Andy Brookes Poole, UK
9WERKS Radio
Model 993 CARRERAYear 1995Acquired SEPTEMBER 2018
Model 911 SCYear 1978Acquired MARCH 2023
What’s the best way to bond with your car? A weekend in Wales with 12 like-minded petrolheads while taking in over 700 miles seemed like the best solution to me. I wanted to ratify my decision to sell my 993 and make sure that the SC could fill the gap.
We were joined by a variety of 911s for the 9WERKS road trip to Wales. The newest was Ed’s GT3 that he was still running in, the oldest my 1978 SC, with everything in between spanning 45 years of Porsche excellence. We had just one mechanical hiccup all weekend, and that was my driver’s side window releasing itself from the regulator. A strap fashioned from RS duct tape enabled me to fish the loose window pane out from the door when necessary.
My drive from Dorset to Wales didn’t start well. I left work later than planned on Friday, and then after 15 minutes I had to turn back because I’d forgotten my glasses and overnight bag. What with my phone’s battery running dry and the charger not working, this wasn’t the best drive to understand the car.
Waking up early on Saturday, I decided to get a quick run in before breakfast. From Abergavenny I drove up to Big Pit, and was greeted by the biggest blue sky Wales has ever seen. The bond began with that drive. It felt good, with the engine punchy and the suspension riding well over the Welsh roads.
After breakfast the road trip began in earnest. How would a 45-year-old car keep up with a 992 GT3, a couple of Turbo Ss, a Carrera T, a 991 GTS… let alone the 997s and 996s that were in the bunch? I had anticipated bringing up the rear – maybe even being left behind. But I wasn’t. The 3.0-litre engine was a revelation, punching the light SC along with such vigour that the guys in the newer cars were surprised to see the SC almost pushing them along!
I knew my engine had been rebuilt by Nick Fulljames of Redtek. A little more research revealed that I may have inadvertently come across some gold, because Nick is now head of engine build at Tuthill Porsche. I’ve also had many confirmations from respected Porsche people that the engine will be a good one if Nick built it. Indeed, I can confirm this is the case. It’s a beautifully revvy torque monster that puts the biggest smile on my face. I’m over the moon with it.
On the Saturday evening, while the others went to the bar, I needed to fish the window out of the door to attach the RS strap. With tools spread out and the door card half removed I heard an American voice shout out, “Lovely 78 SC – we have two at home in Florida!” What are the chances of that? Bill and Mary Callwell were in Wales for a Leica camera convention, and were staying at the same hotel as us. We later bumped into them at the bar and had a wonderful conversation about
