For the last three years, this has been an informal gathering of Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas 914 drivers and their cars. Last year, among all the 914's, we had three 911's attend the event (without incident, brawling, or name calling , plus a 944. And this year we may have 3 or 4 Carreras, an early longhood and a Cayman. For whatever reasons, many of the Okie teeners are gone. So while our group size will remain about the same, and air-cooled, we will be more multi-colored... a good opportunity to learn more about the porsche family. And the event will continue it's tradition of being a low cost casual gathering that emphasizes cars and driving.

I look forward to seeing all the beautiful people and their rides!

Here is the updated info for this year.

We will meet in Talihina, OK, at the Talihina Inn. This is a classic "car" motel from the sixties and the rates are very economical (about 40 bucks or so). We have permission to grill hamburgers in the parking lot again Saturday night. Kitty (motel owner) likes our group.

For our tour from Talihina, we will approach State Highway 1, also known as the Talimena National Scenic Byway, or for short, Talimena Drive. This road runs for sixty miles to the town of Mena, AR. Although other states can boast of a larger quantity of twisties, Talimena holds it's own when it comes to a driving challenge, and has been identified as one of the best sportscar roads in America by Car and Driver Magazine and various other car and bike organizations. It extends west to east on top of the ridgeline of Winding Stair Mountain and Rich Mountain in the Ouachita National Forest north of the Kiamichi Mountains.

These sixty miles of highway are filled with sharp curves and 13% grades of unbroken blacktop. There are lots of both low and higher speed turns with many tight switchbacks that are often preceded by steep downhill grades.

Overall, the road surface itself is in very good shape with only occasional, rough areas. There are many scenic vistas that overlook the valleys for pulling over and regrouping, or taking some pics. All of it comes together so nicely, that even if you're temporarily stuck behind a slow moving RV, it's still a cool drive.

Remember, this is a road tour. It is not a race, nor is it a driving competition. If you want to race, I suggest you go elsewhere. In fact, I'd love to see you at my next autocross. All participants are encouraged to drive at their own comfortable pace and obey all traffic laws.

We will tour around Mena, maybe have lunch, and when everyone is ready, get back to the driving task at hand, and tour back to Talihina. After a break, we'll get together for our cookout and favorite beverages. Sunday morning we'll have a nice breakfast before heading home.

This is a fair weather get together. Mild chance of rain will not deter us, however eminent threat of severe precipitation will cancel our plans. Remember, this is a 120 mile round trip - be adequately prepared... or be prepared to be adequately humiliated. We will be in touch as the time draws near.

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TALIMENA 1 AGENDA

Friday, May 2nd
Just hangin' out for those who don't want to drive down early Saturday morning. Maybe we'll order takeout pizza. Of course we'll need some beer to go with that...

Saturday, May 3rd
9:14am Breakfast at Pams Cafe
10:00am (meet in parking lot of motel)
Kiamichi Inn (504 Dallas St.)
Talihina, OK ( http://www.talihinacc.com/ ).

We'll discuss the tour, swap out some mobile numbers and have a few designated leaders & sweeper.

11:00am We will plan on heading out from Kitty's parking lot for the tour to Mena.

There will be several scenic turnouts we will take advantage of on our way to Mena, AR.

1:30ish We'll have a late lunch in Mena, we will return to the BBQ place we discovered last year.

2:30pm We'll tackle highway 1 for our return to Talihina. We should be back at the motel around 5:00pm or so. We'll take a break and clean up our cars.

7:00pm hamburger/hotdog cookout in the motel parking lot.

Sunday May 4th
9:11am Breakfast at Pam's Cafe and say our goodbyes.

For reservations call 918-567-2243. VERY important, tell "Kitty" or Carmin you're with the 914 group.
NEW 2008 RATES:
1 bed 1-2 people 43.90
2 bed 2-3 people 54.88

If there are no rooms available, just google Talihina OK and there are plenty of other nearby motels.

If you have any questions, call myself (Joseph 405-615-9000), or Clay (817-360-4067).

Clay, your room is ready. #14 that is. I moved to 30

Kitty's phone service has been down for 3 days, but back up now.

Call 918-567-2243 for reservations for the 914 group.

Six rooms booked and 6 left in our name available:

#18 (it's a double)
19
21
22
28
29

..

BUMP!
May the skies be bright, and the roads dry! I would love to make this event, but my wife and I will be traveling back home to OKC for a couple of weeks around the 18th or so. A little too late i'm afraid.

Hey Joe,

Do you know how many rooms are left?

Are you coming out to play?

We have about five rooms left.

If you arrive in this car below, other than receiving the long distance award...

Click to view attachment

you will also receive a complimentary six pack of...

Click to view attachment

waiting in your room. CHILLED!

..

Finally! I get to see a picture of the purple bomb with the polished Fuchs on it.

Are you gonna go to this one, Mike?

Grapette?
yum.


fizzy, like a 914.

I don't think Gint is coming. He would get arrested if he goes that far east.

fuclay... and I mean that in the nicest way.

I doubt it. I'd kinda like to, but I've got my car down for the next few weeks as it is and a we have a lot of crap going on in the immediate future.

You guys have fun. Here's a cheap

Okay, I just reserved a room, #18.

I guess I'll need to add some water to the 944 for the wife and clean up the 911. Or as Clay calls it "the donor car"

There is something wrong with a guy who owns a perfectly good 914 and won't drive it anywhere but the autocross course.......


C'mon Travis... think about it... a 914 with a 3.2 Motronic, 5 lugs and big 911 Carrera brakes......

Gentlemen, gentlemen.... who cares about this engine and mechanical nonsense. There are MUCH more important things to be considering here.... Like figuring out what type of hard liquor mixes well with Grapette Soda?!?!?! I'm thinking vodka (even though I am of the personal opinion that Rum goes with just about everything), although when the question was "hypothetically" posed to a group of friends, Everclear was mentioned...

Any suggestions? These are very important decisions that MUST be made far enough ahead of the event to allow time for the procurement of said beverages!!!

Grape soda makes me gag. Nothing goes with it.

Hmmm... I think we need a banner for this event!

Ok. we can get you something else purple colored to eat or drink.

Ok.. everyone who is going.. let's check in.

I'll be there, and I have a peice of fire wood to keep us warm.

Bolted to the front of your car???

Yep. rear is on and front is at chrome shop, so "woody" is ready for the sacrifice.

Okay - I'm going to try and make it.



OKIE9ELF GRUPPE

Joseph, Rea & Edith

Matt & Terry

Adam Jackson

Darren Cook

Brian Fairless

I'm really hoping for nice weather for our cookout this year. Nothing beats the mixed aroma of motor oil dripping on heat exchangers & dead animals burning on charcoal...

..

I replaced my motor mounts last weekend, and will do a new clutch this saturday and be ready to go. Would have done clutch last weekend too, but I'm still recovering from the quadruple bypass surgery from february, so I still get tired real easy. Hard turns make the chest muscles hurt, so I'll probably be in the rear of the pack this year. Chashing Richard Fischer with a 2litre is a lesson in futility anyway.

Man... a quadruple bypass!!! I'm awfully glad you're still around and kicking!!!



No kidding! I've only ever once been behind him on any sort of run (he must've gotten held up by an RV for my little 1.8 to have ended up behind him ).

It was incredible to watch his car pull away from me once the traffic cleared! My only regret is that I didn't take the chance to honk at him because he was slowing me up!

I actually had Richard gripe at me on the last trip up there because I made him downshift out of 5th gear.....

Got the new clutch in today, and tranni stabed an bolted, then I ran out of gas. I'll change oil, and adjust valves wilst on jackstands and button it back up tomorrow. I'll be ready to go.

I still have to replace a rear wheel bearing.......

I'm nearly ready.

I gotta install my 12V wine cooler...

Then I'm ready.

Motel room UPDATE:

Talked to Kitty today and there are only two rooms left.

Room #28 & 29.

In two days, we will have to let those rooms go.

So... make your move.

Her phone number is at the top of this thread.

Now back to my wine cooler...

..

Do they make a 12v cooler for boxed wine?

Wine cooler???


Joseph.. you are a 914 owner at heart.... So you need to get some Tickled Pink and some spray cheeze to keep in that wine cooler.

This is where we are going......

Click to view attachment

Rusty - Clay -

Well yeah, I guess you got me pegged...

But Hey! What's wrong with box wine & cheese whiz?

don't forget some of these

Ok. last night I got off my dead @ss and got out in the garage. I pulled the rear suspension off my car, and started working to change it out... DWD rears it's ugly head... I am replacing the whole rear suspension just because I have a bad wheel bearing.


I got the new springs on the shocks, and started working on the trailing arms so they can mount the 911 park brakes, and we had a really bad thunderstorm roll through the area. So we raised my car up, and double stacked the 914s. Then we put the BMW in the garage.

Now tonight I will get moving on the suspension again. Hopefully I can get the brakes on it and get them in the car.

I may show up a Talamena with no park brake, but I will be there.

To anyone headed to Talimena... I'm in the market for a clean targa top.

Lemme know.

I have one. Want me to bring it with me?

Ok.. progress report.

I got the new rear trailing arms installed, and I got one of the new style park brake cables done. I found a way to use a stock 914 park brake cable with the 911 parking brake assembly. I will take pictures for a future article on how to do it.


Tomorrow after work I am going to get the other side done, and get the front calipers changed. Then I will bleed the brakes and align the car.

Then I can align the wifes car too.....


Busy busy....... gotta be ready for Talimena.

Well now this sucks..


I got my car put back together.. and I managed to f*ck up the right rear wheel bearing while installing it.......

Everything else is done, including the alignment.

Now I get to do it again.. before the AX on Sunday.

Leaving a week from Friday....

Well damn! I was looking the car over yesterday and discovered both rear tires were worn through the top layer of rubber on the inside. No steel showing through yet, but now I "gotta" get new tires. Anyone with experience with the Yokohama ES 100s?

Curt,

I like the ES100's, they are the tires I AX on. I'm starting my third season on them (they won't last the whole season) but over all have good tire wear. I liked them so much I got another set for my wife's 944. I can't comment on how they preform in the rain or how the road noise is because I have a set of Falken ZE-512 I drive on the streets. They are an okay all season tire. If Clay can shame me into driving the 914 instead of the 911, I'll have the Falken's because the ES100's don't have much tread left and are slightly flat spotted.

Bring the 914.....not the taildragger "Donor Car"...


You will have more fun in the 914. Think of it as an extended Time Trial. You know that the 914 handles better, thats why you AX it and not the 911.


Now if I could only convince you to put the 3.2 in the 914.....

Curt - I have two Kumho Ecsta's (711) that are 215/55 R15 that are brand new.

They're yours for picking up.

They fit with plenty of clearance on Sparky - not sure if they will fit a stock fender well - anybody know?

..

Wow, thanks Joe. I had to roll the fender lip for the 205s to fit. Doubt the 215s would work.

Bump for the Grapette.

Ok.. I got my car put back together... finally.. last night about 4 PM. Took it to the PCA AX today, I had all of 5 miles on the brakes.



Bloody brake pads... Now it has a ear piercing squeal when braking.



Time to break out the smurf squeezins to get it to stop squeaking. And I have to fix the fan on the oil cooler too. Something got into it and is making noise...



It never ends.

But on the bright side...

We leave on Friday.

Joseph, good to see you and Rae on Sunday, and thanks again for the tires. Got them mounted today and I can't believe they actually fit without rolling the fender lip. I never dreamed 215s would fit on VW spec western wheels with the wrong backset but they do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Kuhmo 55s are actually a tad taller than the Yoko 60s.

Talimena, we're on our way.