L AL E U Q R TO em mber/Dec e v o N 6 9 ISSUE
ber 2012
Across Africa in a 944 Magnus Walker: Urban Outlaw
A first season in Boxster racing
Details of TIPEC 20th anniversary events
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Chairman’s Chat It has been a busy couple of months since my last column.
TIPEC (0845 602 0052) www.tipec.net All Torque is published bi-monthly by TIPEC (The Independent Porsche Enthusiasts Club) Text & images are © their authors/photographers.
The planning of next year’s anniversary events and replacing all the items we have with the new logo has kept me out of mischief. There are a lot of events going on next year and to make sure that you do not miss anything we have included a wall planner with this issue, which we hope you will find useful.
Front cover image: Ben Coombs’ own photograph of his 944 on its 26-country journey across Africa. All Torque is based entirely on submissions from TIPEC members. This is your magazine and we need your involvement! Submissions for issue 97 (February) must be in before Friday 4th January 2013. Editor & designer: Tony Blow tony@typescape.com All Torque, 6/2, 308 Old Rutherglen Road, Glasgow G5 0UN. Printed by: The Lavenham Press Ltd, Suffolk (01787 247 436) Advertising in All Torque is managed by: TIPEC club office, Walnut Tree Farm, Grain Road, Lower Stoke, Rochester ME3 9RE (0845 602 0052) TIPEC online 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: Jim Hearnden (07930 353 232) tr7v8@phaetonconsulting.co.uk Treasurer: Paul Bird (01922 428 409) paulpsb928@yahoo.co.uk Advertising & Club Liason: Clive Gosling (07791 480 999) clive.gosling@tipec.net Membership Secretary: Lee Reader (01555 664 200) membership@tipec.net TIPEC Membership, 9 Forsythe Court, Lanark ML11 7BQ Communication Director: Derek Flanagan (07767 254 820) derek.flanagan@btconnect.com 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.
All of the anniversary events are listed in this issue, please note that spaces are limited so you will need to book now to avoid missing out. I am really looking forward to next year especially the September Tour, which ticks quite a few ‘must do’ boxes. Driving in Europe is straightforward and really good fun. Being part of a group gives you a feeling of security and takes away some of the anxiousness if you have not done this sort of thing before. Driving as fast as you like on the Autobahn and the views from the mountain passes are just two of the many experiences you will talk about after this trip. If you have any questions about any of the events please get in touch. The 2013 AGM will be held on Sunday 7th April at The Coventry Transport Museum. Those attending in a Porsche will be able to park in the Millennium Plaza which is in front of the Museum. We will publish all the details in the next issue of All Torque. During October I visited Cheshire/Staffs as well as my local region and an event the Southern guys had organised at Jon Mitchell’s Garage. I never tire of talking about both the Club and Porsche, the passion we share is infectious. We own Porsches for a variety of different reasons. Some track them, others like to modify or restore, some like to polish and display at car shows. Whatever the reason, your region is where you will find people that enjoy doing the same things as you. As more of you get together, events can be organised that you will enjoy doing. A big thank you for the warm welcomes and I promise to visit more regions over the next few months. The new logo window stickers and tax disc holders will be available via your Regional Organiser in the New Year. Membership cards will be swapped over at renewal with the logo printed in black on a silver card. Club Clothing is available from Lime Gecko and can be ordered online, details can be found on their advert in this issue and on the wall planner. Our web forum continues to grow and has been active for over five years. We have 2,600 registered members and thousands of readers looking at the 11,000+ topics and 85,000+ replies. If you have not yet registered it is worth a look, click on the forum tab on www.tipec.net. Best wishes,
All Torque 96 page 3
Club news 2013 will be the twentieth anniversary of our club, and the committee have planned a wide range of events to celebrate, making it a real year to remember, from trackdays to European tours.
TIPEC Porsche only trackday April 20th 2013 (Saturday) We have booked Blyton Park Driving Center near Gainsborough (DN21 3PE) for our first club track day.
Blyton Park is new Tarmac with a combination of long straights, slow and fast corners, and large tarmac run off areas. This event is probably the safest arena you will find to drive your Porsche as it was designed to be driven—fast.
Club trip to Laon Historique rally May 17–20th 2013 (Friday–Monday)
The format is open pit lane and we have limited the event to just 50 cars. This will ensure there is plenty of room on track and give entrants time to get into a rhythm.
A trip to this unique event in France's first capital city. The annual Laon Historique, a non competitive event dedicated to any type of vintage, classic, sports and kit car.
Professional instructors are available free of charge for those that would like to improve their lap times. Additional drivers and passengers are allowed. Jon Mitchell from JMGarage, Porsche Independent Specialists, from Christchurch, will be on hand with technical advice. Jon will have a variety of lubes, a diagnostic kit and his tool box with him just in case there are any minor issues mechanically on the day. Helmets are required and are available to hire, arms and legs must be covered. The cost is £120 for car and driver, additional drivers £35, passengers £10, helmets £10. To book go to www.trackaction-online.co.uk click on Track Days then click on April.
The town hosts a classic car parade for over 500 classic and vintage cars from all over Europe. Strictly not a race, this closed street run is one of the few motoring events that you can actually participate in, instead of simply being a spectator. The Laon Historique has now become the largest classic car motoring event in Europe and offers a four day long weekend. “You’ve never had so much fun with your clothes on.” On Friday morning catch the inclusive Dover C alais ferry and take a leisurely drive of 140 miles to your hotel in Laon via the magnificent ancient town of Arras. On Saturday morning all participants sign on for the scenic regional tour, collect a rally plate and route book and join the classic convoy exploring the local countryside. On Sunday morning, all the cars assemble in the old town area of Laon where the streets are closed to all traffic except for the cars participating in the street parade; a drive up the steep hill with hairpin bends leading to the town centre—strictly no racing or speeding. The whole town is amass with spectators lining the streets who come to watch the biggest cavalcade of classic and sports cars in Europe. Our block booking of the Ibis has already sold out, there are other hotels available. Cost is approximately £200 per person, based on two sharing. To book call 01304 380 244 or visit www.continentalcartours.co.uk
20 years of TIPEC Club trip to Le Mans 24h June 20–24th 2013 (Thursday–Monday) Join fellow Club Members camping at Porsche Curves and enjoy the atmosphere of this special race. We have our own dedicated area within the site so that we may all be together. The campsite has 24 hour security with attended toilets and hot showers. Marquee with large screen TVs and full catering with a cash bar serving real ales during the weekend. Includes a free shuttle bus to other sections of the circuit and the monorail. We will travel out on Thursday by Eurotunnel and return on Monday. There are many sailing and departure day options at www.lycianevents.com. The cost is approx £360pp based on two people sharing and includes race admission. To reserve your pitch please send an email to joy@lycianevents.com quoting LE298/RLM13 and please include the following details: Name, telephone number, number of participants, number of Pitches and number of cars.
TIPEC Twentieth anniversary weekend September 7–8th (Saturday–Sunday) Cotswold cream tea run (Saturday)
Twentieth anniversary The Porsche Show BBQ & band (Saturday) 2013 (Sunday)
Meet at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, from 10:00am.
BBQ party with live band. Meet at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, from 19:00.
Follow a scenic drive through the Cotswold countryside of approximately 75 miles.
BBQ served from 19:30 with the first set from the band at 21:00. Adults £25, Children £10, Under 5s free.
Arrive back at the HMC for cream tea and a walk around the Museum. £20 based on two in a car.
Hotels to be confirmed in the next issue along with booking details for both events. The Heritage Motor Centre Gaydon (CV35 0BJ) is five minutes from Junction 12 of the M40.
Change of address for All Torque
At the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon. This years show will follow our usual format and I am pleased to announce that for the third year running it will be free to enter, with access to the toilets and café. There will be a charge to enter the museum at the reduced rate of £8. Demonstrations, trade stands, Show and Shine competition, model displays, Porsche only parking, a regional parking area, and more.
TIPEC on social media Besides the TIPEC website and our very successful (and busy!) web forum, these days TIPEC can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
Please note a new postal address for All Torque magazine. Tony Blow, All Torque 6/2, 308 Old Rutherglen Road, Glasgow G5 0UN. This is your club magazine and is only made possible due to the contributions and hard work you, the club members, put in. Please send in your news, articles, photographs and ideas for the magazine by email to tony@typescape.com or by post to the new address above. Alternatively, give your submissions to your local Regional Organiser or Assistant RO and they will pass them on to Tony.
Whilst you may not want to become an ardent user of Facebook or Twitter to reveal your every move, there is no doubting they are a great way to keep in touch with what is happening in organisations you are interested in. This includes clubs like ours, so take a look! Facebook and Twitter offer a way to remind you of upcoming events, share photos, remind you of monthly meetings, etc, etc. You can find our national Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/ The-Independent-Porsche-Enthusiasts-Club/394038423960591 And our national Twitter account at www.twitter.com/porsche_tipec
All Torque 96 page 5
Club news TIPEC European tour: Porsches, Passes, and Palaces September 21st–27th 2013 (Saturday–Friday) A scenic tour exploring some of the most famous passes in Austria and Italy. Visiting the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart and the Sclumpf Museum. Staying in three & four star hotels on a bed and breakast basis, including Channel Tunnel return crossings. Day 1: Calais to Bad Durkheim (370 miles)
Day 3: Fussen to Riva del Garda (200 miles)
Meeting at the Channel Tunnel terminal, cross the channel before heading through Belgium. Today is all about putting some distance behind us so we will utilise the excellent free Belgium and German motorways. We will take a break from the motorways with lunch at Monschau, a delightful town in the Hohes Venn Eifel National Park. Our stopover tonight is a beautiful Spa Hotel in the renowned town of Bad Durkheim in the Palatinate forest.
After a leisurely breakfast we travel just five miles to visit the famous Schloss Neuschwanstein, one of the most famous and beautiful castles in Europe. After our visit we will then cross the border into Austria and ascend our first Alpine pass on the tour the Fern Pass. We will stop for lunch here before crossing the Passo del Rombo into Northern Italy before reaching our overnight stop on the north shore of Lake Garda at Riva.
Day 2: Bad Durkheim to Fussen (220 miles) After breakfast we will depart for Stuttgart where we will take the opportunity to visit the ultra modern Porsche Museum. The collection of road, race, rally and vintage vehicles combined with the ever changing temporary exhibitions ensures that there is something here for anyone with an interest in automotive history. Leaving Stuttgart we will continue down through southern Germany to our overnight stop almost on the Austrian border in Fussen. Film buffs may recognise the scenery from the Steve Mcqueen movie The Great Escape which was filmed in this area.
20 years of TIPEC Book early to avoid disappointment as we are limited to 15 cars only. £579 pp based on two sharing a double or twin room. Reserve a space by paying a 15% deposit (£175) www.europeandrivingtours.co.uk/tipec Day 4 – Riva del Garda to Chur 220 miles
Day 5: Chur to Mulhouse (220 miles)
Leaving Riva we will travel to the spectacular Stelvio Pass, the second highest road in Europe. There will be opportunity to cross the pass in both directions as well as an opportunity to stroll to the summit or order a coffee and just enjoy the views. We will also stop here for lunch. From here we will cross the Umbrail, Offen and Fluela passes before arriving at our overnight stop in the resort of Chur in Switzerland.
Today we will travel across Switzerland. Although we will utilise the Swiss motorways later, we have the opportunity at an early stage of the day to sample some of the most spectacular alpine driving roads in Europe. We will cross the Furkapass (famous from the James Bond movie Goldfinger), followed by the Grimselpass and finally the Sustenpass. After this we will follow the motorway to our hotel in the heart of Mulhouse.
Day 6: Mulhouse to Pont a Mousson (140 miles) We begin this morning with a leisurely breakfast before a very short drive to the fabulous Schlumpf museum and its exceptional collection of vehicles including the largest collection of Bugattis in the world. Lunch can be taken at the museum after which we take a splendid drive in the afternoon through the Vosges mountains onto our hotel, a converted monastery in the Moselle valley.
Day 7: Pont a Mousson to Calais (280 miles) Our last day of the tour sees us leave our hotel on the banks of the Moselle via a final photo opportunity at the Butte de Montsec and after passing Verdun we travel back to Calais along the autoroute in time for our afternoon Channel Tunnel crossing back to the UK.
All Torque 96 page 7
Island hopping with the Scottish region Our region’s Autumn weekend away started out with everyone meeting up at Oban to catch the ferry on the Friday afternoon and I had, shall we say, an enjoyable drive to the ferry. The roads were ideal for opening up the Boxster and apart from a police camera speed van situated 50 miles before Oban (I managed to get down from 80mph plus to 60mph just in the nick of time). It was a nice sunny day and I am sure many of the rest of the crew maybe were in the same mode as me with an odd flurry of the heavy right foot syndrome. All were present and correct apart from the Beaton clan who where catching the later ferry and would meet up with us later that evening at the Hotel. The ferry was approx 30/40 mins, the water was calm and the weather was bright and sunny so it was full steam ahead. We landed at Mull about 3pm and it was a drive to the picturesque town of Tobermory before checking into the hotel for the weekend. Tobermory is a lovely wee town on the sea front with quant wee shops and a distillery and the Mull museum to visit. We all went our separate ways around the town but funnily enough all ended up at the local café where home made baking and cappuccino coffee could be found. I have to say it was right up my street; big cream cakes and coffee in abundance … bring it on, I say. Well the café stint came to an end and it was time to head for the hotel to check in.
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some evening entertainment and a few prizes were dished out at the end our quiz master for the evening was James McLaughlan who I have to say did an excellent job and I expect to see him on Sky TV soon with his own slot. Well it was all washed down with a few vino’s and a lager or two before everyone retired for the evening. To add to the evening entertainment a couple of the residents in the hotel decided to have shall we say a domestic difference of opinion and I am told this went on from about 1am till 4am and a few of us lost a bit of sleep due to the unscheduled event, however the whole group received a complementary evening and I lost approx five mins sleep so I was hoping the couple would repeat the event on the Saturday night also then the whole weekend would be free! Saturday morning comes around and all are gathered yet again in the dining room for the traditional Scottish Breakfast. Well, a real feast for a King and Queen was available to all and well there was so much on offer so I decided to sample a little of everything lol. After the big breaky was done it was an all depart from the hotel and head for the port of Fionnphort which was approx an hours drive where we would be catching the ferry to Iona yet another Isle for visiting and the drive and scenery were totally superb the sun was breaking through and the roads were perfect for Porsche driving all you could see for miles and miles were hills and lakes everywhere. The Island must have wondered what had hit it … a convoy of Porsches, which I would say would not be a common sight every weekend. We arrived at the port and parked the cars up and ended up foot passengers across on the 15 minute ferry ride to the Isle of Iona—a small Island and you got the impression having walked around it very briefly that it was Sunday every day of the week, it had that totally relaxed feeling. A different way of life for me. Being a city slicker it just makes you think for a moment or two how different others live their life. A very relaxing way of life, it seemed to me and I am not sure I could take to it on a full time basis but for a visit I was in my element. Well it was a walk for approx an hour or so around Iona and just enough time for a few of us to purchase a wee souvenir from one of arts and crafts shops and a chance for a last minute stroll along the beach before catching the ferry back to Mull . So we are now officially Island hoppers hence in the title.
The road ahead was a challenging one, like something you’d see on Top Gear on a Sunday evening!
Well it was a 20 mile or so drive to the The Isle Of Mull Hotel and Spa situated just half a mile from the ferry port at Craignure and if you have never driven on the Island then it is a little different to mainland roads, shall we say. Twisty narrow roads that are single track and passing places every 100 yards or so but hey they are perfect for Porsche driving, trust me! It was six pm and everyone apart from the Beaton clan has checked in and it was a quick nosey around the hotel grounds for me, just to take in the fresh air, before we all invaded the dining room for dinner. At seven pm the Beaton Clan had landed and joined us for dinner so we were all united for the Friday feed. The dining room overlooked the Firth of Lorn to the mainland and was a stunning view as the sun decided to call it a day. Well dinner was excellent I have to say and it was time to retire to the lounge downstairs where a little quiz trivia had been lined up for
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We all landed back at Fionnphort and it was decided to visit a lady in the middle of absolutely nowhere with the most superb gardens, reputed to be out of this world and without a shadow of a doubt a real must visit to anyone visiting the Island. It was a James McLaughlan Google find I think and a phone call was made to inform her of our intended visit. Afternoon tea was order of the day and a visit to her gardens. We set about the task of getting there and I have to say the road ahead was a challenging one. It is called the B8035 but it’s like one of those challenges you see on Top Gear on a Sunday evening; up and down, twisty and narrow and I am sure the front spoiler of Martin Whitelaw’s 993 got a scrape or two along the way. However it brought a smile to my face and I enjoyed the trek there.
blether had came to an end and it was a 20 mile or so drive back to the hotel where there was just enough time for a dip in the hotel swimming pool before dinner for those feeling up to it.
We arrived and were greeted by the owner and keeper Ms Lucy Mackenzie Panizzon at her address which incidentally is Lip Na Cloiche Gardens and Nursery, Ballygown, nr Ulva Ferry, Isle of Mull PA73 6LU. There in her front room were cakes, biscuits, tea and coffee en masse and everyone was ready for a wee cuppa after the challenging drive there. I could not help but notice Brian Wood helping himself to seconds and even thirds. So he inherited the nickname Brian ‘the cake’ Wood for the rest of the weekend. The gardens and nursery were superb and a vast array of shrubs, vegetables, annuals and perennials and, well, thousands of plants everywhere—a real full time job I’d say to keep it up to date. Well worth a visit folks if ever you decide to visit Mull.
With dinner over and it was time to retire to the quiz lounge once again for yet another James McLaughlan, master of ceremonies, quiz/ trivia session and a few drinks to wash it all down with before finally retiring for the evening.
We all said our goodbyes to Lucy and headed further up the coast to the Calgary area where yet again the Top Gear challenge was laid down. We all made it as far as Calgary and decided to stop off in the afternoon sunshine at the beach for a stroll and a group photograph was taken by the Whitelaw team (Martin, Elaine and doggy) before a walk along the beach. The beach was stunning, pure white clean sand and unspoilt views across to Coll Island and the Sea of Hebrides. Well, all done here and it was off to Tobermory, the main town on the Island. I could hear Brian ‘the cake’ Wood saying “another cake session back at Tobermory folks”, so off we went in the sincere hope there were some cakes left as it was getting late in the afternoon. We arrived in Tobermory at approx 16:30pm and had a quick look around the town again. Yes, you guessed it, we all headed for the Café and as I opened the door to get in Brian ‘the cake’ Wood was seated and had placed his order already. The afternoon cake and
It was a pre dinner drink in the main bar lounge then yet again invade the dinning room and I have to say, the food all weekend was simply excellent and the service very good. I could not but help notice complimentary red and white wine on our table—this was an added gesture by the hotel for the disturbance on the Friday night along with a free night for the inconvenience. Unfortunately the couple who had made the noise during Friday night had been evicted on the Saturday so no freebie for Saturday night! Hey-ho, can’t have it always.
Sunday morning comes around as it does and it was a leisurely breakfast for us all and followed by a swim in the hotel pool for me before going back to the room, packing the case, and getting the Boxster checked over before the drive home. After breakfast we all decided that Duart Castle was well worth a visit. The castle in the ancestral home of the Clan Maclean and has over 900 years of history. Well worth a visit if you are on the island and it was only three miles up the road from the ferry port of Craignure. Well, the Castle tour was over and it was time for most of us to catch the ferry back to Oban. Some stayed on the island until later just to catch a few more sights before their ferry back. Another autumn trip over and I am sure for those who were there an excellent weekend. As ever, the company was warm and welcoming and if you didn’t go but were considering it, well you missed a super weekend. Keep an eye on the Spring calendar as we are planning another weekend trip such as this. A huge thank you to James McLauchlan for his input to the weekend. James, well done again. These trips do go well with your ideas and also thanks to Alan Neilson for doing all the donkeywork with the hotel and ferry arrangements. Until the Springtime, but not forgetting the Christmas bash still to come up in Fort William. We hope to see you all again very soon. Writing by Neil Fraser, photography by Elaine Whitelaw & Neil Fraser All Torque 96 page 9
Urban Outlaw now available to view online Regular readers may remember Magnus Walker from issue 92 of All Torque, which featured him on the front cover. TIPEC member Dean Lancashire had visited Magnus in California and discovered an Yorkshire-bred ex-pat with a dream workshop of customised Porsche 911s— somewhere between a collection and a restoration business. Magnus is a businessman, mechanic, racer and enthusiast and has been making quite a name for himself in the international Porsche community, both as a bit of a renegade and a thoroughly nice bloke. Magnus and his Porsches are the subject of a documentary film by young filmmaker Tamir Moscovici. A short teaser trailer promoted online at the start of 2012 reached over 310,000 viewings and the finished film was later entered into a slew of international film festivals, where it was universally praised. Theat film, Urban Outlaw, is now available for anyone to watch online completely for free. You can find it at www.reelhouse.org/mos/urbanoutlaw where it has already been viewed over 200,000 times and shows no sign of slowing in popularity.
Images courtesy of Tamir Moscovici All Torque 96 page 11
Survival of the quickest Across Africa in a Porsche 944 All Torque 96 page 13
Team Porsche. Ben and Laura take time out to pose near Namibia’s Skeleton Coast.
It’s all too easy to get overly attached to a classic Porsche. But what do you do if you know you have to part with your pride and joy, but can’t face the prospect of simply selling it to a stranger? Finding himself in this situation, Ben Coombs decided that one last adventure was needed to say goodbye to his trusty 944, and set out to drive it 15,000 miles from England to South Africa.
The resulting three month road trip saw the long-suffering Porsche cross 26 countries in three SURVIVAL OF THE QUICKEST – Across Africa. In continents, took in some of the toughest roads By Ben Coombs Africa could throw at it, and demonstrated just what can be achieved with a tough old sports car, The long-awaited book describing the African Porsche Expedition is now avail determination and a lot of gaffa tape.
EBook formats.
The Porsche’s epic journey is described in the recently released book, Survival of the Quickest, and we’ve secured the following exclusive extract, which describes the Porsche’s arrival in Northern Kenya. Survival of the Quickest is available through Amazon in both paperback and eBook versions.
Writing by Ben Coombes, Photography by Ben Coombes & Louise Smith All Torque 96 page 15
15,000 miles. 26 countries. One unforgettable advent
Coarse drum and bass rhythms thundered out from the Porsche’s stereo as we left Moyale, a synthesised voice chanting monotonically over a blur of hypnotic beats. Background accompaniment was provided by the Porsche and by Kenya. Wide tyres scrabbled on the saturated mud track, making a guttural sucking noise as the rubber separated from the mud, which became a dull buffeting sound as the heavy muck was sprayed against the car’s underside. A staccato drumming sounded out as the unwelcome rain hit the windscreen only a foot from our faces, while the wipers squeaked with their futile attempts to clear it. The exhaust droned away in the background, sometimes stealing the show by barking urgently when the revs built against the slipping clutch while powering out of some water-filled pothole. Finally, the whistling wind tickled our ears through the open windows, which were letting in cooler air to counteract the heater, still jammed on full heat.
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As well as the challenges of the terrain, northern Kenya also threw up some more sinister obstacles. Sparsely populated and beyond the reach of the law, the area is a haven for those who play by their own rules. The porous Somali border is nearby and banditry is rife, with shiftas targeting vehicles on a worryingly regular basis. Veteran travel writer Paul Theroux was shot at when he travelled this way and when Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, along with their support crew, passed through during their Long Way Down expedition, they had armed guards travel with them in their big four-wheel-drives. We had no such luxuries—only crossed fingers. Armed robberies and carjacking are a way of life here and have given the area an intimidating reputation, as well as an irrational allure. Our time in northern Kenya had begun innocuously enough. A pristinely presented customs officer greeted us in perfect English, offered us a cup of tea and made us feel most welcome.
The rains had arrived four days before us and turned the roads into an unforgiving mush.
We were in the middle of the adventure. The crux. The eye of the storm. Even in the dry, northern Kenya had promised some of the toughest and most dangerous terrain of the trip. The rains had arrived four days before us and turned the rutted dirt tracks into an unforgiving mush. We would not see tarmac again for over three hundred miles. It was going to be an interesting few days.
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“England? I was there once, ten years ago,” he said longingly. “London. It was wonderful. I walked the streets for two weeks and never had to clean my shoes once. So different to here.” He silently gestured outside, where the rains had turned the road into a river of mud.
With the border formalities completed, we headed into town and found ourselves in a queue of about ten lorries waiting to make the journey south in a heavily armed convoy, courtesy of the Kenyan Army. We were more than happy to join the convoy. While we were waiting to leave, a slightly agitated group of locals grew around the Porsche. After a few minutes, the crowd had grown to number about twenty. A few of them chatted pleasantly to Laura and I in the usual manner of
Getting to grips with northern Sudan’s rocky Nubian Desert, seventeen days after leaving the UK.
such meetings; however most gossiped urgently amongst themselves, the group gradually working itself up into a concerned, agitated jury. Eventually, one guy was nominated as the group speaker. He fixed me with a serious stare and talked very slowly, adding a dramatic emphasis to his words. “This car cannot make it along the road to Marsabit. It is impossible.” Twenty drawn faces hung on my reply. All background noise seemed to stop as the statement suddenly put me on the spot. “It’ll be fine,” I replied, as nonchalantly as possible. “We’ve already driven it from England, across the deserts of the Sudan, through Ethiopia. It’s proven itself already.”
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I can think of more confidence-inspiring conversations to have before heading off down a muddy track through bandit country! At about eleven in the morning, the soldier in charge of the checkpoint beckoned us to the front of the armed convoy, ahead of the chunky lorries and just behind a Land Rover reassuringly packed to the gunnels with soldiers and firepower. There were no other cars. In front of the Land Rover, planks of wood with rusty six inch nails hammered through them lay across the sodden track, preventing anyone from leaving town without an escort. We were solemnly asked to enter our details in the checkpoint log and at eleven o’clock the planks of wood were moved from our path. We were away. Unfortunately, so was the rest of the convoy.
Planks of wood with rusty six inch nails hammered through them prevented anyone from leaving town without an escort.
Another bout of nervous chatter ensued, dying out slowly, before the spokesman replied: “This is Kenya. No vehicles have made it through from Marsabit in days. It is very dangerous. There are bandits and the rains have made the ruts very bad. This car will not survive”
“We’ll give it a try. We can always come back if the road is impassable.” I sensed the futility of trying to make them believe in my confidence, which strangely wasn’t shaken by their gloomy appraisal of my chances. I was relieved when the group gradually lost interest in the discussion and gently dissipated. They seemed to feel it was their duty to warn us of our stupidity and having done so they drifted away, their collective conscience clear.
”
The Land Rover swiftly disappeared into the distance and so did the lorries, aloofly showering us with mud as they overtook at a speed we couldn’t hope to match in our fragile steed. “So much for the safety of an armed convoy!” Laura said. “Yep, looks like we’ll be fending for ourselves,” I replied.
Taking time out in the Blue Nile Sailing Club, Khartoum, to repair damage sustained while crossing the Nubian Desert.
Writing by Ben Coombes, Photography by Ben Coombes & Louise Smith All Torque 96 page 17
Except for the occasional mud hut, soon we were all alone, heading into the unknown beneath a brooding gunmetal sky.
Broad, deep potholes appeared like traps, filled with water and soft mud which could easily swallow a Porsche and prevent it climbing up the sides to escape the slippery trap.
We were eased into the difficulties gradually. Leaving Moyale, the track sliced straight and wide away from us, nothing more than a thirty foot wide strip where no vegetation grew. Thick scrub stretched away to either side, while the occasional tree stood clear against the churning sky, serving to emphasise just how monotonous the landscape was. I eyed the scenery nervously as I drove.
Even worse, the ruts made an appearance. Often hundreds of metres long, sometimes over a foot deep and filled with water, they had been created by the churning passage of lorry tyres and pushed the Porsche to the limit. As the lorries were wider than our steed, the ruts they created were wider too. This meant that the only way to progress along the road was to drive with one side of the car sunk into a rut while the wheels on the other side rode high on the mound of mud which had been pushed up between the lorries’ tyres. It must have been a strange sight to the few people who witnessed our passing, a pointy sports car scrabbling along, tilted over at a crazy angle with one side of the car partially submerged in the mud and standing water while the other side rode high on a mound of dirt.
“
The soil around us—and hence the track beneath us—was initially the attractive clay brown colour so evocative of Africa. This made for a fairly solid surface, so initially the ruts and potholes weren’t too bad. However after a few miles, the soil changed, becoming ominously blacker as the rain began to sheet down apocalyptically.
Broad, deep potholes appeared like traps, filled with water and soft mud which could easily swallow a Porsche.
“Well, I hope the rain means the shiftas stay at home,” said Laura. The pouring rain and black mud are not what Porsche drivers generally want to encounter on their holidays. Not only was the track now less pretty than the redbrown soil, but it was also softer, so the previously acceptable road surface deteriorated accordingly.
River crossing in the Ethiopian Highlands.
This sort of driving required a lot of forward planning. Once we’d committed to following a rut, it was difficult for us to climb out of it again. If it deepened too much, to avoid bottoming out we were forced to bounce the car out of the rut and into a shallower one. This was an unsubtle manoeuvre which required getting a bit of speed up before spinning the steering wheel to ram the muddy wall we were attempting to climb, while hoping we didn’t simply dig in and get stuck anyway. Once out of the rut, we had to be careful to get the steering wheel turned back the other way as soon as possible, otherwise we would find ourselves spearing off the road into the vegetation.
”
Our surroundings changed little from hour to hour. An endless plain, bordered by unmemorable hills, covered in samey bushes and carpeted with fresh, hardy looking grasses. The greenness around us was probably only due to the recent
rains, as in theory, our incompetent progress was taking us across a desert. It was just our luck that the rains had arrived four days before us. By early afternoon, we had covered well over half the distance to Marsabit, the halfway point of our three hundred mile marathon of mud. The conditions beneath our tyres had been awful, but through a mixture of determination and luck, the Porsche had taken it all in their stride and our nervousness as to what lay ahead had gradually lifted. The worst of the road conditions seemed to be behind us, in any case. The vicious ruts had reduced in their depth and frequency, and our passage was further eased by a return to the harder, clay-red soil. Our confidence and self-belief rose as we proved ourselves to be equal to the toughest challenge of the trip so far. Such feelings are often the precursor to a fall and in this instance it was certainly the case.
“
understanding is also often the first thing to flag up that something is wrong. Unable to put my finger on the problem, I carried on driving, my senses on a heightened sense of alert for reasons I didn’t yet know. After about five minutes of this unease, I noticed the fuel gauge had moved by a millimetre or two. Obviously, this is a perfectly normal thing to happen when the engine is running; however I had been watching that fuel gauge every day for over a month and it didn’t normally drop so suddenly from the half full point as it just did. I couldn’t put my finger on why, but there was something not quite right about the way it moved.
On a trip like ours, it makes sense to listen to premonitions. You develop a sixth sense.
I don’t know where the feeling stemmed from. It was an odd sensation, which hinted at something untoward. Everything appeared fine; the engine was running normally, the car’s gauges all gave the answers I was looking for. For some reason though, I couldn’t shake my feeling of unease. Initially, I dismissed it as being caused by the rain, which had started thudding down again following a token hour of dry weather. However the apprehension refused to be dismissed so easily, and remained with me.
“I think we’ve got a fuel leak,” I replied, feeling suddenly unconvinced.
On a trip like ours, it always makes sense to listen to such premonitions. When you spend every day relying unequivocally on the car—listening, feeling, hearing and smelling its every foible—you develop a kind of sixth sense as to whether everything is okay. I’m sure this sixth sense is what had finally allowed me to trust the scrap engine out of the donor car. After a while, its communications became reassuring and consistent, and hence my confidence in it built. This sort of acute
I wandered around to the back of the car for a closer look. On the surface of the puddles we’d just passed over, a thick kaleidoscopic film glimmered on the water’s surface. It was strangely beautiful, for something that confirmed the worst. We were stuck in bandit country, haemorrhaging fuel.
”
I couldn’t stand my feeling of unease any longer and I now had a shred of quantifiable evidence that maybe something wasn’t quite right. I stopped the car for a look. “What’s wrong?” Laura asked.
The Porsche under tow following a breakdown in Northern Kenya. In total, the elderly Porsche suffered 27 separate breakdowns during the course of its 15,000 mile odyssey.
Writing by Ben Coombes, Photography by Ben Coombes & Louise Smith All Torque 96 page 19
Stuart’s debut season Stuart Ings of the Bristol region tells us about the first racing season in his 2.5 Boxster.
I had a fantastic time in this, my first ever race season, even with a shunt up the back at Donington. I had a change of set up after that and my confidence in the car just got better and better. The first round was at Brands Hatch and it was wet for qualifying. This was the first time I was driving in the wet in anger. I seemed to do quite well and with the weather playing a big part this year it was evident how well the Boxster behaved in these conditions. By the time of the last two meetings at Castle Coombe and Silverstone I was getting personal best times in the dry as well.
The weather at Castle Coombe was disgusting for the two races but we managed to qualify in the dry, cheered on by the Bristol TIPEC massive! I achieved my best positions finishing fifth in both races. Silverstone was the best meeting of the year for me, qualifying 3rd in class and finishing each of the three races in 4th. Race one was the best ever, having a battle with David Botterill in his class one 964 C2 and finally overtaking him on the last bend. You can watch that online here: http://youtu.be/kPovpSRlRdM
Finishing fourth in class is fantastic and was not expected at all with the number of 968 models I was up against. The other good news is that I came in joint ninth in the overall championship out of 41 competitors— all in all I am very happy! I’m now looking forward to next season with some upgrades to the car and a few tweaks here and there, but staying with the same car and engine. Many thanks to all the Bristol TIPEC members for their support and encouragement during the year and special thanks to Elaine for being there.
Writing & photography by Stuart Ings All Torque 96 page 21
Paul Bird and Brian Rowledge report on their shared trackday project.
Trials and tribulations of a cheap Porsche ... “Suppose we went half shares in a cheap trackday car” was where it all started and to be honest I can’t even remember when the idea was first floated … but ultimately Brian and I decided to look for a track day candidate in early 2011. We had agreed that a 924S or early 944 was the ideal car as they could be picked up at sensible money and so we started our search on the net to see what was available. We looked at a few and were somewhat taken aback at what people don’t tell you until you’re looking at the car. A “nice, tidy example” we looked at failed to point out the undulating rear quarters made of filler and sills so rotten the inner & outer sills
could be squeezed together like a concertina! Others we looked at were all suffering from serious structural issues and neither of us wanted to start with a large welding job. About the time we were getting a bit disillusioned with the whole idea I spotted a 924S for sale on the 924 Club website and I spoke with the seller who seemed fairly genuine but the downside was that the car was in Caterham. Brian happened to be in that area the following week on family business and did a divert to take a look. He agreed a purchase (subject to me seeing the car) and left a deposit so on the following Sunday I trekked down south to pick up the car. The structure of the car was sound but there was almost no service history so I knocked the price down further to compensate and took a very steady drive home. The first thing was to get the belts and water pump changed and we agreed to drop the car into Richard at RSR Autotech to get this sorted. When we got the car back we only had a couple of days before a sprint day at Curborough and although we hadn’t had a chance to really go over the car we decided to take her for a run to see how she faired on track. To be honest she went really well although as the day progressed it became clear that brake pads were giving up the ghost and we knew the brakes would need a serious overhaul later. We were chatting about the car late that afternoon and I commented that we had only really paid pennies for the car. That prompted Mandy Plumb (Central member) to say we ought to name her ‘Miss Moneypenny’ and after a couple of minutes she was duly christened ‘Lois’, after the actress Lois Maxwell who played Miss Moneypenny in many of the Bond movies. After Curborough I stripped the brakes down, cleaned everything up and replaced the pads with EBC Greens, springs and retaining pins. At the same time I removed all the old brake fluid and replaced with
ATE Super Blue. With the brakes sorted the next trip was the national show at Hatton (2011) and this is where things started to go wrong! Whilst we were at the show I noticed a petrol odour and a quick look underneath suggested a very slight fuel leak and as the MOT was up the following day I decided to see what turned up on the test. It was bad news. The leak wasn’t a weeping hose but the fuel tank itself and in addition the car failed on front wheel bearings, ball joint, some hard brake lines (corroded) and track rod ends. We took the car off the road on SORN and started the repairs but were hampered by a combination of family and club commitments as well as the weather. It seemed every time I had a day that I could work on the car it was raining and before we knew it several months had passed. To repair the fuel tank it had to be removed from the car and that required removal of the exhaust and gearbox. This led to the
replacement of fuel pump, fuel filter, some fuel lines, the radial oil seals in the gearbox, track rod ends, ball joints, and wheel bearings and so it went on—effectively a catch up from years of neglected maintenance. Finally we got the jobs done and the car passed its MOT only then to suffer a clutch failure the following week and cost us yet again. Perhaps there really is no such thing as a cheap Porsche! Apart from getting a bit down hearted at times with some unexpected expenditure the car is actually starting to take shape. Now sporting 968 Club Sport front and rear anti roll bars and a partially stripped out interior—no rear seats and race seats to replace the fronts—she is starting to look like a track day project. There is a long way to go and a list of modifications as long as your arm that we would like to make but there is plenty of time and we’re happy to let the car evolve as and when the opportunity (and funds) allow. Watch this space!
Writing & photography by Paul Bird All Torque 96 page 23
Gruppe North Scotland RO Neil Fraser 07946 616 782 (mobile) neil@fraser72.freeserve.co.uk ARO Alan Neilson 07793 234 096 (mobile) alz1933@alanneilson.fsnet.co.uk ARO Mike Stevens westerton.callander@tiscali.co.uk Meetings are held first Wednesday of every month 8pm for an 8:30pm start in the 007 bar, upstairs at Bo’Ness Motor Museum, Bridgeness Road, Bo’Ness EH51 9JR. www.motor-museum.bo-ness.org.uk Well it is the winter time and many of the Porkers will be in the garage with the trickle chargers on, I would imagine. It has been a challenging season with the inclement weather and the country still very much suffering from the current economic climate. However I have enjoyed my first year as RO for the Scottish region and we still have the Christmas bash to come on the 8th of December at the Moorings Hotel in Fort William plus a visit very soon to the NEC in Birmingham for a few of us. A big thank you to all the members who have supported the region and have helped put some of this year’s events together and a big thank you also to Alan Neilson and Mike Steven the two AROs for the region. We have had a real mixture of events and visits this season. A merry Christmas and Happy new year to all TIPEC members and their families and we will see you all very soon. It’s officially winter, the clocks are back and it’s getting dark at just a tad over 4pm. I am not sure about you but I get up for work and it’s dark and I get home from work and it’s dark again—yuk. The Scottish region will be no different from any other up and down the country: cold, wet and down on activity which is the norm it has to be said and it’s a good time to reflect on the season gone by. It all starts in January and for us up North we have a protocol of traditional procedures which work very well within the region and lay the foundations for the season to come. What are they I hear you say? Well at our January meet we always have the nominations for the RO and ARO positions. This is something we have done for as many a season as I can remember and it tells people in those positions if they are up to the mark or if they have passed there sell-by date. Sounds a bit brutal but not really if a region is not firing on all four (or six) cylinders then why not? Members get to vote weather they are happy with the current team or if someone else wants to stand for RO or ARO then it’s put to the vote, it is really that simple. If you are not present at the meet to vote that is no problem the voting paper is sent via a group email anyway so everyone has their say. This season was a little different to most. Stewart Gordon was RO and had been for past 13 seasons, and it was Stewart’s
decision to retire. It was a sad time for me as it was for the rest of the members. Stewart was and still is a well respected individual who gave his all to the Scottish region over many constructive years. So I put myself forward for the RO slot and the voting was concluded. Alan Neilson ARO was given the vote of confidence to continue on as I expected he would do—a great guy who is a fantastic ambassador for the club and who has a warm and welcoming personality. A big welcome to Mike Steven who replaced myself as ARO. Also at our January meet were the suggestion forms which get handed out and again sent via email to each member if you are not present at the monthly meet. These forms tell us what you, the members, want from the season, all your ideas and inspiration tell us the season ahead and not the other way around. It is your club, we are just the guy’s that make it happen. That is a very important part of any club format in order for it to be successful. So it is now the February meet and all the suggestions are looked at in detail and of course we cannot act on them all so we take the most communal suggestions and go about the task of making them happen, simple really. Also for this month’s meet was a special surprise presentation to Stewart Gordon for his services over the years to TIPEC and the region. (please see this years second All Torque for full article on Stewart’s retirement) A very fitting end to Stewart’s reign and he did shed a tear on the night.
The ferry to Iona on our Autumn weekend away
The March meet was just confirming to everyone the season format ahead and as I have said it was all suggestions from you the members that we act upon and implement. A few new ideas came out: a technical Porsche type day for which we visited SP Autobahn here in Central Scotland (again please see summer article on that visit) and a trip to the new Glasgow Transport Museum for which we had exclusive parking in front of the Museum for all the public to see the cars. Well worth a visit if you have never been before and it is totally free. The season presses on and this year’s annual trip to the national show was brilliant. I have to say the weather first and foremost was superb which always helps and Sean and the team came up trumps again with the show and it’s content. The Scottish region has always been a great supporter for the national show for many years as I can remember and it is a great weekend away in great company. We always hit the show en masse and this year was no exception to that. The rest of the season’s car shows and events are a mixture of wanting to go back to the old faithful shows and we even, just to throw things into the mix, broke from tradition and went to Ingliston Fast and Modified car show here in Edinburgh. ‘Pimp My Ride’ came to mind when visiting this show but we attended with the just standard Porsches to hand, which went down well even with the young boy racers, it has to be said.
Stewart Gordon’s presentation in February
The Scotalnd region’s annual barbeque and concours event at Bo’Ness Motor Museum
Still to come, a few of us from up here will be making the trip to the NEC for the Classic Car Show and also to come before Santa Claus arrives is our Christmas bash on the 8th of December In Fort William at the Moorings Hotel. If you have not already booked it then get your skates on! Well I think that is more or less the Scottish Region roundup and for those who have just joined or even who are members and just weren’t sure what went on within the region, then I hope I have given you a wee insight to all the typical things we do in a year. As ever I can’t wait to see what 2013 brings us. A massive thanks to all our members for your continued support and I look forward to seeing you all again very soon.
North West Some of the many, many Porsches on show at Calderglen country park at the end of September
Meetings are held first Monday of every month from 8pm at The Dressers Arms, near Wheelton, Chorley PR6 8HD. When this falls on a Bank Holiday, we meet on the second Monday instead.
Speed Yellow is pretty popular these days ...
The season marched on and the challenge for us up North was the inclement weather. I am sure the whole country was in the same vein, often visiting the Met Office website for updates, and in seasons gone by our annual BBQ was cancelled. Certainly in 2010 and 2011 we got washed out, but Alan and I were determined this season we would host the BBQ no matter what. We also decided to host the annual concours event on the same day and change the venue to hard standing ground. This was decided as the rain was consistent and if we could host the two events on the same day and get good weather we would have cracked it. Did we manage to achieve it? YES we did. The day went well and as we packed up the gazebo and headed home the heavens opened, thank God for that. At the beginning of the summertime, well after all the shows and events had been all decided and applied for, I received a phone call from Calderglen country park in East Kilbride near Glasgow, who were wondering if it would be possible to stage a Porsche only show within their grounds. The show would be a one off and special event and it was to be Scotland’s largest gathering of Porsches of the whole year. Well, never shying away from a challenge I said that for this type of event we would need to join forces with PCGB to get the volume required. The target was 50 plus Porsches and I was all up for such a show. I contacted Brian Wood, a former PCGB RO and current member of both TIPEC and PCGB. With Brian’s contacts we could just pull off such a show.
RO Andrew Lane 01772 740 625 07949 167 698 (mobile) andrewclane@btopenworld.com ARO Dave Hallett 01254 876 374 07595 071 392 (mobile) dhallett@tesco.net ARO Richard Sholl 07970 147 779 (mobile) rksholl@sky.com
Brian and I did a pre-visit to the park to see what it had to offer, Brian was familiar with the venue as he lived only a few miles down the road. Well, I was very impressed. It had two zoos, a kids adventure play park, an art gallery, lovely walks, a picnic and BBQ area and there was to be live music and a bouncy castle. This would all be free to exhibitors plus a 20% discount in the food outlets. Brian got the Glasgow Porsche dealership to attend with the latest 911 and a nice Boxster also. Also Brian got the local wheel refurb specialist to attend and had sample work there along with a nice discount for all club members. The day came about and it was late on in the season, the 30th of September to be exact, and in order for this to be a success Porsches en mass had to turn up! Well the day came round and the heavens opened and it was the worst rain I had seen all year. I was worried that it would be a washout, cars were slow in turning up and I got nervous, then the sun decided to make a much welcome appearance and with much relief in total 54 Porkers were on display. Had it not been for the weather to begin with I am sure 70 plus would have been order of the day. It turned out to be Scotland’s biggest gathering of Porsches and the day was a great success and it could well be on the cards for next year also so watch this space. It is now late on in the season and our Autumn weekend away was looming. We visited the Island of Mull off the West Coast of Scotland, a super weekend with great weather and company (see article within this issue).
After our Concours and Barbeque in early August we had a very busy club night the day after. Once again some new faces joined us. I would like to welcome John, who joined TIPEC in June with his 944 S2, and to Tony with his newly acquired 991 Carrera S. Is this the first one in TIPEC? The car park was absolutely teeming with Stuttgart’s finest metal. Here’s the list : A 991 Carrera S, a 996 Turbo S, a 944 Turbo Cabriolet, a 944 S2, 2 x Caymans, 4 x 996 Carreras, a 964 Carrera, a 928, a 987Boxster S and a rather gorgeous silver 911 3.2 Carrera. Thanks to all for making the effort. The following weekend (Sunday 12th) continued the busy August trend with what is now becoming a very popular North West Car event, The German Classic Car Show at Haigh Hall. Once again the organisers had breakfast sorted at a nearby function hall to fuel everybody up before taking to the grounds, and all seemed to proceed with military precision. We had maybe a slightly smaller stand than last year so positioning was even more critical. However it must have stood us in good stead as we won Club Stand of the Day! We had 18 fantastic cars on display ranging from 944s, 928s, Caymans, 3.2 Carreras, 911 Turbo’s, 991 Carrera S…. the list went on. We must have been close to a North West record! My sincere thanks to all who helped out. The following Friday again saw us meeting up for the August ‘Chippy Tea Run’. Southport purveyors of all things fried ‘The Fylde Fish Bar’ was the eatery in question and a first time visit for us. It turned out to be an excellent venue, very smart inside, excellent food and giant onion rings! Again, another good turn out. We rounded up with a few pics in the car park,
All Torque 96 page 25
Pinocchio’s (without doubt the best value eatery in Adenau). Highlights of the five night trip? Debbie doing her first ‘solo’ lap of the ’Ring and coming back grinning like a Cheshire cat, Porsche 918 spotting whilst on development laps, Bob lighting the way with his torch, Andy being impressed by the age of the Porta Nigra in Trier, Diane remembering to bring tea bags with her, Richard managing to drive on the right side of the road for the duration of the trip, Bob purchasing some tarmac (don’t ask), Andy waiting patiently for his pizza, Petra putting up with Bob, Diane meeting Binki the cat, Bob blagging sponsorship stickers, Bob hassling Sabine, Bob running across busy roads for a photo opportunity ...
North West members’ cars lined up for the German Classic Car Show at Haigh Hall in August
with a couple of the staff posing with the cars. We even ended up in the local rag! It was off to Formby in convoy via Southport’s Lord Street for a sherbert before everybody headed home. Another couple of new faces came along to our September meeting. Marc Slater with a very recently acquired gorgeous 993, and, Colin Hammerton in his very tidy 944 Lux Auto. Square dash no less. “The older, the better” was Colin’s prerequisite for his purchase. I can tell you the Dressers car park looks all the better for a bit of variety. Welcome along guys. We had a couple of car shows pencilled in for September but due to terrible weather (that old chestnut again!) they had been cancelled. I don’t know about other regions but my inbox was getting a new e-mail every week from various organisers of shows informing of cancellations. I can only hope this year is a one off. We’ve hardly managed to get to any this year. Quite a run out was undertaken to Hawes on the second Sunday of September. Meeting at our top secret location (well alright McD’s on the A59 at Clitheroe. It’s either that or the Dressers!) We had Ciro (yes my right foot is made of lead!) in his Cayman S, Richard & Dianne in their 997 C2S, Marc in his new baby, the 993 Colin in his 944, Simon and his son Lewis in his (soon to be sold—read on) 996 C4, Stephen & Jackie in the loudest 964 going, yours truly in the other little croc and Greame (this years’ concours winner) on his two wheeled steed. There was a 997 Turbo driver taking a coffee break at the aforementioned burger establishment that we tried to rope in, but he had to head the other way. A steady run headed to Gisburn before taking a left to Settle and joining the back of the queue behind the usual country traffic, tractors, horse boxes and the like. The next land mark was Horton-in-Ribblesdale where things thinned out a bit and we could stretch the cars’ legs. The Cayman pairing headed out to the front of the pack and showed these rear engine boy’s what mid-engined agility is all about. A quick photo stop at the Ribblehead Viaduct was taken before taking on the epic road to Hawes. If you have
never driven this road before you simply must. There are swoops, crests, switchbacks and something resembling the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca. After what seemed like a fair old workout we arrived at Hawes which is a bit of a biker’s Mecca. Once parked and weaving in and out of hairy creatures dressed in leather we had a top breakfast at the Penny Garth Cafe before hitting the road again and heading off to the fabled ‘Buttertubs Pass’ and finishing up for a Coke at the Tan Hill Inn—England’s highest pub. Ciro and Stephen swapped cars for a while to have a bit of a sample of how the other half lives and compared notes at the pub. Or maybe just went to give their babies a cuddle for getting there in one piece! Refreshed once again it was back down towards Kirby Lonsdale and onto Lancaster on the back roads with Colin ably displaying that a 944 Auto in the right hands is still a quick machine. Underestimate these front engined dark horses at your peril! A top run out with great company. Everyone went home happy. The weekend after saw a group head over to the ’ring. ARO Richard Sholl and his wife Dianne are quite the ring veterens now so we usually rely on them to ensure things go smoothly he writes: The small hours of Friday 14th of September saw six of our ‘regulars’ boarding a ferry from Dover to Dunkirk for their now annual Nürburgring pilgrimage. Those present were Bob and Petra in their 911 Carrera 3.2, Debbie and Andy in their 996 Turbo S and Richard and Diane in their 997 Carrera S. Richard and Diane went without sleep and drove down after work on Thursday for the 2am ferry whilst the others sampled the pillows at the Dover Premier Inn on Thursday evening to catch the 4am ferry on Friday. Arriving in France, Richard and Diane loped down to Aachen in Germany for lunch, whilst Bob, Petra, Debbie and Andy went to visit the old Grand Prix buildings at Reims. Once back on the road they struggled to make good progress into Germany until they realised that their sat-nav was set to ‘avoid motorways’ ... Upon arrival in Adenau everyone booked in to the Ringvilla Hotel (second visit to this recommended establishment) and then went off for tea at
If you’ve never been to the ’Ring, you don’t know what you’re missing. If you’ve never driven your Porsche along the Mosel Valley from Cochem to Trier in the September sunshine you’re missing that too. If you’ve not been on a TIPEC NW European Tour I’m sure you’ve missed something else entirely. Think about it for next year—all welcome! The October meeting (Monday 1st) was a little down numbers but I think this is how it goes sometimes. We can’t complain as we’ve had some great turnouts this year. Maybe it was just work etc. If you haven’t been before though get yourself down, we’d love to see you. The following Friday we had a Scalextric night which had been absent from our calendar for a few years. This was held had Richard & Dianne’s. I’ll hand over to Richard for the report: Another night of rain, rain and more rain. Another successful TIPEC North West event! A few missing faces due to work commitments and ill health, but those who attended appeared to enjoy an evening of high speed crashes, low speed crashes, medium speed crashes and so on ... Ian was kind enough to bring more slot cars than I could shake a stick at (plus a packet of custard cream biscuits—so he’s welcome to come again). Simon parked his new 996TT on my drive, which seemed to impress the neighbours, and then went on to achieve ‘fastest lap of the evening’ on-track. Greame helped out as teaboy, whilst Dave ‘I don’t slow down for corners’ Hallet didn’t slow down for any corners! Brian came along in what he described as a ‘life-size Scalextric car’; a Nissan Leaf, and was kind enough to demonstrate its all-electric performance to us all, up and down the road. Thanks for coming along folks. Well that’s about it for now. We still have a few things planned for the rest of the year of which you will see at the bottom of the page. Also by the time you read this we will have had another run out towards the end of October. This time we are heading to the Trough of Bowland with a lunch afterwards. The annual quiz will have been and gone, and also a visit to the Lakeland Motor Museum is planned for Sunday the 11th November. We may have been on this by the time this mag lands on your doorstep so a report will follow next time. We have the Christmas Do at the ‘Inn On The Prom’, St Annes (Friday 14th December). The cost is £65 per person including accommodation with a four course meal and entertainment. Boutique rooms are £20 per person more. Please hurry to reserve your place as the party nights at this venue are very popular. Full details will be on the North West Pages of the website as well as my emails. There may still be time to get your name down if you are quick.
And finally we return to ‘Car of the Month’
Simon Kendal’s 996 Turbo (photo ©RSJ Sports Cars)
The Rauh-Welt monster at Specialist Cars of Malton
A hardcore BAC Mono at Malton
The Judd-engined Minardi, started up and revved
Exotica of every kind lines the industrial estate
This time we highlight the very recent acquisition of recently joined Simon Kendal. Simon Picked up this lovely 996 Turbo in early October and is totally smitten. You may recall that I mentioned earlier in the report that Simon was soon to sell his 996 C4, again a fairly recent purchase, after he declared the Caymans were too quick on our recent run out, and he wasn’t having any of it! Simon has thrown himself enthusiastically into everything that’s been on the calendar since he joined and we are always pleased to see him at our meetings. Simon has enrolled himself into a bit of an unofficial 996 Turbo owners club within our region. We got four of the damn things now, all purchased within the last few months. It seems like it’s becoming a bit of a pre-requisite within the North West camp! Your car is lovely Simon I’m sure you’ll be chuffed to bits with it. Well done. Just before I sign off, a few members in our region have already signed up for the TIPEC Trackday at Blyton Park near Doncaster. This is on Saturday the 20th April 2013. I think a few more from our region will be signed up as you read this so come and join us for what will surely be a great day. Full details are on the TIPEC website. Here are the dates for what’s on in the last bit of 2012: November 11th (Sunday) Lakeland Motor Museum. A lovely, slightly quirky, museum. Well worth seeing. December 3rd (Monday) Club Night December 14th (Friday) Christmas do at Inn On The Prom, St Annes. A get together over the Christmas holidays may be planned as well.
North East RO wanted! ARO Andy Blythe 01642 809 031 ac.blythe@mbro.ac.uk Meetings are held first Sunday of every month 7:30pm at The Sporting Lodge, Low Lane, Stainton Village, Cleveland, TS17 9LW, just off the A19. In June and July we are meeting on the SECOND Sunday of the month. The North East club year draws to an end and the guys from the club have had a few last runs out in their pride and joy. The first trip was out to a new even at the Terry Dickens industrial estate. The event was well attended and there were many unusual cars to see. Terry had positioned one of his ex-works Ford RS200s next to a friend of mine’s Metro 6R4. The pair of group B rally cars looked great together, and even though Ken Hall still campaigns the 6R4 in local sports saloon racing it is kept in good condition. I personally never knew Terry and unfortunately he passed away just recently. I am sure he will be missed. Trip out two was a run to the Saltbern hill climb. This even is a non -timed event allowing it to take place on a closed public road. As is often the case the a little rain was sprinkled on the event. The vintage cars and bikes chugged up the hill dropping oil and bellowing smoke as they went—a finer sight is hard to find on a Sunday afternoon on the North East coast.
Finally, and with my car tucked up for the winter, we took the trip to Malton cars for the big breakfast. What can you say about the supercar Sunday meets at Malton this year? I took over 200 photos again. Where do you start? The Carrera GTs ,Ultima, Lambo, The 458, MP4s or the low mileage 959 ’80s supercar. Then there was that road legal F1 car that was on Top Gear—the one that caught fire and has almost killed every one who has one ... by the way the owner was selling it because it had broken down five times and he’s only owned it three weeks. Then the Rauh-Welt came rumbling down the road. It’s the first time I’ve seen one in the flesh and they look every bit as nasty as his creations do on YouTube. Myself and John hung around to see the F1 bark into life for 40 seconds and it was worth the wait—I love the sound of an F1 car at 16,000 rpm even when is sat still under no load. Its an old Judd powered Minardi and when the cover came off it was heartwarming to see an engine where, as an automotive engineer, I could recognise all the technology under the engine cover and better yet it was fired up with a starter and not a laptop in sight. As one of our friends left it was mentioned that Jaguar had a club track day at Croft and the day was only half done ... so a trip over to a damp Croft circuit saw a few Jags and the TR club running round with a very professionally built C type. Events left this year: Classic car show, NEC
Yorkshire RO wanted Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month 7:30pm at The Arabian Horse, Main Street, Aberford, LS25 3AA (Tel 0113 281 3312). The Arabian Horse is situated just off the A1/A64. RO and ARO required, to host monthly meetings at a local pub/hotel with support from the members and the committee and to attend/organise local events.
One of the fines and rare vehicles on show was a beautiful Lea Francis. This was the cabriolet version however the owner also owns a coupé and is currently planning the restoration of a Aston styled alloy-bodied racing special. With only seven of these cars still in existence it’s a pleasure to see one of these pieces of automotive art on the road and not in a glass box.
Autosport Race Car show, NEC Club Christmas curry night
Cheshire & Staffs RO & ARO wanted!
With the growth of the café racer seen seeing the AJS, Triton and Gold Stars go up the hill was a treat I will look forward to next year. The organisers are in talks to make it a timed event in the future.
Meetings are held third Tuesday of every month 8pm at The Whipping Stocks, Stocks Lane, Over Peover, Knutsford, WA16 9EX.
All Torque 96 page 27
Gruppe Central
The ‘Panamericana’ concept car at Stuttgart
An incredibly rare Porsche GT1
Jackie Ickx’s twin-turbo 928 engine, modified for his boat!
North London & Herts RO Vince Dallimore vinced@ic24.net ARO Peter Musk P.HMusk@BTinternet.com Informal meetings are held twice monthly: First Sunday of every month from 10:30am at The Goat Inn, Vicarage Causeway, Hertford Heath (Nr. Hertford), Herts SG13 7RT and last Monday of the month from 18:00pm at Ace Café London, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London NW10 7UD. We now have two regular monthly events at which to meet and chat: The 1st Sunday of the month at The Goat Inn (this is an informal classic and custom car meeting) and on the last Monday of the month from 18.00pm at the Ace Cafe, London. This is a Porsche only night, organised by The Ace and attended by TIPEC and PCGB members as well as casual visitors. Parking is reserved for Porsches and is arranged on a first come basis.
The Porsche Museum in Stuttgart
We'll keep an eye out for other interesting events, but do let us know if you have any suggestions.
East Midlands
I’m pleased to note that Peter Musk is now helping me with promoting the North London and Herts region and has some ideas for occasional ‘drive it’ events to complement our fixed calendar meetings.
New RO & ARO wanted urgently! Regional Co-ordinator Graham Waller graham.waller@wfhowes.co.uk
If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to put them forward for discussion. With a fairly large region, we’re conscious that The Goat and the Ace Café meetings may not be convenient for all members. A warm welcome to new members; Jakov, Joy, Simon, Luke, Stephane, Katie, David, Chris and Geoffrey, who have all joined since the last edition of All Torque, Peter and I look forward to meeting you soon.
Meetings are held third Tuesday of every month 7pm for food (meeting proper begins 8:00pm) at The Field Head Hotel, Markfield Lane, Markfield, Leicestershire LE67 9PS. I will be stepping down from TIPEC responsibilities in the New Year, so welcome to my final missive. It’s Christmas time. I am looking forward to it myself but having laid my Pork up for the Winter months, have nothing quite as exciting to drive. However, there are still some chin wags and beers to have!
As part of our summer holiday Helen and I visited the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, giving the 928 a serious run to its birthplace! The Museum is very well set up and if you have the time to read all the interactive displays as well as looking at the cars, you’ll need a whole day! My favourite display item was a specially prepared 928S4 V8. Apparently Jackie Ickx wanted a high powered motor for his power boat, the result, a twin turbo modification lifting the power output from 325Bhp to 750Bhp, it looked great, see the photos. Of course I took lots of photos whilst wandering the Museum, far too many to be included here!
Chris Evans, host of CarFest
Monday 26th November Club night at the ACE Cafe Sunday 2nd December Club morning at The Goat Monday 31st December Club night at the ACE Cafe
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at CarFest
We went to the Prescott Revival in August. Had a very nice evening meal in their club house overlooking the track, and the following day some of the club members got some exciting and inexpensive runs up that famous hill. One sure dampener though—the weather. Not the best, especially in the morning, but it did clear up enough in the afternoon, so those of you who went early—never mind! Some of us went to the family festival that is Shackerstone and again an excellent event. Cheap (£0.00 + beer tent money), and lots to see and do including birds of prey, flypasts, lawnmower racing, steam engines, narrow boats, sheep racing, children’s fair, and many stalls plus of course the obvious—cars. I went to CarFest, Chris Evan’s inaugural attempt at a festival with cars, food and music. I only managed the one day and fortunately for me missed the quagmire that was Saturday. Sunday was much more pleasant, and very much t-shirt weather. Chris had his ‘Magnificent 7’ Ferraris running up the hill on Jody Scheckter’s farm. He also commandeered many other ‘Magnificent 7s’ including supercars (Lamborghini, Bentley, Noble), £1m cars (Veyron, McClaren F1, Zonda) and unusual (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, banana sofa, clown car). Others included Nick Mason’s collection, Group B, Vintage, Gorgeous, Historic, and others. There was a big top arena for kids, welly wanging, loads (and loads) of air displays (Battle of Britain, Black Hawks, Red Arrows, Vulcan, etc, etc, etc—way too many to mention) and a food area with lots of local foods. On stage we had TWUNT, Bootleg Beatles, Razorlight, The Magic Numbers and Pies vs Cakes (which was a draw). Fantastic event, well worth the money, and all to Children in Need. CarFest North, much the same as CarFest South I should imagine, but second. I didn’t go to that one as I’d already purchased my tickets for the South with stopover.
Some of us attended this year’s WotY (Weekend of the Year) in Bristol. We met on the Friday for a few beers, decided we couldn’t be bothered to change for dinner so carried on drinking and ordered food. Saturday saw us meet up with a couple of Bristol members for a trip out into the Southern Cotswolds, into Chipping Sodbury where we decided we couldn’t park (the weather was too nice this time!) so went straight off to Cribb’s Causeway for some retail therapy (well, the women hit the credit cards). On the way back, a visitation to the West coast to take in the view of both Severn bridges, then back for a change and evening meal. Paul (Bird, WotY organiser) had booked an hour or so to visit the SS Great Britain on the Sunday. This is close to my heart as my Great Grand Aunt emigrated to Australia on board this ship—the biggest in the World at the time. Well Paul, you got your timings wrong—one hour was not enough for such a fascinating ship. We spent so much time in there, truly enlightening and wonderfully re-constructed. A quick coffee overlooking the Clifton suspension bridge, then unfortunately, time for home. I love the WotY, it’s such a relaxing time with great, great friends. Roll on next year! And thank you very much Paul. The next events to look forward to are the NEC Classic Car show (which will be just around the corner by the time this hits your mats) and the Not The Boxing Day Drive. Unfortunately, I have had to cancel the Christmas meal due to lack of response and I have had to move the NTBDD to the Sunday to accommodate working individuals (PLEASE NOTE). Although we are an active region, there is still a requirement for a Regional Organiser and Assistant Regional Organiser. Next year I am embarking on a study period so will be very much unable to carry on in the capacity I am in at the moment. Should anyone want to put their name forward, please do so or I fear the worst for the region. I have
enjoyed my four years, and will certainly remain active and attend as many events as I am able, but unfortunately my career must take a priority every so often. Thank you for the good times. Here are the remaining 2012 events: November 16–18th (Friday–Sunday) NEC Classic car show at Birmingham’s NEC November 19th (Tuesday) Club night December 17th (Tuesday) Club night December 30th (Sunday) Not the Boxing Day Drive A run out in the winter countryside NOTE THE CHANGE OF DATE! Up to date information for many events can be found on the forum. Please visit it regularly to keep informed, and if you have any technical or mechanical questions, it’s a good place to fire them out to the community, or check if someone else has already had a similar issue. They surely have! Feel free to pop along to club night where you will be made to feel most welcome, and have a meal and a pint and chat about all things Porsche, or not, whatever takes you fancy. If you want to attend any of the events listed, then please contact the Regional Coordinator who will put you in touch with the relevant event organiser. Please don’t forget you can renew your membership online at www.tipec.net With a two year deal of £50, it must be one of the best value car clubs in the country. Please also let me know if you have changed/are changing you email address or your residence. This is essential to keep the database up to date, and to ensure continuity in the delivery of your All Torque magazines. You can let me know, or direct to Lee Reader (membership manager on membership@tipec.net).
The Clifton Suspension Bridge
Chris Evans in his 1963 250 GTO at CarFest South
Visiting the SS Great Britain on the WotY
All Torque 96 page 29
Central RO Paul Bird 01922 428 409 07831 877 983 (mobile) paulpsb928@yahoo.co.uk ARO Brian Rowledge MyMerak@aol.com Meetings are held second Monday of every month 7:30pm onwards at Westmead Hotel, Redditch Road, Hopwood, Birmingham B48 7AT. Well another year has come and gone in a flash and it’s going to be all change from the start of 2013! If you haven’t already heard it’s my painful duty to tell you that I am standing down as RO from the end of December. I have run the region for over six years during which we have averaged over thirty events a year (including club nights) but I think it’s time to step aside and let someone else take over from the start of 2013. I am staying with the club as Treasurer and hope to continue to enjoy Central region events next year and beyond but the task of RO will have to be with someone else from 1st January. I hope that someone will step into the role and I will do everything I can to help the incoming RO. If you think you might be interested it’s worth bearing in mind that I am leaving a skeleton of events that can easily be used as the basis of a 2013 schedule and the club will hopefully enjoy a very buoyant year in 2013 as we celebrate our 20th anniversary. In other words it’s a good time to take on the job so if you want to know more please give me a ring for a confidential chat. As the last edition of All Torque went to press we received the tragic news of the death of Graham Kirk. Graham had succumbed to a long term illness. He was both a stalwart of the club and an inspirational member. In spite of his illness he was very supportive of other members and had an encyclopaedic knowledge of cars having worked in the motor industry throughout his life. He was one of Lofty England’s young apprentices working on the E type and XJS Jaguars. Attending his ‘Celebration of Life’ Service were both his Porsches and a large cross section of members from TIPEC and PCGB, all driving Porsches, just as he would have wished. He will be missed by us all. Looking back at events in 2012 it’s been a difficult year with so many events rained off but in August we had a couple of slots left in the diary that I was hoping would be kind to us. The first was our second trip of the year to Curborough on 22nd for our annual Sprint Day. We had already had a great day out at the circuit back in May with the Marcos club but returned for our own dedicated sprint day before the summer came to an end. Typically, a family matter arose for me which meant I had to drop out—a big disappointment considering the time I had spent trying to get the 924 ready for the event. The day went ahead with Brian at the helm assisted by Paul Foster (Foz) and a great day was had by all blasting around the tight circuit, finding out lots about their driving skills and the handling characteristics of their cars. If there is a better value trackday event out there please book me a place!
Curborough Sprint Day ... is this the best value trackday in the UK?
Bank holiday Monday we were booked to attend Pershore Plum Festival, a really different event with so much to do that everyone wanted to go back after our first attendance in 2011. Yet again I was scuppered at the last minute as Dad ended up in hospital over the weekend and I was forced to cancel. Many thanks to Lindsay who stood in as host for me at Pershore.
Bristol
Yet again I had lots of feedback after the weekend from people that attended and really enjoyed the variety of things going on around the town. If you want something different to do next August bank holiday check it out!
Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month 8pm at The Fox, Easter Compton, BS35 5RA, one mile West of M5 J17 (Cribbs Causeway).
The final ‘summer’ show of the year was a Classic Car Show at Himley Hall on the first Sunday of September and, after the wettest summer for 100 years, it was only fitting that it rained heavily the night before and was drizzling when I got up on Sunday morning! Because of the weather nobody showed up at the meet up point but I took a drive over to Himley to see what was going on.
RO Sue Simmons sue.simmons1@gmail.com ARO Mick Simmons 07793 905 918 (mobile) mjs019@gmail.com
December 4th (Tuesday) Monthly meeting at The Fox December 16th (Sunday) TIPEC BRISTOL XMAS LUNCH at The Alveston House Hotel (names asap please)
Anglia
The ground was very wet and quite muddy where cars entering the show had churned up the ground. John and Roz Persaud turned up shortly after and their Cayman S sat alongside the 928 for a couple of hours whilst we had a look around the show.
RO Trevor Read 01473 684 876 trevor.read@malcolmandrew.com ARO Colin Clarke 01284 706 247
With my Dad still poorly, Roz’s mum in hospital and the weather poor we decided to call it a day and left the show early to go and do family duties. A rather sorry end to the season I thought.
Meetings are held fourth Tuesday of each month from 7pm at The Bunbury Arms, Ixworth Road, Great Barton, Suffolk IP31 2NX. www.nextnorth.com/bunbury/findus.htm
By the time you read this the NEC Classic will be over and Christmas will be upon us. My final official duty as RO will be the Christmas meal at the Westmead on the second Monday in December. Please come along and see out the year with friends.
South Central
November 16–18th (Friday–Sunday) Classic Show at the NEC December 10th (Monday) Christmas Dinner andClub Night at the Westmead
RO Pete Garrett 07804 030 695 (mobile) garrett-peter@sky.com Meetings are held from 9:30 am on the first Sunday of every month at The Red Lion, Evenley, Nr Brackley, Northants NN13 5SH and on the fourth Monday of the month at The Old Talbot, Potterspury NN12 7QD from 19:15 to 22:00
Dean accepting second place for his RS replica
Judith won first place in the SYNN concours for her immaculate 944
South Yorkshire & North Notts. RO Dave Warren 07952 065 543 (mobile) dave.warren1401gmail.com ARO Dean Lancashire 07860 198 627 (mobile) dean@tachart.com Meetings are held first Sunday of every month 5–5:30pm (meeting proper begins 7pm) at Ye Olde Bell Hotel, Barnby Moor, Retford, Notts, DN22 8QS During September & October the TIPEC/SYNN calendar was still active despite the cold weather looming and the season winding down. We did have the SYNN concurs on Sunday 19th August which was a huge success. Mick Charlesworth brought along his home made speed camera, which we all took turns to throw plastic pigs at in order for it to go off! Great fun! The weather was kind to us which gave us a last chance to polish our cars before judging began. We all had a judging sheet and then the final vote/decider was given to our guest judge, John from PE Cars, Barnsley. It was a nail biter!
In September we attended Cannon Hall classic show in Barnsley, which was a great day with plenty of cars on show. The show is beginning to be popular with the region and I’m sure will be present on the calendar next year too. We even had a surprise visit from our old RO Trig and his lovely wife, Pat. Lovely to see them both again. We also attended the Harley Classic show, near Rotherham. A first for us and we were very presently surprised at the number of cars there. A nice show, pity about the Siberian weather that descended on us! A return visit next year I'm sure. October We have the annual WOTY 5th, 6th & 7th of October (which will have taken place by the time this goes to print) to the Cotswolds/Bristol area. I’m not too sure of all the details as this is organised by Mick Charlesworth and the details are more heavily guarded than the queens jewels! Full details next issue.
Geoff taking third for his 911 SC
On 13th October we are travelling across the border into Lancashire to visit Porschapart in Bury. This promises to be a cracking day with free coffee, tea and bacon butties at the venue! What more do you want? 14th October is a visit to Malton cars for the Yorkshire big breakfast. A regular with lots of regions and clubs. The best car show you will ever go to and it’s not even a show! Ferraris, Porsche, Lamborghini, they are all there in their glory. Then we move into the Christmas period with our annual party at Ye Olde Bell on the 15th. A lovely night and not to be missed. That's all for 2012! All the best and come along to see us in 2013 to see what we are about! All welcome. Regular emails, meeting notes and website updates were all part of 2012 and moving forward will be in 2013, so you have no excuse! All the best to all TIPEC & SYNN members. We hope to see you soon. (www.synd.org.uk)
3rd Place was Geoff with his super 911 SC, a real credit to you Geoff. 2nd place was our very own ARO, Dean with his fantastic RS Replica. A cracking car! 1stb place and well deserved was ... Judith with her fabulous 944. Judith has worked really hard to keep her 944 in tip top condition and it was a pleasure to announce her (and the car) as the winner. Judith prides herself as always attending to any issues with her 944, no matter what. She is a regular at all the meetings and events and it’s nice to see that all the people present were as impressed with her car as we are. Well done Judith. Prizes were donated by Porsche Sheffield, Ye Olde Bell, TIPEC, PE Cars and the region themselves.
Judith’s green 944 took top honours at Charlesworth in August
All Torque 96 page 31
Gruppe South South East RO Derek Flanagan 01342 717 754 07767 254 820 (mobile) derek.flanagan@btconnect.com Meetings are held second Wednesday of every month 8pm at The Bolney Stage, London Road, Bolney RH17 5RL, just off the A23, 10 miles south of Crawley. For those of you who haven’t made it along to a monthly meet yet, we always welcome new members and prospective members. Come and see if you like us, we’re a friendly bunch no matter what model of Porker you own or desire and you will be guaranteed to receive a hearty welcome and make some new friends. You also have the opportunity of winning our own regional lotto with all SE Region members going into the hat each month, but you have to be at the meeting to win if your name is drawn out. Club Members James Garrard took delivery of his new acquisition—a highly modified 911 3.2L narrow bodied 1989 Targa Turbo S with a complete OES Intake system, turbo, intercooler and cams with a 934 Design exhaust system in stainless steel and Inconel. This 380 bhp beast was featured in the October issue of Total 911.
South east TIPEC region members’ cars at the Capel Classic Car Show
Whilst this looks like a modified Lotus Elan, its actually a purpose built amphibious car built by Gibbs Aquada UK Ltd. This car is capable of speeds of 30 mph/26 knots on water and 100 mph on land. It was used by Richard Branson in 2004 to break the Channel crossing record. Branson cut four hours 20 minutes off the previous record of six hours, which had stood since the late 1960s. The officially recorded time was one hour 40 minutes and six seconds.
Cornwall & Devon RO wanted Meetings are held third Sunday of every month 12:00–2:30pm at The Winds of Change, South Petherwin, Near Launceston, Cornwall, PL15 7LP. RO and ARO required, to host monthly meetings with support from the members and the committee.
Annual Boat Trip Sunday 26th August Capel Classic Car Show Every year we park our Porsches up for a day and go onto a narrowboat on the canals travelling at the relaxing speed of five mph enjoying the rippling water and a slower pace of life, leaving the rush of driving on busy congested roads behind us as we take in the beauty of the surrounding scenery that can only be seen from the waterways. This year we decided to go boating on the river Thames starting from the marina base at Datchet (near Windsor Castle) and went upstream to Maidenhead with some fantastic riverside homes along the river and mooring spots for a picnic. We hired a 10 seater and eight seater self drive motor boat. We were rather surprised to see one car owner actually take his car onto the river Thames!
There must have been a record 60 Porsches at this year’s show as PCGB were also attending. Although American cars were this year’s featured marque, they were out numberd by Porsches. We were lucky with the weather and had a great turn out from TIPEC SE Region cars including Dan’s Chesil 356 which was the most admired Porsche at the Show. It was also the hottest day of the year. SE Region Diary Dates November 16–18th (Friday–Sunday) NEC Classic Car Show December 14th (Wednesday) Club Night & Christmas dinner
Thames Valley RO Craig Moore 07748 733 000 (mobile) craigwmoore@btinternet.com ARO Jason Gibson 07958 459 725 (mobile) jasongibson@blueyonder.co.uk Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month 7:00pm at The Novello, Bath Rd, Littlewick Green, Maidenhead, SL6 3RX. December 4th (Tuesday) Club night and Christmas dinner at the Novello
Wessex RO Pete Blackler 07779 203 278 (mobile) peter@blackler7827.fsnet.co.uk Meetings are held third Thursday of every month from 8:15pm at The Bucks Head, Meonstoke, Hampshire SO32 3NA. www.thebuckshead.co.uk
The Gibbs Aquada amphibious car
James Garrard’s new (and very fast) Targa Turbo
The Bucks Head is just off the A32. Meonstoke lies just North of Fareham, only 15 mins from the M3.
Southern RO Steve Wagg 0124 337 3159 truefaith.wagg@gmail.com ARO Jim Tarrant 0120 260 1886 jim.tarrant@hotblack944.fsnet.co.uk Meetings are held first Tuesday of every month from 7:30pm at The Angel, 188 Ringwood Rd, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 9AP August and September have been busy and exciting for the Southern region. We started our August events at the Wilton House Supercar Day on the fifth. After a very pleasant drive up from Ringwood in bright sunshine, we arrived, parked and took in the scene of many hundreds of cars already at the show. The grounds Of Wilton House situated just outside Salisbury , Wiltshire providea superb setting for this stunning display of over 200 supercars, which would be very hard to better anywhere in the UK. The event is hosted by Lord Pembroke, a keen enthusiast whose own Bugatti Veyron is one of the many supercars displayed. For some of the Southern region this was the second year at the Wilton House show, which is thoroughly recommended and will feature on our groups events list for 2013, when the organisers plan to celebrate the centenary of that iconic marque, the Aston Martin, which will no doubt highlight an excellent display of vehicles for all to enjoy On the 12th we ran our BBQ at Anderwood in the New Forest, which was a huge success as usual, fortunately the weather was kind and with 31 cars and 66 people attendingit certainly kept the cooks busy! It wasgood to see many old friends enjoying themselves in the sunshine. Mick Best from TIPEC Wessex was the worthy winner of the Pride of Ownership award, generously donated by R26 of the PCGB.
Keith Ahler’s Morgan Plus 8, raced in the Morgan Challenge
Leon’s Ruf CTR-3 at the Wilton House supercar day
The event raised over £300 for Julia’s House, children’s hospice, made possible from proceeds from the BBQ and the raffle. We thank our many sponsors who provided ingredients for the grill and prizes for the raffle. Bank Holiday Monday, the 27th August, saw members drive in convoy to Castle Combe Race Circuit for the Sportscar Race day, featuring two races from a round of the Porsche Club Championship and eight other support races. After parking in the TIPEC designated car park and meeting up with Sue and Mick Simmons, and other TIPEC Bristol members, we made our way to the paddock area in the pouring rain! After a pleasant and welcome coffee in the PCGB hospitality unit, the rain had stopped and we were able to have a relaxed wander round the paddock taking in the atmosphere unique to club motor racing events. As we had arrived at the meeting mid-morning we were able to enjoy the qualifying, have a very pleasant lunch, and be ready for the excitement of the racing. The weather had now changed from dry to showery, making life difficult for competitors, unsure of tyre choice, pressures etc. The racing was eventful with races starting on a wet track, then developing a dry line, then back to wet, with standing water! The Porsche Club with Michelin races were as interesting as ever, with the usual suspects heading the results sheet. Good to see a couple of Boxters breaking into these events, but they are no match for the sheer traction available to a well driven 911 in the wet, awesome! The other races were also very enjoyable and extremely competitive, except in the Aero Racing Morgan Challenge series, where Keith Ahlers in Plus 8 No 29 seemed to be able to drive away from the field! Fab stuff! A really great days racing culminating in the magic of two Ferrari 458’s circulating at speeds which seemed impossible with standing water on the track! Thanks, Sue and Mick Simmons, for sorting the Parking etc. We will be back! The eighth of September saw members of the Southern Region drive in bright sunshine, in convoy, to Thruxton Motor circuit for the annual MG Car Club Race meeting. With scrutineering starting at 08:00 through to 10:45 including practice sessions for each of the nine races of the day averaging 15 Mins. Thruxton circuit, covering a distance of 2.356 miles, is considered to be the fastest track in the UK. It proves to be both very challenging for drivers and entertaining for spectators. We had taken up position at the club chicane part of the track giving a good view of the start/finish to our left and the tight chicane to our right. With the weather conditions near to perfect providing a superb day of very close fast racing in a variety of classes with speeds being recorded in excess of 150 mph. This was an exceptionally well run event staged by the MG Car club, and apart from the MGAs, MGBs, GTs etc. there was close racing also with Morgan Plus 4, Plus 8, Aeros, etc. Support races included entries from owners of an AC Bristol Ace, several Lancias, Aston Martins, evocative Jags including D and E types to Lotus Elites, Triumph TR4s and 6s, TVRs and a very rare MG Maestro EFI! A very enjoyable days racing at a friendly and relaxed meeting, thoroughly recommended for those of you who may be interested in attending next year’s event. We would like to thank Steve Carr of the MGCC for inviting us,
and arranging preferential tickets and parking. We will as a region be arranging race days such as this next year, coupled with frequent car based social events, which we hope will cater to the interests of our members and their ‘better halves’. Naturally we extend an invitation to any TIPEC members who may wish to attend our events, or indeed non-members who fancy coming along. In either case contact Steve Wagg or Jim Tarrant. December 4th (Tuesday) Club night at the Angel Longham December 11th (Tuesday) Christmas dinner Party, East Close Hotel, Hinton, Nr Christchurch. Details on the website, or call Steve Wagg or Jim Tarrant on their numbers above.
South East London & North Kent RO Jim Hearnden 01634 869 658 07930 353 232 (mobile) tr7v8@phaetonconsulting.co.uk ARO Paul Greer 07799 412 870 (mobile) prgreer@blueyonder.co.uk Meetings are held first Friday of every month 7:30pm at The Harrow, Maidstone Road, Hadlow TN11 0HP. Tel 01732 850 386 (Google: http://g.co/maps/x7hck) The Harrow is pretty easy to get to, about 15–20 minutes from J4 M20 and has a massive car park as well as being large inside. Partners are more than welcome and it is not all car chat. The venue does great, reasonably priced food so if you do not want to cook, you can have a meal before the meeting starts. We now have 48 people on the SELNK list and a lot of these Paul & I have never met. It would be great to see some of you in the forthcoming few months. October was a great meeting with 12 people including two new members. A lively discussion covering a large number of subjects not all related to motoring let alone Porsches! We recently enjoyed a trip to the Hornby museum, with a great turn out starting from Maidstone services and an interesting drive down the M20 and then some interesting countryside. I managed to negotiate a group discount for everyone which was good. We then toured the museum for over an hour, reminiscing about trains/Scalextric and Airfix we’d had in our youth ... some saying they still had some in the loft. After snacks in the cafe we made our move to leave and found there was a classic car rally parked up outside with 50 or so cars outside. Some lovely classics including a 924 and a lovely 968 were lined up outside. December 7th (Friday) Club Night December 8th (Saturday) Xmas Dinner at The Harrow, names ASAP to Jim
All Torque 96 page 33
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JMgarage: Typically the torque tube bearings It may be noisy for months, years or can be noisey for a long time before they thousands of miles, but it is worth knowing will fail completely, and because they are it needs doing and being prepared to change scam75: I am pretty sure my torque tube is mounted in rubber/composite housings, if it, often the best time is at the same time as needing a refurb. You can hear it rumbling at they seize they will just spin in the housings a clutch. idle, a bit more noticeable after a good run. rather than cause a massive issue or breakdown. Typically it will be one which is scam75: Thanks Jon, you have put my mind The noise goes away when clutch is dipped. noisy, which means if it fails and spins in the at rest. Pity it was quiet when the clutch got I have ruled out the clutch release bearing housing, the other bearings will still keep the done! .UK ECKO.CO WW.LIMEG as it was replaced when the clutch was done tube supported. So, don't panic right SIT Waway. VI SE EA ODUCTS LABLE PL VIEW PR URS AVAI about 20k miles ago with a genuine sachs kit. Having just E had my engine and turbo rebuilt RE COLO TIPEC TO O M EN AVAILABL Y TH AN M SHOP N’S SIZES DREbe CHIL ON CLU Typically aB good rebuilt torque tube will I won't go rushing out to have it done, like D AN S CLICK IE D MENS, LA IONS. you R OPT£500, Am I needing to get this sorted quickly or am Uabout can do it yourself, and buy you say, it's on the to do list and it will give AND COLO I quite safe to carry on with it for the time the bearings from a bearing manufacturer by me time to pick one up and have it refurbed being? What are the likely issues, if any, I mayLimeinspecting ones in Drive there, just need ready Gecko Limited -the Unit 9b Princes Ind you Est - Coventry Road - Kenilworth - CV8 for 2FD install. Email: info@limegecko.co.uk 01926 Visit: www.limegecko.co.uk face other than a rumble at idle? to be really careful to makeCall: sure it is859370 all put together exactly to the right dimensions, PaulSmith: RGA Porsche supply reconditioned You can only really hear it when the door is otherwise you could put additional load on the Torque Tubes for about £200 exchange. open. the rumble seems to subside when the crank thrust bearing or the transmission shaft engine is revved. if it is not right and you force it into place. JMgarage: Bargain price! ion for illustrat Images are
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