February 2014

Golden Empire Region

Porsche Club of America

The Grapevine Newsletter

2

Hear it through the Grapevine

Zone 8 Concours at the Omni

Pres. Tom Brown is on his Soapbox

GEM donation to MARE

GEM, Region of the Year !

Featured Stories Pages

Golden Empires Wins Region of the Year 4

Tom Brown is back on his SoapBox 6

Zone 8 Concours in Palm Springs 8

Golden Empire Region’s 2013

Charitable Donation to MARE 10

Arizona Auction Porsche Results 20

Porsche Werks Reunion added to Legends Autobahn 23

Local Social Outings

GEM Bugs Out at the Bugseum 11

Luncheon at Tammy and Spencer’s 11

Event Calendars

Zone 8 2014 Event Calendar 8

Our GEM Event Calendar 9

Members Project Pages

Introduction to our new Projects Profiles 18

Tech Sect and Product Review

Uncovering the PDK mystery 28

Review of Bluetooth Radio Device Tranzit Blu 16

Out of Town Events

So Cal Literature and Restoration Tours 12

Festival of Speed 2014 17

Miscellaneous Out of Town Events 23

Monterey Week, Feature Marques 24

3

Social Coordinator

Tammy Harris

Webmaster

Anton Khatsanovich

Newsletter Editor

Michael Thomas

gemgrapevine@gmail.com

Autocross Co-Chairs

Greg Fullmer and

Charles Rook

Safety Chair &

Insurance Coordinator

Mike McGregor

Membership Co-Chairs &

Communication Co-Chairs

Loren Stumbaugh and

Anna Stumbaugh

PCA Membership While our cars are very exclusive, our club is not.

Did you know that you can add a family member

or other interested person as an affiliate

member, at no additional cost? The family or

affiliate member must also be 18 years of age or

older.

For all of the details contact our Membership

Chair:

Loren Stumbaugh

Porsche Club of America

Golden Empire Region

Membership Chairman

Loren7025@gmail.com

Porsche Club of America

Golden Empire Region

Board Members and Chair Persons

Please join us online at our newly remodeled

Website and on our Facebook Group page.

http://gem.pca.org/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/

PCA.GoldenEmpireRegion/

And please send any Newsletter comments

or content contributions to :

gemgrapevine@gmail.com

Secretary

Spencer Harris

Treasurer

Betsy Wadman

President

Omar Olivas

Vice President

Linn Christopher

Past President

Pat Wadman

4

Way to go Golden Empire !!!

The little Region that could ! The Golden

Empire Region was awarded the Region of the Year

award at the Zone 8 President’s dinner in Palm Springs.

This was no insignificant recognition. Our Region is the

second smallest region of the 13 that make up PCA

Zone 8. And GEM still managed to impress the judges

enough to take the honor. And it all came as a total

surprise to the group of us who were present at the

dinner. Smiles, laughter, and tears ( oh Betsy :)) were

all expressions of joy gushing from the GEM tables that

evening.

On the following page is the introduction given at the

Award’s Banquet by the emcee, Mark Shevitz. He

stated several reasons he believes our tiny little Golden

Empire Region prevailed that evening against others

much larger regions.

Our region’s President, Omar Olivas has also presented

5 Excellence in Action Awards. These awards were giv-

en to several members as recognition of their contribu-

tions to our GEM group this year. Congratulation is in

order to every member of our Golden Empire Region

of the Porsche Club of America.

It’s not the car, it’s the people !!

5

Here's what I read out Tuesday night… Thought we might share them on the next newsletter...

Facts about the Zone 8 2013 Region of the Year:

· Has members that display a lot of enthusiasm for the club and the region

· Many members attend almost every event, either as a participant or a volunteer, or both

· The energy in this region is palpable, it is quite vibrant and dynamic

· The Board of Directors is motivated to improve the region; the region’s core has been reinvigorated, they are motivated in a way that hasn’t

been seen in several years

· They created a new website and new newsletter during 2013

· They have a full calendar that includes a Concours, several Autocrosses, driving tours, monthly dinners, weekly breakfasts and other social

events,

· Their events frequently see 20% or more of the membership attending.

· This is a very diverse and full calendar compared to previous years

· They have a long standing charity program that raises over $4000 a year

· If you go to one of their events, you will say “I’d be happy belonging to that region”

· In short, they exemplify the teamwork and sense of family that makes this club; they demonstrate that it is about the people

· All this and they manage to do it with only 107 total members

The 2013 Zone 8 Region of the Year is: Golden Empire!!!!

Quick breakdown of the 107 members as of 1/21/2014:

We had 19 new members join in 2013 and 5 new members already in 2014!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Golden Empire Region Excellence Award Winners

Keys to GEM success in 2013

Tammy Harris – for ensuring our calendar was full of fun events the entire year

Anna Stumbaugh – for ensuring our calendar was full of fun events the entire year

Mike Thomas – for creating our fantastic newsletter and moving it straight to a monthly publication

Anton Khatsanovich – for creating our new web site that is now considered a benchmark in Zone 8

Linn Christopher – for being our most vocal advocate

Category Count

Affiliate member 6

Family member 37

Primary member 64

Total 107

Facts about the Zone 8 2013 Region of the Year:

· Has members that display a lot of enthusiasm for the club and the

region

· Many members attend almost every event, either as a participant or a

volunteer, or both

· The energy in this region is palpable, it is quite vibrant and dynamic

· The Board of Directors is motivated to improve the region; the region’s core has been reinvigorated, they

are motivated in a way that hasn’t been seen in several years

· They created a new website and new newsletter during 2013

· They have a full calendar that includes a Concours, several Autocrosses, driving tours, monthly dinners,

weekly breakfasts and other social events,

· Their events frequently see 20% or more of the membership attending.

· This is a very diverse and full calendar compared to previous years

· They have a long standing charity program that raises over $4000 a year

· If you go to one of their events, you will say “I’d be happy belonging to that region”

· In short, they exemplify the teamwork and sense of family that makes this club; they demonstrate that it is

about the people

· All this and they manage to do it with only 107 total members

The 2013 Zone 8 Region of the Year is: Golden Empire!!!!

Quick breakdown of the 107 members as of 1/21/2014:

We had 19 new members join in 2013 and 5 new members already in 2014!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Golden Empire Region Excellence Award Winners

Keys to GEM success in 2013

Tammy Harris – for ensuring our calendar was full of fun events the entire year

Anna Stumbaugh – for ensuring our calendar was full of fun events the entire year

Mike Thomas – for creating our fantastic newsletter and moving it straight to a monthly publication

Anton Khatsanovich – for creating our new web site that is now considered a benchmark in Zone 8

Linn Christopher – for being our most vocal advocate

Category Count

Affiliate member 6

Family member 37

Primary member 64

Total 107

6

Southwest Soapbox

By Tom Brown

Zone 8 Representative

2014 has started off with a bang! Our second an-

nual Zone 8 Weekender was an amazing success,

combining a driving tour, a Concours and the Zone

8 Awards Banquet in beautiful Palm Springs. Our

host venue was the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Re-

sort which provided a gorgeous spot for the com-

peting Porsches, as well as a fun venue for a deli-

cious dinner. Our emcee for the evening was Mark

Shevitz, PCA’s National Parade Emcee. His warm

wit and sharp tongue made for a very entertaining

evening as we distributed awards, appreciation

gifts and door prizes. Mark does a fantastic job

with the microphone, truly turning any club event

into an exciting yet family gathering.

Jeff Zwart was the special surprise guest speaker

for the evening. For those of you who don’t know

of him, Jeff is famous for both his photography

and film making skills (having made a career out

of producing advertising for Porsche and other

large companies) and for his racing skills (seven

time Pike’s Peak Champion, to name a few acco-

lades). In fact, most interviews with him either

start or end with the interviewer stating something

to the effect of “I want to be Jeff when I grow up.”

Believe me; you’d recognize the Porsche print ads

and TV commercials he has produced. In addition

to his delightful story-telling, we were the first to

see a couple of new videos he produced, one on

his latest Pike’s Peak win, and one about his 356

Gmund Coupe (which you’ve seen on the cover of

Pano). Thank you, Jeff, you were a terrific addition

to the event.

A very important part of the evening is our tradi-

tion of recognizing the best of the best for the

year. The 2013 Zone 8 Enthusiast of the Year,

from the Los Angeles Region, is Colleen Stein. Col-

leen has only been a member of PCA for three

years, yet she jumped in with both feet and has

never looked back. She regularly attends Concours

events around the zone, both as an entrant and a

judge. She has chaired many LA region events.

She always volunteers at every event she attends,

she engages new members, participates with most

of the regions in the LA area, and is always bub-

bling with enthusiasm. Thank you, Colleen, for

everything you do to make this club great.

Please also join me in congratulating Golden Em-

pire Region, the 2013 Zone 8 Region of the Year.

Golden Empire had a terrific year with a wide vari-

ety and large number of quality events which

speaks highly of the health of the region. The

sheer number of members that attend most every

event (and volunteer at them) is incredible. This

region is very strong and dynamic, and is channel-

ing its energy into a lot of fun events. Both Col-

leen and Golden Empire are very deserving of

these honors!

I would also like to thank Don Roof, national Re-

gion Web Coordinator, for hosting a web and

newsletter seminar for our zone webmasters and

editors. Finally, I am reminded to give a warm and

appreciative thank you to our sponsor,

Auto Gallery.

Tom Brown, Zone Rep, with 2013 Zone Enthusiast of the Year

Colleen Stein and previous Zone Enthusiast of the Year winners

Paul Young, Suesan Way, Vince Knauf, Skip Carter, Bev Gould

A Message from our Zone 8 President Tom Brown

7

The zone’s first club race of the year,

our California Festival of Speed, is coming up

quickly. Mark your calendars for the first

weekend of April, the fourth through the

sixth. Those of you who attended last year

know this event has grown leaps and bounds,

and this year will prove to be no different. In

addition to an incredible weekend of racing,

the “festival” aspect of this event will be big-

ger and better than ever. We will have even

more vendors, a food truck court (better

food!), and of course the Porsche Concours

and Corral. Parade laps, driving simulators,

mini-autocross, swap meet, cars for sale, it

will all be back. This year’s timeline will fea-

ture the 4 cylinder Porsches along with 928s.

(If you want your car in the show, please con-

tact Bruce Herrington, bherrington@telis.net).

On Sunday, the plan is to ask the vendors to

bring in all their customers and demo cars for

our “Super Car Paddocks,” which will show off

a variety of exciting and modified exotic cars.

Mark your calendars now, don’t miss out on

this fantastic weekend. For more information,

email: info@calfestival.org. To volunteer

( W e n e e d y o u ! ) e m a i l :

volunteer@calfestival.org

Looking farther down the road, PCA is bring-

ing the Werks Reunion to the Monterey

Historics week. This Porsche only Concours

and Corral will finally give Porsche and PCA

the spotlight they deserve during this annual

tradition of automobile excess. The Werks

Reunion will be held on Friday, the same day

as the BMW club’s Legends of the Autobahn.

(I hear that Concorso Italiano is moving to

Saturday, so they will no longer conflict.)

Bring your Porsche and be there, it promises

to be a great event! (As if you didn’t already

have enough reasons to go to Monterey in

August...)

Visit the Auto Club Speedway Website

Visit PCA Zone8 / Festival of Speed Website

View of the 2013 Legends of the Autobahn

8

The Zone 8 Concours at the Beautiful Rancho Las Palmas Restort in Palm Springs

And a good time was had by all :)

9

11 Sat AZ Autocross - Bondurant Road Course

18 Sat Zone 8 Banquet, Palm Springs

Zone 8 Concours, Palm Springs

Zone 8 President's Meeting, Palm Springs

18-19 S-Sun SDR Time Trial, Chuckwalla

20 Mon Martin Luther King Day

1 Sat AZ DE, Bondurant West

8 Sat SBR Concours Judge's School

8 Sat OCR Driver's Clinic, El Toro

9 Sun OCR Autocross, El Toro

9 Sun SDR Autocross, Qualcomm

15 Sat AZ Autocross, Bondurant Skidpad

17 Tue President's Day

22-23 S-Sun SDR DE/TT, Streets of Willow

1 Sat LA Lit Meet, Airport Hilton

2 Sun All Porsche Swap Meet, Phoenix Club

8-9 S-Sun SDR Performance Driving School, Qualcomm

9 Sun Daylight Savings Starts

9 Sun OCR Autocross, El Toro

15 Sat SDR Concours Judging School

15 Sat AZ Autocross, Bondurant Road Course

17 Mon GPX Day Away from Work, Streets of Willow

29-30 S-Sun PCA Club Race, Thunderhill

29 Sat SDR Autocross, Qualcomm

4-6 F-Sun California Festival of Speed, Fontana

5 Sat Zone 8 Concours, Fontana

6 Sun OCR Autocross, El Toro

11-13F-Sun Long Beach Grand Prix

13 Sun CAI Concours

19 Sat SDR Autocross, Qualcomm

19 Sat AZ Autocross, Bondurant Skidpad

20 Sun CCC Autocross, Santa Maria

20 Sun Easter

26 Sat SBR Gimmick Rally

26 Sat SGVR Concours

3-4 S-Sun SDR DE/TT, Chuckwalla

3 Sat SAR Concours

4 Sun OCR Autocross, El Toro

10-11 S-Sun GGR TT/Club Race, Buttonwillow

17 Sat SBR Autocross, Camarillo Airport

17 Sat AZ Autocross, Tempe Diablo

18 Sun GPX Zone 8 Concours

24 Sat SDR Autocross, Qualcomm

26 Mon Memorial Day

1 Sun OCR Concours, Lantern Bay Park

1 Sun OCR Autocross, El Toro

7 Sat Friends of Steve McQueen Car Show

15 Sun Father's Day

15-21 S-Sun Porsche Parade, Monterey, California

28 Sat SBR Street Survival School

29 Sun OCR Autocross, El Toro

19 Sat SBR 50th Anniversary Celebration

26 Sat CCC Autocross, Santa Maria

27 Sun OCR Autocross, El Toro

2 Sat SDR Concours

9-10 S-Sun Laguna Seca Pre-Historics

14-17 T-Sun Monterey Historics

17 Sun Pebble Beach Concours

24 Sun OCR Autocross, El Toro

1 Mon Labor Day

13 Sat SBR Detail Clinic, Lavaggios

19-21 F-Sun Coronado Speed Festival

20-21 S-Sun PCA Club Race, Miller

20 Sat CCC Autocross, Santa Maria

20 Sat SBR Autocross, Camarillo Airport

21 Sun OCR Autocross, El Toro

27-28 S-Sun PCA Club Race, Willow Springs (TT)

27 Sat RR Timeline to Arrowhead

6 Mon GPX Day Away from Work, Streets of Willow

12 Sun SBR Concours

13 Mon Columbus Day

19 Sun OCR Autocross, El Toro

25-26 S-Sun SDR DE/TT Chuckwalla

1 Sat SAR Concours

2 Sun Daylight Savings Ends

4 Tue Election Day

11 Tue Veteran's Day

14 Fri Test N Tune, Buttonwillow

15-16 S-Sun SDR TT/Club Race, Buttonwillow

16 Sun OCR Autocross, El Toro

27 Thu Thanksgiving

7 Sun OCR Autocross, El Toro

Abbreviations

AZ — Arizona Region of the Porsche Club of America

CCC — California Central Coast Region

CAI — California Inland Region

GER — Golden Empire Region

GGR— Golden Gate Region

GPX — Grand Prix Region

LAR — Los Angeles Region

LVR — Las Vegas Region

OCR — Orange Coast Region

RR — Riverside Region

SAR — Southern Arizona Region

SBR — Santa Barbara Region

SDR — San Diego Region

SGV — San Gabriel Valley Region

DE — PCA Drivers Education track event

PCA — Porsche Club of America

2014 PCA Zone 8 Events

10

The Golden Empire Region of the Porsche Club of

America is proud to be associated with M.A.R.E.

(Mastering Abilities Riding Equines) as our club’s

charitable organization. Each year GEM is honored

to make a donation to this wonderful local group.

From GEM events and gathering throughout the

year, we are pleased to present M.A.R.E. with a

$4,000 donation for 2013.

I have listed below a short paragraph taken from

the M.A.R.E. Website that states their mission:

“With the belief in the healing power of the horse,

Diane Hopkins, Mary Literilla and Dorothy Evans

broke the trail for special needs children and

adults in Kern County, allowing them to experience

freedom of movement, freedom of spirit & free-

dom from judgment. Today, M.A.R.E. continues to

provide “hope on horseback,” for exceptional

equestrians in Kern County. M.A.R.E. is

where miracles happen one stride at a time.“

The Golden Empire Region of the PCA would like to

take this opportunity to thank M.A.R.E for their

affiliation with our group. Thanks go out as well to

all of the GEM membership for their generosity

and support of this wonderful organization.

Another example of how

It’s not just the cars, It’s the people.

M.A.R.E. — Golden Empire Region’s Charitable Organization Click this Link for more pictures of MARE

GEM’s $4000 donation to MARE

11

A Golden Empire Region’s Saturday Afternoon

We end Saturday’s drive with a fantastic Lunch at Tammy’s and Spencer’s Once again, Thanx for your Hospitality

After GEM’s donation to M.A.R.E we found plenty of things to Bug Us at the Insect Lore’s Bugseum in Shafter

12

Now in its 31st year, over 1,250 people attend the annual Porsche and Vintage V-W Literature, Toy/Model, & Memorabilia Swap

Meet at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton Hotel. The meet has over 225 tables with tens of thousands of collectibles - posters, sales

literature, toys, models, factory gift items, press kits, technical literature, small trim items, and accessories for Porsches and

vintage VW's. The meet is held in two huge ballrooms on the main floor of the Airport Hilton, 5711 W. Century Blvd., Los

Angeles - very close by Los Angeles International Airport. The public is admitted at 9:00 a.m. for $10 each at the door.

"Earlybird" shoppers are admitted with the vendors at 7:00 a.m. for $30 at the door. Special discounted room rates are available

from the LA Airport Hilton directly at 310-410-4000. Please ask for the special room rates under the "group code PVV."

Click Here, Porsche Restoration Shop Tours

Open House Tours of So Cal’s best Classic Porsche

Restoration and Sales Outlets

Click Here, Los Angeles Literature and Toy Show

Literature and Memorabilia Show for Porsche and Vintage V Ws

Saturday,March 1, 2014 Los Angeles Airport Hilton, 5711 West Century Blvd, Los Angeles Ca

Just off the 405 by the Los Angeles International Airport.

Showtimes: 9:AM Public admitted for $10

Porsche Happenings in Southern California Area

Saturday, March 1, 2014 Literature and Toys Show

Saturday, March 1, 2014 European Collection 4P-7P

13

SoCal All-

Porsche Swap

and

Car Display,

Sunday 8:am – March 2nd, 2014

Located at the Phoenix Club,

1340 Sanderson,

Anaheim, CA

Bring whatever money you have leftover from the

Literature Meet, your Porsche, Porsche friends and

join us for a celebration of Porsche! Breakfast and

lunch will be available, so plan to spend the day

soaking in the glory that is Porsche.

The All-Porsche Swap & Car Display will again be

held on the day after the Lit Meet on Sunday, March

2nd at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim. It’s located at

1340 South Sanderson, Anaheim, CA 92806. This will

be our fifth year here and the site is working

well. See http://www.thephoenixclub.com/ for de-

tails on this German American Club.

Event sponsor, 356 Club of Southern California Will

have indoor vendor displays in the FestHall with

11,500 feet under one roof! Outdoors, we have

about 2 acres of room for more vendors, swappers

and large grass soccer field for car corrals. We’ll

have plenty of parking available to Porsche people

within 50 meters of the main entrance.

This event will take us back to a simpler time in a

very unique setting; to a time when the Internet was

not your primary source for used Porsche parts; a

time when the local Southern California Porsche

owner's gathered each winter to swap, fender fon-

dle, see old friends and appreciate the breed. There

will be vendors dedicated to our Porsche hobby

and plenty of swap space will be available. If you

have a car for sale, bring it and put a sign and infor-

mation sheet in the window and sell it.

Each car coming in for Porsche display parking will

make a donation of $20, so pile as many of your

friends in the car as you can! The gates open to the

Porsche parking on the grounds of the Phoenix Club

at 8 AM. Seeing all the Porsche's parked there will be

incredible! The walk-in gate will be open at 8:00 AM

and admission will be $10. Breakfast and lunch with

a German flavor will be available from open to close.

Be sure you stop by the Bierstube to finish off the

day. For those wanting to stay in the area of the

Phoenix Club on Saturday night, we suggest the

AYRES HOTEL ANAHEIM, 2550 E. Katella Ave-

nue, Anaheim, CA 92806 (714) 634-2106.

Porsche Happenings in Southern California Area

All-Porsche Swap and Car Display

Sunday, March 2, 2014, 8:AM

Located at the Phoenix Club, 1340 Sanderson, Anaheim, Ca

The Phoenix Club

1340 Sanderson, Anaheim, CA

Sun, Mar 2, 2014

Open at 8:am

Click Here for Map

Click Above for more Info

14

February 2014

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 Bakersfield

Golden Ox

Breakfast meet

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bakersfield

Golden Ox

Breakfast meet

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Drive to

Simi Valley, Ronald

Reagan Library

16 17 18 Senor Pepe’s

Social Meeting and

Dinner

19 20 21 22 Bakersfield

Golden Ox

Breakfast meet

23 24 25 26 27 28

March 2014

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 Los Angeles

Literature and Toy

Meet Restoration

2 Anaheim, Ca

All Porsche Swap

Meet & car Display

3 4 5 6 7 8 Riverside, CA

Walter’s Empire

100 Gimmick Rally

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Bakersfield

Breakfast Meet &

Autocross setup

16 GEM Minter

Field Autocross

17 Willow Springs

Streets of Willow

DE and Autocross

18 Senor Pepe’s

Social Meeting and

Dinner

19 20 21 22 Bakersfield

Golden Ox

Breakfast Meet

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Bakersfield

Golden Ox

Breakfast Meet

30 31

15

April 2014

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 Fontana, CA

Festival of Speed

6 Fontana, Ca

Festival of Speed

7 8 9 10 11

Long Beach Grand

Prix Weekend

12 Breakfast

Long Beach Grand

Prix Weekend

13

Long Beach Grand

Prix Weekend

14 15 16 17 18 19 Bakersfield

Breakfast

20 21 22 Social Meeting

and Dinner

Location TBA

Announced

23 24 25 26 Bakersfield

Breakfast

27 28 29 30

May 2014

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 Bakersfield

Breakfast

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Bakersfield

Breakfast

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Bakersfield

Breakfast

18 19 20 Social Meeting

and Dinner

Location TBA

Announced

21 22 23 24 Bakersfield

Breakfast

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Bakersfield

Breakfast

16

From The ediTor’s desk

Building a Community

As most of you know by now, I recently bought a 1971 911 T Targa.

I have been in the market for the right fixer-upper. And when I

stumbled onto this little treasure I couldn't pass it up.

I wasn't too surprised to find the little car’s dash was cracked and

the carpet in need of replacement. I wasn't too surprised to see

blemishes in the paint and areas of the body in need of attention.

And the fact that the car had to be towed into a repair shop to get

it running was almost expected.

But what did surprise me was the interest and enthusiasm that this

little car generated throughout the membership of our group. I

posted my little Porsche on the GEM Facebook site. And within

minutes several of you had responded to my questions regarding

what you thought of the car and the owner’s asking price. Several

members were quick to offer their assistance to examine this little

barn find. One member even offered to help me purchase it. That

kind of surprised me.

When the wrecker came to haul the little Targa out of the owner’s

garage and off to the boys at German Dreams for a pre-purchase

inspection, several members actually went down there to check

the car out for themselves. This kind of surprised me too.

Soon comments about the car’s condition began being texted to

me. Members were telling me all about mechanical issues being

discovered with the engine on this little car. And later that day

when Mr. Stumbaugh texted me with a full break down of the VIN

number and a little vehicle history. I was totally taken by surprise.

What surprised me the most about this little car really wasn't the

car at all. It was the way our GEM community responded to the car.

It generated enthusiasm throughout the membership. It instantly

became a community car. I was not expecting to find so many

members excited by this local find. They were happy for me, and

happy that our Club has grown by one more little vintage Porsche.

When I attended the Webmaster and Newsletter seminar in Palm

Springs, one thing was brought up. The Newsletters, the Websites,

and Social Media such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are not

used to Just communicate among the membership. It is used to

build a community around a common interest, A little car. This

spirit of community is what has brought our little GEM region to-

gether and help become Zone 8, Region of the of Year.

Well done GEM !!

Michael Thomas

Newsletter Editor

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to be-

come involved online. GEM has a newly remodeled website.

Anton Khatsanovich, our new webmaster has done a phenomenal

job with the new website design. Anton and I recently attended a

webmaster and newsletter editor seminar in Palm Springs. The

instructor displayed

many of the websites

within our Zone 8 terri-

tory. Our GEM website

was undeniably more

well laid out and easier

to read and navigate

than any others shown

that day. Anton’s web

design was one of the

reasons I believe GEM

won Region of the Year. Click this link, gem.pca.org and check it

out !

Our GEM Facebook page is another great way which participate

online. When a new issues of the Grapevine is finish one of the

first places you’ll find an access link is on the GEM Facebook Group

page. Go to Facebook.com. Once on Facebook try searching for

PCA.GoldenEmpireRegion. Sorry guys, no hyperlink this time.

And I also want to take these final few lines to congratulate those

members who recently were awarded one of the five Golden Em-

pire Region’s Excellence in Action awards. Tammy Harris and Anna

Stumbaugh won for keeping our events calendar full last year. Linn

Christopher for being GEM’s greatest advocate. Anton Khatsa-

novich for his amazing website design. And me, Mike Thomas for

some nonsense about a newsletter.

I will take this forum to thank all of you for presenting me with this

award honoring my work with the Grapevine

newsletter. I didn't see this coming and it

really means a lot, thank you.

Again, It’s not the just the Car :))

GEM’s Online Social Media

17

Get ready for Southern California’s

biggest Porsche Event of 2014 !

Registration is now open.

It can be done online

MotorSportReg.com

Porsche Happenings in Southern California

Friday thru Sunday, April 4 thru 6, 2014

Visit the Auto Club Speedway Website

Visit PCA Zone8 / Festival of Speed Website

18

Golden Empire Region

Member’s Porsche Restoration Projects

Since Greg Fullmer was the inspiration for this idea I will start with his 356 Coupe.

Above are photos of Greg’s 1962 T6B 356 Coupe. This is a project the Greg has been waiting to get started for sometime. Greg stated

this is a former daily driver of his. He is in the process of restoring it to an Out Law 356, and making it his daily driver again. He says this

little 4 cylinder, carbureted engine is original. And has all the power needed to push it around a track quickly. I believe it was Greg who

stated he hopes to have it in the paint shop this summer. Rick Higdon and he have a pretty good job already of getting it ready for paint.

I love these old 356 Coupes and can’t wait to see it fly around track soon. Awesome Greg, I looking forward to see how it progresses.

Next we have Loren Stumbaugh’s 1970 911T Targa, turned blue flower box, turning back into a gorgeous driver. This 911T of Loren’s is

unique because it has a Sportomatic transmission. The Sportomatic is a manual gearbox that replaces the clutch pedal with micro-

switches and vacuum actuators. The driver is able to run through the cars gears without ever having to depress the clutch pedal.

If I remember the story correctly, this little 911 has been know about for sometime. I believe it was Pat Wadman who came across this

years ago. The previous owner left it outside, uncovered. I hear it was pretty rough shape when Loren rescued it. Loren says it may be a

while before he’s finished with it. This will be the perfect car for you Loren after a knee surgery. Just hope it’s your Left knee :)

And as most of you know, I recently have purchased my own project car. It is a 1971 911T Targa. 88,000 on car, and engine rebuild at

53,000. Spotted in a neighbor’s garage, this little Targa has sat for five years with the fuel in it. The batteries are both shot and the orifices

in carbs are plugged up. George and Eddie at German Dreams are working their magic to bring it back to life. My plans are to restore it to

a reliable, attractive, and fun daily driver. Hope to have it running by the middle of March. Will be fun to take it through the AutoX track.

Brainstorm !! So many of us GEM members have Porsche Restoration Projects in the works. I thought it will be fun to follow the pro-

gress of these projects. Then each month or so we can profile one of the member’s restoration progress.

Some of the GEM members are restoring their Porsches to concours show quality. Other members intend to build Porsches to perform

better on track. And a few members like myself just hope to have a reliable and presentable daily driver.

We would love to feature you Porsche restoration project but I need photos and a brief written statement telling us about Porsche.

Please mention the cars year, model, engine type and any other notables about it. Also any story about the cars history, how you came

about it, and what you hope to do with it. Should be a popular feature I’ll need a little help from all of you with this one.

In the upcoming March issue of the Grapevine we will feature a terrific 356 barn find story submitted by Spencer Harris. It will be the

perfect inaugural Porsche restoration story ! I am going to start now with a brief introduction to some of the our member’s projects.

Note the large

vacuum cylinder

mounted on the

left side to the

Sportomatic

19

Moving on to El Presidente’s collect. Omar has all kinds of Porsches. From his 2008 Cayman daily driver to his assortment of three 944s.

There’s even a 914 in the mix as well.

Omar likes to name his Porsches. So let me introduce his three 944s. The Goodwill car, McGregor car and the Egg-Roll parts car. Pictured

below is his Goodwill car. As the name implies, Omar purchased this 1984 944 from the vehicle lot of the Goodwill Industries.

It was spotted by another GEM member Linn Christopher. Omar was on vacation in Mexico when Linn told him about it. Omar talked

Linn into bring the car home for him while he was in Mexico. The car is a pretty nice original interior. It only needed a little mechanical

work on the engine. Omar climbed in and took care of that. Happy to report this 944 is once again running well. I believe the next por-

tion of this project will be to bring the original paint back to life. It’s not uncommon to see him pull into our Saturday morning breakfast

in this. I even expect to see doing laps around our autocross at Minter Field the middle of March ……..

Oh Oh, Stop the Presses !! Word is out that after a year since purchase, this car just passed smog and was registered. Even a new pair of

shoes. Omar says it’s now time for the spit shine . Way to go, that’s what bringing them back to life is all about !! Enjoy now …….

Next is Omar’s 1983 McGregor car. It was purchased new by follow GEM member Mike McGregor.

Mike acquired other Porsches and then sold this 944. Over the years it came to rest on a lawn in Oildale. It was spotted by Steve Kittrell.

Steve brought that to the attention of Omar. After some successful negotiation with the owner Omar soon hauled the 944 home. Omar

was telling the membership about his recent 944 find. Mike McGregor look at it one day and said “That’s my old car.”

Omar has stated that he plans on building a track car out of this one. I don’t recall the details, but I believe this ‘83 944 has some original

performance features that came on it when new. Funny how cars just kind of make their rounds here in Bakersfield.

I think this is a good place to introduce the 1973 914, better known as “The Fridge”. It’s the body kit that lines the bottom of the car. And

the interior looks new.

This 914 was originally found and purchased by still another GEM member, Robert “Doc” Altvatter. He found in the homes back up on the

back side of Hart Park. He purchased it but didn't keep it long. It was offered to Linn Christopher who bought mostly to keep within the

club. Omar saw it and fell in love. He bought it from Linn. It is a great looking little 914. The body kit gives it lowered look. I see Omar

helmet in the front seat. I’m sure this will have some track time on in March as well …..

And finally, there is Omar’s 2006 Cayman. He purchased a turbo kit from this from TPC racing last fall. He stated that in terms of

autocrossing he has progressed to a high evel as a driver. Now it is time for the Cayman to be

enhanced. And what an enhancement, the low boost turbos and racing exhaust system should

increase horsepower from 295 to a total 460. WOW. I have a Cayman and can’t wait to

experience what 460 horsepower feels like in that little car.

Golden Empire Region

Member’s Porsche Restoration Projects

20

Porsches, Porsches, Porsches

Results from the January Auction in Arizona

Last month the Grapevine went to Arizona to preview the lineup of Porsche for sell from three of the big houses. In this

month’s issue we have the results. I think you will be pleased and surprised to what your vintage Porsche may be worth.

Just keep in mind that many of these, especially those from the higher end Gooding and RM auctions achieve their sell

prices through Concours quality restorations. And I believe we a couple of Concours quality restoration underway here

within the membership of the Golden Empire Region.

21

Lot 34 — Sold at $143,000

1968 Porsche 911 L

Lot 135 — Sold at $269,000

1965 Porsche 911

Lot 110 — Sold at $165,000

1972 Porsche 911 S

Lot 5 — Sold at $189,750

1959 Porsche 356 A Convertible D

Lot — 17 Sold at $92,400

1973 Porsche 911 E Targa

Lot 41 — Sold at $132,000

1952 Porsche 356 1500 Coupe

22

Why Porsches are So Valuable September 9, 2013 by Pepper Girl

The iconic Porsche 356 sports car was launched in 1948,

bearing the distinction of being the company's first full

production car. Since then, the Porsche brand has grown

to become one of the largest purveyors of luxury in the

world. Driving a Porsche is aspirational, giving drivers the

feeling of racetrack-quality power and handling ability on

the street. As a result, from an investment standpoint this

brand is seen by many to be more valuable than many

competitors. Porsche cars are built for speed and luxury,

and many even increase in value with time. It's interesting to take a closer look at how these values measure up.

What Sets Porsche Apart

Prices aren't set arbitrarily, and Porsches retain their value well over the years for a reason. Many were originally designed for

both road and racing purposes, and since their inception Porsche cars have won over 24,000 races worldwide. This includes

100 class wins at Le Mans. When you buy a Porsche, you're buying the highest quality of racing technology with a classic pedi-

gree. The technology used isn't cheap, nor are the materials used in a Porsche's construction. Classic Porsches can skyrocket in

value. For example, Porsche 550 Spyders are now selling at over $3.5 million dollars, while an iconic 917 is worth $4 million

and up. The rarity and reputation of these classic race cars is just part of what makes them so valuable today.

Price Comparison with Other Luxury Brands

Pricing on new Porsches is comparable to other luxury brands with the same level of quality. A recent comparison in Car and

Driver magazine found the pricing of a 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera to fall right in the middle of competitors like the 2012 Chev-

rolet Corvette ZO6 and 2013 Nissan GT-R. The most basic trim level of the Corvette retailed for $76,500, with the Porsche com-

ing in at $84,300. When looking at the latest Nissan GTR listings, the numbers climb higher, and Car and Driver listed the

starting price on this model at $92,500. And in this same comparison, the Porsche came out on top for its smooth handling

ability and a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds.

Prices Fluctuate in Different Markets

The price of a new Porsche will also vary depending on the country you're making your purchase in. Porsche prices are sky-

high in countries like Australia, where drivers must pay import duty, state, and federal taxes. When purchasing a $260,000

sports car, an Australian driver would actually be paying $90,000 to the government, according to Australian Porsche spokes-

man Paul Ellis. In comparison, Porches can be seen as a bargain in countries like the United States, where the same car would

cost only five figures. Factors aside from taxes which can cause this price discrepancy include specification standards and rari-

ty. These global market factors affect all cars, not only Porsche. For example, Alfa Romeo Giulietta prices at

carsales.com.au show a starting price of $25,000 AUD, while the exact same car is priced at closer to $28,000 AUD in the UK.

Porsche is a staunchly independent brand that has always remained true to its racing aesthetic. Most classic models only grow

in value, and brand new Porsches fall right in line with competitor's prices while blowing them out of the water on road tests.

In the end, there are many factors that determine the value of a Porsche.

23

Upcoming Activities Out of Town

24

The Porsche Club of America is set to begin a new tradi-

tion in 2014 with the inaugural Werks Reunion. The

new, premier Porsche event will take place on Friday,

August 15, during the world-famous “Car Week” on Cal-

ifornia’s Monterey Peninsula.

For 2014, PCA will host a dedicated event to celebrate

Porsche automobiles on the very same fairways. Expect

a breathtaking array of Porsches, from rare classics to

customs, race cars, current models, and everything in

between. PCA will host the event with participation from

Porsche Cars North America. National PCA Sponsors will

also be present with exhibits and displays. Werks

Reunion is open to all and tagged as “A Porsche Gath-

ering” for a reason: PCA is inviting other Porsche clubs

to join in the fun! Werks Reunion is intended to be a

new way for all Porsche owners to mingle during Mon-

terey’s annual auto extravaganza. As a result, the Por-

sche Owners Club, Porsche Racing Club, 356 Registry,

356 Club, Early 911S Registry, R Gruppe, 914 World,

and all Porsche clubs and registries are welcome.

In years past, PCA co-hosted Legends of the Autobahn

at the Rancho Cañada Golf Club. Membership in PCA is

not required. Porsche owners looking to compete will

have the choice of entering their cars in either the peo-

ple's choice or concours categories. Special, one-of-a-

kind trophies are being made just for this event. Other

Porsche owners will have the opportunity to include

their car in the display only Porsche corral. All will be

treated to a stunning display of more than 500 Por-

sches, access vendors, and enjoy the camaraderie of

fellow car enthusiasts. The 2014 show will feature the

latest Porsches, special vehicle presentations, celebrity

guests, and a surprise or two.

Photos from the

2013 Monterey

Legends of the

Autobauhn

Announcements From Monterey Car Week

25

The Featured Marques of the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance

Monterey Week is heating up. Last month the Monterey MotorSports Reunion announced it’s featured

marque for 2014 will be Maserati. The Pebble Beach Concours ‘d Elegance has also listed this month

100 Years of Maserati will be topping their featured marques this year. Other automotive marques featured

this year will be: Ferarri’s 250 Testa Rossa, 1929 & 1930 Ruxton Automobiles, Tatra from Czechslovkia,

the Rolls-Royce Phantom IV and V, Steam Cars, and European Motorcycles.

Maserati 100 years

Steam Cars Coachwork by

Fernandez & Darrin

Ferrari

250 Testa Rossa

Ruxton by

New Era Motors

Tatra Automotive

Czechoslovakia

Rolls-Royce Phantoms IV & V

26

Tranzit BLU HF is an FM transmitter device. It is one of those de-

vices that allows your cell phone to stream music or make hands-

free telephone calls through the radio system of you car. Most of

the newer cars have this capability now built in them. But many

earlier vehicles have no way to do this without replacing the en-

tertainment system.

FM transmitter devices have been around for years. With the use

of cables, the FM transmitter plugged into the vehicle's power

outlet and then into your cell phone. An FM channel would then

be selected on the car’s radio. The FM transmitting device would

be tune to the same channel and WaLa ! You have music stream

from your cell phone throughout the car’s entertainment system.

However, this system works but it has many draw backs. The

quality of the signal varies as you drive. One will usually find it

necessary to change radio channels frequently to continue provid-

ing clear, static-free sound. And the cables draping within the car

is a nuisance to say the least.

Enter Tranzit BLU HF. This device connects any cell phone to any

vehicle wirelessly via Bluetooth. NO balky cables connecting the

phone to the car. But where this FM device truly shines is in the

quality of sound that it streams into the car’s entertainment sys-

tem. The sound quality is very clean and static-free. There is ever

a need to change a channel on the car’s entertainment system as

one drives. Even in the middle of cities where the more common

wired transmitters produce horrible static interference, the

Tranzit BLU delivers static free stream of music, provide turn by

turn verbal GPS and clear telephone calls.

The clear sound is accomplished by a cabled connection directly

into the vehicle’s radio antenna. Nothing is connected to the

Porsche’s fiber optic MOST information system. The device itself is

mounted out of sight under the dash. No wiring is exposed. And

uses a cell phone app to configure the device.

A small push-button is mounted discretely anywhere. This button

provides control feedback to your cellphone. You can change

songs that are streaming through your entertainment system.

The button can be used initiate any of your cell phone Voice

Recognition commands. Telephone calls and can initiated and

terminated via this control button. Again, no wired connection to

the cell phone.

And finally, a small microphone is mounted discretely, close to the

rear-view mirror. It provides clear audible communications with

the person you are speaking to on your cell phone. It is also used

to control your cell phone via voice commands.

I had the Tranzit BLU system installed by Advanced Mobile Securi-

ty on Buck Owens Blvd here in Bakersfield. They did a wonderful

installation job. It’s not unusual to find Ferraris, Porsches, and

Lambos parked in their service bays. The cost for the unit in-

stalled in my Cayman was $279. However Best Buys lists these for

$169 if you install yourself. There is also a unit with fewer fea-

tures priced as low as $99 on Amazon.

I tell people when I found the Cayman it had 95% of all the fea-

tures I was looking for on a Porsche. The one thing my Cayman

didn’t have was a Bluetooth or Auxiliary Input feature to stream

music, use GPS, and make phone call while I drive. With the

Tranzit BLU HF I am now able to perform all of this completely

wirelessly. Guess you could say Tranzit BLU has made my Porsche

Cayman 100% complete :)

A new feature of the Grapevine is going to be product review. Good or bad, we can share our

experience with these products with the membership.

Product Review Page

Click the image above to visit the

Tranzit BLU website

27

2015 Porsche 911 Targa

Makes It’s Debut at the Detroit AutoShow

Back in 1965, Porsche invented the 911 Targa as a mat-

ter necessity. Believing that a finicky National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration was prepared to outlaw con-

vertibles, the innovative automaker created the half-open

car as a way to keep wind rushing through owners' hair.

Though far removed from those formative days, it seems

as though the 2015 Porsche 911 Targa has come to

the Detroit Auto Show with a new-school version of some

old-school tech.

At the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS)

in Detroit, Porsche is introducing two new models to the

911 range: the 911 Targa 4 and 911 Targa 4S. These

models are the first to combine the classic Targa concept

with cutting edge, innovative roof technology. Just like

the legendary original 911 Targa of 1965, the new mod-

els feature the distinctive Targa roof bar, a movable front

roof section, and a wraparound rear window. But unlike

the classic 911 Targa, the roof segment can be opened

and closed at the push of a button. The fully automatic

roof system stows the Targa top behind the rear seats.

Both 911 Targa models exclusively come in AWD ver-

sion, featuring the wider rear track and body, and the

same Porsche Traction Management (PTM), found in all

911 all-wheel-drive models. It is an active all-wheel-drive

system that helps to ensure the optimal distribution of

drive power for optimum traction in most road scenarios,

whether on long straights, through tight corners, or on

surfaces with different friction-coefficients.

The combination of the wide body, the Targa bar, and the

wraparound rear window results in an extremely sporty

a n d l o w - s l u n g p r o f i l e .

The 911 Targa 4 is powered by a horizontally opposed

3.4-liter 6-cylinder engine with 350 hp. Equipped with

the optional Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) and Sport

Chrono package, the 911 Targa 4 accelerates from zero

to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and is capable of a top track

speed of 174 mph (175 mph with the manual transmis-

sion). The 911 Targa 4S delivers 400 hp from its 3.8-liter

horizontally opposed 6-cylinder engine, and accelerates

from zero to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds when equipped with

optional PDK and Sport Chrono package. The 911 Targa

4S is capable of reaching a top track speed of 183 mph

when equipped with a manual transmission and 182 mph

w i t h P D K .

The 911 Targa 4 will have an MSRP of $101,600 while the

911 Targa 4S model will have an MSRP of $116,200.

Both cars also have a destination charge of $995. De-

liveries of the 911 Targa in the U.S. are scheduled to

begin this summer.

Click on this Photo to View Video Demonstration

28

Rummaging through the parts bin to build several cars out of

the same basic bits is nothing new and, in rare cases, can even

result in cars with distinct personalities. Por-

sche’s Boxster, Cayman, and 911 don’t suffer from sharing a

multitude of body, chassis, and powertrain components. Now

Porsche’s transmission engineers have moved parts-sharing

down to the micro level to reap two transaxles from one blue-

print. The world’s first seven-speed manual gearbox is an off-

shoot of the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic introduced

three years ago for the 997-series 911. Both are available in the

2012 991-series 911 Carrera and Carrera S.

Porsche and ZF have been collaborating on the design and de-

velopment of these transaxles—code-named the DT11 (PDK)

and the MT11 (manual)—since 2003. From the start, the two

companies planned on sharing the maximum number of parts

and manufacturing tools. Credit ZF engineer Dr. Michael

Ebenhoch with inventing the twofer shift kinematics.

Each gearbox is comprised of three aluminum castings—a front

section, a rear section, and one removable cover. While those

castings are different to suit each transaxle’s functional distinc-

tions, roughly one-third of the internal parts are common [see

above]. The main shaft, output shaft, differential, some of the

gears, and the -synchronizer mechanisms are shared. The PDK

’box has two input shafts versus the manual transaxle’s single

shaft. A drive flange added to the output shaft sends torque to

the front axle in four-wheel-drive models.

While the manual transaxle is lubricated with 3.5 quarts of hy-

poid-gear oil, the PDK requires two types of lubricant. Gears and

shafts run in 3.7 quarts of hypoid-gear oil. Another 5.7 quarts of

 hydraulic oil keep the PDK’s wet clutches and control circuit

happy. Naturally, the PDK trans is the heavier unit. Including its

lubricants and oil cooler, it weighs 256 pounds. The manual

transaxle weighs 189 pounds, not counting its clutch compo-

nents.

Breaking a long-standing tradition, the new 911’s top speed

(ranging between 178 and 189 mph) occurs in sixth, not top,

gear. The overdrive seventh-gear ratios—0.617:1 (PDK), 0.711:1

(manual)—help maximize highway mileage while minimizing

driveline commotion. Third- and seventh-gear ratios are specific

to each gearbox; the rest are shared between the two transax-

les.

Click Photo to play video demonstration of

Porsche’s Doppelkupplung Transmission

Inside of Porsche’s Doppelkupplung Transmission

29

30

A Love Letter from Top Gear’s Richard Hammond to Porsche

Why Richard thinks the 911 GT3 in the best car ever invented

31

I would like thank the following sources for information used throughout this publications. I suggest that

all of you visit their websites and subscribe to their publications or attend their functions. Even buy a car :)

Motor Trend Magazine motortrend.com Flat-six News flatsixnews.com

Car and Driver caranddriver.com Auto Blog autoblog.com

MotorWeek motorweek.org PCA PCA.og

Sports Car Market sportscarmarket.com PCA Zone 8 zone8.pca.org

Motor Authority motorauthority.com Porsche USA Porsche.com/usa

32