The Porsche Community
09-09-2001, 03:55 PM
#1
Race Car
Thread Starter
The Porsche Community
I want to share what happened to me yesterday at the NNJR/PCA Autocross, as a way to say thanks, and as a reminder to others of what a great bunch of people we can be.
I was halfway into a great event, the morning had included 4 runs which I was very happy with. I am still new at this (this was my 4th PCA event), but something clicked for me in the first couple runs and this rookie started turning in times that weren't out of place with some of the veterans in the class. I was really looking forward to the afternoon set when my little disaster happened. They had called the afternoon even numbered cars to the grid, and I (#8) had gotten into my spot and had the engine running to let it warm up. As I started to put on my helmet, I heard the cooling fan come on, and a few seconds later the call came to send the first 4 cars to the start line. As if on cue as the # 2 car started to move I heard a loud roar and through the cloud saw people waving to me to shut down.
Nothing like a burst hose to ruin an afternoon, but I am grateful I didn't get to the start line where the puddle would have been a PROBLEM for everyone. Evidently, when I had all my hoses changed last winter, the shop forgot about the little elbow at the back of the engine that leads to the heater control valve.
Numerous people immediatly offered to help push the car off the grid, but as it wasn't in anyones way we decided to wait until it cooled off a bit.
Normally, my wife comes to these events with me, but since she hadn't been feeling well she had stayed this time so I called her to come out in her car thinking she could take me to find an auto parts place in the area. She asked if she should bring tools and I realized it would be easier to buy what we needed than explain to her what it was.
In the 45 minutes it took her to get there, a number of people offered various kinds of help. First was the guy in the #2 car(s) who dropped off his toolbox incase I needed anything (since I was alone that day I had decided to travel light and had brought only air, oil and lunch) which would at least allow me to remove the burst hose, to take it with me to the auto parts store and match it up. Turns out he had tire clearance problems on his Trans Am and his friend had arranged for him to finish out the event co-driving his 951. Next was a fellow I had met earlier who stopped by to see what the problem was, when he saw the piece of hose he said he might have something that would help. In amazement I followed him over to his 914 where he opened his hood, pulled off a piece of heater hose off his own engine (he uses it for air line)and showed me that it was indeed the same size. He pointed out that he had some slack and cut off a piece. He is a poster in the 914 forum so "THANKS AGAIN if you see this". As I was installing this hose I must have had another dozen people offer tips, tricks, tools, luck etc.
By the time my wife got there I was almost done getting the hose in, and the only remaining obsticle was the lack of liquid in the cooling system. I had already been told that the club president lived nearby, and when I asked him about where to find a parts store he offered to lead me there. When my wife told him all I needed was coolant at that point, he found out where the stadium kept a hose. I drove the car home that evening, somewhat of an accomplishment for someone with no tools, no spare parts, nothing but a parking lot full of good people.
I was halfway into a great event, the morning had included 4 runs which I was very happy with. I am still new at this (this was my 4th PCA event), but something clicked for me in the first couple runs and this rookie started turning in times that weren't out of place with some of the veterans in the class. I was really looking forward to the afternoon set when my little disaster happened. They had called the afternoon even numbered cars to the grid, and I (#8) had gotten into my spot and had the engine running to let it warm up. As I started to put on my helmet, I heard the cooling fan come on, and a few seconds later the call came to send the first 4 cars to the start line. As if on cue as the # 2 car started to move I heard a loud roar and through the cloud saw people waving to me to shut down.
Nothing like a burst hose to ruin an afternoon, but I am grateful I didn't get to the start line where the puddle would have been a PROBLEM for everyone. Evidently, when I had all my hoses changed last winter, the shop forgot about the little elbow at the back of the engine that leads to the heater control valve.
Numerous people immediatly offered to help push the car off the grid, but as it wasn't in anyones way we decided to wait until it cooled off a bit.
Normally, my wife comes to these events with me, but since she hadn't been feeling well she had stayed this time so I called her to come out in her car thinking she could take me to find an auto parts place in the area. She asked if she should bring tools and I realized it would be easier to buy what we needed than explain to her what it was.
In the 45 minutes it took her to get there, a number of people offered various kinds of help. First was the guy in the #2 car(s) who dropped off his toolbox incase I needed anything (since I was alone that day I had decided to travel light and had brought only air, oil and lunch) which would at least allow me to remove the burst hose, to take it with me to the auto parts store and match it up. Turns out he had tire clearance problems on his Trans Am and his friend had arranged for him to finish out the event co-driving his 951. Next was a fellow I had met earlier who stopped by to see what the problem was, when he saw the piece of hose he said he might have something that would help. In amazement I followed him over to his 914 where he opened his hood, pulled off a piece of heater hose off his own engine (he uses it for air line)and showed me that it was indeed the same size. He pointed out that he had some slack and cut off a piece. He is a poster in the 914 forum so "THANKS AGAIN if you see this". As I was installing this hose I must have had another dozen people offer tips, tricks, tools, luck etc.
By the time my wife got there I was almost done getting the hose in, and the only remaining obsticle was the lack of liquid in the cooling system. I had already been told that the club president lived nearby, and when I asked him about where to find a parts store he offered to lead me there. When my wife told him all I needed was coolant at that point, he found out where the stadium kept a hose. I drove the car home that evening, somewhat of an accomplishment for someone with no tools, no spare parts, nothing but a parking lot full of good people.
