My Excellence arrived yesterday. In typical fashion I was too busy to crack the cover. So I sat down at my desk this morning with my coffee in hand and started organizing my day. Under a pile of work was my new Excellence. I said to myself... HEY! I need to do a fast recon through this this thing to see what's in it. As I was buzzing the pages a familiar blue and yellow flash caught my eye.

Congrats Bob and Nadine! Nice write up great spread!

Pic?

sorry, no can do.... you'll just have to wait for your copy.

Great Story !

I wonder if my late subscription renewal was in time to catch this issue? If not, sounds like another trip down to Barnes and Noble.

I usually really enjoy the issues that they actually include non-tail draggers. Especially the teeners and 944/968/928s.

Congrats.

Great article, thanks EXCELLENCE for another 914.

Here's a picture!!!!ha ha

Tom

I always wondered what a 914 would look like with 24's on it....lol. Now if we could only get some spinners...

Thats fine for you short people but what about us born with legs?

First article I read. Good story!

Cool...I haven't gotten it yet, but Bob Chapman kept saying it would make it one of these issues. I got the advance copy back a few months ago...he did a good job!

BTW Rick, you spelled Huey wrong!

With Huey, a 968 Turbo S replica, a 550, a GT2 Replica, barn find 356 and a 200+k 911, this is probably one of the best issues they have published in the past 3 years I've been receiving them. Hands down the best balance of the Porsche pedigree I've seen them turn out yet! If nothing else, this issue definitely deserves a look through.

I never thought I'd say this......but GOOD JOB Excellence staff!

Huh? Looks right to me... Sandy and I are glad we had the opportunity to meet you and Nadine and see Huey. Cool car with a great story.

Yeah, I noticed you changed it!! It was great meeting you and Sandy too, as well as all the rest of the 914 RCR crew. I have a buddy that has an 86 928 and a 914 that is REAL intrigued with Alien...

Anyway, there's an interesting backstory to the Excellence article that I'll have to share with everyone when I get a chance....

Thanks, I think...

pete

Pete, I never knew you were on here. you should know...the 914 crowd is tough to please. Just like the 928 crowd, the 944 crowd, etc. etc. etc...

thanks for putting Bob's article in there, though I haven't read it yet in final print form (I read his submission).

so...the backstory on this article.

Back in 2007, Bob Chapman had called me because he was going to be in Charlotte and wanted to know if I could hook him up with any interesting "characters" or old timers that had unique stories to tell. Honestly, I didn't know any, but one thing led to another and we decided to do a story on Huey. Not the Targa Newfoundland experience like what was published in Pano, but more about the car and what got us into this thing to begin with.

So, Bob comes up to Charlotte and we drive Huey all over. The problem was I realized I had no idea where to go for a photo shoot! I mean...we live in Charlotte, not in the mountains! What makes a good photo op? I have no idea.
So we run all over the city looking for the right shot. Not sure if we ever found it, but Bob seemed satisfied.

He was to write the story of before our 2nd year of Targa, about things like prep, improvements from 2006, and we were to keep notes about car stuff along the way of the event.

Well, our experience of Targa 2007 is well documented, and that pretty much flushed that whole story. Bob and I talked, and figured any story would be tabled for a long time while we decide what to do....

Well, Parade 2008 was coming up and we just HAD to have Huey in it, right? So we go about getting him together, leading up to Sunday on the streets of Charlotte.

Now, 4 days earlier, Huey did not have an engine in him. We rushed along getting him together just to be able to drive him onto the city streets and look pretty. Bob Chapman, however, had other ideas "When do I get a chance to drive Huey?"...uh...you want to DRIVE him? um...uh... ok...but ...uh... ...

So off we go, looking for more places for pictures. Huey was not happy, but he made it through. Bob was very kind in his description of that drive. Had we had time to really sort everything out, the drive would have been MUCH better. But he made it through, and there you have the article.

Bob Chapman is quite the professional in his writing and photography (and driving) He has an eye for the money shot, and writes like an enthusiast. We had fun with this...even though we almost didn't make it back to downtown after the shoot!

Anyway, a little insight on the story...

Title fixed.

DON'T TRY TO TELL US YOU'RE NOT DOING TARGA 09!!

(don't wanna hear it.)

OK, then cover your ears.... Or...send me about $20k so we can run it this year.

lalalalalaaaaaaaaa... not hearing you... lalalalalalaaaaa...

do I need to yell louder?

Here's one of Huey, for those that don't get Excellence or know him...
Bob set this picture up...its right up the street from my house and it never occured to me that it made a good location...

Not a pro shot, But a nice angle!

Sweet car! I will have to go check out this months excellence. Nice to have 914world cars in there 2 months in a row.

Come on... we wanna see you win it!

Pete - I am sincere in my comments of the issue. I loved the balance of new/old, and the variety of chassis' covered (944/968 and 914 being my personal favorites). Some issues get a bit overloaded on 911s for my taste. So be it. Issues like this one will hang around for a long time. Thanks for a great issue.

Naro - Congrats once again on the feature, and many props on rebuilding a car many would have hauled off to the scrapyard.

Helio - Never questioned your sincerity, just your tact. If that's a compliment, I'd sure hate to get an insult from you.

Naro - Having done the Targa (TSD, unfortunately) I have to say the 914 is a great pick and very well could win overall. I, too, hope it's your car that will bring the 914 that honor...

Best,

pete

Pete,
Well, if someone could just come up with funding, and time for me....hey, how about an Excellence sponsored entry?

Actually, this year is bad on a lot of fronts: I'm closing Exclusive Motors and will be hit with a HUGE debt because of it, I'm starting a new business and need to devote time, Nadine has a major systems roll out in September, and it's an odd numbered year.... (wrecked Huey in '07, and was the navigator for Casey Holzman when we wrecked his beautiful 911 in '05...) sooooo....MAYBE in 2010....

I finally got my Excellence today. Great layout Pete!! thank you!!!

What really amazes me about this issue is that I know 3 cars in it! Mine, John's 356, and Jarrod's supercharged 997. John and I are working on a friend to get him into a 914 race car (and we all use John Forbes at Black Forest for our work) and I met Jarrod at VIR and have staying in contact ever since - helping with his Club Racing career... (read: I'm helping him spend his money)

Very cool!