Highett’s hardest working Porsche mechanic is taking a short break over Christmas and the New Year… As a result we’ll be closed from Monday 26th December, and will be back on Monday the 9th of January.
We wish everyone a merry Christmas and a safe, happy and successful New Year.
Stuart & Max
This question used to be easy to answer when you could simply check the sticker on your windscreen. Those days are long gone, and depending on your diligence in home office administration it might be a challenge to find your registration notice, and identify if it’s been paid.
The great news is you can simply plug your car registration into the VicRoads website, and easily access your rego status and due date. I regularly use this service to assist customers who are interstate, overseas, or completing a car sale and need to add this information to documentation.
Here’s the link to the VicRoads Registration Check, and below is an example of the output of a rego check.
The site also allows you to add a rego reminder to your calender or mobile device.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder or so the saying goes…
A friend passed on this link to modern artist Chris Labrooy who’s had some fun with 911’s. It might not be everyones cup of tea, but his works are certainly eye catching. If you think these static works are a bit out there, check out his moving art with a Porsche hopping on one tyre and another trapped and swaying.
I’ll leave Freddie Mercury to sum up a great way to approach modern art appreciation… “Modern paintings are like women, you’ll never enjoy them if you try to understand them.”
A few weeks back I received an email highlighting the upcoming Coys (http://www.coys.co.uk/) auction and the car that stood out for me was a 1969 Porsche 911 S/T with a price estimate from £700K to £900K (A$1.2M to A$1.5M). http://www.coys.co.uk/cars/the-frohde-1969-porsche-911-st
What makes a car command this sort of price?
With so much money at stake, how can you be confident that everything checks out?
Coincidently, this week a customer of ours, Peter Bosland, contacted us regarding a new venture.
Peter Bosland (owner of Blondie the ‘77 Carrera 3.0 we’re restoring) is someone fascinated with vehicle provenance and authentication, so much so that together with business partner and fellow Porsche owner Glenn McEldowney they have created verumachina. It’s a bit like an ‘ancestry.com’ for cars. If you’re interested in chatting to Peter about uncovering your car’s unique story click on this link for more information verumachina Provenance Research & Protection Services.
I asked Peter for his thoughts on why the Coys Porsche was so valuable.
“Fundamentally, the value of a collectable car comes down to the 3 pillars of Provenance, Condition & Desirability. Contrary to the Meatloaf mantra, where “2-out-of-3-ain’t-bad”, you really do need all 3 of these covered for maximum value.
Provenance: Essentially, the chronology of ownership, Provenance allows the car to be traced back through its’ history to the time of manufacture. The greater the quantity & quality of available documentation, the stronger the provenance.
Condition: Of the 3, this is the one upon which a car’s present owner can have the greatest impact. To rate highly on condition, the owners should have undertaken properly documented regular mechanical and cosmetic maintenance, avoiding any urge to ‘improve’ upon the factory specification.
Desirability: Unlike Provenance & Condition, Desirability can be rather more difficult to quantify. It varies from person to person, location to location, but also from day to day. Today’s unwanted car can easily become tomorrow’s darling.”
So, to the Coys car. The Coys portrayal of the car as: “the ultimate of the ultimate”, is obviously sales spiel, however it isn’t too far from the truth.
It apparently has Provenance, Condition & Desirability in spades.
Despite Coys’ good reputation and the comprehensiveness of the information provided, such a purchase demands caution. As a minimum, a very close inspection by an expert in the marque, not only of the actual car, but also of all the documentation provided.
Given:
• The large sums of money involved,
• The extent, quality, and sophistication of the re-creation market,
• The fact that a number of these cars were destroyed in racing, It would be prudent (or even crucial) to absolutely rule-out a re-creation.
Should the above-mentioned concerns prove unfounded, this can only be seen as one very solid investment. Testament to that is that Porsche themselves recently undertook the full restoration of a 911 S/T. They too are keen to ensure the integrity of these important Porsche classic cars.”
Thanks to Peter for sharing his knowledge and passion.
I’ll warn you now that this is not a story about Porsches. It’s a story about a BMW 3.0CSL, and Motorclassica. Max doesn’t want any complaints about “that wasn’t a 911 story…”, and that sort of thing, so if you’re easily offended, look away now!
For the past two and a half years I’ve been doing a restoration of a quite rare, and to my eye, beautiful car, an E9 BMW 3.0CSL. I purchased the car in Sydney, and having trailered it down to home, commissioned a pretty much, spare no expense restoration of it.
If you know these cars, you know that they habitually convert themselves over time to a small pile of red flakes on the garage floor, so starting the restoration was a little like leaping of a precipice in total darkness, not quite knowing how deep the fall might be.
Pretty soon we knew it was a good shell – battered but solid, so we went to work.
Long story short, it was earlier in the year that a friend at BMW asked if I could have the CSL ready by October, as they were doing a substantial display at Motorclassica, celebrating the company’s centenary. Looking at pretty much a gorgeously painted shell and a pile of parts I gulped, said yes, then went and told the lads I’d promised a deadline.
It’s funny how a deadline makes things happen! Within weeks wiring was threading its way through the car, it grew suspension, an engine and gearbox, doors that actually opened and closed, and glass. The day I got to the workshop and the car was sitting there idling it was actually quite emotional, I’m happy to admit!
Next it was off to the trimmer. A four month search had landed four metres of the correct cloth for the standard Scheel bucket seats and the rear seats, and the trimmer had located the correct carpet for the car. Neither cheap, but essential to getting it right. The only part that never arrived was a door card for the passenger door, a problem with the remanufacture delaying that.
Once the interior was custom fitted, along with the restored timber dashboard and door caps, the car was pretty much ready to go.
On the Tuesday before Motorclassica, I was still heading out to collect trim parts from UPS in Tullamarine, and tyres from Continental in Preston, and standing back with a beer that night, the car was declared done!
Motorclassica as most will know is an amazing event, with hundreds of world class cars inside the Royal Exhibition Buildings, and hundreds more outside on a changing cycle of marque and club displays.
Our fears that the car might not be up to scratch were allayed within minutes when the crew from BMW crawled all over it, all excited. On opening the door, one lady surfaced declaring that it was a new car, if the smell was any indication!
The three days of the event were a blur of enthusiastic faces, compliments, photo opportunities, friends, and gentle enquiries as to whether it might be for sale! I hadn’t anticipated the excitement and love that people held for this particular model. The most unexpected people declared love for it, either long standing (“I have a photo on the wall of Peter Brock driving one of these!”) or newfound, (“I’d never seen one of these until today – how do I get one?).
Great fun. I’d declared that the car would never be a Concours car, yet its debut was at the biggest Concours de Elegance in the Southern Hemisphere!
As I was looking at the car through my beer on the Tuesday before the event, I swore I was done with restoring cars. On the Sunday afternoon, waiting to drive my car from the Royal Exhibition Buildings I did the deal to get my next restoration project. I think I’ve found a new drug!
My first drive of the car was out of Motorclassica, to home! It drove beautifully, cruised on 70mph (indicated) on the freeway. All four forward gears and even reverse worked. It’s very leisurely by Porsche standards – so much softer than my Carrera, but the overall feel isn’t dissimilar.
Once it’s fettled and sorted, I can’t wait to cruise around in it, music playing from the Becker Europa (AM and FM no less!), fat arming it around.
Now, when I say I did the restoration, mine was the easy part – I wrote the cheques and found the bits!
So, on to gratuitous plugs…
Oven Baked Enamel Services – 34 Molan Street, Ringwood. Their paint and panel work is amazing. Their guys actually know aluminium (essential with a CSL) and steel, and the paint is just amazing. The best in the business bar none! Call Dick Richey 9870 0052 and chat with him.
OZ Trim – 2A Olive Grove, Ringwood – I call Alan, the Wizard of Oz Trim. The best bloke I can imagine to do this project. Big or small part, the attention to detail and getting it right was incredible. The interior of the car is the star. Alan 9870 2747
John Nicholls – the master of timber dashboards and trim. Started making Maton guitars and still turning out hit makers, just this time in cars! 9874 1329
The 3.0 CSL was an homologation edition from what was to become BMW’s M Sport division (the first M Car). Aluminium panels, thinner steel, and a 3003cc engine (over 3 litre class, bigger wheels, brakes etc) made it lighter and faster.
It was homologated to compete against the contemporary 911s and Ford Capris in European Touring cars.
And in the day, it retailed for substantially more than the revered 911 2.7RS. I can’t wait for the market to catch up on that point!
By David James
It happened again… I blinked and now Christmas is just around the corner!
If you’re planning on going cruising these summer holidays, just a heads up that NINEAUTO will be closed for 2 weeks from Friday the 23rd December, and will reopen again on Monday the 9th January.
So if you have any car concerns that you would like checked out, or if your Porsche simply needs a bit of mechanical TLC before you partake in some summer touring, please book in… It gets busy over December and we don’t like to disappoint.
Verification Tips:
I know it’s not for everyone, but I get a real kick out of verifying a cars background and provenance…
The VIN number is always a good place to start. Blondie’s “Fahrgestell-Nr” (Chassis Number or VIN) is stamped in the aluminium plate on the inside of the Left-hand (drivers side) guard, under the front hood. Blondie’s VIN is 9117601442.
The VIN is also stamped in the Australian compliance plate mounted on the floor of the (front) luggage compartment, near the driver’s side shock mount. The compliance date listed on the plate is 6/77.
In addition, the VIN is stamped directly into the floor panel in the (front) luggage compartment, near the above-mentioned Australian compliance plate. Although this is difficult to read, the following image clearly shows the majority of that number, thus conclusively identifying this car.
VIN Decoder information for Model Year 1970-79 and Porsche Models 911, 914/16, 924 and 928. The make-up of the VIN is as follows:
9117601442
If you’re interested in decoding your cars VIN, this link ‘Stuttcars.com’ is a great reference tool, and helps you to decode both early and late Porsche Models.
The engine serial number can also reveal lots. Blondie’s engine Serial Number is stamped in the Fan support (part of the engine case).
Carrera 3.0 Sportomatic cars are identifiable by the 4th engine number being a ‘9’ instead of ‘0’. Blondie’s engine number indicates a mismatch between the engine and the current gearbox, confirming that, what was the original 3-speed Sportomatic gearbox, has been replaced by a 5-speed manual gearbox – see notes in Transmission section below.
The Engine Type Number is 930/12
The Engine Type Number is stamped into the engine case housing facing upwards on the top of the motor, on the (RH) drivers side of the main pulley / fan. This is quite difficult to see because of the air conditioner. Luckily we had an LED torch and a fiber optic viewer. The stamping of this engine Type Number is interesting. As expected, this is a model 930 engine case. The subsequent digits are however a little unclear, either indicating an engine type of “/22”, or “/12”.
As we’ve been unable to find any references to a type “/22” engine in the Porsche literature, and, as the “1” appears to have been stamped over the top of the “2”, this is most likely the result of the “/22” having been incorrectly stamped, with the first “2” subsequently over-stamped with a “1”. The engine type 930/12 is correct for a 1976/77 Carrera 3.0 Sportomatic.
Verification – Blondie’s Transmission:
We know a 5-speed manual gearbox replaced Blondie’s original 3-speed Sportomatic gearbox. To verify the replacement transmission, we need the Serial Number & Type. These are stamped on the bottom of the transmission, they are:
Type: 915/61
and Number: 719 2381
This is a genuine Porsche (ZF) gearbox with the following specification:
911SC 1978-79, 5-speed synchronized transaxle, Plate-type, limited-slip differential available, Rod shift, Single-plate clutch.
Gear ratios:
1st: 3.18 (11/35)
2nd: 1.83 (18/33)
3rd: 1.26 (23/29)
4th: 1.00 (26/26)
5th: 0.82 (28/23)
Ring and pinion: 3.88 (8:31)
Note that these gearbox cases are Italian Cromodora castings. They are date-stamped, with the “78” at the top indicating a 1978 casting, and the subsequent 12 letters representing the months of the year (in Italian), the only differences to English being:
‘G’ for Gennaio = January
‘G’ for Giugno = June
‘L’ for Luglio = July
Note that the asterisk next to the ‘F’ indicates that this case was cast in February.
Oh and the latest on the restoration works… Blondie has been stripped and cleaned, and she’s off to have her paintwork lovingly restored!
By Peter Bosland
PFA (Porsche Forum Australia) are running a track day in February next year which looks like fun. Here’s a summary of the event taken from the PFA website. (However the event seems to be evolving everyday… so for the latest info click on this PFA Track Day Link.)
Whether you’re an experienced trackday driver, or wondered what it would be like to drive your pride and joy in the manner for which it was designed, PFA_TRACKDAY.01 is for you!
Whether driving solo, or under expert supervision, individual in-car tuition will be available throughout the day to improve your existing skills, or give you real-time instructions in the basics of performance driving.
Bring the family and a picnic – limited pizza options available on site.
PFA Track Day will feature:
– Non timed sessions
– Passengers allowed (over the age of 12)
– ‘Sabine’s Squad’ will enjoy female only sessions
Safety gear and requirements, along with other info, will be emailed to participants closer to the event. How to Prep Your Car info night to be held in Melbourne Late Feb. Details will be confirmed at a later date.
Track Day Details:
When: Sunday the 12th of February, 2017
Time: Early (AM), but TBC
Where: Sandown Racecourse
Drivers must be Financial Members only, and there are limited spots available. To secure your spot, go to the PFA Store – Events section to put down a $100 Deposit. Total cost will be $365, and must be paid by Friday January 27th or your place will be forfeited.
If you are interested in getting involved in this event, here is a link to the PFA store where you can sign up as a Financial Member ($25 per annum) and also make the $100 deposit for the Track Day.
With regular driving, the leather seats in a Porsche can become worn and cracked, and can let down the overall appearance of your car. A much cheaper alternative than reupholstering is to get the seats repaired and/or painted. The before and after seat pics below show the impact some professional TLC can have on your car’s interior.
Each seat repair undertaken needs to be individually quoted, but to give you an indication of the cost involved this makeover cost $200 per seat. If painting is required, it’s recommended that both seats are painted to ensure a consistent look now, and into the future.
My pride and joy now looks a bit different from when I first saw her! Stuart has stripped her back ready for painting. However this rejuvenation caper isn’t just greasy fingernails and the odd curse at a stubborn fastener, there’s also the admin, and the fun of researching & verifying the car.
With the guys at NINEAUTO having a well-earned break over September, here are some useful findings from those other activities:
PPSR (Personal Properties Security Register):
PPSR is used to confirm that a car is unencumbered, hasn’t been written off or stolen; it was previously know as REVS. There are many different ways to access the PPSR information, with costs ranging up to $25. Here’s a tip, use the Government provided service at: https://www.ppsr.gov.au, it provides all the required information, and only costs $3.40.
When investigating a classic car, it’s useful to identify a reference car with proven, acknowledged provenance, through which to verify & confirm details of your own car. Our chosen Reference Car is listed as car #45 at the following link: http://911carrera3.com/carrera-3-0-registry/.
This Ireland-based silver car was chosen because it is verified as a genuine RHD Carrera 3.0 and its VIN & Engine Numbers are close to our car:
• VIN: 9117601469 (27 chassis after our chassis),
• Engine Number: 6679215 (3 engines after our engine).
My NINEAUTO post last month received a couple of comments. One comment was from Cormac Fitzgerald (who lives in Ireland) letting me know he had a silver Carrera 3.0, and that he would be eagerly following my progress. I immediately got in touch with Cormac and was amazed to discover that he is the owner of the reference car we’d chosen… the world really is small!
Insurance:
After some ringing around we chose RACV Vintage, Veteran & Classic Insurance. Across a number of vehicles, we’ve recently found them to be more competitive, plus they’re willing to insure to values beyond $150,000 (some others insurers aren’t). Our car will remain unregistered throughout the planned refurbishment, and RACV offer quite a low cost policy. The car’s value and registration status will need to be updated once the work has been completed, and the car goes on Club Registration.
Name:
One more ‘important’ decision we needed to make was to name our car. We’d already decided that she’s female, and after looking at other options, we agreed that the best choice was ‘Blondie’… She just looks kinda blonde, Blondie was an up-and-coming band in 1977, and as a teenager I’d rather fancied Debbie Harry. So Blondie it is!
Stay tuned for the next update…
By: Peter Bosland
