Keith’s Blog: Touring is Back

It’s been two years since I have been on a tour. I first had some medical challenges, which were followed directly by the pandemic. Effectively car events have been off-limits for me for a long time.

But as we gradually emerge from our health crisis, a thoughtful return to normal is at hand.

SCM Tour Director Neil d’Autremont and I just concluded the Northwest Passage. Presented by the Oregon Region of the Porsche Club of America, it covered 840 miles in three days.

There were 45 cars entered, most of them late-model Porsches. This year, not a single 356 was present. At one time there were many. First-generation 911s were absent as well. There was, however, an electric Taycan S on the tour.

“The Times, They Are A-Changin’.”

SCM has sponsored this tour for over 20 years. I have driven a variety of vehicles on it, including a 1964 Jaguar E-Type, 2006 Lotus Elise, 2002 Porsche Boxster S, McLaren MP4-12C, and this year, our 1991 Porsche 928 S4.

We started from Portland. The official launch was at the Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, OR.

From there we wound our way to Baker City for an overnight, then through Heppner and the Painted Hills to Bend. The next day, we drove home. These are many of the same roads that we will have on the upcoming 2021 SCM 1000 Classic and the 2022 SCM 1000 AMG Invitational. We enjoyed the preview.

SCM presented awards at the Saturday-night banquet in important categories, such as “Porsche We Would Like to Have on the Cover of SCM,” which went to a 1992 964 Turbo.

I reflected that I was in a room with 90 other people. None were masked. The organizers had asked all entrants to provide proof of vaccination, and we got a little blue dot on our lanyards reflecting that. We were able to shake hands, give hugs and speak with each other in close-standing groups.

Three months ago, this gathering would not have been possible. We have instituted the same safety standards for the upcoming SCM 1000. We believe it is the right thing to do to create a sense of well-being for those on the tour.

Being with and talking to so many friends that I hadn’t seen in two years almost seemed like a miracle.

During the tour, Neil had a chance to drive the U-boat, as did good friend Jim North and SCM Legal Files columnist John Draneas. All of us agreed that it is a magnificent, if aged, grand touring machine. It cruised easily at triple-digit speeds.

It cried out for a modern-day PDK transmission to more efficiently use its prodigious horsepower.

We had only one glitch. At the very start of the event, I tried to lower the driver’s side window and it wouldn’t move. Nor would the other window or the sunroof.

Since the a/c was working brilliantly (both front and rear), I decided to leave the switches alone for the duration of the tour. Traveling nearly 900 miles in 100-degree weather, with a window down and a sunroof open was not an appealing option.

We checked the fuse block, which was clearly designed by Kukla, Fran and Ollie. (Bonus points if you recognize that reference.) Fuse #15 controls the windows and sunroof, and it was fine. Chances are we have a dirty contact, which we will attend to this week. But otherwise, the car was a brilliant representation of Porsche’s supercar from the 1970s-90s era.

A plus was that my mobility scooter fit neatly under the rear hatchback.

As I pulled into my garage slot at my condo, I reflected that I had just had a “normal” weekend, going on a “normal tour” with good friends and on great roads.

Clearly, we are on the path back to enjoying the camaraderie and adventures with our cars that have been so sorely lacking.

This is a good road for us to be traveling, and I look forward to more curving, twisting two-lane routes ahead.