IN THIS ISSUE Porsche Icons Ted Blake and Del Sessions

September/October 2011
356CAR Member Dave Caton of Arcata drives his 1965 C Cabriolet down the Avenue of the Giants through the Humboldt Redwood Forest on
“Drive Your Porsche Day” 9-18-2011.
IN THIS ISSUE
Porsche Icons Ted Blake and Del Sessions
Gathering of the Faithful Schedule of Events Tech NoteProduct Review
... and much more!
356CAR MONTHLY MEETINGS
356CAR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
& COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Barney SpeckmanPresident
[email protected]
2130 Belford Drive
Walnut Creek, CA 94598
hm: 925-937-3972 mb:925-367-3940
Ed Morris [email protected]
31 Anderson Circle
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
hm: 925-933-1285
Vice President
1st Saturday San Mateo Breakfast
8:30 AM Mimi’s Cafe, 2208 Bridgepointe Parkway, San Mateo. Take Mariners Island Blvd. exit just east of Hwy 101 on Hwy 92, head north, turn right on Bridgepointe Parkway, restaurant is on the right. Contact Michael Hodos at [email protected] or 650-326-1621.
2nd Saturday Sacramento Breakfast
9:00 AM Marie Calendar’s, 5525 Sunrise Blvd, Citrus Heights. Hwy 50 east to
Sunrise Blvd., head north about 4 miles just past Madison Ave, restaurant is on the left. Contact Jim Hardie at [email protected] or 916-972-7232.
Fred Huberty
Director
[email protected] Membership
13286 Lake Wildwood Drive
Penn Valley, CA 95946
hm: 530.432.7769
mb: 530.219.4501
Jim Reeder, Jr.
Director
[email protected]
5255 Mowry Ave. Suite L
Fremont, CA 94538
wk: 510-793-4030
mb: 510-409-7576
fx: 510-790-2838
Garrick HueyDirector
[email protected]
P.O. Box 3059
Walnut Creek, CA 94598
hm: 925-938-8390
mb: 925-209-7593
3rd Saturday Hollister Breakfast
9:00 AM San Juan Oaks Golf Course, Hollister, 156 east off of Hwy 101, 4 miles past San Juan Bautista, right on Union Road, right to the golf course. Contact Jack Biersdorff at [email protected] or 831-636-3046.
1st Tuesday Santa Cruz Dinner
6:00 PM Johnny’s Harborside 493 Lake Avenue, Santa Cruz 95062, 831.479.3430
Located in the upper yacht harbor just off Murray Street. Contact Steve Douglas at [email protected] or 831-239-1291.
5th Saturday Central Coast Breakfast
9:00 AM
Spanish Bay Golf Course Clubhouse, Pebble Beach, enter 17 Mile Drive via the Pacific Grove Gate, mention the Porsche Breakfast for free entrance. Contact Diane Morrill at [email protected] or 831-375-4442.
Kent AndersonDirector
[email protected]
19094 Madison Avenue
Castro Valley, CA 94546
hm: 510-538-9590
mb: 510-909-2311
George Breein [email protected]
123 Tait Avenue
Los Gatos, CA 95030
mb: 408-888-5925
Director
Events Chairman
Phil Rowe [email protected]
1544 Arbutus Drive
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
hm: 925.943.6597
mb: 925.595.2180
Director
Chairman - North
Meets South 2012
Cover photo: Dave Caton
356 Registry Goodie Store
Michael HodosDirector
[email protected]
Editor, Newsletter
944 Bryant Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301
hm: 650-326-6121
See us for all your
356 Registry
logo items
and publications
To order call 831.375.3356 (Pacific Time)
or email: [email protected]
2
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
By Barney Speckman
Let me say at the outset that this newsletter includes a number of
articles I think will be of interest to the 356CAR membership.
First and foremost are insightful articles about two icons of the
356CAR community who have been supporting us all for decades: Ted
Blake and Del Sessions. Don’t miss these great stories.
There is also an interesting story about the Gathering of the Faithful
we held at the Blackhawk Country Club in late September. According
to comments made to me at the event it was a great success. About
100 of the 356CAR faithful attended and seemed to enjoy the delicious
and plentiful food and the opportunity to connect with old friends and
make some new ones.
For your information additional copies of the new 356CAR Grille
Badges are now available for $20 (includes shipping). Send your check
made out to 356CAR to Membership Chairman Fred Huberty whose
contact information is on the inside cover. Incidentally, the newly
designed 356CAR window stickers are still available free to members
in good standing while the supply lasts. See information elsewhere in
this issue for details.
Are you getting your 356CAR emails?
The Four Peaks Tour Drive dash plaques are now available to those
entitled to the memento. For those who have met the requirements
(you know who you are) contact me to get your commemorative dash
plaque. A photo of the plaque is shown above. For those who have
not yet earned the plaques it is not too late. Watch the events calendar
as we plan to have two more Peaks Tour Drives in 2012.
We have begun a new service to keep
CAR members informed of events of
interest and latest news by email. These
flyers supplement information in the
newslettter. If we don’t have your email
address you will miss out! Update your
contact information at 356CAR.org website member’s page:
www.356car.org/member.html
(All information remains private)
There are two important events are coming up for our members to
consider attending: The first is the West Coast Holiday that will be
held in Palm Springs for the first time on October 26-30. See the
356 Registry website for the latest information. The second is our
own North Meets South 2012 gathering that will be returning to San
Luis Obispo and the Embassy Suites with some notable differences.
Mark your calendars now for this event on April 26-29. Details will
emerge as the planning gets underway by Chairman Phil Rowe and
his team. If you have ideas about how we can make the 2012 North
Meets South more successful or would like to volunteer to help, please
get in touch with Phil Rowe whose contact information is on the inside
front cover.
Subscribe to the 356CAR eNewsletter !
Our eNewsletter offers a number of advantages for you and for the
club:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Speaking of upcoming events, we are in the process of organizing our
events for 2012 and we are looking for ideas from our members about
what you would like to do. Our Event Chairman George Breein is
very interested in receiving suggestions so please feel free to share
your ideas with George. His contact information is on the inside
cover.
Full color
More content
Real time updates
Instantaneous availability 3-5 days before the hardcopy
Archived copies readily available
Content and pictures easy to download
Membership dues reduction to subscribers
Sign up now by sending email to [email protected].
Be sure to indicate whether or not you wish to receive the
eNewsletter exclusively.
Last but never least, please join me in welcoming the following new
members to 356CAR:
California Automobile Museum
Mark and Jackie Hoffmann, San Mateo
Doug McDonald, Novato
Blair and Terri Reese, Lockeford
At the January meeting of the 356CAR board of directors it was
decided to again support the California Automobile Museum in
Sacramento. For our members this means that you will have a
one-time yearly free admission to the museum located at 2200
Front Street in Sacramento. You can see displayed Governor
Jerry Brown’s old Plymouth, “dropped and chopped” rods and
customs, seasonal special exhibits, as well as a permanent exhibit
of automotive history. Your name (and no other information) will
be in a binder at the front desk. Just tell them you are a member
of 356CAR and enjoy the museum!
By the way, if you have any comments about any topic relating to
356CAR please feel free to contact any board member directly. That
includes me at [email protected] or 925.367.3940.
Thanks . . . and enjoy the newsletter!
Barney
3
COMING EVENTS – CLOSE UPS
September
14-15
Mendocino Tour
Bill and Gwen Jacobson will once again be
hosting this traditional North Coast Fall
getaway. Watch www.356CAR.org for
details as they become available.
September 16
Drive Your Porsche Day
Watch www.356CAR.org for additional
information.
See the following calendar of events and 356CAR.org for additional
information.
356 Registry West Coast Holiday – October 26-30
The 356 Club of Southern California will host the holiday this year in
Palm Springs with the Rivera Hotel as the headquarters. The event
promises to feature spectacular drives, People’s Choice concours,
panel of experts style tech session with Brad Ripley, Vic Skirmants
and Jack Staggs, and all that Palm Springs has to offer. See www.
westcoastholiday.org for additional information.
California Automobile Museum
Holiday Tree Decorating and Potluck
Sunday, November 27 @ 2:00 PM
Event dates and locations are subject to change. Always check
www.356car.org for the most up-to-date event information.
October 26-30
December 3
8:30 AM
December 17
If you haven’t been to the annual Holiday Tree Decorating Party
and Potluck at the California Automobile Museum you don’t know
what you’re missing! This is a wonderful way to kick off the Holiday
Season with your friends, people in the club and other automobile
enthusiasts.
2011 West Coast Holiday
Riviera Hotel, Palm Springs, CA.
Registration opens February 1. Special Event
Travel Bag goes to the first 300 registrants! See westcoastholiday.org for additional
information.
Bring an ornament for a tree! Our club has two holiday trees to
decorate and an ornament that you’ve made showing your car and/
or yourself is a great way to show the thousands of people who pass
through the museum during the Holiday Season that 356CAR is a
great club.
San Mateo Benefit Breakfast & Toy Drive
Bring an unwrapped $10 toy or a $10
donation for the San Mateo Firefighters’ toy
drive. Watch 356CAR.org for additional
information.
Tree decorating starts around 2:00 PM and the potluck starts around
4:15 PM. Last year we had over 300 people from different car clubs
join the festivities. Everyone brings a dish for the potluck to share
with the other car clubs.
Sacramento Holiday Party
If your last name starts with A-J we are asking that you bring a side
dish or salad (rolls, vegetables, green or fruit salad, etc.); if your last
name starts with K-R please bring a desert (brownies, cookies, cakes,
pie, etc.); if your last name starts with S-Z please bring a main dish
(casseroles, spaghetti, KFC, etc.). The museum has a refrigerator and
microwave available and will provide the beverages, cups, utensils,
napkins, etc.
2012
March 3
March 4
8:30 AM
April 26-29
29th Annual Porsche Literature, Toy/Model,
and Memorabilia Swap Meet
At the Los Angeles Airport Hilton Hotel,
5711 West Century Boulevard, 9 AM to 2
PM. Admission $10 at 9 AM or early bird
admission $30 at 7:30 AM. Over 225 tables
of collectibles.. For vendor information
contact Wayne Calloway, 1504 East Cedar
Street, Ontario, CA 91761 or call Wayne
Callaway at 909.930.1999. See Close Ups
and LALitandToyShow.com for additional
information and related events throughout
the weekend.
A highlight this year will be a special exhibit called “Wundercars.”
This is an 8-month long display on the history of the German
automobile industry. Sunday, November 27 will be the last day for the
display of 20+ Porsches currently being featured before BMWs replace
them.
If you plan on joining the fun this year please RSVP to Kim Nelson
at [email protected] so we can get a headcount by Monday,
November 22.
SoCal All-Porsche Swap Meet & Car
Display
The Phoenix Club
1340 South Sanderson Avenue, Anaheim
92806.
The 356 Club of Southern California will
have both indoor and outdoor vendor
displays as well as large outdoor areas for
swap meet participants and car corrals.
Admission is $10. See Close Ups for
additional information.
North Meets South
San Luis Obispo, CA
Event headquarters will be the Embassy
Suites Hotel, 333 Madonna Road, San Luis
Obispo 93405. Watch www.356CAR.org for
updates.
We hope to see you there!
Rachel and Kim Nelson
The California Automobile Museum is located at 2200 Front Street,
Sacramento, CA 95818. Phone 916.442.6802 or view calautomuseum.org for
additional information.
4
5
PORSCHE 356 TECHNICAL ICONS
If you were to poll the 356CAR membership in order to compile a list of the individuals who have provided the very best technical assistance to our community
356 owners over the years, there’s no doubt that Ted Blake and Dell Sessions would head the list.
Those who have had the privilege of knowing them as friends and as customers would also agree that both men are held in such high esteem not only for their
extraordinary technical expertise but also for their seemingly endless generosity when it comes to patiently sharing their knowledge.
Here are their stories . . .
tough “where to stop” decisions of the
restorations.
TED BLAKE RESTORATION
By Elaine Cannon
Ted has done numerous complete
restorations and each one has won 1st,
2nd, or 3rd place at a SCCA concours. His
own 1965 white European Cabriolet is a
multi-concours winner. That’s why he
no longer needs to advertise. People see
the car and want him to do the work. Ted
remembers that the first show he entered
was the Sacramento Concours at Del Paso
Country Club where he won a first place. He also won 1st place at an early Sacramento
AutoRama in the Hand Built class
competing against Shelby Cobras!
There’s no sign in front of the Ted Blake
Restoration shop at 2nd Avenue and 21st
Street in Sacramento. There’s no website.
You can try to reach him by email but Ted
doesn’t read it. But for those in the know,
the sight of a white Porsche 356 coupe in
front of the building means that Ted Blake is
there and the shop is open for business.
Ted has been in the Volkswagen and
Porsche business for 40+ years. He bought a
wrecked VW in 1960, took it apart and put it
back together again – a self-taught mechanic
in the making. He worked as an assistant
manager for Standard Oil. When they
wanted him to work nights he said, “No.”
Then he applied for a mechanic’s position
At home in the shop office.
at Niello VW. Niello worked on VWs and
Porsches but only the German-trained mechanics were allowed to
work on Porsches so Ted got the VWs.
When Ted was promoted to a salaried position he decided he could
make more money working as his own boss. He bought a building
and opened a shop at 19th and Broadway in Sacramento. The first two
customers made more money for Ted than he earned working for a
week at the dealer. Ted ran this shop for 20+ years. The story goes
that Volkswagen of America sent out a survey to customers of Niello
VW and Lasher VW asking their preference
between the two shops. The result? Ted Blake
won in a write-in vote!
Today Ted Blake Restoration is always
busy and there is always a waiting list
for restorations. One interesting car
currently being worked on is a 1953 Pre-A
coupe owned by a man from Florida. Ted
is redoing the suspension, engine and transmission so the car can
compete in the 2012 Auto Tour Optic 2000, a 2000 km race around
France.
There is an open door information policy at Ted’s shop. You can
come in, ask questions and get advice. Then when it’s time for the
restoration on your 356 you can feel comfortable with your choice of
shops. Good customer service is what brings people back and why
Ted Blake is one of the first people one thinks of when the question is
asked: “Who should I talk to about getting my 356 restored?”
Ted turned his business over to an employee
named Larry Zimmerman and went fishing for a
year. When he came back, Ted worked briefly for
Larry. Then with Dawn Perry he opened Dawn’s
Restoration and worked out of a rented space
at G&R Body Shop on Stockton Boulevard. Ted
had a contract with Victory Auto to rebuild VW
engines. He could complete two a day.
The business grew and Dawn’s Restoration
moved to 2701 21st Street. That partnership
ended 10 years ago and Ted now does complete
Porsche restorations as well as maintenance on
Porsches and VWs. He has some customers who
have been bringing their VWs to him for 30+
years.
Ted Blake’s shop on 2nd Avenue in Sacramento.
When a customer comes into the shop to inquire about restoring a
Porsche Ted starts by asking some questions to find out the history
of the car and the attachment the person has to it. What is the person
going to do with it? Will it be a concours car or a daily driver? Some
people only want a “safe” car to drive. The next step is to bring
out a cost analysis sheet. This is when people start making the
6
in the 1990s as other shops moved on to
the newer cars. Now that Sessions is semiretired his business is almost exclusively
Porsche 356s.
DEL’S AUTO BODY
By Michael Jordon
Walk into Del Session’s small body shop
in San Jose and you find a Porsche 356 on
a dolly cart, another upside-down on a
rotisserie, a couple more clustered near the
paint booth and couple more stacked like
cordwood nearby. Aside from Porsche 356s
belonging to friends who find their way here,
Sessions figures that he has about a dozen
other 356s stashed around town awaiting
restoration.
Sessions notes that while the Porsche
356 might have the aerodynamic look of
something that has been popped out of a
mold, it actually takes about 40 hours of
work to hang all the bodywork and the
narrow 3mm gaps between the panels
require a lot of skill to maintain. He’s more
like a sculptor than a body repair guy,
keenly knowledgeable about the character
of the metal and paint with which he
works, extremely sensitive to the feel of the
bodywork’s curves.
Sessions doesn’t really know how this
happened. He started out as a
simple body repair guy and then the Porsche
Since the last Porsche 356 went down the
business just seemed to come to him. Like
production line in 1965 you’d think that
so many of the older guys who are in the
the car’s heyday had long since passed, but
At
home
in
the
shop
office.
business of maintaining and repairing
Sessions says that the value of collectible
Porsches of all persuasions, he came to the
examples finally makes it worthwhile to repair all the wrecked and
business not simply to make money but instead because he likes to
broken cars that were set aside in the last 50 years. Sessions says he
work on the cars themselves.
sees an amazing number of such cars, perhaps because their owners
had too much emotion invested in them to throw them away.
“Every Porsche is different,” Sessions says. “People like to say that
they know all about the cars, but they don’t. You can’t know all about
As the guys like Del Sessions always say, there’s something very
them because every one is different in its own way. I helped build
rewarding about working on a Porsche. This is good news because
up a 1967 911S to concours standard not too long ago and the screws
the long-term viability of a hobby car depends on the availability of
holding down a body panel on one side were Phillips head and then
people to work on it. It might be that the longevity of the Porsche 356
the same body panel on the other side had slotted screws. These
– which is starting at last to find ownership among guys far younger
cars were built by hand, one at a time. They are
than the cars
not all the same like way they get judged at a
themselves –
concours.”
tells us that
examples of
Sessions started out as a body man soon after
the Porsche
he graduated from high school in 1954. His
911 like my
skill in building hot rods led him into the trade
own salvageafter a few courses at San Jose City College. He
title Carrera
did general bodywork during the 1950s, found
have a
himself doing Corvettes and a few specialty cars
potential life
after he went into business for himself in the
that extends
early 1960s. Then he began doing Volkswagen
far into the
Beetles when those cars got popular in the late
future.
1960s. Like any body man, he just worked on
whatever there was a lot of.
Porsche 356s and 911s started coming through
the door of Session’s shop in the early 1970s
and he found that he liked working on them
because the parts were delivered promptly by
Inside Del Sesssions’ Shop on San Carlos in San Jose.
the distributor and the clientele appreciated
good work, especially his skill with lead body filler. His business
Michael Jordan is an Executive Editor at Edmunds.com. He wrote this
had become exclusively Porsche by 1978. He built his own slant-nose
article for the Edmunds InsideLine blog that can be found at www.
911 when that racing-style look became popular in the 1980s, then
insideline.com.
acquired the jigs and tooling for the repair of early generation 911s
7
8
CHOOSE THE BEST FROM EUROPE.
Featuring Porsche and Audi, Rector offers you the
ultimate choice in selecting your next automobile.
And this includes the finest factory-certified
pre-owned automobiles as well. Our philosophy is
based on providing the most competitive prices and
the best after-the-sale service to our customers.
With the world’s finest automobiles and the Bay Area’s
finest service, our continuous goal is to exceed your
expectations. It’s a Rector tradition.
R E C T O R M O T O R C A R C O M PA N Y
1010 C A DI LLAC WAY • B U R LI NGA M E • (650) 348-0111
www.rectormotors.com
THE GATHERING OF THE FAITHFUL
By Michael Hodos
The 356CAR parking area at the Blackhawk County Club.
How It All Began
356CAR was informally founded during a meeting
of Northern California 356 owners at the 1982 West
Coast Holiday in Monterey. Membership dues back
then were only $3 a year to cover the cost of printing
and mailing the yearly 2-page newsletter to the ~40
members of the club.
Then when we had all snacked on more
than we should have eaten we headed into
the adjoining dining room for a wonderful
buffet meal comprised of more delicious
dishes than any of us could hope to sample
. . . all carefully orchestrated by the attentive
wait staff to ensure that no one was in line
for more than a few seconds. It’s worth
mentioning that the friendly and unobtrusive
service was superb. It certainly helped foster
the intended strictly social environment that
found a number of us still talking at our
tables well past the advertised departure
time.
The 1984 West Coast Holiday was held in Santa
Barbara by which time the club had nearly doubled
in size. That event was well attended by Porsche
356 owners from the northern and southern
California clubs. It proved pivotal in the formation
of friendships that resulted in the first Gathering of
the Faithful event in Morro Bay in 1987. Today that
yearly gathering is known as North Meets South and
is hosted in alternate years by each organization.
In 2005 the 356CAR Board decided that it would
be nice to hold a strictly social event for the entire
club in the alternate years when we weren’t hosting
NMS. The Gathering of the Faithful name was
resurrected for this purpose. The first three such
gatherings were hosted by the Hollister group and
held at the San Juan Oaks Golf Club near San Juan
Bautista.
One of Harry Servidio’s masterpieces that
adorned each table in the dining area.
Gathering of the Faithful 2011
This year the 356CAR Board decided to find and try a somewhat
more central location to make it a bit easier for members north of San
Francisco to participate. A team comprised of Barney Speckman,
Harry Servidio, Len Owen and George Slater visited a number of sites
before choosing the Blackhawk Country Club in Danville. And what
a great choice it turned out to be . . . the overcast skies and a touch of
rain notwithstanding.
Special thanks to Rocky
Raymond who provided the
entertaining 356CAR specific
slide show that was displayed
on a large screen during the
meal and to Garrick Huey
without whose technical
expertise the presentation
would not have been possible.
The 55+ cars in attendance were neatly arranged by Mike Gabbard and
his crew in a small, reserved parking area just across the drive from
the multi-wing Blackhawk Country Club clubhouse in what can best
be described as a beautiful, lush, manicured setting. There was ample
time to talk and peruse the cars before a few rain drops started to fall
and the 100+ of us headed inside for abundant hors d’oeurvres that
“just kept on coming.”
10
Harry Servidio and Alexis Ashby showing the flag.
Last but not least, applause for pumpkin carver extraordinaire Harry
Servidio for the center pieces he created and to Fred and Annette
Huberty who received the unofficial distance award for their 170 mile
one way drive from Penn Valley!
All those with whom I spoke thought it was a very successful event in
a very nice location that we should consider using again in 2013.
356CAR will be hosting North Meets South again next year April 26-29
in San Luis Obispo. If you’d like to help out please contact NMS event
Chairman Phil Rowe at [email protected] or 925.595.2180.
Plenty of time to visit and eat.
11
Tech Note – PORSCHE 356 RELAYS – Part 1
By Jim Hinde
The following information on relays – how they work, how the factory used
them in the Porsche 356, and popular additional applications for them on the
cars today – was originally presented by Jim Hinde at a Midwest 356 Club
technical session.
Part 2 of this article will appear in the November/December issue.
What is a relay and how does it work?
A relay is an electrical switch that is operated by an electromagnet.
When the electromagnet’s coil receives current, the magnet pulls a
spring-loaded hinged plate away from its normal position, causing
one or more pairs of electrical contacts to open or close. These contacts
are called NC (normally closed) or NO (normally open) according to
their position when there is no current moving through the coil. A
relay can have only NC contacts, only NO contacts, or both types.
The photo below shows the inside of a 356B light signal relay (LSR),
which has both NC and NO contacts. When its coil is energized, the
hinged plate is pulled downward by the electromagnet, opening the
NC contacts and closing the NO contacts. The numbers shown on the
terminals on the base of the relay are the same ones that are stamped
next to them on the baseboard.
The terminals on the relay are wired internally as follows: 57 and 31
to the two ends of the coil, 30/56 to the hinged plate (which holds the
lower contact of the NC pair and the upper contact of the NO pair),
56a to the upper NC contact, and 56b to the lower NO
contact.
The second circuit includes the signal/dimmer switch, the relay
contacts and the headlights. Strictly speaking, it is one of two different
circuits, depending on the position of the contacts. When the lever is
pulled to flash the lights, power is supplied to relay terminal 30/56 by
a wire running from terminal 56a on the signal/dimmer switch. If the
relay is in the normal state—that is, if the lights are off altogether or
the headlights are on—the NC contacts remain closed and the current
flows through the NC contacts to the high beam lights via a wire
running from relay terminal 56a to the fuses for the high beams. If the
relay is activated—if the parking lights alone are on—the NC contacts
are opened, the NO contacts are closed, and the current flows through
the NO contacts to the low beam lights via a wire running from relay
terminal 56b to the fuses for the low beams. (The rationale for making
the lights behave this way is complicated and makes sense only when
you consider that the car may be equipped with fog lights: the goal
is to prevent flashing of the headlights from cutting out the fog lights,
which are prevented—by, yes, another relay—from being on at the
same time as the high beams.)
A second reason to use a relay is to reduce the amount of current
running through a switch that controls a high-current device. An
example of this on the 356 is the horn relay, where only the NO
contacts are used. The horn relay’s coil is connected to the battery
at one end and to the horn button in the steering wheel on the other
end. When the horn button is pressed, the second end is connected
to ground and current flows
through the relay coil. The relay’s
NO contacts are connected to the
battery on one side and the horns
on the other. When the relay coil
gets power and the contacts close,
battery current flows to the horns. The important thing here is that
the current flowing through the
horn button is only the very small
amount needed to power the
electromagnet in the relay, while the
current flowing through the relay
contacts and the horns is many
times greater. This saves wear
and tear on the horn button, and
it serves as a model for latter-day
add-on applications.
The photo below shows the horn
relay and LSR in their factory
location for a T5 356B, which is on
the right-hand end of the bulkhead
behind the dashboard. In T6 cars the relays are located in the trunk
directly above the fuse block.
How did the factory use relays in the Porsche 356?
One use for relays in the 356 is to allow the state of one
circuit to control another circuit. An example of this
is the LSR shown above, which controls whether it is
the high or low beams that are activated when the turn
signal lever is pulled toward the driver in a T5 or T6
car, based on the position of the light switch.
In this case the first circuit includes the relay coil and
the light switch. When the light switch is in the park
position (pulled out one stop, parking lights on but
headlights off), power is supplied to the relay coil by
a wire running from terminal 57 on the light switch
to terminal 57 on the relay. When the light switch is
in any other position, this wire is dead and no current
reaches the coil. Terminal 31 on the relay is connected to ground.
12
Product Review – Coco and Sisal Floor Mats
By Michael Hodos
Coco mats have been around for decades as an
aftermarket way to protect the interior floor mats of our
cars and sisal mats have been available almost as long.
Both are generally considered period correct today.
What are the similarities and the difference and the
advantages and disadvantages of each?
So which type is better? With reasonable care both types of mats are
relatively durable. It really depends on the look that is most appealing
to you. Coco mats tend to stand out more because they are
thicker and come in combinations of colors while the sisal
mats are usually found in single, more muted colors and
have a more uniform, finished appearance.
Although both types of mats are available over the web
from a number of distributors, I think you’ll find
most have links that direct you to the same one
or two manufacturers. Whichever manufacturer
you ultimately choose, but sure to check out
autoaccessories4less.com as they sell many of the
most popular floor mats at significant discounts
and frequently offer rebates as well.
There are a number of vendors of both types of
mats and virtually all of them claim to produce
a superior product. Fortunately, it’s relatively
easy to do comparison tests since most if not all
the manufacturers will send you small samples
of their products for comparison. In addition,
it’s usually easy to find examples of both types
of mats in use among fellow owners and thus
do a little market research yourself.
Samples shown compliments of Drew Phythian at
CocoMats.com.
Most of the mats are comprised of four
components: rubber or foam rubber backing, fiber
mat and vinyl edging plus a driver’s side rubber or
vinyl heel pad.
Coco mats are woven from yarn spun from coconut
husks. The quality of the yarn and the dye used to color
it determine the quality of the finished product. The tighter
the weave, the less likely it will fray and/or flatten out over time. So
while coconut husk yarn is inherently tough, it’s the tightness of the
matting that determines how well it will stand up over time to every
day wear and tear.
Coco mat (above) above Sisal mat (below).
Sisal mats are woven from the sisal plant fibers. The finished material
is thinner and less coarse than the coconut yarn so the mats have a
tighter weave, a more refined appearance and are a bit easier to clean
because dirt is less likely to become trapped in the more tightly woven
fibers.
While sisal mats can be found
with foam rubber backing,
experience has shown that the
rubber backing is much more
durable and typically comes
with ribs or small, rounded
nibs to prevent the mats from
slipping on the original rubber
floor mats that came in
our cars.
In either case the
quality of the vinyl
edging and the driver’s
side heel pad should
also be considered.
The better mats have
thicker vinyl edging
and rubber heel
pads that are both
glued and sewn in
place. While the
edging is often the
first component of the
mat to show wear by
splitting on the corners
and/or tearing away from
the stitching, it is also relatively easy and inexpensive to have the
edging repaired at local automobile upholstery shops.
World Class Service
for World Class Collections.
protecting the world’s finest collections
800-922-4050 | www.hagerty.CoM
ColleCtion ManageMent • global Coverage • autoMobilia ColleCtions
Corporate entities • MuseuMs • Dealer ColleCtors
13
BURMA SHAVE SIGNS
For those of you who were never
lucky enough to see any of the
Burma Shave signs, here is a
quick history lesson from the
period when Porsche 356s were
first hitting the road in America.
In the early 1950s, before the
interstate highway system as we
know it today existed (i.e. when
everyone still drove on 2-4 lane
roads), Burma Shave signs were
posted all over the country on
fence posts adjacent to roadsides.
They were small red signs with
white letters. There were five
signs in all ~100 feet apart, each
one containing a one line of a
four line couplet followed by a
fifth sign advertising the then
popular shaving cream Burma
Shave. Interestingly enough,
while the signs were humorous
most promoted highway safety
as well.
Here are some examples of the
actual signs:
BEN MET ANNA
DROVE TOO LONG
NEGLECTED BEARD
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
MADE A HIT
BEN-ANNA SPLIT
BURMA SHAVE
DRIVER SNOOZING
NOT AMUSING
BURMA SHAVE
DON’T STICK YOUR ELBOW
BROTHER SPEEDER
IT MAY GO HOME
ALL TOGETHER
OUT SO FAR
IN ANOTHER CAR
BURMA SHAVE
LET’S REHEARSE
GOOD MORNING, NURSE
BURMA SHAVE
DON’T LOSE YOUR HEAD
CAUTIOUS RIDER
YOU NEED YOUR HEAD
LET’S HAVE LESS BULL
TO GAIN A MINUTE
YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT
BURMA SHAVE
AND A LITTLE MORE STEER
BEAUTIFUL CAR
THE BEST SAFETY DEVICE
BURMA SHAVE
The window stickers are available on a first come, first served basis
at the San Mateo 356CAR Breakfast from Michael Hodos and the
Sacramento 356CAR Breakfast from Bob Cannon.
BURMA SHAVE
NO MATTER THE PRICE
WASN’T IT?
New 356CAR window stickers are now available to memberships in
good standing. The window stickers are free. While the supply lasts
each member is entitled to one sticker per Porsche 356 owned.
TO HER RECKLESS DEAR
AROUND THE CURVE
LICKETY-SPLIT
New 356CAR Window Stickers Now Available!
NO MATTER HOW NEW
Arrangements to distribute the window stickers at the other breakfast
locations may be made at a later date.
IN THE CAR IS YOU
In the meantime, if you would like your sticker(s) mailed to you send
a self-addressed stamped envelope to Michael at the address shown
on the inside front cover of this newsletter.
BURMA SHAVE
14
$
Is Your 356CAR
Membership Expired?
Please take a look at your mailing label.
356CAR Membership
Application / Renewal
If the year printed in the corner is 2011, your 356CAR
membership renewal is due in June. Memberships are
$15 a year for the 356CAR eNewsletter or $21 a year for
the hardcopy 356CAR Newsletter. Multi-year renewals
are welcome.
Please send your check to:
356CAR
P.O. Box 1243
Carmichael, CA 95609-1243
first name city
See Leigh Rutledge for Sacramento’s
finest homes....
356 owner and PCA
member who knows
the needs of car
enthusiasts!
Let me help you find
your dream home.
state zip
phone (day)
phone (eve)
email
preferred meeting location
Sacramento
Need more garage space?
last name
address
Expert Vintage VW & Porsche Repair
Parts & Service
Bead Blasting
1753 Leslie Street
San Mateo, CA 94403
co-pilot
John’s Mobile Engine Service
650-574-4643
San Mateo
Capitola
Hollister
Central Coast
newsletter preference (check one)
electronic version
both (at hardcopy membership rate)
hardcopy version
Membership Dues
Dues renew every July 1st and can be prorated if desired.
eNewsletter only
Hardcopy Newsletter
1 year:
$15 ($1.25/mo)
$21 ($1.75/mo)
2 years:$30$42
916-612-6911
[email protected]
DUNNIGA
N
Realtors
3 years:$45$63
Mail your completed application and check (payable to
356CAR) to:
356 CAR
P.O. Box 1243
Carmichael, CA 95609-1243
15
PO Box 1243
Carmichael, CA 95609-1243