What would you think of having once a month 914World Tech-Days at McMark's Original Customs in Napa? You bring your punch list of things you want to accomplish and the parts and tools you think you will need, Mark and other "experts" help you get it done. Want to backdate your bumpers? We could do that! How about valve adjustment with instruction? Simple! Whatever can be done in a day could probably be done at a 914World Tech-Day Session.

This cannot be free though... Mark normally runs a working shop on Saturday and Sunday so he will have to figure how much per participant he needs to take the day off and help our sorry butts get something done on our cars. What do you think? Does this sound like a good idea?

If you like the idea it could start as soon as January!

Me likes!

Andy

Great Idea!

In the PNW we call this "Teener Tuesday".

Curt,
Actually your Teener Tuesday events are what gave me the idea for the Sacramento Porsche Family Reunion. I did not know that you guys worked on your cars though... I thought you just went out and ate and had a beer or twelve.

I wonder if I should have talked to McMark before I volunteered him???

You didn't talk to him first.....I hope you're kidding....

Oh damn! He's not answering his phone!!!


























Ha! I talked to him... Gotcha Jim!

I'm in... I'd go just for the drive to Napa. I think we need to put together a Norcal cruise to anywhere... Point Reyes, Monterey, Yosemite...

Just a thought...

Wonder how many 914's we could get in a caravan?

If you're an electrician you can cruise on up to my house and rewire it with a 200amp box!

I'd be in 100%. I'd be a happy paying mule for the following:

rewiring a race car
autocross suspension changes / corner balancing
learning how to drive

That was a long drive for me for the day. Not sure how often I would make it up there.

OBTW, Rob, I have scales and can do corner balance, if you don't mind driving south a ways.

Bill,
It wouldn't be the first time someone has found a bed to crash in up here... Come up for the weekend, bring your wife, turn her loose in Sonoma and Napa Valley with my wife. Be sure to take away all her credit cards and give her only $100 cash !

Schweet! I think Grant told me to go softer on the rear and drop it down a couple inches. I want to change the weighting some more but when its all set I'll need a balance for sure. Thanks!

I would certainly be in...

only $100?!?! so thats what, a latte and half a sandwich in Napa?

Not a bad idea, I bet I can get away with $50 cash! LOL

Rob (Sime this time), we spent a few minutes looking at your tranny on Sunday. The reason for this is that I have a Quaife TB diff in my car and it feels like a locker when I drive around slow tight corners like in a parking lot. The tires chatter and fight each other. I can jack the entire car off the ground, put the tranny in gear and turn one wheel and the engine will turn. I broke a CV joint and was able to drive the car home. If you read the literature, its not supposed to do that. It says the TB won't work if one wheel is off the ground. The question is: does yours do that also? McMark said that Randals would chatter when eing pushed around the shop. I guess I'm taking a survey.

I am interested in the shop days. I should be able to crash out in Petaluma, which would make the trip to Napa a lot easier.

--DD

is there a gas anilyzer? any idea (roughly) what kind of cost to run the new 2056 on an assisted idle/cruise co/hc check and tweek? if kenny has a sat. off, he'd love to be set free to drive it out (my way of getting him to work on it ). we also have a set of 911 mounts to convert to it, i'm just leary of issues involved in changing them without an experiance hand, this could be the answer. good idea... what does "mcmark" think

I have not noticed anything along those lines with the Guard TB diff. I have heard the Quaffe unit has some problems though... Does Randal have a Quaffe as well? Your car handles very well Bill... Or should I say, you handle that car very well...

Unless someone brought a gas analyzer there isn't one onsite. Original Customs is more of a fabrication and set up shop than a tuning place...

I'd be in. January might be too soon for me since i no longer have any teeth on my flywheel. I can help with electrical if you need it.

Hey Bob! Do you mean auto electrical or my ongoing home issues? I am enjoying the wonders of a 60 year old house with Zinsco breaker box and breakers. I might have a flywheel around here somewhere...

I actually just picked up a GA with a perfect flywheel. just to cold right now to work in the garage. Plus the top of my long is gone, so not sure if i'm gonna save the car or not. The rest of the car is pretty nice. I can do auto and home electrical. Not much of a pipe bender, but I am NFPA certified for low voltage up to 600. I normally do low voltage logic/PLC programming stuff, but I think I could help you out. Really only 3 wires in a house!-jeff

I loved having people hanging out for the trans clinic. I'm not sure on all the details, but I've been pondering a recurring 'work weekend' for awhile. If we can figure out how to make it all run, I would love to host.

I have WB O2 sensor, but not a five gas analyzer.

Are we talking about a work-on-anything type of weekend or more of a topic based weekend, i.e. this weekend is all about carbs, FI, electrics, etc?

We are more likely to get more participants if they get to choose. But this is an idea that I had, brought to Mark and found out he already was thinking about it. Of course, 5 people wanting to adjust valves is more manageable than 30 people with various goals. I just noticed that we have a lot of very capable people at the transmission clinic running around helping. Why not put that brain trust to work for the greater 914World good?

I hate how im in the middle of california lol

WOW! Zinsco breakers and the house hasn't burned down? Zinsco's have a habbat of not tripping when needed and tripping when not needed. Be careful!

No kidding...Rob asked me about the fuses just after we met and I had to look up the damn things since the pre-date me by several decades!

If you ever need Zinsco's they are available from D&F Liquidators in Hayward, CA.

Jim Dupree rewired his own house and kept the Zinsco breakers. It must be a local contractor from the 50's because both our houses date from that time.
We can talk more about it at a Sacramento Porsche Family Reunion if you come up...
I hear you on the not tripping when they should and tripping when they don't need to.
Been there done that. Got the flashlights to prove it.

I'd be in for a couple of these depending on what the topics are.

Yes I rewired and kept the Zinsco, as in they are out in the garage in a cabinet. I put in a Square D panel from Home Depot. New breakers are about $7 now.
My zinsco kept melting parts of the bus bar the breakers fit on to. When it melted the bar where the main breaker fit I replaced the whole thing. Of course it melted down on a Friday afternoon while I was at work.

Anyone need some used Zinsco breakers or panel?

Jim

PS I am up for a monthly or semi monthly tech gathering.
I think we should have a specific topic or topics so we can control the tools, knowledge, prep needed. I have a 4 gas analyzer but the O2 sensor is bad.

I re-did my grandparents panel. It actually had the old screw in glass fuses. Not that those were bad, in fact I think they are better than breakers in some areas, but they got real spendy to change. Thats where "put a penny in it" came from. They used to jumper them out with coins! I went through the house after and threw away about a dozen FABRIC covered extension cords. Wow, can't believe they never had a fire!

depending on the topics, I'd be interested as well. doing a valve job has been mentioned a few times...would definitely be interested in that!

An actual engine out, heads off, valve job is beyond the spirit of what we are hoping to develop here. You can certainly talk to McMark about that as a shop job though. I think what you might mean and what has been mentioned is valve adjustment.

I don't have the necessary equipment to redo the heads. We could certainly have a discussion about heads, valves, and what goes wrong. But as far as fixing heads, that's a job best left to people with years of experience.

Hmmm, how do I get my rotisseried 'teener to Napa???

Actually, these are the kinda get togethers I enjoy, and I'm bummed I was out of town for the trans clinic (of course, I'm using a Suby trans...). I'm a real hands-on kinda guy.

Even if I have nothing to work on, I'd be happy to lend a hand on someone else's project. Count me in.

Geoff

My idea is to have a Tech-Day monthly where you guys bring a list of things you want to accomplish on your cars. We potluck lunch and some guys who are spectators help the guys who brought cars and lists accomplish those lists. For example, here is my list.

Install early speedo cable to replace the late model one that I eliminated when I put in the Morphenspectra subbox.

Install my solid steering coupler in place of the aging factory rubber part.

Install new bushings to take the up down slop out of my steering column.

Wire my foglights and rear license plate light. Wire in the fog light flash unit from JWest.

Regularly, adjust my valves.

Bleed my brakes with someone other than a 12 year old doing the peddle tromping.

This is an example of a real list of things that could get accomplished in a weekend event with other guys around who have skills I don't, and I have skills some of them don't.

In education, we call this a collaborative cohort. Together as a group, we are greater than any one of us alone.

Plus, and this is a big plus - Those of you who don't know McMark will be amazed at his ability to see a solution so subtle it looks like it might be factory.