2006 | 2005

Governance Presidents Message December 2005 Dennis Rood The first time I saw a Porsche was in 1954 (as a very small boy) when my father, who was the General Manager for a large Chicago area domestic automobile dealership, brought home a black 356 Cabriolet one summer evening and asked if I would like to take a ride in it back to the dealership to get his regular car. Of course, I said yes and noticed how different the interior of the car workmanship and materials were in this small, very different, sleek and beautiful roadster compared to the American brands.  Thirteen years went by until I saw my first 911 and I was hooked….it had me at hello! It took me another 15 years getting the normal things of life, a house, investments, savings, children, etc, before I thought it was time for me to buy one….a used one, (yes, a mid-life crisis). The first  911 I looked at had a beautiful blue paint job but the motor was only 50% on three cylinders in a leak down test that Chris Powell of Bayside Motor Sports conducted for me. The interior also needed to mostly be redone. I still tried to figure out how to buy that car. Shortly thereafter, I bought my first Porsche, a white 1970 911T Targa, in 1982 and joined PNWR in 1983. I picked it up in Portland from a private party and when I stopped for gas and the headlights wouldn’t go on, only the parking lights, I thought maybe I had made a mistake venturing off into unknown Porsche land. Upon restarting the car the headlights came on (because, of course smart German engineering knows you don’t need your head lights on to draw down the battery when the car is not driving). Whew!! You would have thought that 1970 was a new car I enjoyed it so much. I owned it for eight years and sold it for what I paid for it. I purchased my present 1983 911SC Guards Red Cabriolet from Bayside Motors in 1989. I hadn’t planned on buying a cabriolet but when I sat in the car, after much looking around, it was over. I took it out to Chris and he drove it and said it was just fine. In fact, it has been just fine for 16 years. The last time I tuned it up was 1995 and I have put about 2500 miles a year on it. I think I will hang on to this car for a long time.  Now I will receive my new 50th PCA Anniversary  Club Coupe around Thanksgiving time. It shipped on October 25th and is scheduled to dock in San Diego on November 15th, then to Barrier Porsche for delivery. I saw the car unveiled at the welcome party at the Porsche Parade in June and was able to sit in the car at the concours the next day. It is going to be great fun to have this special car, #19 of 50 manufactured, especially to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Porsche Club of America. Also, having had  the opportunity to be the President of PNWR and representing our club at the national meeting and President’s reception in Hershey, Pennsylvania will make this car and this whole year even more special. I have really appreciated working with our great board this year and all of our committee chairs, volunteers and participants at our many events. Nancy and I look forward to continuing to contribute and to attend many events with you in the years to come. Thanks for letting me be your President this year. See you soon at the Holiday Party or Annual Banquet in January.