by John Glynn | May 29, 2011 | Classic Porsche Blog, Race and Rally
I spent this afternoon watching the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix. It was an absolute cracker. Every time the cars came through Massenet and into Casino Square, I was reminded of the 2010 R Gruppe Bergmeister Tour, and the three days our ten cars spent in Monte Carlo. Watching the F1 drivers blast at 120 mph or more through sections we trickled through at 30 mph was fantastic.
Bergmeister rallyistes used the city as a base for mountain raids up around the principality, to the epic Monte Carlo Rally routes we were driving. Getting in and out of town was easy enough, but getting around was a headache. Traffic along the GP track in normal running is nigh-on stationary. It’s also quite difficult to equate TV and reality, when parts of the flowing circuit are run as one way or no left/right turn during the normal working week.
We did manage a few runs along some famous stretches, and I got told off by the police once or twice for hanging out the windows of moving 911s with a camera, but it was worth it when the pictures made a cover and a big feature in 911 & Porsche World magazine.
If you’re a diehard F1 fan and have not yet made the effort to get down there and drive the circuit, put it on your bucket list. Trust your Uncle Johnny: it is WELL worth the effort. Though it can be trashy in places, Monaco is a unique environment: a shrine to speed that will undoubtedly inspire something within.
by John Glynn | May 19, 2011 | Classic Porsche Blog, Modified Porsche Hot Rods
Jamie and I stopped off at West Coast Metric today en route to Los Angeles International, to say hello to legendary VW parts impresario, Lorenzo Pearson.
Lorenzo has a long track record in ‘making it happen’, so meeting the man himself was the perfect sign off to our week in California. Making things happen is what all the best car guys are about out west.
Pearson is also a massive Porsche nut, with some of the most beautiful classic Porsches imaginable in his compact, eclectic, exceptional collection. The 356 and 911 seen here are two of the most impeccably detailed classic Porsche hot rods out there.
Mr Pearson and I spent so much time being rally car fans, I didn’t get the iPhone camera out once, apart from taking a picture for middle daughter Ciara, of a pirate cannonball salvaged by Lorenzo in the West Indies. She’s got the biggest pirate thing in history going on at the minute.
The pics seen here are from the Lost Boys Racing site – with Bugazon (below) taken from Rancho Transaxles. What an AWESOME car!
After WCM, we headed to LAX for our flight to JFK, where it’s now RCD* and I am totally wondering WTF, NYC? Lorenzo said it would be so.
*raining cats and dawgs
by John Glynn | Mar 5, 2011 | Classic Porsche Blog
Great fun on the Easytrack RS track day at Oulton Park today. After a misty start, the sun came out and the afternoon was epic. I was the last to leave: they closed the gates behind me!
Alisdair Cusick and I captured the day for Total 911 magazine. The piece is part of a short series of articles planned to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Porsche 964 RS.
Tons of friends, old and new at Oulton today. Have almost lost my voice from talking, and that is unusual for me! Not just 964s, 993s and 996/997s present either; lots of cars turned out, including a good showing of impactbumpers.com amigos. Passenger wristbands were priced at £15 a head, with all the money going to Muscular Dystrophy and the Woodland Trust.
This was one of my favourite 964s of the day: Ninemeister’s new Cup Car. Ended up (unharmed) in the kitty litter, but what a lovely little 911. My other favourite was a German 964 RS on BBS LMs: a seriously cool car. By the time I had a minute to take some pics and track down the owner, it had disappeared.
My Leica started playing up at the track, hope it’s nothing serious but I missed a few shots when it refused to fire. Then the Landcruiser developed a charging problem on the way home. As these things are said to come in threes, I wonder what the grand finale will be, especially if they are arriving in order of expense.
by John Glynn | Feb 28, 2011 | Classic Porsche Blog, Project Cars
Just had nice pics through of paint correction and detailing on a classic Porsche 964 from good Porsche buddy and Guild of Motoring Writers Photographer of the Year, Alisdair Cusick. Having worked together on many photoshoots for Total 911 magazine, Ali (@SnapperAli on Twitter) recently pulled the classic Porsche buyer’s move: getting his first 911 within a few months of the birth of his first child. We’ve all been there!
Ali’s 911 is a tidy 964 that’s been enjoying some quality airtime in the magazine. The latest job was to send it off for paint correction and detailing throughout: obsessive valeting with the highest quality products, to bring the bodywork back to as pristine a condition as possible. The results are amazing.
Elite Detailing Porsche 911
Alisdair used Elite Detailing to overhaul his car – the boys reckon they have refurbed more Porsche paint than any other specialist detailing company in the UK. Prices start from £399; Ali’s job took a finger-melting 40 hours.
The products used will be listed in a future issue of the magazine. Contact Elite Detailing via their website and watch out for Ali’s forthcoming feature on the job!
About Paint Correction
Paint correction is the process of machining vehicle paint with rotary polishers and varying grades of specific polishes and compounds. This is a highly specialised process that requires specialist experience and knowledge, as well as expert measuring and lighting equipment. Car manufacturers use different paint types, all of which need to be recognised and treated in their own unique way for best results.
![Classic Porsche Tyres: 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0]()
by John Glynn | Feb 15, 2011 | Classic Porsche Blog, Project Cars
Just whizzed my 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 down to the local tyre shop, to fit some all-weather tyres in place of the well-worn Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tyres I had been using. Or not using as is a better way of putting it: the classic Porsche has not turned a wheel since July of last year.
As ever, the Porsche fired up straight away. I just reconnected the battery isolator and the miniature Odyssey battery cranked it into life on the first turn. I crammed four Continental Sport Contact tyres into the cabin and off we went.
The damp weather today gave me some interesting new-tyre moments on the greasy roads. A massive powerslide out of the tyre depot T-junction make a few people laugh, including me.
Off to the UK launch of the new 911 Carrera GTS down in Bournemouth now. Will try to post some pics and details later.
About the 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0
This model is uniquely important in the history of the 911 series, as it was produced for two years only (1976-77).
The Carrera 3.0 used standard impact-bumper bodywork (with Carrera RS-width rear arches) and offered much improved performance over its 2.7-litre 911 and 911S contempararies. In magazine road tests of the time, the Carrera 3.0 set quicker 0-60mph times than the 911 Turbo or 930 model.
Key to the appeal of the Carerra 3.0 is its 2993cc engine, using the same cast aluminium crankcase as the 930, with the lightweight six-bolt crankshaft from the legendary 1973 Carrera RS.
The Carrera 3.0 engine was developed from the very rare Carrera 3.0RS, which formed the basis for the 3.0 RSR cars: highly successful racers in the 1974 and 1975 seasons, winning both the FIA GT Championship and the IMSA Championship each year.
