First of all, for all of you doubting Thomas's my oil cooler worked great, no heating issues at all.
My (nobody does this) brake arrangement with billet 4 bolt hubs, M calipers on the front with Porterfield R4SEs and The stock 914-4 front calipers on the rear with stockish textar pads. Worked great, wonderfull balance, no early lockups front or rear and smooth straight stops lap after lap.

No for the less fun part. Turn 2 in the CCW direction puts the car in a hard 180 degree turn with lots of G loads on the right side of the car. Once the car warmed up at about lap 3 of each session after negotiating about 2/3 or turn two I would get a huge plume of smoke from the exaust and then it would clear out approaching turn 3. Would do that everytime around....Couldnt figure it out....decided oil was sloshing into the right valve cover and being sucked into the crackcase vent hose...then it goes into the one way valve and into the aircleaner and into the injection....so we disconnected the breather hose from the aircleaner and made a quickie catch can ( left over empty coke can) put the end of the breather hose into the can and attached the can to a couple of other hoses with zip strips....good news no more smoke.
rest of weekend was without incident...pretty good for a car at only its second outing since being put together and running a motor that has 150K miles on it and it has never been apart.

Glad the cooler work great Dan. I have always felt it was a good design.

How were the lap times and how did Bill do?

And how was the weather? Must have been perfect today.

Hey Dan!

Just got off the phone with John Beck on his way back from Thunderhill. Wish we could have made it.

Our 4's build up alot of crankcase pressure at higher revs and like to puke oil. I've got an 'economy' catch can setup that works great. Only mod is to use bigger hose...

Sounds like you conquered the problem you had at buttonwillow with the engine miss in the corners. What did that turn out to be?

Any pics from the event?

Well, glad to hear the brake setup you use works well. It is the same as I use, just slightly different pads in front. I think I was the first to use a set of the 4 bolt hubs in competition and so far they work amazingly well.

Glad you had a good time.

Was it a safe event overall? Everything went well?


KT

Greg,
Ken Mack was there with me and helped diagnose the problem...he has done a couple 914s over the years
I am going to make a more rugged catch can/bottle in the next week....Coke can looks a little tacky...

Yes John, the brakes work supperbly. I was stopping as well as any of the new cars with the big brakes...and absolutely no fade even after 30 mins on track...
I may put a slightly racier rear pads in the next event to play with the balance just a bit...to see if I can get the back to react...

Wasn't able to get any lap times...two different sending units were set up and my hot lap timer is so old it was picking up both signals......couldnt figure out how I was getting 5.---second lap times. Doh!

Weekend was fairly uneventful other than being passed by at least 3 cars without giving them a point by....that is a no no with our TT rules.
Also was almost hit by a smart assed kid in a racy 993 that passed me in the apex of turn 9. He got what was coming to him....a very loooooong talk with the chief track steward....Oh that is too bad.
you don't mess with the guy that used to be co-chief steward.....

My mid RPM miss at BW was cured by replacing the #4 plug wire/resistor.

Also met Greg Welch ( a club member) He has a very nice 914-6 with a sweet 2.4L motor....as he says "just slightly breathed on". And some short gears in the tranny. GT flares and nice Fuchs alloys with some nice sized Hoosiers. What a nicely balanced car. I was lucky enough to be his son's (Michael) first instructor on Saturday. He did an awesome job and learned very fast. He is already encroaching on dad's times in only his second time in the car. Damned young kids

Great weekend.

My question is what are you doing letting a 993 pass you in the apex of a corner?

Actually he passed my about 10 feet after the apex but he was riding the curbing to get beside me....the point was that he passed in a very unsafe place since most knowlegable drivers of TH tend to stay a little left after turn 9 apex since the track stays left instead of straightening out....inexperienced drivers think they need to push to the right after the apex...He thought that is what I was going to do....not so fast young fellow.....

I wasn't letting anyone pass me. He made a bonzai run at me up the hill and could not wait until he got his point to get pass me. didnt do him much good since he spent the rest of the session talking to the chief steward, actually he was just listening and the steward was doing all the talking, very slowly and loudly would be my guess
I know that is how I would have been talking to him.

Do we have pictures?


KT

I didn't have my camera with.....maybe BillP or GregW snapped some shots.

Hey Guys,

Just got back from dinner after coming home from Thill. I ran the Time Trial to put my name down in the record books with the new Time Trial Classifications. We'll have to see how I compared to others.

The weather was breazy but nice in the morning. I was turning 2:07's in the morning sessions. After lunch I lost about 1.8 seconds and couldn't find it. The weather got warmer and the car was exhibiting slight oversteer from the morning. But instead of fiddling with the setup, I decided to just fiddle with the driver. I talked with several of the zoomies and they thought I am at the point with Fritz where I need to start working my technique to 4 wheel drift the car in the high speed and off camber sections of Thunderhill. I basically will drift the car through turn 6 and 8 and the slow speed sections, but I don't have the cookies to 4 wheel drift through turn 1, only on the exit of it. This is a 100MPH turn. So I've got some work to do. Considering my previous best in my 914-6 was a 2:15, an 8 second improvement in my personal best was still a great weekend.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the movie camera or still camera working. I had the cameras but forgot the bag that had the power cords. The batteries in both were dead!....

Greg Welch's 914-6 was awesome! It was nice meeting you Greg...

Ted Voight also had his silver 914-6 there with a 2.8 liter twin plug built by Jerry Woods. TEC ignition, Weber 46's and 290 HP at the crank. That motor in his 2000lbs 914 made an awesome combination. Schweet sounding car!

All in all a great weekend...I had a blast!

Bill P.

Guys, any pointers on the entry to 8?

What speeds are were you taking that turn.

I'll be up there on the 26th with TMR.
I hope to get my lap times below 2:23.


KT

Trek, in the CCW direction

turn 8 takes a bit of a "pucker" I am taking it in 4th, foot to the floor at about 96MPH indicated.
You need to get all the way to the right into the newer black asphalt patch.
Turn in late to the apex which is about 2/3 the way up the curbing on that side. There is a small depression right at the apex. If you hit the apex you will feel the car get into the depression. The car will then track out nicely, possibly with a slight drift, still leaving you plenty of exit space.

reviewing my video, I should be able to shift into 5th just before the turn.
That would put me at 106mph.

There is a concrete section right at the turn. Do you turn in right before it?


KT

yes, at the end of the asphalt section just before the concrete.
106 on 205s probably will not get you around the corner staying on the track. On 205s I would say about 98 or so would be the absolute limit, and drifting quite a bit.
You will need to do a pretty stiff tap of the brakes to set the car at turn in at those speeds. Not too much though or you will cause the car to rotate too early.
Repost that section of the video so I can take a look and give you some more input.

I'll have to e-mail it to you, as the clubsite server is on high security alert due to hacker threats

Give me a minute...

KT

Wow! 2:07 My best is only 2:13ish. ( only a lap or two) Most of the time
more like 2:15.

100 mph through turn 1. Not me. Some where the rewards v.s. risks comes into my head. That and my cookies are small:)

Dan & Bill,

Great to meet both of you and enjoy a perfect PCA weekend. Thanks for the kind comments on the car. Dan, thanks for helping Mike's driving technique, confidence and skill level. He is learning from the best as far as I am concerned with you and Chuck Kolstadt coaching him. Yes, his times were encroaching upon dad's and he really enjoyed the experience. Hot lap device died - hasnt been turned on in 4 years ! Wristwatch timer got my best at 2:16 Sat (I felt quicker Sunday am but Mike was napping in the car during my outing - allergy blowup due to the wind). My butt tells me I might have been 2:14-15 Sunday. I clocked Mike at 2:19 Sat pm with Chuck coaching him (pounding on the dash "give it more"). Great time on track, in the paddock and social hour/dinner. Can't wait for B'willow !
Greg

This was a fun event - even so I was there with my taildragger - like always greatly organized - the quality of the instructors is outstanding - I keep continuing to learn how to drive my car faster - some great 914's Greg's, Dan's, Mikey B's and the Silver 914-6 awesome ! Mikey B and I made it back from Thunderhill to San Jose in 2:35 min and still got passed by pick up trucks

hi Folks,
sorry I didn't stop to talk to any of you while at Thunderhill last weekend. Was too caught up in my own routine and never seemed to have the time to get around & socialize. I know - kind of missing half the point of going there.

I was there in my black (and often smoking) 914-6. I had a great time at this fun and well-organized event as, I've read above, you folks did too.

Overall a very safe event, nobody bent anything, that I heard, (except possibly one car that lost a wheel), but there did seem to be a few off-course excursions - including a spectacular, dirt&gravel-spewing spin from 3 to 4 by one car that cut one of our Sat. PM sessions a bit short. Amazingly, the guy at the circuit taking & selling action photos of all the cars, caught the spin on film in real time - and hilariously, also offered photos of "Mr. Sweeper" (my name for it) the track-sweeping tractor cleaning up afterwards.

This was my 1st time running T'hill in CCW direction (ran it CW in my 1st TT, last Sept), and I really enjoyed learning & driving the circuit in this direction.

Turn 1 is definitely a challenge & requires "brass ones" - or at least, more experience. I found that as I got better through 14&15 onto the front straight, I was carrying more & more speed into 1, which unfortunately psyched me out more & more - what to do with that increased speed, braking&setting up for that corner.

And I had almost gotten up to taking 8 flat-out, but not quite. I'm running Kumho 710's (205/50/15 all around), and I think the car would be able to take it, just a "cookies" issue on my part. Next time maybe.

Also I earned my own "Chat With Chet" on sat. AM, as I took a point-by between 2 & 3 which, as was carefully and eloquently explained to me while I listened, was NOT a designated passing zone. Whooops.
(I'm the one on the right)
I guess I did know that - I had dutifully studied all the materials given us but I forgot at the crucial moment.

I look forward to driving that circuit again. A friend had clocked my best time at 2' 27'' on sat., and I think with more experience (or a better driver in the car), there's easily another ~3-5 seconds to be taken off that time without any mods. to the car - mainly in braking at 1, 2, 10 & 14 (..yeah ok all of them), which I always seemed to be entering too slowly, having braked too early. Something about Cookies...

We ended up leaving early on sunday, after I got the dreaded Meatball flag due to my smoking issues (when I let off the gas at high rev's - worn valve guides, or so I'm told). No outright leaks, but when the Safety folks called me in they saw some oil on the underside of my engine (..air cooled porsche? OIL, on the ENGINE, you say? Preposterous!) [\sarcasm] they asked me to go try to sort it out. Fair enough. I did go check and found several 'seeps', but no outright drips & nothing I could fix on the spot. Decided not to wait ~2 hours to find myself getting called in again in the final practice session and/or during our timed runs.

Oh well, some engine work may be in store, hopefully minor. My 3.0 ran superbly otherwise. Having had my 914 for nearly two years now, I'm still really enjoying getting to know it - I'm a fast learner, but as much as I can throw at it, the car just responds, "..Yeah? What else ya' got?"


And as Theo mentioned above we exceeded the laws of physics and space/time on our drive home - not intentionally but the road & traffic conditions were superb the entire way. Aside from getting passed by a couple pickups & SUVs at our, um, 'spirited' pace, probably the most interesting to pass was a Mitsu Lancer in full dress (i.e. turbo, gigantic rear wing), with ski racks on it. 90+mph? Ski racks? Why the heck not?

I made sure to give him plenty of room once he passed - spear-catching is not a favorite pastime of mine.

Anyway I hope to see you folks at the next event!
mike

Good Saturday - got down to 2:24 then lost the fuel pump.

New brakes, shocks, re-geared tranny work really well. Got to "Engine Red line" just at the beginning of T1, T10, T11, & T14.

Ken

Hi Ken,

It was too bad you lost the fuel pump. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be that many 914's at the track at this point in time. Maybe some more cars will come off of jackstands later in the year...

I was redlining in 4th gear at the end of the straight into turn 1 with Fritz. With the gearing in my G50, that calculates to 131 MPH! No wonder I went through my brake pads......

Ken, when you were running your big zoomy motor, did you run a short ratio box? I'm curious if you found cost benefit to having 5th or not. Right now with the G50 I'm using 2nd, 3rd, and 4th only.

Thanks,

Bill P.

Bill - it was a stock -6 box. I am sure I was into 5th before T1.

Hummm T1 @ 131.

Ken

That is T1 @ 131MPH before mashing on the brakes and losing all momentum....

You can't believe how much brake pad I went through this weekend....I need to change them out before the next event. I basically was butchering T1 and T3 all weekend. And I left all kinds of time on T9.

But it's fun gradually getting faster....

In your Zoomy what brake marker were you turning in at on T1?

Bill P.

Only had that car at TH a couple of times and did not really learn to drive T1.

I know with this car, I try and wait as long as possible to make it as late an apex as I can. Maybe Dan can comment.

Ken

time for a

sorry in advance for the pics sizes as I'm sure this'll honk-up the page/viewing area sizes.

no action shots to offer here, not even car pics, but here's some pics from the drive home. The view from the circuit on sunday, a very windy and thus very clear day, was spectacular. These were taken from the road back to the main highway, just a few miles away from the circuit.

Two are of the mtns to the west of Thunderhill, in the "Mendocino Natl Forest" (or so my map says). They're not particularly high which makes it even more special to see snow on them, this late in the year. But that's the kind of winter we had - which really only ended about a week ago. A clear day in the "Central Valley" in CA is really special (but I still dont' want to live there).

Also attached, of lesser quality but still an impressive view, is Mt. Shasta - which is something like 140 miles away from where I snapped the photo... how many places in the world are there, where you can see for distances like that?

anyway I hope you enjoy the attached -
mike
.

I wanted to let all you folks know, an all 914 run group is in work for T-Hill for late Summer-Early Fall. We need minimum of 20 cars, we have around 5 at the moment, and these are mostly people who are putting it together, or friend of those putting it together. The event will be made public for registration in the near future.

...WOW! Sign me up! Late summer/early fall sounds like the perfect time to be there. Also count on my friend Theo as a definite-maybe (we'll have to twist his arm, probably not too hard, to leave his 911 behind & drive his 914 up instead). I'll send him this info & he can post his confirmation. MAN that sounds like a cool event to run! Let me know if I can provide any help in setting it up.

mike

I would definitely do an all 914 event. Let's get Excellence Magazine over to do a centerfold shoot of our cars. Keep us posted !
Greg

count me in, Martin.


KT

I will post a thread for all to the info, I just am not at liberty to give out the details yet, until its all firmed up. I am the originator of the idea, which I put the bug in the right persons ear at the SVR CRAB event.

http://www.derporsche.net/default.html