An Introduction to Driver’s Education for Porsche Owners (Part I of II)

April 30, 2008

When you mention you are heading to “driver’s ed” it makes it sound as if you are back in high school or, if you reside in a state that mandates it, to a punishment school for those who have been ticketed for speeding.

Registration and Technical Inspection

The registration itself is a bit daunting. You are usually asked to complete registration, a medical form and a technical inspection form for your car. The registration will ask for general information about you and your car, including your address and the make and model of your automobile. FYI, when they ask whether you are “novice, intermediate or advanced,” they are not asking for your opinion of your driving skills. You may think you rule the roadways, but if you’ve never done a DE before, you are a novice. And even if you have done a few DEs, you are still a novice. And once you have done a few, you will understand why being moved to the intermediate group too early is not always a good thing (more on that later).

Completing items on the tech inspection form may initially seem like a headache, but you should consider it insurance for when you push your car’s handling, brakes and tires to the limit. Prior to the event, you should take your car to a mechanic for a thorough inspection. When you arrive at the track, your car will be inspected once again and if all things are not found to be up to par, you won’t be allowed to run.

If you don’t own a helmet (and most novices don’t), you may ask the DE organizers to hold a “loaner” helmet for you. Eventually, if you decide DEs are something you’d like to do often, you may consider purchasing a helmet for yourself. Your decision may be hastened if you do an August event and borrow a sweaty, manly smelling helmet.

Arrive a bit Early

Arriving at the track the first time is both exciting and intimidating. DE events usually ask that you show up early for setup, inspections and a possible classroom session prior to your time behind the wheel. When you arrive, other drivers will be filing in. Some drive up in cars that look like yours, and others will arrive towing race-ready vehicles. The parking lot at my first DE was a beautiful sight, full of Porsches old and new.

After you arrive and park, you’ll register and receive your instructor assignment and event schedule. Your instructor serves as your event guide, and as such, it is important that you feel comfortable with him/her. Instructors ride with you in the car and offer you level-appropriate feedback to help you become a better driver. If you do anything at your DE, it should be to listen to your teacher. Some of the suggestions offered by the teacher may seem senseless at the time. The instructor will encourage you to go faster, brake later, turn later, etc. If you develop trust in your instructor, following his/her advice will yield surprising results and a thrilling experience.

Check your Ego at the Door

On that note, let me stress that the worst thing you can bring with you to a DE event, be it novice or advanced, is an ego. If you’re there to hear praise on your driving skills, or to drive aggressively to prove how fast you are, you won’t learn much. At best you’ll annoy those around you; at worst you could hurt your fellow drivers. Leave your ego behind and you’ll leave the track a better driver.

In part II of this post will explore what happens after registration and tech inspection and go through an actual day at a DE event.

Today’s post was written by a member of the 993C4S.com group on facebook and PCA Zone 4 member, Valerie Roedenbeck. Valerie’s love of all things Porsche started when she received a ride home from the hospital in her Dad’s 1962 356 Super-90 Cabriolet. She acquired her first Porsche, an ‘02 996 Cabriolet, last summer. Inspired by her brother, a longtime performance driver and DE instructor, she attended her first DE in 2001. She’s currently trying to convince her husband to add a Cayman S to the family.

Written by 993C4S · Filed Under Advice | Leave a Comment

Time for a Change Part II

April 28, 2008

A little over two months ago I wrote about making some significant changes to this web-site and modifying my posting schedule as a result. Well, as most of you know, I did make quite a few changes to the site (from an appearance, resources and usability standpoint) but I never did change my posting schedule . So, starting on today I will move to posting on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. If something comes up that I think should get published immediately (an important news item or other Porsche related tidbit, then I’ll post it up regardless of the schedule.

Why the change?

It’s simple really. 993C4S.com has become much more popular then I ever anticipated. From the people that email and comment on the site, the reason for the popularity seems to stem from my original content. It’s not that I’m some great writer (heck I know that my spelling and grammar leave a lot to be desired), it’s more the fact that I spend time researching and creating articles that some people (for one reason or another) find useful. So, instead of just reposting all the other Porsche stuff that can be found on other automotive related blogs, I would like to continue to focus on original, well researched content. To do this, it takes more time and for that reason alone I will be posting less frequently.

I would love to hear from any of you on topics of interest. What type of items are most useful to you? Are you interested in DIY stuff? Buying Advice? History of the Brand, etc? What is it that makes you keep coming back to the site. Please let me know so I can be sure to focus my attention in the right place.

In addition, over the next week or so, you will notice the addition of some site sponsors. These are companies that I have worked with in one way shape or form that are Porsche related. These sponsors will run the gamut from independent Porsche dealers, to Porsche part resellers and anything else Porsche related. If you like what you read hear on 993C4S.com please be sure to click through to our sponsors web-sites and see what they have to offer. If anyone wants additional information on any of the site sponsors, don’t hesitate to contact me with your questions. I think you’ll find them all to be very reputable and well known amongst the Porsche community.

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The 3 Most Common Myths about the Porsche 928

April 25, 2008

Today’s post is written by Mike Frye. Mike is a Porsche 928 owner and a friend from Rennlist. As one of the first people to answer my post requesting guest bloggers for 993C4S.com, Mike has served up a great article on the Porsche 928. If you want to get in-touch with Mike you can do so by commenting on this article or using the contact form and I will forward to him.

3 Common misunderstandings about the Porsche 928

The Porsche 928 is prone to engine fire
The Porsche 928 is expensive to maintain
The Porsche 928 is fat and slow

About 18 months ago I found myself in a position to purchase a 1985 928. Over the years I had heard some of these “myths” about the 928, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy a car that I had coveted since I was a teenager (when it was the premier Super Car on the planet). Well I’m here to tell you that each one of these myths (like most rumors and stereotypes) has a kernel of truth to them but can easily be avoided with a little preventative maintenance or are not based on complete facts. The following is information I’ve gathered from personal experience or from others I’ve met through the 928 tech forum on Rennlist.com.

So let’s take each one in order and examine where the stereotypes came from and just how true it is.

Porsche 928s are prone to engine/exhaust fires. Many of us have heard stories or even seen pictures or videos of 928s with an engine fire or the whole car simply burning. Here’s a disturbing Youtube video that was recently circulated showing one:

I chose this myth first and in fact I chose the topic of this article for one reason. A person I know from Rennlist recently had his 928 burn up (within the past month). This person was someone who had recently had a small fire underneath his car and had attempted to fix the problem, but was unsuccessful. The car in question had not had any of its many rubber and flexible lines replaced and was over 20 years old.

The Porsche 928 has hard lines and rubber lines for fuel injection (under pressure), transmission fluid cooling (from the transaxle in the rear, all the way up to the radiator and back) and power steering lines (not only under pressure, but the 928 uses ATF which is flammable, instead of power steering fluid). The fact that there are flammable fluids under pressure in the engine compartment and along the bottom of the car is not the problem, in fact this configuration is common to quite a few cars. The fact that they use rubber or soft lines isn’t the problem; this is also common. The fact that these lines were not replaced in over 20 years and were expected to work indefinitely is the problem.

Items high on the preventive maintenance list for the Porsche 928 are replacement of the fuel injection lines, power steering lines, and for automatics, the transmission fluid cooling lines. If these are replaced every 20 years or so, there is no more likelihood of a 928 bursting into flames than any other car. I think the fact that the body, suspension and engine last so long and run so well in these cars leads to people just driving them until they stop. Most 20+ year old cars would be badly rusted out in the body and show signs of corrosion everywhere else, so the rubber lines would be the last thing to go. In these cars after 20+ years, the lines start to go and it’s sometimes the first indication of aging and sadly, it can be the last.
Porsche 928s are expensive to maintain. This is a very interesting observation. I think it stems from people who buy a former Super Car for $10,000 or under (when the original retail was anywhere from $50k to over $100k, at a time when a home could be bought for $75k) and then are surprised when a routine tune-up can cost over $1,000 in parts and labor. The car is a Porsche. There are two components that contribute to cost: parts and labor. Parts are not cheap and in fact are going up in value as they become more rare and some are actually no longer available at all.
The majority of Porsche 928s on the road today are over 20 years old and will require some deferred maintenance (maintenance that a former owner neglected to do or put off). This deferred maintenance is usually the part that people complain about and which is most costly. Once the 20+ year old parts have been gone over and the fuel lines, electrical systems, ignition system, suspension and drivetrain have been sorted out, the actual operating costs are no more than any other car of the same caliber.
Porsche 928s are Fat and Slow. 928s are not slow at all. The original design called for a 5.0L engine, but because of the economy at the time they were introduced (1977) the engine was reduced to a 4.5L that was unfortunately not quite enough to provide the neck-snapping acceleration that later models would have. For this reason, the initial offering, though quick, was not ‘FAST’. The 928 never seems to have been able to shake this reputation. Even the later models were not designed for 0-60 or 0-100 acceleration though. It’s not a muscle car. The 928 was designed as a Grand Touring (GT) car, for touring Europe and driving on the Autobahn at speeds in excess of 120mph in style and comfort with enough luggage to last a weekend. For this it was perfectly equipped originally and it only got better over time.

The Porsche 928 is a ‘fringe’ Model

Its many unique traits have been discussed ad nauseam elsewhere, but having these myths floating around doesn’t help its case. If you’re considering buying a Porsche 928, consider it based on factual first hand experience rather than rumors, stereotypes and hype.

Written by 993C4S · Filed Under Porsche 928, Porsche Mainenance Tips | 1 Comment