Ernst Furhmann, Chuck Stoddard and Grady Clay at Weissach, '75

[porschenut]

I recently came across this picture of Pelican's own Grady Clay, listening in on Ernst Furhmann bringing Chuck Stoddard up to speed on the latest developments at Weissach, in the parking lot outside the test facility, circa 1975.

Grady still comes out to most of our DE's and likes to reminisce about the good ol' days.

[rs911t]

That's not Ernst ... it's Grady. Here's another of Grady about the same time.




freaky ...

[bigchillcar]

grady..have you changed any from those days?
ryan

[porschenut]

Shut up Greg!

[rs911t]

Shut up Greg!

It's plain freaky, really ....

[Jim Richards]

LOL! Nice pics, Dave and Greg.

[Carl Bauer]

You're kidding about that whole Weissach thing, right?

[mudman]

I want the shirt that the Engineer is wearing, very cool!

[mb911]

so Clue me in. I have a bunch of respect for grady but what was/is his part of the porsche community? I never really firgured that. What I mean is most of us are pretty much nobody's except on pelican. But I have heard of grady before I just can't place it! I know he knows BA etc but where does he fit in? Please explain

This in no way is meant as a dig I just am a curious george when it comes to p-car history

[JeremyD]

in a 935 - At the Daytona 24 hour race Garretson, Jeff Wood and Mauricio de Naverez were third. At Sebring Ray Ratcliff, Grady Clay and Skeeter McKitterick placed seventh.

[porschenut]

I've never asked him to explain it in detail, but I do know a few things. He has worked with Bruce Anderson and Chuck Stoddard (and others) directly with Porsche AG back in the 60's and at least through the 80's. He has worked at Weissach and has assisted Porsche AG in a number of technical projects. He has written some of the Technical Service Bulletins for the early cars and has written tech articles for Panorama. Most of the famous drivers such as Bell, Haywood, and Donohue have driven his cars on tracks, including one he still owns. He used to own an independent shop in Denver called Rennenhaus, which he sold a couple decades ago. Most of his former employees now own their own shops around town, all of whom are excellent. Grady is a virtual encyclopedia of Porsche knowledge as well as an exceedingly generous man and we are blessed to have him in our club region. And he still has those yellow-rimmed shades that he's wearing in the picture.

Grady, if you're out there, perhaps you'd like to share your history with us (and correct any mistakes I made above)?

[JeremyD]

He was involved with the restoration of 904-036

[tchanson]

Originally posted by JeremyD
He was involved with the restoration of 904-036

Isn't that Gary Quast's old 904? He was a friend of my father's and as a kid I took every opportunity to hang around that (usually disassembled) car. I thought Rahal had bought it some time ago, but don't know if he still has it.

Had no idea that Grady was involved with 036, but that doesn't surprise me given the amazing depth of knowledge/experience he's shared here.

Kind of our own Zelig of US Porsche history....

Tim

[}{arlequin]

if you dig around, there's an older thread about grady's exploits, but most memorable to me was the (i think) factory team asking grady to take out one of their 917 around the track to warm it up (oil etc.) for one of their drivers...

enjoy:
Porsche Mystery Driver of the Week!

[Leland Pate]

...I got to spend the night at his house, look at uber-rare Porsche racing parts, and tour the shops of Denver all in one weekend.

He's pretty much one of the coolest guys I know.

[Grady Clay]

Try this thread:
”Porsche Mystery Driver of the Week!”

I didn’t work at Weissach but did work with some of the engineers and engineering managers from there.

In the first picture that is Chuck and I discussing Bill Jackson’s Abarth Carrera GTL. I still remember joking about our identical dress that day. I don’t recall who the others are. That was at a DE in La Junta, CO, not Weissach.

The second picture is at a Riverside CanAm in about ’71-’72 putting plugs is a 917 (I’m pretty sure it was Vasek Polak’s). Who says being volunteer crew doesn’t have its benefits.

Around this time I crewed for Jo Siffert in his 917. At the Laguna CanAm he needed to meet with some sponsors in the city so we traded cars. He drove my 911 to SF and I did test laps around Laguna Seca in his 917. The funny part is I’m easily a foot taller than Seppi. The guys had decorated my helmet to look like Siffert’s and the SCRAMP guys let me out on the track. Seppi swore me to secrecy because he was both a FIA Entrant and Driver and feared they might find out an fine him or worse.

The #9 935K3 I was volunteer crew when Bob Garretson, Brian Redman and Bobby Rahal won the Daytona 24-hour. I got to drive it the next year starting at Sebring.

That is me driving Bob Garretson’s yellow 935K3 at Sebring. That helmet is still around the house. Note the mashed spoiler. The car was set with too much under-steer and on the start of the second lap of a practice session I pushed off the outside of turn 1 under full power. Next session it was set more to my liking where I could get some tail wag under power. The description in Rocky Mountain Region –PCA is “The Grady Clay School of Sideways Driving” from trail braking to induce over-steer coming into a turn too fast and gathering it up under power before the apex.

Who’s car was 904-036? I owned 904-017 (Don Wester’s race car) for 17 years and was the 4th owner of the Ben Pon, Dutch Racing Team 904-055. One of the more fun cars I owned and races was the 1960 718-055 RS-60. It had the latest version 587/3 engine with about 220 hp and 1235#. It was great fun to rub fenders with Corvettes and McLarens with a little Porsche.

Lots of fun times.

Best,
Grady

PS: ryan, some subjects are best left unsaid. Yes, that skinny bod is hiding under here somewhere but cancer treatments and age have taken their toile.

Leland, flattery gets you another invite, HeHe. What is the status of your “deployment?”
G.

Edit to carrect me stopid schpealling - sorry Leland.

[bigchillcar]

PS: ryan, some subjects are best left unsaid. Yes, that skinny bod is hiding under here somewhere but cancer treatments and age have taken their toile.

i copy that, grady..

but boy, have your EVER been associated with porsche! and here all along i thought you must simply 'live' in a holiday inn express! right next to warren, of course!
ryan

[JeremyD]

904-036 Schutz raced in 1964. At the Nürburgring August 2, 1964 .The car ended upside down in the trees. Rebuilt at the factory.
By September of 1964, the factory was making the 904’s with a different "glass" for the body and had changed several of the body and mechanical components. This chassis had large oil lines and fittings. The original engine, transmission, dash components and other components were utilized in the rebuilding of the car and the original tail. This early tail section had the small air vents on the sides. Raced for part of 1965 by Mr. Schutz.

1966 Mr. Rudi Lins raced the car in hill climb events and other events. Mr. Lins was a Porsche Austria - 1967 Sold Mr. Frank Werner USA. The car was in perfect condition with silver color. The title transfer was in the name of Udo Schutz, not Mr. Lins. Werner raced at Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin in the "June Sprints" and other races the car was in his garage and in August of 1969, a young Mr. Rullman walking past sees the car and inquires if it is for sale. Not for sale, but Rullman says in effect ‘anything


is for sale at the right price". Mr. Frank offers the car then for a high price. Mr. Rullman says he’ll be back later with his mother or grandmother and checkbook. A few hours later, the sale was consummated.
Mr. Rullman drives the car, on the street and some racing, for some time and something broke in the transmission. This was repaired and then he started hearing a strange noise in the engine. About that time, Henry Payne of Charleston, West Virginia, offered an engine for sale from his 904 (ex Lee Sturtivant, ex Archie Walker, and was the yellow car driven by Bill Wensthoff at the June Sprints in 1964). Henry Payne had converted to a 2.5 Liter 911S engine as covered in an article in "Christophorous Magazine" several years back.
Mr. Rullman purchased the engine from Mr. Payne and had it installed in #904036. He became disenchanted with the car and offered it for sale. During Mr. Rullman’s ownership, the car fell into some state of disrepair. The car was painted orange color and, did a horrible job. there was overspray everywhere !
The car with the spare engine was sold to Mr. Jerry Hudson of Wichita, Kansas in 1969. Mr. Hudson drove the car from the Chicago area to Wichita. The car was raced in the Kansas area until the second engine suffered a failed rod bearing. The original engine was never rebuilt and sat in storage.

Mr. Hudson decided to restore the car and so began disassembly of the chassis beginning with the rear. This never proceeded past the disassembly stage. Sold to Dr. Gary Quast of Omaha, Nebraska in 1973 in a disassembled condition. The only assembly done was to reassemble the rear suspension so that the car could be rolled onto a trailer. The two engines had been disassembled and were unsorted and contained in multiple boxes.

Dr. Quast placed the car in storage. Since Dr. Quast’s garage space at home was limited, he prevailed on his neighbor to store the 904 in the horse barn. It occupied a small corner and hay bales were placed around it to protect it.
Over the next few years, the parts that were missing or in need of replacement were purchased. Parts that were in need of restoration were completed and then placed in storage. Bodywork was done and the original engine was completely assembled with new parts and placed in the car. The engine work was done by Vern Covert and Kurt Kiebler. The car was partially assembled in 1978 and the engine was "run in" and tuned. This was done by Grady Clay in Denver. The assembly was not completed at that time and the car was placed back in a controlled environment for storage. Later, the Restoration by Paul Willison USA

The project was approximately 18 months and all work was done at the Willison Werkstatt. have a light blue with orange stripes characteristic of the Gulf cars of that era. These colors were discovered during the restoration process.
The car was sold in 1998 but never picked up by the new owner. A 6-cylinder engine and a fuel cell has been installed.

Owner : USA, Bobby Rahal

[pwd72s]

Grady's the real deal, folks...Proud to say that I knew him "back when".

[safe]

You scared me with that first picture, saying it was Grady.

That man must defiantly be Ron Jeremy!