The events in Alameda were fitting for Cris. Lots of emotions, sadness and joy on Saturday.
The "salute" ended up being ~85 guns (Porsches) Cris would have approved.
-Kent
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The events in Alameda were fitting for Cris. Lots of emotions, sadness and joy on Saturday.
The "salute" ended up being ~85 guns (Porsches) Cris would have approved.
-Kent
One of the most emotionally moving experiences I've witnessed in my entire life.
Yeah, Mark, one of mine, too. Especially the revving of engines.
My friend, Cris Huergas
The first time I met Cris was on the phone about 20 years ago. My good friend Rick Cabell suggested I call Cris because we shared an interest in modified early 911s. It was a Thursday afternoon when I called. He was very interested in the Tangerine ‘73T hotrod coupe that I built for my Heidi with a 250hp 2.7 race motor with a ‘75 short geared 915, upgraded torsion bars, sway bars, sport seats, roll bar, etc., etc., etc. My car was an ‘80 SC I just shipped back from San Diego. It eventually became my completely modified Canary Yellow ‘70 911STR Lightweight RatBasterd, a la the 911R Prototype #4, quite by a series of accidental mods including the paint color and R tail lights. Cris right then and there made both Heidi and me RGruppe members.
Cris and I talked about our respective cars and life and times for a good hour and a half before hanging up... imagine that! A bond of friendship was the result and I learned that he was in San Francisco! Heidi and I were to be there on Saturday for a week long wellness conference. What a great coincidence! I talked to Cris again on Friday (for an hour and a half!) to see if we could get together. He of course suggested a place called EASY that I had already done business with all the way from Vermont. I knew Jim a little bit from some heated email conversations about alloy magnesium stove burner wheels (we were both right).
Anyway, Saturday I made my way to EASY in my rental car and met the Gruppe, about 40 people. Cris made me the guest of honor. I could hardly believe there were this many like minded enthusiasts of hotrod 911s all in one place. I had been laboring alone in my private shop up on the mountain with no idea this Gruppe existed almost 3000 miles away. I was welcomed like a brother by Everyone. One highlight was John Rice roaring down the middle of everything in his Lightweight Turbo with an Emeryville cop on his bumper. We all had a huge laugh! I still get a little misty thinking about those four hours in the California sun among remarkable modified cars and wonderful company of people. For me it was like stumbling onto a gold mine, and I could not have been happier if I had.
My life had recently changed with the diagnoses of a chronic disorder that left me weak and in constant pain and very lonely in my mountain retreat. My livelihood of forty years of custom home building was gone and so was my very athletic lifestyle that I shared with Heidi. PThis visit to San Francisco was an incredible tonic. Distraction of the mind has been the best remedy for my physical pain. Having discovered this family of very friendly and like-minded rascals completely changed what had been such a depressing change of my life.
Since then I have made the yearly pilgrimage to Treffen many times as well as the Lit show, Laguna Seca, So-Cal, North-Cal, Harvey’s wheel shop, and of course my friends at EASY, Canepa’s, etc., etc. Not so much lately as I’m pretty much house bound and trying to finish my Yellow car a half hour at a time as my body allows.
I will never forget Cris. He save me from a low point in my life with his friendship and his inclusion of Heidi and me into the RGruppe family. And Freeman, too. We had some great conversations over the years about the philosophy of design.
It’s easy to say that I will miss Cris. It is so much harder to feel the loss of someone that has truly meant so much to me personally. Goodbye, my friend (and I weep)...
Jens,
VERY well said...
And please stay strong brother....
Thanks, Chuck. I’m proud to know you.
Jens, LONG time....great to hear from you, sorry to hear you have not been well....By now you probably know that I recently sold my RUF RS...that you lived oh so close to you right before I snatched her up....
be well.....hope you're feeling better...
Best, Stacy
If your attending the L.A. Lit & Toy Show, on Sat. Feb. 29th, LAX Hilton, come by the RGruppe table. A memorial for Cris Huergas, take a moment to sign the condolence book, and share your special memories with
Jessica Huergas, Cris' daughter.
Thanks for posting this Ernie.... see'ya at the table....
Thanks, Stacy. I’m ok. A lot better off than many. I can’t afford any exposure to the public and the virus. I’d be gone.
That RS was a very interesting car and with great provenance. I’m just happy to help put you onto it. I hope you netted enough to pay rent!:):p
I won’t tell you how much Rick had to pay for the RS rally car that I turned him onto (22k). I gotta start charging more for these kind of referrals instead of giving ‘em away. Then there was my ‘60 1600S Roadster, running, that I paid 7500 for. I might have another treasure in the wings, but it’s too soon to talk about openly.
All the best to you, and stay well, Jens