A Ruf Day at a Southern California Tradition.

Byline: PATRICK C. PATERNIE

Nearly a decade ago Peter Dunkel agreed to let fellow Porsche 356 fanatics use his company's parking lot for their annual swap meet. Over the years the swap meet expanded to include the storage yard out back and a wider assortment of Porsche- related items and artifacts. An impromptu concours was set up on the lawn in front of the Dunkel Brothers Warehousing and Machinery Moving headquarters near Anaheim's Edison Field.

Now, "going to Dunkel's'' has become the traditional second half of the last weekend in January that draws an international crowd of Porschephiles. First, the Porsche lovers attend a huge Porsche literature and memorabilia convention on Saturday morning in Los Angeles before heading south the next day to ogle 200 or so pristine Porsches and scour the sprawling bazaar of new and used stuff.

On hand for ogling this year was a 962 road car, Interscope Porsche Indy car and a 904. Among the stuff: crates containing rebuilt 1.7-liter Porsche industrial engines offered as economical replacements for their nearly identical 356 counterparts.

Well-known Porschephile and comedian Jerry Seinfeld was absent this year. Presumably he was out driving the Carrera GT he had taken delivery of the day ...