A gal named Elsie and her little Tornado...

[edmayo]

Actually, the timing should be 5 degrees retarded at idle with the vacuum line on, it will go to five advanced when the vacuum is removed.

[4SFED]

I set it to the mark to the left of Z1.... isn't that where it's supposed to be? I think I mis-spoke and meant "retarded".

[edmayo]

If you set it left of TDC then you're good,,,,,that is 5 retarded. Then next test is with engine running pull vacuum line off, timing should jump to 5 degrees advanced. Final check is with vacuum line off, blip engine to 6ooo RPM, timing should top out at 30 degrees advanced. Since you describe it as running very good I'm sure all that will be correct.

[4SFED]

Getting some serious cabin fever here, Gents.....

[NeunElf]

When I was little, one of my best friends was the lady that lived next door. Her name was Elsie. She was certainly a character. She had a bunch of little dogs that she constantly toiled over. Yorkshire Terriers. She also had another passion:

Porsches! She and her husband had a garage full of them. A 928, a 914-6.... and this little 1973 911S she called the "Tornado". It was her baby, her pride and joy. You see, she raced this little car. And she was good too. They bought the car new in 1973. She barely knew how to drive a stick-shift. But, by the time the 1974 Porsche Corvette Challenge came around, she was pretty good... she won 1st place. Over the next few years she kept winning, A LOT.

Just a few of her wins:
SCCA Regional Champion 1975
SCCA Regional Champion 1976
SCCA Regional Champion 1977
SCCA Regional Champion 1978
SCCA Regional Champion 1979
SCCA Regional Champion 1980
SCCA Regional Champion 1981
SOLO I winner (stock class) 1976
Central Division Champion 1978
Central Division Champion 1979
Central Division Champion 1980
Central Division Champion 1981

Finally, she was the FIRST woman to ever win a SCCA National Championship. And she did that TWICE - 1976 and 1981.

All of that was done in this little Tangerine Orange Porsche 911S... the Tornado.

I don't want to diminish Elsie's very considerable achievements, but the first woman to win an SCCA National Championship was Donna Mae Mims in 1963 driving an Austin Healey Sprite.

[sebastianroher]

Very good read.. Keep up the good work, I can't wait until I get my 71t on the road...

[4SFED]

I don't want to diminish Elsie's very considerable achievements, but the first woman to win an SCCA National Championship was Donna Mae Mims in 1963 driving an Austin Healey Sprite.

Hmm... thank you for pointing that out. Just going by what she told me. I didn't know Donna Mae raced in SOLO II as well. ???

[NeunElf]

Hmm... thank you for pointing that out. Just going by what she told me. I didn't know Donna Mae raced in SOLO II as well. ???

Donna Mae passed away a couple years back so I can't ask her. She did a lot of car stuff and worked at Yenko Chevrolet for many years. I would imagine she entered SCCA SOLO but I never heard of her winning championships there.

[4SFED]

Found this in the driver side door pocket today... going in the scrapbook!

[4SFED]

Hi everyone! Just a little update, since I haven't been on in a while...

I've put about 850 miles on the Tornado so far. It's been wonderful! Haven't had any issues since my last posts, either. I've taken her on a couple moderate length trips (about 90mi round trip) up the coast with no problems. I would have liked to drive more this season, but several things have got in the way of that (birth of our first child in January being the most significant!). But I have been able to work the original paint over pretty well and it's amazingly glossy for the age. The paint was in good shape, but very very dry. It's taken several sessions (all by hand) to re-hydrate the finish, but I'm pretty satisfied with it so far.

Enough of my blathering.... here's some PICS!

Couple shots of the paint:


Nice day for a cruise up the Lake Michigan coast!