Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year from the Team at NINEAUTO.
We’re taking a short break and will be back on the 8th of January 2018.
Stuart, Max, Robyn, Ronny, Edward & Tim
11th December – $100 Sandown Open Practice Day or $250 Driver Training Day
This is a great opportunity to get out on track… maybe for the last time in 2017. So if you’re free on Monday the 11th, perhaps you can treat yourself to a great value early Christmas present!
From PCV website:
Courtesy of Porsche Cars Australia, PCV has been given access to a full day at Sandown. Depending on the number of entrants, we will run groups of around 12 to 15 cars with similar performance. Initially the groups will be released in order, but we may go to open pit quite early with a control being exercised on track density where cars are only released when track density permits.
The day will be run as open practice sessions, with entrants having the option to run on their own or to hire the support of professional instructors from Evolve Driver Training. An instructor will be available for every 5 entrants that require this service.
Entry for open practice is $100 for the full day (sorry,no discounts for partial days) with the professional instructor option costing an additional $150. One instructor will cover every 5 entrants that select this option.
This day is aimed at PCV competition members and entrants will be restricted to members that have attended a minimum of 6 competition events (including Entrée entrants) over the last 2 years.
Further details will be published on catering (if any)and garage access for the day.
Click Here for more details & entry link.
The Name “10K-hop” Becomes Nonsense
And so, back to Broadford.
Those of you who have been kind enough (or bored enough) to read previous offerings may recall that I introduced the 10K-hop to the race track at Broadford back in June.
At this point the beastie was pushing 2.7 litres through spectacularly un-sticky cheap ‘n’ cheery, skinny tyres from somewhere unpronounceable via a modestly uprated set of suspenders. Thankfully I was in entrée class so no record of lap times exists to embarrass me.
At this point I was somewhat oblivious to how hard these bugs bite (well, I did have a vague idea but the seriousness of such bites had dimmed in the fogs of time!!)
So by the time we got to Broadford the second time we were well on our way to chuckledom. That is to say that the device now brings a grin and a chuckle with each passing tinker. And tinker is to say that we spent lots of the day playing with suspension settings to dial out the understeer and maintain traction, the larger wheel/tyre combo notwithstanding. (Mind you, this will all probably go out the window at the next event when suitably sticky rubber will be used).
But you know how these things work. In the quest for broader grins and lower lap times, we get to thinking….Being from a fundamentally rallying background, we learned early that there’s all sorts of stuff you can do underneath the car to ensure the wheels stay in contact with terra firma, but the best way to maintain forward motion was via proper traction and the best way to achieve this was with a slippery diff. So I have (nearly) bitten the bullet to have Stu install a Quaife unit!!
Then there’s the little matter of those bloody awful seats. They’re a bit tatty. And slippery. And blue. So on the day, in my heightened state of excitement, I agreed to buy Frank Deak’s spare race seat and harness. Then there’s the new steering wheel…Of course all this new, unexpected (!) expenditure means that the proposed bright orange wrap might wait for a bit. Unless it can be shown that such wrap will make the car faster.
And of course there is the matter of the previously mentioned exhaust drone. It’s OK on the Hume at 110ks but pretty intrusive at 100ks – by the time I got back to Melbourne my ears were ringing – truly!! So this means that I may well need to think of towing in future. Maybe I’ll replace my current 3 litre turbo-diesel with a diesel Cayenne and trailer?!!!?
And so what were my lap times? Well, I started coyly in the first session at around 1.17 then got down to the 1.12s I think (I’m awaiting the posting of official results). I want well under 1.10 next time up there.
I know that the 10K-hop and I aren’t about to give many others a bloody nose (just yet!!) and I know that it now owes me rather more than $10K but when all is said and done it’s nipping at the heels of friends’ Cayman that cost two or three times what I have invested. So what does amuse, bemuse and tickle me is that I have a jigger that is not precious, either in the way I treat it or in terms of what it owes me. And as those that know me well will attest, I can’t stand precious!!
By Robbo (Ian Roberts)
Ready for Summer Holidays?
It’s getting warmer and 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 22nd December, and will reopen again on Monday the 8th 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 can get busy over December and we don’t like to disappoint.
Fishy Tales (The Ones That Got Away) – Part 1
Because I am incorrigible and like to bore people with tall tales and true about my sparkling automotive history, and having read Max’s tale of “Ones That Got Away” or “If I Could Turn Back Time” (oh that film-clip – a young man’s fancy and an old man’s dream!) I decided to risk my mental health by reflecting on opportunities lost.
This is the first installment…I can’t promise that the tales of woe will be sequential, but then again, they don’t need to be.
First off… 911 Race car – I believe my first foray into the concept of Porsche ownership was when I was alerted to an imported, skinny bumper, BRIGHT ORANGE (sound familiar?) 911 with cage and Bilsteins and seats and stuff, going for a song. Given that I had recently sold my DOHC, 4-wheel disked, LSD’d, caged but untamed rally car I was hankering for something different. I therefore wandered out on a Saturday afternoon to a near deserted factory complex in Bayswater to have a look at this thing … and got all slack-jawed. I wanted it….Until it injured me…. then tried to kill me.
You see some months earlier I had fractured a couple of ribs (long story…) but was now mended, or so I believed. Whereas I was quite used to clambering into a roll-caged rally car I was not used to clambering over side intrusion bars in low-slung Porkers. In an attempt to contort myself appropriately, I twisted awkwardly only to hear a muted snap followed a split-second later by a shooting pain in my side… which was a rib breaking! This caused me to straighten reflexively, which in turn made be bang my scone of the top of the roll cage, very nearly concussing myself. The bloke selling the car laughed so hard he needed a change of socks.
Notwithstanding the pain in my side and the fog in my head, I was determined to redeem my dignity and resolved to somehow get in and drive the thing. Finally working out how to seat myself without passing out from the pain, we set off around a “race track’ that was the quiet industrial-complex streets. The thing seemed quick. Really quick. And twitchy! After a couple of “laps”, with confidence growing, I became ambitious. Coming around a blind-ish corner I was confronted by a stray neighborhood dog standing in the middle of the road. He wasn’t fazed by the sight of a howling, orange beast coming at him (I suspect he was inured to it all judging by the collection of tyre marks left by the local V8 boys) so he didn’t move. I’d never driven a Porsche. I didn’t know about the pendulum effect so I slammed on the brakes. And the bloody car tried to kill me!! It swapped ends faster than I could say $&^#@$%!
From that point, for a long time, I swore off rear engine cars of all descriptions.
Until…. The 930 3.3 – James, first born son and principal heir to the title of “Boofhead”, feigned illness one day when he was about 10. Having received the call from the school, with my wife away at the time and being the dutiful parent, I left work at lunchtime to collect the ailing young-un. Sick? Rubbish. I couldn’t take him back to school but he didn’t need tending so to keep myself entertained I got on the computer and started feeding my fancy (for Porsches, not Cher). Calling out to me was a nice silver 930 3.3 for sale at about $60,000. Really? So I grabbed the Boofhead and headed out to have look. The abiding memory for both of us is taking off from the Grange Road roundabout up St Georges Road with a Heavy Wellie and realizing I needed this car. A phone call to my wife at her parent’s farm soon quashed any ambitions. She reminded me that funds would be better used in the new business rather than to feed my addiction….(sigh).
But wait…there’s more…
To be continued.
By Robbo (Ian Roberts)
BLONDIE -1977 Carrera 3.0 Rejuvenation Complete
It’s been absolute ages since I’ve provided an update on BLONDIE’s progress – apologies, but I’ve been busy. Back in March, at the time of the last update, she had just returned from Skunkwerks with a brand new paint job. With the paint & bodywork done; the remaining work fell neatly into two categories: Mechanical works undertaken by NINEAUTO and Interior works completed by BM Leather Creations.
Since receiving BLONDIE back from Skunkwerks, Stuart at NINEAUTO has woven his magic and turned BLONDIE into the rock star that she was always meant to be. Throughout this rejuvenation project I was always keen to draw on Stuart’s wealth of knowledge, and we had regularly discussions around the key mechanical decisions that needed to be made. Invariably those decisions generally went the way Stuart initially suggested… but it’s always fun to workshop ideas!
Our primary goal was to create a car, as close as possible to that which left the Porsche factory 40 years ago. This would be an exercise in over-capitalisation were it not for BLONDIE’s obvious desirability & provenance.
In order for BLONDIE to live up to her full potential, all the mechanicals, accessories and glass were removed from the body, disassembled and restored or replaced where not repairable.
The team at NINEAUTO then took the opportunity to completely dismantle the engine, suspension and brake systems to overhaul and restore to original (and in some cases, better than original) condition. The list of works completed are extensive and I am happy to share with anyone who is contemplating a similar restoration. Needless to say all wear parts were replaced with new, all core parts were cleaned, tolerance checked, machined where required and then restored to as new condition. The team then began fitting all the restored mechanicals and parts back onto the body
Fast forward a number of weeks, and Blondie was complete including new windows and seals and off to the Auto Electrician for the fitment of radio and air conditioning. After the AutoElec, it was off for a wheel alignment and time to road test the car.
I have to say that I’m thrilled with the outcome – BLONDIE is now back on the road again, and she’s genuinely a stunner! From a Mechanical perspective BLONDIE is starting the next 40 years effectively as a new car, and is an absolute pleasure to drive.
Bill Moussa from BM Leather Creations (as recommended by Rob Raymer) restored the interior and his work exceeded our expectations. From an interior perspective, BLONDIE is now in excellent condition, with new life breathed into a previously ‘well loved’ interior. Below are the items that Bill attended to.
Seats & Door trims:The entire interior was cleaned & detailed thoroughly. Front seats were recovered with correct Porsche Cork leatherette; all other cork leatherette surfaces were thoroughly cleaned. New orange ‘PRESS’ stickers were sourced for the seatbelt release buttons, as well as a new red knob for the heater adjustment.
Dashboard, Centre Console, Radio & Steering wheel:The Dashboard was thoroughly cleaned, removing evidence of a previous failed attempt to re-colour it. The tiny crack in the dash remains (although out-of-sight) and the result is that the original dash has been restored close to its’ former glory. The centre console and steering wheel were thoroughly cleaned and now complement the dash nicely. A period-correct Porsche branded Blaupunkt Dusseldorf Stereo radio-cassette was sourced from the UK (ChromeLondon) including an AUX cable for smartphone audio connection.
Carpet & Mats:The carpets, having seen 396,238km of wear and tear, needed extensive cleaning. With access to some additional used RHD Porsche 911 carpets in the correct cork colour, we were able to replace parts of the damaged and ‘uncleanable’ drivers side foot well carpet. As expected, mats were an interesting challenge. As with the radio, Australian delivered cars of the era were not delivered with floor mats. Locally sourced floor mats were generally used, but research uncovered our best option was to purchase sisal mats from cocomats.com in the USA. Great care was taken, with Cocomats first couriering printed mat patterns to allow us to ensure a perfect fit.
Headlining & Sun visors:The original headlining was a write-off, original Porsche material was therefore sourced and a new headlining was fabricated locally. New sun visors were sourced from Lakewell in Belgium.
Trunk (front boot) lining:The front boot lining replacement was also sourced from Lakewell. It is notoriously difficult to achieve a nice finish in the trunks of ‘old’ 911’s, but this one now looks fantastic.
With mechanicals, body and interior all totally refurbished, BLONDIE is now an outstanding Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0. Our target date for completion had always been September 6th 2017, as this is the 40th anniversary of BLONDIE being handed over to her first owner, way back in 1977. To celebrate that anniversary, Porsche Centre Melbourne’s passionate Classic Partner Manager, Ben Musu allowed us the honour of having BLONDIE prominently displayed in the Collingwood showroom. Let’s just say that she confidently stood her ground surrounded by both the latest and greatest products in Porsche’s current line-up, and a range of other classics that are on display.
In all, this has been a wonderful project with each of the selected service providers delivering top-quality results in a cost-effective manner, and with no nasty surprises. I feel both lucky and proud to have been able to bring BLONDIE back to her former glory, and prepare her for many more years of service. It is with deep regret that we weren’t able to share the finished product with Rob Raymer, and thank him for his recommendation. Yet again his assessment that BLONDIE was excellent raw material, was spot-on.
Keep an eye out for my next post where I’ll share stories about Blondie’s past life that I uncovered through some extensive investigative work.
Written by Peter Bosland
Pre Race Check
Within the NINEAUTO community we have a group of enthusiasts who enjoy the thrill of tracking their Porsche. Some of these racers are experienced ‘tracksters’ with a dedicated track car and all the accoutrements. Whilst others are new on the circuit and simply change their tyres to make their Porsche suitable for the track. Whatever your level of experience and vehicle set up, a Pre Race Check is highly recommended before every meet.
By undergoing a Pre Race Check you are assured that your Porsche is in the best possible shape for the more rigorous requirements of track work. A Pre Race Check involves a spanner check of all the suspension components, tensioning of drive shafts, checking of brakes including a quick brake bleed to remove any air and dirt, a check of all fluid levels, a review of track tyre condition and a general review of car set up.
Most competitors normally get us to complete a Pre Race Check a week or two before the event. This allows time in case any additional parts like brakes need to be ordered and fitted prior to the track meet.
Once you’re down at the track, the team at NINEAUTO are there to offer track support by attending to any issues that arise on the day, and endeavouring where possible to get you back on track so you can maximise your track time.
If I could turn back time…
My hope is this could be a regular post where enthusiast tell their stories about that Porsche that got away. The title of these posts could have been inspired by all the fishing tales about the one that got away! But instead I decided to take my inspiration from Cher’s dodgy late 80’s song “If I could turn back time” with the unforgettable video clip. I thought this analogy was apt as Cher’s outfit and antics are a vivid and uncomfortable memory… perhaps similar to the mixed feelings of a Porsche that got away!
In the early 1990’s my then boyfriend and now husband Tim bought his first Porsche. On a bit of a whim, a red 1968 Californian converted 912 was purchased from Shannon’s Auction Rooms on Warrigal Rd. This acquisition could only take place with some assistance, and so the always charming Tim secured $8K of the $12K purchase price from me his super generous girlfriend.
It’s a long time ago, but I think Tim’s winning sales patter appealed to both head and heart. ‘I’ve always dreamed about having a Porsche, plus it’s going to be an awesome investment.’ Young love is truly a beautiful thing, so at the age of 21, I lent Tim the majority of my savings to buy his dream car. If that wasn’t enough, he then proceeded to store his Porsche in my garage whilst I parked on the street! Reflecting back, perhaps this storage location was a smart move, as it did give me some security against my loan.
Whilst stored in my garage, the 912 did receive some TLC from an enthusiastic but fairly cash strapped Tim.
So fast forward a year after purchase, and young love turns into a marriage proposal from Tim… Unsurprisingly, a marriage proposal comes with some serious commitments and expenses! So here is where Tim gets some tough love, and a reality check from his Fiancé. ‘The 912 needs to go!’ Tim dutifully sold the 912 for the same price as he purchased it for, and my $8K went into the marriage kitty. Did Tim therefore ever pay me back? After 23 years of marriage, this is a question that still remains unresolved, and continues to fuel some fun banter between Tim and myself!
Tim still bangs on about what the car would be worth today if I hadn’t made him sell it. He saw the car advertised around a year ago for $80K, and still argues it would have been an excellent investment. I’d argue keeping your soon to be wife happy is an even better investment decision… (plus the compound interest on $12K over the last 25 years is probably more than $80k!) However I am reliably informed by many Porsche enthusiasts that I’m really missing the point of the story!
In the interest of making these posts more interactive, I’m offering a prize to anyone who can correctly guess how many years we were married before Tim made his next Porsche acquisition.
If you have a ‘If I could turn back time’ Porsche story you’d like to share please get in touch… learning from Tim’s experience, I think lots of sharing with a supportive audience can be quite cathartic.
10Khop Transformed! – The 5th Report
It’s back.
After a month or so of me mucking about and trying to decide what I wanted to achieve and where I wanted to go the ever-patient Stuart has transformed the 10Khop from a cheap and cheery entrée to Porsche ownership to a pocket rocket that is raw, visceral and downright grin-inducing! Here’s what’s new…
• VERY healthy 3.4 911 motor with Gemballa exhaust
• New clutch
• New IMS bearing
• New short-shift kit
• Completely new full adjustable coil-over suspension
• New brakes with competition pads
• Refurbished 17×8 and 17×9 deep-dished Fuchs
• Bolt on flares
The photos tell a bit of the story.
I seem to recall that my last missive suggested we were considering something different. I may have mentioned IROC. I had intended to have the car wrapped in a BRIGHT orange, but I might pause for a bit and see how I feel.
It has a lot more attitude than when we started but the fluro orange may be a step too far. I’m still up for it – I’d be happy to hear everyone’s opinion!!
So far I haven’t had the opportunity of getting it on the track (Phillip Island here we come) but the driving experience bears little resemblance to the former car. It’s a bit rowdy, the suspenders are quite firm and everything is tight and tidy.
I haven’t yet found a corner that poses any sort of challenge, although I have become far more aware of speed bumps and curbs! It certainly communicates each imperfection of the road’s surface, but the beauty of the new suspension is that, whilst you’re aware of what’s going on, it’s never uncomfortable and seldom jarring. The occasional “jiggling” sensation is a very small price to pay for the planted-ness!
A set of black wheels for the track will bring it back to 2017.
It now sounds like a “proper” Porsche (perhaps a bit too much … Mrs Robbo claims she can hear me double declutching two streets away from home, a full two minutes before I arrive!) At full noise it sounds sensational. It pops and crackles on the over-run and down shift and wails past 5,000. Trouble is, at freeway speeds the Gemballa does have a tendency to drone. There’s a specific rev range where it pounds away at the skull and blurs the vision! May have to look into that. It’d be a pain all the way to the Island or Winton or Broadford.
And guess what? It’s still warm and water tight. It’s still air conditioned. It still starts with the first twist of the key. I still don’t care where I park it. It has big enough boot(s) to carry the shopping. It’s cheaper to insure than my wife’s Lexus. And the roof comes off – I know that I have said that I am not a fan of soft tops, but I must admit that a blat up Mountain Highway to the Sky-High restaurant (or whatever it’s called) on a 14* day, with the roof off and the heater blasting warm air out through the dash vents was a hoot!
The down side…? It’s a bit rattly on corrugated dirt roads – but then again so are most cars with 170,000ks on the clock, let alone soft tops. There’s no rear window demister. Dark blue is a bugger to keep clean and hot in warm weather (for some reason 4 out of 7 cars we presently own are white, 2 silver, 1 dark blue).
And it hasn’t cost me a bomb.
Job done.
The next step is a proper competition seat, steering wheel and harness.
And maybe a wrap…
By Robbo (Ian Roberts)
964 – The now popular 911
A little over 10 years ago, I was searching for my first 911. I had always looked forward to the time I could at to splash out a little and buy my dream car. I researched quite a number of models and I remember narrowing the search to the 964, 993 and 996. All of which could competently tick the box of a daily driver and handle the occasional track day.
At the time, I recall the 996 and 993 prices were on par and the 964 prices were hovering at only 50-60% of its modern siblings. I weighed up the options and eventually settled on a low km near new series 2 996. Whilst I have loved the 996 (and still continue to) for all these years, I have watched it depreciate, at the same time the 964 climbed in popularity and price, until now when the top end cars are as expensive (or more) than the equivalent 993!
As major design changes go, the 964 was a big leap forward for the 911. Introduced in 1989, the 964 was significantly more high tech than the 3.2 Carrera before it and featured significant changes and options that were never offered previously. Externally, the 964 looked almost the same as earlier models above the bumper line and internally the interior looked similar save a few additional knobs on dash and centre consol. The biggest changes were the suspension, transmission options and engine.
With the introduction of 4WD, both the front and rear suspension were redesigned. Out went torsion bars in favour of coil springs over the struts. This significantly improved the neutral handling of the car. Braking and handling under braking was also improved with the introduction of ABS. The 964 was also the first 911 to feature tiptronic automatic transmission on the two wheel drive variants. The manual G50 box was also uprated to comfortably handle the increased power from the new engine.
The 964’s engine capacity was increased to 3.6, producing 250 bhp (approx. 19 bhp over the previous 3.2). It was a development of the previous unit but the heads were redesigned with two spark plugs per head requiring a new dual distributor ignition. More reliable power and improved torque range.
For quite a long time, the 964 was not in favour amongst the enthusiast due to the electronic aids and many were quick to criticize the issues of dual mass flywheel failure and engine oil leaks. By now, just about every 964 has had the dual mass flywheel replaced and many have had their engines resealed to stop the leaks.
Personally, I think the 964 is an absolute hoot to drive. It is such a great blend of old school driver’s car with reasonably modern handling and braking. I’m not sure why the 964 was not the loved 911 it is now. There is nothing more fun than taking one for a quick blast through the Dandenong’s around the tight twisty roads. Lower the windows, give it some throttle and the enjoy the flat 6 rasp!
By Tim Rout
