A Personal Note

A lot of you have seen my posts here, and followed my progress (and also provided a lot of help) as I bought my first 911, and then brought it up to safe operating specs, and then also 'juiced' it a little, with a new engine and some other modifications.

It's been a really great experience for me. I've tracked the car four times now, learned a lot, and really felt a personal investment in bringing an old and neglected piece of artful engineering back to life.

I've been working exclusively with one mechanic since I got the car, Bob Brumley at L.A. Meister in Los Angeles. When I brought it to him on a flatbed back in May, he listened patiently while I told him I wanted him to just give it a quick once-over before I took it out for my first Driver's Ed session at Willow Springs. Then he took an afternoon to look at the car, and informed me that I had two oil leaks, two bad rotors, four bad calipers, crumbling fuel and brake lines, bad synchros in my transaxle, and a handful of other only-slightly-less dire problems. I explained, neophyte that I was, that fixing all of that was fine. I just needed it done in ten days so I could go out and race.

Well, in those ten days, Bob did all of that work (and more). He proved to be at least as devoted as I was to getting the car out on the track. And through that intense ten days, he always had time to explain everything he was doing. As a visual example, he would use the slant-nose late 80s 930 that he had rebuilt from the ground up (he'd even turned it into a twin plug system to it to improve its already-considerable performance).

When I told Bob that I wanted to put a 3.6 liter engine in my car -- one that I was considering buying, pretty much sight-unseen, from Germany. He once again was patient with me, listening to my wild suggestions, guiding me and educating me. He not only took on the swap, but also agreed to a deep discount on the cost of the labor on the engine installation. I think, in part, he agreed to my terms because he was curious -- in the way an auto enthusiast or an engineer is curious -- about how this idea could be made to work. He'd done a handful of 3.2 swaps, but this was another animal altogether.

To his credit, from day one, the new engine worked without a hitch. I tracked the car for the third time two weeks ago, and planned on taking it in the following Monday to get some heating ducts put in (finally) and to get the brakes bled and to get started on putting together an air conditioning set-up for the car. But then I learned about the open track session at Buttonwillow, and decided that the heat could wait for a week. I didn't call Bob to tell him I wouldn't be coming in. I figured I'd give him all my stories from both tracks at once.

So earlier this week, I brought the car back, and got some of the most upsetting news I've gotten in a long time. Bob Brumley, who I don't believe was much more than forty, had had an apparent heart attack over the weekend, and was dead. The guys who work in his shop (and they really only do support work -- it's pretty much a one-man shop) didn't have any details, yet. When I came by, they were just sitting around, pretty much in a daze.

On the one hand, I don't know a great deal about Bob. I'd only known him since May. I believe he got his start at Vasek Polak's dealership, in the late 70s or early 80s, and later worked at the dealership now known as Beverly Hills Porsche. At some point he bought out Al Hafner Tuning, and created L.A. Meister, his own shop. He was a meticulous man. I think the assembly-line-like timetables of the dealer service shops frustrated him. He was a guy who would take his time, do a job once, and do it right.

I know that he loved Porsches. He was always available to talk about mine whenever I happened by the shop. Since I lived two blocks away, this was more often than was probably normal, for a customer, but (as some of you might have gathered from my posts) I don't mind talking, and my new Porsche was one of my favorite topics. I know that he often came in on the weekends to work on my car. It made me feel a little guilty about the flat rate I'd negotiated for the engine exchange, but I think he enjoyed the hours he put in on it as well. He was a guy who seemed to truly love what he did for a living.

When he'd finished the engine swap, I remember him telling me about the first test drive in the car. It was more than just the good attitude of a seasoned professional. He was psyched. This was a guy who really loved cars, Porsches in particular, and what they could do. The personalized plates on his Syclone parts hauler read: "TKT GTR". He liked to drive fast.

I know that he loved his family, as well. Bob took two vacations a year, closing down the shop so there wouldn't be any distractions. He liked to jet-ski with his kids at a timeshare he had on a lake (I can't remember if it was Mead or Havasu). His vacations were something he'd talk as freely about with me as anything else.

Again, I didn't know the man as well as I know a lot of people, but he was such an essential personality with regard to my car that the news that he was dead came as a real shock. It's hard to imagine the car I have now without his input, direction, and many hours of hard work. If a picture of an air-cooled engine can serve as a kind of memorial image, then the 3.6 in my 1973 engine bay will always bring Bob's face to mind. I remember, he used to smile like a kid when he'd talk about the torque the thing now had in second gear.



I'm now going to have to find another L.A. Porsche mechanic to be the primary guy for my 911, but I can't help feeling that -- in a very short period -- a kind of golden era for me and my car has come to an end. Having a guy as personally invested in every centimeter of the car as Bob was will probably never happen again. He had repaired or replaced every major system on the car. No one will ever know it as completely as he did.

I feel badly that the man died so young. I know that his family, and his employees, and his friends all surely feel his loss much more deeply than me. He was just my mechanic, right? Well, he's been stuck in my mind for a few days, now. I'm really sad that I never snapped a picture of him with the car. He was a good man. All 911 issues aside, I'll miss him.

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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T (3.6) sunroof coupe

Jack - -
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A very thoughtful, eloquent and fitting description of Bob. I know all of us on this BBS share your loss.
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Chuck

Very sad news jack. You have a wonderful way with words. I sure he would have appreciated that. Prayers go out to his family and friends. It's always hard when you lose someone during the holidays. By using this BBS as you did,, a few extra people probably feel like they knew him.

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85 Carrera Targa

Jack, I second Chuck's input here. This is a tragedy for his family, friends, and employees. Glad you put all that first. And, Chuck, I'll see you and your SC on the track in March!

How truly sad. May he rest in peace.

Sounds like a cool guy--A guy who knows his stuff and is willing to share freely. It's too bad. Nice eulogy Jack.

Well Jack, when God said "C'mon Bob let's go" he didn't ask "where to". And I dare say he hasn't looked back this way yet. This old life here on earth may be the toughest part of it all.

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Robert Stoll
83 SC
83 944

Very well done. You have honored your friend in the greatest way: you remembered him.

Jack,

Can we take up some contributions for the family or is there anything else we can do?

Someone like this will be sorely missed... and you have done a excellent tribute to him and his craftmanship. Take care of it for him...

JoeA

This sucks, Jack. Bad things always happen to good people. Hope you will be able to find another "Bob".

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Jeff
1976 911S

I only wish that I am so lucky as to leave those who know me for but a short time with such fond memories. If I can achieve that, I will have lived a meaningful live. It sounds as Bob lived such a life, even as short as it was. God rest his soul, and bless his family during this holiday season.

Jack, I too had met Bob and done business with him a few times. There are things that stand out in individuals and Bob possessed two significant elements that stand out. Integrity and honesty are those elements that immediately come to mind.
My deepest condolences goes out to his family and friends... he will be missed.

Marc Weintraub

That's sad

I'm sure Bob is in a much better place now though. That was a very nice post Jack. I caught myself having to wipe a few tears towards the end of the post.

Any man with that personality & dedication deserves my upmost respect. I think we should take up a collection for his family. If only a few people from the board will send maybe $5 it will add up quick, it's only the right thing to do for the loss of such a great person.

Condolences, Jack. My thoughts are with you.

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Mark Szabo
1986 911 Targa 3.2

Jack,

As I was reading your post...I was thinking here is guy (Bob) that obviously has a passion/love for his work and is a nice guy and honest businessman (and mechanic)...and makes up for some of the bad guys out there.

Bob will be missed.....

Andy

Jack, my most heartfelt sympathy goes out to you and Bob and all who knew and worked with him. Tomorrow, before you eat an unbelieveable amount of turkey, take a moment to give thanks for you health and remember to sieze every day, because it can all disappear in a heartbeat.
Best Regards,
Nick.

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Nick Shumaker
1982 911SC Coupe

Jack, that was a very eloquent and touching eulogy, my thoughts are with you and Bob's loved ones. I agree with what Nickshu says, it is important to be thankful for one's health and take time to stop and really enjoy all of the gifts we are given every day. This may sound corny to a young healthy individual, but anyone who has been through an illness knows what I am talking about. LIve every day! Happy Thanksgiving to everybody.

Jack, you called this man your mechanic? Step back and read your post from our eyes. You will see that Bob was much more than your mechanic, he was a true, and dear friend. It shows in the eulogy you have written him, and I know he would be proud.

Thanks, guys.

It's reassuring to see so many replies, including the very gracious offers to help Bob's family. Every human life touches innumerable others, and Bob continues to do that, even now that he's gone.

I'll post more, here, when the circunstances of his death are better explained. It's nice to see that this ethereal, electronic community has such heart and soul.

- Jack