Vote Early, Vote Often

Once more, it’s election time. The Nominating Committee has put together a list of candidates for the 2008 Board of Officers. Please take time to vote and to also let us know how we are doing. I personally thank both the nominating committee and also the two long-term officers who are retiring from their positions. 

Additionally, please take the opportunity to indicate suggestions you might have fore the 2008 Calendar of Events, via the ballot, email or by telephone. Remember, this is your club. I am looking forward to another exciting year of PCA membership.

Keep the windows clean and the shiny side up!

November 2007

IS IT A PORSCHE?

I just had the pleasure of driving a Porsche....mutt!  It looks like a 550 and has a Porsche 356 VIN plate on it, along with a VW chassis plate. Is it a Porsche?  Cory, the owner, used a 914 engine, bumped up to 2.4 liters. Its VW transmission case contained one Beetle gear, two 911 gears and one VW bus gear. When driving it, it did not feel like a 911 or a 914. It had its own flavor, the

epitome of a hand-built care, designed to please its owner.  H e could not hide a huge grin as he was retelling his recent run through Deal’s Gap, NC.

Over the years, I have seen many Porsches. Some are very loud...some are quiet.  Some are just like they were when they left the factory, while some heavily bear the personalized marks of their owner. Is one more of a Porsche than the other?

 Myself, I do not care about cliques and artificial divisions within the Porsche community. Regardless of whether it is built in Uusikaupunki, Gmund or Ballwin, our interest in cars is what brings us together. As an officers board, we try to facilitate your Porsche habit, regardless of whether you prefer to only look at the car (our frequent detailing clinics), drive it at 9/10ths (our DEs) or just drive it to work. We are fortunate to have the generous backing of a Porsche dealer (the 20% discount at Parktown Imports has been extended, just mention you are in the PCA and please make certain to thank them!) and many independent shops who kindly donate their time for the cause. We do not care what kind of Porsche you drive or park in your garage. Act in the spirit of the club and you are certainly welcome.

As for whether the mutt with the hand-built chassis was really a Porsche? A quick drive around the block removed any doubts from my mind...he is welcome in the St. Louis PCA any time!

Keep the tires properly inflated and the shiny side up!

October 2007

THINGS ARE HAPPENING – FAST & FUN!

As our newsletter editor, Earlwayne, pointed out in the last Die Plauderei issue, the schedule of events has certainly gotten crowded. The events are getting added to the schedule faster than we can update the newsletter. I hope you are taking advantage of the e-mail event notifications our region has available. Events such as the recent Open House invitation by our gracious sponsor, Parktown Imports, are often planned too quickly for inclusion in Die Plauderei. Three more detail clinics are coming up, along with a multitude of fun driving events and a tech clinic. This is in addition to regular events such as the Wednesday social event.

Which of course, brings me to the focus of this club: it is the people! Whether it is camaraderie at a track event or fellowship in a non-driving event, the bond starts with the cars, but does not end there. If you have not seen a friend and fellow club member for a while, call them, catch up with how they are doing and invite them to the events you will be participating in. Life happens, we all get busy. They may have missed an announcement for an event they would really like to attend. There is always room for another person at the table or another car in the driving tour.  It has been both a great privilege and a joy to serve you as president for the past 8 months. There are close to 400 members in this Region; I hope to meet each and every one of you in an upcoming event.

Keep the oil fresh and the shiny side up!

June 2007

Things are heating up!

By the time you read this, another school year will have come to an end.  Congratulations to the graduates and to the proud parents of the graduates!  No more studying, time to play!

Speaking of play, the driving season is in full swing.  We have already had several driving events and the European Auto Show is around the corner.  In addition to the St. Louis region’s events, neighboring regions are also organizing driver’s education events and multi-region social gatherings.  Wash the car, put some fresh oil if you have not already and drive it!  We hope you will also take the opportunity to attend our non-driving events such as the Wednesday socials.  Come out, meet fellow Porsche owners, see old friends and make new ones.  Enjoy to the fullest your membership in one of the biggest club clubs in existence (currently 50,000+ members). 

To help keep the club energized, the PCA will be sending surveys to over 7000 members.  Please do take the time to fill the survey out if you are a recipient.  The only way the club can remain fresh and responsive to its members is by YOUR participation.

Keep the flash alive!

The Rev Limiter

It seems fitting that we are inaugurating the 2007 St. Louis PCA driving season with the spring Carrera Classic driver’s education (DE) event.  Driving events are very popular in this region.  While interest in other events has waxed and waned (i.e., the Easter Car Show), the region always seems to hold at least four touring events and two DE events every year.  These non-competitive events highlight the strong camaraderie among club members, be it technical help with one’s car or friendly chit-chat. 

To supplement these events, I would like anyone with ideas for organizing a rally or autocross event to contact me.  It is your club, get involved!  This year, we have a fairly large board of officers and we are always interested in new ideas.

I hope to see you at one of the many April events!  We have two driving events, a detail clinic, the Wednesday social and a board meeting coming up.  Keep the shiny side up and the wheels on the ground!

March 2007

Pôr-shə is a two-syllable word

As registration is open for the spring 2007 Carrera Classic, I could not think of a better opportunity to address a perennial subject within the PCA: relations with our sponsors.

Seasons change, but over the years we have had Parktown Imports, Plaza Motors, Reid Vann, and others extend considerable monetary and non-monetary support towards our PCA region.  Many of the activities we have come to associate with the St. Louis Region would be different without this support.  Some of the sponsors are large corporations, some are smaller and many are fellow PCA members.

When doing business with our sponsors (buying insurance, servicing a car, just browsing or buying parts) do mention you are a PCA member and thank them for their support.  There is more to it than the obvious courtesy.  Identifying yourself as a member of the club lets the sponsor gauge the size and activity of the club, helping the justification of the continuation of their support.  Additionally, it is to the sponsor’s interest to provide a great experience to a club member.

On a totally different note, I would like to briefly discuss the pronounciation of the marque that is the common thread of this club.  Indeed, Porsche (POR-sha) is a two-syllable word.

I hope to see you all at the upcoming annual open house that Parktown Imports is kindly sponsoring on March 12^th.  We are putting extra emphasis in welcoming all PCA members, new and old and will have all of the board’s officers and members present, so you can meet them.  Plus, we shall have several surprises!!

Till we meet, keep the shiny side up!

For us Western folk, January 1^st marks the beginning of a new year.  This beginning often prompts us to adopt new resolutions and set new goals for ourselves.  For the St. Louis Region PCA, 2007 also brings a new board of elected officers and renewed energy to best serve the local PCA group.

As with any volunteer organization, the quality of the club is only as good as the energy and input put forth by its members.  We have a strong and capable board, but always need input from YOU!  Let us know about the events you like, along with any constructive criticism you might have about past events.  More importantly, tell us about new events you would like to see.  Last September’s first and very successful Porsche-only car show started as a suggestion from a handful of members.  The 2007 event planning meeting will take place on January 13, 2007.  Feel free to attend or contact one of us and share your ideas.

We, as a board, will use your input to provide you with a calendar of engaging events.  Our intent is to provide an ever-increasing variety of events for the current members to attend, attract new members and increase the retention rates of the existing membership.  Thankfully, Porsche itself has helped “bury the hatchet” regarding many arbitrary barriers within the club (i.e., there has not been a new air-cooled Porsche for 8 years).  This is a club where everyone is welcome, it is our goal for you to be excited to be a member of this region.

In closing, I would like to wish you a happy and successful 2007!

Sincerely,

Menelaos Karamichalis, St. Louis Region PCA president