Rod trip, 2 cars, 8 passes! Looong, with pics.

[GeorgeK]

We have planned along with fellow Porsche fanatic Brian (Fryardds) a 3 days trip in the Alps. The idea was to show him some of the nicer drives one can do in central Switzerland, see some nice places, eat some food he will never find in the USA, and basically share a good few days with like minded people.

But first I had to get he cars ready. The Carrera 3.o has just 2 months ago been put back on the road with a "new" (90K miles) engine to replaced the bombed one. A few niggles with the oil temperature sender, some electrical connections to clean/crimp/weld, and not much else. The 930 needed new tires, new rear shocks, a new WUR, and a less aggressive geometry.
Here getting the final prep:



Brian and his lovely wife arrived from Zurich in their rental, and we had a hotel booked for them. We ate "raclette" at our place the first evening. If they could survive that, then the rest would be a piece of cake.
Next morning, early start into the passes:



First stop is at Gletsch, at the bottom of the Rhone Glacier. Here we switch the cars, so Brian can drive my Lwt '76 up the Grimsel.



Bad luck we are stuck behind a diesel fume belching motorhome, oh well... Here at the top. Yes that is snow. I have never been warm up that pass, not even in August. We discover that the Carrera 3.o will not idle above 6000ft elevation, but that is a minor niggle.

[GeorgeK]

Woops wrong pic there, but a nice one so I'll leave it. This is on the climb to the Susten:



Making friends with the locals:



A nice picnic in the mountain on the Sustenpass, with cheese freshly made bought at the altitude stables:



Funny shot. ALL the cars are German here:



Then down to Altdorf, and to the Klausen. Now that is hard stuff; narrow, winding, thechnical. We had a nice group shot with a 993TT:





From there it was back up the Furka, to the Belvedere Hotel (this is seen in James Bond's Goldfinger, for the movie fans).



In our room, I could stare like a grinning idjit at the present Brian brought me (thorsten, yo've GOT to make some in white/green )



Next day, following...

[GeorgeK]

After a *cold* night (Belvedere's never heated), we were up and ready for some more. It thoughtfully rained, the night only. We found about 1/2 inch of water in the back seat area of the (naked inside) Carrera, but I knew this would happen, so no drama.
If it wasn't cold enough, how about a tour of the ice cave dug in the Glacier?



Back down to Andermatt. If you remember Goldfinger, you should recognise the garage where James Bond left Jill Masterson after he dutifully destroyed the tires of her Mustang:



Fro there it was up and down the Oberalp, where the steering column bushing on the Carrera 3.o decided it had enough (no dig. pics, shot with the Leica), then up the Lukmanier, a real fast clmb, down to Biasca, then up to Airolo, to climb the Gothard:





From there, down back to Airolo, to climb the Nufenen.That is my favourite, and it did not disappoint. MC was at the wheel in the Carrera, and a local guy with a hopped up Peugeot 205 GTI was on our tail. He knew the road like the back of his hand, but could not get past us. It was a full blown, balls out climb, where MC was scintillating. HUGE fun factor. Here she is at the top, after the guy drove around to say hi, and was a little shocked to see he was held at bay by...a woman!



Here Brian and Margaret coming up after watching the beginning of the match lower in the climb.



Man, that Brian brakes too much!



Obligatory traffic jam on the way home:

[GeorgeK]

We had to end the fun with another type of climb, so the last day we packed up, and did the Gothard again, with bicycles, on the old cobblestone road. Here brian handed me my...., being much better prepared than my porky self. MC losing us while we make a stop for pics:



Another shot:



And a last one.




All in all, a great 3 days, with like minded people who are not astounded at my capacity to talk Porsches for hours on end without repeating myself. Thanks Brian, Margaret for the shared fun!

[svandamme]

SWEEEEET ROAADS !!!
got to get my ass over to der Schweiss someday when my Targa is running and has had it's shakedown !!!!
although i think the drive must be exhausting if you don't have powerbrakes and clutch... but nevertheless i think it's worth it ....

[GeorgeK]

Don't need no powerbrakes.... The Carrera had its clutch helper spring *removed* in preparation for this trip... and never had a brake booster.

[svandamme]

still , you guys seem in shape , with the bikes and all
i'm a chainsmoke, junkfood eat, hate exercise kinda guy... i get tired thinking about sport...
and i know for fact that my 73 requires me to get in better shape before i start 700 km a day trips (and definately if i want to do serious drives like that big twisty i noticed in your post)

[Neilk]

Great view of the climb up Gothard. It would be great to go up it with a spotter in the same place as where the picture was taken, telling you about any oncoming traffic. You could really fly up the hill with no risk to others.

Great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

[KobaltBlau]

That's great, George!!! thanks so much for sharing. I .... wow. just wow.

[milt]

Absolutely fantastic. The only reason I would go to Europe. And I would buy a 911 here, send it over in advance and sell it on my departure.

Where is the valve stem in that wheel? What do I not know here?

[cowtown]

Spectacular pictures!!! I just can't get over this one:

[david914]

Originally posted by GeorgeK

WOW!!! Lemme at it!!!

[Alan Cottrill]

in the picture of the gas station, what currency are those gas prices in?

[Chuck Moreland]

Sounds like a great trip. The pictures are fantastic!

[goat]

Great post.
Just got back from Carson Pass in CA. Your roads look a little more fun than the ones I was on.
Cheers!!

[Rufblackbird]

wow...those pics are awesome! Switzerland is one place I would love to go to; the closest I got was about 10,000 above the swiss alps on a flight to Paris

[motion]

George,

You are an incredible host and what scenery!!! Be prepared for the invasion of Pelicanites to take advantage of your hospitality!

[das908kind]

Carreras? Road-bikes? Mountain Passes?

You guys speak my language! Thanks for the pictures! More material with which to day-dream by.

[fryardds]

Guys,

You can't believe how blown away my wife and I were by George and MC's hospitality. To think that a couple from 'Hicksville' Indiana could travel to Switzerland and drive their special '83 930 up and down many of the famous alpine passes there is unbelievable to me. It was truely one of the most special experiences of my life. That is the power of a great friendship being born out of passion for these cars by way of these forums.

Our time together began with a spirited drive, with George at the wheel, of the 930 up the road from their home on the Ayent-Anzere Hillclimb course. We drove up this to visit the site of the tragic death in 1992 of the second owner of my RS. He was a mechanic and here is the sticker on the RS from his garage when he owned it.



Here is the curve and roadside memorial marking the spot of the accident. A very surreal moment for me.

[KobaltBlau]

Originally posted by Zeke
Where is the valve stem in that wheel? What do I not know here?

it's foreshortened. In other words, it's there, the photo is just from the angle looking down the valve stem.