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dwa911 · 06-01-2022, 02:19 PM

THE BEGINNING – FIRST LOVE:

After a childhood spent bouncing around the USA – born in Virginia, then to Oklahoma, Maryland, & Pennsylvania while my dad changed jobs. We ended up, and I mostly grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana in the '60s through the very early '80s.

Most people in Indianapolis at that time, and certainly in our mixed class neighbourhood, had American cars. My dad loved cars, but was a bit different than most of our neighbours. While he had a series of different American cars over the years - mainly Chevys and Fords for everyday use (I remember Falcons, Fairlanes, Galaxie 500s, and Chevelles) - he liked, and went through a number of British sports cars, as second cars (for my mom of course). (S)he had a TR3, Spitfire, TR6, and finally settled on a 1967 Austin Healey 3000, BJ8 MK-3 in British racing green. He completely restored the Healey over a few years, in between restoring old '50s Chris Craft boats. He wasn’t very mechanically inclined, learned while doing (making mistakes and breaking things usually), wasn’t very detail oriented, and was much better with varnishing and wood, than with metal and mechanics. The main memory I have, is the Healey ‘slept’ in the garage, under an electric blanket in the winter, because he was afraid the lacquer would crack if it got too cold.

I had great times/memories going for drives with my dad in those British cars, but I also recall them never quite running right the entire time he owned them (if ever)…

My dad’s best friend, Dr. John Haslam (my dad just called him Doc, as I’m sure many doctors are called), was into German cars. He had a dark green Mercedes 4-door (can’t remember the model – probably a 280SE), and a gold 912. I never did know what year the 912 was, or get a ride in it, but I seem to remember the 912 badge and could never forget the colour. In 1973, Doc Haslam traded the 912 for a silver/black 911 S coupe. That was the car that stole my heart. I remember my dad taking me to see it when Doc brought it home. It was silver, with a sunroof and a 911 "S" badge on the back. Funny what sticks in a 9-year old’s mind. I don’t remember much more about that car specifically, like if it had sport seats, sunroof or other options. I had no reason to. It was my first ride in a 911. That was all that mattered, and I would have sworn it was cornering on 2 wheels every time Doc went around a corner. And that sound. It was the coolest thing I had ever heard. It seemed like it revved so high and for so long. It sounded like what I thought a race car should sound like. Little did I know how good they could really sound, especially with headers and straight through pipes. But, that was to come much later.

Needless to say, that first ride imprinted on the 9-year old me, as only things can imprint on kids I suppose, and I was determined that I would own a 911 just like that one day… I’d be keen to hear about what happened to that car if anyone ever turns up Dr. John Haslam as a previous owner.

So, having had a ride in a Porsche 911 "S" gave me bragging rights with my friends. Like most of my 9-year old friends, I was into ‘Speed Racer’, a cartoon of the late 1960s, It showcased the hero – Speed Racer and his car, the Mach 5, and even more, at least for me anyway, was his older brother, the mysterious ‘Racer X’ (here’s a link for those not familiar and interested https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_Racer). That is what I wanted to be when I grew up – a race car driver – until astronaut and jet pilot took over at some point around the first moon landings (both scuppered by my myopia). I couldn’t get enough of watching car racing, but back then, the US networks didn’t show it much. Occasionally, I’d get to see some of the races on TV – usually Jackie Stewart or Chris Economaki commentating for ABC’s Wide World of Sports. My dad wasn’t really into racing, but he used to take me to the Indy 500 for various testing, qualifying and race days – probably as a way to get me to finally stop pestering him. And, that was very cool, but, nothing was as prominent in my mind as that 911, or the European racing I saw on TV every once in a while…

AMERICAN PONY CARS:

As I got older, and realized how much any 911 would cost, let alone an "S" (far beyond my means as a teenager), my car desire shifted to something potentially more attainable. Like most of my teenage friends, I thought American "pony" cars were cool, and if I couldn’t afford a 911, then a Shelby GT350, Chevy Z28 or Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am would be the next best thing. My older brother had a red/black 1965 mustang fastback with a 3-speed manual gearbox, and I learned how to drive in that car. I’d "borrow" the keys and sneak out late at night after everyone was asleep, venturing further and further, until I got caught returning, by my mom one night. A few whacks with my dad’s belt on my rear end finished my night-time driving escapades, at least until I had my driving license (age 15 ½ for a permit back then in Indiana). That Mustang poured gasoline on the fire that was my desire to get a 1965 or 1966 Shelby GT350 (Wimbledon white with guardsman blue stripes of course). Unfortunately, a GT350 was also out of my reach, and I eventually ended up with a yellow/black 1965 mustang fastback with a 289 HiPo and 4-speed manual gearbox as my first car, and proceeded to just about lose my license in the first 2 weeks, but that is a different story… Sadly, I can’t find any photos of any of the cars from my early riding/driving days…

1985 - INDY to NYC to LA:

After a few twists and turns, I sold the mustang for some pocket cash, hitchhiked to Manhattan, dropped out of university, aimlessly wandering and trying to figure out what to do with my life - mainly odd jobs like bricklaying, carpentry, roofing, wallpaper hanging, an orderly in a nursing home and a stock boy at a pottery barn - all while trying to be a professional blues guitarist at night – the new aspiration since astronaut and racing driver seemed out of reach. After a couple of years, I realized I wasn’t going to be the next ‘Eric Clapton’ or ‘BB King’, and, I liked regularly eating too much to continue that career folly for too long.

So, I traded one coast for another, and moved to Los Angeles, where I had fallen in love with the sun and sea during a visit to see my brother the previous February. He had picked me up at LAX airport in an old grey/blue Mercedes 230SL (can’t remember the exact year or details other than it was white with a navy blue interior and top), and on a typical sunny winter LA day (about 70°F or 21°C), top down, we drove up PCH (Pacific Coast Highway for those that don’t know California - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_1) to Gladstone’s on the beach for lunch. I had decided in that moment, LA was clearly the land of opportunity for me. And, as my older brother also happened to live there, it was a free couch to sleep on, food to eat, and car to borrow, while I figured out what to do and looked for a job.

The Pagoda SL with my mom in it while visiting my brother – the only photo I can find…

As luck would have it, after about 6 months on my brother’s couch, and assorted odd jobs, I landed a ‘gig’ at a place called Compact Video, an independent post production facility for movies and television shows, in Burbank, California (just north of LA for those that don’t know – it was located between Warner Bros. and Disney studios at 2813 Alameda Ave), working in the vault. That basically meant I was a ‘gopher’, running errands and doing what I was told to do by the union sound guys (IATSE local 695) and my non-union boss. Mainly, my job was maintaining the audio film and TV sound recording masters in a secure storage room (a normal room with a locked door), commonly called ‘the vault’, and ordering new magnetic film and audio tape to ensure we didn’t run out.

SIDETRACKED:

So here I was in LA. I couldn’t really afford a car yet. But, with a loan from the bank, I was able to buy a 1982 Yamaha XJ550 Seca motorcycle, and being LA, it wasn’t too much of an issue, as it didn’t rain enough to make it a hassle to have a motorcycle as my only vehicle. Forgetting about cars for a while, I went through a series of motorcycles for a few years, the Seca 550, a Kawasaki GPZ 1100, and a pair of 1968 Triumph Bonnevilles (1 complete and 1 for parts), which never ran perfectly – must be something with my family and British vehicles.  I eventually traded the Triumphs for a 1949 Chevy 5-window 3100 pickup (which was eventually used in the filming of The Two Jakes – Jack Nicholson’s sequel to Chinatown – another story for another day)…

And while far away from a 911, that lasted me for quite some time with a restoration story of it’s own… Here are the only pictures I can find of it…

dwa911 · 06-01-2022, 02:31 PM

CARS, MOVIES & THE MILKMAN:

At Compact Video, several of the re-recording sound mixers (here’s a link if interested in what that is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re-recording_mixer), were ‘the gods’ to us ‘little guys’. Several of them were into cars. Some new & some old. I remember everything from a Buick GSX, BMW CSL, BMW M5, Jaguar E-type, and a Cadillac Allanté (yes… kind of an interesting car back then). One of the mixers, and my mentor, Alan Holly used to race. At that time, a Mazda RX-7 in GT2 SCCA. He invited me one weekend to a race at Willow Springs, and I jumped at the chance to go and to help out however I could. It was great fun, and I loved it. (I saw a lot of Porsche 911s and 914/6s racing that weekend – which of course reignited the flame to own one) Alan is a great guy, soft-spoken and humble. I learned a lot from him (life, work and cars), and learned much later, that he was quite a racer ‘back in the day’ – SCCA CAL Club driver of the year in 1972 racing Formula Ford (https://www.facebook.com/SportsCarMa...9001287526459/), racing both open and closed wheels cars (he still hops in his old Eldon FF every once in a while).

Another one of the mixers (can’t remember his name for the life of me) had a 911. I seem to recall it was a black/black 3.2 Carrera (don’t remember the year, but remember the model). My flame for a 911 was burning brighter and brighter.

EDUCATION BEGINS:

With my childhood desire for a 911 burning bright, and being a research type, I needed to learn everything I could about them. There was a book store (back before Amazon) in Burbank not far from where I worked called Autobooks/Aerobooks (on Magnolia Blvd if memory serves). They had the most complete selection of car related books in one place I’d ever seen. Even had the ‘foreign’ magazines, mostly from the UK. I used to spend lunches and Saturdays just browsing through all the different books they had. They were always cool about it, and never ‘shooed’ me away. And I did eventually repay their tolerance, buying many Porsche books back then - Karl Ludwigsen’s Excellence was expected, Brett Johnson’s The 911 & 912 Porsche: A restorer’s guide to authenticity, Paul Frère’s Porsche 911 story, and every issue of Porsche magazine (renamed to Excellence shortly after launch), and later, Thomas Gruber and Georg Konradsheim’s Carrera RS, amongst many others then and since…

After a while, I worked my way up to being one of the Foley and ADR mixers on feature films and TV shows. I had ‘arrived’. At least in my own mind I had, and it was time to get ‘my’ 911! (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0022562/ - for those interested in a short side trip)...

EDUCATION CONTINUED, THE DEALER & MY FIRST 911:

It was around this time, that through a woman I was dating at the time, I met her brother, Jack Molinier (some here may know or know of Jack - I haven’t been in contact with him since the mid 90s, so don’t know if he is still about or what he is up to – but that’s a story for another day). At the time, Jack bought and mainly ‘flipped’ old pre-impact bumper 911s. Not meaning to offend anyone that is an upstanding and honest car dealer, but Jack, in my humble opinion, was what some might refer to as the stereotypical ‘car dealer/used car salesman’, albeit it, and maybe due to the mixed French/British ancestry and upbringing, delivered with a bit more flair and eloquence. But, I would learn this much later. For now, I just knew he was into old 911s and bought and sold them, and that was cool and interesting for someone looking to get his first one. Jack and I became friends (or I at least for a time, as I was dating his sister – but that is another long story), and so whenever I could, I would go along with and watch Jack buy and sell 911s, and through this process, I learned a lot about what to look out for and many details from looking at so many cars. It was a great opportunity for me to learn about 911s – where they rust (even in California or transplanted cars), what a good driving one should start, run and drive like, what parts are correct (even back then, they had many many mods done). I even learned a bit about the business of buying, selling, and negotiation…

OK! Here we go... my first 911...

After about 6 months of tagging along with Jack, and armed with my Porsche books, ‘the recycler’ (a classified newspaper – pre-eBay and internet car sites - that came out every Thursday in LA, if my memory is correct), and enough information and knowledge to find and buy a car like Doc Haslam’s – a silver 1973 911S, with a sunroof since I was living in Los Angeles. I let Jack know this was my plan, and having worked my way up to being a sound mixer (and the higher salary that came with that), I started scouring the classifieds of every paper I could get from the newsstand (near the corner of Laurel Canyon and Ventura Blvd if I remember right)…

In hindsight, I suppose Jack might have considered that as competition for his flipping business, and unbeknownst to me, Jack ‘surprised’ me, by buying, on my behalf of course (meaning I needed to pay for it – about $8,500 if I recall correctly), a 1 owner (Dentist in San Diego if my memory serves me) 1978 911 SC Targa in cashmere beige with black interior from a dealer auction... Yes, a far cry from a 1973 911S silver sunroof coupe. But, it was in great condition, and I finally owned a 911! Jack got me my first 911 and perhaps took me out of competition for long hoods at the same time… I’ll never know… And to be honest, at the time, and now, I don't really care... I had a 911!

I have no info on VIN or other details… Here are the only photos I can find of it (note 119310010 in background - more on that car later)… Clearly not a great look with the hair, the shorts and the boots... but, it was the 80s/90s in Los Angeles - what can I say...

dwa911 · 06-01-2022, 02:43 PM

1st LONG HOOD - 9113110650:

Now the upside of having an SC, was I got to compare this to the early 911 T, E & S cars I had driven. While it was a great car and I had a lot of fun with it, the G model - impact bumper cars just didn’t look as cool to me as the early cars, and targas didn’t look as good to me as coupes, and it certainly wasn’t a 1973 silver S sunroof coupe. So, the SC was sold for about what I paid for it, and while looking for the S, I found a silver 1973 911T Targa – 9113110650 (now in Sweden after a circuitous path), which was a little worse for wear, but was running, driving, had factory sport seats, and only cost me $3,000. Still a targa, and not a 1973 S sunroof coupe… But fun in the sun, a pre-impact bumper car, and would hold me over until I could find an S coupe…

9113110650 & HARD LESSONS:

So... in movie speak... we fade in to the scene...

A couple of weeks later, with the top stowed in the front trunk, I’m enjoying my ‘new to me’ 911 T targa, and the California sunshine… I’m heading north on the 405 freeway, just accelerating and entering from the Marina Del Rey 90 interchange, shifting through the gears to the 6500 RPM redline, and revelling in ‘that’ wonderful sound and driving experience, through the corner of the onramp, that makes driving an early 911 so magical…

All of a sudden, I started feeling heat in the cockpit… I quickly checked that the heat lever in between the seats was off… It was… I checked the dash controls and that ventilation was allowing fresh air in… it was… Then, I glanced at the gauges, and noticed the engine temperature had soared to the top of the scale… So, I pulled over to check everything was alright…

And, unfortunately, I saw flames coming from the rear decklid… Yes, the engine of 0650 had caught fire and as I opened the decklid to inspect to see if I could put it out with the little fire extinguisher I had with me, the flames leaped out, and after using up the extinguishant, and even trying to beat the flames with a towel I had in the car, I had to eventually retreat as the flames grew larger and the heat became too intense… A few people pulled over and tried to help extinguish the fire with their own fire extinguishers, but to no avail, and I stood by with tears in my eyes, watching 0650 burn pretty badly before the Los Angeles Fire Department showed up, and was able to put the fire out after what seemed an eternity, and more water and foam than I would have thought…

So if you passed a burning silver 911 targa on the 405 north of the 90 interchange, and saw flames about 3 stories high around 1990, that was me…

A few hard lessons…

1) Always regularly check and change any suspect fuel and oil lines – I had 0650 serviced the first week after buying it and had all of those things done by a reputable shop (don't want to name them in case they are still in business)… I still don’t know what was the cause, but imagine a fuel line split or came loose as the probable cause… There are a lot of fuel lines in 911 engine compartments, especially with MFI, which 0650 had…
2) Even if just having the above work done or doing it yourself, stay vigilant… Check and recheck before and after every drive… It is easy to become complacent…
3) 911 engine fires quickly burn beyond control… Especially magnesium cases…
4) Magnesium fires are tough to put out, even for the fire department…
5) Always have a suitable fire extinguisher in a an easy to access place and ready to use… check them annually or even more often…
6) Stay safe… at the end of the day, it is a car, albeit an amazing one, and can be replaced… I or you can’t be…

After the firemen put the fire out, I had 0650 towed home to assess the damage and contemplate what to do next… After a couple days, I determined it wasn’t ‘that bad’, and saw it as an opportunity to really learn about 911s…

So, I set about disassembling 0650, determined to use my misfortune as a catalyst to restore it and learn by doing…

After the dirty job of tearing 0650 apart, it seemed to me that only the engine (the plastic MFI parts, wiring, and other plastic parts had melted and the case itself had become part case and part blobs of magnesium in places on the top - surprisingly the bottom seemed fine, and the gearbox, seemed untouched), some parts in the engine bay, the back glass, which shattered, and the water logged interior were not salvageable…

After this tear down and assessment, and with me determined to save 0650, once stripped to the bare chassis, 0650 was off to Brace’s auto body and repair shop. Brace’s was close, had a great reputation and importantly, a Celette bench to repair 911s… They did a great job repairing the body, especially the rear sheet metal, which had been warped by the intense heat of the fire, and needed to be replaced with new panels. Brace’s then finished 0650 off with a respray of silver ‘code 936’ Glasurit paint… I was pleased with the result and the shiny paint inspired me to get 0650 back on the road…

But, as I’m sure many will relate to, weeks turned into months, with work and other priorities keeping me from really making progress, unfortunately, restoring 0650 never happened, and eventually, after a long time languishing in storage with all it’s parts in boxes, I eventually sold 0650 to Wayne Dempsey who I believe was considering doing a series of articles on restoring a 911, and was looking for a car to completely restore at the time (I may have that wrong – long time ago)… I had met Wayne via Tom Gould while they were setting up Pelican Parts in the early days, and Wayne seemed like a good home for 0650… I never really got to know Wayne very well, as I mainly chatted with Tom... I’d known Tom since when he worked at Otto’s in Venice, but that’s another part of the story that we’ll get to later…

A few more hard lessons…

1) I fall in love with my 911s, and it causes me to be irrational and not think objectively… It still happens to me, but I have a bit more control of myself these days… My wife may have a different opinion...
2) Be realistic about how hard, time consuming and expensive a total restoration can be – even in the early 90s this was going to cost a lot to put right, even with me being willing to do the work and the relatively inexpensive access to used parts in Los Angeles back then…

For the record, according to the info I have (I keep a spreadsheet with info I have on some of the 911s I’ve owned)… 9113110650 had engine 6131660 (now melted), gearbox number unknown, Silver Metallic – 8010, Black Leatherette – 16, Koni shocks, sport seats, comfort kit, 6x15 fuchs, and tinted glass...

As a postscript to this section and 0650… 0650 changed hands a few times, and ended up with Johan in Sweden… Here is the link to his story on getting, shipping and restoring 0650 (https://forums.pelicanparts.com/pors...weden-now.html)...

After not paying attention to the forums for several years, I had found some old boxes with some parts and some of the old CoAs from 911s I had owned, and decided to search the VIN numbers to see if I could find any information on what happened to them… I stumbled across Johan’s post in 2019, and after connecting with him, sent the original VIN tags from inside the trunk and on the A pillar of USA cars to him to reunite with 0650…

And I can just see the beginning of my signature on the California title as shown from Johan’s posting – Looks like I sold it in February of 1999… Not sure about the 90,000 miles, but it was in very good condition when I bought it, so could have been near correct mileage…

And a link to some pictures looking much as I sold it to Wayne, after sitting for a few years in storage (https://www.pelicanparts.com/techart...t_chapter1.htm)...

dwa911 · 06-01-2022, 02:47 PM

CoA and some more photos post burn and pre repair at Brace's Auto Body repair shop... Might be interesting to see a 911 post engine fire stripped... All in all, pretty solid base to restore...

dwa911 · 06-01-2022, 02:53 PM

Some more photos post burn and pre-repair of 9113110650

Yes... Even a car that lived solely in California can rust...

dwa911 · 06-02-2022, 04:42 AM

JACKPOT, WINNING THE LOTTERY & MEETING YOUR HERO CARS - 9113301270:

So, it was back to driving the 1949 Chevy pickup and searching for ‘my’ 1973 911S silver sunroof coupe…

A few months later, I found an ad for a 1973 911 S coupe – 9113301270 – in San Antonio, Texas advertised for $15,000 in the March 1995 edition of The Nugget – the Golden Gate region PCA monthly newsletter.

It had a sunroof, factory leather sport seats, power windows, factory AC and a limited slip diff, which the original ad doesn’t list, but I discovered later to my delight and education, as I got to rebuild the gearbox and the LSD later... But, and a big but… According to the ad, it was blue, not silver…

I was still determined to find a silver one… But, I decided to call Bill, the owner in the ad, as I knew from looking at many 911s by that time, that they were frequently resprayed different colours from the original factory delivered colours, and hoped I might get lucky… Fortunately for me, after discussing the car for a while with Bill, he went to look at the car, while I waited on the phone – no mobiles in those days, and confirmed the paint code of 936 on the door tag… Yes! A factory original silver metallic 911 S sunroof coupe!!! Apparently, it had been repainted by a previous owner to gulf blue… Yes, gulf blue, which happened to be my second favourite colour at the time – I’m sure most can imagine why (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Mans_(film))...

Bill explained the previous owner or if it was Bill (my memory just doesn’t have this info anymore – I’m not sure if Bill was the 2nd or 3rd owner) had bought and brought the car from Los Angeles, where it was originally purchased by Harold Luke, a Beverly Hills doctor, to San Antonio…

So, barely being able to contain my excitement, that I had finally found a ’73 silver sunroof 911 S, albeit currently in gulf blue, and after a little negotiation, I agreed a deal with Bill for $13,000, ‘FedExed’ a check for a $1,000 deposit, and booked a flight from LA to San Antonio for the next Saturday. Needless to say, waiting for Saturday was the longest week of my life…

But, before I knew it, I was in San Antonio, at Bill’s house, and there was 9113301270 in the driveway… gulf blue and beautiful… I had never seen a gulf blue car in the metal up until that moment… It instantly became my new favourite colour, and I decided I had to have this car… Not a great way to potentially be inspecting a car objectively or entering a negotiation to buy a car, but such is life… when addicted or in love, logic goes out the window pretty quickly… The paint was a bit faded from the sun, but still looked pretty good… good enough for me for sure…

After chatting with Bill, looking over the car, I soon found myself test driving basically ‘the’ hero car that started my love affair with the Porsche 911 all those years ago when I was 9 years old!

Unfortunately, on the test drive, disappointingly, it crunched going into 2nd and 3rd gears, didn’t quite have the acceleration or ‘push’ from about 4K RPM that other 911 S’s I’d driven had, and it was leaking oil on the heat exchangers – not a lot, but enough to make ‘that smell’ – and the shocks were completely worn out… But, having found ‘my’ 911 S, and not wanting to let this one get away, and after quite a bit of negotiation, and me almost missing my flight home, Bill and I agreed a deal for $10,000, and 1270 was mine!

Afraid to drive it home – after my recent engine fire experience with 9113110650, I hurriedly drove it to a hotel near the Riverwalk (can’t remember which one), paid to park it in the hotel garage, left the key with the hotel manager, took the title, promised to have a transport company pick it up as soon as I could arrange for one, once back in Los Angeles on Monday, and grabbed a taxi for the airport…

A very excruciatingly long 2 weeks later, and 1270 showed up on the back of an open transport car hauler in Venice, CA, where I was living at the time… Finally, a dream fulfilled… (I think I have some photos of delivery, but just can't find them)

For historic record, according to my notes / spreadsheet, the CoA info as follows: 9113301270, engine 6332006, gearbox number unknown, silver metallic – 936, black leather - 16, Koni shocks, sport seats, limited slip differential, electric sunroof, electric windows, factory AC, and tinted glass (for some reason I can't find the CoA - I have most of them, thinking I gave it to new owner when I sold it)

The only photos I can find are of a trip with an old girlfriend to Laguna Seca for the historic races and Pebble Beach concours on PCH (California highway 1), after I’d ended up installing a centre front RSR style oil cooler and RS front bumper – note the current gulf blue on the spoiler is brighter than the faded paint on the rest of the car… And an old copy of one of the California DMV registrations...

dwa911 · 06-02-2022, 04:59 AM

MORE EDUCATION - TOM, OTTO & A 914/6 RACE CAR:

With 1270 still running ‘off song’, power dropping off above 4,000 RPM, and needing to replace all the fuel lines, I was determined to get it sorted quickly…

After having already bought and read a factory shop manual through Vasek Polak Porsche (I still have that), and buying factory style tools from Baum tools (don’t have many of those left) to disassemble 9113110650, there were some tools that were NLA, so the Baum tool guy (can’t remember his name) suggested I connect with Otto (John Williamson liked to call himself Otto) at Otto’s in Venice, an independent Porsche shop close to me, that might rent or loan me the tools that were NLA.

So, off to Otto’s I went…

Otto’s was at 707 Hampton Drive in Venice, CA, just a short drive from my home at 36 Anchorage Steet in Marina Del Rey (I’m not sure what is there now, as I haven’t been back to LA since 2007, others here might)… As I pulled in to Otto’s little cramped entrance – just about big enough for a couple of cars to pull in front of the garage door and jammed with a trailer, a couple of junk 914s, a dumpster, and various other bits – the first thing I saw inside was a wall of race trophies and plaques (Credit to Bret for this photo - hopefully doesn't mind me re-using here)…

And the first person I met was Tom Gould… Tom was working at the little desk at the front of the shop, and we met as I entered to introduce myself and why I was there (not sure if this is from Otto's or PP - I hope you don't mind me using this photo Tom)…

Side note (as promised from earlier post on 9113110650) - Tom is a great guy… He is super knowledgeable, kind, generous, and I would need to be able to write much more eloquently than I am capable to describe my experience with Tom fully…

Let me just say, that even though we haven’t seen or spoken with each other in a long – too long – time (we are connected on Facebook, and give thumbs up to each other’s posts once in a while), I consider Tom a friend and would bend over backwards for Tom anytime… If you are reading this Tom, you always have an open-ended offer for you and Bev to come and stay in UK/France – maybe take in Silverstone, Le Mans classic or historic Monaco races – I don’t see myself getting back to CA anytime soon, but one never knows… Tom not only shared his time and help – sometimes with a cranky Otto – but even kindly gave me his collection of Christophorus magazines back in the late 90s (I don’t remember the details, other than him offering, and me not being able to say yes fast enough… I still have them, and cherish them Tom)… He later went on to co-found Pelican Parts with Wayne… Tom will be back in the story later for sure…

After a chat, Tom introduced me to Otto… He was tinkering in the back of the shop, working on a what looked like an (ugly to me at the time) 914/6 with the front A pillars and windshield support chopped off sort of race car (more on ‘Rudy’ later)…

This photo used to hang in Otto's (Credit to Bret for this photo of it - hopefully doesn't mind me re-using here)

If you ever met John, you will most likely have found yourself in 1 of 2 camps:

Camp 1, you will like him, or…
Camp 2, you won’t like him…

It seems it was kind of binary with John, as he could be kind of rude, gruff, cranky, and certainly not what would be considered politically correct in his thinking or language… I can’t remember how many times he told me to f**k off and get out of his shop… I was kind of used to that from some of the characters I’d met and worked with in the film business, so I guess I was a bit more tolerant then than I would be now… But, John could also be very generous, kind and fun to be around… A true enigma…

John passed away in 2013 – here are some links to read more, and the memories of some who also knew him
(http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...has-moved.html)
(https://yovenice.com/2013/02/10/rip-...to-williamson/)

As a side note, I took and gave John the photo of him sitting on 917/30-004 up at Jerry Woods's shop which was mixed in with Dave Morse’s Morspeed at the time… Dave owned the car, and Jerry had been part of the team restoring it – more on that and why we were there later… Here is a link to history of 917/30-004... JWE shared premises with Morspeed at the time (David Morse's setup for collecting Porsches and racing them)...

Not only did I get the luck and rare good fortune to look at and "crawl" all over 917/30-004 just after restoration, But here are some photos from that day...

Jerry Woods walking around 917/30-004 with me getting the amazing and rare good fortune to squeeze in to the driver's race seat

For me, on that day, I was in camp 1…

After one of John's characteristic "Let's have a look" exclamations, and before I knew it, John had 1270 on a lift for a quick scan, and then out for a test drive with me in the passenger seat...

John certainly knew what he was doing, and after the quick look on the lift, and the test drive, he popped the distributor cap, and rotor, gave the shaft a wiggle, and proclaimed it was seized… He then told me about the little felt inside the shaft under the rotor, that needs to be kept oiled (just a drop), or the shaft can corrode enough to seize, as mine had, not allowing the distributor to advance, causing the lack of ‘punch’ at upper RPMs. He then pulled the distributor out of the engine, went in the back where he had a lot of used spare parts, to a shelf with about 50 distributors piled up, found a used one, installed new points, rotor and cap, re-installed it in the engine, and low and behold, 1270 had it’s mojo back! He then changed all the fuel lines, so I wouldn’t have a repeat fire experience, and charged me about $50 for everything…

And, with me solidly in camp 1, I drove away, happily revving to the 7,200 RPM redline all day long up PCH and the canyon roads… Wow! What a machine… Even better than what I remembered from that first ride in Doc Haslem’s 911 S all those years ago…

More soon... I need a break from typing... And, to be honest, bringing back a lot of memories... I'm going to take a break and raise a glass to those that are gone and were so influential to me...

Cheers
Dave

dwa911 · 06-02-2022, 02:24 PM

EVEN MORE EDUCATION:

Being a sponge for information, still relatively young in my Porsche journey, and wanting to ensure I could take care of 1270 – I was always trying to educate myself and learn as much as I could about the history of Porsche, the cars, the mechanical components, etc… I still am, and have so much more to learn… Just not as much time... A hard lesson that one... Time is finite and there is no reverse gear in life...

Back in the 90s (not sure when it started or finished – others might know here), Bruce Anderson and Jerry Woods used to provide an engine and transmission rebuilding class up in Campbell, California at Jerry’s shop (I discovered this in Excellence magazine I think)… I’m sure many are familiar with both Bruce and Jerry, and sadly, Bruce passed away a while back, but if you aren’t, then here are some links

(https://www.jwemotorsports.com)

and

(https://www.excellence-mag.com/issue...rson-1938-2013)

and “the book”

(https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_In...s=0&SVSVSI=834)

Bruce and Jerry autographed my 1st edition, which I brought with me when I attended the course, and I’ll post a photo along with the handbook from the course on engines and gearboxes, when I can find what box they are in (still looking - I have too many boxes in 2 countries)…

Before attending, I had already read the book cover to cover… The course, was over 4 days if I remember correctly, and included Jerry rebuilding an engine and gearbox, explaining tips, tricks and answering any and all questions, usually with some great stories about Garretson Enterprises, Kremer, and Porsche factory racing cars, people and races… Bruce and Jerry were in my view very down to earth guys, approachable, full of knowledge that they were willing to share, and a really great asset to the Porsche community… It was a great honour and golden opportunity to learn from a couple of the best… I found almost everyone I met related to Porsche back then, to be mostly helpful, and good folks (again, this may be one of those instances of me wanting to remember it that way)… The course was great, and I learned a lot… probably more went out of my head than landed securely, but it was a great start for me! Learning Jerry’s trick about installing baffles in the float bowls of weber carbs to keep them from fuel starvation in high G corners was just one of the amazing things I remember… Mainly because it affected my circuit car, but more on that later...

Another fantastic car... One of the Rothmans Le Mans cars in Dave Morse's collection I got to see on the same trip - what a great collection Dave had...

dwa911 · 06-02-2022, 02:31 PM

REJUVINATION, MY DEAL WITH OTTO & AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT A GHOST TRACK OF THE PAST:

After my trip up north to Jerry and Bruce’s course and a few weeks driving around, I was determined to get 1270 back in great shape as quickly as I could…

Not being exactly sure I wanted to, or could tackle it all on my own, I brought her back to Otto’s, and after sharing with him the course I had just done and my intention to learn, and a little cajoling and negotiation, he agreed to do the work and teach / let me whenever I could be there… John knew Jerry, and used to travel up to have Jerry dyno and fine tune all of his race engines, and I imagine maybe my passion for early cars, investment in the course, who taught it, and no doubt my constant pestering might have had something to do with John’s decision to help me continue my education… Again, I was in camp 1 regarding John… He not only taught me a lot about Porsche 911s, he let me use his shop, a lift, tools, etc., and he and the other guys at Otto’s would coach / guide me in the rejuvenation of 1270 and other 911s (more on that later), and I am really appreciative that I got that opportunity, and it was generous of John, and the guys at Otto’s…

So… with John (and the Otto's crew – Tom Gould, and 2 other guys who’s names escape me – one was Asian American and the other Hispanic American – apologies guys, I can see your faces plain as day, but can't remember your names) overseeing / guiding / helping me, we replaced all the worn-out and suspect parts - suspension bushings, brake lines, discs, pads, shocks (Koni were original and what were used then – later 1270 would get Bilstein), plugs, wires, fan belt, all fluids, a tune-up, and everything else that needed to be done… John also adjusted the MFI pump, throttle bodies and linkage, getting 1270 as good as it could be, but proclaimed the pump and throttle bodies to be a bit worn, and at some point in the near future they would need to be send and rebuilt by Gus at Pacific Fuel Injection, but not to worry, he would lend me a set of weber 40 carbs while that was being done…

WOW!!! I couldn’t believe how 1270 drove after that! I was in heaven… and again, tearing through the Los Angeles canyons whenever I could… I even got the rare chance to drive on what was left of the disused Paramount Ranch Raceway circuit a few times while being loaned out to do remote ADR sound recording on Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, which was being filmed out there… Not one of my favourite shows, but Jane Seymour and the cast were always professional and pleasant to work with - unlike many others who shall remain nameless (what happens on set or in the studio, stays there)… I didn’t have to like the TV shows, just do the work… it was a living, and a fun one to be honest… And, even better, gave me the opportunity to drive up PCH and through the Santa Monica Mountains’ canyons – Kanan Dume Rd and Mulholland Hwy to get to work and back, and again, the rare opportunity to drive on what was left of that old circuit… Here is a link (https://supercarnostalgia.com/blog/l...-ranch-raceway)...

This story is jogging some real old memories, winding around a bit, and I need to try and find some photos to post (still sifting through boxes)…

dwa911 · 06-02-2022, 02:37 PM

EARLY 911S REGISTRY:

It was also around this time that I joined the early 911S registry…

I can’t remember exactly how I met Craig Stevenson, probably the Pomona swap meet or the Porsche literature meet at the LAX Hilton hotel (think that was the location of that event)… I’m thinking Pomona… In any case, Craig was really enthusiastic about Porsche and early 911S’s, and apparently, he and a couple of others were taking over the early 911S registry from the original founders (Vern & Betsi Lyle – I still have all the back issues of the Esses from inception to around ’98 in a box somewhere), and Craig convinced me to join in 1995…

I never got to know Craig that well, and sadly I heard he passed away back in 2009 from Chuck Miller when I re-joined the Early 911S Registry a few years ago… https://www.early911sregistry.org/fo...raig+stevenson

At the time, Craig seemed a bit more of a 356 guy, and if I remember correctly, had a shop in the Huntington or Hermosa Beach area, not sure (I’m sure others will correct me)… I remember him being able to tell a good story, was passionate about Porsches, was humorous, and always willing to help out… I think he had a ’67 S, but I can’t remember much about it, not even the colour, although red is what is sticking in my head… I remember attending the Long Beach Grand Prix with Craig and some other early S registry members in 1995 – an Early 911S Tour and still have a prized beer stein from the event (napkin inserted to make the writing legible – can’t believe that hasn’t gotten broken after all these years and international moves)…

The early 911S registry folks were a great group of people, that like me, loved early 911 S's, and I learned a lot from them, and Craig, as well as had a lot of fun... I was really enjoying 9113301270 and my Porsche journey so far...

Was anyone else reading this on that trip? Still have one of these?

dwa911 · 06-03-2022, 04:45 AM

BONDING with OTTO & his brush with the KING of COOL:

John used to race a heavily modified 914/6, in SCCA GT2, he nicknamed Rudy back then (can’t remember the year of the chassis, but I recall it had a 2.9 liter engine and a 901 gearbox running a 904 main shaft and circuit specific ratios – changed to optimise for each circuit – here is a link to photos of the car http://www.porsport.com/1971_914_6_so_cal_racer)… John invited me to come along, and I started going, helping out as part of the pit crew at the races – predominately at the big layout main circuit at Willow Springs (https://www.willowspringsraceway.com)…

One race weekend, the races were to be held at the Holtville Aerodrome International Raceway, or HAIR, as it was known… HAIR was an old WW2 Navy airfield in the desert east of San Diego, and home to the San Diego region SCCA back then (https://goo.gl/maps/mmi1RqDkQibgWNJe9)... HAIR wasn’t necessarily one of the world’s great circuits from a layout perspective, and had a really rough surface that was tough on tire wear (especially when compared with some of the other circuits in California, the USA and over here in the UK and EU – Spa, Silverstone, etc), and a drop off right in the middle of the braking zone after a long straight into a 180 turn, which could be interesting (more on that later), but Holtville was the San Diego region of the SCCA’s main race circuit at the time, and was a really special place, with some really special people (my memories are all positive at least)… Here is a link for those that aren’t familiar with it and interested (http://wikimapia.org/23505088/Holtvi...l-Raceway-HAIR)

And a video of an on-board 1st race lap, spin and retirement (not anyone I know) from ’92 that should give a flavour of the circuit and tech back then (https://youtu.be/UsYGigg09R4)

A perhaps interesting sidenote for Porsche ‘60s prototype racing fans… Steve McQueen raced his 908 here in February 1970, one of a few races Steve did prior to the famous Sebring race where he came 2nd with Peter Revson. Here are a couple of photos of Steve and the 908 at HAIR, and a link to John Straub’s site – where the images are borrowed – hopefully not a problem (Along For The Ride: Steve McQueen, the Porsche 908 and Holtville...)...

For those following the whole story – That’s John ‘Otto’ Williamson in the Lola T-70 (https://www.racingsportscars.com/pho...-01-22857.html), race number 7, on the grid next to Steve McQueen in the Porsche 908…

I had mentioned to John I had a keen interest in learning to race, and he said I could drive '1270' around HAIR all day on the Friday before a race weekend… Friday’s were kind of an open test day back then with no race license required... So, pre-race weekend, John instructed me to find what he called a set of ‘may pops’ – basically a used set of Fuchs alloys with tires that had about 20-25% tread left… When I asked why, he answered “because the number of times I was going to spin and flat spot the tires may cause them to pop”…

So, back to the recycler classified paper, and I found a set for about $300-$400… one could buy Fuchs 6x15 back then for about $50-$100 per wheel depending on condition… Those were the days… and John took them down to Holtville for me in the back of his race van…

Once, at HAIR, with my 'may pops' on, John drove ‘1270’ around the Holtville circuit with me in the passenger seat to give me an idea of what a 911S could do... John had good car control skills, and those couple of laps were absolutely amazing, with John explaining what gear to be in where, the braking points (no real markers there – pick a spot on the track, like an expansion joint, stain, or some something on the side of the circuit), and how to drive a 911, mainly the nuances of under and over steer, and when the back kicks out to ‘keep my foot in it’ and counter steer or I would spin, all while driving faster around the circuit and braking later into corners than I thought was possible for ‘1270’. Information overload to say the least, and a bit like ‘drinking from a firehose’... The main thing I remember about those laps, was how impossibly late I thought he left his braking, and how I was trying to brake for him as a passenger! Luckily I didn't push hard enough to break the passenger wooden floor board...

John pulled over after a few laps, simply got out, and said ‘now you go do it’. Kind of like being thrown in the deep end of the pool, and told to sink or swim, but with 10 foot waves... I spun more times that day at Holtville, learning, then I can remember – at least 6 or 7 times on my first lap - It seemed like every corner I was spinning, and probably more than all my years driving on circuit combined after. High speed, low speed. Spinning! That’s the main thing I remember. The one that really sticks in my mind was spinning coming on to the first long straight in 4th gear, and just losing it, doing about three 360 spins, and curiously laughing while spinning... What a great time... learned a lot, that I wasn't as good a driver as in my head, but was excited to learn, was completely hooked on racing and driving on circuits, and needing a new set of tires afterwards. My 'may pops' didn't pop, but they were no longer round! Fortunately, Holtville is in the middle of the desert, and pretty safe from a run off perspective. The ‘9-year-old me’ that had first gone for the ride in Doc Haslam's 911S was awake and laughing out loud! If my first ride in Doc’s 911S had started the fire burning in me, John had just poured endless amounts of racing fuel on that fire! I was smitten. Convinced there was no better car on the planet, and determined that I needed to start racing. A slippery slope for sure. I had no idea…

JP · 06-03-2022, 09:24 AM

Just found the time to read this. Simply awesome. I don't know if I'm more jealous of your experiences or your memory! Please keep it coming!

chiroracer · 06-03-2022, 11:09 AM

Fun read! Dig it!

dwa911 · 06-04-2022, 01:05 AM

Thanks guys! I wasn't sure if I was just putting people to sleep, and should do quick posts with VINs and photos vs. what I can remember or piece together about each one, or how I got there...
as for the experiences... I think I've just been lucky - a being in the right place at a right time thing... and for the memory - some things are so vivid, and some things I just can't recall for any amount of money... You're not doing too bad yourself JP... I wish I kept them all, I want to... wanted to buy them all and keep them all...

but life had a different path for me...

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My life with Porsche… And my latest (last build) – 2.8 RSR style on 9111121235

My life with Porsche… And my latest (last build) – 2.8 RSR style on 9111121235

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