billindenver

So, I took the car out to a DE for a shakedown. I have to say, I expected it to be an event much like the PCA DE's in Florida that I long since gave up on...with the cliquish groups of wanna be ****'s running it who don't drive on the track but are there just to flex their in charge status and do everything in their power to take the fun out of a track day. Instead, I found a fantastic group of men and women who are enthusiastic about their porsches and using them in the environment they were intended. I have to say it was the most enjoyable Porsche DE I've ever been to, much like the Chin motorsports events in the southeast.

I met a few Rennlisters there as well and had a great time. It does my heart good to meet like minded track fanatics here in Denver. Thanks go to Michael for renting me some shade! Thanks to the Eurosport guy (I'm sorry man, I'm terrible with names) for the education on the accusump setup...I'm almost sold but have some questions. The car showed a few of the shakedown problems I expected but didn't really expect if you know what I mean. Sure a shakedown means little things will pop up, but I'm so used to my car being reliable that the little things were still irritating. I have a coolant leak somewhere that caused a pegged temp gauge in a session...which resulted in the first time in 10 years that my car has been tow strapped in. A gallon and a half of water later she went back out (Let us pray.... dear Jesus please think kind thoughts about my headgasket and persuade me that it is not the problem...amen). I also need to follow my own advice and put T-bar clamps on the intercooler hoses as one of them popped off twice this weekend....at the worst possible moment of course. Its been a long time since my car had dino oil in it but since she is still breaking in I ran castrol. I hope it is normal for oil pressure to drop by the end of a hard run session...since the pressure was always back up when cool I'm going to run on the hope that it's the oil. I'm nearly ready to call the break in complete since I ran her without mercy all weekend and looking forward to getting redline back in the pan.

La Junta is a short, but none the less fun track. Not a lot of technical corners (no off camber or double apex or anything like that) but it does have a high speed "nut check" corner, some very strategically placed bumpy sections and one corner where second gear is called for. Maybe it's just me but second is a gear seldom in use on any of the tracks I've been on. All in all, a fantastic weekend in which the car stretched her legs a bit and I blew off the winter rust. See you guys at Pueblo in a couple weeks.

CO951

Bill, it was great meeting you! It's good to hear that we in CO showed you that PCA DEs can be a lot of fun. I'm going to try real hard to make it to Pueblo in June.

Mighty Shilling

PICS!

Mighty Shilling

Oh, and it's been my experience with the 924S, that dyno does get thinner and drop oil pressure while at the track. one time I decided to save some cash and go with Castrol in the 924S. took it to second creek, oil pressure at 4 bar on the front straight. with mobil 1 it'd always been at 4.5-5 bar on the front straight. went home, changed oil, and next time at the track, it was normal again.

CO951

Well, my wife was suppose to be taking pictures, but she was probably too busy watching the baby, because I ended up with only two pictures. One holding my 2 months old daughter by my car with Bill in the background. The other is me coming out of turn 7 onto the front straight.

billindenver

A beautiful little girl being brought up to enjoy the racetrack. Brings a tear to my eye..

Just like the tear from the red 951 in the background...with it's hood up. At least its not on the trailer behind it I guess. PUEBLO...2 weeks!

billindenver

Ahhh, found my coolant leak. End tank on the radiator. It is about damn time..this radiator is stock...as in original. It's about time it gave up the ghost...not cracked or anything though, just leaking out of the crimp joint. I guess I could squeeze the crimp but considering the age of the radiator...it's time it was put to rest I think.

Mighty Shilling

I'll play taps for your radiator.

CO951

I'm glad you found that Bill. Are you going to go aftermarket for your replacement?

billindenver

No. $260 from Vertex and my cooling system has another 20 years of trouble free service running in front of it. Even at the elevated boost levels, running in 100+ heat on a sun baked track in Florida I've never had cooling problems. If it's not running hot, a larger, deeper or gold plated radiator won't make it run any cooler.

IMHO

Orrin

Bill,

It was good to meet you! Sorry you had troubles with the boost hose-it happens to the best of us! I'll sort through the lousy pictures I took to see if I got anything worthwhile. Give me a ring or stop by with questions on the Accusump.

Orrin

billindenver

Thanks Orrin, I'll stop in. I would like to see your shop anyway. You did say you have an alignment rack?

Hey, does anyone know a local source of Tbolt clamps? You would think Fastenal would carry them but none in the state they tell me.

CO951

Orrin, what are you doing on here? I thought Greg had you guys working 24x7!

docwyte

Depends on the temp. Last summer at Woody Creek in Aspen, even with Mobil 1 and the KISS oil cooler, I found my oil pressures barely holding 3 bar down the back straight...

I've been beginning to wonder if the 0-40 / 5-30 M1 I used was just too thin...

Oh btw, I think I'm gonna be rejoining the 951 club soon...

schwank

After an almost 90 degree PCA track day today at Portland Int'l, I conferred with several others running 931s and 951s (Me in NA 944), and all 3 of us experienced a drop in oil pressure by the end of each session. The 944 and the 931 were on M1 15-50 and the 951 on M1 5-50.

Each session mine would drop to 4 bar at full throttle by the end when on the street it is always 5. Also 2.5 at idle when I came off but normally 3.5 when warm. But by the time I left and drove the 20 minutes home my pressure was fine again.