Good cheap track time.

[Bill Douglas]

I enjoyed some good track time at our local track last weekend. They had an open day where we payed $10 for 15 minutes on the track. Admittedly it was day for the boy racers in their Honda's etc but everyone had a great time with lots of thrils and spills. The rain was incredible and cars were off the track left, right and centre, but it was a great occasion to practice fast wet weather driving, four wheels drifts and the gentle balance between understeer and oversteer on big sweeping corners. I have one or two photos on http://www.pelicanparts.com/motorcity/billdouglas/Billatmanfield.html

[Doug Zielke]

Sounds like a free-for-all, Bill.
Did you feel any anxiety that an errant ricer might take you out?

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'81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber")
Member: SCWDP
Canada West Region PCA
The Blue Bomber's Website
"If it ain't broke...we'll help you fix it 'til it is!"

[Bill Douglas]

I did think that for a while Doug, but the boy racers were actually really nice guys and just very interested in all cars. I now feel guilty for thinking so badly of them. Everyone gave eachother a fairly wide bearth when passing and had a great time all round. In fact our $10.00 for 15 minutes = USD$4.00 for 15 minutes, so it was pretty cheap. I was a bit concerned about the others driving as we tend to be slightly wild drivers in genneral in New Zealand. Not nearly as bad as the Italians though.

[John Mc]

Bill, did you do the recent charity day as well?

[CamB]

John - I did (in Auckland).

It went very well - something like 75 cars - except it POURED with rain. Unbelievable, and I spent half my time wiping the windows as the shrouds on my heat exchangers have "speed holes".

I had about the second oldest car at the AUckland one - there was one 356 and only a couple of other early 911s. The majority of the cars were newer and, unbelievably, I think the single most common car was the 930.

Cam

[Bill Douglas]

John, no I didn't - I hadn't heard of it. I'm not a Porsche club member. It sounds like Cam had fun. Where Cam lives I think the Porsche Club are quite active and a nice bunch of guys.

[Reg]

Your car looks sweet at speed Bill!
Thanks for the pictures

[Bill Douglas]

Thanks Reg. It used to be brown but I pulled it to bits to get rid of a few (very minor) rust spots and got it repainted in silver. I have noticed it goes a lot faster in silver.

[Reg]

I read somewhere that brown Porsches would never be as desirable. I have always thought that any 911 was something special, and in fact that Porsche always had a knack for choosing deep , rich colours for their cars.

I have always been specifically partial to that colour you have now. My car is a darker pewter.

[Bill Douglas]

A darker pewter sounds great! Brown was the only color I could afford. I had always wanted a silver 911 and I thought it's beter the devil you know, so went down the repaint path.

[John Mc]

Originally posted by Bill Douglas:
John, no I didn't - I hadn't heard of it. I'm not a Porsche club member. It sounds like Cam had fun. Where Cam lives I think the Porsche Club are quite active and a nice bunch of guys.

Sorry, I assumed it was near Wellington, because my mechanic lives in Wellington and said he was attending. He must have been very keen to travel 650km to do a charity event!

Any reason you haven't joined the Porsche Club? It's always difficult to gauge attitudes by words alone, but your post kind of infers that Wellington members are neither active nor that friendly.

BTW: we both have a similar taste in colours

Cam, out of interest how did they price the rides?




[This message has been edited by John Mc (edited 11-05-2001).]

[CamB]

John, I think there was a Wellington event as well.

It was a different format to previous years (not that I went in the past, so I am working on what I have been told).

Previous years involved hot laps for money-paying passengers around a race track. The money was donated to (I think) child cancer research. Because of the Motorsport NZ litigation due to the deaths in Queenstown, I believe the Club decided it was all too hard and they would go for an alternative.

The alternative was for CanTeen (kids with cancer) and other sick or underprivileged kids to be driven around (for free) in club members cars on a sort of Fun Trial.

In Auckland, it involved driving from Bayswater Marina (the kids caught a ferry from town) to Pizza Hut for lunch, followed by a drive to a dealership (Giltrap or Continental Cars) where there were a couple of racing Porsches etc (each kid got some signed posters and a model Porsche). Final stop was the Motat Aviation Museum, where there was also a sausage sizzle and steam train rides.

The kids seemed to enjoy it quite a lot (some of the big kids too ). It would have been better without persistent rain! As I said the turnout was very good - more cars than kids to be driven!!!!

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Cameron Baudinet
1975 911S (in bits)
1969 911T

[This message has been edited by CamB (edited 11-06-2001).]

[John Mc]

Sounds like a good way to pass the day, even if it was raining.

[Bill Douglas]

Hi John Mc. I belonged to the Porsche club for a year and got put off. The first thing I went to only two people turned up - and the other guy was a first timer. then he rang me and wanted to sell me some Amway products. The next occasion there were about 30 people and cars at an autocross. the first 5 walked up and critised my car for being brown, spots of rust, ex-English, and for being a SC. The next guy was really friendly but he sold high end sterios for a living (Digby Pape, Associated Radio), so I was a tad suspicious of him too. So I drove off and resigned from the club.

[John Mc]

Good grief, I wouldn't have lasted the year either. Makes you wonder why they belong to the club if they're that uptight.

If it makes you feel any better, my father got the same treatment from the Alfa club because he had a 4-door sud, and that wasn't a true alfa in some eyes.

FWIW: I wouldn't prejudge the Paapes. My father noted that their love of Porsches goes back many years and I've seen Jonathon Paape use his 911 to haul his windsurfing gear. When I parked in the Park Royal at the start of October, Digby was in his white 911 and waved as I left. Obviously neither of them could be called uptight.

As I've said before, if you happen to see a Silver Turbo 3.6 travelling around Wellington next year, give me a wave...promise I won't try to sell you anything.

Finally, I note that you've had a few bad experiences with mechanics. Is there anyone you trust now?

[Bill Douglas]

Yes, Jon Pottinger at Powerhaus is extremly good. Really knows his stuff. He looks after most of the 911's in Wgtn. And Team European have Mark Allen, he tends to work on the newer cars but is very talented and level headed, and can sort out most problems you are likely to come accross. I like the Paapes and always chat when I see them. All of us 911 guys wave to eachother - I'll look forward to seeing a new car on the road.

[John Mc]

Originally posted by Bill Douglas:
Yes, Jon Pottinger at Powerhaus is extremly good. Really knows his stuff.

Snap, Jon helped me purchase my car, and currently has it up on blocks at his workshop waiting for the wheels to come back from refurbishement.

This is what it looked like when it was mobile:

[Matt Smith]

Blimey John, that looks marvelous! What a stunner- you must be proud.
It seems silver is the colour of choice for NZ porsches . The only person I know who is seriously attempting to buck this trend is Cam- an afficionado of black (x2).
I've been in the club for a year or so and attended the charity run as my first event. Granted, most of the cars were newish turbos; a GT3 or two, but a few of us had older models including a beautiful viper green 73 E with low miles and excellent NZ history. Swoon...
Cam's '69 was the oldest 911; mine had the most 'authentic' paint job...
The kids were pretty cool, although I'm not sure what my lad thought of the leaky Targa top. I never drive in the rain so it's normallly not a problem at all, but this day was TORRENTIAL! I was half expecting the kid to say "daddy, please don't make me drive in that car- it's leaky and old and I want to go in that nice new fast 996"
He didn't of course. Actually, he seemed more keen in trying to get me to play his new version of paper-scissors-stone while driving than anything else.
Kids- you gotta love 'em.

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'72 911 TE

[John Mc]

Yes, I am rather proud. I've worked offshore for nine years to pay for this, and I still can't believe it's actually mine.

I'd be surprised if you hadn't seen the car around Auckland in the last couple of years.

It was originally imported from Singapore, in 1999. I bought it from Winger Subaru of all places.

It has a Porsche Club sticker on the rear window so the previous owner obviously belonged at some stage or another.

So far it seems like I've purchased a solid example, I've completed a few minor cosmetic touch-ups and caught up on some deferred maintenance e.g. front discs. However, everything thing else looks in good nick.

I'm also happy to say that it performs like it looks; my few runs on the open road have seen me chicken out just before the red line e.g. 140km/hr in second gear! I can't wait to get it on the track and really see what it can do.

[Matt Smith]

John- are you based in Akl or Wellington?
I work in Newmarket Akl and think I may have seenyour car on the road at some point. I normally flash other 911's- were you the kind person who actually flashed back? (yes would be a good answer, even if it means lying. This is the Pelican bbs after all )
Beautiful car anyway. Hey, if i pretended I was a kid could I get a ride in it??

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'72 911 TE