Rainy May 11^th Autocross

     Although it was a rainy Saturday, it was great to see those whom braved the weather drive in our first autocross of the year.  As many of us found out, a car that handles one way on dry pavement can have totally different handling characteristics when driving in the wet.  It’s actually a very good way to develop skid recovery skills in a pretty safe environment (maybe not so safe for some of the poor blades of grass and clover that were clinging to the side of my car after a failed attempt at braking deeper into a corner).

     Besides some of us “regulars”, it was great to see some new faces at the track.  Hope to see all of you, as well as more members, come on June 8^th for our next autocross.  Details of the next autocross can be found on-line as well as in this newsletter.  Also be sure to visit our website and view pictures from the May 11^th Autocross.  http://www.pca.org/cia/pastevents/2002/autocross0501.htm

     RESULTS:    

Congratulations & Best Wishes!

     Our Porsche Club's very good friends Tanya Meyer and Bob Dideriksen were married Thursday, May 16, in a private ceremony at the Johnson County Courthouse with a few close friends in attendance.  The wedding party enjoyed cocktails, dinner and a nice evening at The University Athletic Club in Iowa City.  They are a grand couple; a bride to fair and a groom so rare!

Very best wishes to Bob and Tanya.

Autocross – Saturday, June 8^th

     Come join us in Marshalltown and drive, watch, or just hang out. It is a great day to see great Porsches and to drive your own the way you always wanted to. We can always use flag persons and timekeepers if you don’t want to drive. It helps the event and gives you a feeling of participation.

     Arriving about 10:00 am, we will have time to inspect the track and several opportunities for practice laps… just one car at a time. After lunch it will be time for 3 sets of timed laps beginning at 1:30 pm. Each set consists of three laps. With only one car on the track you can set your own pace and have a great time. This is a very safe way to practice your driving skills.

     To learn more about the track look at their web site: http://www.bestofiowa.com/ia-intl-raceway/index.html If you have any questions or need additional information call John Dyson, 319-335-9843 or john-dyson@uiowa.edu

Green Castle Airport Cello Concert

Saturday, June 8^th 7:30 P.M.

     Charles Wendt will be presenting a cello concert with piano at 7:30PM, Saturday, June 8th for the Bill Kimble Flight Scholarship Fund to sponsor a senior high girl or boy who is interested in learning to fly.  They pay for all their costs... airplane, medical, materials, check rides with the FAA, and our 4 Certified Flight Instructors (CFI) donate their time.  UI’s own Joshua Russell, who is also a CFI, will accompany Charles on the piano.  Donations are welcome.  We will be selling a raffle for a ride in a 1941 Stearman Biplane, also Mint Juleps, CD’s, Popcorn, posters, etc...  Recommend bringing your own lawn chairs!   Green Castle is 4 miles WEST on county (Johnson) road F28, which is exit #4 on   I 380.  Plenty of safe Porsche parking at the field.      Contact Charles Wendt charlesw@inav.net or 319/337-2288 should anyone wish to call.  Hope to see you there.

Welcome To New Members:

·        Nate and Bonnie Jones are from Bettendorf, IA and drive a 996.

·        Leo Peck is from Davenport, IA and drives a 1966 912.

·        Roger Brown has transferred into our region from The Rocky Mountain Region.  He has a 1979 911.

Welcome to the Central Iowa Region of PCA. We hope to see you soon at a club event!

Design Evolution:
Almost 100 Years of Porsche Four-Wheel Drive

     Back in 1900, Professor Ferdinand Porsche first had the idea to drive all four wheels of a car. At the time, he was developing automobile concepts for Lohner, a motor carriage factory in Vienna, where he used electric hub motors to provide the necessary power. On the first prototypes, only the front wheels were driven, but in September 1900 a Lohner-Porsche with hub motors on all four wheels went to E. W. Hart, a customer in Britain.

     Professor Porsche chose the same solution again in 1912 for the Austrian army's Landwehr-Train, using a gasoline engine driving an alternator feeding electric power to the hub motors in the various trailers of this off-road "load train."

     In his position as Technical Director of Austro-Daimler, Professor Porsche was also interested in mechanical four-wheel drive. He started developing trucks for Austro-Daimler in 1906, where shafts and bevel gears drove not only the rear wheels, but also the front wheels.

     The problem of finding the right drive joints for front-axle drive, which remained unsolved for many of the early years of the automobile, forced Professor Porsche to take a long break from further developing his four-wheel drive idea. His next four-wheel-drive vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz T80 speed record car completed in 1939, featured three axles of which only the rear two, as on a truck, served to deliver the power of the engine to the road.

     In 1934, the Porsche Design Office initiated fundamental studies to develop "genuine" four-wheel drive as part of the Volkswagen development process. Senior Engineer Karl Rabe designed a Beetle chassis with four-wheel drive, creating a concept, which later became popular for military use.

      Following World War II, Ferry Porsche, the son of Professor Ferdinand Porsche, continued the four-wheel drive tradition by building a Grand Prix racing car for the Italian manufacturer Cisitalia. It had a 1.5 liter, 12-cylinder mid-engine. Boosted by a compressor to a maximum output of approximately 420 bhp (309 kW), the power of this outstanding engine was transmitted to all four wheels. Unfortunately, the car never saw the racetrack, since Cisitalia went bankrupt before the first race.

     Porsche next built a four-wheel-drive vehicle for the Porsche brand itself. This was Porsche's version of the classic Kubelwagen built in Zuffenhausen in the early 1950s. On this special light, off-road design, the driver was able to activate additional front-wheel drive, feeding the power of the air-cooled, four-cylinder 1.6 liter engine with 60 bhp (44 kW) to the front axle. Porsche's Jagdwagen or "hunting car" was built in small numbers and sold to private enthusiasts.

     Porsche four-wheel drive emerged again in the 1970s when the engineers at Porsche's Weissach Research and Development Center started to look at front-wheel-drive vehicles with additional activation of rear-wheel drive offering a substantial improvement of traction through relatively simple and straightforward technology. A prototype of the Volkswagen Passat Variant with four-wheel drive resulted from these studies.

     At this time also, the engineers in Weissach were finishing their first customer developments with four-wheel drive. This technology first made its appearance at the 1981 Frankfurt Motor Show in the guise of a 911 Cabriolet incorporating four drive wheels. This four-wheel-drive concept was of great interest to Porsche's Racing Division, where the motorsports specialists saw the opportunity to build a really superior competition car.

     The first version of the Porsche 959 made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1983. This new project proved its qualities convincingly only a few months later when a prototype of the 959 became the first-ever sports car to beat the tough off-road competition in the grueling Paris-Dakar Rallye in January 1984. Later the same year, the 959 brought home victory in the Pharaoh Rallye in Egypt.

     The Porsche 959 production car made its debut at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show. With manufacturers making their racing cars increasingly complicated and sophisticated, Group B racing rules had been changed to benefit racing models most closely related to their production counterparts. So, Porsche's 959 supercar had to take the role of a technological leader. In fact, it impressively defined the state of the art. Boosted by two turbochargers operating in sequence, the six-cylinder 2.85 liter boxer engine featuring air-cooled cylinders and water-cooled four-valve cylinder heads developed a massive output of 450 bhp (331 kW) with 500 Nm (369 ft. lbs.) of torque.

     This kind of power was transmitted smoothly to the road by four-wheel drive using computers to monitor and control the distribution of engine power. A hydraulically operated multiple-plate clutch controlled the flow of power to the front axle; the differentials also featured fully controlled multiple-plate lock-up clutches.

     In 1989, this four-wheel drive concept made its logical move into larger production volumes in the first Porsche 911 Carrera 4 (Type 964), which featured simplified 959 four-wheel-drive technology. The flow of power to the front axle was controlled as before by a hydraulically operated multiple-disc clutch; the rear axle was equipped with a variable differential lock.

     Ongoing development of four-wheel-drive concepts enabled Porsche's engineers to develop simpler and more effective solutions. Introduced in 1993, the next generation of the 911 (Type 993), featured a new system of four-wheel drive using a viscous clutch to distribute power between the two axles, without electronic or hydraulic technology. Similarly, the limited-slip differential on the rear axle operated without hydraulic support.

     This new solution quickly gained great popularity through its ideal combination of excellent traction and the agile driving behavior typical of the Porsche 911. Since 1995, it has been used on the ultra-powerful Porsche 911 Turbo, which entered the market with 408 bhp (300 kW) and achieved peak power of 450 bhp (331 kW) with maximum torque of 405 ft. lbs. (550 Nm).

     Now, the new 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 is the next logical step. Again, it incorporates a viscous clutch to adjust the flow of power to the front axle. But, the big step into the future is taken by the car's electronic system incorporating Porsche Stability Management (PSM) to control the car's driving behavior especially when pushed to the limit.

     Porsche Stability Management (PSM) is a highly sophisticated dynamic control concept, which stabilizes the car in extreme driving conditions by intervening in the engine management and brake systems. PSM incorporates both lateral and longitudinal driver support specially tuned to the sporting driving character of a Porsche and the handling expectations of a Porsche driver. PSM incorporates a gas pedal sensor (E-Gas), which transmits electrical signals to the throttle valve and fuel injection system.  Additionally, E-Gas improves both engine acceleration and cruise control response while reducing both fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.

     The 1999 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 is also the first Porsche to combine four-wheel drive with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed Tiptronic S transmission.

(courtesy Porsche Cars North America, Inc.)

Autocrossing - The Other Pedal
by Bob Schang, San Diego Region
(from WINDBLOWN WITNESS)

     So, you’ve been to a few autocrosses here at PCASD and you can find your way around the sea of cones, follow “the line” for the most part, and you’ve been competitive in your class a time or two. Then again you may have been autocrossing awhile and you measure improvements in your lap times in tenths of a second. Regardless of your level of experience, what you may learn here will likely surprise you.

     When we all first started autocrossing, the conception was that the fastest way around the course was to push on the gas pedal as hard as possible as much as possible. Our testosterone challenged drivers would argue that concept, and the more we learned about going fast, the more we learned that they would be correct. After awhile though, we learned that a smooth line will produce the best lap times, and the real place to gain time is on the straightaways. Now since courses are made up of straightaways connected by curves, we need to use the straightaways as much as we possible can in order to reduce our lap times. We accomplish this by starting the straightaway as soon as possible in the corner leading on to it, and maintaining the straightaway as long as possible before we have to brake and turn into the corner at the end of it.

     Here we are going to talk about maintaining the straightaway as long as possible before we have to brake and turn into the next corner. At the end of the straightaway, when we are slowing down for the corner, we are not going as fast as the rest of the straightaway, so we want to keep this braking zone as short as possible. This allows us to keep the rest of the straightaway as long as possible. Keeping this braking zone as short as possible is the problem we have to solve to keep our lap times down. Slowing a car down from speed in a short distance is not an easy task to learn. This task is made even more difficult in a car with the engine in the rear (911?). The commandment we hear most from the instructor gods, when we are first learning to drive the autocross courses, is brake in a straight line. This is a fairly easy concept to grasp: don’t turn the steering wheel while our foot is on the brake pedal. Obey this commandment and a lot of those shrieking sounds will disappear as you go around corners, and your instructor will be so proud of you. The importance of braking a rear engine car in a straight line can’t be overstressed, but, in order to solve our little problem it is just as important in a front engined car, and here’s why.

     The only connection between our car and the ground is at the tires. Tire science is a black art (sorry, I couldn’t resist that), but when all is said and done, tires provide friction. The friction between the tires and the ground allow the car to turn, accelerate, and brake. If there was no friction between the tires and the ground, the car couldn’t do any of these. But into each tire only so much friction is built. We have four tires on our cars, but each one has only so much friction, and this total amount is all we have to work with. Now the friction in the tires can be used to turn, accelerate, or brake or any combination of the three.

     The total amount of friction we use doing these three things can’t exceed the amount built into the tires. For instance, if we are braking the car there is only so much friction left to either turn or accelerate, no more. At the extreme end of this rule: if we are using all the friction in the tires to brake, there is no more friction to turn with. I bet when you first started to autocross there was a time or two (maybe more) when you were braking really hard and tried to turn into a corner. Terrible screeching sounds were probably heard and as your car was sitting backwards on the track the idea may have hit you that this maneuver does not work very well. You were right! What you tried to do was to use more friction than the tires had built into them, and when this happens they slide. So now back to our problem of keeping the braking zone as short as possible. In order to do this we have to use all the friction in the tires to brake the car and we can’t use any to turn. Hence the commandment: break in a straight line!

     Okay, now that you have the concept, let’s put it to some practical use. It’s another beautiful autocross here in paradise. You are in your first practice session. You’re going down a straightaway towards a corner that you must slow down for. Where do you start to brake so that: a) your car is going slow enough to go around that corner without spinning out, and b) keep the braking zone as short as possible to get down to that speed. There is no magic here. We do this by starting the braking zone at the point where we use 100% of the friction in the tires to brake before we have to use any of the friction to turn for the corner. The magic is finding this brake point on the course. Nobody can find their brake point the first few laps, and that is why we have practice sessions to test our abilities at making the braking zone as short as possible by moving our brake points further down the straightaway. We do this to accomplish both “A” and “B” above. “A” is generally not too difficult to accomplish. The tough one is “B.” Having changed many a flat spotted tire on my own car I can assure you that “B” is a very difficult art to master.

     So were back at the practice session and you are fairly comfortable with your brake point at this corner and you have the feeling that you are using just about all the friction the tires have to give you in this braking zone (which is in a straight line, of course). But what would happen if you were not using all the friction in the tires and you could go a little further down the straightaway before you had to brake; even just a little bit. Let’s see. Here is where this is going to get a little technical, so bear with me. At the end of the straightaway we’ve been discussing how you are able to get the car into third gear and, at your brake point, you are traveling 68 ½ mph (I’ll let you know later why I picked this speed). In order to go around the corner at its end you must slow down to 35.

     Now, let's say during the practice sessions you’ve gotten your braking zone going into this corner down to 150 feet. Not bad. If we do the math for this (that’s ok, I’ll do it for you), we have an average speed for this 150 feet, which doesn’t matter, but more important; it takes you 1.98 seconds to do this. But what if there was that little bit of friction in the tires you weren’t using. What if you could move the brake point just 25 feet closer to the corner and use all the tires friction. If we took the 25 feet off the original braking zone, we would have a new braking zone that would only be 125 feet long.

     If we do the math again, guess what? Now it only takes 1.65 seconds. We don’t get quite all this time because we still have to travel the 25 feet we took off the braking zone, but we do it at the straightaway speed of 68 ½ mph. What we do gain is almost 1/10 of a second on one corner. That’s right: one corner, 25 feet closer, and our lap time went down by 0.10 seconds. Do this on two or three corners on a timed run, and you might be getting one of those spiffy first place T-shirts.

     But why did I pick 68 ½ mph? Well, at this speed your car is traveling at over 100 feet per second. So you’re rocketing towards that corner at 100 feet per second trying to pick a spot on the track to start your braking zone exactly there... Well, you get the idea. See why making the braking zone as short as possible is very difficult? And surprise, if you start too early to brake, the reverse is true, only worse. You will lose more that 0.10 second in that corner.

     Surprised? Perfecting the art of braking to the extreme limits of the car (tires, really) does not take any modifications to the car. When you do learn to do this on a consistent basis, your lap times will lower dramatically. F1 drivers can do this consistently from around 180 mph (264 feet per second), and that is why they get the big bucks. The other plus side of this exercise is that you can practice it on the street much easier than an exercise like throttle steering. Local law enforcement folks tend to frown on cars accelerating down on-ramps a little bit sideways, but I’ve never heard of anybody getting a ticket for slowing down too fast. Just be careful of the ‘63 Dodge Dart behind you!

     So next time you want to impress and befuddle your competitors when they ask how you went so fast on that last lap, just say “I WASN’T GOING FAST, I USED MY BRAKES!”

For Sale:

     944 Porsche, Year 1985, Brown leather interior, 5 speed, 150K miles, runs very well, $3,000.  Contact Janet Wallace at email address: djwallac@wccta.net or call 515-389-3633 after 7:00 p.m.  Located northwest of Des Moines in Churdan, IA.

     Fully restored, #s matching, 1969 911-T 4 sp. with sunroof. The exterior color is platinum (base/clear) and the interior is black/charcoal velour.  Car was purchased about 3 yrs. ago from the owner since 1970, who resides in San Diego, CA. This is a "drop dead" beautiful car that's in perfect structural & mechanical condition.  Some updating has been done to the highest professional standards including tires/wheels, electrically adjustable sideview mirrors, electric fuel pump, CD ignition, Carrera fender flares, Recarro seats & front spoiler. I guess it would be fair to say that this car is the embodiment of one mans 30-year love affair with this car. All changes have utilized authentic Porsche parts & again, the craftsmanship is readily apparent. My asking price is $18,000.  Contact: Brian F. Tack, 213 McLean Street, Iowa City, IA 52246. Phone: 319-354-5745 or 319-337-3314 & Email: bftack@cyscys.org

Get Hooked Up!

     If you have e-mail and are not getting notices of Porsche Club events, please update your e-mail address by contacting: john-dyson@uiowa or jmdyson@mchsi.com or, phone 319-337-5367 or 319-335-9843. If you have a FAX number we can send information by that method.

     There are times that we might need to contact you about an upcoming event that we don’t have time to send a mailing. Please consider getting this information to us.

The Club’s Website

Besides my recent venture into becoming the newsletter editor, I also keep up the Central Iowa Region’s website.    If you have any ideas for the site or contributions please let me know at jasonw@ninesixtyeight.com. Please visit our website, http://www.pca.org/cia/ Check out the pictures of past events, marketplace items, and our upcoming events calendar and information.

Just for Details: Cabrio Top Care
by David W. Bynon, San Diego Region
(from WINDBLOWN WITNESS)

     The Porsche Cabriolet is a masterpiece of beauty, performance, and superior engineering. We own these wonderful machines because they warm our souls.  Like you, my blood stirs each time I twist the key and the engine comes to life. Top down, sun on my back, wind in my face, eating up the road. Could anything be better?

     Unlike a coupe, the Cabrio has special requirements. Where the Cabrio’s fully enclosed brethren sport steel and glass, the Cabrio has canvas and clear vinyl. This simple difference creates a myriad of challenges for the Cabrio owner.

CABRIO MATERIALS:

     The first thing to understand about your Porsche Cabrio is its materials.  Without this understanding, it’s hard to appreciate the maintenance requirements.

     Your Cabrio top is made of a very durable polyacrylic/polyester canvas. The fabric-like texture feels nice and looks great. The fabric has a tight weave, but it breathes. Unlike the vinyl-based tops found on most American-made convertibles, your Porsche Cabrio’s top is not waterproof. It is only water-resistant. What makes your top waterproof is a protective spray.  Without protection, your Cabrio’s top is susceptible to leaking and stains.

     The rear window on your Cabrio is special too. Made of a clear vinyl so it can fold, the Cabrio’s rear window will absorb a wide range of gasses and liquids, including water, acids and hydrocarbons. Because it has the ability to absorb foreign materials, it will yellow over time if it is not properly maintained. Most often, the yellowing and discoloration is a result of ultraviolet (UV) light cross-linking. The sun’s UV rays do not directly affect the vinyl, but what it absorbs can be.

HARMFUL AGENTS:

     Common cleaning products can be very harmful to your Cabrio top. Chemicals you should not use on or near your top include: ammonia, bleach, detergent, alcohol, and vinegar.  Detergents, bleach and acids will quickly deteriorate the canvas. Ammonia and alcohol will dry and cloud the vinyl. Take my word for it; you don’t want to know the replacement cost of a Cabrio top. It makes for a really, really bad day. So please, know the chemicals you use before they go on your top.

EXTERIOR TOP CLEANING:

     Your Cabrio top is subjected to the same environmental conditions as the rest of your car. However, where it is easy to see when the body is dusty and dirty, it is not always easy to see when your top is dirty, especially if it’s black or navy blue.

     One of the biggest factors in top wear is dust in the canvas. Dust settles into the weave of the fabric and begins to act like sandpaper. In general, you should care for your tops canvas each time you wash your Cabrio. This does not mean you need to scrub it each time, but a good stiff rinsing is necessary. The following procedure is recommended:

     Wash the top at least once a month (or when it is dusty or dirty) with a non-detergent based auto shampoo. If your top is not dirty, rinse it thoroughly with plenty of cool water. Make sure the shampoo you use does not contain gloss-enhancing oils. The canvas will absorb the oil and become a dust magnet. Recommended products include Porsche Tequipment Convertible Top Cleaner or Autosol Shampoo. Use approximately .25 to .50 ounces of wash shampoo to three gallons of water. If the top is extremely dirty, use .75 ounces to three gallons.

     The recommended tool for washing is a tight-cell sponge. Do not use a cloth, chenille covered sponge, or lambs wool mitt, as they will leave lint. If your Cabrio top has soil marks, stains, or bird droppings, use a small, stiff, natural fiber scrub brush. If you can rub the brush across the back of your hand without scratching your skin, it’s safe to use on your canvas top. Do not use a scrub brush on the vinyl window.  It will scratch. Make sure you rinse the top thoroughly with a stiff stream of water to remove all of the shampoo and dirt.

     Dry your canvas top and vinyl window using a synthetic chamois. Get the chamois wet and wring it out. Fold it into a square. Start in the middle of the top and pull the chamois toward you across the canvas. Do not try to wipe the chamois back and forth. It won’t work. Use the synthetic chamois to dry the vinyl window, too.  It usually works best if the chamois has just a little water in it (don’t wring it out all the way). Do not use a terrycloth towel or diaper. They will leave lint.

STUBBORN STAINS:

     Sooner or later; your top will be inflicted with a stain that will not come out with regular shampoo. Common stains will include bird droppings, tree sap, and grease. For these occasions, you will need to use a citrus-based cleaner that can penetrate the fibers and release the foreign matter.

     Your first inclination will be to scrub the stain with the regular shampoo.  DON’T! All you will do is spread it around. To remove stains from your top use P21S Total Auto Wash in full concentration. Spray it liberally on the stain before washing the whole top. Let it soak in, but don’t let it dry.  After it has soaked for 3-5 minutes, rinse your top and wash as normal. Rinse the stain area with a stiff stream of water. Do not spray P21S Total Auto Wash on the vinyl window. It doesn't like acid.

WINDOW CLEANING:

     If your Cabrio is new, no doubt you have experienced the frustration of polyvinyl fog. This is created by the evaporation of plasticizers (an oily hydrocarbon) and other oils. Plasticizers are used in the manufacturing of vinyl to keep it flexible. They are also used in many car care conditioners to rejuvenate vinyl and plastic. They remain liquid, and evaporate with the heat of the sun. This off-gassing is worst with new cars, and gradually decreases to a manageable level. Using too much dressing on your dashboard can also cause severe off-gassing.

     The best tool to clean your Cabrio vinyl window is the synthetic chamois. Do not use a paper towel, as it can scratch the vinyl. It is best to detail the window (inside and out) after washing the car.

Follow these steps:

1.      Rinse the chamois thoroughly with water to ensure it is clean. Wring out most of the water, but leave damp. If the chamois is too dry, it will not slide across the window.

2.      Fold the chamois into a square.

3.      Wipe the chamois in one direction across the window. Turn the chamois, using a clean side with every-other pass.

4.      To clean the inside of the rear window, kneel in the passenger seat. It may take you a few times to learn the best way. The taller you are, the more difficult it will be.

PROTECTING THE TOP:

     As mentioned earlier, the canvas top is not waterproof. To make it waterproof and stain resistant, it is necessary to treat it with a Scotchgard™ based spray. I highly recommend Porsche Tequipment Convertible Top Conditioner.  While other products will work, nothing lasts as long this product. Before spraying your top with protectant, it must be clean and dry. Use a scrub brush and a full .75 ounce dose of top shampoo to deep clean. Using the Porsche Tequipment Cabrio Top Protectant is best done in conjunction with waxing. Your pre-wax cleaner will remove the protectant over-spray.

Follow these instructions:

1.      Mask completely around your top and vinyl window with newspaper. Once dry, the over-spray from the protectant is difficult to remove from paint, vinyl and glass. Lift the top slightly and slip newspaper between the top and windshield frame. Do the same between the top and side windows. Use masking tape and newspaper to mask the areas where the top and rear panels meet. Use masking tape and newspaper again to completely mask the rear window (do not leave any vinyl showing).

2.      Shake Porsche Tequipment Cabrio Top Protectant for 30 to 60 seconds.

3.      Spray two light coats from about 7 to 9 inches on the whole top. Start in the center on one side and work towards you in even, back and forth sprays, releasing your finger at the end of each pass. Repeat on the other side. Spray a third light coat on the seams.

4.      Remove masking materials.

5.      Check for over-spray on paint. Remove over-spray with pre-wax cleaner or polish.

PROTECTING & POLISHING THE REAR WINDOW:

     The rear window is fairly delicate. It is easily scratched with little more than normal use or the wrong cleaning tool. Be sure that any rags you use are pure cotton. Don't use diapers. Most use polyester thread, which will severely scratch a vinyl window.

     To protect and beautify your Cabrio window, it must be polished. I recommend a spray called Plexus. There are numerous plastic polishes and compounds that work. Plexus is quick and easy. For this reason, you are more likely to use it than a polish that takes a lot of time.

     To apply Plexus, use a plush terrycloth detailing towel or an old cotton tee shirt. Follow these directions: Fold your towel into a square. Spray a moderate amount of Plexus on the towel, not on the window. Work the Plexus into the Vinyl, and allow it to dry for 3-5 minutes. Turn the towel to a dry side and buff the window until clear. If small scratches remain, apply a second coat. If your window has heavy scratches, I recommend using Meguiar’s
Plastic Polish followed by Plexus.

     It is not necessary to use Plexus with every wash, although many people do.  If you’re careful with your window, you may find that every other wash, or every third wash is fine. You cannot over use Plexus. So, don’t be concerned
about using it as your everyday cleaner if you drive in a harsh environment.

 

Safety Sense

By Tom Comeau, Safety Chair San Diego Region
(from The Windblown Witness)

     A good thing to bear in mind when changing wheels or doing any work under the car is that the club has two sets of jack stands which provide safety if the hydraulic jack should fail. Hydraulic jacks are mechanical devices which can and do fail. Usually, hydraulic jack failures result in creeping down caused by a slow leak due to an internal bypass of fluid and, as such, present no immediate danger. But catastrophic failures have been known to occur with the result that the car comes down rather quickly. Damage to the car or injury to the person involved can be prevented through the use of jack stands. The key word is "prevented!" Use common sense and don't tempt Murphy’s Law. We have this equipment. Let's use it and be safe!

[ Home ] [ Up ]

Send mail to jasonw@ninesixtyeight.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: May 21, 2002