AirtekHVAC

Ok....

I am going to start a thread for #30....Made a blog on PP, but was recommended I go with a thread....bear with me, as I am building a new home, doing the hvac myself, as well as have rented out my home, and my family moved to a small rental shack...

My adventure started in September of 2010..I had always wanted a 928...since I saw the shining beauty in the movie "looker"....WOW....

2 years ago, I had scrimped and saved up a massive pile of of cash...app $3500.00!!

I was fully intending on purchasing a 928 that ran, but needed some work....
I was also considering a 944, if I could not find a 928, but after I test drove a couple, they couldn't grab me....at the same time, my family got invited to spend a day on a local lake on a rental pontoon boat....I was sick, but was pressured to go by my wife, who said the fresh air will do me good....

So, sitting at the back of the boat, miserable and coughing, I watched my (2) girls, as well as the Mrs. enjoying themselves, and started feeling a little guilty....thinking of the family fun a pontoon could bring, I began looking for a boat....found a dead one for $2,500.00, bought it, borrowed a trailer and brought her home....spent the winter repairing her..... and have truly enjoyed it, but really was sad that I did not get my 928..

Here is the dream smasher...when I got her...

AirtekHVAC

So,

this is not a boat thread, I won't go into the refurb of the boat....

In March of this year, I had sunk all my spare cash into the boat, so was pretty much out of the 928 game for a little while.....then, fate stepped in....

The wife asked me to take her car to the Toyota dealer for routine service (I do my own vehicle work, but it was a new car, and oil changes were included with her purchase).

It was a Saturday appointment, and the dealer is about 1/2 hr. from our home...I was upset, and a bit ticked off that I would have to spend my Saturday in a waiting room, so decided to reward myself by going to the dealer the long way and get an Egg McMuffin, and then cut back through an area in the country I rarely travel....

as I was cruising through the middle of nowhere, munching my Mac-Muff, there she was....

AirtekHVAC

By the way....can anyone tell me how to make my pictures not go sideways????? I have a lot of them, and have no idea why they are turned....they look straight when I upload them....

To be continued.......

AirtekHVAC

the wife called at 11:30 while I was STILL at the dealer (it was an 8am appointment)...I told her I saw a P928, sitting in a field for sale, and I was going to scope it on the way home.....(she was none too happy). I also told her that if it was a 5-speed, it was mine!!!!!

Guess what???

AirtekHVAC

So, I checked it out, and called the number....got a nice old gentlemen, who wanted way too much for the car.....I went home, and after a few days, called him back and arranged a meeting. The story I got was his son had the car, it had recently been painted, and it was a DD....then, one fateful day, it was taken to a tire shop for new tires. Right after the tires were installed, the car began hesitating and cutting off on him......he changed the fuel pumps, and it ran fine for a week or so, then started cutting off again......

AirtekHVAC

The son had to move out west, and transferred ownership to the dad.....the car sat a couple of years, then the younger son tried to fix it. He removed the gas tank, and both fuel pumps, got into a little "non-Porsche" related trouble, and went away.....so, since 1993, the car sat, uncovered, under a tree, in the grass. sometime in 2010, a tree limb fell onto it and shattered the windshield. The owner, now in his late 70's, siliconed a piece of sheet metal over the hole...it did not seal well, and water leaked in during rain, and steamed up in the car during the summers...in March of this year, he towed it up to the side of the road and stuck a for sale sign on it, then I stumbled across it...

I fell for it, worked a deal, and had it taken home....crawled underneath, and started checking the fuel system...this is what I found, right in front of the passenger rear wheel...along with a "crush" imprint of a floor jack....looks like I found the "vapor lock" problem...dumb tire shop...

AirtekHVAC

Ok...gotta get back to work.....so I'll post more later, along with pics....

but, once I was done with my initial assessment....I found:

Engine would not turn over
All ground points were rusted
CE had gotten wet, and all the relays were pretty much rusted out, the sockets destroyed
Front carpet shot
Dash and pod cracked
Rust through passenger floorboard
CE panel lower mounts rusted off
Passenger seat slider rusted stuck
Drivers side deadman pedal rusted off (the one that the bulb controller mounts to)
Drivers side AMP and headlight tilt control panel rusted out
Drivers side seat slider rusted stuck
Shifter front ball cup insert gone
Clutch pedal was on the floor
Air cleaner was in the trunk
Air intake tubes shot
Fuel pumps in box in trunk
Fuel tank in trunk
Fuel sender in box in trunk...corroded
Fuel filter fairly new, gotta go tho'
Fuel accumulator rusted out
Front seats good, but the padding inside is worn out (no support)
Rear seat bottoms good, but very dry...backs completely shot
Rear floorboards rusty but solid
Rear carpet shot
Hatch / trunk carpet shot
Frame / unibody good
Paint shot
Roof, covered in surface rust, but solid
Right rear quarter, has some bondo near fuel tank...don't know why, no dent under wheel well
Drivers door damaged by a mower
Rear defroster grid shot
Rear quarter glass trim missing on one side
With new battery, nothing worked except front wipers and aftermarket radio
Front windshield glass broken
Wheels need refinish or replaced
Tires, completely shot (said his son took em off when car was parked...put bald ones from the junk yard on)
Oil looked nice golden brown
Antifreeze was very clean, greenish tint
No oil in water
No water in oil
Vacuum lines all rotted
Drive belts in tact, but severely dry rotted
TB looks ok through inspection hole...not broken anyway
Who knows what else....

Running on faith that the old man was truthful, saying tranny/clutch/gearbox was all good, and the fuel problem is why it was parked...


My diagnosis...yup! I can fix her!

More to follow...remember, I have had it since March, worked on her almost every evening and weekend until June, when I had to move and mothball her, so I have made a lot of progress, and will update soon...I got behind on making this thread!

Comments welcome! (except, give up, and don't do it...those are not accepted)

jeff spahn

You are a brave, dedicated saver of souls. Rock on!

SteveG

The list was too long, I could not go on.

I hope you save it; he should GIVE it to you for the neglect they inflicted on it.

I hope your marriage survives.

EMan 928

Good God, man!

That is a project and a half. Best of luck with it and keep updating us on your progress.

AirtekHVAC

thanks guys...my goal is to be able to DRIVE her to SITM next year....I am starting with mechanicals, then will work on the body.

soontobered84

Ron,
I admire and appreciate your commitment to this project. You may need to find some 928 friends to help you along to get this project done in time. 928 friends can provide both assistance(both technical and manpower) and also encouragement.

Good Luck!

DR

Hi Ron,

We need to get in touch so you can drive up one day and pick through my used parts for anything you need. I also have a low mileage 78 engine that has lots of nice new looking parts left on it you may need/want.

Besides, I still owe you one for the great parking job you did at SITM this year!! Thanks again for that!

Oh, be sure and bring the truck. :-)

Cheers,

Dave

depami

But why would you want to?

Temekun

Don't give up. Mine was in mediocre shape when I got it 5 years ago, After plugging and chugging, polishing, fixing, wiping, changing, upgrading and not quitting I now have little kids pointing and saying "Look Dad, it's a Ferrari!"

At least it's being notice as something that's not ordinary or one of a million Corvettes.

It's time will return.

Best of luck and skill,

Tim