When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hi everyone, I've been a member on here for a few years now and enjoyed reading many of the threads so I thought I'd share my C4 TL (Turbo Look) project and hope it interests a few of you.
This isn't my first air cooled porsche but it is my first 964. It started last year, I'd been on the lookout for a 964 with a view to modding and restoring it but with the ever increasing values and general interest in them getting one for the right kind of money has been a challenge. I didn't want a heavily modified car or anything that had been bodged but at the same time didn't want anything pristine. I finally came accross a 1993 C4 which had been a bit neglected and in need of some work, the owner was honest enough to tell me of quite a few repairs. It had MOT & Tax and ran quite nicely even though there was an ABS / PDAS fault showing on the dashboard, I know these type of faults can be difficult to locate so I didn't know how much of a problem that could be. There were quite a few bodywork issues and bubbling rust was coming through in different places. The engine and gearbox had a couple of oil leaks but it drove and felt good. It had been lowered with aftermarket springs fitted, cup mirrors and a tiny Momo steering wheel but most everything else was original. There was something about the car I just liked, it had an honesty about it backed up by a good amount of history and invoices so we did a deal and the following weekend I drove it home.
Once I got the car home I was able to inspect it a bit more closely, with all the under trays and wheel arch liners removed it became clear it was going to need a lot of work under there. There was an extraordinary amount of corrosion in particular to the suspension and brakes, I don't know how some of the pipework and fittings were still opperating without leaks. Many of the nuts & bolts and fixings were so badly corroded they either sheared off or had to be cut off to remove, maybe this car spent a lot of time either on the coast or in it !!
I drove the car for a few months getting a feel for it and sorting out some of the immediate faults. I replaced some of the brake lines and PDAS lines. I bought a refurbished Bosche Hammer diagnostic tool which helped me solve the ABS fault, it turned out to be a faulty rear ABS wheel sensor. I replaced the Momo steering wheel with something a bit more suitable which made driving it a whole lot nicer. Driving and using the car for a few months also gave me time to collect a few parts and consider how best to tackle the mounting jobs list. One of the top items of the list was to get the bodywork converted to the wide body using turbo arches. I've always loved the look of the wide body cars and although this would involve a lot of work it was something I'd always planned for. After speaking with various people and getting their opinions I decided to go for a bare metal strip down of the bodyshell, this process would ultimately lead to a corrosion free shell and reveal if there were any hidden repairs or problems lurking beneath the surface.
Once I'd removed everything from the car I had the shell and panels collected by Envirostrip in Tamworth..... Chemically dipping the shell in a series of tanks to remove all the paint, underseal, seam sealer and interior glue etc.
It came out looking very different to when it went in, thankfully no hidden horrors though the boot floor was badly rippled, something we just couldn't see with all the stone chip that had been applied, we ended up replacing it with a new panel.
The shell was collected by Specialist Vehicle Preperations in Worcester who undertook the repairs and modifications to the bodywork. The car has now been moved to the Paintshop where it's undergoing some lead loading, panel alignments and final preperations. Once that's complete it's off for chemical cleaning and E coating..... I've not been able to get over to see it for a few weeks but more updates will follow soon.
Nice car, but J you will need a skip for the rusty bits,
well it looks like you will take this project quite far,
it looks like you know your journey and I am sure it is going to look great .
Good luck
subscribe .
Welcome! Rare to see a 964 tub on a rotisserie. Very nice to see some true quality work. Any plans outside of the widebody? When you go this far, a very deep and dark hole begins to open.
Wow! I think it DID spend time IN the coast! I can't wait to see the progress. Good luck.
Originally Posted by kos11-12
Nice car, but J you will need a skip for the rusty bits,
well it looks like you will take this project quite far,
it looks like you know your journey and I am sure it is going to look great .
Good luck
subscribe .
Originally Posted by -nick
Welcome! Rare to see a 964 tub on a rotisserie. Very nice to see some true quality work. Any plans outside of the widebody? When you go this far, a very deep and dark hole begins to open.
Thanks for the messages...... Yes I have many ideas for the car but I'm sure some of them will change as it progresses. This place is full of inspiration so I'm keeping a fairly open mind as to the final out come.....
Nick I'm trying to keep an eye on that deep dark hole we all know but it's pulling me in
Holy crap, you've got a mission on to do the rest of the build justice now! Do you have a theme in mind for your car? Are you going stock widebody look or do you have something else in mind. It would be 74 rsr look for me with a welded full cage in a lairy 70's colour. I'd also be getting the welder out and seam welding the tub while it's in this state, but then it's all about the race cars for me! Congrats on your purchase and props for doing a job properly. Jim.
I find this all extremely fascinating. The average Owner/Enthusiast never get to see this stage of teardown and rebuild, great pics, keep them coming The ability to manage all the pieces of such an undertaking truely amazes me... Congrats!
Thanks for all the messages and encouragement.... Things are progressing with the with the bodyshell though not as quickly as I'd like..... It's booked in for E coating at the end of the month by which time all the fabrication work will completed.
With the bodyshell away I've been spending time inspecting a lot of the major components and deciding how or what needs work. One of the first jobs I turned my attention to was the rear suspension arms. I didn't want big offsets in the rear wheels or use large wheel spacers so I sourced a pair of arms from a 3.6 turbo. They give a wider track and make up the extra width needed to fill the rear wheel archs. The pair I sourced were in pretty good condition but still needed some work. After a good cleaning I sent them off to be soda blasted. To protect them I gave them a couple of coats of clear laquer. With new bearings, powder coated brackets and re-plated fixings they came out like new.
The suspension arms also came with a decent pair of spring plates, they were straight and the joints weren't in bad condition but the seals had perished. After finding out these are no longer available I decided to go for the Elephant racing bushes which I simply pressed into the arms once they'd been re-plated.
Getting some of the nuts & bolts and brightwork re-plated has taken time as everything needs to be cleaned, wire brushed and de-rusted to get the best results. If anyone's thinking of getting many parts re-plated I'd suggest getting friendly with your local plater......... you could end up spending a lot of time there especially if they misplace anything, I spent an hour last week hunting around the chemical tanks just looking for a bracket off one of the door locks. Take lots of photos of the parts before delivery so they can be checked back in and bagged, it's well worth it.
02-27-2016, 05:03 PM
C4 TL Project
