February 2022 - Volume 60, Issue 2 |
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Porsche Service Advertisement. Click on the image below. This is great
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From The Editor
Mike Willis
Thanks to all who came to our planning meeting. 2022 looks to be a very good year as we lots and ideas and events already scheduled. We still have room on the calendar for some dinners and tours and maybe even a surprise vent or two.
This month we have a couple of "TECH" articles.
When sending me a video it needs to be on a webpage (link) or a file not to exceed 5MB. Also images have the same limit. (I am able to resize most of them).
In addition The Drifter is available to our advertisers to also submit articles to our members. Please contact me about timing for any of these articles.
Please note text that is blue text is a link. As we use MSR (Motorsport Registration) all of those events advertised are linked to the specific registration.
This issue contains the following as you scroll through.
Also all advertisers are linked to their web page.
Editor Comments
President's Column
Vice President Calendar Information
SVR Autocross
SVR Membership
2022 Pacific Grove Tour
Brookfields Monthly Breakfast
Event Planning 101
SVR Secretary-Board Minutes
SVR 60th Anniversary
Charity Auction
Creeper Article
In The Zone
They're Not The Same
SVR Classifieds
SVR Store
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Rik Larson, Proof Reader/Tickler
Skip Quain, Contributor
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Rik Larson, SVR President
PDK (Pretty Darn Kwik)
February 2022
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We just received from PCA National a decal honoring our 60th anniversary. These decals are designed to be placed on the inside of your car windows (often seen on the left or right rear quarter window or lower left hand corner of the rear window).
Look for them at upcoming SVR events.
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Introducing
· Duane Wilson, our new SVR webmaster. Duane is a brand new member and volunteered almost immediately upon joining the region. The transition has already started. Check out the event calendar on the webpage to see some of the changes that Duane has made.
· Our thanks go to Bill Fargo for his many years of serving as webmaster. Bill and his wife Lynn moved to the state of Washington a couple of years ago and he continued to be our webmaster while we looked for a replacement. We appreciate him continuing to support our region long after he left California.
Upcoming SVR Events
· Breakfast is this Saturday at Brookfields in Rancho Cordova. This is a very informal gathering of members (great for new members to talk one-on-one to see what we are all about). No reservation required. And the SVR 60th anniversary decals will be available.
· AX School registration opens on February 12th for the 2-day school. Registration is limited to 30 drivers.
· SVR Event Planning Seminar 101 -----for those interested in presenting an event. Saturday, March 12th at Porsche Rocklin. Limited to 20 people. FREE!! This is an update to the seminar presented in 2019 and will include updated information regarding the registration process using MotorSportReg (MSR).
· PAW's Mirror Tour on Saturday, March 19th. This reprises an event down the Sacramento River (imagine Porsches driving down the levee roads on opposite sides in the same direction [i.e. 'mirror']) as we head to lunch in Rio Vista. Limited to 20 cars.
· The first SVR AX of the year ---- Sunday, March 20th ---- a rare Sunday AX event for us.
· The popular Caffeine and Porsches returns on Saturday, April 9th and will be held at the California Automobile Museum (CAM).
· SVR Charity Auction on Saturday, April 23rd at Nelson's Garage. Dick MacFarlane is eagerly looking for some great items to auction.
· And the Pacific Grove Tour on May 6-8th is starting to fill up.
Upcoming PCA National Events
· Registration for the 66th Porsche Parade on Wednesday, February 2nd. This year it is being held in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. Check out porscheparade.org
· Registration for the Treffen in Colorado opens on Wednesday, February 16th at treffen.pca.org
Daytona --- Porsche wins two classes (the only ones they were in)
· You have to watch the last 5 minutes of the race (held Sunday, January 30th)
· Helio Castroneves won first overall and first in the DPi class in the number 60 Acura (also the 60th running of the Daytona 24 hour race). The other Acura finish in 2nd place just 3 seconds behind. The remainder of the field in that class was all Cadillac's (5 of them).
· In the PRO class, Porsche finished 1st and 3rd. This is where all the action occurred in the last 5 minutes of the race. #9 Mathieu Jaminet traded paint with #2 Laurens Vanthoor several times as they jockeyed for the lead in the last several laps. Both cars were 911 GT3R models. Their antics allowed for the #62 Ferrari to finish in 2nd place.
· In the GTD class we had Jan Heylen in the #16 Porsche 911 GT3R finish 12 seconds ahead of the #44 Aston Martin Vantage.
2022 Formula E Season (all electric)
· Two races were held the last weekend of January in Diriyah, Sandi Arabia.
· The Tag Heuer Porsche cars qualified 4th and 10th in the first race but finished 13th and 1th respectively. Something about following the concept of "conserving and managing energy" was not followed very well.
· In the second race (held on the same street circuit as the first race) saw the two cars qualify 5th and 11th. They finished the 45 minute race (plus one lap) in 4th and 9th positions. The team earned 14 points for their efforts for the weekend………good enough to be in 5th place (out of 11 teams) to start off the season.
· The next race is scheduled for March 12th in Mexico City. It is covered live on CBS Sports (cable, internet, and app).
· Porsche is back for the 16 race season that started January 28th (not too sure why they call it the 2021-22 season since all of the races occur in 2022).
· There are 11 teams (two cars each).
· The TAG Heuer Porsche team will field the Porsche 99X Electric vehicles with #36 driven by Andre Lotterer and #94 driven by Pascal Wehrlein.
· This is the eighth season for Formula E.
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Sally Boeck
Vice President
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We had a successful planning meeting and a varieties of evens on our calendar. There is still room for some more dinner meetings and tours. Let me know if you would like to put on a event. If you like to drive your Porsche why not invite a few of us along a our or even a dinner meeting.
Sally
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SVR Autocross
John Leet, Autocross Chair
We had a nice wrap-up of the 2021 Autocross season with a gathering at the SVR Christmas party in December, where we recognized the contributions of the entire SVR autocross team who works tirelessly to organize all of our events and handed out class awards for those SVR members in attendance. Our program continues to grow after relocating from Stockton to Thunderhill Raceway Park. In 2021, we averaged 55 drivers, with a high of 71 and a low of 40. This is up from our per-pandemic 2019 season in Stockton where we averaged 47 drivers per event. The superior driving surface at Thunderhill is a draw for participants.
Now it is time to look forward to the 2022 season! Our season starts with our annual autocross school, which is a two-day course with one day in the classroom (March 6 hosted by Porsche Rocklin) and the second day for driving instruction (March 19th at Thunderhill Raceway Park). Then, on March 20th we will hold our first autocross event of the year, so attendees of the ground school will have a chance to test out their new found skills on the course.
This school is very popular and typically sells out. If you are interested in learning about autocross, I encourage you to sign up quickly. Registration will be available on motorsportreg.com on Saturday, February 5th.
Our schedule for the 2022 season will include two 2-day Zone events, co-hosted with Redwood Region,
plus a third Zone event in July.
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We hope you can join us! We are welcome new drivers, so even if you are not able to attend the school, we can set you up with an instructor who can teach you the basics at any of our events. If you have any questions, please send me an email at [email protected].
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Ken Shahoian, Membership Director
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A new year for SVR. Take a look at the SVR calendar events that may interest you. |
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Membership Reports For January 2022 |
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New to SVR or just need a new name badge please let me know and I can order it for you.
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Since we use e-mail for most of our communications, it is necessary to keep our e-mail address current with SVR and PCA. To update your information, go to www.pca.org and login. You can then make any updates (address, car, e-mail etc.). Also, even though we receive the information from PCA monthly, you can send the same updates to: [email protected]. New Member badges will now come with a removable colored sticker to encourage introductions at club events. They can be removed at any time. Welcome to the Sacramento Valley Region of the Porsche Club of America.
SVR - PCA Member Services
Not a Porsche owner but interested in the PCA? Try the PCA Test Drive program. For information, go to: www.pca.org/pca-test-drive Need to update your PCA information? Update your PCA record at www.pca.org
Do you have 2 e-mail addresses? Want Club info sent to a second email, work, home, spouse, friend...? It’s as easy as e-mailing your second e-mail address to the Membership Director, Ken Shahoian at: [email protected]
How can I contact the SVR-PCA by mail?
Sacramento Valley Region-PCA,
Post Office Box 254651,
Sacramento, CA 95865-4651
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YOUR LOCAL EXPERT IN ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS |
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SVR Board of Directors Meeting Minutes (subject to approval by the board)
Meeting Date/Time: Tuesday, January 4, 2022; 7 pm; targeted to end by 9 pm
Location: ZOOM Video Conference
Introduction of guests:
● Duane Wilson, new member, interested in volunteering for webmaster
Any Changes or Additions to the Agenda?
● Email Business Conducted
● Budget Planning
1) Old Business
a. DRAFT Minutes from board meeting held on December 7, 2021 Sally Boeck moved to approve as accepted and seconded by Mike Willis. Motion passed
b. Christmas Party ---- Mike Willis --- update; Charity Event (CHiPS for Kids --- PCA subsidy YES); Final Accounting Status ----- Mike reported on event. Positive feedback was made.. Bob and Mike will work on the Final Accounting Status. The Public Service Award was extended to the end of the month. Rik will do a write up for National with the hopes of getting extra funding that will be passed onto CHiPs for Kids this year. Due to the increase of cost to host this event the Club had to absorb $6000 of the expenses.
c. SVR 60th Anniversary Event Sept 24 - Kirk Bradford --- update after January 2021------ meal
pricing not available until then). Kirk is meeting with Granite Bay Country Club next week and should have more information in Feb.
2) Past SVR Event Feedback, Reports filed Waivers, Expenses,
a. SVR Christmas Party at Granite Bay Golf Club---- December 10, 2021 *All documents have been submitted.
b. SVR 1st Saturday Breakfast -- January 1, 2022 at Brookfields *Well attended.
3) FACEBOOK Status
a. Rik has not forwarded letter to FACEBOOK yet (been just a little busy). John Leet communicating with FACEBOOK (ongoing).
4) Future Board Meetings to continue via ZOOM
a. Possible in person meetings beginning January 2022 at Firehouse #32 in Fair Oaks (Dick MacFarlane). Will continue with Zoom until another facility can be secured.
5) New Business
a. PCA Public Service Award request --- Christmas Party -- CHiPs for Kids----- Rik is applying for this award.
b. Christmas Party - Rik reported that Kim Nelson is willing to coordinate location for this year’s Christmas Party. Possible location is California Auto Museum on Dec 17, 2022
6) Upcoming Events and who is attending?
a. SVR Pizza and Planning Session, Thursday, January 6, 2022 at Round Table Pizza - Sally reported on the number of attendees for this meeting. It was recommended that a mass email be sent out as a reminder and mask mandate.
b. SVR 1t Saturday Breakfast, Saturday, February 5, 2022 at Brookfields
c. Event Planning - Collin has volunteer to lead training at Niello March 12 * It was moved and second to accept Collin’s budget for March 12 Event Planning Training. Motion passed.
7) Board Reports
a. President
i. Duane Wilson has agreed to be Webmaster. Board accepted the recommendation and Duane agreed to accept this position. Introduction letter will be submitted to the Drifter.
ii. New By-Laws and dates April starts the nominations process *for the 2023/24 Board
members. It was agreed that the By-Laws remain in place with the exception of correcting “typo” /minor changes. It was recommended that Board Members be staggered instead of having an all-new board.
iii. PCA Region Report form filed online on Sunday, January 2, 2022.
iv. Budgets for board of directors, chairs, events, etc. for 2022 *No general budget for each of the Board Officer’s expenses. It was recommended that the Board return to an Annual Budget to provide a guideline for future events. Each Board member is to submit project expenses for their position. Collin will send a copy of his 2016/17 Budget to Board members to use a planning tool.
b. Vice President (see calendar in the DRIFTER and on the website)
i. 2022 Planning and Pizza Meeting at Round Table Pizza
ii. Calendar dates: April 9 and Oct 8 Coffee and Porsches
c. Secretary
i. MSR experiences
ii. MSR -- discuss PUBLIC vs. PRIVATE event postings for SVR event * Will text in April Coffee and Porsche.
d. Treasurer (see attached documents) Bob gave his end of the year report
i. 2021 year end accounting
ii. Any outstanding event budgets not complete? *No outstanding Event Budgets
iii. Number of items from the post office box *Bob received mail
e. Membership Director *Ken will host the “New Member” Tour
f. Social Director -- vacant
g. Past President *No report.
8) Chair Reports
a. Safety
i. AX is handled by Greg Zajic
ii. Other events are handled by Rik Larson until we get a Safety Chair
b. AutoCross - updated AX schedule; AX trailer insurance card for trailer received (covers the first half of the calendar year or so). *John will be at the planning meeting on Thursday talk about AutoX
c. Charity (Charity auction to be handled by Dick MacFarlane in 2022 --- April 23rd) *The Nelson’s have offered the use of their garage to hold this event.
d. Concours
i. SVR event for 2022 -- June 5th at Porsche Rocklin
e. CRAB 38
i. Covered under OLD BUSINESS as part of ongoing report
f. DRIFTER Editor - 2022 DRIFTER rates (see 2 attachments) *Mike reviewed the reformatting of the advertiser cost. Mike moved to accept new advertising rates. Second by Bob Peake. Motion passed.
g. Event Liaison to Porsche Rocklin------ 2022 event support
h. New Member Group
i. Rally (possible co-sponsoring a TSD Rally in 2022 with Redwood Region)*Rik reported on the possibility of co-sponsoring rallies with various regions.
j. Share the Wealth
k. Technical Chair
l. Webmaster -- Duane Wilson was appointed Webmaster
m. Dick Macfarlane will come up with a design for a 60th Anniversary T-shirt
9) Next Meeting
a. Tuesday, February 1st, location ZOOM
b. FireHouse --- in person?---- maybe later this spring
10) Adjournment 9:18
ACTION/FOLLOW-UP ITEMS:
a) Volunteers, filling of vacant positions (chairs---- tour, webmaster, historian, safety)
b) Transition of items from 2020 SVR Board and Chairs; location of boxes, assets, etc.
c) 2022 Calendar (SVR, Zone 7, PCA)
d) 2022 Calendar; SVR AX received--- tentative
e) 60th SVR Anniversary ---- September 24, 2022,--- next report in January/February 2022
f) Webstore - Rik Larson
ATTENDANCE
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The Creepercross
By Jim Robison
Redwood Region
A creepercross is the only automotive sport I know of that is best performed when drunk.
Squaw Valley hosted the Winter Olympics in 1960. For several years in the 1970’s it also hosted the Sports Car Olympics; a weekend event that included two tours, an autocross, a concour, a gimmick rally and a TSD rally. The Sports Car Olympics was sponsored by the Northern California Council of Sports Car Clubs. Each member club was asked to host an event, or they would be assigned as autocross pylon picker-uppers or, worse yet, rally checkpoint workers!
I was a member of Triumph Travelers at the time, and I recall the discussion at the club meeting. Everybody said we should do something, but nobody volunteered to do anything. Plus, the major activities and time slots had already been spoken for. What we needed was a new type of event that could be run by a minimum number of people. I volunteered that I, my wife, and her sister, would develop and run a Triumph Travelers something-or-other at the Sports Car Olympics. Nobody objected, though I did get strange looks from my wife and her sister.
Every daylight hour of the Olympics was already scheduled by another club – but the nights were free! What do sports car people like to do when they are not driving or polishing their sports car? They party! And at the Sports Car Olympics, they would all be partying at the bar and disco at the lodge Saturday night. We had a market, we had a location, and we had a day and time. All we needed was an event.
Have you ever tried to work on the underside of a car when it’s up on jack stands? The phrase “heel and toe” takes on a whole new meaning when you are on your back trying to reach that oil drain plug. It’s a lot easier when your back is resting on (you probably already guessed it) a creeper! In 1975, a creeper was a two by three foot sheet of plywood with four casters on the bottom and a useless pillow on the top that cost about $25. (Today it’s an ergonomically molded sheet of plastic with four casters on the bottom and a useless pillow on the top that costs about 150 bucks.) We had our market; we had our vehicle. Now all we needed was a contest.
Running creepers on a tour or a rally at night without headlights would probably be a bad idea; and displaying your perfectly restored and spotless vintage creeper just didn’t seem right. The only sport left was an autocross. Creepers in an autocross? Sure, why not?
Creepers were designed for use on concrete, but they can go really fast on a mirror-smooth disco floor. Sometimes too fast, as creepers are notoriously deficient in both turning and breaking. Control will become more important than strength.
Like any autocross, the vehicles would maneuver around obstacles to follow a course, with the fasted time declared the winner. We needed some obstacles, like pylons only smaller. Our solution was plastic cups, the kind your Bud Lite comes in when you are at a rowdy gathering of sports car people who know they don’t have to drive home.
We almost had our event. All we needed was a prize, which, it turned out, we already had. At the end of the evening, the person with the fastest time was awarded a slightly used creeper. The club would pay for a new creeper and would provide their “official” autocross clock. We finally had our event.
My wife, her sister, and I conducted the Triumph Travelers Creepercross at the Squaw Valley Sports Car Olympics for three years. We would claim a corner of the dance floor and lay out a course with our plastic cups. Contestants would lie on their backs on the creeper and propel themselves, using their hands and feet, through the course. Hitting a plastic cup would result in a time penalty. Total staffing requirements were three: one person at the start, one at the finish, and, of course, a pylon picker-upper.
Across the dance floor from us was the bar. People would get their drinks and then come over to see what we were doing. With no entry fee, and a time commitment of a couple minutes at most, it was easy to get contestants. Once we got going, we usually had a waiting line of people anxious to demonstrate their imagined creeper skills.
As you would expect, the “top time of night” dropped as the evening moved on. Part of that is simple statistics; and part was taking the time to observe others and learn from their mistakes before jumping on the creeper.
But, I believe, a significant factor contributing to decline of the top time was the increase in the mean level of intoxication. The divers became bolder and more aggressive, and the spectator’s shouts of encouragement became louder. People, even sports car people, do silly things when they are well past the legal limit, and I think you will agree that racing on a creeper around plastic beer cups on a disco floor qualifies as a silly thing.
ED. Note Jim contacted me about this article because of the discussion that some of us had at the planning meeting about Broad Jumping and Pole Vaulting, you had to be there to get the full impact of this.
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In The Zone
February 2022
By: Collin Fat, Zone 7 Representative
Sacramento Valley Region
Photos by Collin Fat
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Gung Hay Fat Choy:
February 1st is the start of the Chinese New Year which is celebrated throughout the world by hundreds of millions of Chinese in every corner of the globe. 2022 celebrates the year of the Tiger according to the Chinese zodiac, starting from February 1st, 2022, and lasting until January 21st, 2023.
People born in a year of the Tiger are predicted to be brave, competitive, unpredictable, and confident. People born in the year of the Tiger can also expect good fortune, good health and good luck during the lunar New Year. Tiger people were born in the years 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, and 2022.
People born in years of the Tiger are fiercely independent and possess strong self-esteem. They like to act alone and are not very gregarious. They are most likely optimistic and enthusiastic by nature, and always seem to have endless energy, especially at work. Their energetic presence and intense eyes are the greatest charm of Tiger natives. Their vitality is apparent to anyone at a glance, and people are instinctively drawn to this larger than life quality in them.
Tigers are lively and cheerful, and they love freedom and independence. They are a zodiac sign that absolutely must have their personal space. Tigers usually have a keen sense of justice. When faced with injustices, whether against themselves or others, you can be sure Tigers will not stand aside. However, Tigers may also appear unrefined or thoughtless in the way they handle things. In a less developed person, these traits can easily turn into ignorance or foolhardiness.
In general, Tigers possess great tenacity. They are loyal, quick and the center of attention in everything they do. However, a king needs a domain to be truly in possession of their power. For any Tiger, male or female, their ambition will come before they allow themselves a break to enjoy other parts of life.
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PCA National Upcoming Events:
Your leadership team at PCA national has been very busy with event planning for 2022. Last year proved to be a difficult year not only at the national level but also at the regional level with many event cancellations. Luckily several large scale national events like Parade, Werks Reunion, and Treffen were able to move forward because of mitigation efforts put forth by the planners. Many hospitality tents and Porscheplatz events at the tracks throughout the country had to be cancelled or curtailed. For 2022, national hopes that it can return to a more regular schedule of national events and that the pandemic will subside and allow our events to happen unimpeded. With more of us vaccinated and boosted, member safety is still a top priority for event planning.
For those planning on attending Parade 2022 at the Kalahari Resort in the Poconos, registration opens on Wednesday, February 2nd at 12 pm EST for hotel rooms and on Wednesday, April 6th for events, banquets, and tours also at 12 pm EST. For more information visit:
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Spring Treffen will be held at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs from April 27th to May 1st and I have already heard that many members from Zone 7 are planning on making the event. Registration for this event opens on February 16th and is expected to sell out quickly. I highly recommend that if you have an interest be on your computer ready to register by 12 pm EST.
Also, I highly recommend you select your tours ahead of time and if not available have a second choice at your fingertips. Treffens are like mini Parades with an emphasis on high quality hotel accommodations, great food and drink and some of the best driving roads and tours planned. For more information go to: https://treffen.pca.org/
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Zone Autocross and Concours Series Update;
An updated competition rules set was recently updated by the 5 regions in Zone 7 who host events: Loma Prieta, Golden Gate, Redwood, Sacramento Valley, and Sequoia regions. The chairs met several times over the holidays to update the rules and will be presenting the new rules for approval by the Zone 7 Region presidents at their annual presidents meeting on February 26th. The Zone AX schedule is nearly finalized with a draft schedule below.
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Zone 7 Concours Series Update:
The concours event chairs are currently coordinating with region concours chairs on planning dates for the 2022 concours series as well as reviewing the competition rules for 2022. They hope to have an update of the rules to present to the region presidents at the Zone Presidents meeting on February 26th. So far, Sacramento Valley has selected June 5th for their event to be held at Porsche Rocklin and Redwood Region has selected October 2nd and hope the event can be brought back to the Ledson Winery. Sierra Nevada Region will host their annual event on June 26th and will likely be held at Rancho Santa Fe Regional Park. As of the date of this column, Golden Gate, Loma Prieta, and Monterey Bay regions have still not selected a date or location. Please watch the Zone 7 website for upcoming dates.
Zone 7 Awards Banquet:
The Zone 7 Awards banquet for award winners from the 2021 series will be held on Saturday, March 5, 2022 at Cattlemens Restaurant in Roseville, California. Roseville is about 20 miles east of Sacramento. The event will feature a hearty buffet with grilled tri tip roast, lemon herb chicken, pasta ravioli, garden salad, fresh vegetables and other sides. Cost is $48 per person. Please register at: https://www.motorsportreg.com/events/2021-zone-7-awards-banquet-cattlemens-restaurant-pca-498440
Regional Events and Non- Region Member Participation:
I have been asked several times by members seeking more events that they can participate in if they can sign up for other region events. You absolutely can! If you can’t get your monthly fix of tours or rallies all current PCA members, regardless of region, may participate in other region activities so long as the member is in good standing. The number of event options throughout Zone 7 is almost endless so if you are looking for an event to signup for check out the region website calendars for events. You will not be disappointed in the variety of events each region offers.
Sacramento Valley Region Celebrates 60th Anniversary:
Sacramento Valley Region will be celebrating its 60th anniversary with a gala on September 24th at the Granite Bay Country Club in Granite Bay, California. Event chair, Kirk Bradford has assembled a team of volunteers to mark this club’s milestone. Congratulations to Sacramento for this amazing achievement.
Events of Interest:
1) Zone 7 Rally School, February 12th, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, Ca.
2) Zone 7 Presidents Meeting, February 26th, Maidu Community Center, Roseville, Ca. (*DATE Change)
3) Zone 7 Awards Banquet, March 5, Cattlemens Restaurant, Roseville, Ca.
4) PCA Spring Treffen, April 27-May 1, 2022, the Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colorado
5) Zone 7 Shasta Tour, June 9-13th, sold out
6) Porsche Parade at the Kalahari Resort, Pennsylvania, June 12-18
7) PCA Werks Reunion, August 19, Monterey
8) PCA Fall Treffen, September 14-18, Sunriver Resort, Bend, Oregon
9) Sacramento Valley Region 60th Anniversary, September 24, Granite Bay, Calif.
Note that past Treffens have sold out in as little as one hour due to their popularity. Registration for the Treffens typically opens 3-4 months prior to the event.
2022 PCA West Coast Race Series Schedule
With Federal and State directives pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Club Racing schedule is very fluid and subject to change on a day-to-day basis. The racing schedule shown below will be frequently updated with the latest official status of each of our races.
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They’re not the same
By Pedro P. Bonilla
GCR PCA
Even though you think they are, they’re not the same!
I’m referring to the convertible top mechanisms in the Carreras and Boxsters.
Because they shared so many parts, at least the first generation Boxster (’97 - ’99) and the first wasserboxer Carrera in ’99 - ’00, you would think that the soft tops share the same mechanism.
You would think wrong.
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They’re both operated from the same switch in the dash and (at least in the first generation of cars) you had to engage the emergency brake (now you can operate with the car in motion), but in the Boxsters, an electric motor operates two independent mechanical transmissions (one on each side) via cables, much like the old mechanical speedometer cables.
The clamshell or protective shroud that you see first start to raise before the top goes down is operated via the same motor through a set of rigid, ball-jointed arms.
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In the Carreras an electric motor operates a hydraulic pump which sends oil to two hydraulic pistons (one on each side) which then operates the soft top.
The clamshell in the Carrera is operated by a second electric motor which starts first, before the hydraulic pump starts to operate.
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The systems are quite complex because they just don’t put the top up or down, they perform a series of tasks.
In the Boxster:
1.- In the first generation Boxsters the handbrake needed to be engaged and the red light on the dash needed to be lit otherwise no power went to the top’s motor.
2.- Then the top’s latch needs to be manually unlatched, which in turn opens a microswitch which allows the windows to drop a few inches and at the same time sends a signal to the central locking unit (CLU - black box under the driver’s seat) to let it know that the top is unlatched.
3.- Pressing the top’s switch on the dash turns on the top’s dash light. Continuing to press the microswitch through the complete cycle starts to open the clamshell and the top’s frame begins to fold on it’s own. Older car’s with plastic rear windows should have the plastic “helped” by hand in order for it to fold straight down the middle. Newer cars or older cars that have been upgraded have a glass rear window that obviously doesn’t fold but fits inside the top’s frame as it comes to rest over the engine.
As the top is nearing its resting place, the clamshell begins to close over it until the motor stops on it’s own and finally the top’s light on the dash goes off letting the operator know that the cycle is complete and that the button can be released.
This is all done in a matter of only 12 seconds!
For those that are so impatient that they can’t hold the button for that period of time, there is an aftermarket product called the One-Touch that will do it for you with a single touch of the button. It will also make your wallet significantly lighter ;)
In the Carrera:
When the dash button is pressed, the top’s latch automatically drops and unlatches the top’s front edge.
The windows (all four) start to drop all the way down and the clamshell starts to open.
The hydraulic pump pressurizes the system and sends oil to each of the two hydraulic pistons which start to move the top until it reaches its resting place.
The clamshell then closes over the top and rests in its original place.
Because they are complex mechanisms, some of the components can and will fail with time and use and could leave you with a non-functioning top in the open position which is not good, especially here in Florida, where we only have two seasons: the rainy season and the very-rainy season ;)
So, what can fail, and what can you do?
The most common failures we’ve seen are:
In the Carrera, leaking hydraulic pistons. These tend to leak out the oil through its seals, once they become dry and brittle from age and or lack of use.
You can know they are leaking in one of three ways:
1.- The hydraulic pump runs but the top barely moves or doesn’t move at all.
2.- You can see a puddle of hydraulic oil under the corresponding side, just in front of the rear tire.
3.- When the top is down you can actually reach in and feel the pistons. If they are oily, they are leaking.
If you are caught with the top in the Open position and need to close it, while pressing the top’s button, hold the front edge of the convertible top and manually pull up and forward assisting the failed hydraulics. Keep the button pressed until the latch securely closes. Now the top is secured in the closed position but you will need to have the hydraulic piston(s) replaced. Not cheap. They can also be rebuilt for a fraction of the cost of new ones.
In the Boxster, there are various failure points.
1.- The transmissions have internal nylon sprockets designed to break before causing damage by an improperly operating top.
2.- The transmission cables tend to stretch their outer shrouds and disengage with the transmission thereby rendering the corresponding transmission immobile and warping the top since only one side works.
3.- The convertible’s plastic link ends (black and or red) break causing the top to open/close one side only.
If any of these things happen, there is an emergency procedure to allow you to manually close your convertible top:
Remove the black plastic link covers on the outer edge of the convertible top.
Using a large, flat screwdriver, or pry-bar, pry off the black-tipped link on either side of the top. This allows you to manually lift back the “clamshell”.
Using the same screwdriver or pry-bar, pry off the red-tipped link on either side of the top. This allows you to manually raise the convertible top.
After the convertible top is closed, securely latch it and then close the clamshell by hand.
Because the clamshell is not properly secure maintain a safe maximum speed of less than 60 mph until you can have the top repaired. Not too expensive.
For more information on cabriolet technology, please visit my website: www PedrosGarage.com.
Happy Porsche’ing,
Pedro
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TrackMasters Racing is a leader in the High-Performance Driver Education events in Northern California and invites SVR-PCA drivers to participate in these events. For the complete schedule click the link below. |
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PCA Members may place non-commercial classified ads for no charge. Photos will be published on this web page at no charge. Non-PCA members may place ads on our webpage, on a space available basis, as follows: Ads without photos $20.00; Ads with photos $35.00. All ads run for two months unless canceled. There will be no refunds for paid ads.
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Sacramento Valley - Red House® - Mini-Check Non-Iron Button-Down Shirt |
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