Dennis Sherman, Dick Barbour Automotion

[Hester]

The original owner of Hester (a 1970 911S Coupe) told me that he ordered her through Dick Barbour who took a lot of time helping him select her features (e.g., the radio, speakers, and antennae delete, the 911R wheels, Carello driving lights and Hella foglights).

He also told me that at around 5 or 10 thousand miles, he burned a piston on a road trip in Northern California and that Dennis Sherman rebuilt the engine and used some sort of process to coat the pistons. There is still a "Dennis Sherman" label on the air cleaner snorkel.

Can anyone tell me anything about Dennis Sherman, Dick Barbour, or Automotion around 1969, 1970? I've found some stuff on the web, for instance: http://www.boxstar.net/Roadster1.htm

I know that Dick Barbour went on to do some serious racing and I am guessing that he had that in his blood when he was helping the original owner set up Hester. The original owner told me that he was 28 when he bought her. The car has some interesting options like the Recaro racing seat for the driver and the sport seat for the passenger. The original owner told me that Dick Barbour worked some warranty deal with the seats that Hester came from Stuttgart with and replaced them with those seats.

If you can't tell, I've been having some fun with the automotive archaelogy.

[ttweed]

Saw your post about this in the "Hester" thread on PP and replied there, Donald. Copied here for reference:

Dennis Sherman Foreign Car Service is still a going concern in La Mesa, although Dennis sold it to Ray Beck in 1986. Dennis, Dieter Vongehr, and Dick Barbour were all very active in the early Porsche world in San Diego, and were all in business at one time or another (sometimes together, and then separately), servicing most of the Porsches in the county. Along with Alan Johnson and Wayne Baker, they were the stalwarts of the SD Porsche community, servicing. selling, preparing and racing Porsches at the highest levels. Go to The PCA-SDR website and look thru the newsletters for John Straub's "The Way We Were" archival articles in each issue over the last two years for a lot more info.

TT

[fryardds]

If you can't tell, I've been having some fun with the automotive archaelogy.

Yep, it's what we love to do over here too.

The ex-Barbour Roadster is now owned and driven by Mark Powell, a member here who posts under 'MarkP'. I was fortunate to see this car in action during the '04 Rennsport Reunion shortly after he purchased it. Very cool car and great history.

[John Straub]

Dick Barbour owned a small shop in Mission Gorge in San Diego, this was before he opened Dick Barbour Porsche/Audi in La Mesa just west of SD. At that time he was dealing in cars and racing that Roaster you talk about and then a 904. Dick and Dennis were involved in SCCA at the time.

John