L AL E U Q R TO ARCH 2021 M / Y R A U R B ISSUE 145 FE
NEW YEAR READY Derek Flanagan gets his Targa all set for 2021.
RENNSPORT A visit to Rennsport Collective at Stowe House.
RISKY BUSINESS Dave Watson and friends restore a ropey early 928.
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All Torque is published bi-monthly by TIPEC (The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club) Text & images are © their creators. Front cover: Socially distanced Porsches at Beaulieu for TIPEC’s Simply Porsche 2020, photographed by Martin Broadribb. All Torque is based entirely on submissions from TIPEC members. This is your magazine! Submissions for issue 146 (April/June) must be in before Monday 1st March 2021.
ALL TORQUE 145 FEB/MAR 2021 CHAIRMAN’S CHAT We are working to increase our presence on Facebook with lots of regions posting up photos, recent events and drives out, this is definitely helping to increase membership levels which is great for the Club. A big shout out to the North West Region as when I looked just prior to writing this, they had 911 members! Thank you to all the regions for all of your hard work during these trying times.
Editor & designer: Tony Blow tony@typescape.com The Studio, East Lochhead, Kilbirnie Road, Lochwinnoch PA12 4DX Printed by: The Lavenham Press Ltd, Suffolk (01787 247 436) Advertising in All Torque is managed by: Chris Hulme (07775 794 291) chris@claytonhulme.co.uk Website: www.tipec.net Twitter: @Porsche_TIPEC Search for us on Facebook TIPEC Chairman: Andy Harris (07812 146999) andy.harris@tipec.net Treasurer: Paul Bird (01922 428 409) paulpsb928@yahoo.co.uk Advertising & sponsorhip: Chris Hulme (07775 794 291) chris@claytonhulme.co.uk Media Director: Paul Ffelan (07391 510 054) paul.ffelan@tipec.net Membership Director: Sue Simmons (07530 312 700) sue.simmons@tipec.net TIPEC Membership: Lavenham Group (01787 249 295) membership@tipec.lpl-uk.com TIPEC Valuations: valuations@tipec.net
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A BELATED HAPPY New Year to you all … I know it was a little while ago now but I do hope that you all kept safe and well and had a wonderful Christmas. I am sure for many of us it was a very different Christmas and New Year from previous years, especially with the last minute changes to the tier system making it harder for many of us to see family and friends during the festive period. Personally, I was looking forward to joining some of the Thames Valley members for a drive out and meetup with our South Central Region on Sunday 27th December but due to being bumped up to tier four, we had to postpone. A Sunday morning coffee and bacon sandwich (could be a ‘butty’ if you are over the border!) would have made a nice change from the turkey! Anyway, I have my fingers crossed that we will be able to meet soon. We have been working on updating our website over the past few months and am pleased to say that this should, all being well, go live towards the beginning of February. Our new look will be modern and much sharper and I am sure will shine over other motoring clubs – I think you know what I mean!
Thank you also once again for continuing to contribute to All Torque, I know I mentioned this in my previous Chairman’s Chat. All Torque makes for a great read, equal in my opinion to any motoring magazine that you would buy off the shelf and worth every penny. Tony had more than enough material for the previous edition and had articles to carry over for this one – this is great to see so please do keep it coming. If you have not seen your article yet, please do not despair, we try to get as many as possible into print. Now that we are nicely into 2021, I hope you manage to get the most out of your membership, enjoy a few events and drives out with your regions where restrictions allow, and take advantage of the Club benefits on offer. As for the shows, I have my fingers crossed for this year – especially Simply Porsche, which has now been pencilled in for Sunday 6th June. Keep an eye on Facebook and your emails, your Regional Organisers will keep you abreast of all upcoming events as we do have lots of positive things to look forward to this year. I think that just leaves me to say … keep well, keep safe. Andy
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NEW YEAR READY Derek Flanagan gets his Targa all set for 2021.
AUTHOR DEREK FLANAGAN PHOTOGRAPHY DEREK FLANAGAN
AFTER A YEAR to forget, but one we never will, I have been planning to prepare my beloved 996 Targa for a better year in 2021, starting with online shopping for parts. 18 months ago I had my front brakes upgraded (with two part floating discs) and now it’s time to perform some maintenance on the rear axle. I’ve been procuring par ts to replace the rear discs and pads. This time I don’t need to consider upgrading as the front brakes provide 80% of the stopping performance. I decided on some quality discs that would hopefully provide longevity, so I opted for Zimmermann discs (made in Germany) as they have a corrosion protective coating over the entire discs.Alternatively, it’s a good idea to spray the inner hats and edges of the rear discs with very high temperature engine paint to help prevent rusting, which I am doing.
Whilst having the discs, pads, sensors and antisqueak pads replaced I also ordered a new set of rear brake dust covers (also resprayed to improved corrosion protection), handbrake shoes (and associated springs), as the current shoes are original from new 18 years (and 83K miles) ago. These are inexpensive items – a set of four shoes for both wheels was only £28 plus springs – so it’s the common sense approach. I was also concerned that the parking brake might be rubbing, as the rear wheels always seemed excessively hot after a drive. Most Porsche owners usually replace the standard rigid steel brake pipes on each wheel with flexible stainless steel braided lines. Mine were replaced five or six years ago I was made aware of a potential ‘silent killer’ – namely the long rigid steel brake line from the front of the car to the rear over the transmission. It quietly rusts away over time, especially where the clips secure the pipe. For reasons only known to Porsche, instead of fitting corrosion resistant alloy brake pipes, they simply use standard mild steel brake lines (probably due to cost savings) with no substantial corrosion protection – at least on 996, 997 and 986/987 Boxster models. I had a similar problem on the mild steel power steering pipes a couple of years ago, with serious corrosion. My independent Porsche garage (SCS in Honiton, Devon) spotted this and upgraded them to stainless steel just before they failed. This is a common problem, so SCS had a batch of stainless steel power steering pipes made. Replacing the standard steel brake line described above is a ver y expensive and labour intensive job – not because replacing brake pipes is a complex task, but because this particular long pipe with complex forming cannot be replaced as a single item without removing part or all of the power train and
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thus typically a £1,200 bill. This brake pipe is very vulnerable as it’s exposed to the elements and cannot be inspected without removing the plastic undertrays. Whilst a Porsche dealership would not be willing to perform any upgrade to overcome this problem and the resulting excessive cost, RPM Technik have been upgrading these rigid brake lines with a long (approx 3m) aeroquipstyle stainless steel flexible braided brake line saving around £1,000 and 10 hours work and eliminating this potential silent killer. It may not be the official Porsche repair process but it is a good solution and not a cheap bodge. Threading the flexible hose over the gearbox is still an awkward job and needs the car up on axle stands or a ramp but it is definitely a better solution than the official Porsche alternative. Whilst the interior of the car is in good condition there were the inevitable minor signs of wear on the drivers’ seat bolster etc – which is to be expected after 83k miles. There was no repair work needed so I decided to purchase a leather kit to simply clean the leather, re-dye and finally finish with a clear sealing coat. I chose Colourlock (www.colourlock.com) which you order for the specific leather colour in your car. Mine is Graphite Grey and the match was perfect, I was delighted with the results. I also ordered a small tube of liquid leather for cracks, but didn’t need it. Surprisingly the leather dye also did a good job in refurbishing the small soft paint parts which were looking grubby. Fortunately I had already had the centre console resprayed body colour many years ago (which was also available as a factory option).
I recently fitted polished aluminium rims around the instrument dials , a simple and low cost 40 euro mod from www.didotuning.pl in Poland. These were great quality and they just snap into place. In the UK they are over £100. Finally, I have annoying windscreen wiper blades that overrun, hitting the screen rubbers, so probably have worn mechanism linkages that need replacing ASAP. Earlier this year I agonised on whether to do a couple of mods that claimed to enhance performance.I was dubious but went ahead and fitted an IPD plenum and replaced the standard ribbed air intake hose with a smooth silicon hose. I also removed the resonator valve to increase the airbox volume and filter area. I didn’t notice any significant bhp improvement, but didn’t go to the additional expense of getting it checked on a rolling road. So these mods were probably of no real value, or as Jacob Rees-Mogg says “floccinaucinihilipilification”. In future any mods will primarily be for aesthetics, reliability, or weight reduction. I am trying to convince myself that a carbon fibre ducktail would be great and also offers a 20kg weight saving – as does a smart lithium-ion battery (25kg weight saving). The Antigravity Battery Co. provide these built into a standard battery size housing. This would also overcome the 996’s Achilles heel – namely a flat battery that then makes it impossible to open the bonnet to charge the battery without use of a donor battery. The smart battery automatically disconnects itself when the charge gets down to 12v and can be re-connected remotely from a fob on the keyring. Only problem is that these are both very expensive modifications at £2,000 and £750 respectively. I’ll put them on my Christmas present wish list – haha!
For the past couple of years I have been drawn towards fitting a K & N cone filter system, but finally decided that it wasn’t for me. Again there’s lots of debates on whether they meet their improved bhp claims. I was also concerned that they have a tendency to suck in warm air from the engine compartment instead of cold air from outside. Instead, I have just purchased a 997 airbox . My checks revealed that they fit a 996 perfectly, but I either need to retain the 996 snorkel or move the airpump a few millimetres if I want to use the 997 snorkel. The 997 airbox offers improved airflow and aesthetics. Finally, I have always used 0w40 or 5w40 Mobil 1 fully synthetic engine oil as recommended in the user manual and had oil (and filter) changes done every 5,000 miles, instead of the recommended 12,500 mile recommended oil change inter vals. Recently I have been wondering if I am giving increased protection or wasting my money. I have discovered that Porsche Classic provides a range of engine oils for all models that they classify in their classic range – namely 356–996 models – and the grades recommended differ to those specified in the user manual. Porsche Classic recommend 5w50 for the 996 which is now between 15–25 years old. I appreciate that the make and type of oil used is a personal decision and the grade should depend on environmental conditions as well as individual preferences. So do I follow the user manual or Porsche Classic in the future? The textbooks inform us that the heavier grades of oil such as 5w50 provide greater protection when hot. Whilst this is true and strongly recommended for performance driving such as racing and trackdays, for normal motoring which shouldn’t be stressing the engine it is suggested that a lighter 0w40 grade is better as it provides better protection when the engine and oil are cold. The less viscous oil will get to the hydraulic lifters and lubricate other critical parts quicker and thus reduce startup wear. (Naturally Porsche Classic oil will also be more expensive than an equivalent Mobil 1.) 7
RENNSPORT South Central Region took a drive out to the (carefully distanced) Rennsport Collective event at Stowe House. AUTHOR SIMON BONFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY TONY WARD & OTHER CLUB MEMBERS WE SET OUT from Norfolk at the crack of dawn in dry, overcast weather and headed to Super Sausage Café for a breakfast rendezvous. Breakfast consumed, the sausage group were joined by other attendees in the car park for the routine photo call in typically dreary November drizzle. Our convoy headed of f up the A5 for a spirited hour long drive through some of Nor thamptonshire and Buckinghamshire countr yside, taking in Hanslope, Lindford and Stoke Goldington. The roads were quiet but rain soaked and often potholed, but the convoy held together for most of the route. Heading north towards Horton then winding its way across to Stoke Bruerne, over the Grand Union, then crossing back over the A5 and on to the final leg of the route past Whittlebury Park to Stowe House. The grand driveway to Stowe House was an opportune moment for a group photo of our convoy, mostly made up of members 911s, with 996s, a C4S and a Turbo for good measure, two 991s and a couple of Cayman S. AT 145
We were joined for the day by Makki for some on the move GoPro action and some still photos. Check out his Porsche content on YouTube (search for MAK911) and Instagram (@996chronicles). Heading to Stowe House for the Rennsport Collec tive display on the lawns we were greeted with a COVID compliant temperature check for all, then ushered past a gathering of Porsche cars from all eras parked up on the entrance to the house. Placed in the corner like naughty schoolboys the TIPEC members parked up in a tight knit group and disembarked to the display area of Stowe House where we were greeted by three green beauties positioned on the lawn. Up the steps and into the great reception hall, then out through the back where we were given the opportunity to take in the breathtaking views. Laid out before us on the lawn were an eclectic mix of Porsche road and race cars from across the eras. The display was much depleted from the previous years show, mostly due to COVID travel restrictions, which meant that many
significant cars were missing – particularly those from Europe and afar. The display however still captured the essence of the importance of the 911 in Porsche’s road and race car history. Many were examples of only a handful ever produced, or of significant provenance. We took in the sights and got some great photos of unique cars laid out on the lawn and the grounds surrounding the great house. It was a great social gathering and the space afforded made for a comfortable socially distanced visit. Sights all taken in and a mental wish list drawn up, the group re-convened, fired up the flat sixes and headed out of Stowe on what was described as a ‘magical mystery tour’ by the organisers. With no map to follow, our group stayed close to the lead car and a slightly more than spirited pace saw us head south to an MK postcode for lunch.
Twisting A and B roads, standing water, potholes and autumn leaves made for an interesting drive, but the group arrived an hour and half later at the surprise venue of the newly refurbished Kingfisher Hotel Golf and Country Club. We were warmly greeted and taken through to an airy conservatory dining room where our tables had been laid out with TIPEC table stands (a nice touch by the owners ). We were joined for lunch by our two lady member drivers, who could not attend the Rennsport event but had gone out on their own drive out taking in the sights of the graffiti adorned Duloe tunnel. Lunch was duly served and consisted mostly of breast, rump and sausage (make of that what you will!) A fine meal was served, much banter was had and it rounded off a fabulous car-filled day which will no doubt be the last gathering of this type for some time if COVID and Boris have their way.
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SEASIDE SATURDAY AUTHOR LOLA THOMPSON PHOTOGRAPHY JAMES TAYLER & TONY WARD
SINCE THE SECOND lockdown scuppered our drive out to Skegness, we have all been craving to get back in the cars and all very much looking forward to the promised fish and chip lunch. As always, our fabulous Regional Organisers set to task and planned just that. Adhering to all the new measures, navigating the complexities of all the different tiers and numbers, we were set for a drive out to the lovely Southeast coast of Norfolk. With the routes planned, the groups arranged, the one more sleep countdown and messages flying around faster than Lewis Hamilton, Saturday finally arrived. Earlier in the week, par ts of the Nor folk coastline had a dusting of snow, but this didn’t deter us, not even our 2WD members. We knew the tractor was in tow. Come that morning, the sun rose, giving cause for some of us to reach for our sun visors! Two McDonalds starting points, two hash browns and 11 roaring Porsches, all headed off for the eagerly anticipated 220-mile round trip. The route was a mixture of fast straights, remembering to mind the speed (cameras), and some wet and winding countr y roads too. Our first pit stop was a socially distanced dalliance with our Peterborough neighbours. After a show of appreciation for the pretty impressive road line up of 911 C2, 911 C4S, 911 Turbos, Macan, and Caymans to name a few, we all zoomed away into the distance. Thankfully, all this was skilfully captured by our resident videographer Manuel!
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What more could we want? South Central friends, seaside chips and … seagulls! The kindness of one led to many, and let’s just say #gullgate will not be forgotten in a hurry, certainly not by Sally or I! As the winter afternoon drew in fast, we took our obligatory photos with what was left of the light. We headed back for a TIPEC South Central ‘Christmas carol’ in the car park. Here, the deafening symphony sound of nine cars and a tractor showed Craig ‘the giant’ what the Dyson should sound like.
For the last leg, we really enjoyed the coastal plains. Some of us literally ‘flew’ along the fens. The smell of fish and chips beckoned, and before we knew it, we had reached the beautiful coastline of Sunny Hunny! We all parked up on the sea front, and after some dodgy car parking was finally sorted out, we headed in search of lunch. We even bumped back into the lovely Peterborough guys, and exchanged chippy recommendations. South Central settled on the lovely Fishers of Hunstanton, and even found a great spot on the front to enjoy eating our lunch, all sat two meters apart.
Soon we were homeward bound, some of us peeling off in different directions and others stopping for fuel and chocolate. The last stragglers at the very end of the day played Porsche tag and stopped at the place in which it all began, McDonalds, for a cheeky coffee with Santa. This was very apt, given that we had a ‘super cool’ VW boy racer telling us what ‘gorgeous whips’ we all had. Of course, we had to look up his meaning in the Urban Dictionary!
The Norfolk coastline had a dusting of snow, but this didn’t deter us, not even our 2WD members.
In summary, we had a blast! It was my first ‘official’ drive out. It certainly cemented the idea that TIPEC is not only all about the cars but also about enthusiasm for their members. We have a diverse mix of models, accessories, engines, even driving abilities, but we all share a common love for Porsches and friendship which is what I think makes this group of people and their cars best in class! I, for one, cannot wait for our next adventure … watch this space! 11
AUTHOR JOHN TONKIN PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN TONKIN
BORIS BLOWS HIS TOP AT 145
LET ME INTRODUCE you to the subject of this brain dump. I have been the owner of a 1988 Porsche 928 S4 Automatic called Boris for about four years, and I love it! When I go to shows and club events people ask who looks after the mechanical bits and I hear a take a sharp intake of breath when my reply is ‘me!’ Yes, 928s are more complicated than their Porsche stablemates but that should not be overwhelming if you have tools, patience and access to other 928 owners through TIPEC if you get stuck. Boris can’t swim and a rather large puddle caused him to stop abruptly! The engine was solid, not turning over, so at this point I had choices: get another engine from a breakers, convert it to electric, break it up for parts, rebuild the existing engine to as good new, or conduct a Viking burial. My decision was to rebuild completely. I reasoned that a breaker’s engine could just be buying even more trouble, electric conversion was just a ‘no’, breaking it up for parts creates a lot of mess and trouble from the wife, and as for a Viking burial – no, as I said I do like the car.
EXTRACTING THE ENGINE So get cracking. To get the engine out I needed a toolkit. Nothing too special except for an engine lift which I already had and an engine cradle that I borrowed. The workshop manual tells you how to do the job but if you read it the process sounds very daunting – it isn’t! Take the bonnet off. Get the car level on ramps or axle stands. Drain all the fluids. Disconnect all cables for throttle, cruise, kickdown and gearbox off the inlet manifold. Remove air filter housing and the elephant trunks, and all water/oil/fuel hoses. Block up any openings where rubbish might get in. At this point get some labels and a pen and label everything you take off. All electrical and vacuum connections need unplugging. Next dive underneath. Remove the exhaust, remove flywheel cover, undo the torque tube clamp, then the flex plate. Now remove the starter, alternator (after disconnecting the battery), air-con pump, power steering pump (but leave pipes connected – just tie pumps out of the way) and the air pump which the car doesnt need anyway! Okay, the next step is to remove the steering rack to crossmember bolts and pull the rack down to get at the engine mounts. Slide under the back of the car to remove the handbrake linkage from the axle, and slacken – not remove – the diff to crossmember bolts. As long as the car is safely lifted you can now push the diff to the back of the car (the mounting bolt holes are elongated) and this gets the torque tube out of the way of the flywheel. Finally get inside the car and unplug all the multiplugs that go to the ECUs in the passenger footwell. Soon you will need a second pair of hands! Get your engine lift in position and attach strong chain to the engine lift hooks on the cylinder heads. Cross your fingers and start to lift. The second person needs to feed the loom out from inside the car as the engine comes up. If you’re careful and work slowly the engine should majestically rise out of engine bay! Now is the time you get a cup of tea and admire your handiwork! 13
STRIPPING THE BLOCK Right, now the engine is out start diagnosing what’s wrong with it. If you can borrow an engine stand then it makes life much easier. The first job is to remove the cam covers and inlet manifold. This is also an opportunity to refinish them if they are tatty. Take the front pulley off whilst stopping the engine turning (a wide chisel in the ring gear does the job). Take the front plastic covers off, after labelling any wires. Behold – you will see the infamous long (long!) cambelt. Put the front pulley nut back on and align the cam timing marks as per workshop manual description. Loosen the cambelt tension bolt and remove the old cambelt. Next remove the cylinder heads – but careful, you need a special Porsche tool here to hold the camshafts down as you undo the camshaft caps. If you don’t use the special tool then you can either bend the camshaft or crack the caps. I couldn’t find or borrow the special tool, so I made myself one out of threaded rod welded to the bottom half of a spark plug. Details on request! Right – now the heads are off, peer down the bores and check for any damage/scoring or a big lip at the top of the bore and any damaged pistons. Turn the engine over, remove the sump and the bottom crankcase casting. Undo the big end bolts one bore at a time and push the conrod and pistons out, keeping each rod with its own big end cap. At this point I found my problems – two bent conrods and a damaged piston!
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Next remove the flywheel then undo all main bearing caps, keeping them all in order. Carefully lift the crank out of the block (it’s damn heavy!) Check whether all pistons, big ends and main bearings are either standard or oversize, so that you order the right bits. I had my crank checked for cracks and straightness given that it stopped abruptly. So you have now got a bare block – clean everything to within an inch of its life! My block needed a rebore and I had the cylinder heads faced for flatness. This is the time you scare your wallet to death. Make sure you do the parts list without any unwanted witnesses. The list will contain: full gasket set, main bearing set, conrod set, main bearing nuts, conrod nuts, piston rings, head bolts (they are stretch bolts, one time use only), timing belt, oil pump and water pump if required. Its worth looking to change anything else that is worn and a pain in the lower regions to get to, such as engine mounts and crank sensor in my case.
PUTTING THE ENGINE BACK I found putting the engine back in easier than taking it out, as I understood now what order to do things in. One thing to be very careful of when lowering the engine back in is to have an assisstant feed the wiring loom into the car at the same time – and make the connector plugs for the ECUs go back in the right order and correct orientation. Okay, the engine is bolted in and plumbed in, with new oil, antifreeze, etc. Before you start it, leave the spark plugs out, hold you cup of tea in one hand and turn the engine over on the starter until you get oil pressure. When you do, let out a huge cheer. Put the spark plugs in, give it a start and listen to the V8 burble! Run it in carefully for about 1,000 miles then change the oil and filter. Re-tension the cambelt with the Kemf tool and you’re all done. At the time of writing I am up to 400 miles on Boris’s engine and the temptation to give it the beans is unbearable – but I am managing it. This is just a snapshot of the engine work and not a technical worksheet. You will need other resources, such as the Porsche workshop manual and the Internet, but my hope was to take some of the fear out of doing a big job like this.
REASSEMBLING THE THING
As they say at the Oscars I need to thank a few people: Tom Atherton at Weissach UK (01606 834 460) for helping with the removal and install at his excellent Porsche specialist workshop (their tea is good too!) Dave Fairclough at Automech Manchester (01617 751 851) for his help and expertise in building the engine whist building other racing engines. Gareth, Ian and Mark; fellow 928 owners in TIPEC’s Cheshire and Staffs Region who were on hand for the “does yours look like this?” phone calls. And lastly to Julie (my wife) for putting up with me disappearing for weeks to work on Boris.
When your box of shiny new parts arrives you have the enjoyable time of putting it all together. Do this in a clean, dust free area using engine building oil on the bearings as you assemble them. I will not detail the build as its really a matter of ‘the reverse of disassembly’! Make sure the cam followers don’t fall out of the head whilst you are manhandling them, use the camshaft tool to hold the cams down when you tighten the caps, and most importantly check you have the cambelt routed correctly and with the cams and crank on their respective marks. Tighten the cambelt tensioner with the aid of a Kemf timing tension tool. Then turn the engine over (with a socket on the crankshaft pulley) carefully checking that it’s turning freely. Check timing mark again, then for safety do so again! When you have done all of that it’s cup of tea time again, as you stand back and look at your lovely, shiny and reconditioned engine ready to go back in.
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NINE LIVES AUTHOR MARTIN BROADRIBB PHOTOGRAPHY PORSCHE AG & TED WALKER ARCHIVE (PORSCHEPICTURESPAST.COM)
NINE? WELL, NOT quite nine – not yet, anyway - but 917 #001 has been through a number of identity changes over the last 50 years. That might not be unusual for a racing car, but then it has never raced … Many will be familiar with the photographs that show the 25 new 917s lined in echelon in the factory yard for the benefit of the Commission Sportive Internationale (CSI) inspectors on April 21st 1969. As happened periodically – and sometimes for less than readily apparent reasons – racing regulations were changed by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the worldwide governing body of motorsport, and for 1968 the decision was made to switch from those current for racing sports cars to a new classification. Over the previous 20 years since its foundation Porsches had been very active in competition and while their small engines had provided numerous class wins – and sometimes major upsets for bigger-engined cars from rival manufacturers – during the 1960s the company had begun to turn its gaze more towards outright victory. Continuing on the path beaten by the 907 and 910 in this regard, the 908 was introduced in Spring 1968 and was powered by a 3.0L F8 engine, the newly introduced maximum capacity for the previously unlimited Group 6 sports prototypes. However, the Group 4 sports cars class was also reconstituted, with a 5.0L capacity limit and a minimum production of 50 units during 12 months, all to be fitted with equipment for road use. For 1969 the requirement was to be reduced to 25 units to make the categor y more attractive to manufacturers and in an audacious move Porsche decided to take advantage of the regulations – and not for the last time! – and produce a new racing car conforming to them, the 917. 17
Beginning work on the 917 in mid-1968, Porsche felt that their new car would be the one to capture the victory that they most coveted, that of Le Mans. This proved to be correct, although it was the 908 that almost provided them with this in 1969 after the 917s failed, only losing out to a GT40 by the smallest of margins. Having the 908 and 917 would also mean a two-pronged attack could be made on sports car racing, each competing in their own class or sometimes solely as circuit suitability dictated. It was all quite ambitions stuff for a small sports car maker and the company tried to gain CSI approval for the 917 when only three-quarters of the run had been made, along with the remainder in component form. The authority were not persuaded by this due to already having had problems with the production numbers of other marques, so by making a superhuman effort all 25 cars were ultimately presented for inspection that April Monday, engines ready to run but with the last having only been completed the previous Saturday. They were all fitted with ‘equipment for road use’ – an unlikely scenario, but later realised in a few instances – and there was a sales brochure too, along with a price tag of DM140,000. Even this amount bore little relation to their costs and for comparison the contemporary 911 was DM19,500 to DM28,700. The first car in the works line-up, the one with 917 on its nose, is #001, our subject here. These cars were initially bodied in the long-tailed style of the 908L, although there was provision for the extended part to be removed and a short K version substituted. Initially this L coachwork had aerofoils linked to the rear suspension movement but these were soon generally outlawed and while the shape of both versions was impressive it proved to be less so aerodynamically, something that was not resolved until the JWAE organisation took over the running the factory team. The 4.5L F12 was derived from the 908 unit as its 50% increase in capacity and cylinders implied, but with some changes which contributed to it initially developing 580bhp.
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Car #001 had actually broken cover almost six weeks before that final CSI inspection with a high profile appearance at the Geneva Salon in March 1969. Mounted on a special tilted plinth to show its impressive lines, it was presented to the press by Rico Steinemann – although von Hanstein was also present – and encouraging noises were made about the 917 competing in at least the fourth round of the International Championship for Makes if not the third, but with the homologation papers having only been submitted to the FIA in February it would be round six at Spa in May before the model made its race debut. By that time #001 was testing at the Nurburgring Sudschleife in short tail form in the hands of Rolf Stommelen, although this was curtailed after only 38km due to engine damage. More extensive trials took place the following month at Weissach, where four drivers clocked up 220km testing wheel bearing durability, but that sub-300km was to be the total track time of the car.
Bottom left: The process of reverting #001 from its guise as the Le Mans winner to its original appearance begins in 2018.
Bottom right: Pictured in the factory yard in the unraced body/ livery combination, the join for #001’s long-tail attachment point can be seen.
Top left: The 25 917’s await inspection in the factory yard in 1969, #001 nearest.
Top right: New Porsche press department head Rico Steinemann unveils #001 to attentive onlookers at the 1969 Geneva show.
In September #001 was back on the show circuit rather than the racing circuit with an appearance at the IAA Frankfurt exhibition. Again in long tail format with the moving rear aerofoils, it was still white but had lost the green identifying noseband and outer rear fins and instead carried a central broken orange stripe, with orange wheel spokes replacing black. Perhaps this might have been how the works team would have looked for 1970, but a deal was afoot to hand over the running of the factory cars to a third party.
Salzburg organisation, much to the displeasure of JWAE. #001 was chosen to be presented in the new blue and orange livery for the launch and it also appeared at other events to publicise the new partnership, notably the British Motor Show at Earls Court.
Negotiations for this had been in progress since March 1969 and were concluded by August, so a press reception was planned for the end of September in London. The arrangement Porsche entered into involved passing the running of the factory racing team to the Gulf-sponsored and Slough-based JW Automotive Engineering company, although it later transpired that there was also to be a parallel proxy-factory effort in the hands of the Porsche
By the time that the 917s made their race debut in February 1970 they wore the K-style bodywork developed by the JW team in pursuit of stabilising the wayward handling of the originals, so #001 became the only 917 with the original style of bodywork ever to appear (but still never raced) in the Gulf colours. It looked particularly striking in this colour scheme and it suited its features such as the louvered Perspex engine cover and side exhaust outlets (for the front six cylinders) very well. The car was even displayed as part of an exhibition of historic Porsches at the Chateau de Courtenvaux during Le Mans that year, when JW were racing the 917K and others a derivative of the original 917L. In September 1970 the car was finally conver ted – mechanically and bodily – to 917K specification and repainted white once more, passing to the factory press department the following month. They soon found a new use for it, as unaccountably Porsche chose not to retain the 1970 Le Mans winner but raced it again before disposing of it to the Martini team for their further use in 1971. In an act of simple expediency #001 was given the red/white livery of the Salzburg-entered LM winner of Attwood/Herrmann and was presented as such at motor shows, including Paris and London. For the next 47 years #001 maintained this appearance and became a resident at the Porsche Museum, although to add to the confusion a 917 that looked to be the 1970 LM winner was to be seen in historic racing, but this was based on a car privately built up from original parts in the 1970s. With the approach of the 917’s 50th anniversary, in 2017 the decision was made to reconfigure #001 into its original 1969 Geneva show form. A detailed assessment of the project begun early in 2018 found that while many changes had taken place to its appearance it still possessed its original frame and body centre section plus some now unique features, such as the fuel tanks formed to allow the passage of the side exhausts. The project swiftly moved ahead, but the decision was made to preserve as much of the original car as possible and while the front and particularly the rear bodywork required fabrication from scratch the factory archive held the necessary drawings. Even those suspension-linked rear flaps were reinstated and other items that had to be made from scratch included the correc t type of magnesium wheels. Work continued throughout 2018 and in a situation reminiscent of 1969 the reborn car was completed just in time to make its debut at the 2019 Retro Classic in Stuttgart, a very low mileage and unraced 917 that can nonetheless tell a few tales in its autobiography. 19
RISKY BU AT 145
Early 928s of unkown provenance are undoubtedly a gamble … but when the right one came along, Dave Watson took a chance.
AUTHOR DAVE WATSON PHOTOGRAPHY DAVE WATSON ON A COLD February in 2015, TIPEC Cheshire & Staffs Region had our first show of the season at the annual DubFreeze event in Stafford. I parked up on our display in my 914 next to Ian Highfield’s 928 S4, and during the course of that event I was approached by a guy wanting to know if I knew anything about 928s … At the time I was running a Polar Silver S4 as my daily. He then asked if knew of anyone that wanted to buy one, to which I replied “Not immediately, though if it is a first series manual or a last of the line GTS, I am sure that there may be interest.” He explained that he had a first series manual and wanted to sell it! Having established that it had been off the road for over 10 years, and that it had recently been recommissioned sufficient for it to pass an MOT, I felt obligated to take a look. Shortly after the show weekend, Ian Highfield, Gareth Aldridge and I jumped into Gareth’s van and travelled to Gloucestershire to investigate this car. What we found was a 1979 4.5 manual in black, wearing cup alloys and a hideous S4 spoiler on the rear (I’ve never understood why you would want your early car to pretend it was a late one). Notable features included a beach-ball sized dent that had caved in the front nearside wing, a thumped front PU/nose cone, a cracked lamp lens, front suspension on its bump stops, an interior with various trim missing, and the rear seats torn in various places across the black and white Pascha fabric. We took it out for a spin, and the engine was surprisingly healthy. Having inspected the underside, the shell of the car was remarkably rust free too. The chap that owned it had various American cars and VWs parked up around his grounds – so he obviously wanted rid of not just the 928 but also multiple large boxes of 928 spares he had acquired, to focus on other cars in need of his attention. The 928 was sound but cosmetically rather sad. Had it been an auto, I would probably have passed on it, however given that there were only 148 RHD 4.5 manuals delivered to the UK, it warranted a second chance. ‘The Rev’ as the seller was known didn’t want the car broken
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up for spares on eBay. He also recognised that as a non-sunroof car, it would be ideal for historic racing. Instead, he hoped to find a willing enthusiast to restore it back to its former condition. Having had a string of 928s over the years, I originally preferred the look of the later 928 series. However to my mind, the purity of a 4.5 model without the spoilers and ‘that interior’, makes it more of a classic (and no self-respecting 928 owner can forget the 4.5 manual that starred alongside Tom Cruise and Rebecca de Mornay in Risky Business). To cut a long story short, I negotiated what amounted to a bargain price (given the unknowns, and the long spell off the road), and having miraculously found the original 16" teledials with the 928 part numbers sitting at the back of one of his garages, I agreed to buy the Rev’s spares stash too. So Gareth jumped back into his van with the spares, and Ian and I jumped into the 928 to drive it back to Gareth’s workshop where I am grateful to him for allowing me to store the car and spares until it was suitably ready to go to the bodyshop. On the trip back we stopped at a services only to discover that none of the door locks worked …everything was vacuum operated, and there was obviously something amiss. However that issue was soon forgotten again once the glorious noise of its RMB (rear muffler bypass) was experienced – we were all grinning like big kids. For any of you that are interested in the Porsche 928, the early history and development of the model was covered in an excellent German publication from 1978, called ‘Projekt 928’ (since available translated). It seemed like an apt moniker to give the car (supplied within the first nine months of UK deliveries) whilst I charted its progress back to life. The morning-af ter feeling of buy ing a neglected old 928 probably isn’t that bad for those that don’t know much about them. AT 145
Given my prior history with the model, I had no excuse – I knew exactly what I was letting myself in for. The state of the engine bay (probably the dirtiest engine I had ever seen), the paint-roller finish to the black bodywork, the tired suspension, the patchwork interior … the mix of green and brown tinted glass, etc. Were it not for the fact that I did clock all of those things pre-purchase, you might have thought that it had been bought in the pouring rain and in the pitch dark! However, with the S4 and GTS models hogging the limelight in the classic car world, I very much felt that an early manual car was worth saving, and would eventually have a value commensurate with its restoration cost (or at least my man-maths had me convinced that that could be the case). Thankfully, this has ended up not too far from the mark, with the early cars becoming much more popular. Bizarrely there has even become a trend for owners of the later 928S and S2 models to ‘back-date’ the look of their cars to imitate the clean unadulterated form of the 4.5 model. So, having done a comprehensive inspection of Projekt928, I quickly realised that this was not going to be something that would be finished overnight. My initial project plan had over 120 tasks to address. Not only was that going to be quite a mountain to clear, but as Ian, Gareth and I learnt, the early cars (and in particular cars built in the first two years of production) are very different to later models – some parts are specific to the early model. This presented a combination of challenges. Time, the cost of rare parts, and in some cases the lack of availability of those parts. To mitigate this, I agreed to tackle refurbishing the brakes and suspension first prior to a strip down of the car ahead of its cosmetic restoration. I would then reassemble it back home as time, parts and funds permitted, and would hope to run it a little and fix additional things as I went along. That was the plan. The target was to be
ready for the Porsche 928 40th anniversary celebrations in 2017 (that came and went!) and then be ready for the Le Mans Classic 2018 trip (which also came and went!) The 928 is not a simple car to restore. However, the first stage went fine, and I need to offer particular thanks to Gareth and Ian for their assistance on the suspension and brakes. Stef also did a demon job of helping strip parts off the car in readiness for its trip to the bodyshop. It very quickly turned into a team ‘TIPEC Cheshire & Staffs’ project car. It is times like that which highlight the value of the club. Various leaks (including one on the water-bridge – a monster job) were fixed to enable the car to be started and moved around ahead of paint. Not surprisingly, the bodyshop took twice as long as promised to get the car through their workshop. In the process, they uncovered previous accident damage to the front end which needed repair, but following a respray in Minerva Blue, it all started to feel more worthwhile. Miner va is one of my all-time favourite Porsche colours, so I was delighted to confirm that this was the car’s original paint finish. It also just happened to match a 1/18 scale manual Porsche 928 4.5 model which I had bought during the club’s trip to the Porsche Museum and factory. I now had this vision of utopia consisting of a refurbished engine bay, pipes and hoses, the interior retrimmed, consistent (original) bronze tint glass all round, and the bodywork in Minerva, set off against the correct silver 16 inch teledials. Fast forward to 2020, and the world changed quickly with the virus pandemic. This became something of a business pressure-point for
me but it was offset by a welcome period of enforced ‘garage time’ during lockdown. Around this time, I was introduced to Adam G ompe r tz (anothe r Reve re nd, and the incumbent chaplain to Bicester Heritage) who had launched the Revs Limiter Facebook group. This was a virtual ‘classic car event’ for lockdown in aid of the Mission Motorsport c har it y. Unex pec tedl y, he asked that I participate in their second online car event with a restoration theme, and present a video on my 928. This gave me the well-needed kick to finish off a multitude of jobs on Projekt928. Various car industr y luminaries were also presenting so I felt obligated to ensure that the car drove under its own power, and presented well in the video. Progress in the two-month period ahead of that weekend was nothing short of miraculous … though I am sure my wife thought I had permanently moved out to the garage. A special order bronze windscreen arrived from Pilkingtons and was fitted by a former TIPEC member from the car glass industry. This was followed by fitment of the rear screen and repair of the rear demister, the fitment of the re-trimmed interior, new vacuum lines, water hoses, oil lines, coil, rebuild of the viscous fan, replacement cambelt covers, restoration of the screen wash system and pumps, to fitting of a replacement nosecone and new front lamps all round. The replacement nosecone took months of searching to find (rare without the 928S brake vents). Having had it nicely repainted, it sat in the house in a spare bedroom out of the way until I came to refit it, only to find that
my nice new headlamp washer pipes, valves and nozzles had nowhere to mount. Bizarrely the nose cone had no holes for the headlamp washers! Having traced early 928 pictures and road tests, it seems that a few cars left the factor y in the first six months without washer nozzles up front. Given how rare that PU is, I decided not to cut holes in it and left the pipework hidden and disconnected for now until a decision is made on what to do next. Whilst the main items had all been cleared much was still left to do on the list. I got the car started the day before the video was due for submission and airing, and managed to do a tour on video of its history and key features. I was so pleased to be able to do the car some justice, and pleasantly surprised at the positive feedback following the event. Since then, I have had several runs out to test various repairs and sort the suspension ride height. Unlike the later 928 models, the early car only has adjustable suspension at the rear – which is finally just about right. Having used the car a little, new snags that have arisen include the sump gasket weeping which prompted me to order a new gasket, new power steering rack bushes and new engine mount shocks … and on my last journey out my dashpod lights failed … a common issue with the dimmer rheostat. With the 4.5 having a non-interference engine, I have yet to change the cambelt, which looks to be in good order – but that is on the list too. Still, it feels good getting a list of 120+ tasks down to less than 10. The challenge of restoring a 41-year old car is knowing where to stop. I have however rebuilt it to use, and
with 152k miles on the clock it will never be a high value show queen. To get to a show standard would have warranted starting with a better car. As it is, I would like to think that it is a very presentable example of what I think has become an iconic classic. It is completely different to my previous 928s – the early car definitely has a great deal more character, and with a dog-leg manual box, is much more of a spor tscar than I expec ted. It is saying something that my teenaged sons now prefer the 928 to my 930! I have so many people to thank for their assistance in getting the car to this point, including the following TIPEC Cheshire & Staffs members; Gareth Aldridge, Ian Highfield, Stefanie Mahan, Barry Stenhouse (fog lamp electrics) and Chris Hulme (for the loan of a very large wrench!) I also owe a shout out to Adam Calvert at Porsche Centre Bolton, who sourced numerous parts for me (including some not available at the start of the project). It also became something of a family affair with both my sons helping during reassembly, my eldest preparing and repainting various pieces of trim, and my youngest helping with the interior – good practice for the 924S that is now sitting in Gareth’s Rescue Centre waiting on attention next. Once we are back to normality post-pandemic, I hope to attend more events and runs out with Projekt928, which will hopefully showcase that with a lot of time (five years in my case), a lot of learning on the job, a set of Porsche Workshop Manuals, and a good network of Porsche friends for support … restoring an old 928 needn’t be such a risky business. 23
Above: Seat bolster before refurbishment.
Right: The finished seats reinstalled.
RECOVER REPAIR RENEW AUTHOR IAN MARSH PHOTOGRAPHY IAN MARSH
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I HAVE OWNED my 928 S4 auto over four years, but I have never been happy with the driver’s seat. Like a lot of older cars with higher mileages the bolsters, particularly on the driver’s seat, take a hammering. The passenger seat was acceptable with only the minimum wear – or if you prefer, patina – so this did not require any work. Comparing my seat to other 928s it was not too bad, but rather than let it deteriorate further I wanted to improve its look and the comfort. The stitching had started to part company in the seat base and the piping was damaged. The leather was also cracked so it was time for some remedial work. After spending a considerable amount of money on the mechanical work the seat restoration had been at the back of my to-do list, but the time had come carry out some repairs. I had trawled the Internet for upholsterers and had taken the car to several of them for quotations. The seats are linen leather and a thought occurred to me that the leather from the rear of the seats could be used to make new bolsters with new leather fitted to replace the backs. This had the main benefit that the new bolsters would exactly match the rest of the seat leather. Also, for me, the seats are always far back so you never see the rear of the seat when the door is open.
I made some enquires at a couple of upholsters but they seemed expensive, and quite by chance another Porsche owner showed me some pictures of his 993 seats which had just been recovered. I asked for the details and made an appointment to see Andy at Smiffys Auto Upholstery near Honiton. This proved to be a good recommendation and after chatting for a while it turns out that Andy and I were almost neighbours when we lived in Essex – it’s a small world. I explained what I wanted and looking at the leather swatches he managed to match the colour. However, to obtain enough leather to rebuild the driver’s seat, the leather from the backs of both seats had to be used. We agreed a price but unfortunately Covid-19 was upon us, so the work was delayed. Eventually I booked a slot with Andy and in preparation removed both seats. These seats, especially the driver’s seats, are very heavy. They are best managed with two people, taking care not to damage the boot release control knob. Once the seats were removed, I noticed there were only four bolts holding the driver’s seat in position, not six as Porsche designed. This was a sign that the seat had been removed before. It is important that six bolts are in place because the seat belt mounting is part of the seat frame, thus with only four bolts the effectiveness of the seat belt is compromised.
The seat restoration had been to the back of my to-do list, but the time had come carry out some repairs. I also noticed the wiring on the driver’s seat was severely damaged; it must have been caught up in the adjustment mechanism at some time during its life. There were three wires severed completely which was puzzling because the seat controls worked fine. After investigating the wiring diagram, I found that this wiring was associated with the seat memory circuit. I stripped back the wiring loom and let in some replacement wires, soldering both ends and insulating with heat shrinkable insulation. Following that I remade the loom and tied it back into position with cable ties. I took both seats to Andy and called back a week later to see what their condition was like. He removed the leather from both seats, revealing that the foam in the passenger seat was in good condition but the foam in the driver’s seat needed some repairs. Andy repaired the foam and made new backs from the new leather and four new bolsters from the original seat backs. He also fitted new piping to both the seat and the back. The difference was amazing, and I was delighted with the finish.
Above left: Stripped, ready to be recovered.
Above: Finished seat with new bolsters.
There is obviously a slight difference in the colour of the new leather and the old, but because the panels are not side by side it is not noticeable – even when viewed from the rear of the car. Before I refitted the seats, it was an ideal opportunity to thoroughly clean and adjust the carpets and tidy up any wiring which had previously been disturbed. There are two positions where the seat can be located, and being tall, I decided to fit them as far back as possible. I also purchased new bolts because the originals had been damaged by not using the correctly sized hex socket. The driver’s seat worked perfectly, including the memory functions and the light above the memory buttons. However, the passenger seat failed to work so I removed the seat again and after doing some checks, I found there were no volts on the socket on the floor where the seat plug fits. The fuse was okay but there was a poor connection at the live end of the fuse holder in the CE Panel. I cleaned the connections with some 600-grade wet ‘n’ dry. I fitted a new fuse and the seat worked fine.
Andy at Smiffy’s offers TIPEC members 10% discount on production of your membership card – see page 31. 25
AUTHOR DAVID TUCKER PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID TUCKER
CRUISE CONTROL So you’ve found the perfect second-hand 997, but it’s missing one vital (for you) feature. What do you do? Dave Tucker took matters into his own hands.
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1: Disconnect the black, yellow and green connectors.
I ALREADY OWNED a Jaguar XK8 which I had had for nearly 10 years, but for my retirement, I decided I would realise an lifelong ambition and treat myself to a Porsche. When I found my ideal Porsche (997 Targa 4), it had everything I was after – except cruise control. It was such a nice example, I decided to buy it and try to retrofit cruise control myself. I am happy to carry out various jobs on my cars and searching the interweb thingy, I discovered that Parr Porsche sold a cruise control kit for a Porsche 997 priced at about £400, which seemed like a good place to start. It contained: • 1x cruise control user lever • 1x ‘four hole’ lower steering cowl • 1x wiring loom • 2x Torx bolts
The obvious question is ‘why do you want cruise control on a Porsche?’ the answer is that we tend to tour Europe each year and when wishing to cover large distances between locations, use Autostratas, Autoroutes and Autobahns. I find it easiest to engage cruise and not worry about losing my licence … As I found it rather difficult to find out ‘how I go about fitting a CC’, I thought I would keep a record of the steps I took, in case they were helpful to others. But perhaps all Porsche owners are so wealthy that they pay their dealers to carry out such projects?
2b: Note the alignment marks, made to help realign the wheel.
2a: Unplug the orange and yellow connector.
GETTING READY
STARTING THE JOB
1: REMOVING THE AIRBAG
2: REMOVING THE WHEEL
In addition to the parts listed above, I discovered I needed the following tools:
I started by putting the key in the ignition to prevent steering lock operating and I also opened the driver’s windows just in case I somehow locked the doors and couldn’t get back in.
Okay, this is where things become a little scary. You will find a small hole under the steering wheel. Inser t a small screwdriver or similar and push up inside the hole. This takes some force, more than I had anticipated. Apply a good, firm, pressure upwards until the air bag ‘pops’ out of the steering wheel.
Next carefully unplug the orange and yellow connector from the socket inside the steering wheel, that can be seen at the top.
• M12 Spline (12 point) bit • T9 Torx (6 point) often referred to as a ‘Star Screwdriver’ • Small, bladed screwdriver • Car trim removal tool • Head torch I had to wait for Amazon to deliver some of these!
Next, I disconnected the battery and, as I was concerned that someone may push the bonnet shut, I stuffed some polishing rags into the latch assembly to prevent the boot/bonnet from latching. As you know, it is electrically operated so you will not be able to open it again if you accidently close it. As there is likely to be some residual volts lurking around, having disconnected the battery, I went and made myself a coffee before I began the next stage. I recommend that you leave it disconnec ted for 30 minutes before working on the steering wheel airbag.
Now disconnect the black, yellow and green connectors. The black one has a small key that you must disengage to unplug it. For the yellow and green, carefully insert a small, flat-bladed screwdriver under the ‘open’ edge on the top of the connectors and fold this back. The entire connectors can now be unplugged from their respective sockets. These are colour coded, so you do not need to worr y about marking them for reassembly. Carefully, remove the airbag assembly and put somewhere safe. Okay, now you can breathe again as it didn’t go off!
Then undo the steering wheel fixing bolt using an M12 spanner. Before removing the steering wheel, I used an indelible marker, and carefully marked the wheel and the spline so I could accurately line up the steering wheel when replacing it. I marked at the 12, three, six and nine o’clock positions. Then I removed the steering wheel. With the wheel removed; you can see the alignment marks I made at 12,3, 6 & 9 positions. Note the white arrow; when I removed the steering wheel, this was centered between the two marks on the outer ring. I’m guessing this is important, so I made a note of this position so I could make sure it went back the same.
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3: Remove the lower cowl completely.
4a: Remove the airbag connector plate.
5: Refit the wiper arm and fit the cruise control arm.
4b: Remove the windscreen wiper arm.
6a: Refit the cowls.
3 REMOVING THE COWLS
4 FINAL REMOVALS
5 FITTING CRUISE CONTROL
6 REASSEMBLY
Okay, now under the bottom steering wheel cowl, there are three T9 Torx screws: two towards the front, and one centre(ish) towards the back. Undo these and the lower and upper cowl sections are free. However, there is a small, black, circular, cone shaped fixing to the back right of the lower cowl, which must be removed to separate the upper and lower cowls. This proved to be a real pain! Eventually, I used a car trim removal tool and carefully prised this out from the hole inside the lower cowl … and the two halves were then free.
Looking at the airbag connector plate carefully, you should see five black tabs that hold this is place. The ones either side and underneath are easy to see, but the top ones are more hidden. I us e d a s m a l l f l a t-b l a d e d screwdriver to gently release these and the unit then pops out. Lift gently and move out of the way.
Take the small wiring loom, and plug one end in BEHIND the connector unit for the wiper arm. This cannot be seen from the front. Then replace the windscreen wiper arm using the two T9 screws you removed.
Using the new, ‘four-hole’ lower cowling that came with the kit, refit the bottom and top cowls, ensuring you first feed the coneshaped cable clamp back into the hole at the bottom right of the lower cowl. Tighten screws home using the T9 screwdriver, then refit the steering wheel (making sure you align it using the 12,three,six & nine o’clock marks you made before removing it) and tighten.
Remove the lower cowl. This took some manoeuvring, I had to move the steering wheel adjuster lever backwards and forwards to get the cowl out.
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Next, using the T9 screwdriver, remove the windscreen wiper arm, gently pull towards you and it unplugs from the connector unit behind.
Plug the free end of the wiring loom, supplied with the kit, into the cruise control arm. Fit the cruise control arm to the w ind s c re e n w ipe r a r m a nd backing plate, and secure with the two T9 screws supplied with the kit. Carefully push the airbag connector ring assembly back into position, aligning the five black tabs. It clicks back easily but take care to keep the arrow positioned between the two markers.
Reconnect the orange/yellow plug into the socket at the top of the steering wheel. Holding your breath, connect the black, yellow, and green connectors into their respective sockets in the rear of the airbag assembly. I found it easier to connect these in the order given. Remember to push the yellow and green tabs securely back into the centre of their connectors to ensure they are locked home. Then push the airbag firmly back into position.
6b: Reconnect the orange and yellow connector.
6c: Reconnect the three connectors.
7 RESETTING THE ELECTRICS Breathe again now the airbag is re-installed … that is about it! All that remains is to reconnect the battery. However, as the battery h ad bee n disconnec ted for about a week (after I had to order my tools), I had various errors reported, such as PSM. I ‘Googled’ these and discovered that after a battery has been disconnected for some time you have to reset some systems. First reset both the driver’s and passenger’s windows by fully closing the window, then fully opening the window, then press down again to set bottom position. Resetting the steering angle sensor is achieved by rotating in one motion, all the way to the left, and then in one motion all the way to the right, with the engine running.
So, did the cruise control work? Of course not.
Slight panic on my part I must admit! But this car, like so many modern cars, is dominated by computers that control just about everything (excluding the clock apparently!) These computers, d e a r re ad e r, mus t now b e informed that the car has cruise control fitted. For this, I needed a dealer. I booked the car into Parr Porsche in Crawley who had supplied the parts and they informed my car’s computer that it had CC fitted and it then agreed to play ball. This cost 30mins of labour and I was on my way.
Oh well, I’m sure that I have saved myself a considerable sum on Porsche Centre fitting prices, but what a pity that having fitted all the ‘Porsche’ parts, I still needed to pay a Porsche dealer to get the cruise control to talk to the computer. I like the fact that Parr Porsche offer these kits for those willing to ‘have a go’. Their staff were extremely helpful, very knowledgeable and willing to chat to an old guy who was more used to building ‘A’ Series engines for rallying back in the ’70s than battling with modern cars and their computers. I hope that if you don’t have cruise control and wish you did, you might find these meanderings of a pensioner useful. Enjoy your Porsches.
Then apparently, you simply drive the car for a few minutes and everything else will return to normal, I did, it did … except the clock! Come on Porsche, surely you can sort that. 29
REGIONAL ROUND UP R2
Scotland
R20
South Central
R3
North East
R8
Anglia & North Essex
R5
North West
R11
North London, Herts & South Essex
R4
Yorkshire
R13
Thames Valley
R18
Cheshire & Staffs
R12
Kent & South East London
R6
South Yorkshire & North Notts
R9
Surrey & Sussex
R26
Shropshire, Mid & North Wales
R21
Hampshire
R7
Central
R22
Bristol, South West & South Wales
R19
East Midlands
R23
Southern
R24
Peterborough
R2
R3 R4 R5
R18
R26 R7
R22 R23
R2
R6 R24
R19
R20 R13
R11
R21
R9
R12
SCOTLAND
scotland@tipec.net Acting RO Nick Marshall • 07831 458 985 ARO (East) Tim Price • 07801 130 563 Facebook: TIPEC Scotland Meetings are normally held on the first Wednesday of every month except January. 19:30 for 20:00 start in the 007 Bar, Bo’ness Motor Museum, Bridgeness Road, Bo’ness, EH51 9JR. www.motor-museum.bo-ness.org.uk Happy new year to you all. 2020 has been an extraordinary year for everyone. As you should be aware by now, a number of the region’s managing committee have stood down including our RO (David Clelland), one of the AROs (Neil Baird) and committee member Andrew McDowell. We would like to thank them again for their service to the club’s Scotland region over the past few years. During the lockdown we made a couple of attempts at virtual meetings and a quiz. These were not a great success, even when held on a club night, and we had insufficient interest and attendance numbers to continue. The region’s AGM, due to be held in December, was one such virtual event. With only a handful of online attendees it was agreed to put the management of the region into a holding pattern until a face to face meeting and AGM could be arranged. We hope this will happen early in the year, before the season gets into full swing (if this terrible situation will allow). Nick Marshall will take over the RO position temporarily, with Tim Price remaining as ARO for the East; Tim will continue also to look after the region’s financial affairs. AT 145
R8
We have had a number of willing helpers coming forward but as yet no one for the RO position, so there will be plenty to discuss at our next real meeting which will also be the delayed AGM. Looking forward to seeing you all there. We’ll keep you posted on any developments but in the meantime, if any members have any suggestions or comments regarding virtual events, please contact us. It’s your club so please tell us what we can do to keep it alive until some semblance of normality returns!
R5
NORTH WEST
RO Colin Hammerton • 07500 908 091 col.hamm@hotmail.co.uk ARO Doug Ogden • 07702 117 533 ARO Mike Varley • 07712 342 481 ARO Joe Turner • 07599 100 151 joe@joesshineshop.uk ARO Cumbria Dean Mason • 07599 015 694 deanthediver@gmail.com Meetings are held on the second Monday of the month from 7pm (with club business dealt with at 8pm) at The Bowling Green, Preston Road, Charnock Richard PR7 5LA.
As I sit here writing this report, it’s New Year’s Eve 2020. Most of the North West has been put into tier four lockdown – the whole country is back to where we were in March! Who would have believed back then the impact a tiny virus could have on normal everyday life. NW club life was hit hard in 2020, with much less activity than is the norm. I’m keeping my fingers firmly crossed for this new year ahead of us and hoping for an easing of the guidelines. I’d like thank Richard Sholl and Dave Gort, who have stepped down from their ARO roles, for their continued support. Richard has been a club official for eight years and will continue to look after the region’s Facebook page. Dave will also continue to be an admin there. I’d also like to welcome Doug Ogden and Mike Varley, our two new AROs, taking over the roles for 2021. I’m looking forward to working with them to keep the region vibrant and active. As you read this, we will be heading into February, and hopefully things will have started to improve with the immunisation program being rolled out across the country. We will continue to monitor the ever changing rules and regulations and plan our club events accordingly to comply with the ongoing Government guidelines. We have put together a preliminary calendar of events for the year ahead. This will be subject to change and likely cancellations, to keep up with current regulations, until such time that normality is returned fully to the UK. Sunday 6th December saw a good number of NW cars get out and about to be part of a socially distanced moving car show.
At our favourite photo stop at Ribblehead Viaduct
In mid-December 16 NW club cars braved the inclement weather for our annual end of season
run. It was a last minute decision before the Government imposed stricter lockdown rules. After meeting at our not-so-secret muster point just outside of Clitheroe at 7:45 am, we split into three socially distanced groups and left at five minute intervals. From Clitheroe we headed out on a well used TIPEC NW route, first taking in part of the old TVR test route over Waddington Fell, then on to Slaidburn and finally into Settle where we stopped to regroup. From Settle we left, again in three groups at five minute intervals, and headed for our favourite photo stop at Ribblehead Viaduct. After stopping briefly for our now mandatory photoshoot we continued on to Hawes and Sedburgh before finally stopping at Kirby Lonsdale for a sandwich and brew at the well known Devil’s Bridge. A big thanks goes to David Courtney and Alan Aspden for leading two of the groups. It was good to meet some new faces who joined us for their first Club run – I hope we didn’t put you off! The dates below are all subject to change and will only go ahead if Government guidelines allow. February 8th (Monday) Club night at The Bowling Green
R4
YORKSHIRE
yorkshire@tipec.net RO Laurence Parkin ARO Tony Hartley • 07714 822 808 Facebook: The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club Yorkshire Meetings are held third Monday of every month 7:30pm at The Red Lion, Main St, Burley in Wharfedale, Ilkley LS29 7BT.
R18
CHESHIRE & STAFFS
RO Chris Hulme • 07775 794 291 chris@claytonhulme.co.uk ARO Stefanie Mahan • 07776 132 389 ARO Gareth Aldridge • 07881 228 944 gj.aldridge@yahoo.co.uk ARO Ian Highfield ianhighfield@talktalk.net facebook.com/groups/TIPEC.CS Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month at 8pm at The Kilton Inn, Warrington Rd, Knutsford, WA16 0PZ.
can peek under the bonnets or boot lids of each others’ cars from the comfort of our own settees. Andy Harris picks up the Chairman’s reigns for the club, pencilling in dates for national events such as Simply Porsche at Beaulieu. The website is undergoing a much needed makeover and the forum remains a welcoming place of technical bounty and advice. In addition, the club shop has branded attire for you, your Porsche or even your tea and coffee! This club is all about membership and making the most of the social side of Porsche as much as the driving and ownership side – and we look forward to seeing you all as soon as we are able. February 16th (Tuesday) Club night on Zoom February 19th–21st (Friday–Sunday) Race Retro (postponed) February 28th (Sunday) Early Spring drive out (provisional) March 5th (Friday) Chippy tea run (pending takeaways being open)
February 21st (Sunday) Breakfast run
March 16th (Tuesday) Club night, back at the Kilton (provisionally)
March 5th (Friday) RS Day, Oulton Park Meeting at Lymm Services from 8:30am to convoy down to Oulton Park – this will go ahead as long as spectators are allowed to be present
March 28th (Sunday) Garden centre drive out (pending being open and accessible)
March 8th (Monday) Club night at The Bowling Green March 14th (Sunday) Unique Porsche Anniversary Celebration, details to follow March 28th (Sunday) British Summertime starts, early morning run April 4th (Sunday) Easter Sunday run April 11th (Sunday) Yorkshire Dales run April 12th (Monday) Club night at The Bowling Green April 23rd (Friday) St George’s Day Friday feast/chippy tea
R3
NORTH EAST
RO Derek Ellison • 07862 794 149 derekdse123@aol.com ARO John Tomlinson • 07595 166 187 Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month from 7pm at The Old Farmhouse, Darlington DL2 1JZ.
May 1st–2nd (Saturday–Sunday) Donington Historic Festival Parked up on high over Christmas
Wishing you all a very happy new year from your RO and AROs. As the tiers flow into 2021, we still look forward to a year that improves on 2020 and brings more opportunities to drive, share and meet once again. Even in the fading months of 2020 we had two lovely drives out across the Peak District, albeit in rather bad weather in December. We did manage to find some dry and comfortable spots in Matlock Bath and Castleton for picnic lunches, coffee breaks and socially distanced chats by splitting into groups of six. It was good to see so many new members as well. We won’t dwell on what ‘has been’ but will concentrate on what ‘can be’ – and there is much to look forward to, even in the short term. Whilst we’ve now moved our New Year run into February to become an early Spring drive out, we’ll be meeting over Zoom on the usual club night of the third Tuesday of each month. We love the social side of things and looking round the cars – chatting about what it’s like to own or drive our cars, or sharing buying tips. So to whet your appetite on members’ cars we’ll be bringing you a virtual car show, where we
June 5–6th (Saturday–Sunday) Tatton Classic and Performance Car Spectacular June 11–13th (Friday–Sunday) NEC Restoration Show June 19th (Saturday) Trentham Fathers Day Classic Car Show (provisional) June 27th (Sunday) Lymm Historic Transport Day Looking forward to seeing you and your Porsche out and about soon! We’ll continue to plan events on the basis that they will go ahead but we accept that events can change at a moments notice and we’ll amend and adapt as may be needed. Overall we’ll stay safe and work within the local rules and guidance. Whilst much is provisional here, the fuller details will be made available as we refine them. We’ll add in trips to other locations as we are able to arrange them. Some of the future events we have in mind for the region: • WeissachUK (Byley, Middlewich) for breakfast and workshop tour 33
• Classic and Sports (Warrington) for club night • Anglesey Transport Museum (Tacla Taid) • Autobrite (Stoke on Trent) meet and chat on cleaning and detailing • Cosford Air Museum, where we are usually able to arrange a photoshoot with the cars lined up under the wings of the planes • Yorkshire Air Museum and Eden Camp, some of the best air and military hardware on show • Frost Restoration (Glazebury, Warrington) for a meet up and chat on restoration • Portmeirion, a little Italian village in Wales to be part of an overnight trip • Sleap Airfield (Nr Shrewesbury) for breakfast on a Sunday ahead of the day’s drive • Karting at Warrington, a great day of driving even when the weather isn't playing ball! R6
S OUTH YORKSHIRE & NORTH NOTTS.
RO & ARO wanted urgently Meetings are held first Sunday of every month at 7pm at Ye Olde Bell Hotel, Barnby Moor, Retford, Notts DN22 8QS Keep up to date at www.synn.org.uk or look for us on Facebook as ‘Porsche Enthusiasts Club - South Yorkshire & North Notts (TIPEC)’ R26
S HROPSHIRE, MID & NORTH WALES
RO Richard Simmons • 07972 811 221 richardjjs@yahoo.co.uk ARO Mick Duckworth • 01952 411 697 mickduckworth156@hotmail.com ARO North Wales Vinny Jones vinnyckjones@hotmail.com After we return to normal meetings will be held first Tuesday of every month from 7:30pm at the Fox and Hounds, Wytheford Road, Shawbury, Shrewsbury SY4 4JG.
As it is organised by Weston Park we will not have all of the problems we faced at Rhyl. Perhaps we can open it to everyone with special prices for TIPEC members – ideas please. We have three runs planned, just need to get the go ahead on when they will be safe to do. Near the end of the month seems to be a good time for us all. Fish and chips seems to be a good idea, as well as breakfast meetings at Welshpool and possibly Sleap Airfields. We had a good run up to the Wirral a couple of years ago – The Narrow Boat Museum is great. Let’s hope the virus is kicked out soon and we can start enjoying our cars! Please check our Facebook page to confirm events and send Richard your email address if you want to be added to our email list.
R7
EAST MIDLANDS
east.mids@tipec.net RO Jim Stevens • 07879 885 260 ARO Mark Frearson Meetings are held first Wednesday of every month 7pm at The Packe Arms, Rempstone Road, Hoton, Loughborough LE12 5SJ.
R24
PETERBOROUGH
peterborough@tipec.net RO Stuart Wand • 07725 328 183 ARO Sunny Hoyle • 07976 931 621 ARO Neil Kenefec • 07709 932 627 facebook.com/groups/PeterboroughTipec Monthly meets are held second Wednesday of every month from 7pm at The Bertie Arms, Bertie Lane, Uffington, Stamford PE9 4SZ.
CENTRAL
tipeccentral@outlook.com RO Lindsay Brown • 07768 442 050 ARO Steve Jones • 07775 581 044 ARO Neil Smith • 07899 961 429 Meetings are held second Monday of every month 7:30pm onwards at The Bull’s Head, Birmingham Road, Shenstone WS14 0JR. www.vintageinn.co.uk/thebullsheadshenstone As I write this report we are still in tier four, meaning we can’t have any indoor meets and outdoor meets are only allowed with one other person. This unfortunately rules out club nights and drives out at the moment. No-one knows how long this will last, so for now I will not publish any events listings. Many other regions are thinking along the same lines, we will keep you informed on our Facebook page or by email. I have set up a WhatsApp group, unfortunately I haven’t got all your mobile numbers. If you text me on my number (above) with your name I can add you to the list and we can use this as another line of contact, ideal for short notice events or drives out.
Weston Park, last time we visited
I have put the dates of our planned club nights below but these are not confirmed as I don’t know whether the Government will increase the number of tiers or go the other way and allow us into the pubs again. Personally I can’t see meeting happening until at least the summer. I will end this short report by saying thank you to you all for being so patient and I can’t wait to get to see you all again.
Well that was a great two months, with lots of meetings and drives out - Not!
March 8th (Monday) Club night at The Bull’s Head
With any luck we might be able to have a meeting at The Fox and Hounds at the beginning of April and MAYBE a drive out in late February. We are looking at Weston Park on the 26th September as a national meeting.
April 12th (Monday) Club night at The Bull’s Head
AT 145
R19
May 10th (Monday) Club night at The Bull’s Head
Adhering to the ‘rule of six’ (plus an Audi)
I hope everyone has had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. With the year just started we all look forward to being able to function as a car club again. With obvious restrictions on keeping local, club news is very limited to say the least. However, we did manage one joint-region trip to Hunstanton (the original ly planned destination, Skegness, was in tier three at the time, Hunstanton only being tier two). All the planning was done by the good guys/ girls of South Central and all we had to do was rendezvous at Hunstanton. The Peterborough posse assembled near Doddington, parking on the racetrack that is Mark’s carriage sweep. Rather than trudge along the A47 towards Hunstanton, a cross-country route was devised, taking in more interesting and challenging roads. Traffic was light was lent itself to a more spirited pace (albeit dodging numerous wide and deep puddles). Mark was revelling in his new Boxster S and its mid-engined handling. As we neared Hunstanton the clouds cleared and we were greeted with glorious sunshine; hence the venue really earning its nickname ‘Sunny Hunny’. We were joined by the South Central crowd – all socially distanced, even splitting up and having separate car parks. It was good to meet up and have a good natter while deciding where to go get fish and chips. Sea air was taken followed by a stroll on the promenade, and fish chips were enjoyed. We said our farewells and went our separate ways; with the South Central
folk having somewhat further to go home. A good day out had by all.
them, or going to huge lengths to make them happen one way or another.
We are still hoping to organising some trips out this year, but understandably we are being very cautious about making any firm plans. We will keep everyone up to date.
In November we were lucky to have a Rennsport Collective event on our patch. The venue was Stowe School, which provided a great backdrop to a fabulous collection of Porsches. The day started with breakfast followed by a drive, the event, another drive and on to lunch – so a full on day which was very well supported. November 14th was our first online quiz night. Between many drinks and banter, all participants had a chance to ask questions, some even Porsche and club related! A great evening and definitely one to be repeated.
February 10th (Wednesday) Club night at The Bertie Arms, Uffington March 10th (Wednesday) Club night at The Bertie Arms, Uffington April 14th (Wednesday) Club night at The Bertie Arms, Uffington May 14–16th (Friday–Sunday) Spa Classic June 6th (Sunday) Simply Porsche, Beaulieu September 17–19th (Friday–Sunday) Circuit des Remparts d’Angoulême Welcome to all the new members who have joined us recently. We’re all looking forward to meeting you when we can. All in all let’s hope 2021 is a great year for us all and our club. Hopefully see some of you again soon. Keep safe.
R20
SOUTH CENTRAL
south.central@tipec.net RO Gary Tipping • 07875 468 503 ARO Ben Wood • 07912 745 692 ARO James Tayler • 07836 579 190 ARO Stewart Thumwood • 07957 225 282 Instagram: @tipecsouthcentral Facebook.com/groups/southcentraltipec Meeting venues to be advised, please refer to our Facebook and WhatsApp posts for current locations.
Our team and members were not to be deterred by the December weather, and on the 5th our socially distanced fish and chip run to Hunstanton went ahead. On December 16th we celebrated Nick Smith’s birthday with a surprise drive out on a route planned by Chris Smith. Chris did a great job with his first route planning exercise, and came up with one we’ll certainly repeat in 2021. That brings me to our first South Central (online) awards night! A night of evening dress, the odd drink or three, fabulous prizes donated by our members, a surprise ‘announcement’, and some very worthy winners nominated by the members. We scheduled the event to begin at 7pm and end at 9:30pm … It was still going strong as we approached midnight! And the winners are: Weakest Bladder: Ben Wood, winning a Super Sausage Voucher (sponsored by Sally Hersant).
We were shocked and saddened to hear that one of our very well liked South Central members, Rob Maddin, passed away suddenly on Christmas Eve. Rob was always a positive and supportive presence at many of our events, we all greatly enjoyed his company at breakfast meets and drives out. He will be sadly missed. Our collective thoughts are with his wife Jo at this very sad time. Stay safe and see you soon.
R8
A NGLIA & NORTH ESSEX
RO Ian Jones • izzy.spyder@sky.com ARO Adam Jiggins • adamjiggins69@gmail.com Treasurer Yvonne King • yvonneking@hotmail.com facebook.com/groups/618348854957396 Meetings are normally held fourth Tuesday of each month from 7pm at The Beagle, Hadleigh Road, Sproughton, Ipswich IP8 3AR. www.vintageinn.co.uk/restaurants/ east/thebeagleipswich (01473 730607)
Anorak Award: Stewart Thumwood, winning record industry merchandise (sponsored by Gary Tipping). Tom Tom Award: Sally Hersant, winning a bathroom design voucher (sponsored by Nick Smith).
Spirit of TIPEC: Simon Bonfield, winning a year’s TIPEC Membership (sponsored by the South Central team). Best Dressed Car: Thomas Hammon, winning a car detail (sponsored by Chris Smith).
First and foremost, a very happy new year to everybody, wishing you all the very best for 2021. With vaccination forthcoming, let’s hope we can get around more freely as the year goes on. I can’t thank our team at South Central enough for their support and enthusiasm. It has seen our region grow and gel as a group of friends as well as Porsche enthusiasts. A huge round of applause for James Tayler, Stewart Thumwood, Ben Wood and Gary Howard. The current situation has kept them on their toes, arranging events, cancelling
We have lots of plans brewing for as soon as we can get out. Looking forward to the Bicester Heritage Scramble in April, the Silverstone Classic in July, and the Sywell Classic in September to name but a few.
Driver of the Year: Ben Wood, winning a pair of Makster Loafers (sponsored by Mak911).
Max Power Award: Ben Wood, winning a bottle of whiskey (sponsored by James Tayler).
Rob Maddin, in his much loved Boxster
Member of the Year: James Tayler, winning a vehicle check + oil and filter change (sponsored by Rob Gates, RG Automotive).
Comedian of the year: Craig Apted, winning a bottle of champagne (sponsored by Gary Howard). Social Media Award: Mak, winning a car photoshoot (sponsored by Tony Ward). Rear of the Year: Thomas Hannon, winning a free MOT (sponsored by Rob Gates, RG Automotive). Dyson Hair Dryer Award: Craig Apted, winning a brilliant hamper (Sponsored by Stewart Thumwood).
Joining in the birthday drive-by
Happy New Year! Even though we are all under tier four restrictions, fingers crossed everything with the Covid-19 situation will now be heading in the right direction, allowing us to get out more than we did in 2020. As a region we are now carrying out our monthly club meetings via Zoom on the 4th Tuesday at 8pm. Please follow the link within our members email or on our Facebook page. We will hopefully be planning some events and outings for 2021, and any input or ideas from our members will be most welcome. • • • • • •
Weekends away (events) Our WotY (Weekend of the Year) Le Mans Classic (July) Drives out Shows National club events 35
On a lighter note, a plea to see some supercars was put out by a mother for her car crazy five-year old son, who’s birthday was cancelled at the last minute due to the change of restrictions. She suggested a time and location, and asked that drivers passed close by if they happened to be going for an essential journey at that time. With a couple of us just passing on our way to the shops, we joined more than 50 cars including anything from monster trucks to McLarens and a large number of Lamborghinis … making him a very happy chappie indeed. Here’s to everyone pulling together, making us a club represented by you all. Best wishes, stay safe and looking forward to getting back to normality.
R11
N ORTH LONDON, HERTS & SOUTH ESSEX
NLHSE@tipec.net RO Vince Dallimore • 07798 630 649 ARO Peter Musk • 07734 769 953 facebook.com/groups/1217447545000223 Meetings are held first Sunday 10am at Foxholes Farm Shop, Foxholes Farm Drive, London Rd, Hertford SG13 7NT (overflow car park). Second Saturday Pistonheads breakfast 8:30am at White Elm Garden Centre, White Elm Rd, Bicknacre CM3 4LR. Last Monday Porsches only 6pm at The Ace Café, Ace Corner, Stonebridge NW10 7UD (Nb. The Ace is shut to car events until further notice).
Those of you with more modern cars (mid ’90s onwards), don’t really have any concerns with ethanol, but older models face a number of issues. Ethanol is Hygroscopic and unless turned over regularly in the use of a car, leads to a build up of water in all parts of the fuel system. This risks corrosion in fuel lines and all parts of fuel injection systems and carbs on older cars. Ethanol is also agressive to the rubber used in the fuel lines of older cars, again when left idle this creates a risk of fuel line failure and fire. I will be using only Esso Synergy Supreme 99 in future and now have the task of burning off older fuel in my cars, and getting the ethanol free juice through the systems as a flushing agent! If others have additional information about the demon ethanol, I’d be pleased to hear! Our North London Herts, South Essex Facebook group now has 78 members registered. When permitted again, events will be posted there for your convenience, as well as being noted here in All Torque, to aid communication with you all. Find and ask to join the Facebook group for our region at: Facebook.com/groups/1217447545000223 Peter and I can be contacted via our club email address: NLHSE@tipec.net Due to the lack of response from members over the years, email is no longer used by us for general communication. The Goat as a venue for NLHSE meetings is suspended until further notice. The Facebook group ‘Classics at the Goat’ remains active, and some interesting videos and reminiscences have been posted recently. We have adopted Foxholes Farm shop just up the road from the Goat as a NLHSE meeting point on first Sundays from 10am. A few of us managed to meet in December and it was nice to have given the cars a little run out. Sadly Foxholes as a venue for NLHSE meetings is now also suspended until further notice, as is White Elm Garden Centre. The Ace Café as a venue for NLHSE meetings is suspended until further notice as well. The Ace are keeping in touch with customers via their Facebook group, take a look if you’ve any time on your hands.
R13
Sunnier days at White Elm Garden Centre
We will all be in the third lockdown by the time you see this report; the impact of the lockdown on club gatherings is now clearer and more restrictive, there will not be any club arranged or individual ‘meetings’ until the lockdown is lifted and new rules allow. I recently did some investigations regarding fuel for my cars; the 928s being built in the ’80s cannot use E10 at the pumps – Porsche have issued guidance to this effect. E5 is available from most service stations as higher octane 98RON or 99RON, Tesco Momentum and Shell V Power being the obvious ones at 99RON. However I discovered that Esso Synergy Supreme 99, whilst showing at the pump as E5 for 5% ethanol (there is no option for E0), is in fact ethanol free in most of England. Parts of the West Country, far North and Scotland are not ethanol free. AT 145
THAMES VALLEY
thames.valley@tipec.net RO Andrew Harris • 07812 146 999 ARO Graham Driver • 07799 625 279 ARO Jason Gibson • 07958 459 725 Meetings are held second Tuesday of every month 7:00pm at The Bell & Bottle, Bath Rd, Littlewick Green, Maidenhead, SL6 3RX.
Happy New Year to you all. Graham, Jason and I hope you had a lovely Christmas, overindulging in the turkey, roasties and Christmas pudding. We also wish you a happy and healthy 2021. The restrictions that were in place for most of you made for a very different Christmas and New Year but we are sure you made the best of it and had the opportunity to blow the cobwebs out of your Porsches over the festive period. We normally start the year with a full calendar of events for you to look forward to, however at the moment we are unsure of the road ahead. For the time being we will look at events and drives out on a week-by-week basis. Please keep an eye out for our emails as we will most likely do something ‘lastminute.com’ for you! We must stay positive as the year has just begun and hopefully it can only be busier than the last! Some of the big events of the year should still be on the cards, including Silverstone Classic and Simply Porsche. Boxengasse was a big success in 2020 and will hopefully be back again this year. We will endeavour to organise a number of Sunday morning breakfast runs, as we know you like these. Our afternoon tea in Brighton, summer picnic and curry run should also be on the calendar along with a detailing morning to be arranged. We were unable to hold our monthly meetings in November and December, with the restrictions also putting the brakes on our Christmas dinner and dance! However, we did manage to have a drive out to Stow-on-the Wold on a cold and foggy Sunday morning with half a dozen of us meeting at the M40 Oxford Services for an 8:15am ‘safe but spirited’ drive around the Cotswolds. The roads were clear and we were able to stay in convoy for the entire 45-mile drive, arriving in Stow and parking in the square. Keeping to social distancing guidelines, we enjoyed a coffee and a natter before heading back. It was really great to give the Porsches a run and have a pre-Christmas catch up and mince pie with some of you. We hope to see the return of our regular monthly meetings at The Bell & Bottle, as these had become very busy with a good number of you enjoying a bite to eat and a good chat about all things Porsche. February 9th (Tuesday) Club night at The Bell & Bottle March 9th (Tuesday) Club night at The Bell & Bottle April 13th (Tuesday) Club night at The Bell & Bottle
Socially distanced on our Stow-on-the-Wold drive out
Please keep an eye on our diary page of the website at: www.tipec.net/regions/thames-valley Don’t forget about our Facebook page too: Thames Valley Region – Porsche Enthusiasts Club. If you are unable to attend any of the events, please feel free to pop along to our monthly meeting at The Bell & Bottle, it is always an enjoyable evening with lots of friendly people, the food is good too!
R12
K ENT & SOUTH EAST LONDON
kent.sel@tipec.net RO Sean Smallman • 07500 332 790 sean.smallman@tipec.net ARO Stuart Watson Meetings are held first Wednesday of the month from 7:30pm at The Moody Mare, 501 Seven Mile Lane, Maidstone, Kent ME18 5QY (On the B2016 road nr. Mereworth)
With Covid continuing to dominate all our lives we have little to report in the way of events for the Surrey & Sussex Region. A proposed socially distanced coffee morning just before Christmas was cancelled when the whole of Surrey & Sussex was moved into tier four.
R22
B RISTOL, SOUTH WEST & SOUTH WALES
Thanks to Chris Cook we did manage to get a couple of Zoom meetings with several members joining in. We plan to continue with Zoom club nights for the next couple of months.
RO Sue Simmons • 07530 312 700 sue.simmons1@gmail.com ARO (Bristol) Debs Bradshaw 07423 436 503 • debscards0017@gmail.com ARO (South West) Ian Marsh ian.marsh@ijmprojects.co.uk ARO (South Wales) Sarah & Brian Hughes
Weekend of the Year 2021 – Our main event of the year has, for some time, been our ever popular weekend away, with visits to various places throughout the UK. Over recent years this has taken place in May but with the current situation we are proposing to move this event to mid-September.
Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month from 6:30pm at The Plough, Pilning, Nr Bristol BS35 4JJ. www.theploughpilning.co.uk And third Wednesday of every month from 6:30pm at The Keepers Cottage Inn, Cullompton EX15 2EB.
So make a note in your diaries, the plan is to go to mid-Wales with its great scenery and some of the best driving roads. November club night in the teepee
With Kent being placed in tier four straight after lockdown, our planned events for the remainder of 2020 were put on hold. The November club night was our last event, a very pleasant evening in the teepee. Hopefully it will not be too long before we can all meet up again. In the meantime we will use Zoom to keep in touch and will pull together a calendar for 2021 when we are allowed to meet up. Until then, stay safe and we will drive the wheels off the cars later in the year.
R9
SURREY & SUSSEX
surrey.sussex@tipec.net RO urgently wanted ARO Michael Bowden • 07724 016 592 ARO Chris Cook • 07840 984 196 facebook.com/groups/tipecsurreyandsussex Meetings will at present be held on Zoom on the second Wednesday of each month at 8:00pm. Look out for meeting codes on emails sent by Chris Cook via the regional email account.
On the home front fettling on the cars has reduced as the weather, and the garage, has become rather cold. The Porsches continue to require batter y maintenance with ‘smar t’ chargers, the Mercedes with two batteries starts first time but needs a couple of miles for the ancillaries to come alive. We never have any of these problems with the 60-year-old Morris Minor Traveller! The regional calendar for 2021 is still very much undecided. However, some of the events we hope to have include: • WotY tour of mid-Wales in September, • Trip to Southern France, 7–10 days in early October with a stay in the Dordogne, • A car show organised between our region and the local BMW and Mercedes clubs at The Hawth in Crawley, • Local car shows including Capel, Cranleigh and Brooklands, • National events at the NEC such as the Classic Car Show, • Simply Porsche at Beaulieu. Stay safe everyone and happy New Year from the Surrey & Sussex Regional Committee. R21
HAMPSHIRE
hampshire@tipec.net RO Members collective ARO Andrew Morle • 07450 435 347 Facebook.com/groups/361024217594761 Meetings are held first Wednesday of every month from 6pm at The Hinton Arms, Petersfield Road, Hinton Ampner, Alresford, Hampshire SO24 0NH.
We’ll meet again …
Updates can be viewed online through our region’s page on the club website at www.tipec.net/regions/Hampshire
One of the standout cars at Simply Porsche in 2020
Happy New Year to all our club members and let’s hope that 2021 gives us the opportunity to get out and about in our cars. I hope that all of you have managed to stay healthy and enjoyed a relaxing, if somewhat limited, Christmas period. I would be really keen to hear from any of my region members with suggestions for drives or activities that could take place once restrictions are partially (not fully) lifted. Be creative and send me any ideas you may have. We are really hoping to be able to hold another Simply Porsche annual rally in June this year along the lines of the September 2020 event – how lucky that we were able to do that – it was one of few car club events held in 2020. We do have group events away booked for May and September this year to mid-Wales and to the Isle of Man respectively. If any additional members would like to be provisionally added to those lists please get in touch with us as soon as possible. We also plan to hold a ‘proper’ Christmas get together at The Metropole the first weekend in December – so again let me know if you want to be on the list and I will send you details – the deposit is just £40. It could still be a while before we are able to hold club nights at our two pub venues again and when we do they may have to be for limited numbers – so look out for messages via email about that once restrictions start to ease, so that you can choose dates etc. 37
It will be quite interesting to hear about vaccination progress so maybe you can keep me posted on your area. If you are looking for something to do why not write an article for All Torque – any Porsche related subject will be considered – maybe your wish list of places to go once normality returns? Overall I am hopeful that as we get to the second half of 2021 life might start to get back to some kind of normal, but in the meantime please do all stay safe and well, no matter how tedious it may feel.
R23
SOUTHERN
It seems everyone is dreaming of getting out for a drive (rather than being stuck at home painting their nuts) – let’s hope we can do so soon!
RO urgently wanted ARO Jim Tarrant • 0120 260 1886 jim.tarrant@consequia.com
If anyone has any words and/or pictures of what what they’ve been up to with their cars, please do email them to me for publication.
Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month from 7:30pm at The Old Thatch, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 7NW.
March 2nd (Tuesday) *TBC* Club night at The Old Thatch, Wimborne April 6th (Tuesday) *TBC* Club night at The Old Thatch, Wimborne
If any of you are near Charfield, feel free to drive round for a doorstep natter or to meet us at the village hall playing field round the corner! Really hope to see lots of you soon. If you have any questions about anything club or region related please get in touch on Gmund qs 30/6/08 16:49 Page sue.simmons1@gmail.com or 07530 312 1700.
February 2nd (Tuesday) *TBC* Club night at The Old Thatch, Wimborne
Please visit our website at www.tipec.net/regions/ southern as we are continuously updating our events page. A vintage Southern region meeting, circa 2007
Members will also receive email notifications of upcoming items.
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