On The Cover - Schattenbaum

This is our tentative calendar of events.
Please check the website for up-dated information:
www.schattenbaum.org
See the Driver’s Ed Schedule for DE dates.
Date
March
20 (Wed)
Event (*monthly meetings)
Location
* Porsche History
Bung’s
April
6 (Sat)
17 (Wed)
Spring Social
* Car and Track Photography
La Campagnola
Bung’s
May
15 (Wed)
* Detailing and Wash n’ Shine Show
Bung’s
June
19 (Wed)
* TBA
TBA
July
17 (Wed)
* TBA
TBA
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
In like a lion…
March is the turning point when we shift from the gray skies of the
winter doldrums to days with brisk clear mornings and warm
afternoons. Although – dare I say – we’ve had a fairly mild winter, the
cold and wind (as well as the salt on the roads) have been enough to
keep my Cab safely hibernating in the garage with just a trickle charger
providing a life-line. Hopefully we’ll get a few good rain storms to wash
the salt from the roads and a Saturday or two this month that has
reasonable enough weather to get the car out and blow the proverbial
and, in my case, real dust off.
As you’ll see in this issue the Board has been busy mapping out events
for the year. The next few monthly meetings are described on page 3
and the registration form for the first social event of the year – apply
called the “Annual Spring Social” – is on page 4. Fred Pack describes the
similarities between track driving and snow skiing while Petch shares a few of his many stories about Targa tops that
have seen better days. You’ll also read the follow-up to President Pete Debusmann’s January article to learn how he
went off-line to own a BMW before coming back to his preferred marque. Secretary Bob Helm has been following
the professional race activities with upcoming combined series and other changes that we’ll see in the future, and
he breaks it down for us in this month’s article.
Driver’s Ed fans will recognize my cover photo (taken a few years ago) at Thunderbolt Raceway. You can almost
hear the rev of engines and feel the driver anticipation that is part of the excitement of DE. It won’t be long now…
LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY
In This Issue
President
Pete Debusmann
[email protected]
News and Articles
Vice President
Jeff Muller [email protected]
Treasurer
Rob Lerman
[email protected]
Page
Monthly Meetings …………………….. …...………………….
Spring Social Registration Form ……………………………..
A President’s Porsche History Part II .……………………….
Message from the VP. ………………………………………..
Looking Forward .………………… .………………………….
3
4
5
6
9
Regular Features
Club Calendar…………………………………………………
From the Editor’s Desk ……………………………………..
Leadership Directory………………………………………....
Petch Sez…………………………….……...………………..
Secretary
Pack at the Track …………………………………………….
Bob Helm [email protected]
Driver’s Ed Schedule …………………………………………
Swap n’ Sell……………………………………………………
SECTION CHAIRS
1
1
2
7
8
10
10
Autocross
Robbie Provost [email protected]
Concours
TBD [email protected]
Drivers Education Chief Instructor
Pete Tremper [email protected]
Drivers Education Registrar
Jon Schepps [email protected]
Dealer Relations
Dan Petchel [email protected]
Goodie Store
John Beidler [email protected]
Membership
Michael Bono [email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Dan Merton [email protected]
WELCOME NEW SCHATTENBAUMERS!
Edward Arking
Richard Brown
Andres Kriete
Michael Anderson
Daniel Krants
Andrew Levin
Richard Norris
Giovanni Visceglia
Jeffrey & Mary
Covert
Edwin & Laurel
Leavitt-Gruberger
Medford, NJ
Mullica Hill, NJ
Cherry Hill, NJ
Medford, NJ
Flemington, NJ
Cherry Hill, NJ
Cherry Hill, NJ
Cherry Hill, NJ
2011 Cayman S
1992 911
2008 Cayman
2007 911
2004 996 GT3
2011 911
2006 997
2007 911 Turbo
Brick. NJ
1993 993
Lawrenceville, NJ
2013 911
Programs
Jeff Muller [email protected]
Social Events
Claudia Debusmann [email protected]
Tech Support
Robbie Provost [email protected]
Tourmaster
TBD [email protected]
Track Chair
Dan Petchel [email protected]
Track Safety
John Beidler [email protected]
On the Cover
“Members start you engines!”
Schattenbaum’s first Driver’s Ed event
takes place in March. This year all our
events take place at NJMP. Mark your
calendars - the DE schedule is on pg. 10.
Photo by Dan Merton
Webmaster
Rob Cohen [email protected]
Please send your articles and
photos to the Editor:
[email protected]
Schatten Rappen’ is the official newsletter of the Schattenbaum Region of the Porsche Club of America (“the Club”). Articles published herein are the
opinions of the authors and not necessarily of the Club. The Editor reserves the right to edit all materials prior to publication. The Club, its officers,
contributors and the Editor do not accept legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made in this publication. The Editor recognizes
that there are readers who take great pride in identifying typos and other mistakes. On occasion the Editor accommodates these individuals’ egos.
Porsche®, the Porsche Crest®, CARRERA®, and TARGA® are trademarks of Porsche, AG. Current and past issues of Schatten Rappen’ are available
st
on the Club’s website: www.schattenbaum.org. The deadline for submissions is the 1 of the preceding month. Please contact the Editor for
advertising rates. Advertisements in this newsletter do not constitute an endorsement by the Club or its officers.
Copyright© 2013 by Schattenbaum Region, PCA
March Monthly Meeting Topic:
Porsche History
From the legendary 356 to the Panamera
touring sedan, Porsche has evolved over the past
half century to become one of the most important
automobile companies in the world.
Join us to learn about the
evolution of Porsche and why
“there is no substitute”!
When: March 20th, 7:30pm
Where: Bung’s Tavern
This monthly meeting is sure to be an informative and interesting glimpse into our favorite
marque.
April Monthly Meeting Topic:
Car and Track Photography
When: April 17th, 7:30pm
Where: Bung’s Tavern
At the April meeting our very own Bob Helm will share with us some of his car and track
photography techniques. Bob has been the Club’s official photographer for many years
and a regular contributor to Schatten Rappen’. You’ve seen some of his spectacular
photos in this newsletter but you may not know that he has also been published in Pano
and other car magazines.
Come to the April meeting to
learn some of Bob’s
approaches to getting those
dazzling shots so that you’ll be
ready for our annual “slide
night” meeting in November!
May Monthly Meeting Topic:
Car Detailing & Wash n’ Shine
When: May 15th, 7:30pm
Where: Bung’s Tavern
Our May meeting will focus on car show
preparation and detailing techniques. We will also
have an informal Wash-N-Shine car show in
Bung’s parking lot.
Join us to learn some tips from our invited professional detailers who will answer
your questions and offer suggestions to deal with issues you might have preparing
your car for concours. This will be a perfect opportunity to learn how the pros
choose and use products as well as their methods of making cars look their best.
We gather at 7:00pm and the meetings start at 7:30.
For driving directions go to Bung’s website:
http://bungstavern.net/
We’ll see you at Bung’s!
Please join us at our annual Spring Dinner Social that will be
held on Saturday, April 6th at La Campagnola in Shamong, NJ.
We will start with a cocktail hour at 6:00pm (cash bar), followed
with dinner at 7:00pm.
Go to their website for directions: www.la-campagnola.com
Please send your reservation form with payment
(check or money order) to:
Claudia Debusmann
30 Constitution Drive
Southampton NJ 08088
The price
per person
is just
$25!
Reservations must be received no later than March 27th.
Sorry, reservations via phone or e-mail are not accepted.
If you have questions call or e-mail Claudia:
(609)-714-9049 [email protected]
Reservation Form for Schattenbaum’s Annual Spring Dinner Social, April6th
Name____________________________________________$25 Phone #_________________________
Name____________________________________________$25
Total enclosed: $
Make checks payable to “Schattenbaum Region PCA”
A PRESIDENT’S PORSCHE HISTORY ~ PART II
Pete Debusmann
In last month’s article I explained how I came to own my first Porsche. I ended the article as my senior year at
the AF Academy was coming to a close. My plan was to purchase a brand new 1983 944 and pick it up at the
factory. There was a Porsche dealer in Colorado Springs and I made the trip to order the car in the fall of 1982.
Once at the dealership I filled out all the forms and ticked off the options that I wanted. I had to pay $400 to complete
the order and get on the list. The balance would be due before I left for Germany in Jun 1983. I don’t remember all
the options, but I do know I ordered the car in Guards Red with a black interior and black Fuchs wheels. At the time
there was a considerable discount on the European delivery program, and the total for the car, insurance, and all
other fees was around $15,000. This was around $4,000 less than the US price. I was all set. About 2 months prior
to my graduation I received a call from the dealership. They told me that my order was cancelled and I wouldn’t be
able to pick up a 944 in Stuttgart. At the time I was crushed. Some people (944 haters) have since told me I was
blessed but didn’t know it.
I had to switch to plan B, as in B-M-W. A quick trip to the BMW dealership and I had a 1983 320is on order that
would be waiting for me in Munich. At least I still had my 914. After graduation we all got 4 weeks off before reporting
to our duty assignment. That was when I would pick up the BMW. June 1, 1983 was my graduation day. After the
ceremony and parties my friend and I departed the Academy on the 2nd of June at noon in my trusty 914. We drove
non-stop to my home in NY in just over 30 hours. We stopped just 6 times for gas and 2 other times for food. I sort of
know how the Daytona 24 hour drivers feel. After 2 days in NY my buddy and I left for Germany to get my new car
and tour around for a week or so. After returning from Europe I needed to report to Enid, Oklahoma for the start of
pilot training. The BMW would need 6 weeks to arrive from Europe, so it was one more cross-country trip in the 914.
This trip would be solo. Day one was NY to St Louis where my buddy lived. After one night there the two of us
convoyed to Enid to start our pilot training.
Air Force pilot training is fairly intense so there
was no time to leave and get the BMW. I had to wait until
In the end I was Porsche-less…
Christmas break to fly home and drive it out there. I
wasn’t looking forward to selling my Porsche, but there was no way I could keep two cars. By this time my 914 was
in great shape, mechanically perfect with no rust and a nice paint job. I wanted to get $3500 for it and didn’t think it
would be a problem. In October, just two months prior to getting the BMW to Oklahoma, I was in an accident with the
Porsche. My beautiful car was ruined. It was still drivable, but it was hit on 3 corners. The accident wasn’t my fault,
but the other insurance company tried to assign blame to me. After much fighting I got them to pay 100% of my
damages. They gave me a check for $2200 and I found someone that wanted the car and paid me $1300 for it so in
the end I was whole, but Porsche-less.
I kept the BMW for 5 years, 1983 -1988. It wasn’t a bad car, but it wasn’t a Porsche. I suppose if I couldn’t own
a Porsche a BMW would be my next choice. In the fall of 1988 while car shopping with my parents I saw a 1983 928
at of all places, a VW dealership. This was my next Porsche. They took my BMW in trade plus around $15,000 and I
was a Porsche owner again and haven’t been without one since.
Many years after I “lost” my 944 I learned the real reason why. As I mentioned earlier, a Porsche purchased
through the European delivery program was substantially cheaper than a car purchased and delivered in the US.
What I found out was that dealerships at the time made very little money on a European delivery order. The dealer
was only paid $400 for completing the paper work. Normally that would be OK but the other thing that happened was
that the dealer also lost one of their allocations of the model. The dealership preferred having a car that they could
load up with options and sell for full MSRP, or even at a premium for a popular new model. As a result, many dealers
stopped participating in the European delivery program. Porsche addressed this in the late 1990’s. Now if you buy a
European delivery car it is at full MSRP and the dealer gets his normal revenue on the car. When you add in the
shipping, insurance, and other fees a European delivery car now costs more than a car picked up at your local
dealer.
Next month I’ll let you know what owning a 928 was like and how I got back into the air-cooled cars.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR VP
Jeff Muller
If you have been following the most recent Schattenbaum newsletter, club
website, or PCA’s website you’ll know that there are many things going on in the
Porsche world. From a club meeting program standpoint, we have many exciting
topics for upcoming meetings (but can always use additional suggestions). Before
getting to that, a quick “thanks” to our newsletter editor Dan Merton for his help
in editing/laying out and keeping on top of the newsletter contributors. My grasp
of the English language always seems better after he has “helped” re-write my
messages to the members.
take place on the
of each month at
Rt 130 in Florence, NJ.
So what’s coming up over the next several months?
Our March and April meeting topics (see page 3) fit well with a recent
conversation I had with a co-worker. We were out traveling to a breakfast
meeting at one of New Jersey’s best diner’s. As we pulled in we parked nose to
nose with a new Porsche Boxster. “Hot Car” was my passengers comment. My
comments went something like, “New Boxster, 981, great car, phenomenal
handling, neutral, Porsche had a great car in the first Boxster and they have just
been making it better and better”, etc., etc. - you get it, just like a Porsche
“aficionado” would. He rolled his eyes and said “hot car”.
So what does that have to do with our March, April and May meetings?
Well, our March program (coincidently held on the first day of spring), is going to
go into some Porsche history. It should help us know where Porsche started and
help to better identify the various Porsche models. So while it might be a “hot car”
to some, us Porsche fans know what car it is and understand the rich heritage that
played into that car.
I welcome suggestions for meeting topics
Here are the monthly
meeting dates:
3/20
4/17
5/15
6/19
7/17
8/21
9/18 (More TBA)
In April our very own Bob
and club events. If you have any
Helm will show us some of
suggestions please email me:
his photography techniques
[email protected]
so that “hot car” we see in
person looks just as good or better in our photos. Look at this meeting as a
“classroom session” for the annual “slide night” meeting in November!
In late spring our May meeting plans include a wash-n-shine oriented meeting
including some tips from detailers we’ve invited to provide some hints and
demonstrations. Perfect to help all of us keeping our cars looking their best and
hopefully getting a few comments on how “hot” they are.
Schattenbaum’s Anniversary
We are in the early stages of planning a number of special events including car
shows, tours, socials and more for the Club’s 40th anniversary celebration. Please
contact me if you are interested in helping – volunteers are needed in all areas!
On a final note, if you’ve got a friend with a Porsche who hasn’t been to a
meeting, or even a buddy thinking about getting his or her first Porsche, please
consider inviting them along to a meeting!
I look forward to seeing you at the next club event.
PETCH SEZ
Dan Petchel
Ugly Dog Contest
Every year there is a contest in San Cruise, CA
where they crown the Ugliest Dog and finish it off with
the dog as the star of a downtown main street parade.
I only found about this event because my brother inlaw’s dog won the contest. I’m sure this is a humane
event sponsored by the SPCA and I applaud them for
this, but these dogs are rough.
All this reminds me of a poster I saw years ago,
“Reward for Lost Dog, blind in one eye, has only three
legs, missing one ear, tail broken, accidentally
neutered, answers to the name Lucky”. Anyway back
on track with my story. I get to see a lot of ugly tops in
my Targa top restoration business. I thought I would
share with you the top three ugliest tops stories:
Number 3
Reward for Lost Dog, blind in one eye, has only three
legs, missing one ear, tail broken, accidentally neutered,
answers to the name “Lucky”.
The Targa top came to me in a smaller
size box than is normal for tops sent to be
rebuilt. The box should have been 32x22x8” at the minimum. When I opened the box I found many, many broken
parts and bits and pieces. It was like the worse yard sale you have ever seen. The owner explained that he was
driving his ‘87 Targa down the freeway and the top blew off. As he watched in the rearview mirror the car behind him
missed the top but a bus didn’t. He went back to pick up the pieces as best he could. I explained to him when I called
with an evaluation report, that the broken top parts were junk and unusable, and weren’t worth what he had paid for
shipping. There was nothing usable.
Number 2
As I began to open this box dirt and grime filtered through the box, onto my hands and to the floor. When I got inside
the box there was a mixture of rusted tin and frozen frame pieces covered in light brown dirt. The top had
disintegrated on its trip to me. When I talk to owners after I evaluate their tops, I usually have one or two comments
when I see tops this bad, all the while still trying to retain a cordial atmosphere. I usually have one of two questions I
ask, “Was this top actually on a car?” or “Are you trying to be in the running for the ugliest top contest?” He admitted
he had bought it on ebay.
Number 1
As we were working on tops one evening I got a call that a customer was on the way. I didn’t totally understand the
message but I knew it would become evident soon enough. Outside it had been raining cats and dogs for over an
hour with no let up in sight. I recalled getting a call from a guy who needed a top and was going to come down for an
exchange top. Oh well, maybe that was the guy. It wasn’t long after this, still raining hard, a horn beeped. This must
be the guy. We directed him into the empty bay in the garage. He turned off the motor, opened the door and exited
the car. He was dripping wet from head to toe. He said nothing for a moment or two, and then said softly, could I
borrow a towel? It was a show stopping moment. His top had been shredded completely by the hard rain and
turnpike speed to the point that there were just a couple pieces of tin and strands of fabric. This top had to be the
winner of the Ugliest Top contest.
PS I don’t make this stuff up.
Fred Pack
Skiing and Track Driving
I’m writing this article from Vail Colorado, where I spend my winters skiing, so it shouldn’t
be a surprise that I’m thinking about track driving and skiing. Many people have observed that
these two activities have a lot in common. What are the similarities? And so what?
Similarities: You set your own pace – you aren’t restricted by arbitrary speed limits; Smoothness; Adherence to
technique; Your skill determines how well you go; The need for balance; That exquisite, ineffable [the perfect word
for this phrase – look it up if you don’t know its meaning] and divine feeling when you have properly executed a
maneuver; Gliding/floating above the surface [skidding/sliding in a turn on skis, and having a slip angle or truly sliding
in a car on the track]; Being at one with the universe.
Another similarity: To do them well, you have to overcome some built-in instinctual inhibitions – for skiing you
have to learn to lean down the hill. (Leaning uphill is to ensure disaster, but it ‘feels’ safer). For track driving you have
to overcome your natural fear and accelerate towards the on-rushing corner, until the last safe moment. And you
have to learn to be on the gas (and apply more gas) in the turn, just when your instincts tell you to slow down.
And so what: I suspect that many PCA’ers are skiers who don’t participate in track driving opportunities offered
by the Club. YOU SHOULD! Simply put, IF YOU LIKE SKIING, YOU’LL LOVE TRACK DRIVING. And besides,
skiing and track driving occur at different times of the year so they round out your calendar.
Bob Helm
Back when the Grand-Am/ALMS
merger was announced there were lots
of questions about its the future. Most of
them have been answered and in midMarch we will even have the name of
the new series and the names of the
combined classes. So far what we do
know is that the Prototype classes will
be a combined LMP2/Daytona Prototype
and the LMPC Challenge cars. The GT
classes will be the ALMS GT class and
the combined Grand-Am and ALMS GT Challenge class. That is based on currently available information. LMP1 cars may be
modified to meet LMP2 specs and some adjustments will have to be made to either slow down the LMP2 cars or speed up the
Daytona Prototype cars for parity.
The Daytona 24 Hour race started the season off with full fields in all the traditional classes and 17 Porsche entries. The
new GX class had only six entries, three 987 Porsche Caymans and three Mazda’s. All three Mazda’s retired early with engine
problems so Porsche came in 1st ,2nd and 3rd. Unfortunately none of the Porsches are entered for the second race and only two
of the Mazda’s will be there.
ALMS has had smaller fields the last several years so when Flying Lizards and Porsche parted ways the loss of two cars
from the already small field was not a good sign. Since then Core, last year’s Prototype Challenge Champions announce a
Porsche entry GT3RSR will be added to their program driven by Porsche factory driver Patrick Long and former Le Mans class
winner Tom Kimber-Smith. That will give Porsche three competitive teams in GT, Falken Tire, NJ’s own Paul Miller Racing and
Core. That is one car less than last year but as strong a contender. In the GTC class Patrick Dempsey will be joining forces with
South American Soccer start to form a two car team, Dempsey/Del Piero Racing, with Andy Lally joining the team for the year.
Now starting its third year, that class is developing into a strong class with very experience teams with accomplished drivers that
should provide quality competitive racing. When they merge with the Grand-Am GT class in 2014 Porsche will have a very
strong presence. What remains to be seen is if any of the Grand-Am Teams will upgrade to the ALMS spec cars for 2014.
Also new for this year is the addition of the BMW Z4GTE model replacing the M3GT models at RLL Racing. “All of us at
BMW Motorsport and BMW Team RLL are very curious to see how the first few races pan out with the new BMW Z4 GTE,” said
BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “We are setting out on a development year, but are very confident we have once
again developed a car that has the potential to win races and titles in the form of the BMW Z4 GTE” The driver lineup for RLL
will be American Bill Auberlen teams with ALMS rookie Maxime Martin, from Belgium, in the No. 55 entry. German Dirk Müller
will contest all the races in the No. 56 car; Americans Joey Hand and John Edwards will alternate as the two-time ALMS GT
champion’s driving partner. Edwards will stand in for Hand when he is unavailable due to his parallel commitment in the DTM.
Also joining RLL this season will be Michelin as a sponsor. Speculation is that when the series merge the ALMS GT class will
have open tire options in the ALMS tradition while the GTC/Grand-Am GT will be a spec tire class.
At the present time both series look forward to promising wrap up seasons and prepare for the merge with a shared event
at Road America in August. They will be sharing the paddock but will be competing in two separate events on track. Should be a
very popular event and an opportunity for teams, owners and officials to all get to know one another before next year’s season
opener at Daytona.
Another unique event this year is that the World Endurance Championship will be joining the ALMS weekend at Circuit of
the Americas September 19-22. The ALMS race will be on Saturday and a Six Hour WEC race on Sunday. This will be the only
North American appearance of this eight event series which also includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The classes are the same
as Le Mans, LP1, LP2, GT and GTE.
The 2013 Season looks exciting and very promising for the inaugural 2014 combine, yet to be named, new series. There
are still details to work out of course and while some teams will disappear new ones will be added, new TV deals will be made
and new sponsors added.
Photo courtesy of BMW
SCHATTENBAUM REGION PCA
2013 TRACK EVENTS SCHEDULE
Please check the website for the latest up-dates
Date
Event
Location
Mar 16-17 (Sat-Sun)
Driver Education
NJMP Lightning / Thunderbolt
Apr 25-26 (Thu-Fri)
Driver Education
NJMP Thunderbolt / Lightning
Jun 27-28 (Thu-Fri)
Driver Education
NJMP Lightning / Thunderbolt
Aug 23-25 (Fri-Sun)
Club Race & Advanced DE
NJMP Thunderbolt
Sep 19-20 (Thu-Fri)
Driver Education
NJMP Thunderbolt
Nov 2-3 (Sat-Sun)
Driver Education
NJMP Lightning / Thunderbolt
REGISTER FOR ALL SCHATTENBAUM DE EVENTS
ON-LINE AT: www.motorsportreg.com
Classified ads are free to PCA members. To place an ad please email the
Editor Dan Merton; [email protected]
1993 "Authentic" Firehawk 968, Dave White built for the IMSA series, fully updated with the best of everything, no expense
spared maintaining and enhancing it during my 10 years of ownership. Build sheet and photos available upon request, $35,000.
Contact Joe Mansfield @ 908 612-9047 or [email protected]
1978 Porsche 911SC, Targa w/ Whale Tail. White w/
black interior. Excellent condition, 95,000 miles. All
recommended upgrades; chain tensioner, pop off valve,
SSIs, new style clutch, HD engine & transmission
mounts, plus many more upgrades; Bilsteins ,turbo tie
rods, lowered to Euro specs, sport steering wheel, K&N
air filters, Hella headlights etc. Garage kept, only driven in
good weather. 2nd owner since 1996. Well maintained,
records & photos available. Strong engine, rebuilt
transmission. Drives like new. $14,000. Contact Don
Camisi 609.439.3180 or [email protected]
Cars for sale
80 911 SC full PCA Racer, new motor & trans, log book
85 Carrera Street & track, performance motor and trans.
90 964 Full PCA Racer, new motor, mono ball, brakes,
trans, log book
92 964 Street and track Blue Martini tribute. new engine short box, big brakes
Call Dan: 609-351-2068 or e-mail for details and pics. [email protected]
1973 Volkswagen Super Beetle $14000. Never In a show it did not win 1st Place. Less than 1000 miles since complete
restoration. All Original Sheetmetal and pans. Too many parts to list. Perfect show car or Impeccable daily driver.Too many
cars, not enough space. For more info or pics contact Paul Liedtka: 609-234-4983 [email protected]
SCHATTEN RAPPEN'
1019 Sycamore Avenue
Laurel Springs, NJ 08021