Classic Retrofit’s CDI+ ignition upgrade for classic Porsche 911 has just achieved another milestone, clocking up 10,300 reliable miles in 35 days of driving on the Pan-American Friendship Rally. Fitted to Andy Graham’s 1969 911S, the CDI+ unit covered an impressive daily average of 300 miles on its epic adventure.
Competitors on the fifty-day rally, which included fifteen non-driving days to explore the surroundings, faced challenges including soaring Death Valley desert temperatures and an ascent up the notorious 4,300-metre Pike’s Peak.
“Our car is as close to original as possible, with only minor modifications to ensure reliability,” said owner, Andy Graham. “These are mainly electrical, with the fitting of contactless ignition and a modern Classic Retrofit CDI+ ignition unit. CDI+ proved to be a sound investment, as the car never let us down.”
Andy’s rally almost ended before it began, when the container his car was travelling in was dropped at the port in Los Angeles. Luckily, the Porsche suffered mostly cosmetic damage, which was made good by local experts, along with minor repairs to suspension components. The Classic Retrofit CDI unit was untroubled by the impact and performed flawlessly across North America.
“Our only technical issue was a noisy driveshaft in Portland,” Andy recalls. “This was rebuilt with the help of local specialist, Jeff Gamroth. Apart from a couple of punctures, there were no show-stopping incidents with our car. Some of our competitors were not so fortunate: a Ferrari 330GT had a water pump failure and both Jaguar XK140s suffered issues, with one expiring on the very last day.”
A flawless performance by the classic 911 led to an unforgettable rally for Andy and co-driver Sheila. “It was an incredible rally in great company through some of the most beautiful scenery in America. Wherever we went, we found people very friendly and extremely helpful – it was a fantastic event.”
“We designed our direct replacement fuse panels and CDI+ units to give owners complete faith in their classic Porsches,” says Jonny Hart at Classic Retrofit. “Hundreds of man hours went into their development and pre-launch testing to ensure absolute reliability and stories like this pay tribute to all that hard work! It’s a delight to see Porsche owners choosing our products for so many great journeys. Well done Andy and Sheila: here’s to the next challenge!”
Competitors on the fifty-day rally, which included fifteen non-driving days to explore the surroundings, faced challenges including soaring Death Valley desert temperatures and an ascent up the notorious 4,300-metre Pike’s Peak.
“Our car is as close to original as possible, with only minor modifications to ensure reliability,” said owner, Andy Graham. “These are mainly electrical, with the fitting of contactless ignition and a modern Classic Retrofit CDI+ ignition unit. CDI+ proved to be a sound investment, as the car never let us down.”
Andy’s rally almost ended before it began, when the container his car was travelling in was dropped at the port in Los Angeles. Luckily, the Porsche suffered mostly cosmetic damage, which was made good by local experts, along with minor repairs to suspension components. The Classic Retrofit CDI unit was untroubled by the impact and performed flawlessly across North America.
“Our only technical issue was a noisy driveshaft in Portland,” Andy recalls. “This was rebuilt with the help of local specialist, Jeff Gamroth. Apart from a couple of punctures, there were no show-stopping incidents with our car. Some of our competitors were not so fortunate: a Ferrari 330GT had a water pump failure and both Jaguar XK140s suffered issues, with one expiring on the very last day.”
A flawless performance by the classic 911 led to an unforgettable rally for Andy and co-driver Sheila. “It was an incredible rally in great company through some of the most beautiful scenery in America. Wherever we went, we found people very friendly and extremely helpful – it was a fantastic event.”
“We designed our direct replacement fuse panels and CDI+ units to give owners complete faith in their classic Porsches,” says Jonny Hart at Classic Retrofit. “Hundreds of man hours went into their development and pre-launch testing to ensure absolute reliability and stories like this pay tribute to all that hard work! It’s a delight to see Porsche owners choosing our products for so many great journeys. Well done Andy and Sheila: here’s to the next challenge!”