The Final Stages

Pictures of progress:

New shocks installed

Transmission coming together

The secret weapon uncloaked!

It's not really a secret weapon, it's an LSD that I'm rebuilding with Guard guts. I'm told it's worth 2 seconds ;)

And a fun video from the Watkins Glen Club Race last year:

http://www.vimeo.com/11124739

My shocks are here!

Truechoice Koni Racing is AWESOME!

They rebuilt my rear shocks to match the shocks I was going to buy but had to rethink due to the backorder. They look brand new.

They did this in 9 days round trip. And it only cost $40 each for expedited service.

With lap times down on the new pavement at Summit Point I can't wait to get my new set up on the track!

Secret Weapon Revealed!

Finally, pictures of the secret weapon!

Oh, wait, that didn't come out well at all.

Let me try another one.

Oh heck, not good either.

Well, I'll try again next time.

Foiled!

Foiled by a mislabeled part! An unnamed parts supplier (not OG) sent the wrong synchros so 3rd gear remains in pieces as does the car. Meanwhile, Nasa enjoyed a race weekend on the newly paved Summit Point main track. Wish I could have been there.

On a good note, Jeff and I fitted my new (to me) rear wing. It's fiberglass, weighs 15lbs less than the factory wing, is a little longer and a little wider. I'm told it's worth 2 seconds at Summit. Maybe 3 at VIR. It needs paint and clasps ilo the catch but otherwise it fits pretty well.

Here are some pics:

Plan B!

It seems that the beginning of the racing season may not be the best time to order stuff. My rear Konis are back ordered until the end of June. Big bummer. Plan B is now in full swing. Since the engine is out I can get the rear shocks out in seconds. TruChoice can re-valve for my specific application in a week for a small extra fee. What that means is that my schedule has been moved up! I'll now be able to get the car back together sooner! I'll have my re-valved shocks next week instead of May 1! Yeah!

Now if I could only find some talent by the end of April . . .

3rd gear is toast!

Spent the weekend at Jeff's house. Jeff does a lot of the wrenching on my car while I stand around and ask dumb questions. Sort of like my day job where I question the way every one is doing whatever it is they they are doing. I must say, "are you doing that right?" a hundred times a day.

We dropped my engine and dove into investigating my 3rd gear grind. When we opened the drain plug to empty $70 of Swepco into a catch basin a gear tooth clattered across the garage floor. It didn't get better from there. Turns out the 3rd gear dog teeth are almost completely rounded off and the nearly new syncro ring is worn smooth. It must be substandard parts because my coach at VIR said I was a very good shifter :)

Screw it, I'll just buy a GT3 Cup for next season.

On another note, I've seen the secret weapon. I cannot say where but I can say it is close, very close . . .

My secret weapon is almost in my hands!

This weekend, at an unnamed location, I'm going to acquire my secret weapon. I'm also going to begin to rebuild my 3rd gear. 915 transmissions are finicky and old. Mostly old. It always amazes me to get out of the 911 and into the Boxster and realize how far transmissions have come. And the Boxster is 9 years old now!

With third gear fixed and new shocks I should be at least 6 seconds faster! OK, maybe .6 but at least I'll be eliminating one of my "goto" excuses :)

I also saw that SUmmit Point Main was getting paved! Hooray! last time they paved the track records fell by the dozens! The Nasa race should be great on April 17/18!

nOObs

What a great day. The weather was perfect, sunny and clear. Perfect weather for teaching the next batch of sports car enthusiasts the basics of high speed driving.

PCA hosts a High Performance Driving Clinic twice a year on the Jefferson Circuit at Summit Point. This on track and classroom program is a terrific introduction to driving your car at speed on a race track. Obviously this is something that many people who purchase a Porsche or other sports car will want to try.

The day starts with braking exercises, slalom exercises, and skid pad. Its a lot of cars flying around the track with instructors jumping in and out. Each student runs each exercise a half a dozen times then its time for lunch.

After lunch the fun begins as the students are let loose on the track under the capable guidance of the PCA Instructors. There is a wide variety of skill levels. It is pretty amazing to see how one person will get the braking exercise easily but slalom will completely mess them up. Then, as they try to put it all together, how each deals with what is admittedly an overwhelming experience. So much sensory overload! My student did very well and will go on to have a lot of fun at DE's in the future.

The instructors got a 30 minute session on track which left me wanting more, much more. I drove to the track this morning so I had my street tires on. That actually turned out to be a lot of fun. Lots of moving around. I haven't been on track on streets for years. I'm not sure my student appreciated it as the car moved around a LOT when I took him out for some hot laps :).

All in all, a very good day. New students are great as 99% of them leave with HUGE grins and the enjoyment of sharing your passion with a group of like minded people is a day very well spent.