We recently dug back into The Smoking Tire’s Safari Porsche 911 to make a few drivability tweaks. Check out the video for an update and explanation.
]]>Matt swings past the shop to get a closer look at the progress being made on the 3.2L engine rebuild for his Safari 911. We dive into wear characteristics, part replacement reasoning, cam choice, build specs and reasoning behind engine rebuild costs. As the reassembly comes to a conclusion we’ll follow up with final rebuild information, specs, and all additional information pertinent to the rebuild. Watch, listen, learn and enjoy.
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Every car should have a fire extinguisher. Element is a small, powerful product that not only gives you a fighting chance in a worst case scenario, but it’s unobtrusive and fits the interior of any Porsche with ease. It’s also a no-mess extinguisher which we love because dry chemical extinguishers can sometimes cause just as much damage as they prevent. In 40 years we have never put the TLG logo on any other company’s product, but the Element extinguisher is so badass we just couldn’t resist giving it the TLG Auto stamp of approval.
For more information call the shop or visit Element’s website: LINK
]]>“In popular culture, Houndstooth conjures images of Sherlock Holmes’ iconic deerstalker cap, the fedora made famous by Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, and—in recent years—the shirt of choice for dimwitted Ricky LaFleur in the Canadian mockumentary Trailer Park Boys. But it doesn’t take a rocket appliance (thanks, Ricky) to know that Houndstooth means just one thing to automobile enthusiasts: the upscale upholstery option most often associated with 1960s Porsches (and the Chevrolet Camaro as well).” – Hagerty Insurance
Full Article: LINK
SWB 911 S w/Vichy interior
SWB 911 S w/Vichy interior
]]>TGL Auto is here to help for the 86th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a quick resource guide containing info and links to everything you’ll need to stay on top of the world’s greatest endurance race. RADIO: Radio Le Mans ENTRY LIST: Click here WEATHER: Click here SPOTTERS GUIDE: Click here LIVE TIMING AND SCORING: Click here EVENT SCHEDULE:Wednesday, June 13
Thursday, June 14
Friday, June 15 (no on-track activity)
Saturday, June 16
Sunday, June 17
TV SCHEDULE: The entire race will be aired live in the USA and Canada on the Velocity Channel. Live streaming, featuring on-board cameras (but not the live broadcast) is available via the Motor Trend App.
]]>"MARCO GERACE stops by to explain how journalism school and a bit of 2nd shift radio eventually led him back to the family business. Porsche. Plus #kittycam and a very special gift for The Ryans. Thanks for coming by Marco and thank you all for spending time with us. For more information about the Ryan’s make sure to check out their social channels: YouTube FaceBook"
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Now don’t get me wrong, I fully understand that racing isn’t for everyone. But the thing about Porsche cars – more than any other car from any other manufacturer, past present, or future – is that they are the absolute best go-anywhere-do-anything sports cars ever made. The beauty of a Porsche sports car – see, I have to make that distinction because Porsche builds SUVs and 4-door sedans now – is that they are equally comfortable commuting in the city to and from work as they are carving the corners in a canyon or barreling into the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca. No other sports car can make that claim because no other car from any other manufacturer has the historical data to prove it.
That’s why when I made the decision to participate in the 2013 Porsche Owners Club’s (POC) Performance Driving Series (PDS), I chose to compete with a car that I occasionally use to drive to and from work; a car that I drove from the Vermont/Canada boarder, down the Eastern Seaboard, and across the northern part of the United States in the Spring of 2012. My goal was to attend every PDS event of the season and to drive the car to the track, race it for the weekend, and then drive it home … no trailers allowed. My primary goal was to prove that a 1974 911 street car could actually be competitive in today’s POC, and that it could be raced on Sunday and driven to work on Monday. My secondary goal was to experience the POC driver education system – to start at the bottom as an entry-level participant and work my way up through the program to eventually participate in the Cup Race Series.
I dove in head first.
The little 1974 911 was too heavily modified to run in a “stock” class – 2.5L twin-plug, carbureted engine; close-ratio gearbox; turbo brakes; monoball bushings front and rear; 23/31 torsion bars – so I classified the car via power-to-weight ratio and ran it in GT-5. My two closest competitors in GT-5 were a full-blown 1970 911 racecar with RSR bodywork and a 3.2L engine, and a street-driven 1976 European Carrera 3.0L with a blueprinted motor. The great thing about the GT classes is that they are totally unlimited in terms of allowed modifications just so long as the cars’ power-to-weight ratios fall within a certain range, so it really comes down to the drivers’ ability. Sure, certain modifications will give competitors and edge in the way of ultimate grip or stopping power, but for the most part it’s a driver versus driver competition. And it … is … FUN!
Over the course of the season the guy with the 1970 RSR-bodied car collected enough 1st place finishes to lock up the class championship. That left myself and the guy with the ’76 Carrera to duke it out for second place; my ’74 was a bit lighter, but his car had 20 more horsepower – not to mention the fact that he was (and still is) a STELLAR driver – so the gap between us was usually only a tenth or two tenths of a second. This made for some great battles and a fun rivalry for the season. It also led to me making a bunch of new friends.
Here’s a video from the 2013 season. It was my first time driving at Auto Club Speedway, and it’s obvious that I still had a lot to learn.
Unfortunately (for me), with about three or four events left on the calendar my rival came to the realization that his ’76 Carrera was too valuable to be throwing it around a racetrack. He went out and bought himself a 2004 Boxster S and instantly chopped 2 seconds off his time. WHOA!!
When the dust settled on the 2013 season I had been relegated to third place in the series. And although there was no trophy for third, I felt that I had done what I set out to do with the car – to prove that a vintage, street-driven 911 could be competitive in a non-vintage racing series. I had also achieved my personal goal of working my way through the POC driver education system; I earned my PDS license early on in the season, and I earned my Time Attack license at the very last event of 2013. Small bit of trivia: The Time Attack Series replaced the Time Trial Series for the 2014 season. I was issued the very first Time Attack license in the history of the POC.
The 2014 POC race season is nearly at the halfway point, and next weekend is one of the biggest events on the yearly schedule … The Tribute To Le Mans. This year marks a much-welcomed return to racing under the lights as the 4-hour endurance event heads back to Willow Springs Raceway after too many years at Auto Club Speedway. It’s shaping up to be a huge weekend for the POC – in addition to the 4-hour enduro Tribute race on Saturday night (from 6-10pm), there is also Friday practice, Cup Races #10 and #11, Time Attack #7 and #8, and PDS #7 and #8 – and based on what I’ve seen this year, there is going to be some good, good racing.
Here’s a link to more information on this year’s Tribute weekend: Tribute To LeMans Information
This weekend also marks the retirement of my 1974 911 from regular competition use, although I do still plan to use the car for semi-regular commuting and the occasional track day. The reason for the car’s retirement is simply due to a natural progression of things; as I continue to work my way through the POC driver development program, the next step up from Time Attack is a move into Cup Racing. To earn a Cup Racing license a driver is required to attend two Racer’s Clinics, however cars used in the Racer’s Clinics (and Cup races) are required to have roll cages, fire suppression systems, and other race car-specific hardware. As I have no intention of converting my ’74 911 into a full-blown race car, the only logical step forward would be to build (or buy) a purpose-built race car. So as the ’74 bows out a previously-retired piece of TLG racing hardware returns to the ring.
We were fortunate to recently acquire a car that my father, Tony, built for a client back in 2001. A 1970 911E, The Red Car (name suggestions welcomed) was originally built to compete in the VARA/HSR West 2.0L Challenge; however, it was never seriously campaigned by the owner and it spent the majority of its life in storage. Having sat unused for the better part of a decade, The Red Car will make its POC debut flying the TLG colors at this weekend’s Time Attack event. It’s going to be a shakedown weekend as the car hasn’t seen competition use in nearly a decade, but the preparations made over the last two weeks lead me to believe that the old girl still has a fighting spirit. At a fighting weight of 2,175lbs. (with driver and 5 gallons of gas) with a 210hp 2.4L carbureted engine, it looks like GT-3 will be where she makes her stand. Here’s hoping for a decent showing.
Admittedly, I caught the racing bug. But it was difficult not to because, after all, Porsches and racing go hand in hand … like Blackmore and Gillen, Mick and Keith, and Paige and Plant. Racing is something I’ve always enjoyed – either as a spectator or a participant – but driving fast and racing competitively are only part of what got me hooked. More than anything else, really, it’s the camaraderie of The Club that keeps me coming back. It’s people helping people – either to learn their way around the racetrack or lending tools or parts in the pits – that makes going to the track enjoyable. The well-structured, smoothly run event weekends make for low-stress environments where new attendees can feel comfortable as they learn how to drive their Porsches at speed. And the driver education program – which in its design helps foster relationships through a mentoring program – helps to keep people safe as they develop their skills on a racetrack. In short, the POC is the perfect environment for owners of Porsche cars to go out and GO FAST!!
So, as we roll into next week – and the month of May for those of you who are like me and find yourself regularly caught off guard by the rapidly changing months and seasons – I urge you to take a look at your calendar to see what you have brewing for next weekend. If you have an opening on Saturday night you should seriously consider heading out to Willow Springs Raceway for the Tribute to Le Mans … and bring a jacket because the desert gets cold. There’s nothing quite like watching the fire-spitting upshifts, and glowing-rotor braking of a pack of Porsche race cars as they jockey for position … for four hours! And for those of you with larger openings in your weekend schedules, I would highly recommend signing up for the PDS event on Saturday or Sunday and getting involved in yet another aspect of the Porsche Ownership Experience (besides commuting to work or driving the canyons). You owe it to yourself and your car to try something new.
I hope to see you out there.
]]>Over the last 36 years TLG has grown and matured, evolving from that two-bay shop in the back of a gas station into a 4500 square foot repair and restoration facility staffed by a team of mechanics with more than 100 years in collective experience. The growth did not come easy; it took years of dedication … dedication to the Porsche brand, and dedication to providing great, high-quality service to our clients. And though the shop may have grown and changed – and as it continues to do so – there is one thing that has remained a constant since the doors first rolled up in the back of that gas station 36 years ago … at TLG we are dedicated to providing our clients with good, honest, high-quality service. At TLG we strive to maintain a high ethical standard.
It’s no secret that auto mechanics have a bad rap. Countless television exposes and special investigative reports have been filmed about people getting ripped off by auto mechanics who do shoddy work, use junk parts, or charge people for work that was never performed. The problem is that there are good, honest shop owners out there, but you’d never know it based on all the bad press auto mechanics get because of a few bad apples. The rest of us are forced to work extra hard to counteract the damage that the few dishonest knuckleheads do to the general reputation of all auto mechanics. TLG has worked hard to forge a great reputation and we defend it … fiercely.
And why do we defend our reputation so fiercely? Because we value our clients and we value their trust.
We want our clients to enjoy the Porsche ownership experience. Porsches are awesome cars, and if we can relieve our clients’ anxiety about their Porsche’s needs or problems, then they can get back to enjoying the drive. Part of that relief comes from an understanding about what is happening with the vehicle and understanding why we recommend certain services or repairs. Knowledge is power, and by sharing information and educating our clients we are reinforcing the mechanic/client relationship and earning their trust. And trust is important because it gives our clients confidence that the recommendations we make are in their and their Porsche’s best interests.
As such, we refuse to compromise our ethical standards … for anyone.
Case in point: We received a telephone call two days ago from the owner of a 2010 Panamera 4S who was shopping around for the best price on brakes. After a lengthy discussion involving many questions (by me) and a few answers (by the owner) the decision was made to have the car dropped off to have the front pads, rotors, and brake sensors replaced. This morning, however, upon inspecting the vehicle prior to performing the job, we found that the rear pads, rotors, and sensors were also dangerously worn and in dire need of replacement. After reworking the estimate I contacted the owner who was genuinely shocked that the rears were so worn out “because the Porsche dealer said they were fine.” The owner asked me to do only the front, but I carefully explained that there was no point in doing only half the job as the car would still be unsafe to drive with the rear brakes in their current condition. It was an all or nothing scenario – either we do ALL the brakes or we do nothing – but the owner was not willing to step up and do the rear brakes, too, so I turned down the job.
From a liability standpoint I was unwilling to put my shop at risk by knowingly sending a car out on the road that I felt was unsafe to drive. From an ethical standpoint I felt that the safety of my client – and the safety of the other people out on the road – was more important than the money we would make doing a brake job. It’s just not worth it…
Could we have used the work? Always. We’re in the business of making money. But the right thing and the profitable thing don’t always intersect … it’s the job of an ethical business owner to make the right choice.
TLG Auto has been in business for 36 years because we strive to make the right choice … not always the easy choice, but the right one. For more than three decades TLG has fought to earn the trust of our clients, and every day we work hard to maintain that trust and foster those relationships. And as we look forward to another 36 years of serving the Porsche community – not just in Los Angeles, but all over the world – we will continue to maintain high ethical standards and do what’s right.
Take care, and enjoy the drive.
]]>And, with that, I want to remind everyone that racing cars is all about having fun, and everything is fun and games until someone gets hurt. So play nice and play safe, and we’ll see you out at the track again on May 2-4 with the POC
]]>This year I decided to head out to Fontana on Sunday morning to pay a visit to the guys at Stand 21 and pick up a new HANS device before next weekend’s POC races at Willow Springs Raceway. Stand 21 just happens to be the official supplier of racewear to Porsche Motorsport, so you know their products are going to be top notch: Stand 21 Racewear
The sun was shining today, but the wind … was … BLOWING!! So much so, in fact, that it was actually uncomfortable to be out at the racetrack. And since I didn’t have any dogs in the hunt I decided to cut out as soon as I picked up the HANS and said hello to some friends and colleagues. Before I left, though, I did manage to get a good 15 second video. 15 Seconds of Speed
If that little video gets your blood flowing and you think you might like to try your hand at a fun, safe, and exciting day at the track, I urge you to check out the Porsche Owners Club: POC Website
A bit of news out of the TLG Clothing Department is that we’re working on a new design for T-shirts and hoodies for Spring/Summer. We should have some samples printed up in the next few weeks, and we’ll be selling them on-line as well as out of the trunk of the racecar at the racetrack. Our goal is to keep the gear fresh and interesting, and we have no plans to do second runs of the design … when they’re gone, they’re gone. The first shirts sold out in about two weeks, so if you want some TLG gear then be ready to act fast when they’re released.
That’s it for this week’s update. I’m still working on figuring out this blog thing so please bear with me as I work out the bugs. Don’t forget to stop by the TLG page on Facebook – TLG Facebook Page – and I’ll check back in with the blog after next week’s event at Big Willow.
]]>We want to thank every one of you for your years of patronage and we look forward to the coming years with you.
Remember the importance of regular maintenance and don’t wait for something to happen before you bring in your Porsche for a checkup.
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