L AL E U Q R TO BRUARY/M ISSUE 127 FE
MAGIC CARPET RIDE Derek Flanagan smooths the suspension of his 996 Targa
PASSING THROUGH Alan Purcell’s Alpine hoon, driving 15 passes in 10 days
LATE DEVELOPER Kremer’s early ’80s take on the iconic 917 racer
ARCH 2018
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AT 127
All Torque is published bi-monthly by TIPEC (The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club) Text & images are © their creators. Front cover image: Two ages of 911 photographed together at RAF North Luffenham by Alan Kenny (www.alankennyphotography.com) All Torque is based entirely on submissions from TIPEC members. This is your magazine! Submissions for issue 128 (April/May) must be in before Thursday 1st March 2018. Editor & designer: Tony Blow tony@typescape.com Flat 2, 2 Bowmont Terrace, Glasgow G12 9LP Printed by: The Lavenham Press Ltd, Suffolk (01787 247 436) Advertising in All Torque is managed by: Sean Smallman, Walnut Tree Farm, Grain Road, Lower Stoke, Rochester ME3 9RE (07500 332 790) Website: www.tipec.net Twitter: @Porsche_TIPEC Search for us on Facebook TIPEC Chairman: Sean Smallman (07500 332 790) sean.smallman@tipec.net Vice Chairman North: Tony Levy (07759 222 613) tony.levy@tipec.net Vice Chairman South: James Garrard (07807 816 347) james.garrard@tipec.net Treasurer: Paul Bird (01922 428 409) paulpsb928@yahoo.co.uk Advertising & sponsorhip: Sean Smallman (07500 332 790) sean.smallman@tipec.net Media Director: Andrew Harris (07812 146 999) andrew.harris@tipec.net Membership Director: Sue Simmons (07530 312 700) sue.simmons@tipec.net TIPEC Membership: Lavenham Group (01787 249 295) membership@tipec.lpl-uk.com TIPEC Valuations: valuations@tipec.net
All Torque 127 Feb/Mar 2018 A belated
Happy New Year to all. Personally I am looking forward in 2018 to crossing off a couple of events that have been on my bucket list for quite a while. A bunch of us are driving the route of the 2016 Mille Miglia, then down to Monaco for the Historic Grand Prix. Wherever your Porsche adventures take you in 2018, I hope that you have a great time and the motoring is trouble free. I have said this many times, please try and make visiting one of your region’s activities a New Year resolution. You will be made very welcome and although the first couple of visits may be a bit awkward, you will soon make new friends and be part of the gang. When the Club was formed back in 1993, I wonder if those founder members gave any thought as to what the club would look like 25 years on. With the zealous policing of the brand, Porsche did not take kindly to a band of disenfranchised members moving away from the official Porsche Club to do their own thing. It is fair to say that the ongoing relationship with Porsche has never been easy and a few weeks before Christmas we received communication from their legal team, challenging the legitimacy of the Club and our marketing material. Needless to say we responded in kind and to date have not had any further correspondence. I have been around for just over half of those 25 years and I believe that we are as relevant now, as we have ever been. With more active regions and with a focus on improving communication, we will reach and hopefully appeal to more in the Porsche community.
There will be some challenges and with an ever growing free to join online presence, we need to demonstrate that there is no substitute for the banter of getting together. To support the regions and improve communication the roles of our Vice Chairman, James Gerrard and Tony Levy have been defined and they will be working with the Regional Organisers. If you are not receiving regular updates please let us know. All the usual events are happening this year and we really need your cars to best showcase the club and help to spread the word. Discount codes for BOGOF (buy one get one free) tickets for Donnington and Silverstone are on their adverts in this issue. We have added a picnic to the Simply Porsche weekend (see note in Club News), many thanks to Steve Wagg for securing this very popular site in the Forest. This our fifth year in association with Beaulieu and the Simply format. Last year we were by far the largest Porsche-only attended event in the country. The venue is fantastic with something for all the family to enjoy, check out the Beaulieu website for all the attractions. There are campsites and lots of hotels in the area, for those that would like to make a weekend of it. I will close by inviting you to attend our AGM at the Coventry Transport Museum on 4th March. We quickly rattle through the formalities and then have a good chat about the club and what we would like to be doing over the preceding year. All the best, Sean.
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. 3
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5
car tours
News & updates TIPEC Annual General Meeting COVENTRY TRANSPORT MUSEUM March 4th (Sunday) Coventry Transport Museum VEHICLE ACCESS TO MILLENNIUM PLACE USE SAT‐NAV CODE CV1 1JR This is the opportunity to have your say and
Use satnav code CV1 1JR. Directions from Coventry Ring Road (follow the pink highlighted share your ideas/thoughts about the Club. We Directions from Coventry Ring Road (follow the pink highlighted route below) route below): quickly get through the formal agenda so that • At Junction 1 of the Ring Road, take we can spend plenty of time having a chat. 1. At Junction 1 of the Ring Road, take the exit onto Tower Street (with Avis Car Rental on the the exit onto Tower Street (with corner) Avis Car Rental on the corner), We have been given permission to park in front • Turn left onto Silver Street, of the museum, if your car leaks oil please bring 2. Turn left onto Silver Street Photo © Sean Mulcahy • Turn left onto Cook Street, a drip tray. 3. Turn left onto Cook Street • Take the first right onto Chauntry Place. 4. Take the 1st right onto Chauntry Place Lunch will be provided for those confirming their 5. Millennium Place is at the bottom of the hill. Please be aware that you are entering a Millennium Place is at the bottom of the attendance by sending an email titled ‘AGM’ to pedestrianised area – DRIVE SLOWLY hill. Please be aware that you are entering a cluboffice@tipec.net After lunch you are free to pedestrianised area – DRIVE SLOWLY. look around the very impressive museum.
Britcar Championship April 14th (Saturday) Rockingham Motor Speedway, NN17 5AF
We have been invited to drive our cars on track behind a pace car during the lunch break of the first round of the season at Rockingham. There are plenty of Porsches in the field competing in the endurance and sprint championships. For discounted tickets to the event and to join us on track (places limited) please send an email titled ‘Britcar’ to cluboffice@tipec.net
Northern-ish Gathering 2018 April 15th (Sunday) Hoping to build upon the success of the first Northern-ish Gathering in 2017, club members from the North West are making plans for their next big inter-region gettogether.
25th Anniversary Picnic at Simply Porsche 2018 June 2nd (Saturday)
Designed to be a season-opening break fast meet, the second Nor ther n-ish G ather ing will take place on Sunday April 15th at The Wellington Public House, Wetherby Road, Leeds, LS17 8LZ. Last year saw 54 Porsche cars take part and the organisers are hoping to equal or exceed that number this year. There are also plans for a gentle country drive in the afternoon for those who don’t have to rush off. Keep looking out for detailed updates from your local Regional Organiser as April approaches! AT 127
We have booked a private area in the New Forest to host a picnic for those that are making a weekend of it and attending Simply Porsche at Beaulieu on Sunday. We have space for 100 cars, to book a space please send an email titled ‘Porsche Picnic’ to cluboffice@tipec.net
A small selection of the cars at the first Northern-ish Gathering
We will provide ice to cool drinks and there will be plenty of cake to celebrate our anniversary. There will also be live jazz music to give it that garden party atmosphere
Silverstone Classic 2018 July 20th–22nd (Friday–Sunday) The Silverstone Classic is one of the main events of the year for TIPEC, and our Chairman Sean’s personal favourite.
displays from over 100 car clubs (inc luding TIPEC ) and more than 10,000 classic cars in total, dynamic demonstration drives and interactive activities for all the family, live music from big name headline acts on Friday and Saturday nights, air displays, a vintage funfair, and a host of shopping opportunities.
Donington Historic Festival 2018 May 4–6th (Friday–Sunday)
It’s a weekend of spectacular historic motor racing on one of the world’s greatest circuits and you can really get up close and personal with the machinery and the drivers.
After seven very successful years Donington Historic Festival is firmly established as a major fixture on the international historic racing calendar, attracting many thousands of spectators, hundreds of world-class historic racing cars and huge numbers of classic car club displays, including TIPEC.
As well as the qualifying on Friday and the racing Saturday/Sunday, attendees get free access to the paddocks and grandstands,
It’s a big weekend whether you’re displaying your car with the group from TIPEC or just attending as a spec tator, and we can’t recommend it highly enough.
All Torque Submissions
TIPEC online www.TIPEC.net
Submissions for the magazine are always very welcome – All Torque is your magazine and we rely on your articles, reports and photographs to keep it full of varied, interesting, Porscherelated stuff.
You can use the TIPEC website to register or renew your club membership, advertise cars and parts for free, view old issues of All Torque, and keep up with events.
As well as watching iconic machines from all eras fighting it out on track, spectators can wander round the race paddocks, enjoying free access and getting up close to the cars and stars. Donington is a particularly great event for photographers, with good access all round. There are always plenty of off-track attractions and live action and extensive club displays of classic cars that create a ‘living motoring museum’ right in the heart of the infield. TIPEC will be attending in force as usual and we will have a discount code enabling you to get two tickets for the price of one, which we will forward as soon as we have it via the Regional Organisers. We always put on a strong display at Donington and expect 2018 to continue that tradition.
Club shop Polo shirts There are a variety of colours available in men’s or ladies’ cuts to match or clash with your car, from Guards Red to Speed Yellow and a few that weren’t on Porsche’s colour charts too. Option of black or white embroidered logos. In addition to the polo shirts we have fleeces and baseball caps, especially for our follically-challenged Boxster owners. There is a direct link from our homepage at www.tipec.net £14.99 £21.99 £17.99 £24.99
Ladies Polo Shirts Ladies Fleece Mens Polo shirts Mens Fleece
All prices are plus P&P but are best value when ordering multiples, so why not ask others in your region before ordering?
Membership management Contacts for member queries We have a dedicated membership management agent. The contact details for and TIPEC membership renewals, changes of address, queries, etc. are detailed below. Please make sure you mention that you are contacting them about TIPEC, as they deal with multiple car clubs: 01787 249 295 membership@tipec.lpl-uk.com TIPEC Membership Arbons House, 47 Water Street, Lavenham CO10 9RN www.tipec.net Go to the membership renewals tab. Password: tipecmember
Anyone can contribute – we only ask that it is all your own work (both writing and photography). Email tony@typescape.com Sometimes there simply isn’t room for everything, so please bear with us if your piece hasn’t been printed in this issue – we’ll hold some over for quieter months.
At the top-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 with your fellow TIPEC members, up and down the UK (and worldwide!)
We really do appreciate the effort made by our club members and contributors, and value every individual submission. 7
MEMBERS CARS
SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND
Benjamin Band’s introduction to Porsche ownership came about due to a basic need to own a clean car to go out in at the weekends. Author & Photographer Benjamin Band
For 10 years I’d driven a Skoda Fabia 1.9tdi. It was
a lovely car to drive but living and working on a farm, along with being a keen carp fisherman, had taken its toll … the car was in a permanent state of disgusting filth with farming paraphernalia and stinky fishing bait, etc. The final straw came one evening when I arrived at my girlfriend’s house to pick her up – she took one look in the Skoda and declared that we were getting a taxi or staying in. I accepted her protest; after all, there was a small colony of snails living in the boot happily feeding on decaying fish bait. I set about searching the classifieds for a car to be kept clean and used only for going out in at the weekends, a car not to be trashed. At some point around this time I happened to read an article in a car magazine extolling the virtues of the Porsche 993. I’d had no real interest in 911s up to this point but the more I read about 993s the more I fancied the idea of getting one. This was seven years ago when they were considerably cheaper than they are today, so the thought occurred that a 993 would be a far more interesting proposition than the secondhand Golf Gti I was considering for the same price. I was determined to get a C2 manual coupé because the buyers guides all said that it was the pick of the models. This proved slightly tricky because even seven years ago the classifieds seemed full of other variations and I didn’t want a Tiptronic or convertible. After a six month search a car which was the perfect spec eventually cropped up on Pistonheads being sold privately. AT 127
The very next day I set off on the arduous three and a half hour train journey north to Manchester to view the car. I tried to give the vendor the impression that I was a serious car expert but the truth was that I was completely clueless and it was the first 911 I’d ever even viewed close up. For all I knew it was a Cat D cut and shut disaster! To me though it looked fantastic, so with no PPI or checks of any type, like a headless chicken I shook hands on a deal and was now a 911 owner. I was over the moon. I suppose sometimes you just get lucky because seven years later the 1996 Varioram engine has not missed a beat and the car still feels like it was carved from stone. Considering the fact it’s a 285 bhp Porsche that’s now over 20 years old it has been fairly cheap to maintain, however it could have been even cheaper had I not (like many air cooled owners) become obsessed with keeping the car perfect with large doses of OCD. The car was always lovely to drive however after two or three years I decided it felt a bit like a GT car rather than a pure sports car so I booked it in at Center Gravity in Atherstone. Centre Gravity are very well known for their geometry and chassis tuning, and particularly on 993s. I asked them to make the steering more direct and alive, less of a GT car. Their attention to detail was superb and sure enough the results were noticeable instantly – it now feels much more ‘go-kart’ like in feel.
Whilst on the ramp at Center Gravity they noticed there was some rust on the rear chassis legs and advised me to get that sorted out. After some research of this well known 993 issue the car was then booked in to Fully Loaded Cars in North London. They are not a Porsche specialist but have worked on lots of old cars including 911s and do a competent job for a good price. While the car was in their care having the rusty chassis legs repaired I also asked them to remove the front windscreen and repair the windscreen scuttle. I had noticed that the dreaded rust bubbles had appeared in the bottom corners of the front windscreen and knew that the chances were further damage lurked within.
THE 993 IS COMPACT COMPARED TO MODERN CARS. A 993 LOOKS LIKE A MINI WHEN PARKED NEXT TO A 991.
As expected the scuttle proved to be in a bad state but until the windscreen is removed much of the rust is hidden from view. Paul aka ‘Glassman’ from Glasstec worked in liaison with Fully Loaded cars to refit the windscreen after the repairs were made – he has mastered the art of installing the tricky 993 windscreen, complete with the correct sealant so that water does not ingress into the scuttle and cause future problems. From what I gather anyone with a 993 will have rusty chassis legs and windscreen scuttle issues to sort out at some point unless they have permanently lived in the Arizona desert, but garages like Fully Loaded Cars can eradicate the issues without any drama or major expense.
I’ve kept the car largely factory original in look, but the original 993 steering wheel is not great so I’ve had a Momo Porsche steering wheel fitted. Also, I like a decent audio system so I’ve had an updated Alpine head unit fitted by Auto Audio in Acton. The set up features DAB radio and Bluetooth hands free telephone along with a Pioneer Subwoofer in the front of the passenger footwell much to my girlfriend’s chagrin … she dislikes the bass vibrating on her feet and now wears moon boots during long journeys! For me the 993 still ticks all the boxes. I think Tony Hatter’s design has aged very well and is rightly considered a modern classic. It’s compact compared to modern cars so it’s useable on a regular basis. A 993 looks like a mini when parked next to a 991. The 993 also has a very comfortable and compliant ride. The B roads where I live are very poor yet the 993 soaks up the bumps with ease. A couple of years ago I bought a 991 GTS and the ride was so firm that any journey on B roads meant my spine took a battering – and when I sold the car after only 16 weeks of ownership my wallet took a battering as well. My spine recovered, my wallet didn’t. Modern cars such as the 991 may get you from A to B extremely fast but in my experience they are not much fun along the way because they are simply too efficient. I’d far rather be going around a corner in a 993 which feels fast even when you’re not breaking the speed limit. I still sometimes take a five mile detour home just to take in a couple of lovely corners and a good straight. After seven years of ownership the novelty has not worn off. 9
MEMBERS CARS
MAGIC CARPET RIDE It’s been two and a half very expensive years since Derek Flanagan’s last report on his 996 Targa. Author & Photographer Derek Flanagan
I have driven 20,000 miles in this time.
My second-generation Targa is now 15 years old (with 77,000 miles on the clock). Last year I purchased a VW Polo to reduce my annual mileage on the Porsche – I expect to get down to less than 5,000 miles a year, which should save me over £120 in insurance costs alone.
For a couple of years I lost faith in my Targa. After many repairs I have my faith back, but at a high cost. After fitting new condensers in early 2015, I then suffered with a PSM/ABS warning light error which was fixed by cleaning out the throttle body. This was followed by a replacement ignition coil and new exhaust and inlet tappets on cylinder two. I then took the plunge and had the infamous IMS (and RMS) bearing upgrade plus a switch to Evans waterless coolant. In addition to the usual routine maintenance work, I also fitted a new alternator. My ABS warning light error returned and this time the cure was a new mass air flow sensor.
AT 127
In early 2016 the performance problems got worse and a new ECU was required (very painful in the pocket). A couple of months later I had a water pump leak but managed to identify this before losing the expensive (£300) waterless coolant. Before the year end my performance problems returned and the solution was a new camshaft (number two), camshaft sensor and camshaft variocam adjuster. The cost of a nice holiday in total! After this, the Targa has been reliable (I hope I’m not tempting fate by saying that) and in January 2017, I had a golden opportunity to buy a pair of Cargraphic stainless steel sports exhaust manifolds to match my Cargraphic sports exhaust system at an unbelievably good price – too good to resist.
SUSPENSION IS ALWAYS A PERSONAL THING AND USUALLY A COMPROMISE.
As I purchased the car from new, I have always kept the Targa in original condition with the exception of mesh grills to protect the radiators. However, the communications system was showing its age. The lack of Bluetooth and a satnav system that couldn’t use postcodes was becoming a greater irritation and became untenable when the map display froze in mid 2017. After some research, I made the brave decision to upgrade, and selected a top of the range Kenwood Audio/satnav system (Kenwood DNX8170DABS) plus the integrated Kenwood dashcam (DRV-520) and reversing camera, which can all be displayed on the 7" touchscreen, at an overall cost of £1,800 including fitting – which also required a new DAB aerial and GPS aerial.
I discovered a specialist company called Audio Concepts in Cardiff (located just behind the Porsche Centre) who upgrade many Porsches and did a fantastic job. They have a wealth of knowledge on these systems and Porsche cars. When the work started they informed me that my Targa had the upgraded B&O audio system (even though it wasn’t branded as such) with fibre optic cables – an optional feature I didn’t order or pay when I purchased the car from new. However Audio Concepts were able to overcome the compatability issues by adding a converter into the system to retain the B&O speakers etc. Whilst the Targa has always put a smile on my face and has fantastic handling, I was always disappointed with the ride on British B roads. Suspension is always a personal thing and usually a compromise. In October and November I read a couple of articles in 911 & Porsche World Magazine of the editor’s upgrade to his 996 – replacing his Brillstein suspension with the unique Ohlins adjustable DFV system. At over £2,000 it’s expensive but the unique dual flow technology has some serious pedigree, albeit on racing bikes.
So what’s special about Ohlins? Well apart from the engineering quality, it’s adjustable in height, bounce and rebound. This kit has a number of special features that distinguishes it from the competition, primarily due to the dual flow valve technology which causes the damper to quickly release and thus not lock-up when striking a sudden bump. As the spring pre-load rate is set on the bench, the ride height can be set without affecting the spring rate or the damper travel thus retaining sensible ride and handling comfort. Whilst having this suspension upgrade it made sense to have a full upgrade to polybushes and an adjustable Eibach anti-roll bar. The top mounts (front and rear) also needed replacing. So now my car suspension is better than new and should handle these terrible B roads in my new home county of Somerset perfectly, now that I’m driving on a ‘magic carpet’ called Ohlins.
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Eight Porsches and one intrepid photographer invaded RAF North Luffenham for a day of Porsche appreciation
AIRFIELD ANTICS Author Joe Croser / Photography Alan Kenny
75
years ago this area was awash with airfields, manned by the RAF, the USAF, and the RCAF as well as other allied forces as they worked around the clock to defend our shores during World War II. Thankfully they did a sterling job and we remain free to enjoy a life largely as we choose, as do our friends in Europe. For that we shall be eternally grateful.
For many reading this article, suc h f re e doms inc lude the ability to enjoy the fabulous cars produced by, dare I say it, the world’s finest automobile manufacturer, Porsche. And so, on a chilly November afternoon, some 60 years af ter the last airplane left, the old RAF airfield at North Luffenham was peaceably ‘invaded’ by Stuttgart’s finest for a Porsche photoshoot. Organised by Alan Kenny, a Stamford-based photographer and flying veteran, our photoshoot welcomed a group of eight local TIPEC members and Porsche enthusiasts. We ‘landed’ at 1415hrs sharp, and after introductions we were directed with military precision to arrange our cars in flight formation on the runway. Alan ran around, climbed steps, and lay flat on the floor to shoot the Stuttgart stallions from different angles; all while we picked and poked at the cars on show – and wow, there were some beautiful examples. AT 127
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Martin’s 2015 991 GTS was the newest car there. A jet blacko n-b l a c k co up é w i th b l a c k centre-lock wheels and ducktail it was absolutely stunning. Dark and moody, it was the darling of many. But if the 991 is your weapon of choice then its hard to look beyond the 991 Targa 4 with silver roll hoop and red leather. I’ve always had a thing for red leather. The 997 was well represented by my Turbo and Neil’s C4S coupé, both looking resplendent in the setting sun. Like a chameleon, Meteor Grey conforms to changes in light and surroundings and with a near black runway, the 997 curves looked very moody with brilliant highlights. Just look at my rear quarter shot, or the front quarter shot next to the baby blue ’72 for near perfection.
AT 127
Andrew’s 996 cab continued a Red Baron theme with his red convertible roof and tasteful red rev counter. His car has been on quite a journey of customisation and it’s fair to say he’s settled in a great place with subtle and very tasteful mods. And then there was the ’72 911 which has been dressed up as a ’67 recreation with full racing box and clutch. It looked and sounded amazing and I was lucky enough to be thrown the keys and told to drive it. I jumped in and paused … I needed directions for starting it, assistance with closing the door, and I had to lift my bum off the fixed seats to get the 500lb clutch to go all the way to the floor (as advised) for changing gears. Then I had to sit back down to raise the clutch to its bite-point somewhere
near my left ear. Needless to say, I managed first to second and left it at that. I’ll take my 997.2 Turbo with SharkWerks exhaust to improve my aural pleasures every time. But we were not just a group of 911s, a couple of other Porsche interlopers joined in with a beautiful 981 Cayman in Agate Grey, owned by our regional organiser Stuart Wand, and a timeless 944 coupé owned by Nick Papé, RO for the TIPEC South Central Region. While neither carries a 911 badge, which for some of the snobbier Porsche owners might instantly relegate them to the lower ranks, they are in my considered, yet humble, opinion stunning vehicles which held their own
and reflected the Porsche brand supremely. In fact, given deeper pockets and a bank of garages I’d have both in a heartbeat, such is my appreciation. The shoot lasted two to three hours before the light gave up the ghost and we all headed for home with heaters blasting to counter the chilling November weather. One of the things I love about TIPEC is the members, and afternoons such as this one where a bunch of us gathered to appreciate each other’s c ar s in a ver y relaxed setting are a highlight of ownership for me. To view all the photos from the shoot visit Alan’s website at www.alankennyphotography.com/ automotive/TIPEC
WE WERE DIRECTED WITH MILITARY PRECISION TO ARRANGE OUR CARS IN FLIGHT FORMATION ON THE RUNWAY.
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MEMBERS DRIVES
PASSING THROUGH
The idea for our Alpine hoon came when I saw an advert for Stefan Bogner’s book Porsche Drive, which is about driving 15 of the major Alpine passes in four days – a Mille Miglia of the Alps, so to speak. Unlike in the book we were starting and finishing in England, so I planned the route to take in a few interesting roads and sights on the way to and from the Alps. I also added in the odd extra pass or sight whilst we were in the Alps when they were too enticing to miss. This meant our trip took 10 days in all, over which time we drove 2,500 miles. Our thoroughbred for the trip was Steffi, my wife’s 1982 911 SC, which had 210k miles on the clock before we set off. Our last holiday in Steffi was to Scandinavia and resulted in her breaking down and having to be left in Sweden while we flew home. The offending part was the CDI box, which has subsequently been replaced by a Classic Retrofit modern equivalent. The coil and fuse boards have also been replaced with Classic Retrofit items, so the electrics at least should be reliable. AT 127
DAY ONE 370 miles: Folkstone to Gerardmer, France Today was about getting most of the way to Alps. After the Eurostar from Folkestone we took the Autoroute until our first stop to look at the historic pits at Geux near Rheims. On the way satnav decided to instruct us to “leave the road” whilst on a piece of the Autoroute with no junctions for some distance and then stopped giving anymore instructions when we quite reasonably refused to go off-roading! Switching the route to the next waypoint cured the problem. Satnav issues on the first day of our European jaunts seem to be a habit for us, every trip we take. We had the pits mainly to ourselves at Rheims so Gina did a high speed drive past in each direction. It was mainly Autoroute from then on. We stopped at some services to refuel and noticed that the rear part of the sun roof seal had come out of its slot and had evidently been flapping away judging by the slight fluttering noise we had heard driving at speed. We pushed the seal back into its slot hoping it would stay put and not need the Gaffa tape we had brought along just in case. Later we turned on to the more interesting D417 to Gerardmer, where we stayed in the Hotel Le Beau Rivage overlooking the beautiful Lake Gerardmer.
DAY TWO 220 miles: Gerardmer to Altdorf We continued on the D417 east then turned off on to D5 and D11vi, all of which were fun to drive, twisting as they passed through the wooded hills. We then picked up motorway which took us into Switzerland past Zurich before turning off on to the ‘twisties’ at Glarus Nord. Soon we were tackling the first of 15 ‘Porsche Drive’ passes, Klausen, which climbs to 6,400 ft. Traffic was light so hardly any overtaking was necessary. We stayed overnight in a pleasant hotel in Altdorf, where we could see Steffi from the room. DAY THREE 200 miles: Altdorf to Chur. Today was an intensive pass driving day with five Porsche Drive passes in all (Susten, Grimsel, Furka, Nufenen, and Gotthard) plus another pass, Oberalp, because we were going in that direction anyway! We were lucky with the weather, brilliant sunshine and warm. Because of the weather and it being a Saturday there were lots of interesting cars out for a spirited drive. The first pass, Susten, is one of my favourites. Having driven it, along with Grimsel and Furka on a TIPEC tour a few years ago in my 986S, I insisted on Gina driving. We were going well on
our own when we caught up a yellow Gallardo at some traffic lights for roadworks near the top of the pass. Once through the road works we had an enjoyable highly spirited descent on the tail of the Lamborghini until we reached the bottom. As we started the ascent of Grimsel Pass we became mixed up with a group of 20 or so Swiss Porsches, which was quite a sight. We all stopped at the top of the pass to admire the view and the cars. Steffi got a lot of attention despite the exotic Swiss Porsches such as GT3, GT4, 930 Turbo, 3.2 Speedster, 997 Speedster, not to mention the more everyday 986, 993, 997, 991. There was also a UK registered silver 918 passing over the summit in the opposite direction, plus a group of old Fiat 500s. Having gone down the other side of Grimsel we tackled the Furka Pass. We didn’t get far before we spotted a well known hotrod F-series 911 parked up in a layby admiring the views. We decided to pull over to have a look and chat to the owner Markus Haub. He and his girlfriend, Susana, were on a combined holiday and shakedown tour. Details can be found on Petrolicious.com. We even got a mention on his Petrolicious blog a few days later. We continued on over Furka Pass and then turned around and retraced our tyre tracks southwestwards to drive the Nufenen Pass which is the second highest paved pass in Switzerland at 8,130 ft. The serpentine bends
are sweeping in nature rather than the sharp tight hairpins typical of Stelvio, and therefore much more enjoyable to drive in a classic 911 with no power steering. Our route then took us up the Gotthard Pass, which unfortunately was covered in thick cloud limiting our views and speed. The bends were more sweeping than those of the passes driven so far and in better weather I’m sure it would be fun. The final pass of the day was Oberalp Pass, which was pretty good too and made all the more so on the way up when we were passed by a red Lamborghini Gallado LP540-4 Performante travelling at about twice our speed, its V10 making a glorious noise. We saw it again later coming back in the opposite direction. DAY FOUR 190 miles: Chur to Bolzano We drove two major passes, Fluela and Gavia, and passed into Italy. We substituted Gavia for Stelvio as we’ve driven Stelvio twice before and think it is overrated – the tight hairpins would not be fun in Steffi with no power steering. The first section of Fluela rises up through Alpine forest, with wide sweeping bends running into one another and then begins to tighten as you rise further up the pass. However it never becomes extreme so allows you to keep your rhythm going all the way to the top. 17
MEMBERS DRIVES
Gavia Pass is supposed to provide lovely views, but unfortunately for us the mountains were covered in low cloud. This made the descent on the southern side of the pass quite tricky. Visibility was down to about 20m which is no fun on a narrow mountain road, single track in places with tight hairpins and few crash barriers. Using the satnav to warn me of the upcoming hairpins helped relieve some of the stress as we made the descent at about 20 mph. Luckily we didn’t meet any oncoming vehicles during our descent. The SS42 that took us most of the way from Gavia to Bolzano was much wider and also had some good twisty bits in places. After Gavia I became aware of a buzzing noise coming from inside the car. Between about 2,500 and 4,000 rpm the oil pressure gauge was rapidly fluctuating up and down. Above 4,000 rpm it stopped vibrating, instead showing maximum pressure at over five bar, which was not right. We had just topped up the oil so were not too worried. Once we got to our hotel I did some research on Google and discovered that the issue was most likely to be a defective oil pressure sender or a poor electrical connection to the sender. The next day we found that the electrical spade AT 127
connector to the sender was a slack fit, and after giving the connector a slight squeeze with some Swiss army knife pliers our oil pressure readings returned to normal. DAY FIVE 100 miles: Bolzano to Cortina This was one of the best days of the holiday despite it being the shortest in terms of miles. It took seven hours to get to our destination because of all the stops to take photos of Steffi amongst fantastic scenery. The weather was perfect being sunny, clear and warm; and the mountain scenery achingly beautiful. The main passes driven were Pordoi, Sella, Grodner Joch, Falzarego, and Giau. All of the passes were good to drive, but the highlight was Giau, with its 55 serpentine bends, smooth road surface and excellent views from the summit. It was also free of the tourist coaches that briefly delayed us on some of the other passes. Do watch out for the 50kph speed limit policed by cameras a few km from the summit, if you ever attempt the drive – we saw one of them a bit late! DAY SIX 175 miles: Cortina to Gmund Today began with a drive over the Tre Croci Pass in low cloud and then onwards to Gmund in Austria to visit the Automuseum Helmut
Pfeifhofe, birthplace of the first cars to bear the Porsche name, the 356 model, manufactured there from 1944 to 1950. Since we were in the area and had time we drove on further east to drive the Nokalmstrasse toll road, which turned out to be another highlight of the tour. 52 hairpins over 34 km and little traffic encountered in either direction, before returning to Gmund. Although not one of the Porsche Drive passes I thoroughly recommend the Nokalmstrasse. DAY SEVEN 230 miles: Gmund to Munich We started heading towards home via the final Porsche Drive pass – Glossglokner including a side trip to the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe Glacier and Edelweissspitze, both of which offer spectacular views. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is another toll road, but it is worth the fee for its 36 sweeping and fast bends over 48 km. The road reaches a height of over 8,400 ft at Edelweissspitze – reached via a short section of cobbled road with tight hairpin bends. The next stop was the Studio F. A. Porsche in Zell am See, which was founded in 1972 by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, and is where all design ideas and innovations for the Porsche Design Group have since originated. We got permission to park in front of main office and take some photos of Steffi.
DAY EIGHT 155 miles: Munich to Boblingen After a two and a half hour drive on the Autobahn we arrived at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. On parking in the underground car park Steffi decided to have another tantrum. As Gina pulled up on the handbrake the release button and spring ejected themselves into the foot well and the handbrake lever dropped to the floor. Perhaps Steffi was complaining about not returning home for 35 years. With the help of an inspection lamp we located the errant button and spring and put them back in the handbrake lever; it appears that the button had simply come unscrewed. We had visited the museum in 2013 for the 911s 50th anniversary and many of the exhibits remain the same, but there was still plenty of interest. My particular favourite was one of only 20 356 B 1600 GTS Carrera GTL Abarth race cars. On leaving the museum we drove to the site of the old Solitude race circuit. Last used in anger in 1965, it followed the route of the 11.3 km circuit using the local roads. Our overnight accommodation was at the V8 Hotel in Boblingen. The V8 is the perfect place for a petrolhead to stay. In the foyer there was a modern Morgan three wheeler and a 1950s Dodge pickup.
We had booked one of the 10 individually designed themed rooms. The one we were assigned was called ‘Workshop’. At the foot of the double bed was the front section of a Morris Minor, and at the head of the bed was a two post car lift. On switching on the room lights the Morris Minor headlights came on and lights on top of the lift posts flashed for a few seconds. The bedside tables were based on brake discs. The rest of the room was decorated with oil drums, tools, old motor product advertisements, a glass coffee table with an A Series engine block underneath, and the bathroom had sun visor vanity mirrors. One of the windows looked directly into the museum hall of Motorworld, and afforded good views of old Mercedes and air-cooled Porsches. Motorworld is located on the site of the old Württemberg airport and comprises several halls displaying old Porsches and Mercedes, with a few examples of other iconic classics. Motor world also houses dealerships for McLaren, Lotus and Lamborghini which you can wander around. There is a restaurant and bar located on the side of one of the halls, where we ate whilst gazing out over 11 classic Porsches.
DAY NINE 235 miles: Boblingen to Metz We enjoyed a long scenic drive through the German countryside (Bad Wildbad, Forbach, Freudenstadt, Kniebis and Baden-Baden) before picking up the French Autoroute to Metz. Unfortunately much of the scenic route, eg. B500 through the Black Forest, was covered in low cloud such that the scenery was not visible and the ‘twisties’ had to be driven carefully. DAY 10 300 miles: Metz to Oxford The last day of our trip took us back home via Luxembourg, Belgium and Calais. The journey was almost entirely on motorways apart from a planned little diversion off the E411 on to N40, which, for a short section, twists and turns like the Nurburgring.
EPILOGUE A month after the Alpine adventure, Steffi was dropped off at Riviera Bodywork for a total restoration of her bodyshell,comprising repair or replacement of corroded bodywork and a glass out bare metal respray. 19
LATE DEVELOPER
The Porsche 917 series cars were raced up until 1972 ‌ so what was one doing racing at Le Mans in 1981? Martin Broadribb explains. Author Martin Broadribb / Photography Ted Walker Archive AT 127
The 917 gave Porsche its historic first Le Mans victory
and while I cannot claim to have witnessed the model in action at La Sarthe before the 1972 regulation changes that excluded the 5.0L cars, I did witness one racing there as late as 1981. It was another regulation change that allowed the model to return to the grid on that June Saturday afternoon, but while it had all the appearance of being a 917K it had not been built by Porsche and did not date from the heyday of the model. Exactly what it was doing there makes an interesting story.
The Kremer brothers, Erwin and Manfred, were successful Porsche modifiers who also built their own ‘K’ series of racing Porsches, initially as improved versions of factory racers but ultimately as original Porsche-powered cars. Erwin raced Porsches from 1966 to 1974 and the company, established in 1962, built up a good relationship with the works. They were regular entrants at Le Mans and their 935 K3 won the event in 1979, so when the regulations were published for the 1981 event they noticed that there was a loophole that they might be able to exploit.
PORSCHE SUPPLIED KREMER WITH ORIGINAL DRAWINGS TO ALLOW THEM TO FABRICATE A CHASSIS FROM SCRATCH.
1981 was transitional year for the race between the old Group 5 (that had given us the 936) and the new Group C (that was to give us the 956) and Kremer saw that a project that they had in mind might actually provide them with an entry. They had a number of 917 parts that they were intending to use in building an exhibition car, but the 1981 rules would allow such a car to race again with minimal modifications. However, sensibly realising that a ten year old 917 was unlikely to be able to offer a competitive challenge they came up with the idea of making an improved version and so the concept of the 917 K81 was born.
Although they had a number of components at their disposal and the experience of restoring an example for a customer, they lacked a chassis – but this drawback was surprisingly easily dealt with. Porsche supplied them with original drawings to allow them to fabricate one from scratch, although they did not just duplicate what had gone before but made it much stiffer than the factory item. While this meant a not insignificant weight gain it was felt that it would need to be able to cope with higher stresses than the Porsche-built cars, these being imposed because of improvements in aerodynamics and tyre technology. Other components also needed to be modified due to this and so while the car was outwardly a 917 it was significantly different under the surface. The car certainly looked very like the original from the front –it even had a Porsche badge! – although the base of the nose was flattened and extended. The tail had fins not unlike those introduced on the works cars in 1971, but a spoiler ran between them in a way which predicted that of the 956. There were lots of other detail differences compared to the original cars, for instance the sills were squared off and flared rather than folding under and the rear wheel arches were reprofiled and no longer open at the back, although these covers were yet to be fitted in these Nurburgring press day pictures. During the build process an ex-JW Gulf 917 was on hand courtesy of a British collection and this provided a useful reference. 21
The original non-turbo version of the flat-12 engine was used, stated as 4.5L on the entry but elsewhere as 4.9L and as two units were built both sizes may have been available. The engine was perhaps the least changed of the major components, but with so many deviations from the original model what the car really needed was a good shakedown period of testing and development. Given the strictly constrained timescale of the project that was unfortunately impossible, aside from a little running at the Nurburgring. As is well known, it took some time to get the original 917s to handle acceptably by experimenting aerodynamically with the tail but on the new car this was flatter and bearing a spoiler, so was almost bound to provide different characteristics. Le Mans was therefore something of a step into the unknown, with an unraced and effectively new car and a crew comprising Xavier Lapeyre (his eighth time at the event) Guy Chasseuil (his 12th) along with the faster and more experienced Bob Wollek. French sponsorship had been obtained from Malardeau and BP via Lapeyre and the car looked striking in its bright yellow, an uncommon colour for the model when new. With the then-uninterrupted Mulsanne Straight, the one thing necessary at Le Mans was the ability to reach and maintain a stable high cruising speed but when the team began to practice at the event they found that straight line speed was notably absent.
BACK IN 1971 A LONG TAIL 917 HAD HIT 240MPH DOWN THE MULSANNE, BUT 186MPH SEEMED TO BE THE LIMIT FOR THE NEW CAR.
Back in 1971 a long tail 917 had hit 240mph down the Mulsanne, but 186mph seemed to be the limit for the new car, and even Wollek could only post a best practice lap of 3m46.54, still over 25 seconds behind the best 1971 figure! This meant starting 18th, and well down in its class order too, but Le Mans is no sprint and after three hours the car was holding a half decent ninth overall. It was not to last though and after an off course excursion while lapping one of the slower cars caused irreparable damage to an oil line, the car retired on lap 87 of the 355 lap race after almost seven hours. Wollek had anyway left the circuit by this time due to a fatal accident that had claimed the life of his friend J-L Lafosse on lap 28. However, that was not to be the end of the adventure and feeling that there was an element of unfinished business about their French outing the car was entered in the Brands Hatch 1,000km three months later. Now carrying only the Kremer name, as Wollek had apparently upset someone from Malardeau, the car practiced well into third place in the seasoned hands of Wollek and Henri Pescarolo. Although not up against the same calibre of opponents as at Le Mans the car certainly had some worthy opposition and things were definitely looking up when it eventually took the lead. Unfortunately this was to last for only 10 laps, as a suspension breakage literally brought the car to a halt at less than a quarter distance and before Pescarolo had even undertaken his stint. After only these two appearances the car was put on display in a corner of the Kremer showroom and was eventually sold. In Britain for over 20 years, it now resides in France – fittingly, given that it was created for Le Mans – in fully operative condition and was exhibited at Retromobile in 2017. It stands as a monument to an interesting, if rather leftfield, approach to the 24 Hour race and with a longer timescale for the project, that would have allowed for more development, this story might well have turned out differently.
AT 127
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Regional round up R2
Scotland
R20
South Central
R25
Cumbria
R8
Anglia & North Essex
R3
North East
R11
North London, Herts & South Essex
R4
Yorkshire
R12
Kent & South East London
R5
North West
R13
Thames Valley
R18
Cheshire & Staffs
R9
Surrey & Sussex
R6
South Yorkshire & North Notts
R21
Hampshire
R24
Peterborough
R23
Southern
R19
East Midlands
R22
Bristol, South West & South Wales
R7
Central
R15
Cornwall & Devon
R2
R25
R3 R4
R5 R18
R6
R24
R19 R7 R22
R20
R11 R12
R13 R21
R15
R8
R9
R23
SCOTLAND
region gives thanks to Neil for his services over the years.
The provisional 2018 Calendar is noted below and will be updated and amended as the year unfolds.
scotland@tipec.net RO Scott Francis Allan • 07790 846 990 ARO West John Davidson ARO East Russell Burton Search Facebook for ‘TIPEC Scotland’
Early in December 34 members/partners took up residence at Airth Castle for the 2017 TIPEC Scotland party night and club presentations, a great evening of drink, food and dancing, even if a little cramped at times.
February 7th (Wednesday) Club Meeting, Bo’Ness
Meetings are held first Wednesday of every month 7:30pm for an 8pm start in the 007 bar, upstairs at Bo’Ness Motor Museum, Bridgeness Road, Bo’Ness EH51 9JR. www.motor-museum.bo-ness.org.uk
Awards presented: • TIPEC Scotland Long Service Award, presented to Neil Fraser for his dedication and commitment to the club as RO/ARO over the past 13 years. • TIPEC Scotland Member of the Year 2017, presented to John Dobson. • TIPEC Scotland Member’s Member 2017 as sponsored by ClipperTech, and voted for by the regional members, presented to Scott Allan. • TIPEC Scotland Newcomers Award 2017, presented to Neil Baird. • TIPEC Scotland Spirit of the Club Award 2017 sponsored by ClipperTech, presented to Brian Wood. • TIPEC Scotland Technical Award 2017 sponsored by ClipperTech, presented to Martin Whitelaw.
R2
Happy New Year to everyone. Following on from the successes of 2017, the 2018 pre-planning has already begun for what will surely be an exciting season for all. We are delighted to announce SP Autobahn as our Regional Sponsor for 2018, thanks to Alan Speirs and Stuart Paterson. www. spautobahncars.com 2017 has seen the end of an era for one of our members. After serving 13 years organising and helping the region Neil Fraser decided to step down to focus on the enjoyment and pleasures that come from club membership. The entire
February 25th (Sunday) Tartan Tarmac Breakfast Run March 7th (Wednesday) Club Meeting, Bo’Ness March 10th (Saturday) Scotland vs Ireland rugby, drinks and food in Edinburgh March 24th (Saturday) Spring Run, TBC April 4th (Wednesday) Club Meeting, Bo’Ness April 14th (Saturday) Angelwax Demo Day, Greenock (Provisional) May 2nd (Wednesday) Club Meeting, Bo’Ness May 13th (Sunday) Classic Car Show, Bridge of Allan May 20th (Sunday) Porsche in the Glen, Calderglen Country Club More information can be found on our Regional Facebook and club website pages. Please feel free to email any suggestions you have for the 2018 Season to scotland@tipec.net
Neil’s award for Long Service to the region AT 127
RO, Scott, and Adeline enjoying the Christmas party
R4
YORKSHIRE
yorkshire@tipec.net RO Chris Grayson-Pedley ARO Laurence Parkin Facebook: The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club Yorkshire Meetings are held third Monday of every month 7:30pm at The Red Lion, Main St, Burley in Wharfedale, Ilkley LS29 7BT. Not a bad start for our relaunch of TIPEC Yorkshire Region, 13 people rocked up at the Red Lion on what was a cold, dark and damp night. In the car park I spotted a 924, 2x 944, 928, 986 and a 997. There was plenty of discussion about the planing of events going forward. The Landlord brought a couple of generously proportioned bowls of chips with dips for us to dig into whilst we talked which was great. There was also some news about the second Northern-ish Gathering. A big thanks to all who turned out and to Richard and Colin from the NW Region, and Ray from SYNN who traveled over to show their support, I look forward to seeing you all and more at our February Club Night. February 19th (Monday) Club Night at the Red Lion February 25th (Sunday) Brunch meet at Jem’s Speed Shop + drive out. March 4th (Sunday) TIPEC AGM at Coventry Motor Museum March 19th (Monday) Club Night at the Red Lion April 15th (Sunday) Second Northern-ish Gathering April 16th (Monday) Club Night at the Red Lion
R25
CUMBRIA
cumbria@tipec.net RO Paul Lowther • 07393 293 571 ARO Steve Bailey • 07884 238 080 Meetings are held last Thursday of every month from 7pm at Gilpin Bridge Inn, Bridge End, Levens, Kendal, Cumbria LA8 8EP. Despite the time of year, the wet weather and salty roads, many thanks must go to the members of the Cumbria region who supported our recent events. Two runs were well attended during November. The Cumbria region joined up with the North West region for a tour of the North Yorkshire Moors, quickly followed by another run out to Ingleton, Hawes and the Wensleydale Cheese factory. We are lucky to have and enjoy what must be some of the best driving roads in the UK.
Cumbrian members at Gilpin Bridge
November’s club night was "Quiz Night" at the GIlpin Bridge Inn. The quiz night went well with some interesting questions all related to Porsche and TIPEC. Winner of the night was North West region RO Richard Scholl. Well done Richard. Early December saw us hold our first Christmas dinner at the Gilpin Bridge Inn. 13 members and families enjoyed some great food and company. A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes to develop the 2018 events calendar (thanks must go to Steve Bailey for his efforts) we have some fantastic events coming up throughout the year. The calendar has now been posted on the Cumbria region page of the TIPEC website, please check it out and get the dates in your diaries (I promise you, you won’t want to miss out!) Finally, I would like to welcome new members Tom Atkinson and Martin Murray to the group. Thanks all, and best wishes for an exciting 2018 from Steve and myself. February 22nd (Thursday) Club Night March 25th (Sunday) Supercars of the North West March 29th (Thursday) Club Night with speaker (TBA) April 15th (Sunday) Northern-ish Gathering April 19th (Thursday) Wray Tea Rooms April 26th (Thursday) Club Night and Annual Awards
R3
NORTH EAST
RO Mike Williamson • 07940 738 692 mike.williamson@volkswagen.co.uk ARO Andy Blythe • 01642 809 031 andy44s70@gmail.com Meetings are held first Sunday of every month 7:30pm at The Anson Farm, just off the A19. Happy New Year! By the time you read this all the booze will have been drunk and the last of the mince pies and Christmas cake will have been eaten. As I sit at my laptop thinking of the possibilities for the club and my own Porsche
Andy’s 924 Turbo ready to race this season
driving experiences for the new year, I am also regretting those last mince pies and all that food which will now have to be shed for the new race season. Yet again the curry night was a success. We have had good feedback on the venue and the night in general. It was also suggested that we don’t have to wait for Christmas for a curry night. It appears the northern lads love their grub as much as they love their cars. With that in mind we intend to combine the two in the new year with a run out, possibly to Blakey Ridge, where the food is good and the roads over the North Yorkshire moors are even better. I hope to have the 924 out to race again this season after having extensive work to improve cooling, BHP and reliability, not to mention the gearbox rebuild. The car should only need a harness, as the current one is out of date, for the next season. This leads me to our first outing of the year, the Autosport show. I’ll be heading down with a few guys in my Polo as the 944S is still tucked away for the winter. The fact that the car is decommissioned during the salted months of the year sparked much discussion on our Facebook page. Some guys like to keep them running but having replaced sills on 944s, I like to keep mine out of the wet when possible. I’ll be putting a new sill on the nearside of the car before its MOT, having already done the offside last year. With the only club events on the calendar being the Autosport Show and a possible drive and eat trip out to Blakey Ridge, I would like to see as many members as possible at the February club night with suggestions of what to do in the coming year. May 4–6th (Friday–Sunday) Donington Historic – TBC June 3rd (Sunday) Simply Porsche – There will also be a get together event with food on the Saturday July 20th–22nd (Friday–Sunday) Silverstone Classic Please contact Mike 07940 738 692 or Andy 07722 960 203 if you wish to attend any events.
27
Christmas lunch at The Corner House
North West RO Richard celebrating his 50th
R5
NORTH WEST
RO Richard Sholl • 07970 147 779 n22rks@googlemail.com ARO Darren Pollard • 07761 270 052 darrenpollard1@hotmail.com ARO Colin Hammerton • 07500 908 091 col.hamm@hotmail.co.uk Meetings are held on the second Monday of the month from 7pm (with club business dealt with at 8pm) at The Bowling Green, Preston Road, Charnock Richard PR7 5LA. During November we had a very busy club meeting at The Bowling Green which included minor 50th birthday celebrations and birthday cake. My wife Diane knows I’m not keen on surprises but she got away (with help from ARO Colin) with surprising me with a fantastic cake which was big enough to share with everyone on the night and then some. Our scheduled Friday Feast for November got cancelled at the last minute, but was replaced at short notice by a Sunday Breakfast Meet at Huntley’s in Samlesbury on the 26th. 20 people in 14 Porsche cars joined us for breakfast, and afterwards eight cars enjoyed a leisurely drive towards the Yorkshire Dales for a coffee at White Scar Caves. The breakfast meet was very successful so we’re thinking they may become a regular monthly thing during the winter, instead of Friday Feast/Chippy Tea Runs. At least on a Sunday morning there’s the chance it will be light! If you have any suitable venue ideas, please let me know. Our Christmas get-together was at The Corner House in Wrightington on 2nd December. 23 of us enjoyed excellent food and company. Sadly two couples had to drop out at the last minute due to family pressures, as did Rachel Hammerton due to a hectic social life! AT 127
Just a few of the 14 Porsche cars at our breakfast meet at Huntley’s
During our December club night at The Bowling Green it was decided that myself, Colin and Darren would remain as RO and AROs respectively through 2018. We welcomed Paul Ffelan to the role of ‘administrator-in-chief’ of our busy Facebook group. Malcolm Edwards was responsible for providing an excellent annual quiz and our surprise attendees were Darren King, proprietor of Unique Porsche specialists, Darren Horrocks of Edition9 (who carry out bespoke paddle-shift conversions on Tiptronic steering wheels) and Adam Calvert, Parts Manager at Porsche Centre Bolton. Thanks to everyone who donated prizes for our quiz and to Malcolm for pulling it all together. By the time you read this our traditional New Year Run should’ve taken place so I’ll report on that next time. Thinking about 2018, I think it’ll be a case of ‘more of the same’: We’re planning the second Northern-ish Gathering in April, we’re going to join forces with the Cumbria Region for a joint display at the Cumbrian International Motor Show in May and we’ve got a surprise in store for the next Longest Day Run. If you’ve enjoyed 2017 with the club that’s great; if you’ve not done much with us but want to get involved, please do get in touch, come along, and join in – we’re mostly friendly, most of the time!
March 25th (Sunday) Sunday Breakfast Meet April 9th (Monday) Club Night April 15th (Sunday) Annual Northern-ish Gathering Wetherby Road, Leeds April 20th (Friday) Friday Feast/Chippy Tea Run R18
CHESHIRE & STAFFS
RO Chris Hulme • 07775 794 291 chris@claytonhulme.co.uk ARO Stefanie Mahan • 07776 132 389 ARO Gareth Aldridge • 07881 228 944 gj.aldridge@yahoo.co.uk ARO Ian Highfield ianhighfield@talktalk.net facebook.com/groups/TIPEC.CS Meetings are held third Tuesday of every month from 8pm at the Three Greyhounds, Holmes Chapel Rd, Knutsford WA16 9JY.
February 25th (Sunday) Sunday Breakfast Meet
With winter fast approaching our region continued to enjoy our beauties as much as possible. Anglesey trackday was enjoyable. There were twists, spins, turns and off-roading along with way, with John’s 911 Super Sport doing pirouettes and Chris’s 924 eating up the circuit and grass (oopsy Ian!) The club garage came in handy for some running repairs and Rob managed to capture some beautiful photos. It wouldn’t be tradition if Terry or Ben didn’t have a mishap and true form was maintained with a dink to the front! A memorable day was had by all, so look out for a 2018 return trip to Anglesey Circuit.
March 12th (Monday) Club Night
Mid-November our region were honoured to add a few Porsches to a fellow petrolhead’s dream of
Let me know if you’re a paid-up member and not receiving an occasional email and remember that we can be found on Facebook at Porsche Enthusiasts Club – North West. Colin keeps our page on the main club website fully updated too, so that’s worth a look. February 12th (Monday) Club Night
C&S 2018 calendars are still available – if anyone would like one please speak to Gareth, Stefanie, Chris or Ian. Please note that we are doing three months of club nights at the Three Greyhounds from February, ensure you check the fixtures and look forward to 2018 adventures.
C&S members meeting to give pax rides to Connor
February 18th (Sunday) Dubfreeze Show, Stafford County Showground (club stand TBC, please confirm interest with Stefanie/Gareth)
SYNN Christmas meal at the Milestone
February 20th (Tuesday) Club Night (Three Greyhounds) February 23rd–25th (Friday–Sunday) Race Retro, Stoneleigh (Region attendance over the Saturday/Sunday) March 4th (Sunday) Run out to Lytham St Annes Spitfire Centre Clear open roads on our Peak District drive
experiencing 100 different cars before he is no longer able to. Connor’s diagnosis means that he isn’t blessed with much time and is no longer able to drive himself. Gareth & Stefanie organised a meet at their workshop with 10 Porkers, from 924, 944, 928, Boxster, and a Subaru Impreza with a 400bhp forged engine. Connor was humbled at how many club members attended for him and enjoyed everyone’s beauties, taking his total to 77 out of 100 when he left. A massive thank you to everyone who joined us and also for matching the £5 donation Connor made for each experience to the Teenage Cancer Trust in his honour. November was our first club night at the Kilton Arms which saw a splendid turnout of 35+ members in the roomwith many newcomers. Nice to hear that no-one forgot the change of venue too! In December seven Porsches took to the road for our last scenic drive around the Peak District for 2018. With clear open roads we stretched our beauties’ legs before having a pit stop at Buxton bookstore. This is an Aladdin’s cave of many many books, with the gents in the motor section the ladies enjoyed the many other selections before a long awaited cup of tea! Once everyone was refuelled we headed to Sutton Hall, near Macclesfield, for our Christmas meal to round up an action packed year of adventures. Our annual Christmas meal and club night saw 30+ members join in the festivities with good food, friends and raffle prizes. We reminisced on 2017’s antics as well as planning for our road trip for Le Mans Classic 2018. Our region’s 928 lovers also had the pleasure of admiring Andrew’s newest addition in the form of a S4 shark. Watch out, Stef is liking his exhaust for her 928 as its even louder than Cassie’s. Also a massive thank you to everyone who donated raffle prizes. Terry and Ben walked away with quite a few prizes under their arms …
March 20th (Tuesday) Club Night (Three Greyhounds)
Face mats – hours of amusement
March 23rd–25th (Friday–Sunday) Classic Car & Restoration Show, NEC April 1st (Sunday) Easter egg treasure hunt April 15th (Sunday) Northern-ish meet (Richard Sholl, Northwest RO, organising) April 17th (Tuesday) Club Night (Three Greyhounds)
R6
S OUTH YORKSHIRE & NORTH NOTTS.
RO Dean Lancashire• 07860 198 627 dean@tachart.com RO Ray Waite• 07831 106 086 waite696@aol.com Meetings are held first Sunday of every month at 7pm for 7:30pm start at Ye Olde Bell Hotel, Barnby Moor, Retford, Notts, DN22 8QS Happy New Year to all members, hope you’ve all enjoyed the Christmas break. In November we had a small group head down to the NEC classic show, which seems to get bigger and better each year. Ray tire kicked again on a garage lift, I think he might even purchase one this year, and Val was sniffing at another air cooled 911. Thanks to all involved for organising another great TIPEC stand with some great cars. In December we had our Christmas night away, this year organized local in Sheffield staying at The Victoria Inn. First we all met up for a coffee and a tour of the luxury and sports car dealer John Holland, the owner always has a good
All set for the drive home?
selection of his own Porsches on display as well numerous Porsches and Ferraris for sale. We’d just missed his 911R before he’d traded it to move up to the latest GT3RS, but he still had a good selection on show. Afterwards we checked in and headed out around the Kelham Island district (a big traditional real ale area) for drinks and a lovely meal at the Milestone. The 12 of us had a great three course meal with drinks for an unbelievably cheap price, followed by a tour of more of the ale houses, finished with some great laughs wearing face mats. We were very lucky that weekend as they’d forecast heavy snow but it somehow missed us with just a few flakes falling, so everybody managed to make it home. Myself and Ray are standing down as ROs due to other commitments and not having enough time to give our best. We would like to thank our members for their support over the years. We’ll still be around at monthly meetings, and organising the odd drive out, we’re just hoping someone else will step up to the mark for 2018 to take the SYNN region forward. Thanks again, Dean & Ray. Keep up to date at www.synn.org.uk or look for us on Facebook as ‘Porsche Enthusiasts Club - South Yorkshire & North Notts (TIPEC)’ 29
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EAST MIDLANDS
east.mids@tipec.net RO Jim Stevens • 07879 885 260 ARO George Acquah • 07958 057 582 ARO Jack Littlemore • 07759 775 705 Meetings are held first Wednesday of every month 7pm at the Packe Arms, Rempstone Road, Hoton, Loughborough LE12 5SJ. As ever the end of a year is a time for reflection so, as it’s been a quiet couple of months, here is my summary of 2018.
Peterborough Region’s award winners
R24
PETERBOROUGH
peterborough@tipec.net RO Stuart Wand • 07725 328 183 ARO Michael Walter • 07975 542 981 Monthly meetings are held second Wednesday of every month from 7pm at our new venue The Golden Pheasant, 1 Main Street, Etton, Peterborough PE6 7DA. In November we were treated to a very thorough demonstration of paintless dent removal (PDR) and detailing by TDN, a local company who do most of the accreditation of PDR people in the area. We were all very impressed and certainly would use their services if our cars got any parking dents, and for their quality detailing. A photoshoot was arranged with a local photographer keen to expand his aeronautical photography skills by shooting cars. We had a spirited drive over to North Luffenham and enjoyed acting like idiots while Alan Kenny took stunning shots of our cars. We took the group to a local Curry Buffet, which we intend to make a regular thing. It’s a nice quick blast down to Sawtry just off the A1, a central location for the region and some great food. We had over 20 members join us there for a very successful evening. On the 1st Sunday in December we took our regular trip down to Colmworth to their classic car show for the ‘mince pie’ meet where we enjoyed the classic cars and heard how the meetings had raised £4,000 for their church fund, very impressive and we as a club are very proud to have helped towards it. We enjoyed our Christmas meal and awards night with a very nice meal at our resident pub the Golden Pheasant. We had 34 of our members and AT 127
co-pilots join us and it was a great night. We talked about it being our 1st Christmas party as a region, how well our region has grown and the friendships we’ve made along the way. We decided to have a few awards with a couple of serious and a couple of tongue in cheek presentations. Sunny won the most miles driven award as he has cover many thousands of miles whilst doing events like the NC500. Neil won the cleanest car award, he is our resident amateur detailer and his car is almost always spotless (you’ll know Neil’s car from the cover of the last All Torque magazine). Nick won the coveted ‘Porscher’ of the year for being the most enthusiastic and helpful member. Kev, resident Porsche ‘gold’ technician received a canvas of the group shot from the photoshoot that Alan Kenny did for us. Finally, James won the tongue in cheek award of dirtiest car, his Cayman always has at least a few layers of dirt – to ‘protect the paint’ is his excuse! Stuart as RO and Michael as ARO have really enjoyed our first year running the region with Nick helping out as ARO before being promoted to RO of South Central region. We have made some great friends and enjoyed the banter and camaraderie immensely. We look forward to many more years with the region going from strength to strength. We already have a full year of events lined up for 2018 and are looking forward to meeting the new members who have joined recently. February 14th (Wednesday) Monthly Meeting March 14th (Wednesday) Monthly Meeting
It’s certainly been an interesting year – the East Midlands has gone from being a dormant region at the beginning of the year to meetings with 30+ cars over the summer. It seems a long time ago that the club chairman Jason strongarmed me into getting involved but it was only back in February. We had a great first meeting in March and we really lucked into a great venue at the Packe Arms. They have made us welcome, fed and watered us, been used as an early morning meeting point for run-outs, put up with some brilliantly noisy cars and, most recently, supplied an excellent Christmas buffet. I’ve also been joined by two AROs in the shape of George & Jack. We’ve learned a lot over the year (none of us have done this before) and we have some great ideas for 2018. If anything has held us back it’s been the pressure of day-jobs, children and dogs that has stopped us from organising as much as we would have liked to have done. Our aim for 2018 is to have at least one weekend event per month, alongside the regular monthly get-togethers. We have a few ideas, but any suggestions for weekend activities will be appreciated. We’ve recently built a connection with the Leicester OPC. Their sales manager came along to our Christmas meet up and has promised to bring some other colleagues and, most importantly, some interesting cars along to future meets so we’re very much looking forward to that. We will keep the monthly meets going for the remaining winter months, but feel free to leave the Porsche at home if it’s hibernating. If you haven’t been before, I would encourage you to come along to the Packe Arms – I guarantee you’ll get a warm welcome. One advance date for your diaries is Sunday April 15th when we will be attending the ‘Northern-ish Regional Gathering’ in Leeds. This is a chance for all of the regions from the civilised end of the country to get together for a breakfast meet and run out together. We’re aiming to beat last year’s record of 54 cars in attendance. Further details will be published nearer to the date. Finally, if you haven’t joined the region’s Facebook group, I would encourage you to do so. There are always up-to-date notifications of events etc. as well as many updates
from group members. You can find it here: https://tinyurl.com/ybj82ugh February 7th (Wednesday) Monthly meet at the Packe Arms March 7th (Wednesday) Monthly meet at the Packe Arms April 4th (Wednesday) Monthly meet at the Packe Arms April 15th (Sunday) Northern-ish Regional Gathering (Leeds) R8
A NGLIA & NORTH ESSEX
Ian Jones • izzy.spyder@sky.com John Briggs • john.briggs@charcoal.uk.com Lorna Ward • stelor286@gmail.com Steve Burgess • stelor286@gmail.com Yvonne King • yvonneking@hotmail.com facebook.com/groups/618348854957396 Meetings are held fourth Tuesday of each month from 7pm at The Woolpack, Fornham St Martin, Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk IP31 1SW. 01284 753 380 www.thewoolpackfornham.co.uk Hi everyone. A very Happy New Year to one and all. Wheels have been in motion over the latter end of 2017, with our first drive being a Christmas curry outing in January to ease the post-Christmas turkey overload. We have a trip to Whitby already booked and filled, many thanks to Therese & Ian for arranging that. Rooms have also been booked for Simply Porsche in June which are filling up fast on a first-come first-served basis (please email Ian aka Izzy).
With the last steering committee meeting of the year held in December, we now have a list of ideas for shows and events that will be in the melting pot for general discussion and finalised for the forthcoming year.
September 23rd (Sunday) The Warren Classic & Supercars
Our Facebook page is still growing, with many local ad-hoc events being posted. Keep an eye on the main web page for other Regional and National organised events that may be of interest to you.
More to follow via Facebook and the web, so let’s get those Piggies out and make 2018 a year to remember.
We have a few confirmed Motorsport events that various members will be attending including: Le Mans classic in July, Silverstone Classic also in July, and the WEC at Silverstone in August. We are also considering a weekend in Europe if enough interest is raised, as a prelude to a longer trip in 2019 to the Alpine passes! This may or may not be the place to mention it, but it’s the end of an era. The Mad Pig has now been replaced by a Cayman R. For those who are interested it is up for sale through PIE Performance. Out with the old, in with the New! May 4–6th (Friday–Sunday) Donnington Classic June 2nd–3rd (Saturday–Sunday) Simply Porsche, Beaulieu June 29th–July 2nd (Friday–Monday) Whitby weekend away July 6–8th (Friday–Sunday) Le Mans Classic July 20th–22nd (Friday–Sunday) Silverstone Classic August 19th (Sunday) FIA WEC Silverstone
September 30th (Sunday) Battlesbridge Grand Motorbilia Day
R7
CENTRAL
tipeccentral@outlook.com RO Lindsay Brown • 07768 442 050 ARO Steve Jones • 07775 581 044 ARO Neil Smith • 07899 961 429 Meetings are held second Monday of every month 7:30pm onwards at The Bull’s Head, Birmingham Road, Shenstone WS14 0JR. www.vintageinn.co.uk/thebullsheadshenstone Here we are in 2018 with an exciting year of events ahead. Hopefully you will be able to come along and join us at one or more of these gatherings. Once again The Bull’s Head did us proud with our Christmas meal. They have also agreed to let us carry on using the pub for our meetings. I have added us on to their Facebook page and invited anyone with a classic or sports car to join us. Race Retro at Stoneleigh is well worth a visit if you haven’t been before, this year it celebrates the 40th anniversary of the ground effect F1 cars. Can you believe it, 40 years? They also have a single stage rally event with many classic rally cars – there are normally a few Porsches getting driven in anger. We are attending a few new events this year including The Northern-ish Gathering near Leeds in April, this should be a nice run out and was well attended last year. This year also gives us two trips across the Channel, firstly to Laon in March (speak to Steve Jones if you fancy Laon) and then to Classic Le Mans in July. There are still a few places left for camping at Le Mans if you’re quick. I for one can’t wait for the light nights so that we can see your lovely Porsches at The Bull’s Head, or indeed at one of the events we have organised throughout the year. February 12th (Monday) Club night at The Bull’s Head February 23rd–25th (Friday–Sunday) Race Retro National Agriculture Centre, Stoneleigh February 25th (Sunday) Coffee morning, venue TBC
Izzy’s Mad Pig has been replaced by something that’s still sort-of green …
March 4th (Sunday) TIPEC AGM at Coventry Motor Museum
31
March 12th (Monday) Club night at The Bull’s Head March 18th (Sunday) Coffee morning, venue TBC March 25th (Sunday) Laon Classique April 7th (Saturday) Curry night at The Lodge
December meeting at The Goat
April 9th (Monday) Club night at The Bull’s Head
Plans were put in motion for a 928 drive out and celebration of the 20th anniversary of the 928uk community are forming; the plan is to meet at the Merry Miller in October, drive to a hotel in Portsmouth for a celebration dinner and speakers, ferry to the Isle of Wight on Sunday for a grand tour, then return to Portsmouth for the Sunday evening. The event will allow part participation to suit all tastes, so 928 owners get your diaries at the ready!
April 15th (Sunday) Northern-ish Gathering at The Wellington, Wetherby Road, Leeds LS17 8LZ April 22nd (Sunday) Coffee morning, venue TBC
R20
SOUTH CENTRAL
south.central@tipec.net RO Nick Papé • 07801 881 170 Facebook: South Central TIPEC facebook.com/groups/southcentraltipec Monthly meetings are TBC for the newly re-formed South Central region. We held our first meeting for a while under new stewardship at Whittlebury Hall Conference & Training Centre on the 25th of January, to chat Porsche and find out what you, as members, would like to see from the relaunched region. Hopefully this was the first of many meets and a regular set of meetings will follow. Be great to see you at one of our upcoming events. February 25th (Sunday) Breakfast Run 09:00 at the Super Sausage Café, Pottersbury March 24th (Saturday) DW Coffee and Cars 09:00 at DW Performance, Wellingborough Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more upcoming events, discussion and news: www.facebook.com/groups/southcentraltipec Join the mailing list by emailing: south.central@tipec.net
A cold but dry night at the Ace Café
R11
N ORTH LONDON, HERTS & SOUTH ESSEX
NLHSE@tipec.net RO Vince Dallimore • 07798 630 649 ARO Peter Musk • 07734 769 953 Two informal monthly meetings: first Sunday 10:30am (open marque) at The Goat Inn, Vicarage Causeway, Hertford Heath, SG13 7RT. Last Monday 6pm (Porsches only) at The Ace Café, Ace Corner, off the A406, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. Our North London, Herts & South Essex Facebook page now has 28 member s registered. Forthcoming events are posted there for your convenience, as well as being noted in All Torque, where events will be posted to aid communication with you all. Update emails will still be issued for those of you that don’t use social media, but we see very little response to mailings or invites. Don’t forget, if you have any ideas for regional events, or days out, don’t be shy of letting us know! The December meeting at the Goat was well attended. The weather started overcast and brightened up, but there are always some stalwarts that turn out in their classics regardless. I am writing this on the morning of the January Goat meeting, so will report back next time. The Ace Café gathering in November was surprisingly busy for a cold but dry evening. The café was closed Christmas Day – I hope you all saw my update that there was no meeting.
Rog looks forward to meeting you all soon … AT 127
928s at the Merry Miller (photo © Mike Parris)
The final 40th anniversary 928 meeting at the Merry Miller in Oxfordshire was well attended, but numbers were down due to inclement weather in the North.
The first meetings of 2018 at the Goat and Ace Café are on Sunday 4th February and 29th January respectively. The London Classic Car Show is on at Excel from 15th to 18th February this year. Let us know if you are visiting, perhaps we can meet for coffee? Best wishes for the New Year.
R12
K ENT & SOUTH EAST LONDON
RO Paul Greer • 07799 412 870 prgreer@blueyonder.co.uk Meetings are held first Monday of the month from 7:30pm at The Carpenters Arms, Three Elm Lane, Hadlow, Tonbridge TN11 0AD. www.carpentersarms.net Our November club night had a great turn out of 30 plus members. Great to see some new faces there as well. On Saturday 18th November a friend of mine invited us to attend the Britcar Into the Night race at Brands Hatch. Weather was not great, but the racing and the hospitality were spot on. It’s well worth attending if you have not been before. Sunday 19th November we went to Dobbies for breakfast and a spot of Christmas shopping . Saturday 25th November saw us at Porsche Centre Tonbridge for our bi-annual car health check , this was by far our best attended health check with 18 members getting their cars inspected . Monday 4th December saw us back at Porsche Centre Tonbridge for our Christmas club night, again a great turnout with close to 50 members turning up. Great to see many new faces. A big thank you to all at Tonbridge for hosting the event and providing refreshments.
Two future race drivers at Britcar?
Kent & SE London Christmas meal at Leeds Castle
Saturday 9th December we gathered at Leeds Castle for our black tie Christmas event. 32 of us wined and dined the night away. A great event in the shadow of Leeds Castle. A group of us stayed the night at a local hotel and awoke to snow, which was a great surprise! I’m very sorry to have to inform you that Martin has stood down as joint RO of our region. A big thank you to Martin & Kim for all they have done for our region over the last few years . I’m pleased that they will be staying on as members and will still be at many of our events throughout the year. February 5th (Monday) Club night, 7:30pm, Carpenters Arms TN11 OAD February 15–18th (Thursday–Sunday) London Classic Car Show, Excel E16 1XL Please check our Facebook page for updates and the calendar and also keep an eye out for email updates.
R13
THAMES VALLEY
thames.valley@tipec.net RO Andrew Harris • 07812 146 999 ARO Graham Driver • 07799 625 279 Meetings are held second Tuesday of every month 7:00pm at The Novello, Bath Rd, Littlewick Green, Maidenhead, SL6 3RX. It’s never a disappointment coming to the Novello for our club night; it might be a dark and damp November night outside but, our club members make it feel like spring! Another good attendance with our regulars in fine form and one or two new faces too. Sunny side up or scrambled? We had our last Sunday morning breakfast run of the year on Sunday 26th November. A fab drive out from
Black beauty at the Thames Valley breakfast meet
the Novello to the Blackbushe Café with a good number of us enjoying an early morning drive out. Not too many Sunday drivers and cyclists on the road for us to scare! This has proved to be a popular little outing for some of our members and we will continue to run this event throughout 2018. If you haven’t already done so, please feel free to join us. A good breakfast with like-minded Porsche enthusiasts is the perfect start to a Sunday. The Thames Valley Christmas bash never disappoints. This year saw 17 of us along with our newest member, baby Mabel, enjoying lots of good food, a few alcoholic beverages (not for Mabel) and bashing the dance floor until the early hours. Great fun, great company, what more is there to say apart from thank you for coming along and making for a very enjoyable evening. You all know who you are! Tonight’s specialist subject is … Porsche! Our December meeting was very cold but we again had a good turnout. As we thought it was going to be a bit too chilly to stand in the car park, we decided to put on a little quiz night. A good excuse to stay within the warm walls of the public house, and very entertaining it was too. Lots of banter with both myself and Graham as quiz masters! First prize went to team ‘The No Hopers’, well done to you all. February 13th (Tuesday) Club night at The Novello February 16–18th (Friday–Sunday) London Classic Car Show February 25th (Sunday) Inter-regional meet up at the Super Sausage Café – TBC March 4th (Sunday) TIPEC AGM at Coventry Motor Museum
Thames Valley Region’s Christmas bash
March 13th (Tuesday) Club night at The Novello March 25th (Sunday) Trip to Haynes Motor Museum Throughout the year the Thames Valley region endeavour to put on many events to include a number of Sunday morning breakfast runs, detailing morning, suspension day, visits to Porsche centres, afternoon tea, curry run and a summer picnic. We have our summer ‘themed’ monthly meetings at the Novello to look forward to along with Simply Porsche at Beaulieu, Silverstone Classic in July, Classics at the Castle, Goodwood Charity Day in October and the NEC Classic Motor Show in November to name but a few. Please keep an eye on our diary page at: www.tipec.net/regions/thames-valley or see our Facebook page, which can be found by searching for Porsche Enthusiasts Club – Thames Valley Region. It would be great to see you, either face-to-face or online. If you are unable to attend any of the events, please feel free to pop along to our monthly meeting at the Novello, it is always an enjoyable evening with lots of friendly and knowledgeable people, the food is good too! 33
R23
SOUTHERN
RO urgently wanted ARO Jim Tarrant • 0120 260 1886 jim.tarrant@consequia.com Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month from 7:30pm at The Old Thatch, 285 Wimborne Road West, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 7NW. Thanks to everyone who turned up to the Christmas dinner – I hope you all enjoyed yourselves. A massive thank you must go to Becs for organising it all – you're a star! Apologies if I was a little out of it on the night but my daughter was in A&E with a fractured metacarpal. My wife enjoyed her doggy bag the Old Thatch made up for her when she finally got home. We haven’t got any events planned in the calendar yet but I’m writing this on the eve of the January club night where we’ll discuss plans for 2018, so that should change by the next issue. If you fancy organising an event, do get in touch and I’ll publicise it to the other members for you.
Surrey & Sussex members at Brooklands
R9
SURREY & SUSSEX
February 6th (Tuesday) Club Night, The Old Thatch, Wimborne
surrey.sussex@tipec.net RO Bob Stephens • 07548 306 803 ARO Terry Rockall • 07771 511 433 facebook.com/groups/ tipecsurreyandsussex Meetings are held second Wednesday of every month from 7:00pm at The Bolney Stage, London Road, Bolney RH17 5RL, 10 miles south of Crawley off the A23. I am pleased to announce that Terry Rockall has taken on the role of ARO. Being a long term member of the region and having fulfilled this role previously he is a very welcome addition to the regional team. Four intrepid members went to Valencia for the final round of the MotoGP 2017. It was interesting to see the racing and how they manage, mostly, to stay on at some incredible cornering angles. The old town of Valencia was also worth a visit, accompanied by one or two bottles of the local vino. Next stop Le Mans Classic. Brooklands Museum hosts the largest New Year’s Day classic car gathering in the UK with over 1,000 cars taking part. Eight cars including 10 members booked for our club stand and braved the early start and cold weather. A few of us met up at Cobham Services on the M25 and made it to Brooklands for an early coffee and hot rolls. We have booked a breakfast meeting on Sunday 10th March at Paragon Porsche in Five Ashes, East Sussex. There will be lots of bacon butties and shiny Porsches, with the opportunity to meet and talk to the Paragon staff. If you are interested in coming along please contact Terry. AT 127
March 6th (Tuesday) Club Night, The Old Thatch, Wimborne
Four amigos in Valencia
April 3rd (Tuesday) Southern Region AGM and Club Night, The Old Thatch, Wimborne
February 10th (Saturday) South Down Rally Stages, Goodwood
Please visit our region’s part of the website at www.tipec.net/regions/southern as we are continuously updating our events page.
February 14th (Wednesday) Club Night at the Bolney Stage
Members will also receive email notifications of upcoming items.
February 15–18th (Thursday–Sunday) London Classic Car Show, Excel February 17th (Saturday) MGs On Track, Goodwood February 18th (Sunday) Winter Classic Breakfast, Brooklands Museum March 14th (Wednesay) Club Night at the Bolney Stage March 17–18th (Saturday–Sunday) 76th Members Meeting, Goodwood
Southern Region Christmas dinner
March 18th (Sunday) Paragon Breakfast Morning, Five Ashes March 25th (Sunday) SCS Breakfast Meeting Shoreham Airport, Sussex All details of our regional events can be found online under the regional section of the main TIPEC.net website.
Thanks to Becs for organising the night
R21
HAMPSHIRE
hampshire@tipec.net RO John Rampton • 07912 760 148 RO Richard Warburton • 07976 276 931 Meetings are held first Wednesday of every month from 7pm at The Portsmouth Arms, Hatch Warren, Basingstoke RG22 4RA. A number of members made it to the New Years Day event at Brooklands. The weather held out in the end with around 1,000 classics attending. Brooklands have just recently opened their new aircraft hangers so it was interesting to see the new layout and displays. A large number of Porsches attended from a very tidy 356 to the latest 991 GT3. The next club night is on Wednesday 7th February. We have found a new venue (The Portsmouth Arms) as a number of members had raised concerns with regards the ground clearance in the old venue’s car park. It became quite a problem in recent months due to the bad weather. We are currently organising an early morning drive out and coffee. Once the details have been finalised we will email out the date and info. At the last club night we discussed future events for the year and we are looking to organise a rolling road morning, breakfast meet, detailing day, and a Porsche-approved bodyshop visit. There is also the possibility of visiting the Silverstone Porsche Experience Centre as a group. Once again, once the details have been finalised we will let you know in the magazine and via email. We look forward to seeing you soon.
R22
B RISTOL, SOUTH WEST & SOUTH WALES
RO Sue Simmons • 07530 312 700 sue.simmons1@gmail.com ARO Debs Bradshaw • 07423 436 503 debbradshaw@sytner.co.uk ARO Mick Simmons • 07793 905 918 mjs019@gmail.com
Well Happy New Year everyone and thanks to all those hardy souls who ventured over to The Plough on January 2nd for our first club night meeting of the year. I had anticipated eating my ham, egg and chips on my own but No! Around 25 of you came along and were enthusiastic to know all our plans for 2018. Next I want to applaud my regional members for the generosity at our Christmas raffle and other events throughout the year. We continue to raise money for the Great Western Air Ambulance and in 2017 we raised a staggering £2112.35 – a tremendous amount. Our Christmas Lunch had a record-equalling turnout despite the best efforts of the weather to throw snow and ice at us leading for some to have to head off early but it didn’t stop anyone actually coming and having a lovely time. I hope all the prize winners were pleased with their goodies. My thanks to all of you who donated prizes. So what shall we get up to this year? Well I know that around the group there are plans for a trip to the Nurburgring, Spa Classic, Le Mans, and Beaulieu (of course) preceded by our Club Picnic. I am also organising a weekend in Wales for September and if anyone wants to put a drive together or suggest other events it would be most appreciated. I hope you all have great fun with TIPEC this year, especially as its our 25th Anniversary. Make sure you put the NEC Classic Car Show in November in your diaries as the silver Porsche display on our stand will be the envy of many (if you know what I mean!)
928 at Brooklands
Record (equalling) turnout at the Christmas lunch
Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month from 6:30pm at The Plough, Pilning, Nr Bristol BS35 4JJ. www.theploughpilning.co.uk
Christmas raffle raised money for the Air Ambulance
June 2nd (Saturday) Pre-Simply Porsche 25th Birthday Picnic in the New Forest – book a place via Sue June 3rd (Sunday) Beaulieu – TIPEC annual Simply Porsche Show July 15th (Sunday) Cotswold Gathering Classic Motor Show & Fete Shipton Oliffe Sports Ground, A436 Glos GL54 4HT (For info email cotswoldcc@live.co.uk) July 15th (Sunday) Sherborne Castle Classic Car Show July 20th–22nd (Friday–Sunday) Silverstone Classic September 14-17th (Friday–Monday) Weekend in Wales Please contact me for any info you need on sue.simmons@tipec.net or 07530 312 700. See our regional page on tipec.net and see our Facebook page for details of more things to do.
R15
CORNWALL & DEVON
Club nights this year are February 6th, March 6th, April 2nd, May 1st, June 5th, July 3rd, August 7th, Sept 4th, Oct 2nd, Nov 6th, and Dec 4th.
RO & ARO urgently wanted For now, c/o Sue Simmons • 07530 312 700 sue.simmons1@gmail.com
February 6th (Tuesday) Club night from 6:30 at The Plough
Merged with Bristol, South West & South Wales until a local RO is found.
March 6th (Tuesday) Club night from 6:30 at The Plough
356 also at Brooklands
March 10th (Saturday) Porsche Clinic at Porsche Bristol By appointment via Sue only
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SIMPLY PORSCHE A GREAT FAMILY DAY OUT FOR ALL PORSCHE ENTHUSIASTS / SUNDAY 3RD JUNE 2018
SHOW AND SHINE / TRADE STANDS / THE UK’S BIGGEST PORSCHE-FOCUSED EVENT
Gmund qs
30/6/08
16:49 Page 1 BEAULIEU, NEW FOREST, HAMPSHIRE SO42 7ZN (JCT 2 M27)
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PHONE FOR LATEST MODELS WORKSHOP MANUALS Original Porsche workshop manuals available for all models, most ex-stock
BOOKS
SALES BROCHURES Porsche Sales Brochures from the 1960’s/70’s/80’s to present day are now available. From £10
ORIGINAL DRIVERS HANDBOOKS These handbooks are what would have been supplied with every new car that left the dealership. They contain lots of very useful information - almost every model is still available with prices starting from £25.00
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www.hartech.org.uk tel 07000 100 944 or 01204 302809 (Bolton Lancs) EXCLUSIVE CLUB SATURDAY OR SUNDAY DISCOUNT**
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PCRS18CF *All bookings are subject to a single transaction fee of £1.50. All information correct at time of publishing. Call 0844 858 6758 to book. Calls cost 13p per minute plus network extras. See website for all information. Tickets include a show guide worth £4.00. **Club SINGLE ticket (adult 16 years+) offer only applies to Saturday and Sunday single day tickets when booked in advance and is limited to 10 tickets per member. The club FAMILY ticket offer is limited to 4 family tickets per member, each admits 2 adults and up to 3 children (5-15 years). Hand in your ticket stub or print-at-home voucher to your club’s stand and they will benefit from a commission.
25th ANNIVERSARY TOUR TO GERMANY 21st - 29th September 2018
RHINE • ROMANTIC ROAD • BLACK FOREST ROUTE • PORSCHE FACTORY TOUR
PORSCHE FACTORY TOUR
NOW CONFIRMED SPACES ARE LIMITED - BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT
A 9 DAY, 8 NIGHT TOUR INCLUDING SOME OF GERMANY’S MOST ICONIC DESTINATIONS The Rhine Valley is straight out of a picture book, with precipitous cliffs, steep vineyards, a castle perched on virtually every hilltop and pretty villages lining the river banks on either side. Towns like Bacharach, Boppard, St. Goar and Linz epitomise the charm of this remarkable area with its rich cultural heritage. UNESCO has recognised the importance of the region by designating the Middle Rhine Valley a World Heritage area. The Romantic Road is a German Scenic Drive through Bavaria that leads you from Wurzburg and the Franconia wine country to the fairy tale castle of Neuschwanstein nestled in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. You’ll find picturesque towns with city walls, towers, and half-timbered houses, hidden monasteries and medieval castles. On this 261 mile long scenic route the journey is your reward. The Black Forest is one of Germany’s largest and best known regions. A magical land of wonderful scenery with pine clad mountains and rolling hills, lush green valleys, crystal clear lakes and enchanting waterfalls. Quaint half timbered buildings nestle in delightful historic towns and villages, there are spectacular gorges carved by the River Rhine, plus of course those magnificent cuckoo clocks and the famous Black Forest Gateau.
What’s Included: Return Eurotunnel Crossing - Folkestone/Calais - Other routes available on request • 1 Night at the Carat Hotel, Monshau • 2 Nights at the Altdeutsche Weinstube Hotel, Rudesheim • 1 Night at Markustrum Hotel, Rothenburg ob Tauber • 1 Night at Hirsch Hotel, Füssen • 2 Nights at the Landhaus Hotel, Hornberg • 1 Night at the Ibis Hotel, Dinant • Continental Breakfast included In each hotel • 5 evening meals included (Dinner in Monschau, arrival night in Rudesheim , Rothenburg ob Tauber AND both nights in Hornberg) • TIPEC Club Route Guide with maps, places of interest, routes etc • TIPEC Club Rally plaque • Complimentary Car Parking at all Hotels except Monschau (cost €9-10 payable locally) AND Rothenburg ob Tauber (cost €6-€8 payable locally) • Parking charge in Rudsheim is included, however cars may have to ‘double park’ if over 13/14 cars book the tour • Porsche Factory tour, Stuttgart. Travelling from the midlands or the north of the country? Why not check out the availability / extra cost for the Hull-Rotterdam, Newcastle-Amsterdam, or Harwich-Hook of Holland sailings, available with our tour operator Scenic Car Tours - the trip is open to all members from all over the UK, so ensure you see what options are available to you, dependent on your location in the country.
Tour Package Price - £1798.00 per car with 2 persons sharing (£899.00 Per Person), £1298.00 per car with 1 person (£399.00 single supplement)
This tour has been organised for TIPEC by Scenic & Continental Car Tours. For more information or to book your places simply call: 01732 879153 or email: admin@sceniccartours.com www.sceniccartours.com/clubgroup-tours or for more information on our tour planning service call our Group Relations Manager Kieran on: 01732 879172
Preferred Tour Operator
Tours are organised for TIPEC by Scenic & Continental Car Tours
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TIPEC AD hh + wp
3/11/08
15:06
Page 1
THE PURELY PORSCHE MAGAZINE
Join us behind the wheel of the world’s greatest Porsches 25%
discount for all TIPEC members
All TIPEC members will receive a 25% discount on the price of a 12 month subscription to GT Purely Porsche. To claim your discount contact our subscriptions department at gtporschesubscriptions@unity-media.com or call 01732 748084 and quote your TIPEC membership number. GT Purely Porsche is published on the second Thursday of the month preceding the cover date. Should have any difficulties finding a copy of GT Purely Porsche in the shops, please contact: Seymour Distribution Ltd on 0207 386 8000 or email: csu@seymour.co.uk