The Targa-Aid Classic 2005 was a great success. Over $400 raised for the Red Cross and over $1,000 worth of prizes raffled off. Thanks to our generous sponsors, everyone who donated items to the raffle, and everyone who attended the event. We are already making plans for next year.

Special thanks to 9 Magazine for joining us. Look for full coverage of the Targa-Aid Classic in the May issue of 9 Magazine.

Nice!
No x1/9's, vipers, or 911 targas?

Thanks to Brian and all the others.


It was a kick.




Honda Del Sols, what a waste of carbon fiber!



It was ONLY HUMOR!


John

I thought it was charming when they said that the Del Sols were going to be running first, then the 914's would follow on the run.

This was so they wouldn't get left in the dust, heh heh.

QUOTE (Travis Neff @ Feb 28 2005, 12:02 PM)

I thought it was charming when they said that the Del Sols were going to be running first, then the 914's would follow on the run. This was so they wouldn't get left in the dust, heh heh.

The reason I didn't lead the run is that I tend to drive way to fast most of the time. I would like to think that if I was in front that I have been finishing my lunch when a bunch of P.O.'d people would finally showed up. The truth is I would have most likely got a ticket and been an hour late to lunch myself!!! Plus if there was going to be any mechanical failure it was probably going to be one of us in the 30 year old cars. Luckily we had great weather, everyone's cars were running great. Travis's brakes are so good I never even saw him after a while (seriosuly everyone likes your car, once you get it sorted it will be even more awesome).

I don't mind the del Sols at all. Cool little cars with some neat features and most of the owners seemed like very cool people. I really like the swing-up targa-top holders in their trunks and the fact that their rear glass powers down. There was some mis-guided carbon fiber applications going on for sure but we've all seen that sort of over-the-top thing on lots of cars... even Porsches. At the end of the day it is about the people and the charity and I think it all worked out great. We had great people attend, a fun drive, and raised some money for the Red Cross.

No X 1/9s, Vipers, Vettes, or even 911s this year. We had a Supra and Lotus signed up who were no shows. It would be nice to see two or three times the number of 914s show up next year, actually find some 911 Targa owners will get their cars out and drive them (I may have to buy one and drive it myself).

We need to get the Arizona area 914s together more often. There are plenty more great roads to drive and plenty of food to eat along the way. The 914 is so unlike any other car experience and the more we can get out and drive them the better.

Thanks again to everyone for coming out. Hope everyone had a good time.

Brian,
Did you get my goodies in time for the raffle???

I looked up the tracking # and it was no longer in the system so I guess that was good news??

There were some really cool RAT T Shirts (NLA) and a couple of DVDS and gift certificates included as well..

One for 50% off of a new 914 DTM when they are released!

gawd, i miss AZ ...

did anyone else notice how nice the roads are there? not a single pot-hole.
try that in the bay-area ...


i have fond memories of AZ ...
Andy

does anybody know if that green was delphi green metallic?

The owner (Brian) calls the color "Mountian Dew", which in person is exactly the correct color description.


Yes, I did hear someone refer to the color as "delphi green".



John

P.S. If you want you car to be in the photographs, always park next to Brian's car (as I did in the first photo!).

John

QUOTE (SirAndy @ Feb 28 2005, 05:54 PM)

did anyone else notice how nice the roads are there? not a single pot-hole.

All the potholes are in Tucson.

QUOTE

gawd, i miss AZ ...   did anyone else notice how nice the roads are there? not a single pot-hole. try that in the bay-area ...   i have fond memories of AZ ... Andy

So, come on back, there are lots of open roads and you and your teener would be a welcome edition!

Brian, next year Prescott (the back way with tons of twisty turns)?

Dang! Nice day, nice bunch "O" wheels! WTG guy's!

Greg,

That route was exactly what Laurie and I did after leaving you all, cool drive.

We stayed overnight at the Hotel St. Michael in downtown Prescott, three stories high and It has an Otis elevator!


It had to be one of the first in what was then the "territory", cruddy fire alarm though.


John

Looks like it was a great event. I would have been there 'cept I was playing boy-racer at PIR.

Good Job!!!

A drive up north would be great. the roads out to Jerome are fun. I made my kid puke when going for a joy ride up ther once , whoops!

The color of my car is Delphi Green Metallic and yes it does look exactly like Mountain Dew so that is how I describe it to people.

I did not take the pics but the photographer Kevin is my friend so that may explain why my car is "centered up" in so many pics. Sorry guys I told him to get lots of pics of all the 914s!!! I think he got some cool shots though. The last set through the windshield are the ones I tried to take while driving...

Jake, haven't seen the raffle prizes you sent yet. Once they arrive I'll be sure they go to our 914 owners who showed up.

The back-way to Prescott is one of my favorites. I was actually afraid that if we did that run no one would show up. Seems like a lot of people do not actually drive their Porsches. If you guys are up for it maybe we can all get together for a wicked fun run. No prizes, no frills, but a good day of driving the cars on some more demanding roads.

914GT, you have a great car. Thanks for making the trip up from Tucson. I know everyone enjoyed speaking with you some more and getting to look at all the details on your V-8 powered 914. Very, very slick ride.

We're planning the Targa-Aid Classic 2006 much earlier so hopefully we can avoid any crossover with PCA, SCCA, NASA events in the future.

Great pics. Looks like a good time. I'm not much of a British car fan, but if I was ........TR6

LOL, My point Brian, was that the "soda machine" draws so much attention naturally, that parking next to it means "pictures for sure" , not a bias on Kevin's part.


Yes, Suprise to Wickenberg to Yarnell to Prescott to Prescott Valley to Jerome to Sedona To Flagstaff would be a kick with perhaps some "picnic stuff/resturant stuff" along the way. and root



Yes that TR6 was real sharp, the perfect "british car color" too.

eeewww..riced out del sols


but the 914s are bea-utiful, and is that a triumph?

"Yes, Suprise to Wickenberg to Yarnell to Prescott to Prescott Valley to Jerome to Sedona To Flagstaff would be a kick with perhaps some "picnic stuff/resturant stuff" along the way....."

I'm all for it. Let's do it sometime in April not to hot in the valley not to cold in the high country. Maybe some folks from Kalifornia would like to see some real country road driving.

So Brian..... How about a report on how that RAT 2270 did on the run???

QUOTE (azbill @ Mar 1 2005, 02:42 PM)

"Yes, Suprise to Wickenberg to Yarnell to Prescott to Prescott Valley to Jerome to Sedona To Flagstaff would be a kick with perhaps some "picnic stuff/resturant stuff" along the way....." I'm all for it. Let's do it sometime in April not to hot in the valley not to cold in the high country. Maybe some folks from Kalifornia would like to see some real country road driving.

That will be a great run - as soon as they get the pot holes fixed in Northern Arizona. It is truly dangerous to drive in Flagstaff these days!

The Arizona Bus Club does a caravan from Phoenix to Prescott Valley and then over Mingus Mountain to get to Jerome for the annual Jerome Jamboree in September. Even in a bus, Mingus Mountain is a fun ride. I haven't been able to do it yet in my teener, but I'm up for it!

The weather looks perfect, we use to have weather like that here in California, same with the roads. Nice TR6 too.

QUOTE (Jake Raby @ Mar 1 2005, 02:12 PM)

So Brian..... How about a report on how that RAT 2270 did on the run???

This was the first time I've had the 2270 out with other 914s on backroads to compare normal driving. The 2.0s ahead of me were pulling hard and making great noise. I could really feel the extra oomph of the 2270 coming off the apex. I had to brake coming out of the corners as I found myself getting far too close to the car in front of me on several occassions.

We were keeping a brisk but moderate pace and I could have done the entire drive in 5th gear for sure. I used fourth and fifth mostly and only dipped down into third occasionally just to hear the roar of the twin webbers behind me. Fourth gear kept me in the sweet spot most of the time. There was simply tons of power available everywhere.

Great event, great day, great drive. The 2270 seems to be the perfect motor for this car.

On the way home after the event the 914 hit triple-digits easily and cruised along at hyper-legal speeds with my wife following in our Boxster. The car used less than half a tank of fuel over the entire day and many, many miles and the temp gauge never even crept past the halfway mark.

I did not have the opportunity to drive and directly compare the 2270 to a stock 2.0 or the V-8 engined 914 that was present. We were not racing, nor did we every hit speeds over 75 MPH during the event. I have no data to say, "mine is better" or anything of that nature. I do know that "seat of the pants" the 2270 pulls really had compared to my old 1.8 and that so far the new engine has suited my needs one hundred percent and delivered on every promise Jake had made to me before ordering.

Someone on the drive ribbed me about strangling the motor with the stock SS Heat Exchangers and 2.0 muffler. Now that winter is over I will most likely seek out an upgraded exhaust system to release the extra power that has been lost to the heat exchangers thus far. I can not imagine this engine pulling any better than it does now, perhaps I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Some people asked me which car was faster the 914 or the Boxster. If the shift action of the 901 gearbox were faster/smoother the flyweight 914 would keep up with my 2002 Boxster 2.7. As it stands now the Boxster will be walking waway and shifting into third by the time the 914 is in second and starting to accelorate. Jake's 2270 is more than capable if you can get past the old-school gearbox and on the highway they are much more evenly matched. If and when a cable shift kit is offered for this gearbox the problems will finally be solved. Until that day Rennshift my be the best alternative and one day I will have to sample one. The Boxster is a great car and the driving experience is not the same as the 914. The two cars have a lot of similarities and yet I find the 914 driving experience to be unique and quite unlike any other car I have had the pleasure to drive. The Boxster is not a substitute for a 914.

I passed the 1,000 mile mark on the engine and restoration during the Targa-Aid event and so far have enjoyed tons of power, incredible throttle response, amazing fuel economy, and no issues as of yet. The owner of Stuttgart Southwest told me it was the only drivable big four he had ever sampled. He said that most builders ruin their engines by chasing the last 10% in power gains and losing 90% or the reliability and livability. I think he hit the nail on the head with that remark.

The 2270 delivers real world power, for real world performance, during real world driving. The power-plant never feels hectic or strained in any way. There is no stress or frenzy to driving the car. The power is made in a manner that provides you, the driver, with confidence to drive harder, faster, farther. I think Jake has followed the ideas set forth by the Germans many years ago to make traveling fast over distance easy. This is exactly what the 2270 delivers.

QUOTE (Lou W @ Mar 1 2005, 11:02 PM)

The weather looks perfect, we use to have weather like that here in California, same with the roads. Nice TR6 too.

Great pictures! Great weather! Great roads! Great people! Thank you for sharing....

QUOTE

Great pics. Looks like a good time. I'm not much of a British car fan, but if I was ........TR6

NOT

I was following the Boxster and we were held up on the turns by the TR6 big time. Even the Del Sols walked away from the TR6 in the turns.

914 is fine/fun by me.

QUOTE (gregrobbins @ Mar 2 2005, 11:44 AM)

QUOTE Great pics. Looks like a good time. I'm not much of a British car fan, but if I was ........TR6 NOT I was following the Boxster and we were held up on the turns by the TR6 big time. Even the Del Sols walked away from the TR6 in the turns. 914 is fine/fun by me.

Yes, the TR6 was a nice original example and the owner, Nick, was great BUT.... from my P.O.V. three cars back from Greg it did appear that the TR6 had trouble when the speeds got over 60MPH or the curves became tighter.

Beautiful car but no where near as advanced as the 914. When looking at the two it is really hard to believe they were both built during the same decade. Sort of like comparing a 1950s era MG to a 356 of the same time... the 356 seems as if it came from out space when compared to the MG.

Greg, Bill, Guy, John, & myself all seemed to be enjoying our mid engined handling and generous torque curves. If it wasn't for cattle, horses, coyotes (yea, we had all three), and the threat of Jonny-Law I have a feeling we would have all been driving twice the posted limit on the curvy sections of road.

Greg, that supertrap muffler looks great by the way... I couldn't hear it from my position but I can tell you that Bill's Bursch (sp?) sounds great at WOT.

QUOTE (Hi_Fi_Guy @ Mar 2 2005, 01:55 PM)

Greg, Bill, Guy, John, & myself all seemed to be enjoying our mid engined handling and generous torque curves. If it wasn't for cattle, horses, coyotes (yea, we had all three), and the threat of Jonny-Law I have a feeling we would have all been driving twice the posted limit on the curvy sections of road.

I felt I drove very conservatively (mild way of putting it, more like an old lady). Not only for the reasons you mentioned but also to take it easy on my passenger. If I was by myself I would have taken the turns a little more aggressively. One thing I noticed - I could hear all the fours working hard when I was usually loafing in 5th gear. (Sorry had to rub that in ) A couple of times I downshifted to keep my rpms up when we had to slow down or to engine brake. The other thing, once in a while I thought I heard my hydraulic lifters rattling when I realized it was the the engine noise off the other cars bouncing off the hillsides! I still love the type IVs though don't get me wrong. Anyway, I had a great time and I agree, under better circumstances we would have been going like a bat out of hell. I'd like to take the car up through Salt River Canyon up on the Rim sometime. That would be a fun ride.

I was behind you Guy (driving, I mean ) and you were dogging it.


I also thought you were going a little slow on the I-10 going out to Litchfield road, but I wasn't going to tell the other fellas, well, till YOU BROUGHT IT UP!


I love my "little four" but some stange noises do come from behind the seats.


It sounds like about six squirrels back there are either fighting or, well, you know.

QUOTE (Flat VW @ Mar 3 2005, 01:03 PM)

I was behind you Guy (driving, I mean ) and you were dogging it. I also thought you were going a little slow on the I-10 going out to Litchfield road, but I wasn't going to tell the other fellas, well, till YOU BROUGHT IT UP! I love my "little four" but some stange noises do come from behind the seats. It sounds like about six squirrels back there are either fighting or, well, you know.

John,

Somewhere through there is where my sunvisor came loose and was paying more attention to having my passenger fix it than I was to my driving. Also I thought I was the last one in the pack since I pulled off the road earlier to let everybody go by. I had found myself in the lead and I hadn't a clue where we were going.

Regardless, I could punch it at any time and quickly catch up if I felt I needed to.

The drive allowed me to verify a problem with my car that I need to fix. I commented about it in my blog here. If I follow a car too closely (especially a 914) I get exhaust fumes in my car. I believe what's happening is my radiator fans pull it in and discharge it out the sides through the wheel wells. This circulates back into the car and can be quite unpleasant at times. I need to devise some kind of deflector to channel the radiator air to the bottom of the car. This is where a bottom trunk opening may have an advantage over the fender openings.

So even with the V-8 conversion you still get the authentic TYPE-IV oil-burner aroma? Sweet.

Seriously, I think we would all like to see what your car is really capable of. Salt River Canyon, backway to Prescott, I'm up for any of these drives.

The 914 is starting to get the respect it deserves within the PCA. Any local teeners who d not belong to the PCA should consider joining. It seems they have a lot more going on than in the past and a lot of driving events from Sunday drives, to auto-x, to track time. Bryan C. seems to be making a big slash with his 914 so meybe he can help get some of us 914 owners more excited about DE & Auto-X.

QUOTE (Hi_Fi_Guy @ Mar 3 2005, 01:49 PM)

So even with the V-8 conversion you still get the authentic TYPE-IV oil-burner aroma? Sweet.

Unfortunately, when I hang around with the rest of you guys that seems to be true. In some ways it's the same as the day I brought the car home. At least nobody gives me the finger anymore for excessive oil smoke.

QUOTE

One thing I noticed - I could hear all the fours working hard when I was usually loafing in 5th gear. (Sorry had to rub that in )

That's OK Guy, we all know you V8 guys are just drunk with power.

Those who have not had a close look at Guy's car are missing out. That is one super car. He really did a first rate job inside and out. Well, except for the sun visors apparently.