Nor'easter News

Car Care

Membership

Other Cool Stuff

Sponsors & Advertisers

Porsche Club of America
The Northeast Region

Even with local maps I lost track of the number of times I started down a perfectly fine paved road only to end up on dirt. Now Joyce and I don't mind dirt, in fact when we vacation we enjoy just driving the countryside and looking for back roads to explore. But we know there are club members who live and die for concours events and might have a cardio vascular accident driving on a dirt road. Sooo, double back to the last checkpoint and start again.

In fact, there was one stretch of dirt that was relatively short and hard packed that I left in on the first excursion. The next time I re-checked the route with no rain in the interim we raised a cloud of dust that would have choked an elephant, much less a horse. Sooo, double back and find another route.

Add to the above some dead-ends and major road construction...and well, you get the picture. Maps provide a decent starting place but only with repeated drives of the route can we be assured of a decent Ramble. When all is said and done, I did enjoy the experience and look forward to honing the entire procedure and event in the future.

For those of you thinking about trying a Ramble, they're great fun. Our Spring Ramble always sells out so we're trying to add more Rambles in addition to the annual Fall Ramble that Bob Cohen has done a fine job with. This Fall Brunch Ramble will be the first of a series and I'm planning to put together a Spring Brunch Ramble leaving from RI in 2001. Watch the Nor'Easter for dates and details.

As you may have gleaned from the above, Russ Merriam our long time Spring Ramble Maven, or Meister depending upon your persuasion, has retired. Russ and Ramble have become synonymous over the years, renown throughout Zone One, and dare I say nationally, as the finest and best run Rambles ever. We owe Russ gigantic thanks for all his work over the years. Thank you, Russ.

Murray Mathews (see below) and I have jointly accepted the baton and will do our best to give you a Spring Ramble like the ones to which you're accustomed.

Member Profile of the Month

Murray Mathews is either a relatively recent member or one of our longer-term members with a hiatus in the middle...depending upon your point of view. Way back in 1977 he bought his first Porsche, a 924 and joined the PCA and NER. Newer members don't remember that PCA/NER was not then what it is now and, along with the time constraints inherent in starting a new family and career, Murray's membership lapsed. In fact, in 1986 the Porsche was sold due to the Volvo syndrome ... raising a family of two active boys with pets.

In 1994, with the boys either in or almost in college, the haunting call of the 911 returned. Even when he bought the 924 it was really a second choice to having a 911 but a 50% price difference is a significant consideration. Murray remembers the 924 being in the $12K range while the 911 was around $18K. Second-guessing himself he learned that those early 911s ultimately sold for at least what they cost new.

Murray likes to tell the story of how his attraction to 911s was actually started. Not many of us can recount how a single incident got things started. In the 1950s, his teen years, looking ahead as most boys do to getting a car, he asked his Dad one day what was the most desirable automobile to own. Dad had a good friend with a 356 and replied with no hesitation, "Porsche". Unlike most teenagers reacting to advise from a parent, Murray listened, remembered, and acted on his Father's advice.

So in mid-1994 Murray became the proud owner of a new 911, or 993 as it's often known. In fact his 993 was so early in the model year that it came fitted with 16" wheels rather than the later 17"ers. He thoroughly enjoys pushing the car on the track at Driver's Ed events as well as the more leisurely Rambles and Rallys. In fact when we met at Lime Rock a month ago he had a great big Cheshire Cat grin on his face. He said that business and family obligations had limited his track time this year, when I pointed out that I hadn't seen him at the tracks very much this year. He said that it felt great to get back on the track, a real thrill.

When not on the track, Murray and wife Cindy enjoy their year round home in Sunapee along with golf and skiing; sailing seems to have taken a back seat for the moment. Murray is a financial consultant providing CFO services to start-up tech and biotech companies, while Cindy owns a needlepoint shop in Wellesley.

Son Andy, 25, who lives in Charlotte has recently acquired a 968 and as Murray proudly puts it, "with no family dole". Jeff who's 27 lives in lower Manhattan where any kind of car would be more trouble than it's worth. That leaves Gus and Bart still at home and they have no intentions of leaving the good thing they've got; they're chocolate Labs.

Membership
The deadline for the Annual Dinner is fast approaching. Don't miss out on our biggest party of the year. I can personally vouch for the band, having heard them many times. They'll be great for both our background music and dancing for those so inclined to the "big band" sound of Dorsey/Ellington/Basie, et al.

And then it's only a few months till Sebring, or Atlanta, or finally Lime Rock or NHIS. See how quickly time flies?

Did you ever wonder...
What "hair color" they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?
What WAS the best thing before sliced bread?
Why do you press harder on the remote control when you know the battery is dead?
When two airplanes almost collide why do they call it a near miss?? It sounds like a near hit to me!
Why do the call it the Department of the Interior when they are in charge of everything outdoors??
Why is it, when a door is open, it's ajar, but when a jar is open it's not a door?