1964 Porsche 904
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Wester later moved to Monterey and opened a Porsche and VW service shop before he - along with his brother - established Wester Motors on Del Monte Avenue. Later, he was invited by the Porsche factory to co-drive a Carrera Abarth at Sebring with Bob Holbert. The Porsche 904 had sleek, fiberglass bodywork, a Formula One-derived suspension, a high-output four-cam engine, disc brakes, and a new five-speed gearbox. Wester's first outing with the Porsche Car Pacific 904 took place on April 12th of 1964, at the 45-minute feature race at Vacaville. It wore number 60 and was equipped with American Racing mag wheels. Wester and his new Porsche led the entire race, until the car was pushed too hard, resulting in a spin that ended their day prematurely. After the race, the car was made ready for future events, with modifications including an air deflector. The car was re-painted with a central stripe in yellow and black - colors that Wester chose as his 'racing colors.' At Riverside Raceway in Souther California on April 26th, the car finished 7th overall and 4th in class at the USRRC Sports Race. Later in the day, Wester drove the 904 to a 4th overall and 2nd in class in the GT Race. The following weekend, the 904 raced at Laguna Seca in the USRRC GT Race where it finished 4th overall and 1st in class. A week later, Wester raced in the USRRC GT Championship at Pacifica Raceways in Kent, Washington, finishing 4th overall and 1st in class. They returned to California in June for the Stockton road races. On Saturday, the car finished 2nd in the Production race behind Ed Leslie's Cobra. The next day, Wester attempted to pass Leslie for an overall victory, but made contact with the Cobra, forcing the 904 off-course and out of the race. After the race, the car was given a new rear lid and was completely refinished in new livery, similar to the style of Wester's old RS Spyder. It was painted light yellow throughout with a center black stripe. The car's first race in its new livery was on July 11th of 1964 at the Cotati SCCA Divisional Road Races. It raced in the A/B Production race where it placed 2nd behind Ed Leslie in a Competition cobra. The next day, Wester again finished in 2nd, this time behind Chuck Parsons' Cobra. On August 9th of 1964, the car raced at San Francisco's Candlestick Park. Wester finished the season with the 904 finishing in first. Over the winter months, the car was given engine and brake upgrades from the factory in preparation for another season. The first race in 1965 was on April 3rd at Contra Costa. In the SCCA regional A/B Production Race, Wester captured another overall victory, this time ahead of two 289 Cobras. Later in the day, the 904 battled in the E-Modified Race, earning an impressive 2nd place finish. In June, it raced at the Stockton SCCA National in the 45-minute A-D Production race. Even after going off-course as a result of a brush with Jerry Titus' GT350R, the 904 managed another outright victory, even lapping all but the 2nd and 3rd place finishers. On August 18th, the car achieved one of its most memorable victories, when Wester and the Porsche averaged 89.3 mph over the length of the race and beat Phil Hill in a Shelby Cobra and Augie Pabst in a Ferrari GTO. The car earned another overall win at Vacaville in the SCCA National A-D Production Race. This was the last race for 904-017, and it would finish the season with Wester 3rd overall in the SCCA's Pacific Coast Division A-Production Class. The 904 was replaced by the 906 at the end of the 1965 racing season. It was sold to Robert W. Hansen, the business manager of Porsche Car Pacific. Ownership then passed to Walter Bischoff of Stanton, California who registered it for road use and kept it until 1969. The next care taker was Bill Randle of Denver, Colorado. Mr. Randle used the car for street use and occasionally participated in local club racing. A year after purchasing the car, it was sold to Grady Clay for the sum of $6,000. By this point in the car's history, it had been painted a light pastel blue but remained in good, original condition. Mr. Clay retained the car for 17 years. In 1987, Mr. Clay sold the car to Robert Pass of St. Louis, who later sold through Motor Classic Corporation in New York to Harry Bytzek, a Toronto-based Porsche enthusiast. Mr. Bytzek had the car for only a brief period of time, but did use it successfully in vintage events at Watkins Glen and Shannonville. In the late 1980s, the car was traded to Dick Barbour, the famed Porsche racer an collector. The current owner purchased the car from Mr. Barbour in December of 1989. Through the 1990s, the car was actively raced in many West Coast vintage racing events. After participating in the 1991 Monterey Historics, the car was treated to a restoration. In 2000, the 904 was sent to Europe where it raced in the Tour Auto. After nearly a week of competitive driving, it finished in 14th overall. Upon returning to the US, the car continued to expand its racing resume, competing in many historic racing events. In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction where it was sold for the sum of $1,045,000, which included buyer's premium. By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2011 | ||||||
| Auction Sales Information | ||
| Auction | The Scottsdale Auction - Gooding & Company | |
| Estimated Value: | ||
| Sale Price | $1,045,000 | |
| Event | Group | |
| The Scottsdale Auction - Gooding & Company | 1963-1967 |
