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Ferdinand Alexander "Butzi" Porsche passed away today.

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(Photo by Daryn Moffitt, used under Creative Commons license.)

Giampiero Moretti, founder of Moretti-Monza — better known as Momo — passed away recently. He was perhaps most well-known for having created a line of classic steering wheels, racing safety gear and other automobile accessories. But Mr. Moretti was a true enthusiast and long-time gentleman racer, winning at Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring.

Go read the excellent memorial at Hemmings and the Witness to the Times article at Sports Car Digest to learn more about his Mr. Moretti and his life in motorsport.

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A little light reading to prepare for an upcoming project. Stay tuned.

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Coverage of the 51st Targo Florio in Road & Track, August 1967.

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"Here's a neat story I would like to share with everyone here...."

So Wayne Dempsey of Pelican Parts stumbles across a strangely described auction listing for a Porsche 962 and does a bit of sleuthing. Turns out this may be the original Liqui Moly-sponsored 962GTi-106b chassis run by Richard Lloyd Racing in 1987.

Head over to the Pelican Parts forums to hear Wayne tell his tale.

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Porsche never built a true wagon. Sedans, SUVs, hatch-backs... sure. But no wagons (yet).

German tuner DP Motorsport, famous for their 911 and 930 slant-nose conversions, stepped in to create some stunning DP Cargo Porsche 924/944 shooting brakes. Rare birds, but beautiful and (reportedly) built to very high standards.

There were a few other custom 924/944 wagons, and when Porsche scene writer John Glynn decided he fancied one for himself, he engaged Rod Campbell at Racing Restorations to build a steel-bodied 944 shooting brake styled after a 924 Kombi by Gunter Artz.

Can't tell which I find more intriguing: John's new 924/944 Kombi project or rediscovering Gunter Artz and his inspired conversions.

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The first car in my life was this huge, golden station wagon. It made an impression.

1967 Pontiac Catalina. 428 cubic-inch V8 with a 4-barrel carb and Turbo Hydro-Matic transmission. Coronado Gold Metallic paint with genuine faux-wood vinyl paneling on the sides. Three-row vinyl bench seats seating 9 — the third row was a rear-facing rumble seat that folded down when not in use.

With the third-row seat stowed, a full 4x8 sheet of fit in the back with the gate closed.

Better yet, Chief Pontiac's profile, etched into the instrument panel just below the wide-sweeping speedometer, glowed brilliant blue when the high beams were activated (via the floor-mounted foot button, of course).

A slightly foggier impression remains of my father's 1966 Alfa Romeo Duetto, the first sports car in my life. It stayed with us briefly, until a motorcycle accident and resulting stiff knee forced my father to choose a more utilitarian ride.

That wagon stayed with us 13 years. Blazing central California heat. Snowy, fishtailing ski trips to the Sierras. Camping in Yosemite or beachcombing in Santa Cruz during the summer break. Good times.

Then, one day, it was gone. And a shiny, new sports car took its place in the driveway. But that's another story...

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I just wanted to pass on some information related to this thread topic since we (Royal Purple) recently reformulated our SAE/API street oils and although both old and new formula are still often able to be found, a little checking of the back label for the API license will be worth doing.

Due to the reduction in anti wear from the API-SM cap of 800ppm phosphorus our SAE/API-SM and SN street oils are no longer the best choice for flat tappet performance engines with lifts above .500". We do not recommend our SAE/API-SN 20W-50 (part #01250, quart bottle) or SAE/API-SN 10W-40 (part #01140, quart bottle) for those applications any longer.

You can go straight to the post for the details of which specific formulations have changed. I'd also recommend checking back with this thread for further discussion on what's bound to be a controversial topic.

If you want some background on why ZDDP levels are important for Porsches in particular and older cars in general — some would argue all cars — go back to the first post in that Ultimate Motor Oil Thread and follow the links.

Hats off to Royal Purple for being up-front about the formulation change and bringing a clear explanation to the folks most likely to be affected.

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