About Me
I've owned Porsches for over 27 years. I take great pride maintaining and modifying all our vehicles. I actively participate in Driver's Ed events and autocross with the Connecticut Valley Region PCA. Much of my car knowledge came from working on cars with my dad. Early in my professional career I spent a lot of time working on diesel engines including some formal training. I have a master's degree in mechanical engineering and hope to retire early to dedicate more time to this hobby.
My first engine rebuild was a Honda XR-75 dirt bike. When I was fifteen, I bought a VW Superbeetle for $75. We raised it up, cut the fenders, and put truck tires on it. I spent most of my time getting it unstuck in the woods behind our house. My first Porsche was acquired junior year of college. A 1967 912 and parts car for $2900. It wasn't until after buying it did we discover a knock in the engine. One of the pistons was smacking the head! This led to a full teardown and rebuild. I remember the engine needed some critical component. Back then it was easy to buy an entire parts car for the one thing you needed. We found another '67 912 in New Jersey that was complete but didn't run. While at the guy's house we saw a 914 in the garage. A few days later we went back and bought the 1971 914 for $750. We replaced the fuel pump, aired up the tires, and took it autocrossing. We eventually rebuilt the motor adding a hot cam, carbs, and headers. At this point I was getting more comfortable with engines. At work I was spending a lot of time working on diesel engines including a trip to Detroit Deisel for a weeklong Series 60 engine teardown class. I even rebuilt the motor in my lawnmower after hitting a stump. Sorry, getting off track.
After securing a job the first obvious thing to do was upgrade my Porsche. Duh. After riding in an '83 cab I knew I wanted a 911SC. I found a '78 Targa for $9500 and sold my 912. The SC was prematurely retired after sliding into a telephone pole. I then owned a series of guards red 944s each of which turned a profit to help pay for my current '84 911 which was purchased in 2001. At this time my dad and I were active autocrossers in the CVR PCA. I also did a few track days at Lime Rock with the SC and later with the Carrera. Eventually the autocross lot moved far away, and the Carrera engine was losing compression. We stopped autocrossing, and I started the 3.2 rebuild which I completed in 2014.
Fast forward to 2017. I had not autocrossed or tracked a car in 15 years. I was ready to get back into it but did not want to use the '84 911. I purchased a Polar Silver 2003 996.2. What an incredible car! It was in pristine condition. I got back into doing Driver's Ed events running the car completely stock. We also rebuilt the carbs in the 914, put some fresh tires on, and got back into autocrossing. I was hooked again but this time I was all in. The search began for the perfect trackable street car. I did not want to deal with the known 996 engine issues. I considered a 991.2 PDK but did not love it. I had to have a manual. I also wanted to keep weight to a minimum so skip the sunroof. It took six months to find a 991.1S with all the right specs.
I tracked the 991 for about two years. I ran it with dedicated track tires and more capable brakes. As speeds increased, I realized the need for safety gear. I did not want to modify the car, so the search began for a Cayman to build into a 90/10 track car. I hope you enjoy reading about the modifications completed on the Cayman and other DIY projects completed on the other car.
