Montrealer

What a nice a story ! Keep us posted Oh...and my black lab wants to know where you got that rear seat cover ?

Mister Moo

I designed/made the "ParkDog" and floor covers. It is in trial now and may be listed here commercially before the end of July. I just need a little user time to know its up to spin.

Mister Moo

The Daily Driver

Oil changes-
A new guy note; if you get that 15-qt. catch pan with the green plugs and screw cap... Pop the air vent cap and definitely remove the center plug, don't just loosen it and maybe even open the pour-out cap on the neck. And put it on a big cookie-sheet catch pan. And have a few rags and some oil-dri around. I'll have it figured out and down to a Class II EPA disaster in maybe one more change.

A/C-
Yes. Using a UV-cover during the day then Rennaire (and the larger vents on the '87) will keep up with 100* and hellish humidity just fine. If the car is left in the sun to superheat the interior then it'll take a long ride to cool down the interior mass.

HiLow Dipper/Turnsignal & Push-Pull Headlight Switch-
If the last guy glued switches in and you need BF-pliers to extract them, they'll never be the same.

New Lamps, New Lenses, Headlight Relay and XPEL film covers-
Yes. Excellent move. They are the difference between night and day, cracks and no cracks, with H5's.

Changing Air Filters-
Not sure why folks think it's difficult. I can even get my fat hands back there. A zip-tie loop on the latches does make them easier to grap and close but... not a problem, really.

Next Up-
Valve Lash Adjustment and Tune Up (August)

157,000 miles. I like this car more every day.

Mister Moo

UPDATE: 21months of ownership, 183,000 on the odometer and 37,000 miles booked (1750/month average)

I learned how to do a complete tuneup about 18,000 miles ago; valve lash, filters, timing, belt adjustment, plugs, etc. Time for another one. I picked up a couple of odd tools and a pair of large floor jacks - no drama. Average drive miles are falling off but still hang around 1,500/month. I bought another bike and I do enjoy it in almost all weather. It will keep a few miles off the Carrera.

The car goes rain or shine, cross country, to work or to the grocery store. The radio crapped out a few months ago and I haven't missed it; a new Rennaire system made the car a hot weather pleasure. I take off the top a lot and don't hesitate to collapse it and stick it in the back seat - it isn't showing adverse wear or getting lumpy. The engine was rebuilt before I bought it and it now has 43,000 on it; it uses less than a quart between 5,000 mile changes. The difference between sticky tires and high-mileage tires is pretty dramatic but I'm siding with mileage over cornering. It's not so terrible.

If I had to guess the keys are to keeping an old 911 as a reliable roadworthy ride I'd say this. Mind the regular stuff like cleaning, scheduled oil changes and driving it. This car has not developed leak #1 yet (except when I try to sneak by without changing crush washers with each oil change). Staying caught up with little things matters - let a few things fall off and then you suddenly can't pass the annual inspection without a flurry of work and a few weekends wasted chasing down niggly problems and parts.

Biggest thing might be attention to warm up. I shift deliberately and avoid revs up to 3,500 until oil temp is above 180*. Nary a mechanical problem. When I read about leaky, smoking or failed engines with low miles I imagine very bad luck or someone is jumping in, going a mile down the road then lighting it up.

Air cooled Porsche. Most wonderful car in the world.

The new paint is still a thrill.

mdkrp

Nice write up and sweet looking targa!

aratapuss

I have enjoyed following this post, can relate to it totally with my '87 coupe. Have had my car just over a year now, put 4,000 miles on it so far, quite surprised, as I have a bike and other vehicles I drive regularly.

Getting cool (cold) here, time to change oil and put it to rest for 4 months. When it comes out next year, it will seem like new again, which is the ONLY benefit to parking for the winter.

Mister Moo

One of the drawbacks of the Carolinas... logging miles year 'round. It's nearly saltless down here. The '07 BMW R1200R, is nothing more than a thinly veiled Carrera. Just another German black paint job floating over an oil-cooled boxer engine. Or is the Carrera nothing more than a thinly veiled motorcycle?



I stumbled on to a Porsche review site and read stellar reviews of our noisy, rough-and-ready, fun-fun vintage. Sadly, most written by people who were driving 1,000 miles/year. I am certainly not critical of owner preferences (or preservation for its own sake) but, still, how bleak to uncover your car once a month and barely drive it long enough to warm the oil. Different strokes...

A few weeks ago at the ALMS race at Virginia International Raceway I walked the Porsche Parking Corral and the adjacent Corvette Corral. There were a few long rows 'vettes there and I would guess 90% of them were 10 years old or newer. There were at least as many Porsches there and, I would estimate 40% or more were at least 20 years old. Based on this totally unscientific survey I suppose more vintage Corvette owners are worried about their fiberglass than Porsche owners sweat their steel.

What the hell? Better drive 'em now kids. Take this to the bank - nobody EVER gets old and thinks, "Gee. I wish I'd driven my Porsche less."

For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision;
And today well-lived, makes
Yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well therefore to this day;
Such is the salutation to the ever-new dawn!

Yesterday is gone and tomorrow never comes. You only get today!

GothingNC

Glad to hear that you are still racking up the miles.
I need at least 50,000 to catch up

I had the same observation about the Corvettes at VIR and the Ferrari section was a bit lonely.

quincydog

Any update on the availabilty of the "ParkDog"? That is something I would be interested in getting.

Jay H

Mr. Moo, thanks for the updates. Please keep 'em coming. For those of us following along at home, it's enjoyable reading.

The BMW air cooled twin motorbike is indeed a thinly veiled, air cooled, torsion bar 911.

After decades of Japanese bikes, I really wanted something more involving to ride. This spring, the reliable Kawasaki hit Craig's List and I set off to find a new mount. Rode new Jap bikes, used Harleys, etc. After 10 seconds on the test ride on the bike below, I exclaimed "this is just like my 911". The '88 R100RS ended up following me home just like my 911 did...

In parallel to the air cooled 911, the old air cooled BMW bikes are never to be duplicated again. Those days are over for both bike and car. Enjoy your 911 men, they don't build 'em like that anymore and never will.

I agree that the key to keeping these cars young is to regularly exercise them, regularly maintain them and regularly do preventative maintenance.

Pavegeno928

8000 miles/yr for the last 8 years...getting every penny's worth out of it. Gets everything it needs preventative maintenance wise and I am rewarded daily for it. Every few months I pick a section and do restoration. Recently replaced the cab top and all new seals. With the engine rebuild were all new oil and fuel lines. Can't wait to get old with it...and my wife!

500

Sadly, I am one of those who struggles to put miles on. It is not so much because I’m trying to avoid driving it, as it is a function of much too busy of a work schedule. I am now clocking in 65+ hours per week and when the weekend comes, I try to spend all the time with my little guy and if I get the 911 out once, that is a good weekend for driving.

However, each time I drive it, I make sure it is a good, solid drive so the motor gets properly warmed and exercised. Plus, we have the winter and although the car would do OK with good snow tires, all the salt/sand crap that is sprayed on the roads is something I could not subject the 911 to. Storing a car properly is actually a lot of work, but it can be done. Driving it the way you do is much easier (and more fun)!

The silver lining for me is that this car is for my son to keep, so he will get a lot of use out of it in the future too.

Keep it up!

Mister Moo

There has been a long term problem keeping the back from collapsing without using some kind of adhesive-backed Velcro on the car seatback. What I have used works ok until it gets hot during summer months then peels off. The glue comes off the seatback cleanly but, still, that sucks.

I am trying to find a way around that without having to modify the seat. I really hoped self-adhesive Velcro (and then double-sided tape) would do the trick but it is lacking.

I tried stiffeners on the back of the Park dog (which worked so-so) but you couldn't fold it up, either.

Mister Moo

Wow. Great save! Stellar vintage, that. I looked at a few older bikes but the R1200R power (literally) swept me away. Regardless, I have a soft spot for the airhead boxer twins. Love smooth-but-thumpy.

mdkrp

Don't know much about bikes but I gotta say that one looks pretty cool. I am sure it's a blast to ride.