.
2011 Longhorn Region Leadership
Jack Merrell
President
830-303-3640
Bob Lundin
Vice President
president@longhornpca.org
Jim Hamilton
Treasurer
210-545-0904
vp@longhornpca.org
Steve Greentree
210-326-0049
treasurer@longhornpca.org
Secretary/Webmaster
210-775-6083
webmaster@longhornpca.org
Ron McAtee
210-654-6639
Past President
membership@longhornpca.org
Membership/Goodie Store
Jack Merrell
Steve Farnham
Autocross Chairman
830-303-3640
Roundup Editor
512-828-7132
motor_sports@longhornpca.org
editor@longhornpca.org
Positions Available
MotorSport Chair
Christmas Party 2012
Safety
Weekend Drives
Rallies
Picnics
Only your imagination limits
what we can do!
3
November/December 2011
Volume 4 - Issue 6
2 Porsche Center
3 Longhorn Leadership
4 Index/Advertiser’s Index
5 Jack’s Corner
Event 2011 Schedule of Events (Tentative)
Please check our website for changes/updates
Lies & Fries. Every Wednesday at 11:45 am racing
folks meet at Houlihan's Restaurant located on the
frontage road just East of Blanco Road and Loop 1604.
6 PCA Anniversaries
7 Membership Report
7 Longhorn Reckonings
8 News and Notes
9 Goodie Store
10 My Boxster S
Dinner Meetings. Monthly Dinner Meetings are held
the first Thursday of every month at select locations in
the four quadrants of the Longhorn Region.
Advertising Rates for 2011
Full page
$750/yr
½ page
$400/yr
¼ page
$200/yr
Back cover
$750/yr
13 Rennsport Reunion IV
16 Motor Sport News
17 Jones AutoWerks
18 Tribute to Ron Shade
19 Trailer
20 Boxster Sport Exhaust
24 Race Car Classic
25 H2R
26 Pebble Beach Trip
28 Track Orientation
29 October Autocross
Advertiser’s Index
P. 2 Porsche Center of San Antonio
P. 8 Bumperfix
P. 9 Safeguard Business Printing
P. 12 Start to Finish Dent Repair
P. 12 Simpson
P. 17 Jones AutoWerks
P. 25 Harris Hill Road
P. 31 XPEL
Back Cover Pily Motorsport
30 Rennsport Photos
On the cover: Ron Shade preparing to do what he liked doing best, driving his Porsche
race car #810. Ron’s untimely passing at Hallett Raceway has left a huge void for all
Longhorn Region members. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
(Photo: Merrell)
Roundup is published six times per year by the Longhorn Region of the Porsche Club of America. Submission deadline is
the 15th of the month prior to the issue month. Opinions expressed herein are strictly those of the authors and are not
endorsed by the Longhorn Region or Porsche Club of America. PCA regions may reproduce articles from Roundup with
proper credit. Longhorn Region board approval is required for any other use of materials. Porsche®, the Porsche crest®,
CARRERA® and TARGA® are trademarks of Porsche AG. Forward all publication submissions or to reserve advertising
space please contact the Editor, 408 Ten Oaks Drive, Georgetown, TX 78633 or email to: editor@longhornpca.org.
4
Jack’s Corner
By Jack Merrell
Longhorn Region President
This is a sad page to write, as you all likely
know Ron Shade passed away earlier this
month quite suddenly. A great friend gone
but at least he was doing what he loved and
apparently went quickly. He will be missed.
The year is winding down and it has been
a good one with drives, autocrosses, track
events, Fiesta Challenge and Parade. Add
also the weekly “racer’s lunches,” our evening monthly dinner meetings and the annual potluck picnic
resulted in a full calendar of many different activities. It is not over, however; a fall drive is in the
planning stages and will be announced shortly. We are closing on the holiday season and that means
our Christmas party. It will again be at the Plaza club, high above the Frost National Bank in downtown
San Antonio on 3 December and once again we will host several US Marines to collect “Toys for
Tots” the party’s entry fee. Let’s have a great turnout, we had 72 last year and I know we can better
that number this time. The Christmas party will not only culminate a great 2011 for Longhorn Region
PCA but also kick off 2012 which marks our 50th anniversary as a PCA Region, a significant milestone.
Please get your reservations in early for the Christmas party and send your checks to our Treasurer,
Jim Hamilton. Thanks!
- Jack
Boxstoberfest is held annually right in our own backyard! Pictured below left are some of the 100-plus Porsches,
BMWs and Ferraris that attended this year’s gathering. Below right are three of the four Boxster Spyders that were
in attendance. Rumor has it El Presidente will be cruising around topless in an Aqua Blue Spyder. (Staff Photo)
5
PCA Anniversaries
45 years
John Young
30 years
Jeanne Stinson
David Rocha
Bill & Donna Marie Carder
Bill & Peggy Dexheimer
25 years
Andrew Montoya
Bruce Radford
Bob Jones
20 years
James & Sharon Sherman
Corrine Radford
Frank & Mary Schweitzer
15 years
Kristin Ayyar
Felise Lenger Alex Quiroz
Nick Harrison Tom & Rhonda Ratza
Jim & Jo Basey
10 years
Al & Kathy Seitel
Francisco Mancillas
5 years
Gerardo Minjares Diana Griffith Walter O’Neal Fred & Fabiola Del Toro
Eddie Epstein Joe Galaznik George & Virginia Trummer
Jim & Margaret Mini Arthur LaMott Amy Law Bob & Janet Christner
Steve & Cheryl Greentree Bob & Eileen Lundin Monica Villalobos
Matt Wallace Taylor Harrison Barry Jelinski
6
Membership Report
(As of October 2011)
Primary members
Affiliate members
Total
236
158
394
New Members (12)
Aly, Aly
Amador, Joe
Benoit, James
Transfer (Las Vegas)
Berchelmann, David & Dona
Bogue, Steven & Amy Transfer (Hawaii)
Bossard, Ron
Transfer (Hill Country)
Cadena, Robert & Ericka Fong
Handley, Phil
McChesney, Christopher
Overton, Scott
Stewart, James & Tristan
Weinberger, Keith
2004 996 Coupe
2005 Silver Carrera S
2008 Red 997S
2011 Cayenne
2005 Black Boxster
1957 356A
2011 Black Panamera
2006 Blue 911S
1975 Red Carrera
2011 Black Cayman
2005 White Boxster
2008 Orange Boxster S
Welcome to Longhorn Region!
- Ron McAtee, Membership Chairman
Longhorn Reckonings
By Steve Farnham, Roundup Editor
Hard to believe it’s November and this year is drawing to a close. Less than a month until our Annual Christmas
Party, an event that signals the close of Longhorn PCA events for 2011. I hope to see everyone at this year’s
celebration. This year’s party will be particularly poignant with the passing of close friends. Ron Shade was a
stalwart member of the Longhorn Region. Ron was always so helpful at our Region’s events. His expertise and
unselfish donation of his time will be missed. We’ll need many new members to give freely and volunteer their
time to make up for his absence. I had the good fortune to attend Rennsport Reunion IV. I’ve always wondered
what a big deal events like this were. Having been to one, it’s truly a Porsche lover’s paradise, a sensory overload.
Fantastic cars everywhere, something for everyone. Tilden Smith attended the Pebble Beach Concours. Between
the two of us, we should give you ample reason to attend one of these gatherings. Someone asked me which car I
liked best. That’s like asking which of your children do you favor. They are all unique and favorites in their own
special ways. You’ll notice most articles in this issue are formatted in columns. If you have a preference, please
notify the board. Why are we asking? During the previous two submissions for the annual PCA newsletter contest,
we have been downgraded for not having our newsletter formatted in columns. Are columns easier to read? We’ll
leave it up to you to decide. The end of the year has been busy, a track orientation, an autocross and the upcoming
party. This is the season to give thanks and we should thank the folks who make it happen, our sponsors. Rumor
has it a set of new Michelin tires will be given away at the Christmas party. Who knows what other surprises our
board and sponsors have conjured up. Speaking of the board, how about giving them some thanks for a great 2011.
Despite our small size, our Region must be one of the busiest, in both numbers and variety of events. So, let’s give
Jack, Bob, Jim and Steve some credit.
-Steve
7
News and Notes
Special Events and Happenings around the Region
Mark Your Calendars
December 3, 2011
The Plaza Club
6:00 pm Conversation
6:30 pm Dinner
Congratulations!
Mike Sanchez
Porsche of San Antonio’s
Employee of the Quarter
Bumperfix.net
Cecil Peterson
10427 Perrin Beitel # 201
San Antonio, Texas 78217
210-481-0800
“Specializing in Plastic Bumper Repair”
8
Goodie Store Products
By Ron McAtee
Shirt sales have been very good. I will be soliciting for new shirt orders sometime in December or January.
New offerings include a new quarter zip jacket, a new full zipper soft shell jacket, and a microfiber windshirt.
Our shirt supplier is putting together a selection of Long & Short sleeve T-shirts and Polos. You will have the
opportunity to select sizes and colors. Costs will be dependent on the number of orders I get. There are also
club logo patches that can be ironed-on or sewn to your specific garment/cap, etc. Also, a club logo decal for
the inside of your window(s) that peels off and is transferable to any car. These are already in the goodie store.
Also, caps are in the inventory from our last buy.
Current Inventory:
Ladies XL Red Polo (1 left)
Men’s XL Red Polo (1 left)
T-shirt, Medium, Red (1 left)
T-shirt, Small, Light Grey (1 left)
Caps:
Tan with Texas flag (2 left)
Blue with White strips (5 left)
Pink with White stripes (5 left)
Black with Red stripes (2 left)
$20.00
$20.00
$10.00
$10.00
$15.00
$11.00
$11.00
$11.00
For Goodie Store items and Club Nametags
Contact Ron McAtee at 210-654-6639 or longhornpca@gmail.com
9
My 2002 Boxster S
By Ray Romano
I purchased my 2002 Boxster S in January 2009
and have Ed Moore to thank. Not entirely,
though, because I need to thank my father and
Bill Jones as well. They started my addiction with
Porsche many years ago. While I was in junior
high, my dad purchased a used 1966 911 and I
fell in love immediately. Silver and black is, quite
arguably, the perfect color combination for
Porsche and this car was beautiful, with the wood
steering wheel and dash and smell of leather. I
had seen Porsches but never really been around
them. While the engines were small, the harsh
bite of the exhaust and the sound of the
carburetors sucking air at high rpm on the way to
a 127 mph top speed just took my breath away. I
was hooked.
Keeping the carburetors in tune was a science
known to a select few, such as the maestros, Bill
and Bob Jones. It’s sketchy in my mind, some 43
years later, but I seem to remember they had the
Volkswagen dealership on Military Drive and, at
some point, my dad and I stopped in to talk to
Maestro about the 911. He took us through the
garage, showing us various Porsches that
happened to be there, including an ivory white
Speedster. I remember the trim was off the sides
because it had been sent out for gold-plating. That
was my introduction to Bill Jones and every time
I have seen him since, he’s been most gracious,
giving me tours of the shop, though, no doubt, it
keeps him from what he should be doing. We
didn’t keep that one very long and it was many
years before our family had another.
I didn’t meet Bob Jones until much later. By that
time, I had purchased and sold a 1972 914/4, my
dad had a 1960 Roadster (white with red –
another great color combination) and I was about
to rebuild the engine on a black 1976 194/4 2.0
that I bought from the original owner. Bob was
incredibly helpful,giving me good advice on what
10
I should consider in the rebuild. I didn’t get too
carried away with the rebuild but put together a
very good little engine with all German parts
except a pair of Weber 44 IDF carburetors and
Glyco bearings. I was enamored with those
bearings because, at the time, racers were using
them in the VWs running the Baja 1000 and other
offroad events. I don’t know how great they were
but it was still a good, reliable engine when I sold
the car to buy a 1968 911.
The 911 hadn’t been on the road in several years
when I bought it in the mid-1980’s but it had no
rust, signs of collision damage or even a repaint.
It was an odd color; special order signal green
(according to the 912 registry website) with light
tan or off-white leatherette and equipped with a
sunroof, five-speed and chromed steel wheels. I
was finally able to drive it but not before the
Weber triple throat carburetors gave trouble, as
did the brakes, which needed a complete system
rebuild and the reverse synchronizer. But the
simple fact was I had my first 911. I didn’t keep
this one very long either and was out of the
Porsche business for several years until I came
across a 1974 911 converted to Carrera specs.
A doctor in town owned the car. After one of his
sons had an accident in it, he added the SC flares,
Carrera lettering, sugar scoop rear spoiler, Fuchs
wheels from the turbo and had Bob Jones rebuild
the engine and install an oil cooler in the front
fender. He had worked out of town for a number
of years and the car sat most of the time. As he
was taking a job locally, a car had to go and so, I
took delivery of the ’74. Of course, I had to get
the wife’s permission but by this time, she knew
me too well and asked if “it was too late, have you
already made the deal?” I don’t know about your
significant others, but after bringing home too
many cars to count (at the time we married, I had
six Volkswagens), two BMW motorcyles, mine
was on to me…It was the greatest little car. It only
had 175 horsepower but it was nimble on those
wide wheels with low-profile tires and quick out
of curves. It was also pretty light, as it had no
power options and no sunroof. The little car was
a blast through the Hill Country as well as
autocrosses on the old runways at Brooks AFB
(remember how much fun it was to run there?).
After purchasing the car, I replaced the tires, an
a/c hose, evaporator and muffler and drove it for
a long time with no trouble of any kind. Bob
Jones did have to rebuild one of my oil lines and
I wound up replacing the engine mounted oil
cooler. Other than that and normal maintenance,
that car didn’t cost me a dime to run. It was the
best daily driver. Start right up every morning,
hop onto 90 and zip to work. My wife would
disagree, however. She didn’t like my early cars
much. This one had an air conditioner but you
couldn’t run it in the summer without the car
starting to run hot. She didn’t like the way I drove
on small back roads and she said it smelled like
an old sports car. Uncle. You’ve got me.
I had the car over two years until a pickup
changed lanes on Broadway and ran me into the
curb, wrinkling the driver’s side sheet metal
bumper to bumper and taking out the entire front
suspension as well. The insurance company said
they could fix it but I didn’t want the car back
with the suspension banged and bent and took the
total. Besides, I thought I had run down a nice
914/6 and needed the cash for that. That was
about 1996 or 1997 and, of course the 914/6
didn’t pan out.
One day at Harris Hill, my partner in crime, Ed
Moore, suggested I drive his 2007 Cayman. The
car was effortless to drive and flew like the wind.
As much as I loved the Carrera, and old 911s in
general, it couldn’t hold a stick to the Cayman in
terms of performance. There is no comparison
between speed, braking and handling, not to
mention the fact you can use an air conditioner
on a racetrack and not worry about overheating!
I was so impressed by how well it performed, I
thought, “I need one of these.”
I started looking and decided I wanted and could
afford a 2000-2003 Boxster S without breaking
into the college fund and wrecking the home front,
though I still had to convince Honey-Bunny I
really needed it. As I saw them, I would point them
out to her and my daughter (always a practical
ally), asking if they liked them. Invariably, the
answer was, yes. At some point, I mentioned I
hoped to have one within the year and asked my
wife if that was ok. “What do they cost?” I
probably low-balled her, no, I’m sure I low-balled
her but “Ok” was the reply.
Looking began in earnest. I did Craig’s List
searches as favorites for all major cities in Texas
as well as New Mexico and Colorado. Needless
to say, it didn’t take a year and I didn’t really have
the cash together when three 2002 S’s showed up
on Craig’s List at once. I emailed the owners
asking the usual questions. Any repaired body
damage, rust, mechanical problems, etc. The
dealership in Dallas never answered. The Taos
owner emailed back answers that didn’t quite
answer my questions but the Austin owner called
me, answered all of my questions and let me know
he was dropping the price as he was in a bind and
really needed to sell. That was Thursday. Saturday
afternoon, I was looking the car over, driving it
and asking him to hold it until I could check on a
couple of things. By Tuesday, I told him I’d take
it.
This car has been a great daily driver and I’ve had
a lot of fun buzzing through the Hill Country and
driving at the Harris Hill and MSR Houston
racetracks. It’s quick and an absolute blast to
drive, yet very civilized in town. Even better, my
wife likes it. It’s incredibly good looking,
generally reliable and I’m very glad I have it. The
early cars are beautiful and fun to drive but this is
the biggest bang for the buck I’ve seen in a long
time. As noted earlier, I have many people to
thank for this addiction but I wouldn’t get cured
for the world.
- Ray
11
Porsche Club Members
Receive
$10.00 off
Any Dent Repair
“Serving San Antonio
Since 1994”
951 E. Bitters Rd.
Suite 206
San Antonio, TX
78216
Mauro DeLuna
210-573-3181
www.fixmydents.com
Hail Damage
Door Dings
Large Dents
Windshield Repair
Alloy Wheel Repair
Rennsport Reunion IV
Once I secured a ride for Parade laps scheduled
the next day, we headed back to our motor home.
By Steve Farnham
Despite a little sunburn it had been a great day for
If you’ve never been to a Rennsport Reunion, you Porsche excitement.
absolutely must go to the next one. I attended
Rennsport Reunion IV with my brother, who
happens to live about 90 minutes from Laguna
Seca Raceway. Originally, I thought I’d drive the
new Boxster Spyder and join 1300 other Porsche
owners in the Porsche corral. Sherry vetoed that
idea so I ended up flying to CA and my brother
rented a motor home so we could enjoy the
Rennsport experience non-stop. Upon arrival at
the raceway around noon on Friday, we climbed
a hill and then saw an overwhelming number of
Porsches already parked in the Corral. Suddenly,
Above: The new 991s were on display and driving
there was a sea of Porsches everywhere, historic
around the race track at various times. There was
Porsches, racing Porsches, everyday Porsches,
even a private showing of the 991s for PCA
new Porsches (991), future Porsches (918), well
members. The Car Corral had approximately 1300
it’s really hard to put it all into words. I ran into
cars with everything from some awesome 356s to
several people I knew (former Longhorn members
a handful of Cayennes and Panameras.
John and Laurel Berry) and I know RJ was there
but never did see him (although I did run into Below: Dr. Wolfgang Porsche visited with PCA
Linda). We spent the entire afternoon walking the members and gave a short talk. Numerous Porsche
Paddock. Late in the afternoon we found the PCA factory drivers, past and present, engineers and
tent saw Caren Cooper, national secretary. I asked designers were in attendance and gave
Caren how to get a Parade lap. I wasn’t going to presentations or signed autographs.
go home without at least getting one or two laps
around the famed raceway, even if it had to be as
a passenger. She told me to go check in at the
volunteer tent.
Above: Driving up the hill into Mazda Laguna Seca
Raceway. On the other side of the hill was a sea of
Porsches. (Staff Photo)
13
Saturday morning we awoke to early morning fog.
Although we were parked right next to the
racetrack, you couldn’t see the other side. Not to
worry, practice started on time about 8 am.
According to the locals, early morning fog usually
burns off at 10am, sometimes as late as 1 pm. This
day it was the latter. My planned ride for Parade
Laps fell through but I got a ride with John
Brindley, Hill Country Region, in the back seat of
his 997 (I wasn’t going home without at least
getting to experience the corkscrew from inside a
Porsche, even if it was the backseat).
Sunday morning the Cayman Interseries session,
originally scheduled as practice, was changed to
a Sprint Race. The change altered our plans as we
intended to go to the Porsche Race Car Classic in
Carmel, then return to Laguna Seca to watch the
afternoon races. It was particularly exciting for
me to watch the Cayman Interseries race, with 20
specially prepared Cayman race cars in
attendance. The action on the racetrack was pretty
continuous from eight in the morning until closing
around 5 pm. We watched the Caymans, PCA
Club Race and the 917 race group. Naturally, the
historic cars like the 917s, 956s and 962s drew
significant interest. So, we watched the races and
then headed to Carmel for the Classic, a benefit
for lung cancer.
Above: A 356 carves the famous Corkscrew turn. Porsche
banner sits atop the entry to the downhill turn. Cameras
and spectators flood the area.
Below: An RS Spyder overcooks his entry into the
corkscrew and goes off (Staff photos)
There they had another beautiful display of
Porsches, mainly 356s, 550s, 904s and a few 911s
and 914s. Several cars from the Porsche Museum
had been flown over from Germany for this event.
You can see pictures of this event on page 24.
After three days of famous, historic and racing
Porsches, it was time to head home. I’m sure
there’s plenty we missed but Rennsport is like
Parade; it’s impossible to do and see everything.
I know one thing, you won’t want to miss
Rennsport Reunion V!
- Steve
14
Left: The famous “Pink Pig” and
“Hippie” liveries form on the grid.
Jack and I met the young lady who
drives the Pink Pig. She told me her
car is in high demand for displays
and she even has her own “fan
club.” The Caymans require very
little maintenance between races or
practice sessions.
(Staff photo)
Above and Right: The Cayman
Interseries is “a modern-day
showcase of Porsche excellence
as well as a rolling tribute to the
heritage and history of some of
the most famous Porsche racing
cars.” Some of the 20 Caymans
in attendance marshall on the
grid for the first Sprint Race. The
Caymans were grouped with
some faster 911s so it was
difficult to tell who was where
during the race. (Staff photo)
Left: Carrera 6 owned by Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry
was a co-Grand Marshall along with Porsche
engineer Norbert Singer for the weekend’s
festivities. This car was for sale and if my
budget had a few extra zeroes, I’d be happy
to add this one to my collection. There were
so many special cars it was hard to pick just
one favorite. (Staff photo)
15
Motor Sport News
By John Setar
I would like to re-introduce myself. I am John Setar
and I have filled in for Ron Shade in the past as
your Motor Sport Editor. With the passing of Ron,
Jack has asked me to fill in for a while. A little
about me... I am from Cleveland, Ohio and have
lived in San Antonio for around 33 years. Back in
the late 1960s and early 1970s, I built and drove
dragsters, ending up my last 4 years driving front
motor AA fuel Dragsters. After that I started
collecting and restoring American Classic Cars like
Lincolns, Packards and so on. At one time my
restorations shop had produced several national
winners in the Classic Car Club of America and the
Antique Automobile Club of America. I moved to
San Antonio and continued Restoring cars for a San
Antonio collector and produced several CCCA 100
point cars and several class winners at Pebble
Beach. I moved on to other things and got away
from restoring “Old Cars.” About 10 years ago I
had the time and space to start back on old cars. I
started with a 1948 MG TC and very quickly had
4 more MGs. About 6 years ago I read about
Vintage Racing and went to Texas World
Speedway during a race weekend for a look. I was
hooked. In a few weeks I had started on a 1962
MGA race car. It was at the next race at Texas
World that I met Ron Shade.
Ron invited me to the “Racer’s Lunch” at Momma’s
on 281, and that December he invited me to Jones’s
for the Christmas open house. Cathy tells me that
Ron said he found this English car guy that he knew
would be racing a Porsche soon. Well, that’s how
I got here and how and why I am racing a Porsche.
Because Ron said so!
Jack Merrell, Bob Jones and myself thought it
would be a fitting tribute to Ron to create some
decals with the number 810 like Ron had on his 911
race car and offer these to the CVRA racers and any
one else who would like to put a little remembrance
of Ron on their car. The money raised by the sales
of these decals would go back to CVRA for some
16
sort of fitting memorial to Ron. So many people
came by my trailer at the races to get a decal or
two and every one had a good word, a story, or
how Ron helped them to start out in racing. I wish
I had thought to have a recorder to save all of these
wonderful words and stories about our friend Ron.
November is the end and the beginning of the
Corinthian Vintage Racing Association year. The
last race on Saturday ends the season and Sunday
starts the season for 2011-2012.
And now the Races Results: I qualified 4th in my
class, in the first race, and finished first in class.
During the second race, I was run into in turn 2 on
the first lap, so I was unable to continue, getting
no points and finishing 4th in class for the year.
Our other club member, Alfonso Tomita, was on
fire (bad choice of words). He qualified 7th,and in
the first race he took second place and he finished
the year winning FIRST PLACE in the the last
race of the year. Sunday’s first race, 2nd place and
the final points race on Sunday, 4th place. A great
job of driving by Alfonso, a Ron Shade student!
Well, that is a wrap for vintage racing for 2011. I
would like to invite any and all of you back to
College Station the weekend of February 25, 26
and 27. As always, I have free passes and a trailer
to hang out in. It’s a great way to spend a Saturday.
Also, we are having at least two Autocrosses
coming up next year. See you at the races,
- John
Jones’ Autowerks Inc
Phone
Fax
11010 Iota Dr, San Antonio, TX, 78217
Jonesautowerks@sbcglobal.net
(210)-657-1111
(210)-657-4828
Specializing in Porsche
service for over 40 years
Bob Jones
Bill Jones
Maintenance
Race Preparation
Engine & Transmission
Component Service
Suspension
Brakes
Date
Event
Location
Sponsor
Nov 19-20
DE
MSR
Maverick
TWS = Texas World Speedway College Station
ECR = NW of Denton
Hallett = Tulsa, OK
MSR Cresson = S of Ft Worth
CVAR = Corinthian Vintage Auto Racing
H2R = Harris Hill Road, San Marcos
RGV = Rio Grande Valley airport
NPR = No Problem Raceway
SASCA autocross schedule for 2011:
Dec 11 at Retama Park
Let’s Have More Than Two Longhorn Members
Check website for details www.sasca.org
Don’t Forget!
Feb 2012
Next Longhorn Region Autocross
at Shrine Temple (Loop 1604 between Stone Oak and Blanco)
17
It’s been a great ride
Thanks to my family and friends
Ron Shade lived every minute, he was a good father, a loving husband, a mentor to anyone in
need and a true friend. His smile was contagious and his casual humor brought a laugh to all. He
passed as he lived, at full throttle and he expects us to live the same way treasuring every
moment and offering a friendly and helpful hand to others. Raise your glasses and offer a toast to
a true champion.
Vernon Ronnie “Ron” Shade
August1944- October 2011
It Was the Trailer
By Bob Jones
It was the trailer. I had been staring at the picture for
quite some time, when it finally struck me. What was
unusual about this picture was the trailer. Otherwise
it was quite typical of the dozens of other pictures I
was looking through. Pictures of Ron, the racecar and
always ,somewhere in the background, that trailer.
But this was the first one I had taken. There would
be hundreds to come. Ron, Cynthia and I were in
Houston for the first race with “810.” Ron won! It
was a good beginning. What was so different in this
photograph was the trailer. It was the same trailer that
had seen us through two seasons with “808” and
briefly with “809”. What was striking in this
photograph was how very empty it was. More empty
that I could ever remember.
Time in racing is not limited to a stopwatch. As time
goes on you realize all the things you need to race.
The trailer begins to fill up. We need this in the
trailer, we need that because we had one break. Keep
these in the trailer for the next race. The trailer fills
up. You need all sorts of things that make it possible
to do what you do with all the other things in the
trailer. Then slowly, over time , the trailer fills up.
Other pictures would reflect the progression of time.
More stickers on the car. A few battle scars here and
there. People got a little older for some reason. But
nothing reflected the time more than the trailer. How
full it had become. As I gazed at those pictures,reality
descended upon me once again. The reality was that
just two days before we brought that trailer home.
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This trip would be its last. A brief trip in terms
of time, but endless when thoughts would turn
to events of the previous day. The trailer was
back home, but Ron was gone. The trailer was
full, but our hearts were empty. As we opened
the doors, I realized that the trailer was no longer
filled with tools or straps or ramps. Not with
jacks or stands or parts. Not even a racecar. It
was now full of memories. That’s what it was.
That empty trailer in my picture was now full of
memories.
Memories of where we’d gone and what we’d
done,but more importantly, memories of a man.
A good man. A positive man. A man
unquestionably dedicated to his family. A man
who worked and played with equal intensity and
would accept a challenge at either. A man for
whom you were willing to do your best knowing
you would always get his best in return. A man
who would inspire you to achieve beyond
yourself. A man with whom being friends came
so naturally. Regardless of the event or group or
club, Ron Shade had that attraction that made
everyone around him feel welcome and
comfortable. Even when events bordered on
chaotic, Ron’s consistently calm attitude would
reassure you that it would all turn out alright.
And it usually did. I am grateful to have been a
friend of Ron Shade. Many of us must now deal
with the void that is left with Ron’s passing. In
the weeks and months to come, we will share
stories of Ron and what his friendship meant to
each of us. We will laugh together at some of
those stories. We will, perhaps, cry together at
others.
I sincerely hope we will all be glad for the part
that Ron Shade played in our lives. Our hearts
are empty. But just as he filled the trailer in my
picture with all the things we needed, so too will
Ron fill our hearts with thoughts and memories
of this fine man and the joy of knowing him.
- Bob
Installation of a Boxster Sport Exhaust
By Pete Harrell
I have been pretty happy with the performance of my 2002 Boxster S but at the track at H2R I have come to feel
that a bit more horsepower would be nice. The stock 3.2 liter engine is virtually the same power plant as in the
Cayman of the same vintage, but the Cayman is spec’d out with a sizeable jump in HP and torque over the Boxster.
Part of this is due to ECU tuning, or probably detuning in the case of the Boxster, but when I first got “Nimble” up
on my new two post lift I was shocked to see the design and implementation of the stock exhaust. Now there was
some obvious low hanging fruit to get a HP boost.
There are two basic ways to get the exhaust gases out of the engine and to the tail pipe. The first is by using an
exhaust manifold. A manifold feeds the gases from each cylinder on one side of the engine through unequal length
pipes to a common tailpipe with scant attention to geometry or minimizing flow losses and pressure drop. An exhaust
header, on the other hand uses drawn over mandrel tubes of equal or tuned lengths and what is known as a F1 style
high velocity merge to smoothly transition the exhaust gases from each cylinder together with minimum friction
and flow losses. The sport header insures each cylinder sees the same exhaust back pressure and breathes just as
easily as its neighbors, and a properly tuned length helps scavenge exhaust gases from the cylinder when the exhaust
valve opens. The flow losses and backpressure from a cruder manifold system can rob 10 HP or more from the car,
so an easy, if not inexpensive, way to boost your engines HP is to install a good exhaust header instead of the factory
supplied manifold. The stock Porsche exhaust manifold looks like something welded up by some kid in a high
school shop class and has the flow characteristics you’d expect to find on a ’65 Malibu. The manifold tubes are
tiny, and merge unceremoniously together with a quick 90 degree bend into the first catalytic converter or pre cat,
in the parlance commonly used. They work, after a fashion, but they are heavy, lossy, and ripe for improvement.
The stock Porsche muffler is a beast of a thing resembling a small bathtub and weighing about the same. It provides
a nice mellow exhaust note but its just a huge piece of metal adding a lot of weight exactly where you don’t want it
– aft of the rear axle.
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Stock Boxster Exhaust Manifold and Pre Cat
Probably the gold standard for an upgraded exhaust for the Cayman and Boxster is the FabSpeed. However, as
much as I wanted a better exhaust, the $3500 ticket for the complete FabSpeed setup (sport headers and pre-cats
plus cat back system with mufflers) was pretty steep for a few HP gain. After some digging around I decided the
Borla cat back exhaust was a much cheaper option, but I was still left with the problem of the stock Boxster
manifolds. Then I stumbled across an unbelievable deal on eBay – stainless steel TIG welded tuned exhaust headers
for the Boxster/Cayman. The price was the real shocker, $89, FOR THE PAIR! I couldn’t believe it, but the seller
confirmed the price so I placed the order. My knowledgeable friends and fellow gearheads all advised caution.
These were FabSpeed knock-offs from China and were bound to be real junk. Could be, but what the heck I
rationalized, for ninety bucks it was worth a shot!
When everything arrived I couldn’t wait to get started on the install. The headers were beautiful, and the welds
were well done. Maybe my opinion of Chinese craftsmanship needed to change. My new exhaust system would
replace the stock manifolds and pre cats with the Chinese tuned headers, keep the secondary cats and intermediate
tubing, and replace the “bathtub” stock exhaust with the lightweight Borla cat backs. Not the perfect solution, but
for the price (under $800 for everything), a pretty sweet setup.
The first challenge was getting the stock muffler removed. There are many brackets and hard to reach bolts, and
everything had to be suspended on a jack because when that last bolt comes out you are left holding about 60 lbs
of metal over your head. The shop manual and web forums gave me due warning about this, so I had everything
supported by two bar stools and my floor jack in the middle of the muffler before the last bolts came out. When I
dropped the contraption to the floor it seemed the car gave a sigh of relief, as if I had just removed a 60 lb tumor
from its underside.
The challenge with replacing the stock manifold and pre cats is that you lose the mounting boss for the after-cat
oxygen sensors on each side. A little poking around on the net found some weld-on O2 sensor bungs on Amazon
for about $7 each. I ordered four, thinking I would use one for a practice weld on the tubing to the old muffler and
then install two on the 180º bend pipes between the secondary cats the new Borla’s. That left one spare in case I
screwed something up, which is not uncommon for me.
I drilled the 7/16-inch holes in the bend pipes with a step drill (a regular twist drill will hang up on the thin walled
exhaust tubing and tear it), radiused each new bung with a grinder to match the curvature of the bend pipe, and
welded the new bungs in place with my MIG welder. Piece of cake.
The next challenge was cutting the cables to the O2 sensors and installing new wire to lengthen the cables about
two feet so that they would reach the plugs mounted in front of the transmission casing. I originally soldered the
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extension wires, but after a few minutes of running I was getting the dreaded “Check Engine” light with an O2 sensor
intermittent signal fault code.
Sidebar: anyone playing around with things like I have done will find the DuraMetric OBD plug and
software to be a godsend. Let’s you use your laptop to monitor and change things in your ECU –
resetting fault codes for example – without taking your car into the dealership. Courtney and Eric,
you no longer need to cringe when I drive up to the service door to bug you to reset one of my
warning lights!
After some considerable research into this problem, I found several sources that said the O2 cable extension wires
should be crimped, not soldered. I cut out the solder joints, and used some butt crimp connections on the wires and
voila, the problem with the check engine light disappeared. I still don’t understand why this works and soldered joints
don’t, but I’m happy with the fix and the ECU seems to be happy as well.
The biggest problem came when installing the new headers. The old manifolds came right off without a problem. I
cleaned up the bolts and used a good quality molybdenum disulfide high temperature anti-seize paste on the bolts, and
then promptly cross-threaded one of the bolts into the aluminum engine block while snugging up the new header.
Rats! I couldn’t figure out what had caused this, but I was able to chase the threads in the block with a tap, and tried
again. This time I put the bolt that had cross-threaded in first, and everything went fine until the last bolt on the other
end of the header which kicked off to the side and cross-threaded again. Double rats! What was going on here? After
several hours of fiddling and thinking and test fitting the headers (try holding a 15 lb weight over your head for 25
minutes or so) I finally discovered why Chinese headers are sold so cheaply – they don’t fit! Well, they fit, after a
fashion, but the bolt holes in the header are just a millimeter or so offset from the holes in the block. Don’t the Chinese
measure, or is this just sloppy manufacturing? My original optimism that the Chinese were getting their act together
was completely dashed.
The headers are stainless steel, and harder than the hinges of hell, so drilling the holes out to a larger diameter so that
I could bolt it up took some doing. I finally had to resort to a small grinding wheel in my Dremel tool to complete the
job, but they finally snugged up to the block without binding. The next surprise was that the holes in the gasket supplied
with the headers didn’t match either the holes in the block or the holes in the header. Random manufacturing? All
told, it took me about 10 hours just to get the headers installed, but the sound of the new exhaust in my first road test
was nothing short of awesome and help soothe the ache in my shoulders.
Sidebar: Note to Zuffenhausen - as a consumer I appreciate your cutting some corners to keep
the costs of a Porsche down, but as an engineer I really wish you had designed all of your bolted
aluminum parts with steel inserts. High strength steel bolts into aluminum female threaded holes
is just a terrible idea and a disaster waiting to happen, even for your own factory trained
mechanics.
New Tuned Sport Exhaust Header Installed
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New O2 Sensor Bung Welded to Exhaust Tubing Between
Old Secondary Cat and New Borla Muffler
Finished Sport Exhaust Install
All told, the new sports exhaust took me about 20 hours, with a considerable amount of that time spent fixing mistakes
I made along the way. I’m very pleased with the new exhaust note and noticeable increase in power, and even
happier with the 75 pounds or so that I saved in removing the old muffler and the cast iron manifolds and pre cats.
The Borla system does have the dreaded mid-RPM drone between 2600 and 3000 RPM, but I am working on a fix
for that and will report on my success in a future newsletter.
If any Longhorn PCA member wants to follow my footsteps to upgrade their exhaust please let me know. I can
probably save you a lot of time and grief from my lessons learned and I’d be happy to let you use my lift and shop
to get the job done.
- Pete
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Porsche Race Car Classic (Staff Photos)
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Harris Hill Road is proud to support the
Longhorn Region PCA
HarrisHillRoad.com
210-807-4570
HIT THE ROAD.
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Trip to Pebble Beach
By Tilden Smith
Golf Course with the bay beyond that. It was
beautiful and very cool with lows near 50 degrees.
We could hear the seals barking at night on Seal
Rock just offshore.
Thursday we drove to Big Sur on Highway 1 where
we were able to watch the Vintage cars as they
drove to Carmel. We had a great lunch at Nepenthe
restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean and drove
back to Carmel to gawk at the cars.
One evening we went to the Gooding private party.
Jacques knows all the right people and we were able
to attend and enjoy the beautiful cars, women and
wine. One car, a 512 Ferrari BB LM, that Jacques
had raced at Road America, Pocono and Watkins
Glen, was set for auction. The price range was 800
K to 1.2 M.. It was sold to a private buyer but not
sure how much it sold for.
Sunday: Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Again beautiful cars & women. Richard Atwell
(Fredricksburg) brought several cars from his
collection.
Jacques Vaucher in his loaded (auto
memorabilia) Ford F150 van and I in my 2008
Boxster S RS 60 Spyder left Harper for a first
day drive to Socorro, New Mexico, a 602-mile
scenic route. We encountered a very heavy
rainstorm near Mason that lasted until San
Angelo.
On the second day from Socorro, New Mexico
we drove through beautiful NW New Mexico,
and Springerville, Arizona, driving by the
Petrified Forest National Park and picking up
I-40 at Holbrook, Arizona.
On Sunday
afternoon we had to contend with heavy traffic
consisting of 18 wheelers and tourist motor
homes and another rainstorm near Flagstaff.
We entered California near Needles and the
Mojave Desert, where it was very hot around
110 F. We passed by Edwards Air Force Base
continuing to Tehachapi for the night, a distance
Best of Show
of 771 miles in 12 hours.
1934 Voisin C-25 Aerodyne
On the third day we had a very easy 270 mile
Peter & Merle Mullin, Los Angeles, CA
drive through the farmlands of the Lower
Central Valley passing nearby Buttonwillow
Class J-1 European Classic - 1925 through
race track but had no time to stop. It was on to
1931
Paso Robles and its very large vineyards. We
1st 1929 Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting
arrived in Carmel to cool weather.
Fixed Head Coupé
On the fourth day, Jacques’ wife Karen and my
Daniel Sielecki, Capital, Argentina
wife Linda arrived at the Monterey airport. Why
2nd 1925 Hispano-Suiza H6B Kellner
are wives always smarter?
Landaulet
On the fifth day Jacques set up his vendor booth
Don Nichols, Lompoc, California
just behind the Porsche display. The Porsche
display had a new 911 GT3 RS4.0 along with
3rd 1929 Minerva Type AM Murphy
several vintage Porsche race cars.
One
Convertible Sedan
significant 1998 GT1 had Paul Newman and
Rich Atwell, Fredericksburg, Texas
Kyle Petty’s Hole in The Wall Gang Livery.
Barber Museum brought 1956 MV Augusta 500
On the fifth through the tenth day, we shared a Grand Prix and 1964 Ferrari 158 F1 driven by
home on the Monterey Peninsula Country Club World Champion Sir John Surtees
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I enjoyed two days at Laguna Seca at the Porsche
Corral. The Monterey Bay chapter folks were very
great hosts. There was free beer all day Friday.
I met Dario Franchitti, Linda’s favorite driver, in
the paddock on Saturday. My highlight was
meeting Roger Penske in the bar at The Inn at
Spanish Bay. He did offer to buy me a drink. I
told him I was in the driving class with Ryan
Briscoe (#6 Indy Car). This was the Bondurant
Grand Prix school in Chandler, AZ. He asked if
he could hire me. Ha! Ha!
Above: Dario! Linda’s favorite driver
Above: Jaques at the Gooding Private Party. He
knew all the right people. Beautiful cars, women
and wine. (Photo: Smith)
Below: Amazing Cars on display (Photos: Smith)
Part Two - Return Home.
I spent several days with friends in Rocklin,
California near Sacramento. I drove to LA and
had Jim Loving install his Dream Two Exhaust
system on the RS 60. This improved sound and
2-3 MPG. Sound is the better part. Thanks to
suggestion by fellow member,Mike Osborn. If
you want to know more, go to
www.bcvelocityexhaust.com.
The longest day of driving was from Indo, CA to
Van Horn. Texas, an almost 800-mile drive. I did
stop by the Bondurant Driving School in
Chandler, but Bob did not have an opening for a
Senior Driving Instructor! All in all, a great trip
but I think I will fly next year.
- Tilden Smith
High-Speed Track Day Orientation
Harris Hill Road (Staff Photos)
Above left: Jack Merrell gives final instructions at the driver’s meeting.
Below: Despite the foggy arrival, the sun was out by the end of the driver’s meeting.
Below: Marshall’s new Cayman R
Right: On the grid
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October Autocross (Staff Photos)
Left: Jon Parkoff had
Fastest Time of the Day
in his well-prepared
914.
Below: New member,
David Abrams, brought
out his new Cayman S
in special color, Peridot
Metallic.
The October Autocross ended our first full year of hosting these events. Even if you don’t want to enter
your car, we can always use your assistance. Volunteers are needed to help run the event and you can
always show off your car! (Staff photos)
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Check the Longhorn website for
more Rennsport Photos