. He just has the problem of deciding which one to use.

David Smith’s 2005 Turbo S

Peter Lightbown’s C4 and 987 Boxster

Don’t forget, if you would like an image of your 996 (and preferably yourself with it) published in this column, please e-mail me a photo together with a few words.

996 technical issues Please keep your 996 technical questions coming through, via e-mail, to myself or Gary Sorrell (gary.sorrell@porschecolchester.co.uk). You can also use the forum to put questions to Richard Hamilton.

Lastly, 2016 is just around the corner and I would like to wish all members and their families, a very merry Christmas and a happy new year, and I look forward to meeting up at an event soon.

Andy

Diary Dates January 3 Sunday Brunch Scramble, Bicester Heritage January 14-17 Autosport International February 18-21 London Classic Car Show March 6 Cornbury House Open Day

997 Register Secretary Clive White 07831 257042 – 997@porscheclubgb.com Technical Assistant Alan Stoneham 07803 237610 - alan_stoneham@hotmail.com

The interior minus the trim! Floor pans still good despite years of water ingress

993 Carrera RS Register Secretary Paul Howells 01594 833238 993rs@porscheclubgb.com

996 Register Secretary Andy Willis 07775 138527 – 996@porscheclubgb.com November Officials’ Conference Early November saw me take a trip to Cornbury House for the Officials’ Conference. The Club is doing exceptionally well and the future looks very promising, with the membership increasing, and the finances in a healthy state.

We were given data regarding the usage of the Club’s website and forum, and I’m pleased to say the 996 section was high up on the list. It is the first place I would advise any member to look at if they are in need of help or advice. If you have any trouble using the site please get in touch.

As you have no doubt read, the Club’s National

David Smith’s 1975 911S 2.7 – the 996’s stablemate

Peter Lightbown Peter has been a Club member since 2006, and has recently purchased this 2000 Carrera 4 to use as his daily driver; his experience, in his own words so far, is brief: “I love it”.

Peter is also fortunate in owning a 987 Boxster, so he has the pleasure of open air motoring.

Keeping your car on the road during the winter I already have touched on some tips for laying up your car over winter, but one of the beauties of owning a 997 is you can drive it all year round.

Keeping your vehicle well maintained is important at any time of year, doubly so in winter.

So here are few brief tips, just to remind you what’s needed for safe and trouble-free motoring during the next few months: Car Battery – creates more trouble than anything else at this time of year. Lights, heaters, and demisters all place an extra strain on the electrical systems. If the car is used intermittently, keep the battery charged. There are some great smart chargers around, that you can keep plugged in without damaging your battery. If the battery is old and suspect, get it tested, and if it is dodgy fit a new one. There’s nothing worse than being stranded in the middle of nowhere with a flat battery!

Coolant – make sure the coolant is between the minimum and maximum markers. There should also be sufficient Porsche Long Life anti-freeze in the coolant. If you are uncertain, have the strength tested at your PC. Anti-freeze is cheap, but damage to an engine that’s frozen can be very expensive indeed.

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can be located before it disappears behind the carpet and ends up in the foot well as a pond!

This is quite a task, because the glue used to secure the carpet is of the industrial contact adhesive kind (I’m quite sure that if you had enough of it cured, you could lift the car off the ground with it).

I haven’t quite finished making sure where the water is coming in yet, but I will be able to come to a final conclusion when I’ve completed the task. I’ll leave you with a few pictures of the work in progress.

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Most PCs offer a winter vehicle check at a very low cost. Get them to put your car on the ramps and check the underside. Having a loose under tray scraping along the road in a cold, wet and windy location, many miles from anywhere, is not much fun.

I hope this helps you face the winter months more comfortably and safely.

Events I can’t help it, but a sense of despair always moves in as the clocks go back. Maybe it’s the lack of daylight hours, the prospect of weeks of bad weather, or the fact that most of the White family’s major disasters over past few years seem to happen in November. So it’s always pleasing, once we’ve passed the winter solstice and an air of optimism returns – spring can’t be so far behind. Until then, we have some Register events to cheer us up and see us through the worst.

Visit to Lotus Last month, our Register visited Lotus for a conducted tour around the assembly plant.

Many of us had travelled a long way (it was a 700-mile round trip for me), so I was pleased it turned out well and proved to be a worthwhile excursion. In spite of one or two late dropouts, 32 of us finally made it to Hethel (in rural Norfolk) where we were warmly welcomed, provided with some Lotus hospitality (tea and biscuits) and then split up into three groups, each starting in a different part of the factory.

The guide for our small party was Gus Munday, a former Lotus dealer, who proved to be good-humoured and extremely informative.

I must say, after seeing the hustle and bustle

REGISTERS

Tyres – check tyre condition to see if there is adequate tread. Look for damage such as splits or bulges and check the pressures. Think about fitting winter tyres. There are several N-rated makes available, and the PCs often offer great winter tyre and wheel deals at this time of year (they will store your summer tyres too). Remember, at temperatures at (or below) 7 degrees C, winter tyres offer considerable benefits and they’re a big improvement when driving on muddy and slushy roads. If you are in a snow prone area, it’s a good idea to get some decent snow socks or chains as well, for greater traction and control.

Screenwash – keep the bottle topped up, and add a Porsche-approved screen wash to keep the concentration up for cold conditions.

Not all screen wash products are the same, so look for the temperature it protects down to.

Look for protection down to minus 10 degrees C, or minus 20 degrees C in really cold areas.

Wiper Blades – check wiper blades for damage and replace where necessary. It’s easy to damage wiper blades when they become frozen, so carrying a spare driver’s side blade is useful.

Windscreen – keep the screen clean.

Take some wipes and cleaner along with you.

You can remove traffic film very successfully by wiping the screen with some old detailing clay bar that may be left over from the summer shine. There are all types of fancy glass cleaners on the market, but personally I just use a 99p spray bottle of white vinegar from my local ironmonger. Seems to work OK and you can put it on your chips too, if you like.

Our merry band at Lotus

of the Porsche factory at Zuffenhausen, the Lotus equivalent seemed positively soporific.

The buildings are quite extensive and there are apparently around 700 workers employed there (but certainly not on the day we were attended), so it’s rather surprising they produce only 14 cars a day. Maybe the new model and more buoyant sales will increase the levels of activity. You can find a report and more photographs in the News section of the Register on the Club website.

Christmas Party Took place on December 5, and will be reported on in the next edition. It’s usually a good bash and a chance to let our hair down in a convivial atmosphere without worrying about the drive home afterwards. And, with new knees in place, I might have been tempted onto the dance floor!

Spring Drive As you can see from the calendar, the Spring Drive next year is scheduled for April 1-3 and will once again take place in the ‘Lord’s own country’ – north Devon. It will be officially announced next month and you can make your reservations then – keep an eye on the forum.

As 2016 approaches we would like to hear from you with suggestions for events, tours or other activities. So please get in touch.

Personnel change Following our Spring Tour, Alan will be leaving us as our Technical Assistant and taking up the new challenge of Regional Organiser for R15.

I hope we shall still see him at some of our 997 events – he remains the proud owner of a Guards Red Turbo. My sincere thanks to him and his partner Marion for all the help they have given me and the Register over the past three years. We wish them both well as they

embark on this new role within the Club.

This now means there’s a vacancy, and a chance for somebody to step up to the plate and help develop the Register further. We have over 1,100 members, and are extremely lucky in that there is always a great support for our events. I need someone to share the load of keeping the Register fresh and ticking over – and hopefully bring in some new ideas.

You don’t have to be based in the West Country either. In fact it may be useful to have someone further afield in order to give us another dimension – we are a national Register after all.

So if you are interested, please let me know – no commitment at this stage.

Club’s Digital Media Platform Please log in and check out our section of the website, and let us know what you think.

Any suggestions for things you’d like to see in there would be most welcome.

Our Register’s new mailing system depends on having the correct information.

So please check yours is up-to-date. You can do this by clicking on ‘My Profile’. In particular, please make sure your e-mail address is correct so we can keep in touch with you.

If you have any problems with updating your details, please contact Chris at: membership@porscheclubgb.com If you’ve ungraded to another model, you may still receive communications from your previous Register. This is a glitch that IT is aware of and is being worked on.

If you would like your car featured in the Members’ Cars gallery, just send the picture to me and I’ll make sure it gets posted up.

A small size, mobile phone-type photo is fine for the gallery, but I really need a full sized one (at least 1Mb) for it to be used in Porsche Post.

Also, log in to the 997 forum on the Club’s website for the latest news on events and to exchange information with other 997 experts

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New Members’ Cars

REGISTERS Andrew Cranston’s 2011 C4S Cabriolet PDK

Tony Cummings’ C4 GTS

Members’ Badges and Twitter Get your free 997 Register windscreen badge from me. Join us on Twitter (https:/twitter.com/ pcgb_997) for breaking news Finally, on behalf of Alan and myself, may I take this opportunity of wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. Thank you for making 2015 another great year, and for your support throughout for our events.

Safe motoring in 2016 and enjoy your 997s.

Clive and Alan

Diary Dates May 19-22 Santander (Spain) Supercar Festival and Pyrenees Tour Provisional.

August 21 – Beaulieu Supercar Showdown Provisional.

991 Register Secretary Phil Graham 01625 524596 991@porscheclubgb.com The recent Officials’ Conference was only my second visit to Cornbury House and, as well as the satisfaction of being involved at national level, it was also a very pleasant social evening at the overnight venue the Redesdale Arms. There were mutterings about the opportunities within the Registers with accompanying glances in my direction and more hints in the Register Director’s presentation at the conference.

The Chairman, Regional Director and Register Director accepted the invitation to R5’s November Club Night at Porsche Centre Wilmslow the following Wednesday. Full of praise for a successful event, they caught me unawares and I finally agreed to be the 991 Register Secretary.

I have been an active member of Region 5 since 2000, but my Porsche ownership started in 1987 and there have only been a couple of years since then without a 911. I have owned a 1987 4 speed Turbo, a 1989 5 speed Turbo, a 1990 Carrera 4Targa, a 1997 993 Turbo 4 and finally a 991 50th Anniversary model in Geyser Grey. I still have the

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993 which I bought in 2000. After buying a 996 Cabriolet for my wife a few years ago, she now fully supports my role in the Club with her recently acquired 997 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet.

In the early noughties I declined the role of RO and my involvement did not start until 2008 when I began assisting Barry Dolton. On Barry’s retirement I once again turned down RO but agreed to be a member of the R5 Committee which now has eight members who share the organisation of the Region.

I am heavily involved in the Region with tasks including, events, treasurer, liaison with P C Wilmslow and storing and transporting R5’s equipment all of which I will continue doing. I am hoping to follow in Peter Webb’s footsteps and continue his hard work. He will be a difficult act to follow, but I will give it my best shot.

It is a great time to take over from Peter with the 991 Gen 2 imminent and I am eager to get my hands on one to compare with my own car.

Staff at PC Wilmslow are very enthusiastic about it, having recently returned from the training days at Silverstone. The general opinion is that it is almost a new model rather than a face lift, with a milestone 3-litre turbo engine, a redesigned PDK, a superb twin clutch manual gearbox and an up to date PCM with technology way beyond me. There are many more improvements and it is a relief that the 911 is even better.

PC Wilmslow’s launch evening is on Monday December 7 and, if you haven’t had an invitation, please contact me if you would like to join us.

Events to note Initially, the 991 Register will be invited to join Region 5 on events in which I am directly involved. I have some ideas for a three to four day trip for 2016, but I would love to see a 991 presence at Portmeirion for the Sunday lunch and possible overnight stay.

There are still some rooms available and if you have not visited before it is a truly magical place. The Welsh roads on this trip are superb and I am hoping PC Wilmslow will lend me a new 991 to do a full road test for this event. Perhaps some of you could request the same from your Centres? Full details for Portmeirion can be found in R5’s column or on the website and you can contact me directly.

Gawsworth Classic Car Show on the Bank Holiday Monday May 2 usually attracts a good turnout and it would be nice to have a 991 display there.

930 (911 Turbo) Register Secretary John Ward 01844 237508 911turbo@porscheclubgb.com An important new acquisition Back in 1988, Performance Car magazine featured, what was at that time, the fastest Porsche that they had ever tested. It was a white DS935 Coupé that had been built for the boss by John Greasley’s Dage Sport concern, which later became G Force Motorsport. In fact, Tony Wright, the 930 Register technical guru, had a lot to do with the build of the car itself, and the subsequent rebuilds of the five-speed gearbox.

I’ve had a copy of that magazine since new, and occasionally wondered what had happened to the car itself. It wasn’t the first DS935 that Dage built, but it was possibly the best known, and certainly the quickest.

To cut a long story short, a couple of months ago I got a tip off indicating where that car might be – and indeed it was. Not in the greatest of shape, but most certainly (in my opinion) a worthwhile project. It’s landing in my garage (or my neighbour’s – thanks to Kevin and Gillie), just in time for Christmas!

Best wishes for Christmas and the new year, John and Penny

914

Silverstone Classic July 29-31 will be the ultimate gathering of 991’s in 2016.

Gold Cup Oulton Park Aug 28-29 is Region 5’s big event of the year with enough dedicated parking to include a good show for the 991 Register.

Best Wishes for Christmas and the new year.

Phil Graham

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

Register Secretary Kevin Clarke 07946 080454 – 914@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Rob Taylor 07900 164546 – rt9146@hotmail.co.uk International Events Co-ordinator Bruce Manning 07887 380914 porsche@brucemanning.co.uk At Brooklands and Silverstone At the end of October, a last minute get-together happened when four 914s attended the Brooklands Breakfast Meet for an early morning drive. The day started off overcast, but before long the sun was out. We all enjoyed watching the classics drive up the test hill, and there was a moment when a ‘senior gentleman’, driving a Ford Popular, looked like he wasn’t going to make it to the summit. However, to the onlookers relief,

997 Carrera 4S (X51 Pack) Atlas Grey 2007 £30,995

911 Carrera 3.2 Targa Black 1986 £54,995

997 Carrera 4S Coupe Arctic silver 2005 £29,995

he did, and got a big round of applause when he reached the top.

Unfortunately, all the 914 attendees missed the briefing – we were too busy enjoying breakfast – so were unable take part this time.

I’m sure there will be another chance.

REGISTERS

930 Turbo SE Register Secretary Robert Day 07786 396925 (evenings) slantnose@porscheclubgb.com Autumn leaves at the Monte Carlo stage start in Bar-Sur-Aube

924 Carrera GT

Above Lac Du Bourget and Aix-Les-Bains

Register Secretary Ricky Caesar 07796 935550 924carreragt@porscheclubgb.com

Somewhere in this picture of the Brooklands Breakfast Meeting are four 914s

Don’t forget to get your 914 out on New Year’s Day and join the 914s that attend the Brooklands New Year’s Day gathering. Over 600 classics turn up and park around the museum. I can’t think of a better way to start off 2016 than by driving your classic pride and joy to a car meeting.

After enjoying the breakfast, I headed off to Silverstone to attend the Porsche Auction, where two of the lots were 914s. I noted that I wasn’t the only 914 owner attending. As I was making my way across the car park, another 914 pulled in. It was Angus Watt in his black ’76. There was much interest in the two 914 lots, but when it came for their time to be sold, the bids were very reasonable, but didn’t achieve the reserve.

One of the 914s at the Silverstone Porsche Auction

November Sun Run Dan and Amanda Schnurr have again completed the November Sun Run in their 914 GT. The first time they competed was in November 2013. It was covered in the March 2014 edition of PP, with a great photo on the front cover.

This time the number of competitors was up to around 70. The route initially took them from Champagne, through the Haut Rhin, to Alsace.

The second day included a tour of the Jura mountains before stopping for the night at the Peugeot Museum in Sochaux. During the third day, the route took them south, through the Jura and then Vaud mountains, before a two-night stop at Aix-Les-Bains. The final day included a tour of Haute Savoie.

The rally was a little more competitive this year, including a 356, 911, the 914 GT, two 944s, plus the usual contingent of Minis, MGBs and other historic rally cars.

The run home produced an interesting ‘issue’.

Some 120km south of Paris, an overloaded relay board caused smoking wires near the front interior fuse box, a sudden death of the fuel

Navigator stops for a break on the D911

pump, and alternately lifting front headlights.

Dan managed to cool everything down; and by disconnecting the heater fan in the engine bay, and running with side lights, they made it back to Dieppe for the Newhaven ferry. The issue has since been diagnosed as an overload to the voltage regulator and relay board; caused by the high wattage of the rally specification headlights and additional spots on the bonnet.

They would like to thank Redcastle Classics in Caerphilly, and Luccombe Garage in Bristol, who again assisted with the rally preparation.

They are now both looking forward to several 914 and local Regional events in 2016.

As this edition of PP should land on your doormat just before Christmas, I’m taking this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and looking forward to seeing you all out and about in your 914s in 2016.

Happy Fourteening…

Kevin

I would also like to take the opportunity to wish my fellow 924 Carrera GT owners a merry Christmas & prosperous new year.

Diary Dates January 1 New Years Day Classic Car Gathering, Brooklands Museum May 1 Stanford Hall VW Show Please let me know if you would like to display your 914 on the Register parking area.

May 27-29 International 914 Meeting 2016 in Siegen, Germany (www.914-siegerland.de)

924 except GT Register Secretary Paul Hedges 07940 441452 (6-10pm) 924@porscheclubgb.com

924 Carrera GTP restoration project It was approximately 10.30am on September 6, at Castle Hedingham, when one of the guys from Porsche Cars GB decided to inform me of a restoration project which would be coming from the museum – but he swore me to secrecy.

Three months later I received a personal email from Porsche Cars inviting me, as Register Secretary, to the Porsche Experience Centre, at Silverstone, to attend the unveiling of the aforementioned restoration project – 924 GTP, car no. 2, which was entered for the 1980 24-hour Le Mans, driven by Tony Dron and Andy Rouse, who were in attendance.

On arrival at Silverstone, I was greeted by the staff of Porsche cars. To my surprise, the chairman and secretary of the Porsche 924 Club were also invited, and I joined them for refreshments. It was also good to meet Michael Cotton, whose knowledge of Porsches is second to none.

The unveiling started with a short speech on the restoration, which will be undertaken by the four Porsche Classic Centres, starting with Leeds, where the car will be torn down and parts distributed to the relevant Centres, who I will be in contact with to do a full report on the restoration process as it progresses.

Before the unveiling and many photographs, Tony and Andy answered a lot of questions, pointing out the problems expected with a race car.

The car. What can you say? Unbelievable and amazing. It is good to see the British car, no. 2, is to be restored in the UK. Finally, I took advantage of the day and got Tony, Andy and Michael to sign my car. When Tony saw my car it reminded him of a friend’s demise in the early ’80s, but that is another story.

Ricky

928 Register Secretary David Hemmings 07768 983743 – 928@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Register Secretary Andrew Brierley 01204 491573 brierley28@virginmedia.com 928 at Brooklands in 2017…

No sooner have I wished you a happy new year for

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2016 than I bring you our first news for 2017, that’s correct 2017, – not a typing mistake. The Register has reserved May 28 in 2017 for the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the 928 at Brooklands.

We shall celebrate in style, with unlimited parking in the midst of this historic race track. We last made a visit in 2010, with over 60 cars attending, we hope to double that number in 2017.

Brooklands was awarded a massive amount in Lottery funding in 2015, and they are scheduled to have spent it just in time for our arrival! There will be many new attractions as well as the old favourites. It’s a handy place to find, just follow the signs for a couple of miles from Junction 10 of the M25. The photos below are to whet your appetites.

food and hospitality. Most importantly, it enabled us to exchange our 928 stories.

“We look forward to our return visit next year, when we hope our car values will have continued their upward price movements. The motor trade has recognised us at last – long live the 928!”

Andrew Thanks to the team My thanks, once again, to all those owners who have supported the Register in 2015, we have now exceeded 800 cars in the Register. In particular, I thank Andrew Brierley as Assistant Secretary (with his red GT), and Adrian Clark our Technical Expert (with several 928s). Adrian can solve most of those problems that come along and catch the rest of us out, especially when we are stuck in the garage with another issue to solve. We also have Mike Gibbons to thank for his help, as well as to wish him well on the way to recovery from his hip operation.

This month, and next, is the Register quiet time, so we can relax. See you in the spring, when we are aiming to visit The Coventry Motor Museum.

David

944

928s at Brooklands in 2010. The banking is a lot steeper than it looks

Oulton Park track day Last month I told you about my planned 928 track day at Oulton Park. Today, I can tell you how much fun it turned out to be. Pictures and the full story can be found by elsewhere in this edition of PP. 928UK 17th anniversary Andrew Brierley reports: “Over 30 928s made the annual pilgrimage to the Merry Miller at Cothill, near Oxford, in November. It was dry and sunny, but very cold with signs of the first snow of the winter, but thankfully no gritting lorries to coat the underside of our cars with their particular type of winter fuel.

Many of the 928s had travelled from far and wide.

The prize for the longest journey being awarded to Brian Butterworth from Preston, who made the 400-mile round trip in his Metallic Blue S4.

“The 928UK website and mailing list is a great source of information for both owners, and prospective owners. On this occasion, four of the seven founder members from 1998 were present – Andy Elvers, Angus Fox, Julian Macedo and myself. Andy hosted the mailing list and website for the first two years. Angus followed and has done a sterling job ever since. His work has been of great assistance to 928 owners. At the meeting, a special mention was made of Julian, who in 1998 drew the silhouette of a 928, used as the 928UK logo. It is amazing how few and such simple lines capture the now iconic shape of the 928. In appreciation of providing us with the iconic 928UK logo, Julian was presented with a plate bearing his sketch.

“The Merry Miller was an excellent venue for the meeting, providing us with excellent parking,

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Register Secretary Paul McNulty 07971 832780 – 944@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Register Secretary Andy Watson 07920 589750 (6-9pm Mon-Fri and 9am-6pm weekends) andywatson6419@yahoo.co.uk Technical Advisor Jon Mitchell technical@jmgporsche.co.uk 01202 488800 (during normal working hours) Merry Christmas This edition of Porsche Post should arrive around Christmas time, so may I wish you all a very happy Christmas and new year.

Because winter has finally arrived, the following article on tyre choices is very timely. Many thanks to Tref Willingham for sending it to me.

Tyres There is no shortage of advice on tyres. However, I know many of us prefer anecdotal evidence to back up the advice – what may apply to some people may not to others, so to be able to take the information in context is useful. Let me say it now, I am no tyre expert; my only qualification is many miles travelled in a 944 – probably getting on for 400k – and hence a lot of tyres!

Of course, my requirements are very different to most people currently running a 944 – I need them to last! I can live without the ‘nth degree’ of stickiness, because the car is never going to go near a race-track (OK, it has several times, but it wasn’t ever expected to be competitive).

I also need them to work well in rain, snow, and anything else the weather and roads can throw at them (potholes and gravel mainly).

So what can anyone else learn from my experiences? Well, I have a ‘garage queen’ as well (also a 944). Because of this, I am in a privileged position. Any new parts go on the garage queen

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

first, and then the parts not suitable for the ‘garage queen’ are filtered down to my day-to-day car, including tyres.

New Pirellis…

Most people despise the old Pirellis which 944s were originally fitted with. I love them! They last for ages – in excess of 30k miles. They’re not the stickiest though are they? A while ago I had those infamous Pirellis taken off my ‘garage queen’ and new Pirellis fitted. At the time the tyres were about three years old, but had covered less than one thousand miles. I drove the car out with the old tyres, then back with the new, otherwise identical, tyres – the difference was like day and night.

Really we shouldn’t be surprised, but I suspect this may affect an awful lot of people. Certainly when talking to our technical adviser, Jon Mitchel, about this, he mentioned he had a car come in with a handling problem, and then he found that the tyres were more than just a few years old.

I think if people tried fresh Pirellis, a lot more would like them.

Winter tyres…

Winter tyres are a topical subject at the moment.

Again, fewer people might be considering them for a 944. Typically, the thought is: “Put them on for the winter, and take them off for the summer”.

Fine for the first two years (OK, possibly much longer if you don’t use them as much as I do).

But do you really want to go into a winter with only a few mm of tread left? With this in mind, at the end of the second winter, I took the decision to leave them on the car, and at least get a couple of extra months out of them. They easily lasted the whole summer, and they were certainly comparable to other conventional tyres I have used, if not better. I know the advice in Germany is that, if you cannot afford to run two sets of tyres, run winters. I would say it is good advice. Once the tread gets down they are as susceptible to standing water as any tyre – they’re not a miracle fix, but they certainly are better on cold roads.

Tyre sizes It also depends upon what you want from the car – not just in terms of what suits the model. For most people the 944 is for fun. Again, talking to Jon Mitchell, (and indeed he has written an article on his website on this very subject), his advice is that if we are looking to enjoy the performance of the car, and explore its limits, it would be a lot safer, and fun even, if we were to lower the limits with narrower tyres. Porsche publish a range of permissible tyre sizes for the older cars, including smaller as well as larger.

I have access to smaller size tyres (that really could do with being worn out before they get too old). Again there are potential advantages, especially in poorer road conditions. But what about in the dry? In truth, in use on the road, even with ‘spirited’ driving, I really cannot tell the difference in handling. To date the only difference I have really seen is that on a damp road the smaller sizes are much more likely to spin when trying to get away quickly from a standing start – I guess some people might enjoy that too! Around corners, the safety margin you have to leave on the road masks any difference there might be, wet or dry.

Mismatched tyres However, it did remind me of something far more significant; that I believe is a 944 trait. Years ago,

REGISTERS

If you are a new member who would like to say hello, or you are a member who has a Boxster story or a technical question or advice to share with us, then please do get in touch. Also, don’t forget that you can update the details of your car on the Club website, and if you have a photo of your car that you would like to display in our website gallery, then please send it over to me and I will get it posted.

Happy new year and happy Boxstering…

Panamera Register Secretary Steve McPherson 07831 346060 panamera@porscheclubgb.com

GT3

May 2016 offer you a peaceful, prosperous and successful motoring year. Best wishes…

Geoff

Porsche Tractor

Tracy

Diary Dates As we start planning for another year here are just a few dates from our main Club events calendar to whet your appetite.

February 18-21 London Classic Car Show at the Excel April 10 PCGB AGM April 15-17 FIA World Endurance Championship, Silverstone June 5 PCGB Annual BBQ, Cornbury House July 29-31PCGB National Event at the Silverstone Classic

Cayman Register Secretary Kevan Sutherns 07733 318671 cayman@porscheclubgb.com I trust that all members have had a good Christmas with family and friends, and are hopefully now sliding smoothly into a prosperous new year.

Register Day and more At the end of November I received an email from Ken Coad inviting us to his 2016 Register Day, and confirms that it is set for September 10 at Kedleston Hall, which is not far off the A38, to the north of Derby – about as central as it is possible for members to meet up.

This is plenty of warning, thus enabling Cayman Register members to plan ahead by finding an excuse to get away for a day or two with their wives, or girlfriends, or boyfriends, or partners, or mates etc.

In addition, I am looking into organising a Cayman Register drive on the following day (Sunday September 11), for those who elect to stay over on the Saturday night. This will, of course, be subject to Club rules (however they stand at that time). I am unsure of the number of participants permitted. Nevertheless we can start a list in the new year and allow it to build during the year, and when I know just who of those listed will be in attendance, we can ensure that Club rules and legalities are satisfied.

I expect this to be a social event rather than a fast road drive. Derbyshire has a lot of well-policed 50mph roads, so we will plan it around meeting mid-morning and driving to a good lunch stop, probably in the Peak District, followed by a drive, at the end of which we will al disperse for our returns home.

Happy new year…

Kevan 110

(plus a brief description.) The jpeg format would be quite suitable.

Submissions will be taken as your approval for consideration as to any possible future use by the Club website.

Register Secretary Alex Drobik 01628 620702 gt3@porscheclubgb.com

Speedster

Register Secretary John Hearn 01206 210553 or 01206 793536 (W)

Modified Register Secretary James Kirk 01252 710479/715185 speedster@porscheclubgb.com

Cayenne Register Secretary Geoff Budd 01305 889280 cayenne@porscheclubgb.com It’s electronic communication now…

At this end of the year, the pace of life accelerates considerably, particularly in relation to activities and events associated with the festive season. There is the never-ending Christmas card list, enabling a postal exchange of our greetings. Communicating in this fashion has remained fairly static despite the recent advance in technology. True, there are various e-cards on the market, but the ‘pigeon post’ method still seems to be the foremost in use and by choice. The physical receipt of cards appears preferred to the electronic versions.

However, it is via email that you may well have received, recently, versions of the new Mailchimp notices from our Register and possibly from your Region too. This means of communicating from the Club will become more of the norm. We shall seek an informative professional approach, and will learn more as the scheme develops – with more ‘trial ‘ than ‘error’ hopefully in future.

Some members, however, may not have had any recent e-contact – which could indicate that our current email address list is incomplete, or not up-to-date. Please check your e-contact details and advise me of any error, so that it can be centrally amended. on the membership list .

Should you wish not to receive any emails in this fashion, please alert me so that I can adjust this accordingly on the database.

One of the features of the new format is the ability to include photographs in our section of the website. Currently we have Keith Titchmarsh’s lovely GT 957 model heading the Cayenne News. It is however my intention to build a Cayenne Photo Gallery – a sort of visual list of Register members’ ‘pride and joys’. Thus, should your Christmas present list include a digital camera, iPad, or iPhone, then try it out by sending me examples of your photographic expertise showing your car

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

Register Secretary Desmond Sturdee 07768 814264 (9am-9pm) modified@porscheclubgb.com Technical Advisor Ian Heward ian@porscheshop.co.uk Register Assistant Peter Bell 07956 556992 Peter@P101tv.com Ian Heward and his 24-hour BritCar creation Having not put pen to paper (metaphorically speaking) for our noble leader for some time now, it was a pleasant surprise when Des called and asked if I would wax lyrical about two of my favourite topics – Porsche project building and racing.

The completed project

The car you see above started out way back in 2010 when I was offered a 996 C4 body shell which had been replaced by an insurance company due to flood damage. Having owned a GT3 I was aware that the C4 was the basis for the factory GT3s when they were produced. So we took the shell, and it stood around for about 12 months because I had no real plans of what to do with it.

Having completed a number of high-end road car 911 projects over recent times, the guys at our shop suggested that we do a track-based bare shell, roll cage, type 911 that used some trick parts and allowed complete freedom on the concept side of things. We all agreed on creating

I hope the above proves useful to someone, and perhaps looks at tyres from a couple of different angles to the usual question “Which are the best tyres on a 944?”.

Perhaps part of the budget of running a 944 should be a fresh set of tyres every year or two, even if it doesn’t cover the miles to wear them out? Maybe this makes a softer, stickier, set a more justifiable option, if that is your thing?

Tref

968 Register Secretary Ken Coad 01923 262960 – 968@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Register Secretary Richard Warburton richard@rwarburton.com Technical Advisor Alex Eacock 01213 282225

pages in the February edition. Your comments would be appreciated.

Mileage versus value On the subject of values, one or two owners have made it known they are trying to keep their mileage as low as possible each year, because a higher mileage may affect retail values. I think this is a great pity - our cars should be used and not become ‘garage queens’.

Register Rendevous 2016 is on my agenda for get-togethers, and already I am negotiating for a rerun of an event called Register Rendezvous which, hopefully, will be on Saturday September 10, at Kedleston Hall, near Derby (which is a 800-acre, stately home with lots to see and do). I can visualise 300 or more Porsches being lined up in echelon, and very much hope that the 968 Register will be there in good numbers. This is a very advanced notice. Meanwhile, we will be at the Silverstone Classic in July and Goodwood a little later.

Those unseen bits Who has their car waxoyled underneath? I am booking my 968 into Langley Autocraft, near Kings Langley, Herts, for another good ‘going over’. It’s a great way of preserving what you don’t often look at. I try and arrange this as an annual end-of -year job.

Feedback from the Conference I attended the recent Officials’ Conference and am pleased to report that the Club is in good shape, with membership healthy and growing, and the finances looking good, and we have a couple of new additions to Club staff. The web site has been undergoing a complete revision and looks more professional.

The Club’s board has also asked us to look at our particular section of the website and to get it updated with more news and interesting stories.

Can anyone help us make it more interesting?

I do my best, but need support, so please let me know what you can offer.

Recent visit The visit to Simon Hadfield Motorsport was very interesting, but it was disappointing that so few 968 Register members turned up. Luckily, the local Region bolstered the numbers, and it was OK in the end.

Members at Simon Hadfield’s

In print Last month, the Classic and Sportscar deputy editor and photographer spent a few hours with me and my 968CS, together with a 944 and 924, for the purpose of evaluating and studying the evolution of four-cylinder frontengined Porsches, in the period mid ’80s to mid ’90s. A lot of time was taken up with photography, both on road and off.

When it came to them driving my car, I agreed. They were advised the car is insured (and valued) for £30k - it keeps going up to silly figures these days. There was no holding back, my car was driven seriously, in a ‘press on’ manner, through the gears. It impressed with its performance and road holding as we whizzed quickly through the back roads of Hampshire. The conclusion being how advanced the 968 is even today, with creature comforts and powerful performance to match.

The article, I believe, will cover five or six

Happy new year. More next month…

Ken

Boxster

REGISTERS

I had two new front tyres fitted. The car was fine before going in, awful when it came out.

I checked tyre pressures, tried different tyre pressures, and went back to the tyre dealer.

They couldn’t find anything wrong, but eventually agreed to send the tyres back to the manufacturer for analysis. They couldn’t find anything wrong with them either; but really my car felt awful – to the point I didn’t want to drive it at all. The manufacturer suggested fitting the same tyres to the back. Now I really didn’t want to throw good money after bad, but they agreed that if it didn’t cure the problem, they would refund me the money for all four tyres, so I had nothing to lose. I changed the rears to match, and much to my surprise, my car was back to handling as it should.

Since that time I have tried various combinations, front to rear. Some are OK, some are definitely not. I have never come across a car so susceptible to mismatched tyres front to rear.

One particular affect is ‘tramlining’. Now I don’t use the 17-inch wheels that call for 968 caster mounts on a 944 (which are frequently accused of causing tramlining). So it isn’t that, but believe me, you don’t need to go to 17-inch wheels to get this (unwanted) effect.

Register Secretary Tracy Wilkins 01992 450740 boxster@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Secretary Cliff Wilkins Contact details as above “Happy new year…”

As 2016 dawns, it is with great enthusiasm we look forward to celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Boxster. From its early days of the 986 2.5, to the current 981 and beyond, there has (and is) certainly been a model for every taste and requirement. Cliff and I hope that you will join us for a very special year.

Winter tips Now that the winter weather has finally arrived, there will be those of you who have their cars safely tucked away, and those who are using their cars all year round.

For those who have chosen to rest up their cars for the winter, don’t forget that a trickle charger is a very good option for your vehicle and will keep your battery in tip top condition.

These can be purchased from your Porsche Centre, or are readily available online.

For those who use their cars throughout the winter, or do not have the use of a garage, it may be worth considering a soft top cover.

These are half covers which cover your roof and windows (more on this topic below).

Probably the most obvious tip is: ‘Do check your tyre tread depths’. It is certainly worth considering winter tyres if you are going to be covering large distances. At the very least, make sure that your tyres have a decent tread on them and also make sure that your tyres are all matching ‘N0’ rated. These are readily available from your local PC. More on covers Recently, one member contacted me regarding the subject of covers. He had purchased a cover which had elastic strap fasteners. He has a dark coloured car, and due to our excessive windy weather conditions, he found that there had been a very small amount of movement in the strap area which had caused a slight friction to the paintwork.

Whilst this probably would not have been noticeable on a lighter-coloured car, he was slightly concerned that, over time, the marking would increase in severity. This type of cover is fine for shower use, or short term use, but if the car is being stored for a longer period, an alternative is needed.

After some research, he discovered a type of cover on the market that does not use strapping. Instead the cover is fixed by magnets and the edges of the cover are reinforced so as the magnets cannot damage the car. After having the cover in use for over two months now, and in that time, enduring some mighty strong winds, there is no evidence of any marks on the car caused by the cover – might be worth considering.

Your input Don’t forget that I am always on the look out for interesting stories for inclusion in this column.

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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REGISTERS

something along the lines of a light weight GT3/ Carrera Cup car, with carbon panels, radical suspension, and some basic fabrication – basically a fun car to showcase the staff’s skills.

Fast forward five years, and what started out as ‘Fun’ with a capital ‘F’ project, became anything but, and instead, ended up being quite a serious bit of kit.

Now jump back to 2011. Roll cage goes in, rear wheel wells are fabricated to accept larger rims, and the bulkhead is re-worked to integrate the cage through to the front suspension strut top mounts, to aid torsional rigidity.

Then we start saying: “How about diagonals through the foot wells, triangulations through the doors, etc. etc.” At this stage we are still building the ‘Fun’ car, remember, with no real direction; but we all have lots of ideas. So maybe it could be an air-cooled 3.8 coupled to a GT3 trans, maybe a 4-wheel drive system, maybe, maybe…, the list goes on.

Now 2012 turns a corner, and we are offered a full ex-Le Mans factory ‘flat floor’ from a good friend and customer in Bratislava, who raced in the FIA GTLM class for a number of years and was selling up his old Le Mans spares. He offered us first refusal, which was too tempting to pass up. So, not putting ‘two and two’ together, we just bought the carbon floor on a whim because it had raced at Le Mans in the 24-hour and was a nice talking point to have around the shop: “How about we offer the floor up to the shell and see how she looks?” “Good idea.” You know where this one is going now.

Around about this time we became involved with the Speed of Sight, Blind Land Speed record project for Mike Newman and his Porsche GT2.

This had come about through an old racing buddy, and now Club member, Rob Schirle, who was now running a bespoke fuel system company for the likes of NASCAR, Radical and the FIA. Rob asked if we would provide the technical support and back up vehicle for the Blind Speed record attempt, which we did and Mike got the 183mph he was chasing.

Through further discussions, Rob was now keen to develop a high tech. Porsche fuel system for GT racing, with the view to getting FIA type approval for the ethanol based E fuels that most GT championships run nowadays.

All of a sudden, the ‘Fun’ project takes a rather serious turn. We now have a flat floor, and a company wishing to develop energy efficient propulsion systems through low amperage electronics and ethanol based fuels (amongst other things).

OK, so where to go now with the 911 project?

I had been competing in endurance racing with a privately entered LMP2 team during the previous three years; so after further discussions with Rob and one or two other companies, who were also working in the greener footprint automotive field, we decided an endurance GT 911 is what we would develop and thus aim for – pretty much an ‘R and D test bed’ on wheels for anything and everything we could bolt on and off and get data from. The date was set.

March 2014 would be the year we start the track testing – a date in hindsight that would come and go very quickly with such a project.

By late 2013 we had a plan forward and an end goal. This would include a turbo-based engine (for efficiency and turbo development), a full aero development, aerospace wiring, and the latest on-board data logging system management and diagnostic electronics. To achieve this we would

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have to work with an electronics engineer and systems data analyst, LAP Engineering – this would require a lot more time and meetings to work everything out.

Two years of hard work followed; swapping and changing, measuring and dyno testing, and in May this year we finally had a car in which we could go to Bruntingthope proving ground to do some basic straight line testing. That done, we then went on to do some more serious circuit testing on the Silverstone GP circuit, and onto Rockingham on the inclined banking, with promising results.

Further to this. we now have a young driver development ethos, which has included two 20-something budding pros, Darelle Wilson and Sam Brabham, getting their hands on the wheel and doing some of the suspension and drive train testing.

To summarise, through chance meetings you never know where these things will take you and how it can open one’s eyes to what a changing world we live in today. Unlike most projects (once they are completed you are on to the next), with this, a lot of the development is constantly evolving and changing with technological needs, so the work off track is quite often more challenging than it is on track – that, I have found out first hand, is what keeps technology moving.

Engine and gearbox dry build with throttle bodies

Tank goes in

Gallery

Shell with cage and paint Cage and shell inside paint

Cage goes in

Dry build pre-paint

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

List of modifications Engine Metzger 3.6 bi-turbo; high flow intake plenum; 82mm throttle body; hybrid twin turbo chargers; bespoke exhaust system.

Transmission Six-speed sequential transmission; geared limited slip differential; single mass flywheel; AP 7.25-inch multi-plate cutch; AP hydraulic clutch system.

Chassis Full integral bespoke roll cage; AP duel bias brake system; brake pressure monitoring; AP air jack system; GT3-RSR flat floor; military spec. wiring harness.

Body/Aero GT3-RSR bumpers; GT3-RSR wings; GT3-RSR sills; GT3-R doors; GT3-R rear spoiler wing; bespoke 125mm front splitter; ZunSport radiator grills; plexi-glass windows and windscreen.

Electronics Motec M800 ECU; Motec PDM power reg.; Motec C125 dash and logger; Motec system sensors.

Suspension 3-way adjustable remote coil over dampers; H and R 2¼-inch by 6-inch competition coil springs; GT3-RSR sub-frames and uprights.

Wheels, Tyres Front wheels – 11by18 ET23; Front tyres 285.65.18; Rear wheels – 13by18 ET5; Rear tyres - 310.71.18

QUALITY PORSCHE AUTOMOBILE PANELS www.restoration-design.eu A. Plesmanlaan 24, 9615TH Kolham, Netherlands Tel: 0031 (0)50-5490085 | Fax: 0031 (0)50-5490087 | Mob: 0031 (0)6-53945104 Email: info@rescue-911.nl

REGISTERS

Display Register Secretary Mac and Sue McLeod 01253 592755 – display@porscheclubgb.com

Register happenings ‘Hens teeth’…

This month has sped past. The weather here up north has been, to say the least, a bit rough, but our search for cars has been quite a distraction from the weather. We were asked if we could find a 964 RS 3.8 for a well-known magazine. There were only 90 made, We looked, but no luck. If there are any out there, they are not in the right place.

Geoff Smale’s Supersport getting the treatment during a photoshoot for Total 911

Macan

Short notice…

Vogue magazine have asked us for a car, not just any old thing you understand, a classic, in black, and a Targa. Oh, by the way, we need it by Tuesday, and this is Friday. As I write this it is now Sunday. So far we have only found one, but unfortunately the guy who owns it works for a living and can’t just drop everything to rush to Kent, so it looks like another failure.

A nice result…

We have one really nice result though. We got Geoff Benson (from Region 7) and Total 911 together with his gorgeous Supersport, and here is his report of what happened on the day, with some pictures he was able to take himself.

The magazine is out now.

“Glen Smale, the author, travelled up the night before from mid-Wales and stayed in a hotel in Wetherby. He arrived at my house in north east Leeds at 9.30am. He travelled with me to the location chosen by the photographer, Chris Wallbank, which was near Ilkley in the Yorkshire Dales.

“After spending a couple of hours doing the static shot on the first double-page spread, and the interior shots on the second double-page spread, they concentrated on some moving shots for the next two hours. We then moved location to a remote small road for the high rear shot, with the car in the middle of the road on the last double page spread.

“On the journey back home, which took one hour, Glen tape-recorded our conversation about the car, so he could gain as much background information as possible. He also needed to ride in the car so he could report how the car behaved on the road.

“The weather was kind on September 1, when we did the shoot, but early afternoon rain was threatening. We completed the shoot in the dry, it only rained on the way home. We finally arrived home at 4pm.

“If I can offer advice to any other Club member in a similar situation, take two flasks and food, we had no food or drink all day (you can always bring it home with you if it is not used) – there are no cafés in the remote countryside. Both Glen and the photographer then headed off to London for a different shoot the next day, so needed to depart promptly.

“I have added the only two photos I took on the day, but then as a retired advertising photographer, who also worked on three car accounts, including Porsche, it was nice to stand back and watch someone else laying on

114

Register Secretary Mike Allen 07976697070 macan@porscheclubgb.com

the floor to get the shots, as I used to do in the 1970 – 1985 period, which is probably why the knees are playing up now!”

Geoff We have, though, just added another 997 in Scotland to the Register, that could come in handy one day.

Too hasty…

A friend of ours, with a nice 996 4S, changed his ‘back boxes’, thinking they were at the end of their life. He was sorely disappointed when his new ones made the car sound a bit like a Morris Oxford (some of you may not know what that is, but it is not good). So he is going to refit the ones he took off. On closer inspection they were nowhere near life expired. I admit they did need a bit of light welding, and are currently in my garage waiting for me to do that before he refits them. So anybody out there want a used pair of ‘back boxes’ (three miles on the clock) for a similar vehicle, they really make the car sound like its powered by the dreaded electricity and Morris.

The future is electric This, subtly, brings us to our next point. Porsche have given in and are about to assist in the saving of the planet, and various other sacred things, by going electric, Aargh! will we ever get asked for one of those by Total 911 for a comparison?

Will Vogue ever ask us for one for a fashion shoot, with lots of lovelies draped over it?

Our cars Apart from our everyday Gold 944, all are tucked away from the stormy weather.

Mac and Sue

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

Macan-isation As I write this I’m in the middle of moving, after 33 years in our current house. The Macan proves to be a formidable bit of kit when it comes to towing a horse box full of furniture, beds, etc., and an interior loaded up with umpteen sacks of shredded paper, destined for the recycling centre. Shredding is, indeed, a very satisfying pastime – getting rid of important-at-the-time papers from yesteryear which one wonders why we keep. At such a stressful time, the mere joy of disposal of personal papers, along with all the memories, is very therapeutic!

Two weeks into November saw the Macan loaded up with mountain bikes, mountain bikers and all their clobber, for a trip to deepest mid-Wales for the Real Ale Wobble – two days of mountain biking with beer stops. Not surprisingly the mpg dipped a bit with the non-aerodynamic bikes on the roof but, nevertheless, the Macan performed impeccably, which is more than can be said for the bikers!

2016 and all that…

Being at such a busy time I’m afraid I’ve not much more to add this month, other than to say that the dates for the workshop visit to PC Solihull, and the trip to the Champagne area (which is planned for late May and early June) will be announced in the new year, once all the festivities have subsided. So look out for a mention on the forum, and confirmation in a future edition of PP. Until then, I hope you all had a great Christmas and wish you all the best for 2016.

Happy Macan-ing…

Mike

Race Car Register Secretary Paul Ward 07894 877802 (before 9pm) 964ngt@gmail.com

CALENDAR WHAT’S ON IN 2015 AND 2016

DECEMBER 27

Pre-New Year lunch (R18)

JANUARY

16

Technical lecture at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre (R11)

16

Preston Sports and Supercars at Phantom Winger (R18)

19

Visit to Addspeed in Horsham (R29)

27

Cotswold Spring Tea Bun Run (R31)

1

Classic cars breakfast meeting (R18)

1

New Year’s Day Classic Car Gathering, Brooklands Museum (914)

1-3

2016 Southwest Tour (997)

3

Seventh Sunday Brunch Scramble, Bicester Heritage (R31)

3

Breakfast Classic Car meeting, Wrightington (R18)

9

New Year Dinner at The Noke Hotel, St Albans (R21)

6

R20 ‘On Tour’ – Pot Luck (R20)

9-10

R20 Spring Break – Ponies and Porsches (R20)

APRIL

10

New Year’s run and lunch (R1)

14-17

Autosport International

15-20 Factory Visit

16

Dinner dance (R17)

17

Bowling at Lincoln Bowl (R4)

15 -17 FIA World Eendurance Championship Silverstone

17

Post-Christmas lunch (R24)

20

Technical lecture at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre (R11)

23

Post Christmas mini-break, Lord Hill Hotel Shrewsbury (R6)

23

Christmas night out, Hardwicke Hall (R3)

1

Supercar Sunday at Mitton Hall (R18)

23

New Year dinner (R5)

1

Stanford Hall VW Show (914)

23

New Year dinner (R7)

8

24

Cotswold coffee cruise (R31)

R20 Sunday Escape – Windy Wastelands (R20)

26

Skittles night (R13)

FEBRUARY

17

Preston Sports and Supercars at Phantom Winger (R18)

23-24 Officials Conference and AGM

MAY

15

Visit to Old Warden Airfield (R21)

18

Technical lecture at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre (R11)

2

Herts Air Ambulance talk (R21)

19-22 2016 Santander (Spain) Supercar Festival and Pyrenees Tour (997)

3

R20 ‘On Tour’ - Pie & Mash (R20)

22

17

Technical lecture at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre (R11)

18-21

London Classic Car Show at the Excel

18-21

R20 @ The London Classic Car Show (R20)

21

Preston Sports and Supercars at Phantom Winger (R18)

21

Lunch at Portmeirion (R18, R5)

23

New Year dinner (R7)

28

Cotswold Coffee Cruise (R31)

6 13

27

Blyton Lyton novice/track event (R4)

27-29 International 914 Meeting 2016, Siegen, Germany (914)

JUNE 1

R20 ‘On Tour’ – Drive to Nowhere (R20) PCGB Annual BBQ, Cornbury House

5

Supercar Sunday at Mitton Hall (R18)

Breakfast Classic car meeting, Wrightington (R18)

5

Cleveleys Car Show (R18)

12

Chatsworth Porsche Pageant (R8)

Cornbury House Open Day

16-20

R20 @ Le Mans 24 2016 - Title Defence (R20)

17-19

WOTY (R12)

R20 Sunday Escape - Cars and Stars (R20)

Le Mans 24

11

19

Preston Sports and Supercars at Phantom Winger (R18)

BVPG Classic Car Show, Lytham (R18)

11

R20 Sunday Escape – London Landmarks VIII (R20)

18

Preston Sports and Supercars at Phantom Winger (R18)

23-26 Goodwood Festival of Speed

JULY 3

Social Sunday – Clubhouse

8-10

Le Mans Classic

8-10

Royal International Air Tattoo

10 10 24

Preston Sports and Supercars at Phantom Winger (R18)

OCTOBER 2

Breakfast Classic Car meeting, Wrightington (R18)

Porkers in the Trough VII (R18)

5

R20 ‘On Tour’ – Steak Night (R20)

R20 Sunday Escape – Cambs Curves (R20)

8-9

R20 Autumn Break: TBA (R20)

15

Silverstone Auctions Porsche Sale

16

Preston Sports and Supercars at Phantom Winger (R18)

29-31 Silverstone Classic

AUGUST 3

NOVEMBER

R20 ‘On Tour’ – Summer Cruise (R20)

7

Supercar Sunday at Mitton Hall (R18)

14

TOTEM (R8)

14

Regional Show and picnic, Witton Castle (R3)

20-23 Manx Tour

5

MARCH 6

Porsches on the Prom – Anglesey

18-19

27-29 WOTY, Stirling (R3) 21

Preston Sports and Supercars at Phantom Winger (R18)

21

Beaulieu Supercar Showdown (997)

28

BVPG Classic Car Show, Blackpool (R18)

5

Officials’ Conference

6

Breakfast Classic Car meeting, Wrightington (R18)

6

R20 Sunday Escape – Ups and Downs (R20)

20

Preston Sports and Supercars at Phantom Winger (R18)

DECEMBER 4

Open day

6

R20 ‘On Tour’ - 10th Annual Christmas Curry Tayyab’s (R20)

18

Preston Sports and Supercars at Phantom Winger (R18)

SEPTEMBER 4

Classics at the Castle Hedingham

4

Supercar Sunday at Mitton Hall (R18)

10

Register Rendezvous, Kedleston Hall, near Derby (968)

■

Regions Registers ■ Main Club ■

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

115

Free Porsche related lineage advertising for members

Cars for sale 356

The Fix for Worn Oil Pump Drives and Cams Porsche used this coupling on some industrial engines. With this, it is possible to save a cam and re-use a worn oil pump gear. The coupling also makes the unit pump shaft, ‘self-aligning’.

Suitable for small and large oil pump gears.

Note:- The oil pump gear will need shortening and re-grinding - our price includes this on an exchange basis.

The Oil pump is sold separately on an exchange basis for the original core.

£120-00 inc VAT

356 ROGER BRAY RESTORATION Milestone Services, London Road, Whimple, Exeter, Devon EX5 2QB

CLASSIC PARTS FOR PORSCHE 356 911 912 914 We stock the largest selection of new parts for the 356, 911, 912 and 914, including mechanical, engine, body & interior – we also have a large selection of used parts.

In fact, we stock everything you need to keep your classic Porsche on the road!

Please contact us here at the garage by email if you have any questions.

911 912/911. 1966 RHD with 2-litre 911 engine, fibreglass wings, rear quarters, engine lid and bumpers, stripped out inside, Moto-Lita steering wheel, Corbeau seats, RS style door cards, cookie cutter wheels, recent heat exchangers, oil and filter, no MOT, recorded category D, certificate of authenticity. £19,950 ono Tel: 07752 692299 or E-mail: stevenbates777@gmail.com

964 964. C2 manual coupe, 1990, 82K miles, service history, damaged 2007, stored eight years, total restoration by David Newton Bodyworks, now completed, stunning.

Offers. Tel: 07957 817899

997

924

997. Gen II S manual coupe for sale.

September 2009 with 21,000 miles. White with black leather interior. PCM navigation and PASM. Exceptional and immaculate car, FPSH. Full Porsche warranty to end 2016.

MOT to April 2016. New tyres all round less than 1,000 miles old.

Genuine sale (no canvassers).

Offers £41,500 Tel: Alan 01892 724450 or mobile 07540 015305

Carrera

924 Turbo 1982. Good home wanted for one of last produced cars. One careful owner. 110,000 miles. Metallic Blue.

Sports seats. 928 wheels as standard.

No dealers please. OIRO £5885.

Tel: 07831 282424. Central London.

928

www.rogerbrayrestoration.com T: 01404 822005 F: 01404 822007 parts@rogerbrayrestoration.com

NOTICE TO PCGB MEMBERS / VENDORS Before giving out ANY information regarding cars, or any other items for sale, please satisfy yourself that any potential purchaser is bona fide.

Carrera 2 Targa, 1990, completely refurbished, full leather, new carpets, Targa top, recent engine rebuild, 144,000 miles.

£30,000 o.n.o Tel. 01380 818691 email for photos a.g.craig@hotmail.co.uk

928 GTS. K Reg, auto, rare Cobalt Blue with Linen leather, 87K documented FPSH, just spent £19K with receipts, auto, £29,995.

Tel: Damian 07803 042618

944 944 STV. For sale my 1988 2.5 944 as featured in March edition Porsche Post.

Lovely condition. See this month’s 911 Porsche World Tried and Tested by Chis Horton. £5,950. Tel: 07801 732049

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

117

Cars for sale 928

TRADING POST Cayman

1977 911 Turbo 3.0 930 metallic silver with navy/grey leather interior, 103K miles with large detailed history file. Call Michael: 07887 564149 or email: michael.sainsbury@btconnect.com

Number Plates

Number Plates

928 ELECTRONICS SPECIALIST LH AND EZK ECUs REPAIRED. MAFs REBUILT 3 AND 6 PIN 911 CDI BOXES REPAIRED

ALL MODELS ALL AGES Standard or modified.

All Porsche needs

07002 928 928 01223 709915

www.jdsporsche.com

Number Plates PORSCHE RELATED CHERISHED REGISTRATION NUMBERS CAB 911X.................... £7,500 D911 POR ................... £7,500 S911 LER ..................... £7,500 POR 996T .................... £7,500 POR 997T .................... £9,500 POR 911K ................... £10,995 1974 RS ....................... £21,995 993 G ............................ £14,995 993 POR ...................... £21,995 993 RUF ....................... £12,995 X993 POR ................... £1,700 VNZ 911 ...................... £8,995 964 MC........................ £9,995 964 GC ........................ £9,995 RSR 911K .................... £9,995 RSR 911T..................... £8,995 RUF 911T .................... £8,995 911 SCR ....................... £10,995 911 TYR ....................... £12,995 911 FEG ....................... £8,995 911 MSD...................... £12,995

Call Crispin on 01395 568498 Fax 01395 567000

Number Plates

BIG 2 911 The perfect plate for your Porsche Twin Turbo, or maybe the Macan driver moving on from the 911. Eye-catching on any 911 and a great stocking filler.

Offers around £4990. On retention certificate so a quick easy transfer for the New Year. Tel: 01590 626766 W29 BOX. On retention, ready to transfer. £1,100 ono. Tel: 07843 343545

PCGB MEMBER TEL: 07711 349182

CLH 911T Turbo owners Private plate, on retention £1,500 ono Tel: Brian 07473 164660 or Wendy 07713 987284

Porsche 991, 997, 996, Cayman, Boxster, Cayenne, Mecan & Panamera SALES. We supply clients Nationwide (and Worldwide) with expertly sourced, expertly prepared modern Porsche of all types. These adverts are written some time before publication therefore a stocklist goes out of date rather quickly. Therefore simply call us or email for the latest, tell us what you would like and we will try to help. Especially attractive financing available for qualifying individuals and business users.

As we go to press in stock a like new 991, a selection of 997, a like new 997 Turbo S cabrio, 996 turbo, Boxsters, Cayman, Cayenne, Macan. Speak to Matt or Richard.

Porsche classic SALES. 356 to 993 We supply some wonderful examples that never reach the web or the press.

We have expertise from the 50’s through to the last air cool. Right and left hand.

Our website is the first place for you but really you need to call and discuss your wishes.

We cater for all models. Adrian also has contacts with some very exotic Porsche that rarely get seen on the market, as we write this includes LHD 996 GT3 RS with 700km, 996 GT2 lhd 15000km, 959 Komfort 12000km, 993 GT2, 73 RST ivory,914 first original paint.

For these and others, speak to Adrian.

Selling your Porsche? We buy and broker.

Porsche Service, restoration or accident repair.

Porsche modern or classic Bespoke. We create a Porsche for you.

SOC1. The perfect number plate for a professional soccer player, serious offer only please to Kevin 07768 681211 911 SDV. On retention, £3,500 ono.

Tel: 07782 114211 BOX 1A. £2,911.

Tel: 01508 521207 C2 RSO. Ideal for 964 RS, on retention £5,000 ono. Tel: Jon 07803 238657 10PBD available. PCGB member – £4,995 Please contact me on 07827 661481 DK2 911. On retention. £1,200 or would consider part exchange with suitable Boxster plate. Tel: 07931 777699

911 SHE ....................... £9,995 918 MHH ..................... £15,995

Size Matters.

There are the big dealers such as the OPC’s and there are the small dealers with just a couple or so on the team, we are in the middle ground and pleased to be there. With a dozen staff here we have the resources to cope and the size where you can be assured of true personal attention. You won’t be a number whether you arrive for a new Porsche or a bespoke build.

Whatever we buy and sell, cars parts or servicing, we believe in and will stand behind. If we sell a car, it means that we have personally approved it, it’s not come from another department. You can meet the man that sourced the car you are buying or the technician that laid hands on it. No glass screen.

Miscellaneous 911 & Porsche World Magazines. Nos. 1-260 including ‘special collectors’ editions.

Buyer collects (Berkshire). £100.

Tel: 01344 773523 Porsche Post magazines. Summer 1988 to November 2015. Buyer collects (Berkshire). £100. Tel: 01344 773523 FREE LINEAGE ADVERTISING FOR MEMBERS

Wanted

Parts One set of 6 x 15 inch Fuch wheels in superb refurbished condition with 195/50 Yokohama Advan A048s. £2000.

Please call Steven on 07752 692299 or E-mail stevenbates777@gmail.com

Wanted. Private buyer would like to buy a winter project. Any 911 model, from 1970-1993, distance no object, anything considered. Please ring Paul on 07782 114211 or e-mail p.ellis618@btinternet.com

Wheels for 964, refurbished in black, ATEV five-spoke alloys, 2 x 8J 17, 2 x 9.5J 17, with part worn Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tyres. Perfect for track days, £1,000 ono.

Tel: Jon 07803 238657 (Kent)

Wanted. By private buyer. 968 Club Sport in yellow or Maritime Blue, I am looking for a car in good condition with good history.

I will pay the proper price, please call Kevin 07768 681211

2000 Carrera Four wheels and tyres. Good condition. No damage. Front continental 225/40 R18 4” tread. Rear Pirelli PZero 265/35 ZR18 7” tread. Buyer collects. £600.

Email: W51jackson@btinternet.com.

Tel: 01325 718462

Wanted. 911 997 Gen 2 Targa 4S in white or silver with Carrera red leather.

Phone after 7.30pm. Tel: 01508 521207

944 front bumper, 1986, good condition, £190. Tel: 07909 882947 or 020 8650 2365

Storage

30 WORDS ONLY MAXIMUM PRODUCT MUST BE PORSCHE RELATED

A 911 MOO

Please complete the form at the back of the

£2,450 ono. Tel: 07852 911911

tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk

magazine or e-mail

or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk 118 Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

Secure car storage in modern alarmed building close to Norwich ring road. PCGB offer of £20 per week per car.

Contact Paul Canham at Classic Storage Solutions 07917 352339 or 01449 737007

To advertise here telephone us on 01603 7725471 Porschepost february 2014 www.porscheclubgb.com

TRADING POST

or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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Cars for sale | Servicing

120

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547

TRADING POST

or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

121

Cars for sale | Servicing

Ian Mitchell AUTOBODY REPAIRS LTD

BEFORE

AFTER

We specialise in heavy accident

is brought back to manufacturers

repairs and written off vehicles.

speciďŹ cation. A small family run

Full or partial restoration jobs are

business with many years experience.

also part of our business. We have

Specialising in the repair of Porsche

full bracket jigging facilities and low

and other top marquee’s. All work is

bake paint facilities. All repair work

carried out to the highest standards.

Please contact: Ian Mitchell Contact no: 07877 039 666 | ian-mitchell2@sky.com Unit B, Aquatite House, Water Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS11 9UD

122

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547

TRADING POST

Please call us on 01937 574052

URGENTLY WANTED Porsche Boxsters, 944/968 any year, any model, any condition, with or with out history. Contact Edward on 07774 484497 any time 7 days.

Northwood, Middx.

Email: ejwhitescars@aol.com

Milestone forAberdeen body shop A prominent Aberdeen garage is celebrating a big anniversary this week Kinghorn Bodyshop is celebrating 30 years in business, after starting in the mideighties as a oneman operation. The bodyshop, which has built its reputation on providing excellent workmanship and customer service on high end cars, including manufacturer’s approvals for Land Rover, Jaguar, Mercedes and as a Porsche specialist repairer, has gone through many changes over the years. Finance director June Kinghorn, whose husband Graham started the business on October 28, 1985, said: “We rented one unit at the Blackburn Industrial Estate, and initially we were selling cars, and gradually we expanded until we had four units and had become a bodyshop. “Then we bought the current site at the Blackburn Business Park and built the premises we are in now.”

Graham’s love of cars started at a young age, as his father owned lnverythan Garage, where Graham worked for several years before moving to oil. But after 10 years, his love of cars brought him back into the industry, when he established Kinghorn. And as the business grew, so did the team. Kinghorn now employs 25 people, including June and Graham’s eldest son, Christopher.

“The team are an integral part of Kinghorn and they have such a great wealth of highly specialised experience and knowledge between them. Many have been with us for over 15 years.” Over the years, the business, and the wider economy, has gone through highs and lows. “We have defiitely had our ups and downs, “But it has been an adventure. Graham has never missed a day of work

ABERDEEN’S LEADING

ACCIDENT REPAIR CENTRE

through illness, and knowing him, he will be here for another 30 years. They are planning some celebrations with the staff to mark this special occasion. Graham and June would just like to thank all customers, manufacturers and staff for all their kind words on their 30 years in business.

or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

123

Servicing | Repairs

NOTICE TO PCGB MEMBERS / VENDORS Before giving out ANY information regarding cars, or any other items for sale, please satisfy yourself that any potential purchaser is bona fide.

NOTICE TO PCGB MEMBERS / VENDORS Before giving out ANY information regarding cars, or any other items for sale, please satisfy yourself that any potential purchaser is bona fide.

Copper & Copper Nickel Brake Pipe Sets Made in the UK for ANY car

VERY EASY TO FIT

NOT WILL ST RU

DOT5 Silicone Brake & Clutch Fluid -

NEVER NEEDS CHANGING WILL NOT DAMAGE PAINTWORK REPELS MOISTURE INHIBITS CORROSION WILL NOT CATCH FIRE EASILY CONSISTENT SAFE PERFORMANCE

Making your own brake pipes?

We have everything you need

FOR THE LIFE OF YOUR CAR

AUTOMEC.CO.UK 01280 822818

124

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547

TRADING POST

EBAY SHOP - STEVESTRANGE007

or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

125

Servicing | Repairs

SOUTHAM BODIES

Tel: 01926 813676 www.greghowell.co.uk

Unit 7a Aurillac Way, Hallcroft Ind. Est. Retford, Notts, DN22 7PX

126

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547

TRADING POST

SPECIALISING IN PORSCHE ●

SALES ● SERVICE ● RESORATION ●

●

We are a friendly & professional Porsche Specialist based in the South West, offering a complete range of Porsche services at competitive rates.

Tel: 01225 892244 | Email: sales@cameronsc.co.uk | www.cameronsportscars.com or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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Servicing | Repairs

128

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547

TRADING POST

2010 / 10 997 C2

BASALT BLACK / BLACK LEATHER PDK GEARBOX FULL SERVICE HISTORY ÂŁ39995.00 or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk

Like a share ou nd Faceboo r offer on end of Ja k before the your cha nuary 2016 for nc vehicle s e to win a free Porsche, ervice for your to

by RPM S be carried out pe any time cialist Cars at duri facebook ng 2016. .c rpmpors om/ che

Nidd Valley Business Park, Market Flat Lane Lingerfield, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire HG5 9JA

01423 865602 E: info@rpmspecialistcars.co.uk | W: www.rpmspecialistcars.co.uk Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

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Servicing | Repairs

Porsche excellence since 1985

Two top Porsche specialists team up to give insurance and best service on your Porsche NOTICE TO PCGB MEMBERS / VENDORS Before giving out ANY information regarding cars, or any other items for sale, please satisfy yourself that any potential purchaser is bona fide.

We provide a personal, high quality, guaranteed service.

Servicing and repairs Freee summer check Free PPI and pre MOT checks Upgrades and modifications

www.clubautosport.co.uk Porsche Specialists since 1971

• WORKSHOP FACILITIES Servicing, repairs, diagnostics, inspection engine & gearbox rebuilds, MOT work

• LIGHTWEIGHT COMPOSITE PANELS Manufactured in house panels and styling conversions. All models from early SWB 911’s to 997 RSR supplied in fibreglass, kevlar or carbon doors, roofs, bonnets. The list is endless.

• FULL BODYSHOP & REPAIR FACILITIES • NEW AND USED PARTS Next day delivery or collection

Tel: 01384 410879 email: club_autosport@outlook.com Park Lane, Halesowen, West Midlands, B63 2RA

Engine and gearbox rebuilds Restoration and special projects

01234 210 012

www.porsche-repairs.co.uk 24 College Street Kempston, Bedford MK42 8LU

*We have teamed up with Performance Insurance to offer our customers a 20% discount on servicing when you take out a motor insurance policy with them. See www.mayfaironline.co.uk or call 08444 93 57 67 for a quote. To redeem this offer just bring in your insurance certificate.

Valid from 1st December 2016 to the 31st January 2016.

130

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To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547

TRADING POST

or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

131

Covers | Servicing

NOTICE TO PCGB MEMBERS / VENDORS

Car covers for your Porsche

132

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Before giving out ANY information regarding cars, or any other items for sale, please satisfy yourself that any potential purchaser is bona ďŹ de.

To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547

TRADING POST

or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

133

Storage | Insurance

for the discerning enthusiast

safe storage, full security quiet Herefordshire location M50 / M5 access personal service, flexible packages Contact CHRIS MORRIS 07850 300553 chris@completecarstorage.co.uk

134

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www.completecarstorage.co.uk

To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547

TRADING POST

or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk

Porschepost January 2016 www.porscheclubgb.com

135

Lineage Form | Index

FREE LINEAGE ADVERTISING STRICTLY FOR MEMBERS ONLY 30 WORDS ONLY MAXIMUM

PRODUCT MUST BE PORSCHE-RELATED

NON-MEMBERS, TRADERS OR NON-PORSCHE PRODUCTS, 50p PER WORD (min. 15 words). ALL PRICES INCLUDE VAT

Telephone: 01603 772547

Manning UK

Advertisers’ Index

67, 124, 130, 132

911 Porsche World

95

Metex Darwen

132

Adrian Flux

82

More Than Polish

132

Auto 2000

130

Nick Whale Sports Cars

Auto Umbau

129

Ninemeister

Automec

124

Northway Porsche

Cambridge Motorsport

126

Paragon

Cameron Sports Cars

127

Patrick Motorsports

Cars of Malton

120

Paul Stephens

Classic FX

132

PCGB

91 87 126 63, 127 120 71 11, 25, 41

Please complete this form and return by POST, FAX or EMAIL to:

Classic Line Insurance

82

Performance Insurance

Email: tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk Fax: 01603 627823

Classic Time

68

Pie Performance

135 95 45

Classicar Automotive

129

Pirelli

Address: Trading Post, Archant Dialogue, Prospect House, Rouen

Classics by JWL

119

Pockets Menswear

12

Road, Norwich NR1 1RE

Clewett Engineering

127

Porsche Centre Cambridge

65

Club Autosports

130

Porsche Centre Colchester

64

Club Shop

❑ MEMBER’S PICTURE OF CAR IN PORSCHE POST £35.25

Complete Car Storage

❑ NON-MEMBER’S PICTURE OF CAR £42.30

Design 911

24

Porsche Centre London

77

134

Porsche Centre Norfolk

83

89

Porsche Centre Portsmouth

73

105

Porsche Centre Tewkesbury

102

Douglas Valley

125

Porsche Shop

DSD Motorwerks

124

Porsche Torque

122

E J White

123

Portia Craft

123

Elephant Racing

111

Prestige Autotrim

132

54

Prestige Salvage

130

Elitemotors Bodyshop

32

Promax Motorsport

124

European Parts

56

Rennspeed

126

Footman James

76

Restoration Design

113

GPS Tracker

106

Revolution Wheels

124

Greg Howell

126

RGA Porsche Centre

124

GT Porsche

87

RH Specialist

MEMBERSHIP NO. ...........................................................................................

Hartech

91

RM Restorations

130

If your advertisement requires payment, please complete this section in full.

Hexagon Porsche

RPM Specialist Cars

129

❑ SPECIAL NUMBER PLATE BOX £23.50 ❑ NON-MEMBERS WHEN ADVERTISING MUST PAY £2.30 IF YOU REQUIRE A VOUCHER COPY

Cridfords

Elite Garages

www.porscheclubgb.com NAME:..................................................................................................................

ADDRESS............................................................................................................ ...............................................................................POSTCODE:..........................

06

58

80

Hillcrest Specialist Cars

127

RSJ

Historika

128

S&N Automobile

102

92

Historit

134

Sandydown Bodyworks

127

HP Motorsports

124

Scenic Car Tours

15

Ian Mitchell

122

Schulz & Hackner

132

Independent Garage

72

SCS (Sw) Ltd

66

IPS Invest

03

Shawn Taylor

132

VALID FROM:......................EXPIRY DATE:......................ISSUE:..................

Jersey/Scenic Tours

61

Silverstone Auctions

Cheques should be made payable to Archant Dialogue Ltd.

JMG Porsche

85

South Coast Classic Car Storage

CARD NO:............................................................................................................

We reserve the right to edit members’ free advertisements.

MODEL:.....................................................YEAR:................................................ ..............................................................................................................................

Jordans Car Storage

134

Spotless Detailing

JRW Elite Automotive

106

Stoddard

Kinghorn Bodyshop

123

Strasse

Lakewell Classic Car

127

Tarett Engineering

Langley Autocraft

121

Total 911

LN Engineering

106

Trend Management

Lockton London Car Store

..............................................................................................................................

02, 69, 84 134

16 134 53 131 131, 140 122 92 73

Veloce Wheels

133

Warranty Direct

116

Lycian Events

95

Xpel

M & A Coachworks

78

Yorkshire Classic

75 123

.............................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................. ..............................................................................................................................

PRICE:..............................................................TEL:...........................................

Whilst every effort is made to ensure correct insertion and accuracy of members; free or paid-for advertising, neither PCGB or any agents working on their behalf can accept responsibility for errors or omissions which may occur. It should be noted that PCGB make no recommendation in respect of any goods and/or services supplied by any advertiser in this issue. It is the responsibility of readers to satisfy themselves that goods or services offered are bona fide and in no instance can the Porsche Club Great Britain be held responsible. Porsche Club Great Britain give no warranties, guarantees or assurances and make no representations regarding any goods or services advertised in this magazine.

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PORSCHE CLUB GREAT BRITAIN GIVE NO WARRANTIES, GUARANTEES OR ASSURANCES AND MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING ANY GOODS OR SERVICES ADVERTISED IN THIS MAGAZINE

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If advertisements arrive late they will be kept over until the next edition.

Publishing and copy dates Trading Post 2015 Issue Copy date Publishing date August July 9 July 22 September August 11 August 24 October September 9 September 23 Advertisement rates. Non-Porsche products £0.50 pence per word (minimum 15 words) Non-Members & Trade £0.50 pence per word (minimum 15 words) Semi-display £10 per single column centimetre. Non-Members £12 single column centimetre.

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