Written on December 31st, 2008 at 4:25pm by 993C4S
I was just getting ready to shut down for the day when a news alert popped up on my screen about a Porsche getting hit by a falling tree on Bay Highlands Drive on the Annapolis Neck Peninsula in Maryland. At first, I thought it would just be a quick blurb and maybe a shot of some unfortunate person’s Porsche getting hit in their driveway.
Unfortunately, from the looks of things, the Porsche 993 took a pretty hard hit right on the driver’s side windshield resulting in serious head trauma to the driver (identified only as a 45 year old man). The driver was flown to a local trauma center indicating the potential seriousness of his injuries. Witnesses said the man was pulling away from a stop sign when the branch hit the car on the quiet street. The street is flanked by large, old trees.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family for a speedy and full recovery.
Related Posts
Train Wreck Damages 20 New Porsche 997s
Carrier Loaded with Vintage Porsche 356s Hit by Train
Porsche 993 Owners Video
Suspension Failure in a Porsche 993
[Source: Google]
Written on December 31st, 2008 at 12:10am by 993C4S
It’s the end of the year and things are winding down. As part of my process to get ready for the new year I decided to spend some time looking through the site’s statistics and analytics. I won’t bore you with number of visits, page views and all that crap. What I did put together was a list of the top 10 Porsche posts based on views from 993C4S.com and PorschePurist.com. With a little help from Wayne and Garth here’s the PorschePurist Top 10 List for 2008.
It seems like a great many of you are voyeurs. No, not in a bad sense, you just want to know what type of Porsche others are driving. That’s what the Reader’s Ride section is all about. Want to showcase your Porsche? Just contact me and let me know. I’ll be happy to give you instructions on how to send me your information. Even better, if you’re selling your Porsche, I’m happy to help and post it in the Reader’s Ride section. So far I think we’ve sold all the cars featured in the Reader’s Ride section to date.
Oh the horror! Unlike our 2nd most popular post, this one was truly tragic. While no one was hurt in this accident, the damage done to the vintage Porsche Speedsters and Carreras was almost too much to take. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words. In this case, I couldn’t agree more. Click through to the post and check out the little kid with his hands on his head. Enough said.
As a Boxster fan I understand the interest in these cars. Even still, I’ve never quite understood the popularity of this page. To this day, it still receives significant traffic. The problem is people don’t comment on the page or let me know what they are looking for, so I’m never quite sure what brought them here in the first place.
Like the page featuring Porsche 993s for sale, this page features 911s for sale. More specifically, older cars from 1974 to 1989. As the two most popular for sale pages on the site, it’s pretty clear that the air-cooled cars still hold the lead over the water pumpers on this site.
It’s hard to say what car is destined to become an icon or classic; unfortunately, some are never giving the chance. Such was the case of the 1970 VW-Porsche Tapiro. Designed by Girogetto Giurgiaro in what was then known as the “folded paper” era of car design (most concept and production level super cars of the 1970s were influenced by this one-off prototype) this one off concept Porsche was supposedly destroyed by a terrorists bomb.
If you’re not yet familiar with Joey and his friends, then take a minute to check it out. Trust me, the laugh alone makes the read worthwhile. I’ll leave it at that.
The hype surrounding the introduction of the new Porsche Panamera was mammoth and understandable so. For only the 2nd time in 60 + years, Porsche is introducing a four door sedan (the other being the Cayenne SUV). Purists are pulling their hair out and design conscious fans are simply shaking there heads. Me, I happen to like the Panamera and I’m looking forward to the launch this spring (assuming it’s not delayed again).
As most of you know, when I originally started publishing this site it was as 993C4S.com. As a result, quite a few of you thought the site was model specific (understandably so). Today, the site is about all type of Porsche cars and products along with the lifestyle associated with the brand. Regardless, more and more of you seem to be coming by looking to purchase a used Porsche 993. Fortunately, we have quite a few listed for sale. In addition, we have the premier after market, air cooled, Porsche resellers as sponsors and encourage you to visit their inventory pages whether your looking for your newest acquisition or just browsing.
While this accident was tragic, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. I’m pretty sure the key to this posts popularity was the timing. This particular event happened right at the beginning of this year’s SEMA show. As a result, I was one of the first to post the story and it was published well before any of the big guys (autoblog, jalopnik, etc.) ever had a chance. Let’s call it a scoop! Combine that with some well placed social bookmarks and forum references and this post was off and running.
Without a doubt, this page was the most popular page on the site and continues to receive a significant number of visitors on a daily basis. I’d like to think it’s because of my investigative journalism skills and subsequent follow-up with Sam Cabiglio (Seinfeld’s car manager). In reality, I’m pretty sure it has more to do with Jerry Seinfeld’s popularity and his notoriety as a huge Porsche collector.
Happy New Year Everyone! Thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing you in 2009.
Other notable posts
The Women of Rennlist
Joey Porsche. Good for the Porsche Brand? You Decide.
Setting the Record Right on Seinfeld’s 993 Turbo S
A Solution to the Whole Porsche vs Nissan Argument
Written on December 29th, 2008 at 12:10am by 993C4S
My mechanical expertise, having been finally recognized by your editor, seems to be in demand. I have been asked to submit a technical article for publication in the Maine Porsche News (This is the local PCA newsletter for the Down East Region). I have chosen a subject which is dear to my heart, the exsanguination of dirty motor oil and the subsequent infusion of clean Mobil One.
- Medicate before the pain. As I just celebrated my 50th birthday, I have begun to apply this philosophy to all aspects of my life, but none so critical as automotive maintenance. If you’re going to be lying on a hard concrete floor it is best to prepare in advance. At a minimum, I would suggest a brace of Advil quickly followed by a shot or two of a decent single malt scotch.
- Open the hood. While this may seem obvious, it is amazing how often this critical detail can be overlooked. And you want to open it slowly. The last thing you need is some squirrel or spider jumping on your face while your hands are full with a glass of scotch and wrenches. Use caution here.
- Drain the crankcase. There should be a large bolt near the bottom of the engine dedicated to this purpose. But if you can’t find it, just start backing out all the bolts you see until oil starts running from the engine. Step back and have another glass of scotch. When the gushing stops, tighten every thing you have loosened and congratulate yourself on a job well done.
- Remove the oil filter. If you have an assortment of wrenches designed for this task, you’re still out of luck. None of them will fit, and the one that does will not have enough clearance to be used effectively. You’ll need a small sledge hammer and a long screwdriver. Using the hammer, impale the filter with the screwdriver and unscrew it. I’m pretty sure that counter-clockwise will do the trick. Installation is the reverse, minus the hammer and screw-driver.
- Refill the crankcase. This is where real skill comes into play. If the whiskey hasn’t gotten your hands shaking by now then perhaps you should consider seeking medical assistance. However, if your confidence still remains high, mask off the entire engine compartment leaving ONLY the oil filter neck exposed, and carefully refill with five quarts of Mobil One oil.
- Start the engine and check for leaks. I suggest that you skip this step. Your best bet is to go to bed now and worry about it in the morning.
I hope this guide has proven useful to all you 944 owners in Maine (and everywhere else). This advice is the distillation of several decades of experience and it has been my pleasure to share with you.
Today’s post was written by John Killion for the Maine Porsche News. It is reprinted here with permission from both John and the Down East Region of the PCA.
Related Posts
Changing the Oil in Your Porsche: Man vs. Woman
Porsche 944 Station Wagon
How to Wash, Polish, Wax and Detail your Porsche 944
Benefits of Membership in the Porsche Club of America
[Picture Source: Eric's '86 944 page]
Written on December 25th, 2008 at 10:53pm by 993C4S
I know, I know. Christmas is about more than gifts and goodies. But let’s face it, this site is all about Porsche; so spill it. Did you get anything good? I did! 
Porsche Artwork
I’m a big fan of illustrations, especially Porsche ones. Fortunately for me, my wife (Mrs. 993C4S) was kind enough to contact Paul Chenard (the artist who designed my logo) and purchased for me the beautiful illustration you see below. Even better, she purchased the original. That’s both good and bad. The good part is I have a great new original illustration to hang in my office or garage. The bad news? The rest of you will have to settle for one of the remaining limited edition Giclee prints available on Paul’s site.
Porsche Book of Photography
Last Christmas, my brother-in-law gave me Randy Leffingwell’s Porsche 911: Perfection by Design. That gift was the catalyst for an interview with Randy and a review of his Porsche related books. This year, Andrew came through again. While I’ve only just started to read and flip through Porsche: The Fine Art of the Sports Car
, at this point I can say, without hesitation, this book is a “visual feast for the eyes”. A full review will follow in the next few weeks. For right now, I fairly certain this is one of the nicest books of Porsche photography I have seen to date.
So, What did You Get?
Related Posts
Merry Christmas Everyone
Interview with Randy Leffingwell, Noted Porsche Author
Scale Model Porsche 934 by Tamiya
Gift Ideas for the Porsche Lover
Written on December 25th, 2008 at 12:44am by 993C4S
Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope all of you have a wonderful day with family and friends and that a few of you are lucky enough to find a new Porsche waiting in the driveway.
Related Posts
Merry Christmas Everyone
Interview with Randy Leffingwell
Written on December 24th, 2008 at 12:10am by 993C4S
Why should any of us care about Audi’s plans for this year? I’ll tell you why. Audi has announced they will not compete in the American LeMans Series (ALMS) P1 category after the 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh From Florida in 2009. Audi’s announcement played no small part in Porsche’s decision to abstain from any factory-based efforts in the Prototype class. Despite the fact that the two manufactures have competed in different classes, it is no secret that Porsche’s competitiveness has been more than a thorn in Audi’s vulnerable side.
Porsche (Penske in particular) has enjoyed great success not only in class, but in numerous overall victories as well. Audi will pound the Le Sarthe pavement with the R15 at 24 Hours of LeMans, but will there be RS Spyders biting at a P2 victory? Certainly it won’t be the bright yellow DHL Penske cars for two reasons; The Captain (Penske) would only want to show up if he could win outright, but he knows the speed and mileage of the Audi diesels is too great. Second, DHL, a German company, has announced it will be closing its US-based operations (you can thank Lehman Brothers for that one).
Instead, Roger Penske will team up with Porsche again at 2009’s GrandAm Rolex Championship, this time with a Riley Mk XX Daytona prototype piloted by Porsche factory drivers Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas, who join forces again for the full season. The prototype’s powerplant will be a 4.0 flat-six, likely mated to a 6-speed sequential box. (This motor is said to be related to a 911 flat-six and could very well become a variant we see in upcoming Porsche street cars). The ‘09 Spirit of Daytona car will return with its Porsche Cayenne GTS-based V8 engine, the only one in the field. The test bed will be great to watch, although we will not have the benefit of a head-to-head comparison as the ‘09 car is a Coyote chassis.
In some ways, the transition away from prototypes seems like one more rational executive decision from the well-oiled business machine Porsche has proven to be, particularly in current hard times for for the automotive industry. Wolfgang Duerheimer, member of the Executive Board for Research and Development at Porsche, said, “despite Porsche’s success with prototypes, the 911 continues to be the emphasis at Porsche Motorsport.” Indeed, its decades-long 911 platform is now and will continue to be the manufacturer’s main focal point in racing. Accordingly, the 911 has lived up to its expectations: it is the most successful and well-known GT-class car in road racing.
Now, not only will there be no Porsche Factory presence at ALMS, but Dyson Racing and Mazdaspeed Motorsports have announced a long term partnership to replace the Porsche RS Spyder. Together with BP Energy company, they will run two Lola LMP2 coupes with 2.0L Turbo MZ engines prepared by AER.
What do Porsche fans have to look forward to in ’09?
Plenty: veritable juggernauts, multiple cars and multiple series.
In ALMS, the victorious Flying Lizard Motorsports team will have the tall factory shoe Joerg Bergmeister returning in the #45 car joined by lone American Porsche Factory driver Patrick Long. As some of you may recall, they have enjoyed great success together in previous years at ALMS (most notably the Championship in ’05 and Grand Am Rolex Series 2007). The #46 car will feature team principal Seth Neiman, Darren Law and Johannes Van Overbeek.
Wolf Henzler, who raced with the Lizards last year, steps out of the Championship winning # 45 car in 2009. Instead, he’ll hop into the Farnbacher-Loles Racing GT3RSR, solidifying their Porsche Factory partnership in the GT2 class. Wolf will team with fellow Porsche SuperCup winner Dirk Werner, who brought Farnbacher-Loles their first Grand AM Championship in 2007. Henzler and Richard Westbrook (yet another factory driver ) will team up for the Rolex 24 of Daytona, complimenting Dirk Werner and Porsche Club of America alum Leh Keen in the GT class.
Porschenomics Trickle Down Theory
One thing the economy certainly seems to be doing is absolutely stacking the Porsche driver lineups–good news for motorsport fans everywhere. In February, I’ll offer a motorsport viewing guide to help you better enjoy the changes and challenges coming your way. Get set, program the TiVo…and go!
Christian M. Maloof is Track Chairman and Chief Instructor for Porsche Club of America’s Rally Sport Region. He holds instructor certificates and race licenses from the MidOhio School and Skip Barber. He races a Porsche 993 3.8 RS in the German Touring Car Series (GTS) division with NASA. He may be reached at christian@christianmaloof.com or by visiting christianmaloof.com.
Related Posts
PorschePurist.com to sponsor NASA driver Christian Maloof
Porsche Motorsports Accomplishments
Porsche wins 12 hours of Sebring
Video History of Porsche Racing
Written on December 22nd, 2008 at 12:10am by 993C4S
PorschePurist.com, the web’s go-to-site for Porsche cars, products and lifestyle announced today it will support driver Christian Maloof of Dexter, MI, as he competes in the 2009 National Auto Sport Association (NASA) German Touring Car Series. The announcement comes as the site, which has grown to over 50,000 monthly page views, prepares to expand its coverage of motorsports.
As part of its sponsorship, the Porsche-centric website will provide coverage of Maloof’s races throughout the 2009 season. “I am honored to have PorschePurist.com supporting me in the 2009 season,” said Mr. Maloof. “As a fellow 993 driver and Porsche lover, partnering with John and the site is truly a pleasure.” Maloof has written car reviews for the site and will continue to serve as guest writer, updating readers on the racing season and contributing articles on all things motorsport.
PorschePurist.com owner and chief editor said, “motorsport is an essential part of the Porsche brand, so we find it natural to expand our coverage of racing on PorschePurist.com.” John added, “likewise, sponsorship is an essential part of a driver’s racing career, and we are proud to do our part for Mr. Maloof as he competes in 2009.” On average, a driver participating in the National Auto Sport Pro Race Series needs about $50,000 per season to cover vehicle maintenance and entry fees.
Two thousand nine marks Maloof’s second racing season racing his #75 1995 Porsche 993 RS CS with NASA. He participated in his first rookie NASA race in July 2007, finishing 9th (out of 16 in class, field of 50 cars) and 5th (out of 16 in class, field of 50 cars). In the NASA Regional Race in August the same year, he finished 4th (out of 15 in class, field of 48 cars) and 5th (out of 15 in class, field of 50 cars). In the second race of the weekend, he was in 3rd position in the last lap when he was hit by a back marker and fell to 6th place. In the September 2007 NASA National Championships, he finished 7th in class and 11th overall in spite of starting in 48th place due to mechanical problems.
PorschePurist.com is the web’s foremost destination for information on Porsche cars, products and lifestyle. With articles covering everything from purchase to various aspects of maintenance and enjoyment, the site welcomes over 12,000 monthly visitors.
Christian M. Maloof is Track Chairman and Chief Instructor for Porsche Club of America’s Rally Sport Region. He holds instructor certificates and race licenses from the MidOhio School and Skip Barber. He races a Porsche 993 3.8 RS in the German Touring Car Series (GTS) division of NASA. He may be reached at christian@christianmaloof.com. For sponsorship information, please contact sponsorship@christianmaloof.com or visit christianmaloof.com.
Next Page »
Email
