Blog 11/8/2021

Members

Welcome to Joseph Vulgan who lives in Vinton, Virginia.  Joe drives a 2007 Cayman.

I got a note from Alvin Johnston.

He said, “In the October 17th blog you asked new members to send a photo of their car. 

My wife Adrienne and I are new members of the Blue Ridge Region and I have attached a photo of our 2020 911 4S in front of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Bath, NC. Founded in 1705, Bath is North Carolina’s oldest town and the notorious pirate Blackbeard lived in and around Bath during the town’s early days. St. Thomas was built in 1734 and its building is the oldest church building in NC. “

Hogan’s Corner

Blue Ridge Region members at the Swinging Bridge Restaurant in Paint Bank, VA, October 2013.

Activities

Swannanoa Tour NEXT WEEKEND

It is going to be a beautiful day for a drive!

Registration is still OPEN! Register NOW!

This beautiful late fall tour is heading to Swannanoa, which is an Italian Renaissance Revival villa built in 1912 above Rockfish Gap on the border of northern Nelson County and Augusta County, Virginia and  sits high atop the Blue Ridge Mountains at Afton. Upon arrival take in the sites of the building, its gardens and the views. Then be sure to join our group as we tour inside Swannanoa to see its imported stones and get a glimpse into the lifestyle of its day.

The tentative agenda is:

• 9:00 Meet at the Montvale Library
• 9:30 Depart on the tour
• 12:00 Lunch at Edelweiss German Restaurant in Staunton, VA
• 1:00 Depart for Swannanoa
• 3:00 Group tour within Swannanoa
• 5:00 Tour ends

Stories

• Holiday Party!

Election

It’s time to let your voice be heard by voting for Blue Ridge Region Officers for the coming year.  You may vote for one of the nominees listed on the ballot or write-in yourself or any other member.  Of course, you can also write-in “None” if you are not in support of a nominee.  Please do vote as this is a measure of membership sentiment.

Due to concerns for COVID-19, all voting must be done via email or paper mail.

The below ballot must be received on or before November 31, 2021 via email or U.S. Postal Service as follows:

Email – Send to secretary@brr-pca.org

Tips: 

• Some mail apps will allow you to forward this message and before sending you may mark your votes for each Office with an “X”.
• Another approach is to copy and paste the ballot into a new email message then mark your choices.
• The BRR-PCA 2021 Ballot PDF Version can be printed, scanned and emailed.

U.S. Postal mail

• Print the BRR-PCA 2021 Ballot PDF Version, mark your choices, and sign the document.
• Mail per the instructions on the bottom of the ballot.

Your participation in this election is greatly appreciated;

Dan DeHart
Secretary, Blue Ridge Region PCA

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Looking and Offering

Terri & Eddie Fort are looking to replace their 2003 Boxster S. If you have a 2012-2020 Boxster S/GTS with a manual transmission and are thinking of selling it please  let them know. They can be reached at 540-537-6655 or eddiefort@gmail.

Links Page

Have you been to our Links Page on the website? There should be a link there for everything Porsche! Click Here

Porsche Gone Bad

Firstly – Jaguar Gone Bad

You may have heard me talking about my first car. It was a 1951 Jaguar XK120. Paid $150 for it. Towed it home on a rope. Over the next year, I got it running and of course, I had to see how fast it was. So, off we went to the local drag strip. It never started, whether the batteries, or the cold weather or whatever. So, here we are in the pits, and got the call to come up to the line. And it would not start. So, my friends raised the hood, while I tried to start it. Finally, with some starting fluid, we got it running and they closed the hood and I went up to the line.

Next to me was a 1962 Corvette. So, off we went. I pulled ahead and then had to shift to 2nd gear. Anyone who has driven an early Jag knows that you shift 1, aaaannnnd a 2, aaaannnd a 3, aaaannnnd a 4. So, as I was shifting to 2nd, the Corvette surged into the lead. Then I shifted to 3rd at about 70 MPH and ……… the hood came off! Lifting up and smashing the glass and folding back over the windshield, hitting me on the head and then the back deck and ripping the hinges off flying up into the air. I finished the shift to 3rd!

Well, in those days we did not wear helmets. Fortunately, my Jag had an aluminum hood. There were cross pieces supporting it. My head hit in between the seams. It made a 3″ deep depression in the hood. (Now you know why I am a little strange.) I had headaches for a week. Never told my parents. And I could have beaten that Vette!

The picture above shows the Jag with new windshields sans the hood.

The reason for this story is that I was looking at Pelican Parts Forum for Porsche stories on the internet and there was one about a hood (bonnet) popping up.

Secondly (From Pelican Parts)

The first time I went for a real ride after I owned the car – I cruise up to a stop light and put it in neutral. I think I look real cool and am looking around to see if anyone is looking. The light turns green – catching me unaware. Being new to the 915 gear box try to stuff it in first and it won’t go – so I move the know and feel it engage – let the clutch out and nearly back into the car behind me – oops.

The second: I was on my way to the beach – with my wife following me in her van. Naturally, we get lost in downtown Philly looking for the BF Bridge (I always miss it). I pull over and look for the atlas – oops – put it in the trunk. I pop the hood (which has bad struts) and figure out where we are. I get back in and merge into traffic. About 25 MPH the hood flies up and I can’t see a damn thing. Luckly, I was able to pull to the shoulder without incident – but my wife and my son thought it was pretty funny. Scared the ***** out of me.

Finally (From Pelican Parts)

I apologize in advance for the LONG story, but I was reminded while reading above from Widebody911…
The time is about 10 or so years ago, and I was living in Silicon Valley. We are going sailing on a Saturday morning, out of Sausalito, a looooong drive from San Jose area, through downtown San Francisco, as I had to pick up my boss in Santa Clara area on the way as well. We are running late, the guys with the boat are waiting for us – not too patiently the last time I spoke to them.
So, I am in my cute little 1969 Silver targa, top off, in our sailing duds, zipping in and out of traffic going north on 101 just coming into SF, trying despeately to get through all the damn Sat AM traffic (shoppers, tourists, etc.) and get over the Golden gate Bridge asap.

Well, I managed to ZIP by a CHP buried in a middle lane at the speed limit – He was going the speed limit, that is, I probably had 20+ mph on him as I went past. (I know it sounds like it – but this is NOT widebody911’s story)
I hastily pulled into a slow moving lane (the speed limit – 55, that would be) and tried to be invisible, fat chance in a silver 911 all sharp and shiny on a sunny CA morning. Watching in my RV mirror, without turning my head, I could see the CHP pull out and start to catch up to us, a little at a time. Glancing around, I can see all eyes are on us, and my boss is saying, like; “Bill, we are NOT going to get stopped now, are we?”
So, the CHP finally gets right beside me, I can see the car in my periphial vision, still refusing to turn my head and ack my guilt.

Suddenly I can hear his VERY LOUD voice, over the patrol car’s built in BULLHORN saying, “GOING PRETTY FAST BACK THERE WEREN’T WE???”

I nod my head big time in the affirmative, and he says “YOU ARE GOING TO SLOW IT DOWN FROM HERE ON OUT, RIGHT??/”

I nod affirmative again, and he says “SEE THAT YOU DO” and tools on ahead at a leisurely pace….

We were a bit late, but had no ticket that day. Got lots of self satisfied smirks from the surrounding (non-Porsche) proletariat for a mile or so, too. I always thought of that Chippy as a pretty good guy, he could have made my day a LOT worse…