TIPEC All Torque 69

L AL E U Q R TO PR ISSUE 69 A

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IL 2008

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3/4/07

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ALWAYS ORIGINAL

The last of the great 911s?

November 2006

May 2007

Special Collectors’ Edition

Special Collectors’ Edition January 2007

911 & PORSCHE WORLD SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVE SPECIAL COLLECTORS’ EDITION FRONT COVERS www.chpltd.com

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TIPEC (0845 602 0052) www.tipec.net All Torque is published bi-monthly by The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club (TIPEC). All text & images are © their authors & photographers. Front cover image: Cayenne Transsyberia on the Trans-Siberia Rally at the end of last year, from the Porsche AG Press Archive.

All Torque is based entirely on submissions from TIPEC members.

This is your magazine and we need your involvement!

Send in running reports, Porsche-related stories, how-to articles … anything you think might interest other TIPEC members.

Please send text and images via email, or on CD/DVD (or paper!) to the address below.

Submissions for issue 70 (June) must be in before Friday 9th May 2008.

All Torque editor & designer Tony Blow tony@typescape.com Flat 1/1, 47 Greendyke Street, Glasgow G1 5PX Printed by The Lavenham Press Ltd, Suffolk (01787 247 436) Advertising in All Torque is managed by TIPEC club office 10 Whitecroft Gdns, Woodford Halse NN11 3PY (0845 602 0052) TIPEC Chairman Sean Smallman (07789 657 522) sean.smallman@tipec.net Vice Chairman Jim Hearnden (07930 353 232) tr7v8@phaetonconsulting.co.uk Treasurer Rich Simpson (07711 581 443) rich.simpson@tipec.net Advertising & Club Liason Clive Gosling (07791 480 999) clive.gosling@tipec.net Membership Secretary Dave Doherty (01423 501 988) membership@tipec.net TIPEC Membership, Alexa House 26 Ripon Road, Harrogate HG1 21JJ Gruppe North Director John Oakes (01132 827 512) john.oakes3@btinternet.com Gruppe Central Director Eric Finley (07971 594 211) eric.finley@tipec.net Gruppe South Director Derek Flanagan (07767 254 820) derek.flanagan@varian.net All Torque & TIPEC are entirely independent of Dr. Ing. H.c.F. Porsche AG, Porsche Cars GB Ltd and its dealers. All registered Trade Marks owned by Dr. Ing. H.c.F. Porsche AG, including the word ‘Porsche’, the Porsche Crest and Porsche Script are acknowledged as such and are their property. Whilst all due care is taken in the production of All Torque; neither TIPEC, its officers or the editor can accept responsibility for the advice, information or opinions expressed herein. Opinions contained in any article published herein are of the author or editor and do not reflect the official position of TIPEC, its management or membership, unless clearly stated by a club official.

Chairman’s Chat I would like to welcome Dave Doherty to the HQ team as the club’s Membership Secretary.

This is a new role for the club: Dave will look after all membership enquiries and payments and manage the database. His contact details are on the left-hand side of this page.

I will continue to deal with all other club enquiries, aided by Clive Gosling.

TIPEC08 is fast approaching and this year’s event has many new features to keep us entertained. The exhibits in the museum, the test track and 4x4 course to name a few of the additional attractions. The test track is ideal for those who want to push their car without falling foul of the law.

For £10 (in advance) it is a great opportunity to test your skills and what the car can actually do.

We have never held a party before an annual event, but as it is the club’s 15th anniversary we felt we should do something different.

The back to school party and barbeque will be a fun family get together, an opportunity to let our hair down have a few drinks and a good time.

The barbeque will be good quality with a varied selection of dishes including vegetarian. Please book early, places are limited for the party and test track: they will sell out.

Porsche Centre Silverstone, one of our show sponsors, will be bringing a selection of new models for us to have a good look at. Your show is going to be the biggest Porsche show in the country, we hope you and your Porsche will join us, for what we think is shaping up to be the must-do event of 2008.

With the AGM just around the corner, I would like to thank the Committee and the Regional teams for all their hard work and commitment over what has been another successful year. The last 12 months have seen some significant improvements to our services and discounts schemes. Membership really does pay for itself when you work out the money you can save by using our discount partners.

For a relatively small club I love the fact that we punch way above weight and will continue to do so.

I will close by thanking you, the members, for continuing to support our great club.

Happiness is an empty country lane and the rasp from your exhaust!

All Torque 69 page 3

TIPEC national event 2008

This year’s TIPEC national event will be held on Saturday and Sunday 2nd/3rd August at Gaydon Heritage Motor Centre To celebrate the clubs 15th Anniversary, on the Saturday night we are hosting a Back to School Party and quality BBQ. School uniform is not compulsory so feel free to dress up or down as the case may be. This is family event and will be held at the top of the museum which has panoramic views of the Warwickshire countryside. There is an outside seating area to enjoy the summer evening and have a rest from the dancing. There are a limited number of tickets so please book early.

Features for Sunday’s show include: • Pride of Ownership concours (details in June’s issue of All Torque) • Porsche only parking • model displays • trade stands • seminars • museum • drive Land Rovers under tuition on the 4x4 circuit (free) • test track parade laps • cars for sale • car clinic • go-karts (£4.50) • play area • bouncy castle

Cost in Advance Adults £8 Kids £6 Family £25 (two adults, three kids) Camping £11 Three laps of the test track £10 (limited numbers) Party £20/£9 (limited numbers)

On the Day Adults £10 Kids £8 Family £35 Camping £16 Test track £15

Tickets are available to purchase from the Gaydon Heritage Motor Centre website www.heritage-motorcentre.co.uk (click on events). Or by telephone Tuesdays only on 01926 645 031 (9am–5pm) We have reserved rooms at The Holiday Inn Leamington Spa at £75 for a double including breakfast. Call 01926 425 522 and quote POR to get that rate. Family rooms are available online www. holidayinn.co.uk Family rooms are also available from Travelodge from £30 visit www.travelodge.co.uk and from Welcome Break Warwick Servies from £40 www.welcomebreak.co.uk

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Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground trackday update As featured in the last edition of All Torque and on the club website, the TIPEC National Trackday 2008 is at Bruntingthorpe.

This is a great opportunity for you to enjoy one of the most user friendly tracks in the UK and great value at £100 per car.

Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire is the perfect venue for anyone that has not taken part in a track event before. There are no hard barriers, tyres or earth banks as the circuit is a former airfield. The TIPEC National Trackday 2008 is open to all members, on Saturday 26th April. The event will be an open pit lane with a maximum of 65 cars on the day and 25 cars on circuit at any one time. There will be a designated TIPEC parking area to gather when not on track.

Cost is only £100 per driver (very cheap for a full track day) with additional drivers at £25 and passengers at £5. Helmets must be worn and arms & legs must be covered. All cars are subject to a 98db noise check. On-site safety talk at 9.30am with some slow laps to view the circuit, which opens at 10am and runs till 4pm with a one hour break for lunch.

Drivers to book directly with Bruntingthorpe: ring 0116 279 9318 and ask for Fay—just tell her you’re with TIPEC. The day is being organised by Paul and Brian of TIPEC Central Region. To make the day even better they have secured support from Center Gravity, the suspension and chassis-tuning specialist. Owner Chris Franklin has a mission to “provide an F1 service to enthusiasts”. In addition to this he carries out development work for companies such as Bilstein and Nitron Racing Shocks. Chris will be on hand at Bruntingthorpe to support all registered TIPEC drivers, offering three different services.

Proper wheel alignment is important for older Porsches as well as newer models The first service has three parts: a tyre issues surgery, a handling issues surgery and a more advanced anti-roll bar and damper settings surgery.

There is no charge for this service.

The second is a data logging service. Your car is set up with an onboard data logger to capture data such as track positioning, track speed, lateral G-force, acceleration, deceleration, braking points and gear changes. There is a nominal charge of £15 for this service. Due to time constraints this can only be performed on four cars in the morning and four cars in the afternoon session: first come, first served.

The third service is a base check of your car using laser-guided technology, checking how the car is actually set up now. This is important on cars like Porsches as it can significantly affect performance as well as wear and tear on components, especially tyres. This service includes a report to the owner/driver. The charge is a very reasonable £30. Due to time constraints we can only provide one base line measurement in the morning and one in the afternoon session. Again this is provided on a first come, first served basis.

If you would like to try any of these services from Chris, email Brian on MyMerak@aol.com to check availability and book.

Chris is a fanatical supporter of the Porsche marque. Central Region members speak passionately about his work and the way he transforms a Porsche by setting wheel geometry, then tuning its suspension and chassis. As expected, Chris owns and drives a Porsche: a 1985 911 Carrera which is “hotter than normal” … what else?

Chris Franklin of Centre Gravity will be available all day on the 26th

If you want to know more about his work, log on to www.cofg.co.uk or better still, be at Bruntingthorpe on 26th April. Paul and Brian will be there to welcome you.

Cape to Cape ’08

New region: Anglia After looking at where members live in the East Anglia region it was decided that the Colchester venue was too far south, leaving the majority of local members unable to regularly attend.

The new venue for Anglia Region meetings is The Flying Fortress, one mile from Bury St Edmunds, off the A14. Mark Flintham and Keith Strudwick look forward to welcoming you to the first meeting at 7:30pm on Tuesday 20th May. The move means that Cambridge will also be covered by the new Anglia region

Membership Cards Brod and Carolyn Purdy of TIPEC’s Lincolnshire Region are to use their 1966 Porsche 912 SWB coupé during April to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of a family member who died in August 2006 and a driver on last year’s Tour who died just after it finished. Both their families were extremely well supported by their local Macmillan Nurses.

Brod is also a cancer sufferer and continues to receive treatment and support, making this cause slightly more personal.

Please note that the new membership cards are ordered in batches every two to three weeks.

There will be a slight delay to receiving your new card depending when the subs were paid.

Last year, they raised over £1,700 for Macmillan Cancer Support by joining 35 other classic car owners on a drive from Cape Wrath in NW Scotland to Cape Clear in SE Ireland, a distance of 1,200 miles. This year, Carolyn is again to drive this 42 year old classic, but from Cape Cornwall to Cape Ferret in France with husband Brod as navigator. The Tour starts on 27th April, finishing on 2nd May and is over a distance of 1,200 miles. As last year, there will be nearly 40 other classic cars taking part, the oldest of which is a 1932 Austin Seven Ulster and the most modern a 1986 Porsche 911 Cabriolet. Over the past four years, ‘Tourists’ have raised nearly £250,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support; last year the total raised was over £75,000. Unlike most fundraising endeavours, they are not raising money to help finance their costs or expenses on the event; every penny raised goes directly to Macmillan Cancer Support. More details can be gleaned from www.pr4motorsport. com/macmillan.htm, which is updated on a fairly regular basis. Brod & Carolyn’s website at www.justgiving.com/c2c5 may be used for online contributions. This will ensure that all contributions go directly to Macmillan Cancer Support and also benefit from Gift Aid. Livery for Brod & Carolyn’s car has been kindly donated by fellow TIPEC member Rick Cannell of www.cannell.co.uk

A lot of us use search engines when looking for the best insurance prices. We have set one up on our own website at www.tipec.net Every time someone requests a quote the club receives a small commission. Just click on the link at the bottom of the front page.

Insurance Quotes

Porsche Auto Jumble Husborne Crawley Auto Jumble takes place at the White Horse (MK43 0XE) on Saturday May 24th. The jumble is later this year because it is changing to an annual event. There are usually lots of club members having a rummage for those elusive inexpensive parts and TIPEC will also have a pitch.

Tyre shortage There is a severe Europe-wide shortage of Michelin 18” and 19” 295 N-rated tyres, and currently none available in the UK, as the Porsche factories are swallowing them all up for new car production. Please be careful not to drive below the 1.6mm tread depth limit and if you have to fit non N-rated tyres be sure to notify your insurance company or you may invalidate your policy. Finally, if you suffer a puncture and cannot get a replacement Michelin tyre, forcing you to replace all four, it may be worth seeking compensation from Porsche through your local Porsche Centre.

All Torque 69 page 7

New Porsche books for April Porsche 996: The Essential Companion Adrian Streather, Veloce Publishing, £49.99, ISBN 978-1-84584-096-9

Ultimate Buyers’ Guide: Porsche 911 The Classic Models (1964–1989) Peter Morgan, PMM Books, £16.95, ISBN 978-0-9549990-9-4

At fifty quid, this may seem an expensive proposition, but if you own or are seriously considering buying a 996, it could well be worth its weight in gold. Think of this black and white behemoth as your owners’ manual, workshop guide and historical reference all in one.

Adrian Streather’s massive book is nothing if not comprehensive.

From model types to trim options, ride height adjustments to DME software variations, it’s hard to think of anything not covered. Admittedly it is a dry read. Illustrations and photographs are demonstrative rather than decorative. That is not a criticism however: This is unashamedly a reference book, and as such it’s a success. The how-to maintenance and modification guides are clear and easy to follow, the historical records are thorough, and whilst the imagery is sometimes of poor quality (reflecting its sources) it is always purposeful.

As much a celebration as a buyers’ guide, this is not the dry tome one might expect. It’s packed from cover to cover with glossy full colour photographs of classic 911s, making it a joy to flick through.

It’s not all frivolous though, Peter Morgan has come up with the substance to back up the eye candy.

Starting off with technical spec of all the 911s produced until ’89, Peter walks you through the bodyshell, engine, transmission, wheels, brakes and interior of each model type in turn, pointing out the changes from previous models and what you need to look for when kicking the tyres of potential additions to your Porsche garage. Rounded off with a full options list reference, this glovebox-sized guide is practical without being dull.

The Book of The Porsche 356 Brian Long, Veloce Publishing, £35, ISBN 978-1-84584-035-8 This beautiful coffee table book is an update of the original 1996 edition.

Brian Long guides us through Porsche’s early years, from the VW Beetle to the first ‘real’ Porsche in 1947 through to the end of the 356 line in 1966. It’s an easy read, aimed squarely at the casual 356 enthusiast, rather than being a technically-minded volume.

Where this hardback shines is the comprehensive collection of imagery pulled together by Brian and his team. The period photography and original advertisments are truly gorgeous and reproduced as well as can be expected.

Definitely one for the fans, it has taken pride of place on my girlfriend’s bookshelf … at least until the inevitable lottery win lets her buy that Pre-A she has always wanted.

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Keith Funnell’s dream drives Before you jump to any conclusions, I haven’t won the lottery or cashed in the house … but I have been lucky enough to have driven two very special cars in the space of two weeks.

The first was a Mercedes-Benz SL65AMG at our TIPEC region’s visit to Brooklands. What’s so special about the SL65AMG? 612BHP, six litres, V12 Bi-Turbo, 0–60 in 4.2 seconds, 155mph limited top speed.

Apprehensively, I headed off onto the 2.5 kilometre test track with a captive audience including our club chairman Sean Smallman, so no pressure! The fully automatic SL65AMG was a breeze to drive over 10mph, but below that the heat from the Bi-Turbos made the power steering fluid froth to the degree that you had to be Superman to turn the wheel.

The SL65AMG is used as a Safety car for F1 racing, so I appropriately started with a launch controlled standing start, told to initially feed in about 80% throttle before given it the ‘full beans’. The result was nothing short of staggering. In no way was the SL65AMG as nimble round the track as I expect our Porsches to be, but the experience was more than pleasing. The SL65AMG ticked all the boxes, however the price of £150K and the single figure fuel consumption when provoked is only for the very rich.

My second my dream car proved a lot more practical.

I took my Boxster into OPC Mid-Sussex for service and MOT. I have not used this OPC years due to cost, but things are changing OPC’s which is making a lot of them more than the independents.

The car looked stunning, Basalt Black with the GT3 body kit, wheels and Porsche PASM sport package. The performance figures although impressive were academic on the wet roads on the day. For the record the 997 C2S has 355 BHP, 3.8 litres, Flat six cylinder, 0–60 in 4.8 seconds, 182 mph unlimited top speed, and the price £81K (including options). I was immediately at home in the 997 C2S with its familiar driving position, although it felt that you were sitting much lower than in my Boxster and there was more legroom.

There was a classic Porsche trackday at Goodwood, and I couldn’t resist the temptation. Once on the dual carriageways the C2S showed its real potential. Acceleration was crisp and roundabouts disappeared with ease.

It was time to play with the Sport ‘fun’ button. Press to toggle between normal and sports modes, the latter firming up the suspension as well as speeding up the throttle response. I found the Sport suspension mode way too firm; to the point that the car felt that it was bouncing, rather than riding, the bumps of the road. Arriving at Goodwood just in time for a bite of lunch, I parked the C2S in a nice prominent position. On return, the car had a sizeable gathering of admirers. Taking the return journey home via cross-country on some of my favourite roads, I felt well in tune with the car’s performance and handling and the exhaust note in Sports mode sounded terrific through the villages. The Standard suspension settings soaked up the country roads with ease. Mid-Sussex OPC phoned me on the way home with the good news that my Boxster had passed its MOT and was ready for collection. I couldn’t resist parking up outside my house to give the neighbours something to gossip about before returning the C2S. I didn’t dare put it on the driveway though for fear of scraping its front spoiler.

Despite checking whether my TIPEC discount would bring the C2S in on budget, I’m afraid it’s going to need a lottery win to buy either of these dream cars. So which one would I choose if money was not object? It has to be the Porsche every time. It has the looks, the pedigree and performance way beyond my driving capabilities!

this year’s for a few in most competitive

At our S.E. Region club night a couple of days before my service, Peter Rowe (Senior Service Advisor) mentioned that they had borrowed a Porsche 997 C2S from the sales department for me use whilst my Boxster was being serviced. A day’s holiday was duly booked at work so I could take full advantage! On arrival at the dealership I was warmly welcomed by Andy Crabb (Executive Centre Principal) and the team that regularly attend our club nights.

Writing by Keith Funnell. Photography by Peter Pringle & Dave Paul

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Paintless dent removal It was three years ago that the South East Region first attended a special TIPEC open day at Dent Magician in Small Dole, near Henfield in West Sussex.

We thought it was time for a return and thanks to an invitation from Terry Rockall we visited the workshop in late February.

Dent Magician is a specialist business providing a number of car care services including paintless dent removal, window tinting and full valeting (detailing) services.

Many of our members had those irritating minor car park dings that you only see when you are cleaning your pride and joy.

There is a tendency to live with these dents as we do not want to go to the traditional body shop for an expensive repair and respray job, destroying our original paint finish and keeping the car off the road for several days.

We had members cars with dents in various panels from the usual door panel dings to the bonnet, wings and even the roof (as with Phil Shotton’s 928GTS).

One member had a dent on his car bonnet the size of a football and it was simply massaged out in minutes.

Dent Magician seem to be able to remove all of these, providing there is no crease, by simply massaging the dent away. They achieve this with special hardened steel rods (10mm in diameter) which they use to iron the dent away from inside the panel. It’s amazing how these guys get into the panels and behind the

dents. If they can’t get access through the drain holes or down from beside the windows, then they will remove interior panels, linings or light fittings and insert their rods behind panels or through wiring harness access holes.

The special TIPEC open day charge was an amazingly low £45 per panel irrespective how many dents were in each area. I had seven minor dents in the rear door of my wife’s C class Mercedes that disappeared like magic, as well as a very faint dent on the rear wing of my 996 Targa that was only visible is certain light conditions. Dent Magician use high intensity fluorescent lights on the dent and panel to ensure that these

are totally removed even under highly reflective conditions. They also have special polycarbonate punches to remove any high spots—it is amazing that they do not pepper the panel with tiny dents or crack the paint. These guys are very skilled, have a high degree of patience and know their trade well.

Dent Magician also have a fleet of vans and will visit our club members at home to do the job, so TIPEC members no longer have to put up with these minor dents that can spoil the appearance of our Porkers.

Writing & photography by Derek Flanagan

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A (Porsche) Place in the Sun Like many people, my wife and I dream of a second home abroad, so Channel 4’s TV show A Place in the Sun is a firm favourite.

Two years ago, Erika and I were watching this programme where they featured a couple who wanted to buy a property near to Lake Bled, in Slovenia. This region looked stunning, with a crystal blue lake, high up in the Alps, complete with a picturesque church on a tiny island. Everywhere looked like a film set from The Lord of the Rings.

We immediately added Lake Bled to our ‘99 Things to do Before We Die’ list, which is stuck to the fridge and subsequently booked a week’s winter break for all the family this February half term. Shortly before we went a map of Slovenia duly arrived, courtesy of Amazon, and when I looked in detail at where to find Lake Bled on the map I noticed how close to Austria we would be … and then to my delight saw that Gmünd was only an hour’s drive away. It was here in Gmünd that Ferdinand Porsche built the first 52 cars to bear the Porsche name, the legendary 356.

The privately owned Porsche Automuseum is delightful, with lots of interesting artefacts as well as the 30 or so cars on display. Sadly, very little is explained in English however. The display cars are mainly Porsches but also a Steyr Taxi and a VW Typ 87 Kommandeur Car (a very early VW Beetle).

The range of Porsches on show are predominantly all the 356 variants but there was also a 962 which was originally driven in anger by Mario Andretti, a lovely 2.5 ST 911, a 911 rally car famously driven by Bjorn Waldegard, a 910/8, a racing 916, a Carrera 906 that had been raced at Le Mans and an absolutely beautiful 550 Spyder.

I was fortunate enough to have visited the official Porsche museum at Stuttgart 18 months ago, while holidaying in the Black Forest. Reflecting on that, I have to say that I preferred the smaller, more homely, Gm端nd museum. Of course, that may well change once the massive new Porsche museum opens in Stuttgart this summer.

The town of Gm端nd proved to be a real gem as well, set high in the Carinthian part of the Austrian Alps. The whole town square has been wonderfully restored. If you are ever in the area it is definitely worth a visit.

Porsche Automuseum Helmut Pfeifhofer A-9853 Gm端nd, Carinthia, Austria. www.porschemuseum.at Writing & photography by Geoff Cox

All Torque 69 page 13

Something for the weekend?

Paul Keeling offers some concours preparation tips, advice on general presentation and tips on getting cars ready for summer I have been a club member (almost continuously) since we were the 924–944 Club. I own a 993 Turbo and a 944 Turbo which are lightly used and enjoy a great deal of pampering.

With us looking forward to the summer I aim to share some of my ideas and tips on scoring those few extra concours points, or just getting your car looking its best.

Throughout my 20 years of Porsche ownership the cars have always had a quiet life and when not driving they have been detailed within an inch of their clear coat. This inevitably led me down the concours route and the trials and tribulations that can lead to if you let it get too much of a hold on you. I have competed (at a manic level) won (sometimes) lost (with good grace) judged (a thankless task) organized (great fun) and written the rules for our Pride of Ownership class. I was prompted to write something after reading Clive Lusted’s interesting article in All Torque 68. I sympathise with what happens when one has some success and gets the ‘bug’ only

to find that each event offers up a whole different set of marks. It’s a dilemma that has existed for years and is hard to eliminate. Often fingers are pointed in the direction of the judges, but they can only score against what is presented in front of them. Herein lies the problem.

When setting out to judge twenty cars or so one has to set a benchmark set of points and to do this a judge will begin with what appears to be the best presented car. As an onlooker last summer I lost count of the times when judges were presented with cars that were prepared to an incredible standard but entered into a Show and Shine, Pride of Ownership or Street event. Those become the benchmark, they score high and others’ scores go into freefall …

Anyway, enough of the pros and cons. Let’s look at some things that can be done to get your Porsche looking sharp and gain some extra points.

Bodywork

Glass

We are all looking to get that ultimate ‘show car shine’ and all the products on the shelves promise that’s what we will get, but it doesn’t always seem to work that way does it? The best way to maximize your favourite wax/polish is to ‘clay’ your paintwork. I do this each spring. Don’t be afraid to try this out, its sounds horrific but it works.

Well detailed glass will make or break a cars appearance and can be the hardest part to get right. Smears, streaks, hazing … all appear worse when our pride and joy is there sitting in the blazing sun.

Buy one of the clay kits on the market to suit your budget.

Wash, rinse and dry the car. Mould small pieces of clay to a size you can hold between your fingers. Lubricate the surface (you must do this constantly as you go along, with distilled water or a branded detailer) rub the clay onto the paintwork, in gentle forward and back movements, one panel at a time. Look at the clay, change it regularly and you will see it discoloring as it draws 99% of the ingrained muck from the paint.

When you have finished this and want the ultimate finish go over the paint with a recognized paint cleanser. Do one panel first and compare it to the rest of the car, solid colours will gain depth and metallics will glow. All you need to do now is seal the surface with your favourite wax (do not use polish; you do not need the abrasion this will bring). Follow up regularly with a good detailer and a shampoo that will not strip the wax.

Bodywork tip:

For an immediate effect, if you are using a wax with a high Carnauba content, finish off by spraying the surface with distilled water that has been in the fridge.

Once again reach for the detailers best pal, the clay. Working in the shade, first clean the outside glass with your favourite glass cleaner. Get a new piece of clay. Lubricate the area you are working on profusely, either with glass cleaner or distilled water. Do one section at a time. You will again see the clay discolour as it pulls out the years of ingrained dirt and eases wiper marks that a glass cleaner would not touch.

Clean interior glass as normal (don’t clay). Use different stroke directions for inside and out. When you need to return to an area you will know if it’s in or out.

Stickers, except for club insignia, are generally frowned upon, be it on glass or elsewhere on the car

Glass tips:

Judges pay a lot of attention to glass … take a business card or similar and run it under the edges of the rubber seal around the glass … loads of muck will come out and the appearance will be sharper.

As a tiebreak, a judge will often drop the front windows to see if you have cleaned the top edge.

Continued over the page

All Torque 69 page 15

Interior

Wheels and arches

We will take it as read you have removed your sunglasses etc and have given the car a good vacuum. Presentation is all.

For your vinyl or leather surfaces try and go for a product that is not too shiny. Use liberally, as temperatures will get high in the sunshine and some products ‘sweat’ if over-applied. If you are concoursing, judges like the matt look.

Wheels and arches make a great impression to the stance of your car. If you do not want to remove the wheels to clean the arches, it should be okay for a Show and Shine event. Use your favourite degreaser and spray liberally under the arches, let it soak and then hose (not power wash) the dirt away. Clean the tyres and apply a light dressing to give depth if you wish, nothing too heavy or sticky.

Take the floor mats out (original carpets look better) and clean or maybe replace the pedal rubbers. For the interior to look ‘right’ have the steering wheel straight ahead, the car in neutral, the glove box clear (except for service book) and all the switches, heater controls, etc in the off position.

For alloys, reach for the clay once again; repeat the process you have used on the body and glass. Rinse thoroughly with distilled water. You will see the difference. Follow by using your favourite wax or a propriety wheel sealer. Wheels will stay clean longer and require less abrasive cleaning.

Interior tips

As a tiebreak or to get extra marks a judge will often slide both front seats to the fully back position to see if you have cleaned underneath.

Clean the visors, vanity mirrors and the interior mirror.

Wheels tip

For Porsche wheels that have crested centre caps, the bottom point of the crest should point directly to the valve stem. For such as a Fuchs wheel, that has a locking nut, this should be in line with the bottom of the crest and the valve. Judges will look for this.

Conclusion Well there we go, some tips and hints on how to make the best of your Porsche this summer. None of these is overly time consuming, so try doing some or all. I am sure you will notice a diferance, whether on the drive or at a show. I have deliberately avoided mentioning products by name as what suits one (budget or performance) doesn’t suit all. I am a great advocate of the Meguiars range, but there are many others out there. At the end of this article are several websites where you will find varied and interesting niche products. If you do fancy entering some of our club’s regional events or even the Concours at Gaydon for the first time … do it. Don’t be put off or be apprehensive. Don’t take it too seriously, you will meet some great people and whatever happens your pride and joy will never have looked better.

Some websites to visit: www.meguiars.co.uk — www.motorgeek.co.uk — www.cleanyourcar.co.uk Writing by Paul Keeling & photography from both Paul and GT Purely Porsche

All Torque 69 page 16

PORSCH-APART LTD Unit 4, Field Mill, Harrison St, Ramsbottom, Bury, Lancashire BL0 0AH (2 mins from J1 M66)

Tel 07000 924 944 or 01706 824 053 Mobile 07973 379 319 Fax 01706 824 655 enquiries@porsch-apart.co.uk www.porsch-apart.co.uk Porsch-apart is not associated with or approved by Porsche Cars GB Ltd Trim Boxster standard seats - black £250 pr 996 / Boxster black leather front seats £600 pr - 2 pairs in stock 996 / Boxster black ruffled leather front seats £500 pr 996 / Boxster sports seats, black leather from £800 px possible - 2 pairs in stock 996 / Boxster sports seats, boxster red leather £600 px possible large selection of brand new airbags from £200 996 Boxster 3 spoke steering wheel airbags most colours in stock new and used from £250 Instrumentation available for many models.

Over 40 996, Boxster door panels in stock & door air bags.

Boxster & 996 seats - we have over 30 pairs in stock - please ring!

Wheels Boxster / 996 / cayman alloys Boxster 16” 6 + 7 used alloys £225 set Boxster 17” 7 + 8.5 Used alloys with tyres £550 set Boxster 2.7 17” 7 + 8.5 Used alloys with tyres £550 set Boxster S 17” 7 + 8.5 Used alloys with tyres £550 set Boxster S facelift 17” 7 + 8.5 Used alloys with tyres £600 set Boxster 18” sport design (GT3) 7.5 + 9 Refurbished alloys £950 Boxster 18” sport classic II 7.5 + 9 Refurbished alloys £800 Boxster 18” Turbo II 7.5 + 9 Refurbished alloys £900 Boxster 18” carrera 7.5 + 9 Refurbished alloys £900 Boxster 18” technology 7.5 + 9 Refurbished alloys £900 Boxster 04 (987) 17” alloys with tyres - delivery mileage £695 Boxster S 04 (987) 18” alloys with tyres - delivery mileage £1600 Cayman S 18” 8 + 9 alloys with tyres - delivery mileage £1500 996 18” Carrera 8 + 10 alloys refurbished £900 996 18” technology 8 + 10 alloys refurbished £900 996 18” sport design (GT3) 8 + 10 alloys refurbished £950 996 18” sport classic II 8 + 10 alloys refurbished £800 996 18” sport techno 8 + 11 alloys refurbished £1150 996 18” Turbo II solid spoke 8 + 11 alloys refurbished £1100 996 18” sport design (GT3) 8 + 10 wheels and tyres brand new genuine £1650 997 18” Carrera III 8 + 10 alloys with tyres - delivery mileage £1495 997 19” Carrera S 8 + 11 alloys with pirelli tyres -del miles- (new) £1800 997 19” sport design with tyres to fit 4S delivery mileage £1695 997 19” Carrera S 8 + 11 alloys, pirelli tyres, delivery miles - to fit 4S £1695 997 19” Carrera classic 8 + 11 alloys, pirelli tyres, delivery miles - £1695 Cayenne Cayenne 18” turbo alloys with tyres - delivery mileage £495 Cayenne 18” turbo alloys with tyres - used £300 Cayenne 18” S alloys with tyres - delivery mileage £495 Cayenne 18” S alloys with tyres - used £300 Cayenne 19” design alloys with tyres - used £750 Cayenne 20” sport techno alloys refurbished with new tyres £1675 Cayenne 20” sport design alloys refurbished with used tyres £1295 Cayenne 20” sport design alloys and tyres brand new £1750 Cayenne 20” sport design alloys and used tyres £995 924s / 944 / 968 alloys 15” teledial 924S 6” wide - new £90 each 16” design 90 6/7/7.5/8/9 Used from £60 each 16” cup 1 6/7/8 used from £75 each, refurbished £125 each 16” teledials 7/8 used from £50 each 964 / 993 alloys 16” cup 1 6/8 used - from £75 16” cup 2 7/9 used - from £75 17” cup 1 7/7.5/8/9 Refurbished from £200 each 17” cup 2 7/7.5/8/9 Refurbished from £200 each 18” 993 technology 8 + 10 to fit narrow body cars refurbished £900 set 911 alloys Stock required especialy 6,7,8 & 9” Fuch Panels 924 944 front bumpers from £60 924 944 doors £75 924 tailgate & spoiler £80 928 rear pu S4 £250 928 bonnet £150 928 doors £100 928 tailgate with glass £100 944 bonnets from £50 944 cabriolet doors new £400 or used £180 944 tailgate & spoiler £125 944 front wings all models from £90 968 rear o/s quarter panel new £295 968 bridge spoiler and hatch - very good condition £395

968 rear pu - from £150 911 3.2c o/s rear quarter for coupe - new £395 964 engine lid complete £345 964 993 wheel arch liners & undertrays POA 993 964 doors bare £250 993 rear pu from £225 993 front pu undertrays £25 993 engine lid complete £350 with spoiler 993 targa o/s rear quarter new £395 993 lhd doors new £400 each 993 turbo 4S o/s rear quarter panel - new £550 993 turbo 4S rear pu - used £350 pu support bar most models from £50 We now have over 200 new & used pu’s in stock please ring with your requirements We now have a large selection of Cayenne new and used parts please ring Cayenne turbo bonnet used £400 turbo front bumper complete with grills £395 aerokit side sills complete kit brand new £450 aerokit side sills used pair £295 running boards used - with fitting kit £350 Mechanical 911 fuel tank guaranteed 2 yrs, exchange £295 911 turbo intercooler £100 924 used fuel tank - exchange £120 924 fuel tank ( pressure tested and coated ) exchange £195 924 fuel tank (refurbished with lifetime gurantee) exchange £295 928 S4 cylinder heads £250 928 S4 camshafts from £75 928 S4 auto gearbox 60k miles £495 944 S2 gearbox £550 944 S2 driveshafts £45 944 S2/Turbo airflow meters £90 or new £225 944 8V Turbo S2 ecu’s from £175 944 abs pumps £150 944 2.5 Engine £650 944 2.7 Engine £950 944 re-con alloy wishbones with 2yr guarantee (exchange) £175 944 alloy wishbone - used £70 944 T intercooler £95 944 S2 cat convertor £160 944 used steel fuel tank - exchange £120 944 steel fuel tank ( tested and coated ) exchange £195 944 steel fuel tank (refurbished with lifetime gurantee) exchange £295 968 engine 77k miles £1750 968 6 speed gearbox 49k miles £1295 968 re-con alloy wishbones with 2yr guarantee (exchange) £175 968 alloy wishbone - used £70 964 air flow meters £200 964 heat exchangers used £100 964 rear exhaust boxes £90 964 barrels piston heads etc £poa 964 oil tank - used £120 964 final silencer £165 993 oil tank £150 993 oil pipes £160 pair 993 oil thermostat £95 used, £180 new 993 headlamps complete £110 each Hardtops Boxster hardtops Various colours in stock Current stock includes - arctic silver, lapis blue, ocean blue meridian silver, basalt black, seal grey, guards red.

Painted to customers colour £995 Fitting kit £45 Delivery can be arranged 986 Boxster hardtop - new - guards red £1250 987 Boxster hardtop 2005 new - guards red £1695 987 Boxster hardtop 2005 used - guards red £1195 Boxter & 996 parts Boxster/996 bonnet badge and gasket genuine porsche £20 Boxster/996 wing used from £70 new £175 996 facelift wing used from £70 new £199 Boxster/996 bonnet used from £120 new £275 Boxster/996 front tub (boot floor) new £299 Boxster/996 front slam panel new £199 Boxster aerokit front pu new £295 Boxster front pu used £150 new £275

Boxster s front pu used £150 new £315 Boxster facelift 2002> front pu new £300 Boxster s facelift 2002> front pu new £345 996 front pu used £160 996 2002 front pu used £150 996 2002 rear pu used £150 996 GT3 2002 front pu new £695 996 Turbo front pu bare used £170 Boxster/996 bumper support bar used £50 Boxster/996 bumper support bar mounting tubes new each £15 Boxster rear pu used £150 new £285 996 rear pu used £125 996 turbo rear pu used £175 Boxster boot lid used £95 Boxster rear spoiler complete with mechanism used £140 Boxster/996 doors used £150 new £250 Boxster rear quarter new £495 Boxster rear quarter vents inc grille used £40 Boxster rear quarter vents 2003 new pair £150 996 cab n/s rear quarter £550 new 996 Turbo engine lid & spoiler £950 996 engine lid & spoiler used £120 996 Turbo aerokit rear spoiler & front lip £1650, painted to colour £1995 996 Turbo aerokit rear spoiler - new £1795 996 GT3 body kit - front pu, rear spoiler & sills - £1950 996 GT3 rear spoiler £995 996 GT3 2003> front pu new £1150 996 cabriolet aerokit rear spoiler with engine lid, also fits coupe £750 996 cabriolet/coupe rear spoiler, new £995 996 hardtop £800 997 hardtop £1500 Boxster/996 headlights amber indicator used each £90 Boxster rear lamps standard each £25 996 rear lights each £35 Boxster/996 side repeaters amber each £5 Boxster smoked light kit £570 (front, rear, quadrants & side repeaters) Boxster smoked headlights £400 pair 996 smoked headlights £549 pair Boxster smoked rear lights pair £115 996 smoke rear lights £210 each Boxster/996 side repeaters smoke pair £30 Boxster/996 front wing liner new £63 Boxster/996 radiator air guide new £47 996 3.4 Engine complete £4000 exchange 986 996 short shift kit £120 Boxster 5 speed gearbox £750 996 C2 gearbox used - 29k miles - £1800 996 C4 manual gearbox £1500 996 C4s gearbox 1k miles £2950 996 C4s gearbox 12k miles £2750 996 C4 2002> tiptronic gearbox new £2950 986 996 short shift kit £120 Boxster 2.5 back box used £80 Boxster 3.2s back box used £110 Boxster brake calipers 2.5 Set of four used £400 996 brake calipers set of four used £400 996 C4 silver calipers - del milage only - £595 set of four Boxster/996 abs pump used £150 Boxster/996 a/c pump new £295 Boxster/996 radiator new £120 Boxster/996 radiator fans new £90 used £60 Boxster/996 rad fan cowl £15 Boxster/996 radiator frames used each £30 new £60 Boxster/996 a/c radiator £90 used or new £169 Boxster/996 o/s window reg new £110 996 exhaust boxes used £75 each 996 Turbo exhaust and cats £400 Most suspension parts available used.

996 Turbo rear shocks - new £120 each Boxster roll bars in arctic silver £99 997 987 parts available - please ring Various electronic services available for 986 996 993Air bag warning light reset Service light reset Enable on board computer Permanent mph from kph Door self locking options etc - please ring Vat to be added to all prices prices subject to change without notice

DIY 993 door stay fix Readers of my ramblings in issue 68 will know that my newly acquired 1994 cabby suffered from a couple of common 993 ailments: slight alloy corrosion to the driver’s quarter light frame and the dreaded door stay bracket failure within the ‘A’ post.

First the door frame corrosion; no real problems here. A good sanding with my trusty Dremel, a couple of light coats of filler, etch primer, primer and final spray with Halford’s satin black … job done.

The real problem was the position of the corrosion at the junction with the door top and therefore the need to remove the frame completely from the door.

What wasn’t obvious initially was that the quarter light section of the cabby frame (and presumably the forward window section of the coupe’s) is bonded to the door top at the factory with liquid rubber solution that looks and acts like rubber and is difficult to differentiate from the rubber seal around the quarter light glass itself. As you attempt to remove the internal window seal trim you encounter the front portion which is basically bonded to the door. This forward section must be eased and cut with a blade until the internal trim can be removed, hopefully all in one piece.

Next the external door trim is eased up out of its seven spring clips positions, again bearing in mind that the forward section may be bonded with this factory applied sealant. A small fixing at the front of the door has to be removed before the external trim will release fully.

Once the trim pieces are removed for the door top, the cabby quarter light frame can be unbolted from the three (front, top and bottom) frame to door allen bolt locations. The top rear frame fixing may be embedded in sealant and will need to be released. The small rubber sealing pieces, on the front of the frame, can be carefully eased off the frame with a kitchen knife or similar. Pulling on the frame at this stage may suggest that not all the fixings are out, but remember to cut through the sealant below the quarter glass rubber itself until the frame is free to slide upwards and out. I had

already removed the sliding window glass although this might not have been wholly necessary.

With the frame out of the door you will quickly see that it is made up from three parts which separate easily to release the fixed glass and seal. Note that the rubber draft seal around the top of the frame is released only when the two small (3mm) allen headed countersunk screws are removed from the outside top of the frame. Don’t do what I did and nearly rip the seal by pulling it out of its track without removing these fixings.

The frame out and dissassembled Picture below shows the area where factory rubber sealant is used to prevent water entering the door cavity.

The black line visible is factory adhesive tape Fitting the frame is pretty much the reverse of removal but you will have to be armed with a tube of liquid rubber sealant to re-seal the forward section of the door top as the external trim and seal does not give a watertight joint and there are mirror and door switches, window motor and radio speakers just

below this area. With the main window glass out, I took the opportunity to replace the outer window felt as the original metal backing had succumbed to tin worm and was looking somewhat the worse for wear.

Finished article: as good as new!

The second repair to be undertaken on the driver’s door was the fractured door stay bracket within the ‘A’ post. This is a known 993 problem (also common to late 964s) and I believe an OPC body shop would take in the order of £1,500 a side to fix this using an approved repair method which involves removal of both the door and front wing. That seemed a little excessive to me. Having asked about on the Porsche GB and TIPEC forums I formulated an idea of not only how the bracket is attached internally within the ‘A’ post, but also how the bracket itself failed in the first place.

I owe many thanks to George Elliott, who spent some time drawing pictures of what he had found on his late 964 when repairs were undertaken from the front wing side of his ‘A’ post.

The door stay bracket: note previous, failed, ‘repair’

I believe the failure of these brackets is caused by failure of the factory welds to a reinforcing plate which in turn is spot welded to the inside face of the ‘A’ post: ie. the inside of the face visible from the cabin. Continued stress and strain on these ‘poor’ welds eventually breaks the welds which then allows the bracket to flex on the two remaining internal welds at the front, or wing side, of the ‘A’ post.

Without reinforcement here, ie. single thickness, the metal fractures around these welds and if left for any length of time the bracket would tear itself free inside the ‘A’ post.

A common (and cheaper) fix is to Mig weld the bracket to the outer metal skin where it protrudes through the ‘A’ post.

This might be fine providing it is done well, but does not address the likelihood of leaving weak and fractured metal at the other end of the bracket.

The best advice, as always, is to understand the failure mode and catch its symptoms early, thereby minimising the damage. Steps to reduce the load on the bracket by reducing the friction on the door stay mechanism itself would be a good move after any repair, or even as a preventative measure on an otherwise seemingly sound bracket?

You can see from the picture above that an ‘external weld’ repair was carried out on my car sometime in the past only to fail prior to my ownership, probably in part due to the continued heavy restraining action provided by the standard door stay mechanism.

Weighing up the options then, I decided to go in from the door aperture side of the ‘A’ post and set about cutting out a section of steel around the bracket to obtain a clearer picture of what was within.

Firstly the door had to be removed: see comments below. The front wing, though, was left firmly on the car!

The ‘A’ post with section cut out

Internal reinforcing plate with previous failed welds Although not clear in the first photographs, the fractured metal around and below the remaining substantial rear bracket welds is visible from the front wing side of the ‘A’ post, as shown below.

What you are actually seeing is body filler cracking but, believe me, the metal underneath is similarly cracked!

The earlier ‘repair’ only covered up metal failure!

Having now discovered how the bracket failed, and what was remaining within the ‘A’ post, I strengthened the rear welds by Mig welding to new material from inside and then welded up as many fractures as I could from the outside. To ensure that the bracket now remained in situ permanently, I made up a heavy steel strengthening bar shaped to fit snugly around the bracket and within the ‘A’ post. This bar was welded to the door stay bracket and the inner sides of the ‘A’ post in such a way that even if my welding failed, the bar would jam the bracket in its correct position. A final cover plate was made and butt welded into the ‘A’ post aperture. A touch of filler, primer and top coat to each side of the ‘A’ post completed the repair. The door could now be refitted and bracket repair tested. All worked a treat.

Final cover plate welded in place A few points if attempting this repair: 1) I could not access all the wiring connectors within the cabin area and had to resort to removing all the cabling from the door side (central locking, electric window, mirror, speakers). A pain but possible!

2) The door hinge pins were not easily moved so I unbolted the hinges from the car, but not before I had drilled a small locating hole right through each hinge, spacer plates and ‘A’ post to aid correct re-positioning. (Once off the car, at least the lower door hinge pin can be easily knocked out and the hinge plate bolted back to the car. This made re-fitting the door, on my own, much easier.)

3) Weld through primer was used internally on the repair and Waxoyl treatment injected into the ‘A’ post on completion of paint work.

4) The finish spray paint I used was in aerosol form, mixed and supplied, in Speed Yellow 12G, by Dingbro Ltd. Good high build paint it was too!

5) Remember to disconnect the battery and remove the DME control box before welding. The DME box is located under the left front seat.

I just hope during our region’s planned weekend trip to Skye in April (thirteen cars at present) that a big gust of wind doesn’t test my door stay repair beyond it’s design loading … whatever that is?

Now for the RS front splitters!

Strengthening bar across aperture Writing & photgraphy by Martin Whitelaw

All Torque 69 page 19

TIPEC Bristol visit to Porschemode I’m sure all ROs share the same thoughts early in the calendar year: “what is the region going to do in that month? … and that one?”

I’d been meaning to propose a visit to our Porschemode for a while.

Ian (centre left in the black hat) and Chad (on the right holding a torch), who own and run the place, were keen. They suggested that, rather than simply wander around the workshop, they could get interested members’ cars up on the ramp for a free inspection … Yes, free!

All ROs worry about how many people will turn up to their events.

I was very pleased to greet 11 members on our February visit to Porschemode. We’re only a small region so that’s over a third of the membership!

We had a great day (as did Ian of Porschemode, since it was his birthday). I’ll let the Bristol members speak for themselves …

Writing & photography by Paul Harrison

All Torque 69 page 21

Mike Welch Following retirement in March 2005, I stopped by a small sports car garage with no intention of buying anything … lo and behold, there was a 1986 944 Lux sitting on the forecourt which looked quite nice. The previous owner had spent around £4,000 bringing it up to scratch. I liked what I saw, my wife said “buy it” (who am I to argue!) and the garage owner was trying to clear his stock, so a good deal was done. I have found the 944 a very comfortable, practical car especially on long journeys; I use it all the time and have taken it touring in France. Some work on the car I do myself but my local garage specializes in old cars so do the majority for me.

It was good to visit a ‘no frills’ Porsche indie that was friendly and focussed on looking after the car and customer. Porschemode put my car on the ramp and gave it a thorough inspection. Known 944 weaknesses were pointed out and explained; items that might need some work in the future were shown, and also any defects that were apparent or beginning to show.

In my case, the only thing of note was that the front wheel bearings were beginning to wear. If you wanted to do the work yourself, we were shown how to approach it, and there was no pressure from the Porschmode people for them to carry out the work.

For my part, I shall certainly take my car back there.

Many thanks to the guys at Porschmode for taking the time out on a Saturday morning to look after us.

Pete Mack

We’ve owned our 1977 911 Targa for just over three years now. This model has always been my boyhood dream. It has had a couple of major services at A.N. Other local independent specialist and I’ve had no complaints. I have also done some work on it myself as I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty.

When we first found Porschmode, I was unimpressed by the premises but very impressed by the staff and the warm welcome we received.

Our car was the first ‘guinea pig’ on the ramps, and we soon found that they certainly know their stuff.

They knew exactly the faults to look for on each model.

In our case, we found worn inner C.V. joints, front and rear brake pads on the limit, rear anti-roll bar bushes (which I already knew about) and front wheel bearings needing adjustment. It occurs to me that this may account for the recent onset of wheel wobble!

Anyway, all parts are now ordered plus an oil and filter change planned, ready for Le Mans Classic 2008.

Many thanks to all at Porschmode for their free and helpful advice on doing the jobs needed. I will certainly call on them again.

Mick Simmonds I’ve owned my 944S for about three years now and am very pleased with it. I do some of the work myself however the major stuff always takes it to the local specialist. With that in mind, I took up the ‘free inspection’ offer with some trepidation: such things usually highlight problems that can’t be ignored and are often expensive! That said, the chance to chat with the Porschmode mechanics and get a good look at the underside of my car was too good to ignore.

I confess that the car has been sitting in the garage apart from a few TIPEC meetings, so minor problems were always possible. I let Pete and Mike go first as they were braver, then bit the bullet and drove the car over the ramp for everyone to gawp at!

The verdict? Minor play in the front wheel bearings and a sticking rear brake that could be due to relatively new handbrake shoes. I was surprised when Ian also told me there was a fuel leak at the filter, which had been changed at the last service.

It was cured quickly as it was easy to get more than one extra turn on the union. The leak was noticeable on the ramp but had not been visible in my garage. Other than a minor cam cover leak, my 944S was given a reasonably clean bill of health. The Porschmode guys gave me confidence that they really know what they are talking about and I’m grateful for them spotting a potentially serious situation.

Nick Smith

I inherited J490 PSD, a midnight blue 928, in August 2006. It came complete with a full stamped service history (mostly OPC) and a ring binder full of invoices and history: not a bad starting point.

Since then it has had a considerable sum spent on it to bring it up to its current condition. Works so far have included Bilstein suspension, brakes, new radiator and oil cooler, X-pipes and a full glass out respray at Daytona Coachworks (including all seals, rubbing strips removed and cup mirrors fitted).

From my perspective, the Porschmode visit was a good chance to get out, spend a couple of hours talking cars with a friendly bunch of people and have a good look underneath.

As luck would have it, the day started well with the rain holding off. My luck continued with a pleasantly short list of problems, or ‘projects’ as us 928 owners prefer to call them!

The differential was already known to have excess play so no surprise there. There was also a small oil leak found when the engine was viewed from below: although not serious enough for it to drip on the garage floor at home, so not too much of a worry on that count either. All in all, an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday morning. Thanks, everyone.

Writing & photography supplied by the named members

All Torque 69 page 23

Brian Hughes I recently acquired my Porsche, a 1988 928 S4 Auto in Diamond Blue Metallic with 140k mileage, after years of wanting one. I’ve only just started to get a better understanding of what problems it’s carrying so I was hoping that the visit to Porschmode would give the opportunity to find out whether I had missed anyhing serious. I knew that it had a slightly worn ball joint and was suffering from poor acceleration.

Chad at Porschemode has owned several 928s so I reckoned that he was the ideal man for the job. He found that, contrary to the opinion of another garage who wanted me to pay them for fitting a new ball joint, one was not needed. Some oil was discovered and traced to a leak on the timing belt tensioner.

Chad advised that this needed urgent attention because of the potential for belt failure. He was also able to suggest several tests and procedures to investigate the performance issue. I have ordered a replacement belt tensioner and, once received, the car will be taken back to Porschmode for fitting and for investigation of the acceleration performance.

In my view, the visit to Porschmode was a great opportunity to meet the other TIPEC members and discuss many aspects of our cars. Ian and Chad were very easy to talk to, helpful and inspired confidence that they can resolve the issues I have with my car.

A very enjoyable morning and well worth the visit.

Neil Gadd

I had been looking to buy a 911, but the bank manager (aka wife) had other ideas, so when I had the chance of this lovely looking 944 it seemed too good a chance to turn down. I’m not one to rush into things and it took nearly two years of trawling through Auto Trader, eBay and various other websites before finding my 1992 J-plate S2. Having no knowledge of the Porsche market, I contacted Paul Harrison (Bristol Region RO) before joining TIPEC and asked his advice on what to look for. Armed with a huge list of dos and don’ts, I went to view what would become my first Porsche. The last owner had owned the car for seven years and had always returned the car to a main dealer for service and repairs, so I could be confident the car had been looked after.

I’ve now had the car for six months and found the recent Porschmode visit a very worthwhile one. The guys were really helpful and I came away from the inspection with a small list of repairs (replace torsion bar rubber, adjust wheel bearing and adjust steering joints) but nothing that would keep me awake at night. I could do the repairs myself, but will probably take the car back to Porschmode to have the work done, even if it’s just for the peace of mind of having the repairs carried out by experienced mechanics.

Thanks to the team for their help and ‘well done’!

Writing & photography supplied by the named members

All Torque 69 page 24

For those of you TIPEC members who haven’t yet attended one of your Region’s events …

This is the type of thing you can expect to encounter. Friendly, down to earth people sharing a common interest in all things Porsche.

This event was mechanically focussed but even so, the non-techy friends and partners that came along enjoyed the social side of the event.

At other events, there may be less emphasis on the nuts and bolts of the cars, and more on enjoying them with family and friends. Either way, you can be assured of a warm welcome whether you come alone or with your other half, and in a 924 or a Cayman.

If you haven’t already, make the effort this year and get out to one of your Region’s events or meetings … go on, put it on the calendar right now. You won’t regret it!

Thanks to Ian and Chad of Porschemode for giving up 3601 - All Torque_Artwork:Layout 5/9/07 their Saturday and hosting the1day’s event. 09:44 Page 1

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Buying report: Brian Rowledge’s 993 Due to old age and the legacy of many injuries I have given up rock climbing, alpinism and bike races. Giving up bike racing was particularly upsetting; I was still earning a few bob doing it.

Coupled with this, I retired in 2000 and so set about finding my dream car, a Maserati Merak SS. The search went badly. To make matters worse I had retired too early. Off to work I went again and ended up with five part time jobs. This hindered the search for my dream car; time for a rethink. The solution to the problem was cutting back to one job and intensifying my search for the car.

I expected my search to be completed quickly. No such luck; I spent years travelling up and down the U.K. in search of a dream.

In the end, that’s all it was. I have never seen such poor cars described as mint, exceptional or concours.

Three of the cars I saw had been featured in magazines and one had featured in Auto Italia. Neither the test driver nor the reporter had not spotted that it had been butchered and had the wrong engine in it.

So, here is my first piece of advice: Don’t believe the adverts and place little faith in magazine road tests. Check for yourself and do the homework; then get an expert to double check for you and join the club.

My search was going badly; time for yet another rethink. I decided to retire again and change the car of my dreams. I decided to buy a Porsche. What type of Porsche should I buy? My first choice was a cabriolet and preferably a Super Sport. Sadly, like the Maserati Merak SS they are as rare as rocking horse manure.

My dear wife enrolled me in TIPEC in August 1996 and at the NEC in the November, there it was. I was temped, but the owner was unsure whether he really wanted to sell. I deliberated and deliberated and then decided no, which certainly had nothing to do with the car or the owner.

I still meet the owner and still admire his car greatly. It was all about what I wanted to do with the car. As a retired old fart I really wanted to travel around France and was concerned about a breakdown in such a car coupled to the availability of parts and first class repairs or service whilst overseas. I also had concerns over the security of cabriolets.

So, here is my second piece of advice: Understand why you want a particular car and what you intend to use it for.

Eventually I discovered a later version of the car.

Described as being an absolute minter with low mileage and exemplary history, not to mention the fact it was expensive. I went to see it and walked away. So here is my third piece of advice: Go back and read my first piece of advice.

The search was going nowhere, so yet another change of plan. Get a much younger car. Why not a 993 Cabriolet? Would the finances of an out of work old fart stretch that far? Back to the computer and many long-term cash flow forecasts later … guess what, not a clue. Sod it, go for it, you only live once!

So here is my fourth piece of advice: Don’t be gullible and readily believe financiers, banks or others engaged in the black arts of financial assessment, investment appraisal, net present value, internal rate of return, or budgeting; ask searching questions.

A forecast is just a forecast; try asking Gordon Brown about Northern Rock.

On Cup Final day 2007, between Wembley and Stamford Bridge there was a: “Gorgeous 1997 Arena Red 993 Cabriolet with fabulous history and in fabulous condition”. Would I get there, past all the Chelsea fans? Would I be disappointed?

Yes, as it turned out, I would. So here is my fifth piece of advice: Go back and read my first piece of advice yet again.

Change the plan again. I have now been in TIPEC for 10 months and before long my membership would run out. I listened to the boss: “Forget about a Cabriolet, you have concerns about security and leaving it for some lunatic to sharpen a knife on the fabric roof.” The idea of a Targa springs to mind. I have to do something soon as other members of the club are taking bets on whether or not I will ever get a car. The satchel containing the bets was at bursting point when I spotted an advert in Autotrader: “Manual, 41,000miles, 911 Targa Tiptronic, grey leather, dark blue, great condition, clear lenses, sports chrome exhaust, full main dealer service history, 10cd changer, tracker, hoop spoiler, xenon lights.” I have the advert to this day. What is a manual Targa Tiptronic? I’d best find out quickly.

So here is my sixth piece of advice: Go back and read my first piece of advice yet again.

I Jumped in the car with the boss and went to view the car. The owner opens the garage and what do I see? Firstly, a rising bollard that has been installed in the garage floor protects the car from theft. Secondly, the garage floor has been painted in a red rubberised paint and the walls and ceiling are painted white. Thirdly, nothing else is in the garage except for what appears to be the car of my dreams. The owner was very pleasant and accommodating. Out of the garage it came. Out came a box folder with the service records, bills and all original documentation for the car, as well as all the keys and the special red key still in its original box. There was even a current HPI check to inspect.

Then the test drive. All went well. Then the detailed inspection by myself whilst the owner watched the television. I was left in peace to go through the car with a fine toothed comb. Yes there were many issues with the car, but they were nearly all about the need for the replacement of expendable parts. Not a problem to me, that is what it is about with any car. So I made an offer, subject to the necessary work on the car not exceeding £1,500. The offer was accepted. I had done my homework.

Continued over the page

All Torque 69 page 27

So here is my seventh piece of advice: Go back and read my first piece of advice yet again. The car would also have to be checked over by a specialist.

This was agreed to and would be at my expense.

Off we went to see Martin Brown at Porsche Tech in Meriden, next to Shirley’s garage. I had to tell the owner that he could not be present while the inspection took place. He was somewhat taken aback by this, who wouldn’t be? What was going to happen to his beloved Porsche? I had to explain that it was not my ruling but Martin’s. First a visual inspection followed by a functional test of all the switches, levers, dials and buttons. Then out came the computer; plug that in and all is well. Up on the lift and under the car Martin and his trusty accomplice go. Lots of words between them and the car is lowered to waist height. Oh shit, he’s taking the bloody car apart. I am called in to see the innards of the body but there is nothing to unduly concern Martin or me. Put it back together and lower it off the hoist for the test drive. As expected, the brakes are rubbish and the steering is not set up properly.

When the report arrives it’s a shock for the owner and me. I show him what needs to be done and the costs for each necessary piece of work. The work required is everything I expected and more.

The estimated cost of the works is well above my £1,500 limit and that is at an independent specialist’s prices. I revise my offer, it is not accepted but by the same token it is not rejected. Another offer is in the pipeline. My second offer is accepted; only £50 more than the first. The car will be mine!

Writing & Photography by Brian Rowledge

All Torque 69 page 28

So here is my eighth piece of advice: Go back and read that first piece of advice yet again. We arrange to take the car back to Martin to conclude the sale. I insist that the car be checked again on the computer. “What have you been doing to the car, battery problems here?” growls Martin.

The owner is taken aback. “Yes, it went flat, I kept it in the garage and did not use it as agreed. The battery went flat and I had to recharge it”.

Apart from that all is well.

Two weeks later the car is finished as far as I am prepared to go with initial rectifications. New brake discs front and rear, new brake pads front and rear, new brake shims front and rear, new brake sensors front and rear, brake fluid change, annual inspection service, new engine oil, new engine oil filters, new rear spoiler blind, reset sliding roof and lubricate mechanism and slides, reset ECU units/motors on roof, refit all front steering rack gaiters. Refix number plates as the old private plates come off. I drive the car home on the Friday afternoon after a detailed walk through the car with Martin. First of all I start off in trepidation and then my confidence grows. It’s mostly country lanes from Meriden to our home. Let’s open it up just a little, then a little more and then some more. This car is quick! Before I know it I am home.

My first trip in the car is to Silverstone and we end up being ushered into the Porsche Club GB enclosure by mistake. The 993 Registrar greets us with lots of admiration and questions about the car. Lots of chat with other Porsche GB members and Pam and I are invited to do a parade lap even though we are not in the club. I’m a little embarrassed by it all, but they are very nice people. At the last minute though, the organisers at Silverstone announce that the parade lap cannot include air-cooled cars.

I make a dash for the TIPEC site where I feel sure that Pam and I will be equally well greeted. “Nice car, needs a wash and polish though” says the RO, and something very similar comes from the ARO. Was it all worth it? You bet it was. So here is my final piece of advice: Join the club and get involved. As Nike say; “Just do it.”

Gruppe North Yorkshire RO John Oakes 01132 827 512 john.oakes3@btinternet.com ARO Dave Doherty 01423 501 988 enquires@alexa-house.co.uk Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month 7:30–8pm at The Windmill, Hull Road, Dunnington, York, YO19 5LP. Good news! Dave Doherty from Alexa House has become the new ARO for the Yorkshire region. Most of you who attend club nights will know Dave. A few words from him: “Hi All, As part of my secret plan for world domination, as well becoming the ARO for Yorkshire I am also TIPEC’s new secretary.

In answer to your questions: I am not going to sit on Sean’s knee and take dictation (well, not unless he asks nicely!)”

We may be moving our monthly meeting place later this year to somewhere in the Leeds area and hoping that we will have more people attend club nights. I know that some of you live quite a distance away from the Windmill and moving to Leeds could make it easier. We had only a few people attend in February and none turned up for the March meeting. Club nights are there for members to come along and meet people and friends. It also makes my job much easier to see you all face to face. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know. John Oakes will not be at the April & May meetings due to holidays, but Dave will be attending.

On 4–5th May, Speed: the event with no limits will be taking place at the Great Yorkshire Show Ground, Harrogate. www.speedharrogate.com We are organising a club stand at this event and we need cars for the display. If you are interested please ring or email Dave. TIPEC members will get ½ price admission, just show your club membership card at the entrance.

8th June is the Harewood House Show, which is always a good day out with lots of Porsches amongst the 400–500 cars on display, with free food and drinks supplied

by Strasse of Leeds. There will be a 928 meeting in the main arena, so please just come along and find me on the day.

25th–27th July sees the Silverstone Classic event. I had a great time looking around the event last year. The only bad part of the day was that there was too much to look at, could do with going for two days if possible.

This is also the PCGB National Event for the year.

Paintwork & Polishing nights Glyn O’Donnell from Carnoisseur will be coming along to club nights in the summer, showing us how to look after your car’s paintwork and offering polishing tips. His website is www.elite-detailer.co.uk, check out some of the cars that he has worked his magic on.

Full 2008 calendar to date: May 4–5th Speed: the event with no limits 31st–1st June, VSCC at Donington June 8th Harewood House Regional Show, PCGB 15th Harewood House Classic Car Show 29th Chatsworth House Day Out July 11–14th Le Mans Classic 20th Bradford Classic Car Show 25–27th Silverstone Classic Event August 3rd TIPEC National Day at Gaydon 12th Run out to Sledmere House & picnic We will post more details about the VSCC event and Bradford Classic show on the forum when more details are available.

Lincolnshire ARO Mike Daniels 07770 968 159 (mobile) mike@jwhartonagriculture.co.uk Meetings are held second Wednesday of every month 7:30–8pm at The King’s Head Inn, Kingsway, Tealby, LN8 3YA. RO required, to host monthly meetings at a local pub/hotel with support from the members and attend/organise local events with the assistance of the ARO.

North West RO John Pye 01706 712 491 07957 818 636 (mobile) tipecnw@tiscali.co.uk ARO Brenda Marginson 0125 483 1766 brenda.marginson944@virgin.net Meetings are held first Monday of every month 8pm at The Thatch & Thistle, Chorley Road, Blackrod BL6 5LA. When this falls on a Bank Holiday, we meet on the second Monday instead.

Hello everyone and a belated Happy New Year to you all. In April we intend to attend a show at Bolton Abbey on Sunday 20th April and also enjoy a ten pin bowling night on Thursday 24th.

Our first show in May is on Bank Holiday Monday 5th May and sees us returning to Gawsworth Hall for their classic car show.

The meeting night in May is on the second Monday 12th May as the first is a Bank Holiday; a curry night has been arranged at The Thatch & Thistle at a cost of £10 per head (£5 deposit required at April meeting).

In the middle of the month on Sunday 18th May we return to our regional meeting pub (The Thatch & Thistle) for their annual car show (numbers needed at latest at May meeting night). The weekend of the 31st May–1st June sees our return to the first of the shows at Tatton Park. As in previous years we will have a contingent of campers on both Friday and Saturday nights with beer and BBQs. It has been suggested that during June we undertake a narrowboat cruise. There are a few options available, a three hour cruise from Wigan Pier complete with three course lunch for £30/head or a four hour cruise from Botany Bay from 8pm to midnight with disco and food (£20/head).

Alternatively we can hire a barge for the day for 12 people at a cost of £110. If this is something that you would like to join us for then please let me know which option appeals to you. If enough people express an interest we will then book the most popular option.

During July we return to Hoghton Towers on Sunday 20th July. Names are being taken for this show now with a charge of £2.50 per car. The first weekend in August is Woodvale Rally. A new show for us this year is at Ripley Castle on Sunday 17th August, again there is a charge of £2.50 per car.

A further suggestion for something new in September is clay pigeon shooting. No definite date yet but it will be a Sunday and approximate cost is £20 each, again let us know if you’re interested.

North East RO Andy Blythe 01642 809 031 ac.blythe@mbro.ac.uk ARO Simon Poole 07759 694 059 audisi@btinternet.com Meetings are held first Sunday of every month 7:30pm at The Sporting Lodge, Low Lane, Stainton Village, Cleveland, TS17 9LW, just off the A19.

Our March meeting saw the largest attendance of the year so far, swelled by a potential new member with his 924S and also by visitors from the Yorkshire Region.

Thanks to John and Dave (and Dave’s wife) for making the trek northwards. Still only three Porsches in the car park though, although they did seem to attract the gritter as it went past three times while we were in the Sporting Lodge! The events list was circulated to all present for discussion.

By the time you read this we should have visited Specialist Cars for their open weekend over Easter and joined up with the SYNN region for their trip to Gmund and drive around the Dales on April 6th.

We are planning a club display at the North East American Car Club Fins ’n’ Chrome Show in May. We need to book places in advance with the organisers by Friday 18th May at the latest, so if you would like to put your car on the club display, please let me know.

I have now received my copy of Morgan’s Historic and Classic Vehicle Events Yearbook so we should be able to plan trips to more events at the next meeting. We are also planning a run out around Northumberland once a route has been finalised.

March 21st–24th Open Weekend at Specialist Cars of Malton. Yorkshire Region attending Saturday from 11am, North East Region attending Sunday, followed by drive out to Whitby April 6th Visit to Gmund Cars, Knaresborough, from 11:30am with SYNN Region, followed by drive out and pub meal 13th TIPEC AGM, Gaydon 26th TIPEC trackday, Bruntingthorpe May 24th–25th North East American Car Club Fins ’n’ Chrome Show June 15th Harewood House Classic Car Show & Subaru Club annual event, Lightwater Valley July 20th Bradford Classic Car Show & Newby Hall Classic Car Show 25th–27th Silverstone Classic Event August 2nd TIPEC 15th birthday party, Gaydon 3rd TIPEC national day, Gaydon

Scotland RO Stewart Gordon 01698 841 692 (evenings) 07974 808 342 (mobile) flashgordon944@blueyonder.co.uk ARO Alan Neilson 01324 871 543 07793 234 096 (mobile) alz1933@alanneilson.fsnet.co.uk ARO Neil Fraser 0131 660 0143 07946 616 782 (mobile) neil@fraser72.freeserve.co.uk Meetings are held first Wednesday of every month 8pm at The King Robert Hotel, Bannockburn, Stirling, FK7 0LJ. Firstly, welcome to new member PierreAlban Guy and his beautiful 1976 2.7s 911.

Names are required for our spring run to the Isle of Skye on the 18th, 19th and 20th of April. For further details and to book hotel rooms, please contact Stewart Gordon.

It was decided that the annual Scottish Regional concours will be in August at the Culzean Autoclassica show on the 23rd and 24th August. This is instead of being at Selkirk in the September as weather tends to be better (not guaranteed!) In addition the points system will change slightly: there will be one point awarded for every 25,000 miles covered by the car. There will also be a Best in Show trophy awarded, to be voted by the club members on the day. This will be sponsored by Neil Fraser.

Below is our calendar of confirmed events so far for 2008. This list is growing all the time. Please come along to a monthly meeting or keep an eye on the forum at www.tipec.net for updates and more detail on each event.

March 30th Lanark Auto Jumble & Classic Car Sale April 18–20th Spring run to Isle Of Skye May 4th East Kilbride Classic Car Show 18th Bridge Of Allan Classic June 1st Thirlestane Classic 8th Knockhill Speedfair 29th Moffat Rally & Auto jumble July 6th Ford Classic Show (Bridge of Allan) 20th Beach BBQ & run (East coast) 27th Coldingham ‘Sporting Bears’ Charity Show August 1st–4th TIPEC National Show (Gaydon) 23rd–24th Culzean Autoclassica (incuding TIPEC Scotland Regional concours) September 12–15th Northern Ireland road trip 21st Selkirk Classic.

October Waterside Classics showroom visit (TBC)

Cheshire & Staffs

Names and accommodation requirements for the National Show in Gaydon this year must to be submitted to Neil Fraser ASAP.

RO Steve Taylor 07774 912 069 (mobile) stephen_taylor@datascope.com ARO Dave Watson 07901 928 356 (mobile) watson1970@aol.com

The show is on the 3rd of August 2008 and we will be traveling down on the Friday the 1st staying at the Duncow Hotel, Dunchurch, Rugby.

Meetings are held third Tuesday of every month 8pm at The Whipping Stocks, Stocks Lane, Over Peover, Knutsford, WA16 9EX.

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Gruppe Central South Yorkshire & North Notts.

RO Paul Drury 01777 228 028 07842 171 681 (mobile) paulandjude@yahoo.com ARO Dean Lancashire 07860 198 627 (mobile) dean@tachart.com Meetings are held first Sunday of every month 5–5:30pm (meeting proper begins 7pm) at Ye Olde Bell Hotel, Barnby Moor, Retford, Notts, DN22 8QS. What we’ve been up to at the SYNNers A good attendance at both the February and March meetings. We welcomed Neil McGovern and his Casablanca Beige 911 SC to his first meeting in February, a member since December 2007, and in March we met prospective members Simon, Hayley and Phoebe Peace and their Grey 944 S2. A big SYNNers welcome to them all.

Gmund are very kindly supplying drinks and a buffet. After leaving Gmund we have a choice of couple of scenic loops of the Yorkshire Dales planned depending on time, weather, etc.

Oop north in the Dales We nipped oop north on March 1st to do a scouting job ready for the Gmund visit, Dean, Jude & I had volunteered but as the weather was kind (to start with) Ray & Kathy and Dave & Anita joined us for a four car convoy, calling in at Gmund where we were joined by our new club secretary and Yorkshire ARO Dave (Siggy) Doherty. Very nice to meet you Sir, congratulations and good luck on your new posts.

We had a Transport and Roads based music quiz that went down very well and raised much needed funds. It was won by Phil who certainly knew his music. Special thanks to those who could not stay for the quiz yet still donated.

After some hard fought battles at Avago Karting, top step of the rostrum was taken by our ARO Dean Lancashire with Ray Waite taking fastest lap.

Then via a proper old fashioned pub that we didn’t want to leave (The George and Dragon in Wentworth), we went on to the only Indian Restaurant recommended in the Yorkshire Good Food Guide, Akbar’s. We arrived five minutes after it opened and the car park was already three quarters full.

This was my and Judy’s first visit with the rest of our group seasoned Akbar fans. We left as two more fans; food, service and surroundings are first class and it is not at all overpriced. Top tip: If you want to eat here, get here early. Very early!

The bridge: only to be taken flat out!

Final route will be chosen on the day putting us back on the A1 at Bedale or Ripon for about 4.00pm where we will say our farewells to Yorkshire & Northeast and the SYNNers will head for a meal and meeting at the Olde Bell. If you would like to join us on this run please let me know as I need numbers for Gmund.

On Sunday May 4th Louth and Lincoln Car Club put on a lovely little show in the grounds of Gainsborough’s Old Hall.

Dennis and Mavis Smith will be showing Noddy(1962 356B) or their ’50s Mercedes 190 SL here. Cars aside, this 13th Century medieval hall is well worth a visit in its own right, despite the small admission charge.

www.gainsborougholdhall.co.uk

A pair of beautiful 911s at Gmund We are planning an early Spring Run to Gmund on 30th March. This event has now had to be rescheduled for the following weekend as the Gmund staff are unfortunately on holiday and at a car show.

We are now due at Gmund at 11.30am on Sunday 6th April, where we will meet up with Yorkshire and North East Regions.

(Apologies to Simon who had just printed out all his fliers with the earlier date on!)

Meet at Ray and Kathy’s in Doncaster from 9.00am for Cathy’s now famous full English, ready to leave at 10.00am, 2nd meeting point is the services just after junction 38 A1M, leaving here at 10.30am.

Bank Holiday Monday May 5th Thoresby Classic Car Show – This is pre-book only, £2.50 to cover admin and presentation plaque. Booking deadline 25th April, so far five cars attending.

Our WOTY is in the Cotswolds this year.

We now have the Hotel organised. The Holiday Inn Gloucester-Cheltenham is pre booked from Friday May 9th for an optional three nights.

We have 12 rooms reserved but there are more available (all rooms are double). This is a new hotel and in the opinion of Chris and Kathy B is really nice: large pool, gym, bar, restaurant and, most importantly, good secure parking. £75 per double room, bed and breakfast, single occupancy is £52.50 B&B and if you wish to add an evening meal it is £15 per person per night. This is a carvery style meal and looks superb.

Members are to book individually and reserve rooms with a credit card on 01452 650 304. Ask for Joanne Sheldon and give reference “Porsche Club”. Also close by is a Travel Lodge which is more affordable at £50 per double room, but this has a TGI restaurant attached and shares the car park so security could be an issue.

Prescott Hill Climb: This event coincides with our visit and adds an extra dimension to proceedings. Members from Central and Bristol regions have already booked the event which consists of several different parts.

First up is on Saturday May 10th with a 50 mile tour of the Cotswolds in the company of lots of other classic car marques starting and finishing at Prescott, also with a cuppa and homemade cake at the finish. £15 per vehicle. Still in the planning stages, a Saturday night meal for participants, depending on support on the booking form.

Tick that box.

Then on the Sunday May 11th we have the main event at the Hill. There are three ways of attending: £10 general entry with parking in the car park, £15 gets you a place at Orchard Corner in the display parking and hill cavalcade, or for the braver ones among us for £45 you can park in the paddock and have two untimed runs up the hill track with, depending on time/entries/ etc., additional runs at £5 each.

June 8th, Visit to the Kexby House and Gardens (Lincolnshire) meeting at 11.00am.

Lunch is included in the admission price of £6.50 with wine available at £1 a glass.

Then we move on to historic Lincoln where we will first visit one of our members, Edith Adams’, art club display. Then you will be at the top of Steep Hill between the castle and cathedral where there are loads of small shops and the Museum of Lincolnshire Life (highly recommended) or the toy museum, and plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants.

If you would like to join the 14 already attending (seven cars) please get in touch because we need numbers for the specially prepared meals at Kexby.

June 11th Wednesday evening show at picturesque Renishaw Hall, ‘Derbyshire’s best kept secret’ as they call themselves. www.sitwell.co.uk June 22nd Peter Bradley’s Porsche Tractor Museum. This is the first time that 993 owning Peter will have been visited by TIPEC though he has met some of us at shows over the years.

It is Peter’s 50th year of Porsche ownership, his first was a new 1958 356. As well as tractors he also displays a 356 based helicopter engine and there is lots of Porsche memorabilia, in fact 50 years’ worth.

This is a private museum and will be opened just for us. 10 cars booked at the meeting, there is still room for a few more, then we plan on having a drive into Derbyshire towards the Hathersage/Ladybower Dam area stopping off for a pub lunch on the way, the carvery at the Moorlands at Owler Bar has been recommended.

Prescott Hill Climb

Bristol RO Paul Harrison 07884 116 971 (mobile) paul@harrison167.freeserve.co.uk Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month 8pm at The Fox, Easter Compton, B35 5RA, one mile West of M5 J17 (Cribbs Causeway).

I was away on business and unable to attend the March monthly meeting, however I understand that it was a good turnout. A warm welcome to Derek (968), who was attending his first meeting. Derek is no stranger to Porsche ownership, having had a number of different models. He joined eight other enthusiasts, some with their other halves, so I’m quite encouraged by the number of members what we seem to be getting at the meets. If you’re reading this and were toying with the idea of coming along, make sure you do: you can be assured of a warm welcome.

Dates for your calendar for this year: On May 11th, we visit Prescott for the Classic Hillclimb, which will mark our third time there. In June, we’re aiming to put together a Sunday drive out to a pub for lunch, while July 12th/13th sees us visiting the Le Mans Classic for the second time.

http://cleevevale.org.uk/classiccar for the entry form: fill it in on screen, print then send with your payment. DO THIS NOW OR YOU WILL MISS OUT BECAUSE PLACES ARE LIMITED. IN THE PAST THE EVENT HAS BEEN VERY POPULAR AND THE ORGANISERS ARE EXPECTING TO SELL OUT. Also remember this is a Rotary Club run event with all profits going to charity May 23rd Poole Quay Display. Paul and Judy and John Middleton are attending this event, where we will meet up with Southern region.

April 6th Visit to Gmund, scenic drive then meal and meeting at the Bell.

13th TIPEC AGM Gaydon 26th TIPEC trackday at Bruntingthorpe May 4th Old Hall Gainsborough followed by monthly meeting at Ye Olde Bell 5th Thoresby Classic Car Show 9–11th Cotswolds WOTY 23rd Poole Quay Display 25th Hickleton Hall Show 31st–June 1st V.S.C.C. Donington June 8th Kexby and Lincoln 11th Renishaw Hall Classic Car Show 22nd Porsche tractor museum

Peter Bradley on a Porsche tractor

Of course, August 3rd is the not-to-bemissed TIPEC National Day at Gaydon, and I have agreed a visit format with our OPC which I hope to slot into a weekend in September. All the details can be found on our Regional page on the TIPEC website so ensure you keep up to date, either on the web or by joining us at the monthly meets.

Happy motoring!

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North London & Herts RO Gary Adams 07799 895 274 (mobile) garyadams_1980@hotmail.com ARO Neil Pargiter 01920 872 365 07515 337 073 (mobile) ncp.944@hotmail.co.uk Meetings are held third Thursday of every month 7:30pm at The Robin Hood, The Ridgeway, Botany Bay, Enfield, Middlesex, EN2 8AP.

Central

As part of our plan to make Central Region more inclusive for our long suffering wives and girlfriends, Brian has conjured up a special event which will allow us to wine, dine and pamper our better halves as well as be a lot of fun for us too! Details are not yet finalised but this promises to be an absolutely stunning event at the tail end of the year and will win us all a lot of brownie points for use in 2009!

Our trip to Shelsley Walsh scheduled for Sunday 4th May has been changed to the following day (Bank Holiday Monday 5th May). This is because of a change of schedules at the circuit. We will meet up for breakfast at the Little Chef, Droitwich before heading off for SW and times etc will be sent out nearer time.

RO Paul Bird 01922 428 409 07831 877 983 (mobile) paulpsb928@yahoo.co.uk ARO Brian Rowledge MyMerak@aol.com

If you are not receiving regional email updates from me it’s because I don’t have your email address. Please drop me a line so I can add you to my list, as it’s the easiest way to keep you all informed. Also if you change your email address don’t forget to let me know!

Meetings are held second Monday of every month 8pm at The Red Lion, Lady Lane, Earlswood, B94 6AQ.

The events list for the year is below.

Contact Brian Rowledge or myself for any more information

At the time of going to press for this edition of All Torque Brian has just about finished negotiations for our Weekend of the Year (WOTY) to be held at the beginning of October. Full details will be sent out shortly and posted on the forum so please check it out. The weekend promises to be a really great way to round off the season so we hope you will give it some serious consideration.

See you all ‘out & about’.

Bruntingthorpe trackday on 26th April is now only a few weeks away and you will need to act quickly if you haven’t already booked your place. Full booking details are on the club website and forum.

Our trip to the Le Mans Classic is shaping up nicely and it looks as though we shall be meeting up with friends from Yorkshire somewhere south of Calais for a pleasant convoy drive to the circuit. Our travel arrangements are all being dealt with through Travel Destinations, a company that have many years experience at Le Mans, so nothing has been left to chance and with prices as low as £209 per person for the trip its excellent value for money. Check out the forum for details or contact Paul for more information.

Sunday 13th April TIPEC AGM at Gaydon. See Club website for details.

Saturday 19th April Visit to Center Gravity. This company specialises in the set up of wheels, steering, chassis, suspension and geometry of high performance vehicles. See www. centergravity.co.uk for further details. Details of this event are to follow but it will comprise of a short talk, practical demonstration and finish up with a questions and answer session for club members.

Saturday 26th April Track day at Bruntingthorpe. This event has been organised by Central Region but is open to all regions so if you wish to enjoy you need to register quickly. Full details on the Club website and forum. To Book ring 0116 279 9318 and ask for Fay. Bank Holiday Monday 5th May Shelsley Walsh hill climb Porsche Champs.

Sunday 11th May Prescott Hill Climb. Details and booking

form can be downloaded here: www.cleevevale.org.uk/classiccar Just download and complete the entry form for either the Orchard static display or Paddock entry and send off as instructed.

Please send Paul an email to confirm that you have booked.

Sunday 15th June Trentham Transport Festival. Classic show at Trentham Gardens Stoke-on-Trent.

Download entry form here: www.transtarpromotions.co.uk Fill in and send off as per instructions.

Just email Paul & confirm attendance to aid planning.

Sunday 22nd June Cotswold drive out culminating at Bourtonon-the-Water to visit the Cotswold Motor Museum, Birdland or the shops in the village as you wish.

Sat/Sun 5th & 6th June Cars in the Park, Lichfield. Great Classic show with Paul Keeling playing host to a club stand for 20 cars on both days.

Contact Paul Keeling for details on 01543 271 116.

Thurs 10th to Mon 14th June Club trip to the Le Mans Classic including a convoy drive from Dover to Le Mans and dedicated club camping at Tetra Rouge corner. Details on Club website & forum.

Sunday 27th June Silverstone Classic August Sunday 3rd National Event at Gaydon September Saturday 13th Trip to Coventry Motor Museum Date TBC, Sprint day at Curborough October Friday 3rd–Sunday 6th Weekend of the Year (WOTY). Details to be confirmed.

November Friday 14th–Sunday 16th Classic Show at the NEC Sunday 22nd Curry Night December Monday 8th Christmas dinner at the Red Lion.

International RO Dave Warren Dave will be the new point of contact for members in Wales, Ireland and overseas.

Our Porsches at Mercedez-Benz World Wednesday 30th April Meet at the Oxford Services on the M40 at 7.00pm for a short blast down the M40 and A40 to the Porsche Evening at the world famous Ace Café in West London.

Intense competition at South Central Region’s Scalextric night

South Central RO Geoff Cox 01235 815 880 07740 452 586 (mobile) geoff.b.cox@btinternet.com ARO Debbie Oakley 0160 486 2285 theavonlady@tesco.net Meetings are held fourth Wednesday of every month at The Crooked Billet, Kingswood, HP18 0QJ, on the A41 between Bicester and Aylesbury.

Our first club night of the year saw the return of the Scalextric cars, where all members put on their race faces for an evening of serious competition. The final was a closely fought race between Claire and yours truly, with Claire ending up as winner despite some dubious tactics … a good fun evening.

is well worth a visit and again is absolutely free, although many of us did get our wallets out for a chance to be a passenger in the awesome AMG machines. Many of us went in the CLS63 AMG, which was spitting out over 500bhp, but what was more impressive was the braking ability. A truly special car. Once we had spent the morning drooling over the Mercs we went next door to the Brooklands Museum, which is full of history. We even walked up the banking and could not believe how steep it is.

On Sunday 30th March we will be going to a view an extensive private collection of cars and military vehicles, which are used in the film industry, near Windsor. Please meet at the Oxford Services on the M40 to the East of Oxford at 9.30am, where we will head off in a group at around 10.00am. The collection is under cover and contains lots of memorabilia as well as cars, tanks and motorcycles from the 1920s to 1950s. For details see www.historyonwheels.co.uk

Sunday 25th May Classic Car day at Newton Longville near Milton Keynes. This event was a washout last year due to the appalling rain, but for this year’s event they have installed matting to get the cars on and off the field safely.

This is a local and very informal event, for all the details check their website at: www.festival-of-transport.co.uk

East Midlands RO Chris Belfield 01530 413 527 07720 471 150 (mobile) kathy.belfield@virgin.net ARO Graham Waller graham.waller@polypipe.com Meetings are held third Tuesday of every month 7pm for food (meeting proper begins 8pm) at The Anchor Inn, Loughborough Road, Hathern, Leicestershire, LE12 5JB.

Our region’s first run out of the year took us from the OPC in Towcester across to the Coventry Transport Museum. The museum is excellent, although the route to the car park fooled everybody’s sat-nav systems. The weather was kind to us, with the sun shining all day. This museum is excellent, especially as it is completely free. The two star attractions are definitely Thrust 2 and Thrust SSC both of which proved to be fascinating.

The February club night included an informal general knowledge quiz, which was won by George Henson with a near perfect score; he really needs to get out more! Our February drive out saw us head from Oxford down to Mercedes-Benz World at Brooklands. Once there we met up with some of the South East members. This site

Members’ cars at Coventry Transport Museum in the sunshine

All Torque 69 page 35

Gruppe South Anglia RO Mark Flintham 01473 735 497 mark.flintham@tecnisis.co.uk ARO Keith Strudwick 07803 462 522 keith@hitcham.info From May, meetings will be held third Sunday of every month 8pm at The Flying Fortress, Bury St Edmunds, IP31 2QU. The big news is we’re going to be moving to a bigger house with a much larger garden. This time it’ll include the whole of Cambridgeshire! Our new home is The Flying Fortress, renowned for its good food and friendly atmosphere. Check it out at www.theflyingfortress.co.uk One of the great advantages of our new ‘home’ is that it is only about a mile from the A14 and Bury St. Edmunds. This will make it a lot easier for more members of the old East Anglia region to attend club nights, and our friends in Cambridgeshire will have an easy run east along the A14!

Mark and Keith are looking forward to welcoming old and new members to our new venue on 20th May and every third Tuesday thereafter. Please try to make it on the 20th so that your ideas can be incorporated in our future program. One of us will be at the Fortress from opening time at 6pm. Their restaurant opens at 6:30, giving plenty of time for anyone wishing to have a snack or a meal, before our get-together starts at about 7:30/8pm (although if you can’t make it until later, no problems: just come when you can).

The friendliness of TIPEC is legendary, and Mark and Keith are determined to do everything they can to uphold this ideal, but they will need your help and support.

It’s your club, it’s your club night, so please come along and make it the success we are sure it can be.

If you just happen to be on holiday or have a prior booking on the 20th, please contact either one of us (details above) with any suggestions of how you would like to see

the region proceed. If you can’t make it on the 20th May, you’ll need a good excuse for not making it on subsequent third Tuesdays!

We’re both looking forward to hearing from you and meeting you at your club night.

Southern RO Gordon Collins 07835 798 734 (mobile) gtsc.dkm@virgin.net ARO Jim Tarrant 01202 601 886 jim.tarrant@hotblack944.fsnet.co.uk Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month 7:30pm at The True Lovers Knot Pub, Tarrant Keyneston, Nr Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 9JG.

SE London & North Kent RO Jim Hearnden 0163 430 8062 0793 035 3232 (mobile) tr7v8@phaetonconsulting.co.uk ARO Paul Greer 0779 941 2870 (mobile) prgreer@blueyonder.co.uk Meetings are held first Friday of every month 7:30pm at The Bull Hotel, Bull Lane, Wrotham, Kent, TN15 7RF. Meetings at the The Bull seem to be getting more people. We enjoyed a good turn-out for February and are now up to around 28 members. Now all we have to do is get more of them along to meetings!

The latest calendar is out for all of those with a valid email address. It is in Excel format. If you have a problem opening that, you can download a viewer from the Microsoft site. There are still several 2008 events that need firming up, but this will allow people to start putting dates in the diary.

If you have an email address & DON’T receive emails from me, please mail me with it so that I can add you to my list.

I think this only applies to two or three people in our group.

It looks like our first event will be the karting at Fliching Manor on March 30th.

Starting at around 13:00, this will be with the guys from the South East. We now have five names down for this but are quite happy to accommodate more.

The next event after this is a visit to the Highways Agency at Godstone on April 6th. This event is currently oversubscribed, but I could arrange another slot if we have enough interest.

It’s still fairly quiet at present, I know people are having work done on their cars over the winter and in the next few months we should start seeing the fruits of their labours at meetings … and hopefully on some of our outings.

February The club meet in Feb saw a good turn out.

We seem to have managed a critical mass now at meetings, with good chat and some interesting discussions.

March For the first time at SELNK we had a formal speaker, in fact two. Brian & Terry came from the Association of British Drivers and gave around one and a half hours chat on a general view of motoring today. We also had visitors up from the SE group for this: luckily, as the turn out from the SELNK members was a bit low. Have a look at www.abd.org.uk if you wish to know more about them. If you wish to join, we get a discounted rate. I only found that out after I’d joined the ABD. Doh!

Thames Valley RO Nick Ramsay 07973 183 220 (mobile) tipec@witzendcs.co.uk ARO Jason Gibson 07958 459 725 (mobile) jasongibson@blueyonder.co.uk Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month 7:30pm at The Red Lyon, Henley Road, Hurley, Berkshire, SL6 5LH.

Cornwall & Devon RO Steve Switzer 01208 816 397 07867 556 869 (mobile) steve_switzer@mac.com Meetings are held second Sunday of every month 12:30–3pm at The Winds of Change, South Petherwin, Near Launceston, Cornwall, PL15 7LP. Please contact Steve in advance so that he can advise the restaurant of probable attendee numbers.

Cornwall & Devon had a good lunchtime meeting, with a member who had so far been car-less arriving in a rather nice 924s Le Mans! Not a lot of paperwork with it, but nevertheless in quite excellent condition that certainly ties in with its mileage.

Two 944s from other members and a rather pretty 944S2 that turned out to have almost 238K miles on the clock, owned by quite the youngest Porsche driver I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.

Jon wasn’t a TIPEC member at that point, but must have liked us as he is now!

We have taken the decision to change our meeting day to the third Sunday of the month from now on. We hope this change will make a difference to those who can come to join in. Membership in the area is at last beginning to look up and it rather looks like we will be able to drum up enough support for the two big summer car shows down our way, which is great.

Watch this space for future planning.

South East RO Derek Flanagan 01342 717 754 07767 254 820 (mobile) derek.flanagan@varian.com ARO Keith Funnell 01293 886 601 07790 753 697 (mobile) keith.funnell@btinternet.com Meetings are held second Wednesday of every month 8pm at The Shipley Bridge Inn, Antlands Lane, Burstow, RH6 9TE, on the B2037, off the A23, one mile North of Crawley M23 J10.

The New Year has started with our monthly meetings going from strength to strength.

The January Club Night had 27 attendees and February a record 31. We were pleased to welcome new members Tony Sweetsur, Richard Harris, Alan Gant and Duncan Izard.

Special thanks to Mid Sussex Porsche for their continued attendances and generosity in supplying copies of Christophous and those very collectable Porsche posters for our garage or study walls.

Our January club night was very well attended with 27 people and something for everyone. Thanks to everyone who came along. We also had an enjoyable Porsche picture quiz with joint winners Ivor Heading and David Green after a tie-break, recognising the most Porsche models from the photos showing portions of cars, primarily their headlights or rear lights.

Our February meeting went even better with 31 attendees and another new member, Dean Monnery, who joined on the night.

Amazingly our March Club night broke our record again with 34 attendees, including eight WAGS, which reinforces our claim that we are a family friendly club. It was great to see a few old faces here again such as Nick & Jane Barnes and Alan Cordery who have missed a few previous meetings. We also had a bunch of potential new members from PCGB and expect to sign a couple more up this month. Robin Pettifer reported that Rachel had permanently locked his garage door, so he had to leave his 964 at home and scrounge a lift in Rachel’s 993 leaving him suffering withdrawal symptons.

John Waller has ordered a new Fiat 500 which would probably fit into the luggage compartment of a Cayenne. We were delighted that Jim Hearnden (SELNK RO and TIPEC Vice Chairman) also attended.

Apologies if I have failed to welcome anyone or talk them personally on the night, but with so much buzz and news at the meeting it was difficult to get around everyone. Hopefully Keith ensured that we didn’t ignore anyone completely!

If the attendences keep growing at this rate we will soon need a new venue. Neil Windeatt was drawn out for the Lotto but as he was not present it rolls over to next month with the prize increasing to £25.

Special thanks to Keith Funnell (ARO) who is the self appointed photographer at most of our events. Each year Keith produces a compilation photo CD of all our events throughout the year with over 1,500 fantastic pictures of our cars and events.

Keith also brings his laptop to every meeting and runs a slide show of photos from the previous month’s activities.

Our events calendar is filling up rapidly and in 2008 we will be providing our greatest number and diversity of eventso far. We have definitely started the year with a bang.

Dent Magician Open Day Sat 23 Feb A dozen SE Region members benefited with some bodywork surgery at a special TIPEC open day at Dent Magician in Small Dole near Henfield, Sussex. See separate report inside this issue.

Visit to Mercedes Benz World Sat 1 March

The TIPEC Cornwall & Devon contingent

Following an invitation from the Central Region, A band of SE region members joined their colleagues at MBW for a great day out including some rather memorable experiences on the track. See Keith Funnell’s report.

All Torque 69 page 37

Inter-Regional Go Karting Sunday 30 March By the time you read this issue, our 2008 Inter-Regional go karting challenge will be history. We already have eight teams entered, including teams from the Thames Valley region and SELNK region, who will be trying to wrestle the trophy away from us.

This is one of TIPEC’s most popular events, held at the outdoor Campbell Circuit at Filching manor near Polegate in Sussex.

A full report will be published in the next issue.

Sat 3 May SPC Rolling Road open day Following the success of this event 18 months ago, Andy Brown of Sussex Performance Cars at Horsham has kindly offered to open his workshop for another Dyno day at the special TIPEC price of only £35 per Power Run, including diagnosis and performance printout.

year we manage to find a different region of the UK to invade and this year we are going to North Devon, where we have found a superb hotel (Sandy Cove Hotel) to enjoy a relaxing weekend for great food, relaxation and of course our obligatory cruise around the always beautiful Exmoor National Park.

Myself, Keith Funnell, Terry Rockall, Rachel Barnard and Rob Pettifer from SE Region also attended Jim Hearnden’s SELNK region club night on 7th March where we enjoyed informative and educational speakers from the ABD (Association of British Drivers).

11–13th July Goodwood Festival of Speed The SE Region are hoping to have a stand at this year’s Festival of Speed where the theme will be ‘from Hawthorn to Hamilton’.

I will be seeking volunteers over the three days of the festival and a few cars to display on the stand.

WOTY 30th May–2 June This annual event is in its 10th year and is now fully booked with 15 members. Each

The above is just a small selection of the forthcoming events; see the TIPEC web site for the full listing or come along to

our club night where we will issue the calendar of events, provide full details and take bookings.

For those of you who haven’t made it along to a monthly meet yet, we always welcome new members and prospective members.

Come and see if you like us, we’re a friendly bunch no matter what model of Porker you own or desire and you will be guaranteed to receive a hearty welcome.

You also have the opportunity of winning our own regional lotto. All SE Region members go into the hat each month, but you have to be at the meeting to win if your name is drawn …

Wessex RO Pete Blackler 07779 203 278 (mobile) pete.blackler@freenet.uk.com Meetings are held fourth Tuesday of every month 8pm at The Wheatsheaf Inn, Braishfield Road, Braishfield, Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 0QE.

www.TIPEC.net You can use the TIPEC website to register or renew your club membership, advertise (or buy!) cars and parts for free, download old issues of All Torque, and keep up-to-date with events in all of TIPEC’s regions. Additionally, if you look to the bottom-left of the homepage, you will find a link to TIPEC’s online discussion forum. This is the place to trade banter with fellow club members on a day-to-day basis, ask questions and share knowledge, up and down the UK (and worldwide!) Here’s some recent examples from the 924/944/968 section.

Forum: 924/944/968 Topic: Oh dear, I’ve just pimped my ride

Forum: 924/944/968 Topic: Project engine cleaning!

Forum: 924/944/968 Topic: Cab window lifter regulator

psi: I thought the standard 1989 paper speakers in the 944 were pretty muffled and tired (I’m a bit fussy as I work in the ‘audio’ world) but I never listen to music ‘carefully’ in the car … so I bought four ickle Alpines and fitted them today.

Neil Pargiter: I’m trying to get the engine clean on my 8v 944. I was thinking about either steam cleaning it or using Gunk degreaser, but not sure if either is a good idea. Any suggestions?

Ben944S2Cab: The driver’s side window lifter mechanism on my S2 cab is badly worn and I’m trying to get a replacement from a breakers.

They give great sound for a £66 upgrade.

The rears were easier than I thought, just a bit fiddly … especially when one of the pins falls off and you’ve only checked after putting 80% of the bits back.

I never spend alot on car stereos. The complete system is now worth £166 pounds … but to me THAT’S PIMPING. J.J.: Mine came with a Kenwood, but I only ever listen to the engine. How sad is that? lyndsayhbrown: Not sad at all, unless I’m sad as well …

Li Moo Bai: Ditto. I also listen to squeaks, rattles, grumbles etc.

Sean Smallman: I never turn the stereo in the Speedster, just listen to the sweet music made by the 3.2 air cooled lump. demonfish: I doubt I’m even sticking a radio in mine, or speakers in the new door cards … I’ve none in the rear now, just a RS carpet set. psi: After years in a 105db Elise, having a stereo feels like a well deserved luxury.

I’m finding the squeaks and rattles are drowned out by my stereo. From that point I’d call them FIXED.

Matt1263: Use an APC … or I have just used some Malco Engine cleaner, works very well. Aerospace 303 might also be useful. tr7v8: DO NOT spray a hose into a car engine with electronics unless you really know what you’re doing.

You’ll fill all sort of connectors up with water and could, on an old car, be sorting it out for a long while. By all means use Gunk with a stiff paintbrush (cut off 2/3rds of the bristle length) then use a small jug of water with cloths etc to clean it all off. Hot water is much better and you can use a hose but not on full welly: Be very careful where it’s pointed.

Make sure you have a BIG can of WD40 or similar for doing the dizzy cap and leads afterwards. lindsayhbrown: A good idea is to cover the dizzy cap etc with a Marigold-type glove to stop water intrusion.

J.J.: Got some Gliptone alloy/metal cleaner to try. (For the inlet manifold/ MAF.) Not sure what it’s like yet though.

The trouble with engine cleaning is that it oxidises afterwards and looks worse than before! Hence the alloy cleaner.

(I’ve seen laquer used, but that discolours eventually and then you can’t get it off.)

Some engine builders paint the entire engine for this reason.

I just spoke to Douglas Valley and contrary to what I thought, (that the lifter is Cabriolet specific and commands a premium price) any lifter of a late model 944 will have the stopper at the top of its travel and will work fine.

Anyone know for sure about this? thegumeister: The ’44 and ’68 Cabby have a roof 60mm lower than the coupe’s. The parts are different.

Ben944S2Cab: My window lifter just arrived from Porsch-apart. Part number 94453704201 stamped on the arm, which is the coupe part number. Go figure.

Porsch-apart said they took it out of a Cab they just got from Japan ; so I guess the chap at Douglas Valley was spot on about it. I’ll confirm for sure when I fit it. thegumeister: I asked the question and was told they have different part numbers; and that as the quaterlight was seperate and the lift/drop was 60mm shorter it would not fit.

I will be very interested in your experiment as there are not a lot of Cabbys broken. Fingers crossed!

Ben944S2Cab: Turns out that the window lifters are identical. The only difference is the part number stamped on the arms.

I am happy though: my window is smooth now and I’ve also fitted some new/used door cards.

Matt1263: Clingfilm the connectors after giving a quick dose of WD40 or similar.

All Torque 69 page 39

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