In this series of articles for Challenge, the goal will be to enjoy the kaleidoscopic experiences of CVR’s members and in the process, coincidentally touch upon a few issues that occasionally occur, mechanically, in our cars. Cars that are consistently magnificent, but like all machines, possessed with personalities, quirks, and complexities of design that, when they act up, can be frustrating and become essential to remedy. Take, for example, the now-famous, gold-standard tech. issue, the I.M.S. bearing, a subject discussed extensively—exhaustively—over recent years. By now, every one of these rascals must have been replaced. However, within articles like this, the emphasis is primarily on people, by communication of individual stories. It is possible that if we can learn from our peers, we might be able to avoid going from one to three sessions on the couch a week. In the future, who knows, the reader might simply need only attend monthly group sessions online, by reading Challenge. Please don’t worry; because the stories take form under the CVR car club umbrella, sharing of car topics is integral, certainly comprising a significant component. Regarding mechanical issues: it is the miracle of Porsche motorcars that these occurrences are rare, leaving us free to drive our miles with confidence and pleasure.
When the idea was presented that I write a tech. column, I planned on titling it, “Do No Harm,” referring to the mantra shared by surgeons, restorers of antique houses and furniture, conservators of paintings and works of art on paper, and of course, those who repair, maintain and restore our cars. Talented, experienced technicians, in most disciplines, prepare to do their work with this approach in mind, as a First Commandment. They deserve deep respect for their skills to make things better, without upsetting the Porsche-cart. From them I have learned there is no place in a shop for an adjustable wrench, other than for use to shim up a wobbly table.

Because the idea of being given the responsibility of authoring tech. advice articles gives me the shakes, I decided to focus on the more social aspects of Porsche ownership and the experiences of CVR’s members. Those among us—most of us—with sufficient decades in our rearview mirrors, will remember the classic, misleadingly titled novel by Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, 1974. From that, I have cadged and modified the title to fit this series. Rather than supply nuts-and-bolts methods for repairing issues like the failure of my 1967 Triumph Bonneville speedometer—a cap that liked to fall out of the speedo cable’s gear housing, and was solved by making a non-O.E.M. plug out of a nickel, costing…a nickel—Pirsig mused on life issues, such as fatherhood and society’s increasingly too-rapid pace. One of the recurrent, endearing metaphors in his book describes the spiritual satisfaction he got from our mid-West’s voluminous supply of Red-winged Blackbirds, as he two-wheeled on secondary roads, away from the interstate highways. I will take cues from him—I’m a Red-winged Blackbird fan, as well—and gladly leave technical discussions to the experts.

The German expression, Du kannst nichts, literally translates to mean, “You know nothing.” But it has more texture and further implies, “You cannot learn anything, you will never know anything…you are hopeless.” When asked whether I would consider writing technical issues articles—a request that instantly caused me to experience something akin to anaphylactic shock—the phrase came to mind, but in the first person: Ich kann nichts; I know nothing…
Still, I can function as a conduit of sorts, and pass along tales I find engaging and significant to the CVR members reading this column. Inevitably, some mechanical/technical issues will come to light and be part of the discussion, but detailed strategies for resolution of such issues will be supplied in a dedicated Technical column, written by others. Please consider my stories to be more of an amateur’s Zennish—”Ahhh Grasshopper”—attempt to verbalize the vitality of our Club’s shared experience, and allow that it will be a work in progress.

To immediately contradict my stated task and get rolling—haha—let’s talk tires. Specifically, “Maximum Performance Summer Tires,” in cold weather. In mid-December, Susan Young—a.k.a., my long-suffering spousal unit—and I gleefully picked up the first brand new Porsche we have bought. Apparently, most new Porsche deliveries take place when it is ready to snow. The day was clear, about 35 degrees, and as I composed myself in the cockpit, stun-gunned by the array of functions before me, I engaged first gear—I don’t need no stinkin’ PDK—carefully found the clutch’s friction point and without stalling out, pulled forward all of twenty feet to stop at the curb, ready to have a blast. When traffic finally allowed, I turned hard left and accelerated. Man, it was nasty. The car hopped, thumped, chunked and shuddered. WHAT??!! But as I got straight, these symptoms eased up a bit. Down the road, the same thing happened when I turned to enter the highway ramp, but to a lesser degree because I anticipated it. Still not smooth or reassuring. Then, feeling frisky, I got on the gas to take the sweeping approach to the highway and darn, the car felt loose, definitely slippery. WHAT??!! Because I am an “adult,” I took her home cautiously. Who among us wants to mess-up, right out of the box? After parking, I immediately called the dealer. His response? “Everyone who takes delivery in cold weather gets five miles down the road, pulls over and calls me, asking, “WHAT is broken in my car?” To which he responds, “It’s the tires,” as he tries, unsuccessfully, to muffle a giggle. Was I on speakerphone? Next day, Susan was eager to get a ride in our new sportscar and I thought, “Uh-Oh!” Slowwwly turning hard right out of our driveway—no way did I want her to hear the off-key cacophony—the same, awful noises and juddering occurred, prompting Susan to say, “WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR NEW CAR?” Like me, she was not pleased.
Okay, “Maximum Performance Summer Tires and it’s mid-December, with the temperature just north of the freezing point. Having had a fair amount of DE track experience, I should have had a better grip on what to expect, but did not. The next day I was back at the dealership where, fortunately, they had a set of 18” wheels, already mounted with snow tires. It necessitated the mortgaging of the north forty, but proved to be an unforeseen expenditure that was absolutely worth it. The change in handling and sense of confidence that resulted was wonderful. Instantly, our Porsche no longer felt like a strut had broken and the wheels were trapezoidal. Still not pushing it—take it easy on any new tires—I was able to begin the supremely satisfying journey enabled by Porsche ownership.
According to one of our Sponsors, the folks at Tire Rack:
“We all know that tires are a compromise. One tire can’t be the fastest on the track, most controllable in the snow, and longest wearing. The Ultra High-Performance tire that grips the track with tread temperatures of 200° is incompetent as its tread compound becomes like “hard plastic” at below 32°. Today’s 80,000-mile tires require tread designs and compounds that maximize long, even wear… not winter traction. And while many of today’s all-season tires (Original Equipment, touring and performance) address some of these issues, they still emphasize longer wear, a quieter ride or greater performance…not winter traction.
Several vehicle manufacturers’ owners’ manuals recommend operating winter tires several psi (typically 3-5) higher than their recommended pressures for summer and all-season tires. While none of them actually provide the reason why, there are several scenarios that would support the practice. First and foremost is that winter tires feature more aggressive tread designs, softer tread compounds and are often molded with deeper beginning tread depths than summer or all-season tires. While the combination of these design elements allows winter tires to remain more pliable in sub-freezing temperatures to provide more traction in snow and on ice, it often results in tires that have somewhat reduced responsiveness to driver input. The 3-5 psi higher recommended inflation pressures increase tire stability and help offset the reduction in responsiveness.
Additionally, ambient air temperatures in winter typically range 40-to-50 degrees Fahrenheit colder than typical summer temperatures for the same location. The lower ambient temperatures allow tires to be more efficient at radiating heat and the tires will run cooler, building up less hot tire pressure. In this case, the 3-5 psi higher recommended inflation pressure increase helps offset the reduced hot tire pressures resulting from less heat buildup. https://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=120
And finally, all tire pressures are intended to be measured cold, which means when the tires are at the same temperature as the air outside. Unfortunately, unless you park your vehicle outside or in an unheated, detached garage, and measure its tire pressures first thing on dark, cold mornings, the influence of attached garages or higher ambient air temperatures later in the day often means that drivers are actually measuring tires that are not completely cold. In this case the 3-5 psi higher recommended inflation pressure increase helps offset the reduced tire pressures associated with the conditions in which the tire pressures are typically measured.” https://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=168
To this I should add: cold temperatures facilitate rather rapid tire pressure loss vs. during warm temperatures, so more frequent checks with your tire pressure gauge, or TPMS (Tire pressure Monitoring System), if your car is so equipped, are necessary.
Also, if you are running performance summer tires in cold weather, keep in mind that stopping distances are likely to be increased.
More tire information, poached from our friends who art in Google: https://www.ustires.org/whats-tire-0
As this series of articles develops, I will call upon the fascinating experiences of our members and the expertise of Porsche mechanics to guide me. Regarding the latter: you all know some of these mythical, mechanically-gifted creatures: they walk, talk (sometimes), and function as MRIs, CT Scanners, and X-ray machines. They magically diagnose and solve problems totally beyond the scope of laypersons. They make the invisible become tangible. For one, I need and luuuuv them. The respect I have for a talented—it’s in their DNA—experienced mechanic, is sincere, particularly when I try to imagine what might be involved in tackling one of the newer vehicles. WOW. Ask them your tech. questions and leave me out of it, please. This will ensure the functionality and longevity of your Porsche. I want you to be happy and safe.
Wishing you well,
Charles M. Young