The Balthasars

1990 911 C4 Cabriolet (964)
Upgrade Journal & Track Log
Minor Service is not included in this Journal
jbalthas@yahoo.com

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August 1999 Car is purchased with about 56,000 miles on it for around $33,000; August 31,2000 56,376 miles; Regular maintenance: AutoSport Engineering in Stow, MA; Initial service performed ($446.69)
September 3, 1999 Cosmetic Upgrade #1: WheelEnhancement.com; Wheels and Tires Purchased ($2646.00); 17" 996 wheels with Pirelli PZero tires; Center caps and lugs were very expensive; Great new look!!!
October 14, 1999 AutoSport Engineering in Stow, MA; Major Mechanical Maintenance #1 59,283 miles; 60,000 mile service performed ($1338.52)
November 2000 Maintenance / Cosmetic Upgrade #2; New convertible top installed.  Old one was looking ratty.  New one is premium German, not Porsche.  Considerably more affordable that OE, but still very expensive. ($2200)
April 4, 2000 Cosmetic Upgrade #3: River Street Collision, Dedham, MA ($239.44); Parts purchased from Performance products ($1138.60); "Performance Wing" added to rear spoiler.  Now visible from rear-view mirror.  Driving enjoyment and appearance in enhanced. 3rd Brake-light extension is added.  Increases uniqueness of the appearance, but some say it looks goofy. New tail-lights installed.  Old lights were cracked and contained condensation.  Also an expensive endeavor, these now make the car appear "like-new". Touch-up paint applied by the body shop and dings addressed by Dent Wizard.  New driver-side rear bumper piece purchased and installed to accommodate dual exhaust.  Gives OE appearance.  I have seen other club members cars with dual exhaust, where the original piece has a clean, but noticeable cut-out for the new tailpipe, vs mine which has the details of factory bodywork.  Original piece is retained and in-tact.
April 12, 2000 Performance Upgrade #1 - EPE, Framingham, MA ($2194.86); - Andial Performance Computer Chip (requires 93 octane fuel); - B&B performance muffler with dual exhaust; - Airbox modification (large hole added); Great new sound, and performance!!!!!!  Engine seems to really enjoy the upper end of the RPM range; Fire Extinguisher also installed
May 2000 Stereo upgraded to CD in-dash unit with high wattage. Original unit is retained and in good condition.
May 24, 2000 - June 22, 2000 Racing-specific Upgrade #1: EPE, Framingham, MA ($1901.99); Roll-bar added (first in May, then redone in June).  New Battery also added.  Considerable effort was employed to get the correct roll-bar installed, as EPE originally installed a poorly fitting unit.  Seat travel was compromised to an unacceptable level and more importantly, the car would not pass the "broomstick rule".  Helmets were purchased for Jack and Caroline (online at Helmet City for $420 on 5/2/00).  May 24, 2000 mileage = 64,100; June 22, 2000 mileage = 66,623
May 31-June1, 2000 Driver's Ed #1 48 Hours at Watkins Glen hosted by PCA Zone1.  On-Track Insurance policy purchased to cover Driver's Ed events for 1 year (for $450.00).  Original wheels and tires were used to save wear and tear on the new 17" set; Great experience, of course.  Caroline had a very good instructor from Florida named Mark.  On the conservative side, but he was perfect for Caroline on the first time out. Introduced her to "shuffle-steering".  Spent an enormous amount of time with her, throughout the 2 days, coaching and telling stories.  She learned the line to perfection, but spent little time at super-high speed, which became apparent at the next event when she began to ease into the concept of heavy braking.  Overall, very smooth habits were formed.  My instructor was a nerdy guy from PA, who had a difficult time trying to teach me about the benefits of a smooth touch on the gas pedal.  This was the focus of our 2-day session, with tempers flaring.  He was concerned that I was too heavy on the gas during the turns.  The car ran very well, and Caroline was quite impressed by the power, especially uphill.  We did not do the pre-event track walk, and we suffered the consequences - Watkins Glen is a very large track and we never really were completely comfortable with the layout, even at the end of the 2 days.  We stayed at the Idlewilde B&B which was very nice, but quite expensive.  We enjoyed a dinner at Maxie's supper Club for the first time. We also took part in the Zone 1 dinner at the Glen Club.  We met a nice guy named Chris who was also staying at Idlewilde, along with his beautiful blue 996 coupe.
July 3-4, 2000 Driver's Ed #2 48 Hours at Watkins Glen hosted by PCA Zone1.  New magnetic numbers begin to be used. (purchased online through Pro-Tape Signs and Graphics for $108.50 on 6/13/00).  New 17" set of wheels / tires used for looks and performance.  We learned our lesson and took advantage of the pre-event track walk this time and we benefited considerably.  We were more comfortable with the track layout going into this event than we were at the end of the previous session.  I had a crazy instructor named Marty Finkle from Albany. He has an equally crazy blue race car.  He is a regular PCA club racer.  His son was driving a nice red 944S2 in my run group.  He really matched my style, and the only drawback was that I was being pushed to a dangerous level - but it was Great!!!!!  I almost got into major trouble on the 2nd run of the first day, when I really goofed on turn 1 and ended up with 4 wheels on the white track-extension.  I was flagged at the end of the run and had to explain my ineptitude in the pits.  They were glad to hear that it was a mistake and I learned something, rather than a joyriding situation.  Caroline's instructor was driving an old, white 911.  He shared it with his son and they made the trip to the Glen together in the car, from Maine.  He was pretty quiet, not going out of his way to offer any coaching to Caroline.  She progressed as a driver, mostly via a normal experience curve.  As stated earlier, she began to increase her speed and in turn, recognize the need for heavy braking.  The car was performing quite well.  We each got in one run the second day, and my instructor was so pleased with my progress that he planned to sign me off on the last run, if the second run went as expected. Unfortunately, the car did not cooperate.  On the way to lunch I noticed a clunking sound coming from the rear of the car.  I had some of the other drivers listen to the noises and it was determined to be an engine problem.  The recommendation was to not drive it, so we were left stranded in wine country.  We ended up renting a car to get back to Buffalo, and flat-bedding the Porsche back to Randolph Racing where a new clutch was installed.  Although we were very disappointed in the condition of the car, and the fact that our event was cut short, and the fact that I missed out on getting signed off, we still had a wonderful time!!!!  This time, while in Watkins Glen, we stayed at the Glen Motor Inn - not as nice but much less expensive.  Nice fireworks show off the back patio of our Motel room.  We went to Maxie's once again.  And, once again, we took part in the Zone 1 dinner at the Glen Club.
July 22, 2000 Major Mechanical Maintenance #2 / Performance Upgrade #2: Randolph Racing; Single-Mass flywheel and performance clutch assembly installed ($2780.04); 68,000 miles
July 2000  Autocross Hosted by PCA Northeast Region at Fort Devens; It was interesting to see the other cars
September 26, 2000 Racing-specific Upgrade #2 / Performance Upgrade #3: Randolph Racing; Catalytic Converter is replaced with a test-pipe.  Performance is noticeably enhanced.  5-point Simpson Harnesses added for driver and passenger. Cam-Lock system and clip-in systems are employed.  Race/Street brake pads and new Porsche OE rotors are installed.  Begin use of Mobil One Oil. ($2466.99); Mileage = 70,828
October 12-13, 2000 72,000 miles on odometer; Driver's Ed #3; 2 days at Watkins Glen hosted by PCA Northern New Jersey Region.  We arrived early on Sunday, ready for the pre-event trackwalk, but we learned that there were no arrangements for that activity.  We arrived at the track the next day to find rainy and snowy weather.  We heard that a BMW rolled between turns 10 and 11 on Sunday, due to the slick conditions (and probably unsafe driving).  Because of a limited number of run groups, including only one novice group, Caroline and I had to share an instructor.  We each could only participate in half of the event, so we only paid for one admission, vs two as we normally do.  The NNJ region format results in 4 runs per group each day, one more that Zone 1.  So as Caroline and I were used to 3 runs each per day, we would get 2 per day in this format, for 1/2 price. Although we would rather drive more and pay more, we had no choice, so this didn't sound too bad.  My first run was cut short because the event was running behind, plus my instructor was missing, so some time was lost finding a replacement.  Bill, the Head Instructor, drove my car for 2 laps, and I then drove for just the final caution lap - some run!!  The rest of the day was rainy so we ran conservatively.  The following day, Arlene, our instructor arrived.  She was great!!  My first run went very well, in rainy conditions.  Caroline took the second run, also in the rain.  After lunch, I had a great dry run, and due to a late black flag for the group, we pitted, and Arlene let me take the car out solo for the remainder of the run!! Sort of a sign-off. She said she would have signed me off for a full run, except that was the end of the day for me.  She also said that I would have done fine in the more advanced run group.  I felt great - and so did my ego!!!  Caroline also had a great run that afternoon, and Arlene said that she would also be signed off if there was one more run.  Overall, a very exciting event, although it would have been infinitely better if the entire event was dry, and if we could have run as 2 full drivers, rather that splitting our driving time.  The car ran awesome, with the catalytic converter removed.  I ran a 50/50 mix of Mobil 93 and 110 octane racing fuel.  We both enjoyed the feel of the harnesses, and Caroline commented that she now knows why they are required, as her speed continued to increase during this event.  Once again, we stayed at the Glen Motor Inn - this time, a new Porsche Turbo parked next to us.  Of course it was another PCA member who want to test his new Tiptronic coupe on the track!!  We also ate at Maxie's on the first night.  Because there was no club dinner scheduled the second night, we ventured into town and found a great restaurant that is on the first floor of an old hotel that is currently being renovated.  We spent some time in the photographer's trailer, where we learned about Nikon's D1 digital camera and we saw some terrific photos.
January, 2001 74,000 miles on odometer; Engine work:  I bought some 993 Pistons and Cylinders on e-bay for $540.00, from a 1997 911 with 13,000 miles.  The donor car is being upgraded from stock 3.6 liter to 3.8 liter, which increases the cylinders from 100mm to 102mm.  Mahle offers the best solution, with 2 options: either the same outer diameter for the cylinders - so and easy installation (but the downside is that the thickness of the cylinders is decreased), OR larger cylinders which are more reliable in race conditions (with the downside of a requirement for work on the engine block - increasing the size of the "registers" which house the cylinders).  I considered this upgrade myself, but I was scared off by the risks.  Anyway, I picked up a new SUV (Infiniti QX4), and dropped off the Porsche for a month or so of service.  It is going to get a full engine rebuild (depending on what is necessary).  The 993 P&C will be sent to the machine shop and fitted into my engine.  I also purchased RS engine and transmission mounts from Windward Performance .  These are advertised to improve the feel of the shifter.  I considered a short-shift kit, but was advised to try this first.  Other planned work on the engine: powder coating for fan, shrowd, and some other metal; & installation of a cone air filter. I am also considering some suspension work.  I purchased a Brey-Krause strut tower brace from Windward.  I am going to have the springs, shocks, and sway bars checked.  I also plan to have a new leather shifter installed, after I purchase it from AGLA, who advertise in Panorama.  I also plan to take the car back to River Street Collision to remove the third-brake-light, which looks a little silly, and I'll have them install a small light under the spoiler add-on (see above)
February, 2001 75,000 miles on odometer; Engine work/Major Service ($11,300): Picked up the car from Kevin at Randolph Racing.  Engine has been rebuilt and it runs quite well. Idles high, but Kevin suggests that I drive as it is for 600-700 miles to break in the engine.  The plan would be to attack the idle problem during the post-break-in valve adjustment and service.  In addition to the rebuild, I had new RS motor mounts installed.  I also had my calipers painted red as suggested on the P-Car site, but my implementation was a significantly larger project because the powder-coat shop wanted the calipers completely disassembled, so they ended up getting rebuilt.  I also got new brake lines, etc, so in the end, I embarrassed to say how much this "small" job ended up costing!  The shock tower brace is on and so is the cone air filter.  At this moment, the car is back in the shop, getting the post-break-in service done, and I am also having an RS transmission mount installed.  I also ordered in an H&R Coil-Over Suspension from Windward.  The shipping has been delayed due to numerous snafus, but I am still hoping to get it installed by Thursday, March 15, when I need to pick the car up and drive to Connecticut for a 2-day event at Lime Rock Park.
March, 2001 76,000 miles on odometer; Engine Work ($500): Post break-in service including valve adjustment, oil change, etc.  Also received new (used) Air Flow Meter, which helped with the idle problem.  One more note, the transmission mount ended up being the wrong part, probably only good for a C2, so I sent it back to Windward.  Suspension Work ($3,000): The new suspension is in and working out quite well.  Still waiting to get the car on the track - so I'll provide an update afterwards.  Tires ($600): Found a bubble on the outer wall of my front driver tire, so I decided to get 3 new tires.  The fourth, the rear passenger tire, was replaced late last year after I drove into a curb.(oops!)  Body work ($170):  Had a new, less obnoxious 3rd brake light installed (still waiting for the other one to be removed).  Also had the annoying cell-phone antenna removed from the front passenger fender.  Lastly, new hood-shocks were installed for the engine compartment.  
Regarding driving, I signed up for the CVR early event, scheduled for March 16 and 17 at Lime Rock Park, only to have it cancelled the week before.  Afterwards, I got on a wait list for their March 30 and 31st event, also at Lime Rock.  After driving all the way out there on the 29th, getting up at 6am, standing around for two hours in the cold rain at the track, going through tech, and participating in the driver's meeting, the track folks decided that the conditions were not quite good enough.  To close out the month, I found out that the NER event at NHIS scheduled for April 9th was just cancelled.  0 for 3 for driving events...
April, 2001  77,000 miles on odometer;  I had the 3rd brake light removed and now the tail looks much better.  I also bought new factory Porsche 993 mirrors ($400) and had them painted by River St Collision.  With the help of Kevin at Randolph Racing, I put on the new mirrors and they look great!!  
Regarding driving, I finally got the 2001 season started with an Autocross School hosted by PCA NER.  Click here for pictures. Caroline and I attended and we had a blast!  We really learned alot, and I'm sure that we will do better than we did last year.  I had the camera mount set up (purchased from HMS for $90, and I borrowed a camcorder from a friend) - so we got some great footage.  Also, thanks to some great weather in the high 70s, we got to enjoy open-air driving for the first time this year. 
May, 2001 77,000 miles on odometer;  So far, the month has been great!!  Caroline and I enjoyed the first Autocross event of the season at Fort Devins. Click here for pictures and results.   We did really well, and even received plaques for our efforts!   We drove separately to the event, me in the Porsche and Caroline in the truck, so we were able to bring along the bikes.  This turned out to be a worthwhile effort, as the bikes allowed us to learn the course.  
After the Autocross event, I drove directly to New Hampshire, checking into a hotel on Sunday night in preparation for a 2-day event at New Hampshire Int'l Speedway.  Click here for pictures and video! I had a difficult time the first day as I was learning the course, but I had a terrific 2nd day.  My first instructor, Jeff Goldberg, was very patient.  I kept missing the apexes and the line, and the braking zones.  At one point, we had to pull into the pits because he was car-sick!!  (He said it wasn't my fault.)  Jeff drives a black 911 with an interesting use of racer tape on the front lights.  Metro PCA region insist that you have a different instructor each day, so Greg Becker helped out on the 2nd day.  Greg drives a white 914-6, and gets every ounce of performance out of that car.  He taught me a slightly different line off the front straight, into the South infield.  Also, he had to teach me the about the North infield, because we ran the North NASCAR oval the first day.  It was a great day as I felt infinitely more comfortable on the track, having learned the line, etc.  I ran the 50/50 mix of street gas and 110.
Brake work - Bought a Cool Brake kit from OG Racing.   They are one of the only sources of this type of kit for the 964 series cars.  I also cross-drilled rotors from Vertex.  I arranged for Kevin at Randolph Racing to help out.  He suggested waiting to install the rotors, as my current ones are fairly new, but he did order in some Pagid Orange pads.  The Cool-Brake kit has been problematic. The lower scoop on the Driver side came off while Kevin took the car on a road test.  He re-installed it and those scoops have been OK, despite the lack of ground clearance, thanks in part to my new suspension.  While at Watkins Glen (see below), Caroline had trouble with the passenger-side duct-work at the caliper.  Basically, the upper scoop got chewed up and spit out.  The hose is in rough shape, but the lower scoop is in tact.  I am planning on calling OG to try to get some new parts.  I may also go to Performance Products for scoops that integrate into my bumper/spoiler, by removing the fog lights.  (Not sure about this at this time, as the lower scoops seem to be OK, but I retain some concern on the lack of ground clearance.)  I also had the oil changed and Kevin thought it looked extremely clean.  He did find a loose connector in the ignition system, improving the smoothness of the engine.  The Cool Brake kit was about $300, the pads were about $300, and installation was also about $300.  
Caroline and I drove the car to Watkins Glen  for a 2-day event over Memorial Day weekend.  (It has been a busy May!!)  Anyway, everything went great, other than the CoolBrake issue mentioned above.  I was signed off after 2 runs, and drove solo for the 3rd run on Saturday and all 3 runs on Sunday (our 4th runs were rained out, but considering it was supposed to rain all weekend, and it was mostly clear, we didn't mind too much).  Caroline was signed off after the first run on Sunday, and she drove solo for the 2nd and 3rd run that day.  Both instructors raved about the car, mostly on the performance but also about the looks.  The car is really in great shape, although I still need to resolve the brake issues and I still need to get some track tires (and wheels).  I didn't take my camera, or my new camcorder (thanks to Caroline for the birthday present), because we wanted to travel lightly, and I thought it was going to rain constantly.  I saw some great cars there including a Corvette Grand Sport replica, so I decided to buy a disposable camera because I am addicted to taking photos.  This was the first DE event that we attended where non-Porsches were allowed.  I will get those photos developed and scanned in asap.  We started timing our laps and Caroline was coming in around 2:46 and I was hitting about 2:40, although we only timed a handful of laps, and we weren't too scientific about it.  It's going to be awhile before I am ready for Club Racing, as the Class winners for my group come in around 2:15.  I plan to use the camcorder next time to get more exact timing.  I ran a 50/50 mix of 110 Octane and street gas (Sunoco 94).  We stayed at the Glen Motor Inn and had dinner on Seneca Lake at a cool place called the StoneCat Cafe.  
June, 2001 78,500 miles on odometer.  Well, I started off the month worried about brakes, based on the heavier braking and frequent ABS activation at the track, brake fading, and the failure of the Cool Brake project.  I was actually considering Big Reds when I sent an e-mail to the 964 Rennlist (which is really a great tool) and got some great feedback.  After describing my situation, I received several responses stating that my problem was mostly due to tires.  The ABS kicks in when the tires lose grip.  They were slipping because I was going so fast (at the limit) on street tires.  The recommendation was to invest in track tires, rather than brakes.  (Also, that after I became more experienced, I would not brake as heavily).  So, I bought a set of used take-offs from a guy who got them a year ago at Wheel Enhancement.  They are identical to the ones that I purchased in September 1999, except that they are in much better shape.  So, I bought them for $1050, and I got a set of Hoosiers ($850) from Tire Rack, and swapped my street tires onto the new rims and mounted the Hoosiers onto my existing wheels. 
On the 24th, I attended the second NER Autocross, but Caroline did not compete.  I ran with the street tires and came in 4th place for my run group.  I was disappointed with my performance, but I am already getting ready for the third event on July 15th.  Caroline will be back to provide some friendly competition, and we will be running on track tires, so there are high expectations!
For the Watkins Glen event at the end of the month, Sam Miller (a fellow customer of Randolph Racing) helped out by carting our new tires to the event in his truck.  We arrived at the track at 7am, and proceeded to unload the car, tech it, and then change the wheels.  My first day of the 2-day Zone 1 event was a real disappointment.  The first session was OK, although I spent most of it getting in the groove.  I did well enough where no cars passed me, and that was a great feeling for my first time in the white run group, but I knew I was missing alot of the apexes, and it wasn't until the end of the run that I felt good about my driving.  The second run was much better, as I really was feeling great, but we got stuck in a full-course yellow status for atleast half of the session, due to a 914 with mechanical problems.  The third session was a total wash, as I was stuck behind a 12-car train for 3 laps, then it started to pour rain.  I stayed out and had the track to myself, learning the line and practicing on the wet, for 2 laps.  The session was then black-flagged because a car spun and hit the armco (blue guide rails) right before the bus-stop (small chicane at the end of the back straight). 
Caroline's first day was much better, as she had 3 clean runs (no rain, to speak of).  Kevin from Randolph Racing was at the track because he had several customers at the event.  He and I watched Caroline's third session from a location that Kevin chose.  We stood on barrels at the end of the back straight, watching Caroline pass a lot of slow cars and she was keeping up with the fast ones.  In the end she passed even the fastest in her session - a white 930 and a yellow RS America.  It was very exciting.  Kevin was very impressed!
On the second day, we had the reverse experience - I had 3 great sessions and Caroline got the shaft.  The highlight of my day was not only keeping up with the fastest cars in my group, but passing several of the top guns, including a GT3 factory race car.  I got him early in my second session, and stayed far ahead for most of the run, but he caught me on the last lap before the checker.  I got behind a slower car, and slacked off a bit, and he was right there to pass me by.  I also went off-track twice after turn 1: once was a minor 2 off, and one was a major 2-off.  I recovered nicely both times, but I had to speak to the track folks at pit-out to explain myself.  I now understand what I was doing incorrectly (driving in my rear-view mirror), and I think I've "fixed" it.  Caroline filmed my third session and after review, I see that I am running laps at 2:30.  I figure that I need to shave another 10 seconds off in order to be prepared to compete in Club Racing.
Caroline's second day was ruined by a minor mechanical problem (fuel filter) which prohibited her from running in the first session, a rain-soaked second session where she had to drive very conservatively, and a rained out third session, as they closed the event because of the weather. 
Overall, we each had one great day and we are both proud of our performance.  Once again, after the event, we were so excited that we were unable to talk about anything else.  We are looking forward to the 3-day event in August, where we'll run a the Glen with the Northern New Jersey Region. 
July 2001 80,500 miles on odometer.  We just finished the Watkins Glen event and we have our tires in Sam's truck, ready to go for the Mont Tremblant event later this month.  I just purchased a set of Autocross tires for the July 15th event and the July24th Autocross test day.  I will mount those on my 16" wheels that came with the car.  These are ugly and they don't offer alot of brake cooling, but I think they would be great for Autocross.
81,800 miles on odometer.  July 15 Autocross went very well!!   New BFG R1 tires were OK; we still need to fine-tune the setup, as we had alot of ungdersteer.  We had a total of 7 driver's in our group, and Caroline came in 3rd and Jack came in 2nd!!  Click here for video, results, and some pictures of a few older Porsches.  Having some minor issues with the car, including the fuel delivery issue noted above, and an ABS problem that includes an indicator light and beeper. 
83,000 miles on odometer.  July 20-22 Mont Tremblant was eventful!!  We were worried before we left, as the car did not receive the proper service, due to a vacation that my mechanic took b(the nerve!!).  The ABS system was down, with the dash warning light blaring.  The fuel problem (see above) was still not resolved, and - on the way up to Montreal, as we were driving through downtown Boston, a new light illuminated.  We decided to drive to Randolph Racing, delaying our trip.  We found that the new light was for the belts, falsely indicating a loose or worn belt.  Kevin disabled the light and sent us on our way.  The car is in the shop now (see below) and we didn't have any belt problems. 
We were back on our way, and arrived in Mont Tremblant late Thursday evening, to find a great room in a terrific resort hotel.  We had a great time in the resort village, enjoying dinners, late night drinks and cappuccino, and shopping.  
At the track, we had a half-day on Friday, as we drove only in the morning on the south loop.  Caroline had Susanna Weber and I had Bob Tucker for instructors.  On Saturday, we were on the full course and it was quite exciting - particularly turn 1 to turn 3 - "Le Diable".  Full speed down the front straight, tap the brakes to settle the car, then up and over a blind turn / hill, maintenance throttle to heavy gas through the entire maneuver.  I blew a rear tire at the end of the day Saturday, on my final session, just before the checker.  Talon Tire was at the track from Montreal, with a truckload of tires and a balancer, etc.  They did not have my size in Hoosiers or Kumhos, so I thought I'd have to mount the street tires.  Luckily, Russ Castagna just replaced his two front tires, which matched my rears.  One of his had some flat spots, but the other was still in OK shape - so the tire guys mounted and balanced it for me - at no charge!!  Caroline missed her last run, but she did get 3 full runs in that day.  
On Sunday, we were excited to apply all of our track knowledge learned the days before, and we were preparing to go solo.  I ran twice with the instructor, then I went solo.  Despite the best intentions to drive in a cautious manner, I really was going all out.  As the session was nearing the end, I blew the blind turn over the hill and spun 360 degrees down the hill.  It was pretty scary!!  I put both feet in (clutch and brake), and didn't hit anything, luckily!!  After receiving a signal from the flagger, I got back on track, but found the tires making quite a bit of noise.  I pulled off again safely, onto the short-course cutover, and found that the tires had plenty of air, so I continued on.  They still drove poorly, so I checked them again when I came in.  Caroline was about to go out for her third run, when our friend Jose noticed that the front tires were seriously flat-spotted, down to the cord!!  So we mounted the PZero's and let Caroline take her last run on the streeties.  She was having a pretty good run, until she spun 180 degrees in the low-speed esses.  I decided to skip my last run, mainly because I was still shook up.  Caroline was not really rattled after her spin, but we were both quite grateful that we didn't harm ourselves, anyone else, or the car. 
Although I don't have any video from our spins, there are some good pictures and an exciting video on my Tremblant page.
So, we had a tough trip back, as we were quite tired.  We left around 5pm and got in to Quincy around midnight.  It was not easy getting up for work on Monday!!  The car is now in the shop, with Kevin directed to focus on the fuel/engine cut-out issue.  The ABS light went out on the way in to the shop (go figure), and I tested the ABS system and it is back to working order.  Kevin took the car to the dealer to get it on the computer, in order to read the data from the ABS computer, but it did not have any info to report. 
Last bit of news so far is that I bought a Trailex trailer today, and it should be ready in a couple of weeks.  More on that when it arrives!!
We decided to attend the Rennsport Reunion at Lime Rock on Saturday, July 28, 2001.  I took some great pictures, that I loaded up onto the NER photo page that I manage.  Caroline and I had a great time, although it was a long day.  We picked up Sam and Nicole in Needham at 7:45am, and drove 3.5 hours out to Lime Rock, CT, stopping at a grungy cafe in the Berkshires for omelets.  We really enjoyed seeing the historic cars including 917, 906, 910, 956, 962, etc.  We got to see our first Club Race toward the end of the day.  
Next - we're not sure!!  We are increasingly frustrated with the waitlist status for the DE events that we are registering for...
August, 2001  84,000 miles on odometer.  Another busy month! First, we had Kevin at Randolph Racing address the fuel issue by draining the gas tank, cleaning it out, and putting it back in.  He also installed a fuel pump and a relay.  Kevin did some fine-tuning to the intake manifold, adding some new hoses, which provide improved smoothness and enhanced performance.  I also needed a few sets of brake pads and some other minor work for a total of $1545 in parts & labor.  I also purchased 4 new Hoosiers from Russ Castagna at $800 in preparation for upcoming events.
So we missed out on the Reisentoter Watkins Glen event, which worked out, because that gave Kevin some extra time with the car.  We did get in to the NNJR Glen event at the last minute, and we arranged to pick up our new trailer in Buffalo afterwards, so we drove the car and the truck to the event.  There was plenty of room for all of our junk and the 4 track wheels/tires in the truck.  Caroline drove the truck and I drove the car, and we stayed at the Glen Motor Inn.  They are really getting used to seeing us there, and we are starting to enjoy the hospitality.  We had dinner at Maxie's on Friday night and at the Glen Motor Inn restaurant on Saturday.  It was quite good!  
The event was interesting in that although the car had been running like a top ever since I picked up from the shop, it immediately started to act up on the track!  We went for the first half of the event (1.5 days) running on 5 cylinders, as we couldn't figure out why it was down on power.  All we needed to do was have one of the mechanics from the NJ region have a listen, and they quickly found that there was a loose injector causing the problem.  The good Samaritan quickly attached it properly, and we were back to full power!  The difference was unbelievable - and scary at first!  I had learned to drive the track with the car down on power, changing my braking, turning, and acceleration techniques.  Back at full power, a quick re-adjustment was necessary, I soon found out!  Also of note, while we were still down on power, Caroline could not get used to the car, and the distraction caused her to go "off-track", after the turn approaching the laces of the boot.  
Anyway, click here for pictures and video of the event.  While under full power, I was really flying around the track.  I was in a combined run group for the event, consisting of White and Black.  The rest of the event was made up of a Red group for instructors, a Yellow/Blue group (which Caroline was in) for drivers with a medium level of experience, and a Green group for novices.  Once again, we were quite happy with our placement, and the results.  I kept up quite well with these advanced drivers.  I improved my lap time from 2:29 at the last event to 2:23.  See the video at the link above for an in-car look at one of my fast laps.  
So we drove to Buffalo after the event to stay one night with my parents, while Caroline's folks were on European holiday.  TI had to work the next day, which made it difficult to coordinate the trailer drop-off and set-up, prior to our journey back to Beantown.  We finally got the car loaded and ready to go around 5pm, with help from Carl Carbone at Trailex.  He provided some guidance over the phone as we learned about electrical connectors and weight distribution.  My dad chipped in as well - without his assistance, we may have left an hour later.  The trip went well, considering it was our first time towing anything.  I drove most of the way, going about 75mph for the majority of the trip.  I was up to 80 at times, and I even hit 90 at one point, just to test the stability and drivability of the trailer.  It was mostly smooth as silk, although some bumps were rough and acceleration was noticeably affected.  We didn't realize that the car was in the wrong position (should have been further back) until we were at a rest stop fueling (a constant occurrence with 10mpg and a 16 gallon tank!).  We will adjust it on our next trip and I am anxious to see how the improvement effects the drivability and fuel economy.
Next on the schedule: Another brake flush and switch to Dot 4 fluid.  Need to buy tires, as the current set will probably be nearly spent after the 2-day event at Lime Rock.  Considered buying close-ratio racing gears from PowerHaus II, but decided not to, in case I club race - the gears would throw me into GT class... Considered upgrading to 18" wheels/tires, but Russ Castagna suggests waiting until Hoosier works out a bug they are having with the tire I'd like to use in the rear.  Need to prepare for an Autocross, and 2 Driver Ed's - making sure I am all set with brakes, tires, etc.
September, 2001.  85,000 miles on odometer.  Once again, we are busy with Porsche activity.  The month started slow, with little going on.  I bought a bra for the front and mirror bras, but I have not yet installed them.  I picked up some new distributor wires on eBay, at about $180, vs the $300 going rate.  Kevin installed them, along with a new pair of front Pagid Orange pads.  Later in the month, I had him replace the Dot3 Ford brake fluid with Super ATE Dot4.  I also bought a used starter because mine is starting to make noises, and I ordered some clear marker lights and another pair of clear reflectors that replace the front bumperettes.  I also found some interior pieces that I was looking for: a black center console set - including a hand-brake and shifter.  Lastly, I bought some heel/toe pedals by Vosstek, which I installed myself!
Our first event of the month was an Autocross, where we really stunk up the course.  Caroline placed 5th and I was 6th, out of six drivers in our group!.  I blame the tires, as the pressures were off for my first 3 runs, and in general, they are not that beneficial.  I will be selling this set (hopefully) which includes 4 ugly 16" rims and 4 BFG R1 Tires.  I decided to buy a 3rd set of 996 take-offs, so that I have 1 for the street and 2 for the track.  This was, if I have 1 day left on a set of tires, I can use them up, and then have a new set mounted and handy, for the rest of the multi-day event.  It looks like I can get a set for $1000, but I am still trying to finalize the deal. 
Next, we attended a 2-day Driver's Ed at Lime Rock Park, hosted by the Connecticut Valley region.  It was our first time driving the course and we had a blast.  The car ran flawlessly, as 3 of 4 instructors pointed out that it was set-up very well.  The 4th was all-business.  The CVR group dictates that you get a different instructor each day. The first day, I had a good experience with a 930 driver who showed me around the course.  It was difficult for me to get going, but by the end of the day I started to feel more comfortable.  For the second day, my designated instructor refused to ride in a convertible, so there was some scrambling to line up a new coach.  Eventually, I was paired with a very experienced 944T driver who showed me a new line.  It was a very stressful first session, as he grabbed the wheel on a number of occasions.  The second session was much better, and I drove alone for the 3rd and 4th runs.  Caroline had a good instructor the first day, but a really impressive club racer on day 2.  She had a great time learning some racing techniques.
We stayed at the Interlaken Inn and enjoyed a terrific Room Service dinner, as we were really tired, and we decided to watch the benefit telethon for the victims of the September 11th tragedy.  Caroline loved the scenic Berkshires, and we had alot of fun on the track, so we will try for 2 or 3 Lime Rock events next year.
Preparing for our 4th Watkins Glen event of the season was a little stressful, as it was scheduled for the weekend following the Lime Rock trip.  I installed the new pedals, the clear markers, and had new Hoosiers mounted, and we were ready to go.  We were meeting a friend from my work, Deb Gouveia, and her friend, Joe Millen at the Glen Motor Inn, and they were going to follow us to the track for the first morning.  Joe is an instructor at Sebring, and a MD on the side.  He drives a very similar car to mine: C4 Cab, but his is newer.  Mine's a 1990 and he has a 1996.  Here's the pics.  So, I had a stressful first day, partly because of lack of sleep, partly due to my aggressive attitude, and partly because of the change in culture between a BMW event and a PCA event.  The main issue was that the cars were not providing passing signals, and I was upset.  My instructor was not too vocal, and I was not really looking for too much advice.  He signed me off after the second run, and I ran the third run of the first day solo.  Caroline had another club racer and she had a phenomenal school.  She really improved and is quickly closing in on my level, and I'm afraid that she is much more precise and consistent, so I really need to get to work if I plan to keep up!
She was terrorizing the other drivers in the intermediate group, so the instructors huddled and decided that she had to move up. It presented a problem because they were unsure of what to do with me, so an instructor hopped in my car for the first session on the second day, and did not explain the purpose until after the run.  I thought I was in trouble for complaining to a driver about his lack of passing signals.  At any rate, I barely passed the test, and he let me know that the only reason I was moving up was because of Caroline!  Anyway, I held my own in the A (expert) group until mid-way into the last session of the event when I spun out of control on the way out of the BusStop!  It was quite scary!  Thank God I didn't hit the wall, although I came awfully close.  See the above link for an in-car video clip of the spin!  Caroline continued to excel in the B group and really enjoyed the faster pace and improved skill of the upper group of drivers.  By the time she started driving in that group, the drivers were much more courteous than the first day.
We had a really good time with Deb and Joe, as we went to dinner at Maxie's as usual.  They thought it was terrific - so it made for a great evening - not that the 3 bottles of wine had anything to do with it!
October, 2001  86,000 miles on odometer.  The month started with some interesting work on the car. I'm getting ready for some new projects - so I started checking around for things to do.  I use a Rennlist e-mail group to bounce ideas around and after asking about sway bars, I decided to get serious about it.  Luckily, I found an ad on the Rennlist Classifieds for used AJ-USA front and rear sway bars from an MD in MD.  After we locked in the deal, he lamented that he could have got more money for them, but it was too late.  It was a really good deal!  Anyway, I put them on the car with the guidance of Kevin at Randolph Racing, who also kindly let me use his lift and tools.  Caroline and I tested them at NHIS (more on that later) and because Caroline feels there is too much oversteer, Kevin is going to loosen up the rear.  Initially, we set the rear to full stiff, and the front to full loose.  The ABS and PDAS systems are still not working, so I think things will swing back to an understeer situation as soon as that's resolved, but I didn't want to put the kibosh on the Kevin's recommendation based on Caroline's feedback.  He's the boss, and she and I do share the car...
While installing the sway bars, I finally put on my cross-drilled rotors that I bought several months ago, because the steering wheel was very unhappy with any heavy braking (even on the highway) at speed over 60mph. I really needed front rotors, but I swapped all 4, because of the change to cross-drilled.  They do look better, but I'm not sure how they'll hold up.  Kevin is very skeptical about the brand that I bought.  They were pretty cheap, from Vertex in Florida.  
I've also been looking for a good system for bleeding the brakes, and I thought the Speedi-Bleed system from HMS that I bought at the Glen was going to do the trick.  Unfortunately, Kevin and I could not get it to work.  Not sure if it is my ABS system, or the C4 junk, but for some reason, it didn't want to work on my car.  Kevin thought it looked like a good system, so I sold it to him, even though I knew I could get a refund from HMS.  He says that it paid for itself after the first 3 jobs.  He loves it!  So, I needed an alternative, so I am experimenting with Speedi-Bleed screw/valves.  These replace the existing bleeder screws, and act as one-way valves.  The idea is to loosen the screw by 1/4 turn, then pump the pedal.  One person can do the job, because the one-way valves don't let any air back in the lines.  They seemed to work OK, but I'm still unsure, because I seem to have some brake fluid leakage.  Kevin is going to check it out.  Another issue was that they sent me 2 pairs that fit and 2 that didn't, so I only got to install them on the rear.  I have the correct pair on the way for the front, and I am hoping that I can get them installed and working, in order to bleed my brakes enough to get the ABS/PDAS system working.  We'll see...
Another project I decided to try was clear side marker lights, and I also found out about a clear lens replacement for my front bumperettes.  Check the link for the pictures - the lights came out quite well, even though I did the work myself !!
I also bought some interior parts that are stuck somewhere in the delivery process (more on that when they arrive).  Lastly, I bought a new set of wheels - the same as my other 2 pairs - so that I will have 2 sets of Hoosiers.  This way, I can switch tires during multi-day events.  This will come in handy for the 3-day NHIS event at the end of this month. 
We signed up for a 3-day event at NHIS with the PCA NCR region long ago, and just recently, I decided to enroll in 1 day of a 2-day BMW Club school at NHIS the week preceding the NCR session.  This would get me in the rhythm at the track after having been introduced to it in May (see above) and it would give Caroline a good orientation - so that she would be ready for the PCA event.  It started off a little rough, as we were surprised to find ourselves in the upper run groups.  I was in #1, the highest group (other than instructors), and Caroline was in #2.  Groups 3 and 4 were for novices.  I felt over my head because at the end of the 2-days in May, I still didn't really get it - in fact - I wasn't even signed off!  Caroline was surprised to be in her level, having never been on the track!  We both surprised ourselves by rising to the occasion!  We both did very well, and we had a blast!  Here are some pictures from the event.  We ran the south oval and the north chicane, and Caroline was running 1:26-1:28  and I was running 1:21-1:23.  We both really liked the front straight followed by the NASCAR oval.  
Now that we're back, I'm getting the car ready to drop off at Randolph Racing, to get checked out (tech form, brake fluid problem, etc) and possibly some new Pagid Orange pads. 
Kevin installed new pads all around, and adjusted the sway bar to one position looser in the rear, based on Caroline's feedback that the car was oversteering a little too much.  I didn't ask him to bleed the brakes, as I was expecting my bleeder screws, but they never arrived.  So we headed to NHIS for the second week in a row, this time for a 3-day event with the North Country Region of PCA.  I was in white and Caroline was in Yellow.  We had several friends at the event, including Robert Meeker, George Skaubitis, and Michael & Colleen Norek.  Another friend, Dave Burnham was planning to attend his first ever DE event, but was side-tracked by a minor accident the night before.  His Boxster got tangled up with an Explorer and the SUV won!
Anyway, it was quite cold with lows in the low 30s and highs in the low 50s.  The 3-hour stints at the flagging stations were bone-chilling!  On the plus side, the track was dry for all 3 days!  It was cold, and there were many, many spins - including yours truly.  I am now up to 3 spins this year, after losing control on Sat morning, in the North Chicane.  I came in too hot from the front straight, after passing a 951 who decided not to lift.  My fault, but I do have plenty of excuses...  After a short chat with the steward, I was back out for the remainder of that first session, and I really began to get the car in controlled oversteer slides with the ABS/PDAS back on (they came on for no reason at the end of the first day).  The new swaybar setting seemed to be right on the mark.  Also, Caroline's instructor from the first day suggested that we run with lower air pressures (36-38 hot, vs 40-42).  I'm sure that helped as well, as both Caroline and I decided that the suspension is tuned close to optimal.  Caroline had a close call at the top of the hill after turn 3, as she passed someone on the inside and found that she couldn't carry her normal speed without the rest of the room where she normally tracks out.  Robert Meeker was right behind and I was in the treehouse, so we both had a great view of her slide and recovery. 
We both excelled in our run groups and Caroline's instructors decided that she should graduate to the White group, so we both got bumped.  We each go to drive one session in the upper groups (Caroline in White and I drove in Black) at the end of day on Sunday. 
We enjoyed dinner and drinks on Friday and Saturday nights with our friends listed above, at the Lobster and Steak house near the track.  We stayed at the Marriott Courtyard, but decided that we should stay at the Red Roof from now on, based on price and proximity. 
The car performed flawlessly, as it clicked over 87,000 miles.  We did have some tire issues as one front Hoosier was chewed up by a bolt and bracket for AC hoses in the wheel well.  We had spares so we put the new tire on after I removed the offending hardware.  Caroline tells a good story (which is preserved on videotape), where she alerted her instructor that the car felt weird as she prepared to enter the South Chicane.  He opined that it was just marbles that needed to be scrubbed off, but she persisted and drove into the pits.  Sure enough, she found that the front was flat, to the Instructors sheer surprise.  A great testament to her awareness of the car!  The second issue came to light as I was hopped in the car after Caroline's White session, as I prepared to drive in my second Black session.  On a whim, I asked her to check the tires (we need to spend more time checking the car over, being a 2-driver car).  Sure enough, the other front tire was worn to the cord!  Luckily, I didn't tale the car out, as you never know what kind of trouble you could get into with a flat on the track.  Also, I already had 4 runs in for the day, as I drove in 3 White sessions. 
November, 2001.  87,800 miles on odometer.  Not much happened with the car this month, as we spent over one week on vaca in Hawaii.  We had a great time, but I kept annoying Caroline with talk about the car, DE, and dreams of PCA Club Racing.  Anyway, when we got home, we had to quickly prepare for our season finale, the second day of a 2-day CVR event at Lime Rock. The weather was beautiful both days, and as sad as we were that we missed the Friday kick-off of the event, we really could not have taken any more time away from work, so we did our best to enjoy the Saturday runs.  It was sunny and high 40s, and the car was running perfectly as always.  Caroline ran in Green and passed everyone, and I ran in Yellow and was not passed all day. We really need to get to Yellow/White, but Caroline's instructor was more focused on getting her to go faster, than the administrative tasks associated with moving someone up through the run groups.  I will try to work a little mojo with the registrar next season, so that we can get started at the upper level.  The most interesting thing that occurred was that I almost rear-ended a black Carrera after taking a late pass on the front straight.  This guy was really crawling, and as I came barreling down the straight, he kept to the left/outside, so I was unable to take advantage of the run-off area to the left of Big Bend.  So instead, I cut inside and got by, in the turn.  Well, I was soon black-flagged (and it took me a few laps to see it, as I was distracted by the setting sun.  Anyway, when I came in, the steward was quick to point out that the victim of my apparent "pass without a signal" violation had a passenger who happened to be the VP of the track. They were pissed, coming in and reporting me.  The steward calmed down once I explained myself, and I was quite apologetic.  I also stopped by to pass on my regrets to the driver of the car, after the session was over.
After the event, I removed the roll-bar, harnesses, and fire extinguisher, moving them into storage.   :(
Next - need to solve several issues over the off-season:  Fire Extinguisher mount is broken and needs repair.  One harness connector is broken and in need of replacement.  Wheel spacers/ new studs need to be installed after I bought a set of rims with the wrong off-set in the rear.  Plan to purchase and install Recaro SRD seats.  Apparently, they are a great compromise seat, with holes for the harnesses, yet still retaining the capability to recline, etc.  Otherwise, I'll install some additional interior pieces and some fog lights that I bought recently.  Kevin at Randolph Racing will be prepping the car for next season, to include a valve adjustment and thorough analysis of the engine's health.  So far, so good...  I have been wrestling with the possibility of installing some short gears, but I will probably put that money toward the race car fund.  One thing that may change my mind back toward the upgrade would be if I need transmission work.  It seems that the 2nd to 3rd upshift is a little rough lately.  Neither Caroline not I are currently practicing heel/toe downshifting and we know that is taking a toll on the clutch.  So, the only offseason activity may be practicing that skill.  Then again, there's always ice-racing!!
May, 2002  90,000 miles on odometer.  First off, I sold my truck and trailer and built a new house.  Also, Caroline and I will be having a bouncing baby boy in November.  These few issues have hampered my ability to keep this page current, and to keep the car "well-sorted".  We did not participate in ice racing this year.  Maybe in 2003...  We have also pared down our summer track schedule - Caroline will only participate in one event, and I am shooting for five.  We are leaving tomorrow (May 24, 2002) for Watkins Glen for a 2-day event with the Allegany PCA Region.  We participated in this event last year and we really enjoyed it.  See the 2002 schedule for the rest of the planned dates for this year, but I will be the only one driving, as Caroline sits on the sidelines.  
So, during the off-season, I bought some used Corbeau racing seats to address the harness issue identified at Lime Rock by the Connecticut Valley PCA guys.  I installed those with Kevin's help, and I also bought and installed a harness connector kit from HMS Motorsport  to replace the broken one.  I also moved the sub-belt mount on the driver's side.  I have not yet fixed the fire extinguisher mount, but I do know that it won't work with the new seat brackets.  I am searching for a method to secure it to the roll-bar, and I will address this after I return from the Glen, as the Allegany region considers extinguishers optional.  I had Kevin service the engine, and everything seemed fine.  When I got the car back, I had some issues with idle and hesitation.  Kevin diagnosed the problem as a rich fuel mix, and he made the adjustment.  The hesitation issue is resolved, and the idle issue is still present but less problematic.  I just put a fresh set of Pagid oranges on the front, and the rear brakes seem fine.  Cosmetically, I replaced my dingy linen (off-white) colored center console, shifter, and hand-brake-handle with a used black set.  It looks great with the black seats!  
The big news is that I bought a tow-behind trailer so that I can still bring tires to the track.  Abe Anderson provided significant consulting help regarding the design of the hitch.  It was custom-built by Rick at Rick's Custom Fabrication in East Bridgewater, MA.  I bought the trailer from Peter Dikeman, a fellow NER PCA'er, who advertised it on the Mart.  It is a real simple design (read: cheap!!).  It carries 4 wheels/tires, and a tool box.  I can get my folding chairs and canopy onto the trailer with bungy cords.  I came up with a great new plan for track tires, based on the new trailer.  Previously, I took eight Hoosiers and usually 4 Pirelli street tires.  Now, I'll leave the Pirelli's at home, take 4 Hoosiers  to the track on the trailer, and I'll drive to the track with a set of Kumhos.  They have just enough tread to keep me safe in the rain, yet they are still a very good track tire.  I would plan to use the Kumhos to get to/from the track, and use the Hoosiers while on-track.  The Kumhos could serve as back-up, and I may even use them on the track if it rains.  I bought the new tires from Russ Castagna at C & G.  Rain is scheduled this weekend at the Glen, so I should have some good experience with the new set-up.  Regarding the installation of the hitch, let's just say that it was an adventure.  I hope to have some pictures and more info soon.
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OK - back from the Glen.  Now the car has over 92,000  miles on odometer.  We drove to the track, then to Buffalo, then back to Boston.  The trailer worked great, as highway speeds often reached 90 mph.  We drove on the Hoosiers for most of the event, until halfway through the 2nd day when I noticed a bumpy feel on the high speed, high g turns.  My instructor thought It was nothing to worry about, but I found one tire with lots of cord showing.  It turns out that the tire was shredded by a bracket and two bolts in my wheel well.  Because the car is seriously lowered, and because I run front tires wider than stock, the tires tend to wear away at the plastic wheel well guard.  I had trouble last year at NHIS, where the driver's side tire was shredded bc of a bracket for AC hoses.  This time, the bracket was for the horn and some other hoses on the passenger side.  So I fixed it at Kevin's shop (see below).
So we changed to the Kumhos and used them for the rest of the event - 2 sessions for Caroline and one for me.  She noticed a difference but I did not.  I actually felt better on the Kumhos.  I'm planning to buy two more Hoosiers for the front of the car, and pair them with two rears that are still in good shape.  Once this set is worn, I'd like to switch to eight Kumhos.  The Kumhos are great for the trip to/from the track, and they are great on the track - and - each set costs $250 less than a set of Hoosiers. 
So - back to the event - Caroline had a pretty good instructor names Kathy, who couldn't say enough about Caroline's driving.  She suggested that Caroline seek a club-racer/instructor to help out with additional tips.  She ended up with the father of my instructor.  He provided some additional assistance, that propelled her to times that rivalled her best efforts from last year. 
On the other hand, I spun out in my last session of the first day, causing some minor body damage, and tire issues, where stones got lodged into the bead of the tire, at the wheel.  Caroline missed out on her last session of the day; unfortunately not the first time that I shortened her day with a mistake on my part.  Anyway, we got to a Ford dealer in town who rectified the tire problem, and we were back on track for Sunday.  I'll have River St Collision address the body damage (ripped passenger side bumper cover repair and rocker panel re-attachment).  After the incident, I decided to get some help from my instructor, and he did - I got back into good form, but still atleast seven seconds off my best times last year.  I'm hoping to make some of that up at the next two events - the Zone 1 48 Hours, and the CVR 2-day "extension" - a total of four days in a row at the Glen.  So - the prep for that event will include the Hoosiers, two sets of Pagids, oil change, brake bleed, and tech forms.  I may also buy the next set of Kumhos and even try to get them to the Glen - if Caroline decides to drive.  We decided that she would drop out, and I alerted the registrars, but after the Allegany event - she decided she wants to keep driving.  Its still too early to tell  if she will participate or not...  More to come -
June, 2002.  92,000 miles on odometer.  I went to Kevin' shop (Randolph Racing)  yesterday (June 1) to work on prepping the car for the next events.  I performed my first oil-change on the P-car, including filter.  I can now take care of this on my own in my new garage.  I also addresses the wheel-well tire-rubbing issue.  Lastly, I noticed a loose sway-bar connection up front, by the passenger side - so I fixed that, too.  I am quite proud of myself, although I couldn't have done any of it without Kevin's help.  There is a certain satisfaction to working on the car myself, especially since I drive it on the track.  At this point, I am doing brake pad changes and now oil changes.  Next, I need to learn more about flushing the brake fluid... 
Mid-month update - 92,400 miles on the odometer.  Picking the car up tomorrow from River St Collision, with the body damage from the last DE repaired.  I also ordered 2 new front Hoosiers that just came in to Russ' shop (C&G), and I plan to have them installed next week in preparation for the back-to-back Watkins Glen events.  I visited Rick at Rick's Custom Fabrication with my father-in-law to show him the shop and to get some additional spacers made for the hitch.  Of course, the FIL was quite impressed with the antique machinery, work-in-process, and with everything Rick had to say, as he is quite the artist/craftsman/etc.  Not much else happening until the big weekend...
July, 2002.  93,000 miles on the odometer.  Well, I was hoping to get through the event without an incident but it was not to be...  To get to the big news first, I crashed the car on the 4th day.  It was the second run of the day and it was really due to a lapse in concentration/distraction.  Another driver went wide on the same turn earlier, and after hearing the story, I couldn't get it out of my head.  I got through the turn well on several attempts, but it just took one instant to take my "eye off the ball" long enough to cause serious damage.  The incident occurred at the "fast left" or Turn 10.  I had been taking the turn at very high speeds, based on a new method.  Basically - I was heavy on the gas (foot to the floor), all the way till the turn-in;.  Then, I would stab at the brake, and then get back on the gas, again foot to the floor.  I figured that the new method was better than coasting in, lifting, and going through the turn with maintenance throttle.  I figured I was getting better speed based on the new method, and that it was unique to me based on the fact that I drive a C4, and that there were some mental issues.  I thought that the stab of the brake was a compromise, mentally, for the faster approach.  I figured that there was still some room in the car's limits, and I was mostly dealing with my own limits.  I also assumed that I would be able to "stab less" as I gained confidence.  It turns out that I was at the cars limit, as I was taking the approach at increasing speeds, and on the crash lap, I took it so fast (partly due to a less forceful stab at the brake, and I was so heavy on the gas, maybe more important than the actual speed), that I was inducing major understeer.  I should have realized that my new method might cause some loss of traction, but I haven't really dealt with (or noticed) much understeer.  When it happened, I was not ready for it, and I actually didn't know about it until Greg Hill pointed it out on the video.  So - the first problem was that I didn't anticipate it, and the second problem was that I didn't notice it during the incident.  The third mistake was induced by the fact that I didn't know it was happening - I did not react properly.  Ideally, I would have anticipated it ahead if time, realized it was happening at the time, and reacted to it.  This would have been relatively simple, but I screwed up!  At any rate, I understeered through the apex and toward the trackout.  Because of the understeer, the car did not turn properly, and did not end up far enough down the track.  I ran out of road at the track out, attempted to throttle-steer my way back on course, and the back end came around too much.  At this point, I'm at the end of the track out area, and the car is starting to spin (back end going counter-clockwise).  I caught it by steering into the skid, but my fourth mistake (boy - that's alot of mistakes!!!) was that I did not really get back on the gas.  I did the right thing with the steering wheel, but not the throttle, so I was unable to catch it. At this point, the back end slid back (clockwise), not to the point of spinning, but enough to get the car in what was like a four-wheel drift.  As anyone who's read Skip Barber's book knows, tires sliding lose atleast 30% of their grip.  Rather than holding the road, the tires were unable to keep the car from drifting along the left side of the mini-straight before turn 11, onto the front straight.  Had I been on the gas, I'm fairly certain that I would have recovered.  Unfortunately, there is zero room for error there as the wall looms immediately along the track, with no run off (or shoulder, as a street driver would understand).  Luckily, there was massive amounts of styrofoam in just the right spot, so that cushioned the blow significantly.  The trackworker said that I really hit hard, as three large sections were damaged.  He was amazed that the styrofoam flew over the wall.  Jose Gonzalez was behind me (a safe distance, thanks God), and he said it looked like it was snowing out.  So - the scary part was after the car hit the wall, it bounced back into the center of the track, leaving me directly on-line, for cars coming up from behind.  I could have easily been t-boned, and much more serious consequences would have been suffered.  Luckily (again), I was able to drive the car off-line, off-track, then into the pits.  
The damage includes the front hood and bumper, and the left headlight, side marker, mirror, fender, door, quarter panel, and rocker.  There is no damage to the frame, although the front suspension will get some new hardware: tie-rods and ball-joints.  The car should drive straight and true, because the styrofoam and body took all of the impact.  A full paint job is in order, so I decided to turn the catastrophe into an "upgrade", by lightening the car with fiberglass turbo-look parts (bumpers, fenders, quarters, rockers, and flares).  So the car will have a more aggressive stance, capability for wider wheels and tires, and a fresh coat of paint.  I also plan to add on the 3M protection film to prevent chips on the front of the car.  I am optimistic that the car will really come out looking fantastic!  It better, for the price this is going to cost!!  
I've decided to put the car into temporary retirement as a racer, and pamper it for five years or so with its new look.  After a while, I will consider putting it back on the track, but I am obviously worried about damaging such a beautiful car.  Alternatively, I would like to get a 944 or 951 for track use, as Caroline is still very interested in pursuing the hobby.  I will cancel my events for the rest of the year and we'll try to get back into it next year of the following.  We are already extremely busy with projects for the house, and things are going to get interesting with the arrival of baby Jack in November...  
Well, I should make some mention of the three days prior to the crash, as there was some excitement which is normally reported in this forum.  We stayed at the Glenora Inn for the first time, which is a pretty sterile hotel about 10 miles north of our usual accommodations at the Glen Motor Inn.  The Glenora is definitely nicer, as it is more modern and clean.  The Glen Motor is more convenient and has more character, and its less expensive!  Although we enjoyed the new place, we will probably go back to old faithful on our next visit.  We enjoyed the Zone 1 dinner on Saturday night, and we went to Maxie's on Sunday.  We got together with Jose and Zeta, Sam and Nicole on Monday night at the restaurant in town, at the end of the strip.  Its great to go to the Glen, as the off-track activities are always enjoyable.  
We had alot of friends at this event.  We drove up with Sam and Nicole, and met George Skaubitis and Christina at the track.  They were in Greg Hill's compound, so Caroline and I spent some time over there.  It was really a great opportunity to hang out with some friends.  Mike and Colleen Norek showed up for days 3 and 4, as they were unable to squeak into the Zone 1 event.  One other benefit to having a network of friends at the event was that we were overwhelmed with support and offers to assist after the crash.  Greg helped out by taking the trailer back to Boston in his box-van, and Sam graciously offered to tow back the car, and allowed Caroline and I to drive his newly-built 911SC to our house on Tuesday night.  We delivered it to Randolph Racing on Wednesday morning, on our way back to Buffalo for the weekend.  It was really great getting that help, as it cut down on the hassle and expense.  Sam towed the car directly to River St Collision, so we were able to get started immediately on plans for rebuilding the car back to serviceability.
Anyway, back to the on-track excitement - I was in the Black group for both the Zone 1 event and the CVR session.  At the CVR event, Bill Hawe went out in his 962 in the Black group, rather than his assigned red group.  I got to follow him twice after he passed me.  It was really cool!   I passed tons of cars, many faster than mine, including a new GT3-Cup car.  I checked to see that cars that passed me were superior, and found that one was an early 911 with 200hp and 2000lbs, one was a 928 with 350hp and 3000 lbs, and one was a GT3-Cup.  One guy passed me early one session in a tricked out 996tt, and I chased him for awhile and finally caught him.  It was exhilarating enough, but I found out that Caroline and Sam were watching the whole thing so I was able to re-live the excitement after the session was over.  My times were not to consistent, hovering around 2:25.  I was trying to shave off a couple of more seconds and toward the end, I had a 2:23, 2:22, and 2:21.  Basically, I was driving at 10/10ths, which is really not advisable, as most sane people will explain that it is unsafe to drive around with no room for error.  Driving at 9/10ths or 8/10ths allows for recovery if there is a driver or equipment issue, or if there is a problem with the track surface.  I know that if I ever get back into this, I will need to re-engineer my style to get into a safer mode.  I'd like to have some discussions with experienced drivers to get a better understanding of the techniques and philosophies behind this sport, and try to figure out how I can drive near the limit, but re-define the limit as 9/10ths...  One thing to consider is the theoretical fastest lap that can be achieved with my car (whether its the C4 or some other car).  The best time so far with my car is 2:21 at the Glen.  Checking the PCA Club Racing archives, 964 C2's can get around about 6-7 seconds quicker.  How much of that is due to the lighter weight of a C2 coupe?  Are these cars better prepared, with better suspension components and better brakes?  How fast would these guys drive at a DE event, vs a club race?  Assuming they drive at 10/10ths in the club race, how fast do they go at a DE?  All of this would help me determine my target time for a DE event at the Glen.  If the target time is 2:25, I could drive that consistently, and safely (I think).  I already know that I can keep up with all but the fastest car/driver combos in the black group.  On the other hand, maybe I need to get to 2:20 consistently.  How long should it take?  How hard should I try?  What risks should I take?  Obviously, I don't want to do anything unsafe, but I really think that ideally, I would want to continue to improve my times to the theoretical "DE" minimum (best) for my car, at a DE (not necessarily club race times).  I would need to re-evaluate the times if I change cars.  Well, I've thought alot about it, and it looks like I have alot more thinking to do...
August, 2002  93,000 miles on the odo.  This month has been busy, planning and assembling the parts for the repairs and upgrades for the p-car.  I won an eBay auction for a pair of cab doors from a guy in Canada, and negotiated to only take delivery on the driver side.  This saved me a bundle in shipping, and a little on the cost of the door.  I bought a hood from a guy on the PCA Mart site, only to have it arrive in damaged condition.  I lost out on $255.  Luckily, Kevin at Randolph Racing gave me a hood that he had laying around.  I ordered a used headlight assembly and some rubber seals from Stuttgart Haus of Parts, and I ordered a mirror for the driver side from dC Automotive.  I got complete tie-rod assemblies and ball joints from Performance Products, and A-arms and supports from another guy on eBay.  I ordered the turbo-look fiberglass kit from Hank at GT Racing, including front and rear bumpers, rockers, front fenders, and rear flares.  I ordered a rear narrow-body quarter for the driver side, because Paul at River St Collision did not expect the flare to cover the damage.  It turns out that the flare is sufficient, so I am hoping to return the quarter panel.  I am sending the seats out to get dyed blue - the same color as the dash and all non-black trim in the interior.  I am re-installing the stock seats, so Caroline and I will again enjoy the comfort, adjustability, and heat features.  Since they are the sport seats, they still offer plenty of support.  I also ordered a 3-spoke airbag wheel from AJ-USA, with Porsche crest. I am excited about the prospects of an updated interior!!  I'm currently working on getting new wheels ordered - but I need to take some measurements first.  I'm hoping to get 9x18 in the front and 12x18 in the rear!  this would allow me to run 275 series tires in the front and 335 series in the rear!!  I'm planning on getting custom 3-piece Kinesis SuperCup wheels.  As of 8/22/2, Paul at River St has mounted the rear flares, hood, door, and front fenders.  I'll try to stop by and take some photos, measurements, and pick up the door panels to take to the interior expert for the dye job.  Paul informed me that I need to get some parts for the fuel-cap-release assembly, some AC parts for the front fender, and a new turbo-spec front bumper seal.  This is really a significant effort, assembling all of these parts - but it is helping me to stay within budget.  More updates to come!
September, 2002    93,000 miles on the odo.  Car is still at the body shop.  I decided against a one-piece splitter/valence for the front of the car as I was afraid that there would not be enough clearance and that I'd bang it up on every driveway and curb in Boston.  I will be ordering a new front valence (2 piece) instead, from the dealer, as my old one is broken and it wouldn't fit, anyway.  So far, I've sold my Corbeau seats to a guy in California and one set of wheels with the Kumho tires to a guy in Mississippi.  I am still trying to sell 2 more sets of wheels and various other parts to fund the custom wheels.  Paul at River St Collision tells me that the earliest he can spay the car is 9/20/02, and it would take a week or two after that to get it all assembled.  He is taking a week vacation in early October and there is only the slightest chance that I can get the car before he leaves, so it seems more likely that I will get it back in mid-October.  Once I get it, I will take it to Russ Castagna to measure for the wheels, and then it will be 3-4 more weeks for them to arrive.  So - the car won't really be complete until mid-November!  Since the last update, I delivered the interior to get re-dyed and I've since picked it up an it sits in my garage, waiting for the car to get closer to completion.  The consensus is that it will stay cleaner there than at the body shop.  I will also try to get new front speakers, as it seems like the ideal time to replace them - now that the door panels are accessible.  One last note - I heard form Paul that he plans to spray a primer, three coats of paint and 2-3 coats of cleat onto the car.  That sounds pretty good.  I'm still researching the protective film options for the front of the car, to prevent stone chips.  I ordered the AC parts from TRE, as they responded to a WTB ad I placed in the Rennlist classifieds.  I still need to order the valence, the front bumper seal, and the gas cap stuff. 
October, 2002    93,000 miles on the odo.  Car is still in the shop.  I'm expecting to pick it up this Friday, October 18th.  I got the valence with the help of Greg Hill and the front bumper seal with help from George Skaubitis.  Each of them let me use their $100 PCA parts certificate toward these items, and since we ordered from Brumos, I got an extra 20% off.  This allowed me to also get a new front hood badge and new carpets.  I'm hoping that the carpet color is correct, or passable, as they didn't seem to offer an exact match.  I had to order an additional fog light, as one was lost, either by me or by the guys at River St.  That cost about $100 for a used one from Bill at  Stuttgart Haus of Parts.  Bill is great, btw.  Paul fixed the gas cap release with glue, so it should be all set.  The parts is only a few bucks. but he is convinced that it is in good shape, now.  I bought some great speakers on-line at The Zeb, and they should arrive today.  Caroline is dropping off the interior this morning, and she will need to run back this afternoon with the speakers.  I called Russ yesterday and I hope to get in Friday afternoon or Monday to get the wheels measured.  I still have 2 sets of wheels to sell, plus all of the body parts.  After I get the car, I will need to get it over to Kevin at Randolph Racing for an oil change, I'll change the pads back to streets, and I'll need to get the steering wheel and suspension pieces installed.  Paul and I decided that it would make more sense for Kevin to help with the ball joints, tie rods, and A-arms. 
I just picked the car up from River St Collision on Friday, October 25.  It still looks goofy with the stock wheels.  I will be taking it to Russ at C&G on Tuesday to measure for the customer wheels, but I am now thinking of 315 tires in the back and 245 in the front.  Otherwise, the car looks great!  It's still not done - besides the wheels, I need to address the following: driver outside mirror is mounted incorrectly, the driver fender well needs some plastic up front, as does the area under the front bumper (valance).  The car still needs two full days of buffing at the body shop.  The driver window does not go up all the way with the door shut - it works ok when the door is open - so it needs some work with the seal.  The retractable spoiler has been up ever since I got to speed after picking the car up on Friday.  I also need to drop the car off at the interior specialist, who needs to complete some finish and touch-up work.  The suspension has not been touched since the accident, but Kevin put the car on the lift and found that the left tie-rods and ball joint needs to be replaced, but the rest is ok.  I bought tie-rods and ball joints for both sides, as well as A-arms, so we may put some of those parts on just because I have them.  I took the car to Kevin's yesterday to get started on the work, and we did make progress.  We installed the steering wheel and adjusted the hood (it wasn't shutting properly).  I also changed the oil and straightened out the rear license plate.  I am taking Wednesday off to go to Kevin's again to continue with the work. 
November, 2002  93,700 miles on the odo.  Here's a summary of the interior work that I posted on Rennlist:  I am almost finished with my "De-Linen" project.  I had a 2-tone linen over blue interior:  Blue dash and lower dash, steering wheel, carpet, door trim (top and bottom), and seat trim (piping).  Most of the rest was linen: seats, most of the door panels, and center console including shift boot and handbrake.  Interestingly, there was also black trim: mid-dash, center console tray, door hardware (handle, speaker grills, window switches, instruments, seat belts, etc).  I know that's picky about the black, but - wait...  I decided to replace the linen.  It was really dingy.  I also didn't like the fact that felt like I was an old man driving a car in Florida (exaggeration, but you get the idea).  If triple-black is mean, a linen interior is as far from that as a 1990 Porsche could be.  First - I bought a used black console, shifter, and handbrake.  That was a great start as the shifter was really dingy - I blame the PO, in part).  I have since changed to a black sport airbag wheel and I had most of the rest of the interior re-sprayed in the same blue as the trim.  I had the door panels and seats done, and I still need to drive the car to the interior specialist to spray some linen behind the door jams that wasn't easily disassembled/removed.  The cost for the re-spray was $500.  The door panels were off anyway, due to a body-work job in progress, and my seats were out as I had competition seats installed.  I replaced those with the stock seats after the re-spray.  So the interior guy didn't need to remove the stuff from the car, but he did take apart the door panels.  I now have a 2-tone interior, blue and black trim.  I used to have a 3-tone interior, with linen, blue, and black.  I wasn't sure how the black console and wheel would look, having replaced the linen and blue original stuff, but I think it came out well.
The car is now at Kevin's, where he is working on the suspension.  I ordered some of the parts from Performance Products, and they sent the wrong tie-rods.  This delays the project for a few days as we wait for the correct items to arrive.  We changed the Pagid Orange brake pads back to street pads and changed the oil.  
I ordered the tires and wheels last week, from Russ at C&G, after having left the car at the shop for the day for the measurements.  We decided to go with 8.5" wheels in the front and 11" wheels in the rear, and while Russ thought that there was a good possibility that my most recent choice of tires: 255 front and 315 rear would fit, we decided to take the conservative route with 225 front and 285 rear.  Besides saving $300 on tires, this plan allows me to fit these tires on the specified wheels, and to "upgrade" to the wider tires (on the same wheels) once this set wears out.  We ordered Pirelli PZero Rosso's, which are a newer tire and a great value for a top performance tire.  They are offered in a variety of sizes, including my 255/315 preference.  I can upgrade one axle at a time, as they may not all wear at the same rate.  This plan is low risk - in that there is almost no chance of rubbing with the initial set of tires.  Once they're installed, we can decide if it makes sense to increase the width.  I am also ordering in the wheel stop kit that is often discussed on Rennlist, which helps to prevent rubbing during full-lock turning in parking lots and the like.  
The car still needs to have some finish work on the exterior, including two full days of buffing.  Also, I stopped over to the collision shop recently and picked up some left-over parts.  They didn't install all of the seals that were planned, so I am trying to return them, and - get this - the fog-light that they said they didn't have turned up, and now I need to replace the last one I just purchased!  Oh well...  These are the issues that one runs into when sourcing their own parts.  It would be alot easier to let the shop do it, but that usually costs more dough.
December, 2002  94,200 miles on the odo. The car has still been in and out of the shop, as it inches closer to completion.  I just picked it up yesterday, 12/13/02 from River St, where Paul installed the front fender-liner/wheel-well on the driver side, adjusted the convertible top and the windows, flipped the passenger window lift switch that was reversed, re-attached the rockers, where they were separating from the body, about halfway down each side, and he worked on the passenger side wheel-well.  On that last item, he had added some extra rubber to the stock, narrow-body liner, and it was rubbing, and I asked if he wanted me to buy a turbo-fender liner, but he said he'd try to adjust it.  He claimed success, but it still seems to rub, so I think I'll need to get the real thing.  The one on the driver side looks great.  The interior chime is now going off constantly, until I turn off the ignition, remove the key, and turn off the headlights.  After an annoying rode home from the shop, I'll need to get that fixed before driving any distance again!  We had planned on getting the driver-side rear-view mirror adjusted, after I had dC Automotive ship a new base.  The base that they shipped was the same one that I had - they thought that when I said I had the incorrect base, that I had the wrong side (Passenger vs driver).  After calling to say that the part was the same shape and would certainly still leave the mirror cocked-up, they said that there is only one part, and there should be no confusion.  Paul and I then realized that we needed a European base, because the door was originally from a right-hand-drive 964 cab.  Sure enough, there is such a part, and its on the way.  Next time, I'll need to get that addressed, and Paul need to complete some paint finish work on the passenger mirror.  I may have him install the correct fender liner on the front passenger side, and I think that will finally complete the work at River St. 
I still need to have Kevin check the cold idle problem, maybe fix the door chime if I can't, and maybe relocate the rear oil-line.  It seems that the wheel offsets that were measured are a little tight, clearance-wise, but the only concern is an oil line that runs through the rear passenger fender well.  Most club racers move that to allow for wider tires and wheels, and replace the old line with a new stainless steel section.  I finally got the wheels- and they look great!  They fit pretty well, but it does seem like they should be further out, maybe with spacers.  I've had some "experts" look at it, and based on the fact that the car is extremely low, the fitment is correct.  I may look into getting the car raised a bit, and pushing the wheels out a bit, but maybe I'll just leave it as-is.  Still need to decide whether I like it or not...
Rick from Autobahnd just left, and he did a great job on the invisible bra.  Click here for info.
January, 2003  94,600 miles on the odo.  Not much happened in January.  I fixed the door chime issue.  I took the car in for some work on a Saturday.  Put 14mm spacers on each rear hub. Actually, these are two 7mm spacers on each side.  I had one set and Kevin had the other set.  My set came with studs, so we put them on, but they really don't have enough length to accommodate both spacers.  I have it all on for now, and I do have them torqued properly, and it is holding that torque (I check it occasionally).  I figure that I have two choices going forward - I can add longer studs, which is the preferable solution, although a pain, or I can remove one of the spacers - which would certainly be easier.  I do like the way that the wheels are further out from the inside of the wheel well, and I think that there is still more room to go outward.  I would like to increase the size of the tires when these wear out, from 285 to 315 (I think - need to check the Rosso sizes).  This would theoretically provide 15mm more on the inside and outside, but I think I would only get about 10mm more, based on the large rim size.  In other words, the 285's should be on 10 or 10.5" rims, and they are stretched a bit larger than normal (maybe to 295?).  The 315's would fit better on my 11" wheels, and they would measure out closer to their designed width.  So - the difference would be 315minus 285 or 20mm, yielding an increase of 10mm per side.  So - when I change tires, I can try leaving both spacers on and see if the tires fit under my fenders.  If so - it will probably look great, and I can add the longer studs to finish the job properly.  If the new tires don't really fit with both spacers, I can remove one per side, and leave the studs that I have. 
February, 2003  94,800 miles on the odo.  We had to remove the calipers to add the longer studs in the exercise above, and I started to get brake warning lights each time I drove the car.  I took the car back in on a Saturday, and Kevin addressed this by adjusting the brake sensors.  Also, I got him to help change bulbs in my fog lights, and to adjust my headlights.  I had people honking and giving me "the finger" every time I drove at night, since my car was painted.  Seems that they were never adjusted properly after the body work.  Also, I changed the interior light bulb, with Kevin's help - so I got four pesky issues addressed.
March, 2003  95,000 miles on the odo.  The month is just starting, so nothing to report yet on the car, but I have started planning for the upcoming track season.  I sent registration info in for three DE events and I'm still working out the schedule for the rest of the season.  Also, I finally got to participate in an Ice Race with the BMW club!  Went to Newfound Lake in NH for a snowy day.  The conditions were so bad that they had to ploy the course!  Also, because of the weather, many cars got stuck - including yours truly - which slowed things down tremendously.  Each car only got two timed runs in for the whole day!  I didn't do very well, but atleast two people did worse than me, in my class, so I don't feel too bad, given that it was my first time out.  Maybe I'll try again next year, with Caroline.  I drove her car- the 330i, and it performed well.  The P-car is too low for the rough ice terrain, and the tires would be awful.  I don't think that the AWD of the C4 would compensate for the tires - and I'm not about to buy snows for it!  There were folks from the Porsche club at the event, but no Porsches, so there was no pressure or regret to take the 964. 
Well, the month of March ended without much happening on the 964.  After buying the 944, the cab is relegated to "Sunday-driver" status.  Even though the 944 is not ready yet, it is consuming most of my P-car attention.  I'll probably start a new page to act as a journal for my exploits in the new ride, and this page will probably only receive sporadic updates (probably not monthly) related to the 964.  For the record, I still plan to put 315 wide tires when the current 285 rears wear out,  but that should not happen for atleast one year.  I will also eventually change the fronts from 225 to 255.  I will also address the spacer issues at that time, as I continue to try to get the set-up close to the ideal, regarding fitting tires under the wide fenders, and having them as close to the outside as possible.  Other than that, I can honestly say that I am done with changes and upgrades to the car, and I would only need to get maintenance items addressed in the future.  It is certainly a funny feeling - what a long, strange trip its been...