Lee Sibley

Bournemouth, UK

@lee_sibs

Model 996 Carrera 4S Year 2002

Acquired April 2017

January saw an impromptu visit to Porsche Centre Bournemouth after a noisy, wheezy squeal manifested from under the car’s decklid, particularly evident on start-up. I wondered if it was a pulley bearing that had gone, but on investigation the OPC’S technicians recommended changing the belt (it was brown, so likely had been on there a while!) and, while they were there, checked all pulleys for play or any other signs of imminent malfunction. £180 later, all was well.

The new year also had me thinking about track days. I didn’t do any in my 911 in 2017 as, frankly, sorting insurance for them is an arse: it’s expensive and never straightforward, and that put me off altogether.

However, with my car insurance due recently, I saw that Locktons, official insurance partner with Porsche Club GB, offers complimentary track day cover for Porsche Club events as part of its service. Very likely the biggest carrot any insurance company has ever dangled, it didn’t take me too long to sign up. I did do my due diligence and checked the rest of the market for competitive quotes, and none could match Locktons’ price and give me the track day coverage I needed. I was very happy to sign up with Locktons and genuinely view it that I’m getting free track day cover at any PCGB event. Speaking of which, the Club recently announced its track day calendar for 2018, with plenty of dates to choose from. I’ve already signed up for a couple, and if you want to do the same,

I’d recommend doing so as soon as possible. The Club track days are very well run and as such they’ve become very popular, and take-up is high. Hopefully I’ll see some of you on track!