Icon of Porsche 356 Times Trials
Von K knew only two speeds: Off and Holy Sh*T
Edwards Air Force base Time Trial
Riverside Intl Raceway POC Time Trials late 1960s
Very Early days, Slalom 1963In the very beginning of POC Time trialing, the club could not afford race tracks as event sites.
Von K was organizing and running most of the POC time trials in the beginning. The POC used the Pomona drag strip, Mojave air port, Tecate Landing strip in Mexico, and others. Then Harald saw an aerial photo of Edwards Air Force Base that clearly showed a huge deactivated runway, ideal for a time trial venue. Air Force General Curtis LeMay was a great fan of SCCA racing and did some go-karting himself (whilest smoking a cigar!). He had Edwards Air Force Base within the Strategic-Air-Command at the time. Harald had military connections, and pulled some strings , and soon had obtained approval from the General himself to give the POC access to that deactivated runway. The rest is history!
9 comments:
Wow...what great memories. It's amazing what Harold was able to accomplish with his engineering and driving skills.
I remember watching Harold finishing a part built from scratch on his garage lathe and his famous proclamation (in a heavy German accent)that "Absolute truisim has been acheived".
I hope Harold finds out about this blog and relives some great memories along with all of us.
Hey, Don! We are also friends of Harald and been to his house around Christmas. I've noticed that you do not have the great pictures of Harald's "bragging book" that he carries around. There's even a picture of Count Porsche Himself watching in awe at the modifications Harald performed in his car. Maybe his grand kids could scan it and send the picture for publishing. If you wish, I can contact them in order to do so. Great blog.
Hello Flavio
sorry I am slow to write back. I have been busy and not visiting my own blog. I need to make time to do that. Please get me any photos you can, from the period in the 70s, and I will post them. You can email me at
vintageplumbing@sbcglobal.net
thank you for visiting the blog, and caring about HvK.
all the best
Don
Dad you need to update your blog again :) see you tomorrow...
Hi Don:
I would like to correct some of your comments on Harold von K's Speedster. I bought this car when it was brand new from Vasek Polak personally. I was the VW & Porsche Parts Manager at Competition Motors at 1730 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood,Ca. This dealership was racing headquarters for PORSCHE and Ferrari on the West Coast. If you wanted to buy a PORSCHE Spyder or Ferrari Testa Rosa you came to Competition Motors. Vasek and I were very good friends as I was one of the first people he met when he came to California. I found out from Vasek that he had race prepped the car for a buyer that wanted to move up from a Austin Healy Sprite (SCCA H Class) to the Speedster (SCCA E Class). He had one leg 3 or 4 inches shorter than the other and the SCCA officials would not allow him to jump up to E class. When I heard this I told Vasek I wanted it as soon as I could sell my 1958 Corvette. I put an ad in the LA Times and sold it the following Saturday morning for $4,000. I called Vasek and told him I was on my way down to buy if for cash. My friend and parts counterman Phil Pausmer drove me down to Vasek's dealership at 356 Pacific Coast Highway,(Irionic address). Vasek had lowered the car,installed Koni adjustable shocks, Frendo Competition brake linings, a roll bar and race tuned the 1600 S engine.
I drove the car Willow Springs and Hourglass Field in San Diego. I over-rev'd the engine and spun a conn rod bearing. With the help of Erhard Zedelmeyer, our Porsche 4 cam mechanic I rebuilt the engine. The crank& connrod were polished, crank journals hard chromed, oil passages drilled out, cylinders shortened, pistons valve areas relieved, flywheel lightned, Weber cam & S&W valve springs installed. Cylinder heads & intake manifold ports matched & polished. When Ed Barker drove at the Willow Springs drivers training school, he said it was faster than his E Class Championship Speedster. I was getting married on July 23,1860 and sold it to Harold von K ti buy apt. furniture and a new VW.
Please email me the vin number for my info.
Bill Walters
Ex-Parts Manager Competition Motors
Volkswagen Pacific Porsche Parts Manager
Chick Iverson VW Porsche Parts Manager
Porsche Cars North America, Reno,NV Parts Management
Now Retired
email address:bwalters37@sbcglobal.net
I google my last name and here I am, a blog about my Grand Father.
Check here for a recent restauration done by our company :-) A nice silver 356 !
http://www.jurgenschoenmakers.com/fotoalbum/porsche-356
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Hello people
I'm back after a long absence, and will try to make contact with you that wrote into this blog. Thank you for visiting.
Hope to hear from more of you,
thanks
Don Hooper
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