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Anyone else a late night TV fan? I have been a fan of staying up late since college. The shows I watch have changed over time. There was a time where David Letterman was cool and Jay Leno’s schtick was just hokey. I would stay with Letterman until 12:30, when I would hit the clicker to watch Conan O’Brien. It was a peaceful place in the universe until the high stakes game of late show musical chairs began between Leno and Conan. Leno was to retire and Conan would be taking over as the show’s new host. I don’t know what it was, but Conan just didn’t do that well in the earlier Tonight Show slot. Maybe it was because almost all of what made him funny - the driving desk, Triumph The Insult Comedy Dog, the bear, Max Weinberg, Abe Vigoda...they all seemed to be left in another time zone of late, late night. Leno’s return was almost merciful, with a tinge of “I told you so, rookie.”
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As another amazing NNJR Concours season comes to a close, we had the pleasure of hosting our final workshop at ID Signs in South Hackensack, NJ. Jose DeLaCruz, the owner of ID Signs, put together a fantastic buffet for the crowd. This amazing epicurean delight was more fitting of a wedding than a Concours workshop. Jose is the consummate host and has one of the best facilities to run an indoor event. The topic du jour was winter storage and car care. This was the second year for the event which continues to draw one of the most inquisitive and involved crowds of our workshop season. With over 50 Porsche enthusiasts on hand we began our event. Hank and I divided the day into two sections, drivers and sleepers. I took the driver portion of the event with Hank taking the sleepers. As you might imagine the driver portion focused on the necessary steps involved in taking care of your car if you plan on driving it through the winter.
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Those 3 letters stand for something big - Intermediate Shaft (IMS). There has been much talk and information about it on the internet, some of it actually true, most just stories by people who have had a bad experience. Here are the nuts and bolts of it. Porsche is no stranger to the IMS. Porsche has been using an IMS for along time. The 547 Carrera engine had one, in fact every 911 ever built has one. In the early engines, the IMS is known as a “layshaft” and does not present issues, even though it had the exact same job as the current IMS in regard to driving the camshafts. The problem is not the IMS but the IMSB (Intermediate Shaft Bearing) in the M96 and M97 engines. 
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A few months ago I had the opportunity to take a first drive in the new 991. This particular car was a Carrera S, equipped with PDK. The venue was not the street, but (as deemed by some), the best track in the world, Watkins Glen International. I would drive several laps to show my student around the track prior to him taking the wheel. Life is sometimes tough - I would drive the car for the sole benefit of my student, but I certainly would not enjoy it.

 

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“Hey there!” I said cheerfully as I approached black Cayman S. The white group driver was already strapped into his car and looked a little confused about why I was approaching him, helmet in hand, and asking how his day was going.

Once in a while, right smack dab in the middle of a perfectly good driver education event, we shake things up a bit and do something called a “white blitz.” For the uninitiated following along at home, white group drivers are our first “solo” run group, meaning that they are not assigned instructors at events. Once in a while, though, we like to do a check up. Instructors randomly get into white run group students’ cars, usually without warning, as they prepare to pit out for a run group. Sneaky? Maybe. But the element of surprise is sometimes fun. Sometimes.

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The scene was set for one of the most picturesque concours events NNJR has ever hosted. Our stunning venue was the beautiful estate of Robb Francis in Bernardsville NJ. The five acres of manicured lawns accented by a serene pond provided a back drop that most concours organizers could only dream about. As the sound of big band jazz music filled the air from the speakers around the resort like pool, the stage was set for another NNJR block buster.

The key to any great concours event is the weather. This was the one element not in our favor. The forecast was for apocalyptic thunder and hail storms to blanket the area at any given time. Both Hank and I were getting phone calls from concours participants voicing their concerns about the dismal forecast. Nevertheless, by 8:30am the crowd started to file in. Almost everyone who pulled up had a tale of sour weather to tell. But upon arrival at our tranquil estate for the day, all concerns were quickly alleviated.

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