Thursday, October 27, 2011

article for an upcoming conde nast car publication

We are facing an unprecedented confluence of international macroeconomic conditions that have collided with the unintended result of pushing prices for rare and desirable collectibles far into the stratosphere. Never before have these forces raged with such ferocity and velocity, bringing into alignment the disparate markets of art, classic cars, wine and property. Crystallizing the general malaise, there is the fear of inflation, uncertainty in valuing currencies, wildly gyrating stock markets (trending lower still), banks teetering, interest rates hovering near zero, sovereign debt bordering on worthless, commodity prices under pressure and dramatic political uncertainly and turmoil. It’s depressing just listing the plethora of negativity preoccupying world markets. So what better time to buy a pretty picture, a good bottle of wine, a nice set of wheels and a big garage to park it in?


Seriously, tangible assets have never before in history been so universally viewed as attractive and safe a harbor to park cash in. Coupled with an offsetting explosion in the generation of wealth in emerging markets over the recent past and you have all the ingredients in place to redefine the criteria for the valuation of collectibles. The beneficiaries are a $250,000,000 Cezanne painting and a $16,400,000 Ferrari. Sadly, with values rising so meteorically there is something tragic about the notion of paintings we don't hang, wine we don't drink, houses we don't occupy and cars we never drive. Other than an art collection of masterpieces, there is nothing to compare to the lineup of the RAC TT Race at the Goodwood Revival with Cobras and GTOs galore. Julian Treger, principal of Audley Capital, a fund the Financial Times called one of the world’s best last year, stated about art and cars: “They are both hard assets in a world of shortages of the best. Though art and cars have different collectors they have the same dynamics. Ferraris are very sculptural, but also incredibly well branded.” Where and when it will all end is anyone’s guess, but neither a $100 million car nor a $1 billion work of art would surprise me.


It may appear somehow wrong and that one should feel a sense of guilt enjoying the pleasures, delights and accompanying rising values of collectibles in the face of such seemingly universal hardship, but business has no moral compass. And although many remain skeptical, I am firmly of the belief that art and cars have inherent, calculable values. The factors driving escalating prices among art and cars coincide: rarity, history, provenance, and condition. The Supreme Court of the United States were asked to decide a case involving pornography and the Chief Justice replied he couldn’t explain it but he knew it when he saw it and the same applies with a great work of art or a sublime piece of automotive design and engineering. Only just recently, seven of auction house Gooding's top 15 Pebble Beach sellers were Ferraris: why does Ferrari above all other marques tend to dominate? Is it down to aesthetics, or provenance? Art and cars have become indisputable asset classes and Ferrari and Picasso are the gold standard against which all else is measured. However, markets are very unforgiving ecosystems so you had better know your stuff cold or stand a good chance of being run over, and separated from your money in the process. A Warhol from the same year and the same size can sell for $60,000 or $60,000,000 and a Ferrari is no different. There are better and worse Hirsts and Astons. Sadie Coles, one of the most significant and influential international gallery owners states that cars are somewhat easier to define value: “The valuation of a contemporary art work can be mysterious, subjective and unquantifiable. Rare cars are functional objects and however beautiful or rare they may be, they also have easier to define provenances - how many were made, during what dates, who owned them and how many miles they have.” I don’t entirely agree with the above reasoning and think there is as much disingenuousness and indeterminism in unraveling the mysterious, subjective and unquantifiable in cars as in art. Art is admittedly the last unregulated, multi-billion dollar business.


Though the high prices for art and cars can be hard for people to swallow, they are here to stay in at least the near term and with good reason. With art, its who’s buying, selling, writing about and exhibiting the work—these are all contributing factors playing into the notion of determining value. And it’s not all that different with cars; though, rather than which museum the car was exhibited in (this adds value too) its more a matter of which historic races the car was driven in and by whom. Whether cars are equal to art, and vice versa, depends on which is fuller, your walls or garage—it is more a condition of taste and opinion. Hardcore car lovers will say you can’t drive a painting, but art throws off a visual dividend and ease of coexisting beyond what cars can offer. True, you can't jump in your Van Gogh and race a Monet or head off to the country, but by the same token you can't climb into bed and drool over your Testarossa. Cars are the most ubiquitous form of industrial design and we see thousands per day, but we don’t see them when we are behind the wheel or when we park them up for the night. That really is unfortunate, as I have my cars in my office and under my desk, and if I could, I would have one under the duvet too.


There appear more and more crossovers between the bedfellows of cars and art, including the phenomenal Renzo Piano designed museum atop the Lingotto building and examples like BMW art cars and the recent sponsorship deal between Volkswagen and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Art and cars also share some not too positive attributes like the problem of liquidity: try and call your broker in the middle of the night to swiftly dispose of your car and/or art collections! Though art and cars are proven stores of value, nothing goes up forever, despite our strongest wishes. And there are those who climb into either category of collecting to ascend a social ladder, like nailing bags of money to the walls or stuffing notes into the garage and parading around like a peacock with fully exposed feathers.


With art and cars strictly as investment, divorced of aesthetics and functionality it all seems rather perverse. There have cropped up a number of classic car and art funds that look at both as nothing other than asset classes with untapped upside, stripped of use and enjoyment, but they are missing the point—art and cars are so great as investments because of the usability and joy, not just the reductive quality solely as appreciating assets. Shares, bonds and gold go into safes or drawers and draw no satisfaction other than the potential to increase in value. There is more to life— studies exist that say living with art (then why not cars?) can increase your life expectancy like having a loyal golden retriever. I can fully understand and appreciate the notion! Personally, I don't differentiate between a fork, chair, car or painting. Anything done exceptionally well shares qualities with art, and in the end its simply a matter of nomenclature, of naming and categorizing things that serve no purpose other than creating false hierarchies.


Richard Bremner, one of the UK’s foremost car writers weighs in on the art vs. car debate as follows: “For some, a car can be a thing of beauty, exquisite beauty even, and even the lowliest motor is the result of a creative process that has involved some artistry, no matter how modest. The vast majority of post-war cars, and some pre-wars too, were designed using not only the artistic skills of sketching and rendering designers but those of sculptors too. The result is an object that's quite capable of pleasing the eye that carries its own story, reflects the era in which it was conceived and the culture of the manufacturer that built it. As with art collecting, classic car acquisition can be about money of course, besides the displaying, coveting and hoarding of these things.”


An exceptional car is nothing to turn your nose up at, but there are many that would do the same with a work of contemporary art. Unfortunately regarding contemporary cars, over regulation and mass production sometimes aid in homogenizing design, which only adds to the values of classics. And in contemporary art, oversupply to feed demand can also lessen the values. There is nothing that can replace passion and connoisseurship in either endeavor including all the endless analysis a private bank could muster. Where will it end? Will it implode, like it did in the late 1980s, or are certain top vehicles now immune to the vicissitudes of the market? Though nothing is endless, art and high-end collector cars are not over leveraged like what might have been the case in decades past. For the most part, we are faced today with end users who have the wherewithal to stay in the game and not have to go prematurely running off the track.


Adam Lindemann, a highly noted collector and writer on art and design, who famously flipped a Jeff Koons sculpture for many millions in profit before it was packed off for shipping, told me that: “Cars are not at all like art, they are like ‘Design’. Buying a great car is like buying a great piece of Art Deco furniture. What matters is provenance and originality. There is no such thing as rolling art, there is however rolling design. The fact that we live in an age of computer chips, and technology molded into carbon fiber, means that the hand made machines of the last century will be valued objects of the future without a doubt. Over time the great cars can only go up in value, the question is deciding and sourcing the ‘great’ ones from all the other ones.” I find as plausible the thoughts of Kai Schachter (my 14 year old son and no car fanatic like his father) who said, “A car is a piece of art and even though you drive it around, it’s as fragile and delicate and needs to be cared for as much as any painting or sculpture.”


The downside in the public consciousness is that there is a bifurcation in the economy, a wider and wider chasm separating those that have from those that don't and many are dialing down their standards and style of living. The baby boomers are coming to the end of a party (and a good run It was) and facing the realization that someone is going to have to pay. Countries face the same harsh dilemma: debts are swallowing us all and it can’t go on and on and... It wouldn’t be the best of looks to roll into an Occupy Wall Street protest in your Ferrari with a Picasso in your tent. But let’s face it: since art came off the walls of a cave, it has been coveted and the same goes for life after the combustion engine—once it was invented and inserted into the bay of a car, we’ve had to have them. There is unparalleled seduction in a great car and artwork; the smells (even paint smells enticing), the feel, textures, and sight—a feast for all the senses. Unfathomably in a world wreaked by social, economic and political instability, it has been a record year for auction houses in cars and art, part of the ever-increasing acceptance of the rarity, preciousness and transcendent qualities of both: more so than anyone might have imagined in such recessionary times. We are only but custodians of things, charged with maintenance, preservation and appreciation of unrepeatable, glorious objects. And as we get progressively priced out of markets in cars, art, wine and property, the definition of what is desirable and covetable will only expand.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Requiem for an Engine




VMAX JUNE 2

Why are wheels being soda blasted ?

They are chromed , no cost for refurbing wheels ? That alone could add thousand or so ?

What's the guarantee offered ?

Dyno sheet from engine ?



VMAX JUNE 2

Charged twice for dyno £880

No piston or liners listed ?



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd JUNE 2

Hi Kenny, there is only one Dyno charge listed and it is at a discounted rate to 660 ?? and the piston kit is also on there at 2635.00 so I am not sure what you are looking at ?

The balance owing including vat at the moment is £5055.81

The wheels are in the finishing stages and should be ready for me to collect mid next week so completion possibly by Friday depending on wheels.



VMAX JUNE 2

I think it would be appropriate for him to give a total cost to put them back to standard anodised Finnish and not expect you to make a decision without giving that



VMAX JUNE 2

I don't think soda will remove chrome and he should know that also , chrome is removed by electricity in a salt water bath with low voltage current



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd JUNE 2

Kenny, nice wheels but no chrome anywhere to be seen just a good polish job

is this a problem !!



VMAX JUNE 2

For an expert in the field there's still a lot of unknown costs

' the wheel refurb costs are up to date other than the cost for the refurb' says it all



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd JUNE 2

Kenny, I really don’t have time for all this

A - the costs on your wheels were originally as you requested to change the “Chrome” in to satin this work was started and the rims were soda blasted as it is the most environmentally way to achieve the finish.

B – I mailed you and told you that the wheels could be put back to Original Porsche finish for not a lot more than the cost to just blast and paint, this you agreed to hence the wheel costs so far!

C- I have agreed to let you pay direct to suppliers saving you any charges from us for us incurring time organising and phone / email time.

D- I have moved and collected your car FOC from the paint shop although not far but still taking a total of 4 hours of my time including inspecting the strip.


Just what more do you expect



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd JUNE 16

Hi Kenny to add to your issues, when the oil is hot in the car there is a oil leak weeping from around the oil level sender on the oil tank, and also the relay mounted on the relay board in the engine bay that controls over run shut off solenoid for the fuel injection pump is also not operating, i have swapped one of another car i have in at the moment and it is the relay that is at fault.

Do you want me to deal with these two issues.

Wheels, you are paying the guy direct for the referb do you want me to ask him to pop up and refit them ! or do i have to do it free of charge, I am trying to help you in every way possible to save money, but the fact is if you had have had the car inspected by a competent Porsche expert you would not be in this situation ! and unfortunately i cannot be held responsible for "your Mechanics Expertise" i will be in the shop most of tonight as i am running in engines. Drop me a line.



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd JUNE 16

Hi Kenny let’s get thing straight

1 car was dropped off and was booked in afterwards for a engine inspection / rebuild

2 we advised you that on removal of the engine that there were issues with the chassis.

3 we addressed the essential issues that were outlined on the quote / invoice.

4 Wheels you requested them to be de “chromed” I suggested the soda blasting and re-paint as the only way to do this without doing too much damage, then you requested a more original finish all this is detailed our corresponding emails.

5 Engine – Rebuilt Detailed and back in the car after being run in and tested for power, report is with the chassis and can be collected, Given the facts that the engine had been “bodged” to sell one side of the engine had severe damage to both head and piston areas. This is now all complete and finished.

6 I have NOT overcharged you for anything and the fact is I have helped you in many ways to save money by paying suppliers direct.



I will fit your tyres and refit your wheels in good faith and you can arrange collection as soon as I have the vehicle on its own wheels and off the ramp, you will be the first person to know as soon as this is done.



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd JUNE 27

Hi Kenny,

Stuart Has Collected the car, just to clear up a couple of things that arose from Stuart.

1 I told Stuart that your wheel caps were not shipped back with your wheels Alan was supposed to email you and tell you, when they arrive I will post them down to you.

2 Stuart commented on the exhaust smoke at start up, [Choke on ] it will clear once warm. As it did.

3 He returned the car saying the oil light cam on at idle at the main gate and the oil pressure gauge was low.

Oil pressure as per factory book should be engine warm and 4bar [60psi] @ 4000rpm your car gauge read's over 60psi at 4000 but I would dispute that your gauge is still reading a little low as the data from the Dyno is showing 6+ bar, the data is in the folder that Stuart has, the data from the test cell is very accurate unlike a old analogue gauge of some 39 years old

4 I also did tell Stuart that there was only probably 25 > 30 litre of fuel in the car as we have been driving it in and out of the shop.


Any problems give me a call and enjoy the drive.



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd JUNE 28

Hi I will call you shortly re the oil pressure but firstly can you firstly gather some information for me as the whole point of my 500K test cell it to ensure there is no faults with engines before they are re fitted to the car, to this all the date and engine information is logged and dated and can be recalled at a future date for comparison.

1- Vehicle left our premises with over 60psi on the vehicle pressure gauge at 4000 rpm

2- At 4000rpm 80deg C the oil pressure was constantly above 6 bar [90psi]

3- factory Specification is one of two 4bar @ 4000rpm + or 5bar @ 5000rpm + [your engine meets this criteria easily]

4- Your independent test procedure -

5- Oil Temp ________

6- Oil Pressure ________

7- Test RPM Used _________


Could you please fill in the missing results for me.

If there is a problem I do not mind coming and collecting the vehicle and bringing it back to investigate the fault if there is a fault with the engine that is not related to the chassis I will rectify and return FOC If there is no fault with the engine I would advise that I would charge for my time and expenses to recover and inspect.


The procedure that would be taken is that once the vehicle is back we would check the oil temperature and set to 80deg using a independent sensor to measure the temperature, a independent calibrated pressure gauge would be fitted to the main oil gallery and the engine rpm be set to firstly 4000rpm and then 5000rpm the results would be compared to the data from the Dynomometer results from the final run #16 dated 09-06-2011 @ 18-14-37


Will talk soon



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd JUNE 28

Hi Kenny,

Stuart has just called to say that he has re checked the oil pressure and it seems to be OK !

I don't want to seem like I am your worst Technician / Engine builder, but your mechanic of 10 years should stick to driving and car cleaning and stop wasting my time and yours!

I have always based my work on actual facts and information that is correct and relevant to the work completed and any testing is always done in a professional manner with equipment that can verify the results, I have invested over 500k in my engine test facility and don't need some knob to tell me that there is no oil pressure.

My wife has just looked at this email and said "I gather you are pretty pissed off by this Stuart guy"


Sorry if this a bit abrupt but I think that after working with Porsche cars for nearly 40 years and racing them myself for many years, put all this together with running and building historic cars and engines, I think I am justified in my comments.


I hope we can meet up shortly so you can see that I am a genuine enthusiast for the marque with a wealth of knowledge and I hope we can carry on to do business in the near future.



VMAX JUNE 28

I thought I was being pretty reasonable - the car had 10 psi reading on the gauge at idle when I stopped at the exit of his estate , after all if the engine had gone wrong and I said 'oh yes noticed it had low oil pressure so I kept driving it ' it would have been lack of care .

The conversation I had with him today , I told him while driving the gauge temp is 210 f about 98 degrees c he said it shouldn't run that hot ( it's the halfway reading on the gauge ) , and that it was missing an oil cooler at the front , I suppose a road test by him would have shown the same temp? Maybe no road test ?


The alternator is not charging the battery ( would have been good to check it while off the engine?) so gauges maybe reading inaccurately , so when I got back to the workshop I checked the oil pressure with a mechanical gauge and it showed lower than the dyno readings he relates to . When the engine has the new alternator on again , I'll run it up to operating temp and check it again .

In terms of wasting his time the brief conversation on pickup and today's tel. call amounted to 5 minutes , I'll give anyone 5 minutes of my time .


Tell him I don't clean cars !



KS JUNE 28

No need to be personal he's just doing his job to his best



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd JUNE 28

Apologies, but glad to see you have a sense of humour.



VMAX JULY 4

Charge light on:

One battery low output (9.5v other 12.05v) causing alternator over load , removed alternator , changed all blown diodes (6) refitted with 2x new 063 batteries

Checked alternator output on test rig and again when re-installed , voltage stabiliser checked - ok

Oil pressure : gauges were reading lower when car was collected , probably due to low charge voltage ,

test results are :


Idle 4000 rpm

Gauge w/ coll Cold. 40. 80

Warm (180f) on dash 10. 40

Gauge today cold. 60. 100

Warm 20. 80

Mech gauge today cold. 50. 100

Warm. 15. 60

60 psi/4000 rpm warm tested with a mech gauge; although not immediatley alarming it shows a loss from the dyno sheet which showed 6 plus bar/ 90 psi .



Readings in psi , 'cold' test is 2 mins after initial start before dash gauge reaches lower temp mark of 120f on gauge ,

Round town driving shows 180-190 on gauge , constant motorway at 70 mph 200-210 - but still lower half of standard dashboard gauge - mech gauge is snap on oil pressure tester. Air temp for tests was 20-28 degrees c .



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd JULY 16

Hi Kenny, just to clarify, you are stripping the engine! To take internal photos, if you do this outside of my guidance your rebuild / remedy will be at your cost, please advise or have the vehicle dropped off on Tuesday for my personal inspection on Wednesday.

PLEASE ADVISE



VMAX AUG 1

When I collected the car he said it did not need super unleaded fuel - I asked specifically-

I have not heard of different fuels producing more smoke/ moisture.

No problem with stater motor while I had it , what seems to be the issue?

Leave the gauge I'll get it calibrated at TAG aerospace



VMAX AUG 4

I thought the engine had been run in/bedded in on the dyno, full power testing for the figures supplied is supposed to be done afterwards there was no problem with the stater motor when i last drove it why does it need changing ?



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd AUGUST 31

Hi Kenny,

I traced the oil to it entering the back of the #3 intake valve, to be safe I have replaced all the intake valve stem seals with a different type to the original ones, I also re checked the valve to valve guide tolerance and this is less than 0.050mm, the permissible wear limit is 0.150mm so I am happy that the problem was not mechanical related and was probably the stem seal material, there is no overrun smoke on road test and therefore the new seals are now working correctly, however the engine still produces a lot of moisture on start up as before and the moisture is also dripping out of the tail pipe as it did before ? there is not a lot I can do about this and can only put it down to the climate at the moment and the heat cycle on warm up of the engine once the silencer and heat exchangers are hot this is not a problem.

I will call Stor-A-Car so it can be collected in the morning for you.



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd SEPTEMBER 1

Hi Kenny I took the car out of the workshop at 6.15 this morning and it was parked in front of the workshop until the chap from store-a-car moved it at this point I was not aware that it was covered in bird shit? And when it went into the trailer I didn’t see any, if there was any I would have washed the car but it has been in the shop from the day it was delivered to us.

The engine oil leaks please advise as to where as it has not dropped any oil in the workshop and having had the motor out it did not have any evidence of any.

Oil smoke ? again when the delivery driver started it there was only condensation after 30 seconds.

Leaking water from exhaust there is not a lot I can do about this as its obviously air cooled and the water is condensation from the atmosphere and fuel.


If you want me to have the car collected and valeted and if you can let me know where the oil leak is from I will rectify it immediately.



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd SEPTEMBER 2

Hi Kenny Oil pump seal defiantly NO and as for your car smoking all the time it is NOT oil smoke it is condensation your engine when warm has no evidence of smoke at all in the warm-up cycle the engine is emitting moisture only.

The issue with a oil seal on the oil pump would fill the crank case and if it was on the scavenge side of the pump it would draw air into the pump and therefore not oil as the oil is harder to draw I have known amateur builders to leave them out but as the seal is 20 / 25mm dia depending on which one it is usually never a issue as it is also a square section seal sat in a grove in the case.

It is very difficult for me to visualise just what smoke you are now talking about as you are now saying the engine is smoking all the time! This is defiantly not the case I have driven the car myself and it drives lovely and it did defiantly not smoke even after driving it for 15 min on road test.

Please give me more details or please feel free to pop up in the car as after driving it for a few miles I am confident that the exhaust will have got to temp. And the moisture smoke will not be there. 



VMAX SEPT 8

But you said plumes of smoke appeared, that's not fine!



VMAX SEPT 14

....and so the sssaga continues .



VMAX OCT 18

Asking questions now about how the throttle linkage was connected (or not ) is rather pointless , a quick test drive would have shown there was a problem as you found kenny , and he then would have had the opportunity to rectify it .

I have not adjusted any any part , so torque and hp should be unaffected .

I think now we need to look into the engine smoking which has been a continuous problem since it was collected after the engine rebuild .



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd OCTOBER 18

Hi Kenny, I am beside my self-having driven the car for 60 + miles myself and Rob collecting and driving the car back to you with no fault, my only thoughts are there is something in the car I am quite certain that the engine is good, you could have an electric fuel pump that is faulty or contamination in the fuel tank.

Please take the time to explain to me the fault that you are getting, if I can help or assist I will.



VMAX OCT 18

The riddle appears to be the smoke me and kenny see , but you do not . It's not condensation just oil smoke coming out of the exhaust from cold start, and at warm idle you can also smell it although visibly it's less.

Shall I remove the exhaust and check for oil at the guides / in the cylinders or do you want to do it ? Changing the exhaust is not going to fix it .

The off side banks' throttle linkage was not connected . It's possible it came off but as you also noted the balljoints are in good condition and locate positively when connected.



VMAX 18

It seems the smoke on initial startup - which points to oil residing in the chamber or ports -, is leaking down while the engine is cooling and /or mixture too rich when cold causing bore washing .There is some smoke visible when hot also exiting from the tailpipe.

I think removal of the exhaust when cold will show whether guides or seals are to blame also checking in the bore for any oil residing , this will also point to where the hot oil smoke is coming from .

And a cold start check while monitoring the air fuel ratio will see if the mixture is too rich while warming up causing bore washing .


Really this is becoming like a pub quiz with specifications measurements and such , ways to diagnose , probable cause, likely components etc



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd OCTOBER 18

Hi Not sure what your man is on about as there is only one link to the pump and this is set at 114mm centre to centre and it was correct and fitted, both ends of the link rod are on snap on ball joints and were all in good condition. Both the pump timing and the ignition timing were optimised when on the Dynamometer and therefore should not be adjusted or if they are then the Torque and HP / drivability will be affected.

Could your Mechanic explain a little more precisely what linkage parts were incorrectly fitted, as I said there is only one link rod to the pump and the car will not drive if it's not fitted.



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd OCTOBER 18

Hi Kenny,

Pointless or not the question is still there, If Rob had left some thing off then it would have shown up when I drove the car, as you will see from your speedometer the road test mileage was more than adequate to show up any fault, and the car had been delivered by driving it back to you as a further precaution. I seem to be missing something Kenny as if Rob drove the car to you without a problem, I also drove the car before it was delivered and found no fault with either the pump or the oil dropping onto the exhaust, the warm up condensation is something I cannot as I said before really do anything about, the only thing that could help this is to use a steel exhaust system this could possibly help due to the steel absorbing the heat quicker and the water content may be not as apparent at the tail pipe, but the engine on stop and start is not consuming oil or smoking.

If the Motor was a rough oil burning motor with no go in it then I would be a bit concerned, but as the engine is, as documented healthy powerful and giving good torque then if we have an issue with cold condensation so be it, if we are using a litre of oil in 500 miles [which we are not] then this would be a different story.

On a final note could you please get your man to explain the fault in plane simple English not a riddle so if I do have to issue a Monster bolloxing to Rob I am armed with the correct information.

I can also then apologise to yourself for the issue and inconvenience.



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd OCTOBER 18

All I can say Kenny is that given the mileage, it as hung on a long way before popping off as it was not removed when the pump was taken off for repair so I can only assume it is a unfortunate incident, I cannot put the blame on any one and certainly not on Rob as I have just tried another S that we have just finished and without the rod connected it is virtually un-drivable, and it certainly would not have got the 60 + miles from our works to you?

I apologise if it is necessary.

My thoughts on Smoke are, given that guides and seals were replaced, if you feel it necessary to inspect the exhaust guides by removing the exchangers the vehicle should be run first and a oil consumption test be carried out in accordance with Porsche recommendations, [this has already been carried out on the Dyno and was found to be nowhere near factory limits i.e. new] but if you feel it to be beneficial Kenny please take the time to drive to me so the car is in a run condition and the oil is at its thinnest. I will personally remove both exchangers and we can both inspect the exhaust ports,

I can put the camera down the plug hole and you can inspect the liners, but as the car dose not smoke on the overrun it is unlikely to be a guide issue and as it also doesn't smoke on acceleration it is unlikely to be a piston ring problem.

As a final thought we could also drive to Bob Watson Engineering as he is not so far away and he can pop it on the rolling road and we can watch the exhaust as the car is run under different load conditions for Oil Smoke and he can give you a appraisal of the engine as an independent ?


Please accept my apologies about the throttle rod but I am sure there would be a simple reason it would fall off after such a long test / drive but I cannot for the life of me think why at the moment.

Please forward on to the Mystery Mechanic my regards for his comments and thoughts but as always in engineering things must be assessed and reported, tests conducted on solid evidence of faults in a methodical and controlled sequence to achieve a satisfactory conclusion. [ at the moment there is a lot of water exciting the tail pipe of your air cooled engine on start-up and a minimal amount of oil smoke if it can be distinguished from the condensation ]


If you need my help please let's look at the issue in person on third hand.


BSMOTORSPORT Ltd OCTOBER 18

Hi Kenny, as pointed out before all the parts are new and within factory specification, are we now talking about fuel smoke or oil smoke or defiantly condensation?

1 It is very unlikely that oil will run uphill therefore how is it going to run down an exhaust guide ?

2 The oil visible in an exhaust port has to be from a intake guide as this is the only guide that could possibly have oil soak from the stem / spring? [Unless it was in a condition as yours was when delivered for repair] Or the cylinder has approx. 180cc of oil in it as this is the amount it takes to reach the seat of the exhaust guide and therefore be able to run into the port.

3 The Fuel enrichment device on your car as like all is a two part system the warm up is take by means of the pump main rack being adjusted by bimetal thermo washers expanding due to heat from the exhaust, the main cold start is by way of pumping in to the manifolds neat fuel from 6 jets whilst cranking therefore wetting the intake tract and cylinders until the engine fires,

4 If you want me to carry out the requested operations again I.e.
removal of heat exchangers and looking in the bore with bore scope when cold
I will do so. 

5 If there is a problem with the injection pump internally there are only 2 people in Germany that can address this properly and probably 100's of others that will have a go at it!


We now seem to be getting back to my previous mail about

" My thoughts on Smoke are, given that guides and seals were replaced, if you feel it necessary to inspect the exhaust guides by removing the exchangers the vehicle should be run first and an oil consumption test be carried out in accordance with Porsche recommendations, [this has already been carried out on the Dyno and was found to be nowhere near factory limits i.e. new] but if you feel it to be beneficial Kenny please take the time to drive to me so the car is in a run condition and the oil is at its thinnest.

I will personally remove both exchangers and we can both inspect the exhaust ports, I can put the camera down the plug hole and you can inspect the liners, but as the car dose not smoke on the overrun it is unlikely to be a guide issue and as it also doesn't smoke on acceleration it is unlikely to be a piston ring problem.

As a final thought we could also drive to Bob Watson Engineering as he is not so far away and he can pop it on the rolling road and we can watch the exhaust as the car is run under different load conditions for Oil Smoke and he can give you an appraisal of the engine as an independent ? "


Please don’t assume I am being difficult but having spent 36 years of my life working with Porsche air cooled engines I am finding it difficult to carry out "on line training" as we have already instructed your driver that the car does not have an oil light, it's chassis is not in an original condition and most of the equipment is going to be 37+ years old so don’t believe everything the gauges say as gospel.


Please let me know what you want to do other than enjoying the 202 bhp and 173 Ftlb Torque



VMAX OCT 19

The car smokes on start up , its blue smoke , oil smoke , its not supposed to smoke hot or cold.

It needs fixing, the 202 bhp is enjoyable , the smoke is embarrassing , and not expected after such an extensive rebuild at considerable time and cost .



BSMOTORSPORT Ltd OCTOBER 23

Hi Kenny, Starter motor was not changed as the only option at the time was Porsche as Bosch had no exchange units, I did advise you that I could fit a non-original but much better unit but you declined, from memory the Porsche starter was over 1K ? and I thing an exchange one is around £400 for OE Bosch or 300 for Lucas or the better high torque unit £285 + vat in stock.

Smoke at start could be both fuel / condensation after start and even though the Mystery mechanic said is smokes when hot I did tell you it didn’t, carry out a Porsche 1000klm oil consumption check it will be perfect.

If you need my help please just shout, I am always hear to help, but please no more riddles or online training! And once again I apologise for the throttle link popping off the stack but I still cannot see how it stayed on for so long.