doug - i don't think the OP was interested in a huge restoration project - after all he was shocked to find the rust issues.

i wish him good luck whatever he decides to do.

 

He did say he does his own wrenching. This ain't wrenching, but it ain't the end of the world either. I've seen many long hood rust buckets sell for $30,000 locally with the buyer knowing full well they were in for even more extensive a restoration than this one. Anyway, let's wish him well either way.

 

Theres gotta be a good donor car somewhere he could just dump the essentials into...

 

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac...124767571.html
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/pts/3089152294.html

 

I got a perfect one

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...in-struts.html

 

Hey guys, thanks for all the links and responses. I was putting the suspension back together today so that I can roll the car around in the garage. I spent a lot of time going over the underside and other areas of the car with an icepick.

It looks like the only place in need of immediate repair is the belly pan. Later, I'll want to get the bondo out of the door curves and replace it with metal. The rest of the pan and the pedal cluster area seem to be in good shape- I did have the cluster out last week and I stripped back that area and prepped and painted with POR 15.

Yes, I do all my own wrenching, and I'm not terrified of cutting and welding that belly pan myself, but I don't have access to compressed air, and I have very limited space to work in (one car garage), so it's going to be a long PITA for sure... $250 for the belly and battery pans isn't bad, and thank you Amber for posting the link to the other guy's extensive metal replacement restoration- that helped me immensely to see what I am up against.

Basically: removal of- front suspension & steering rack, hood, front fenders, gas tank, battery, front bumper and associated wiring. Strip metal back several inches around the area to be replaced and cut it out. Fit and align new pan, and weld. Grind & sand. Prep and paint, Reassemble the front end and get a 4 wheel alignment. Done. The trick is going to be making sure those mounting holes up front are in exactly the right place, because the belly pan piece is only half the mount- the other end of the A-arms go into a separate cross-member. I guess bolting in the A-arms during most of the welding is the best way to ensure the alignment of the A-arm mounting holes.

As long as I can do this on jackstands, I think I can do it. But I don't have the room to pull everything and lift the body onto a fabricated high dolly.

Will I keep the car? Right now, I am thinking no, but I might change my mind later. I only got to drive it twice- once home from the PO, and one evening before I started going through the electricals and pedal cluster.

I really appreciate all the input. If I had room to store another body, I might go that route, but there is no way I can do that- I'm in an apartment with a 1.5 car garage.

I'll keep you updated. It's going to be a while, and I'm probably going to have to go out and buy a MIG machine to use. Lost my big garage, tools, compressor, etc, in the divorce- so it's a fresh start with anything more than hand tools.

Iceman- why did I buy the car? Well, I wanted a drivable project. This one is a little more than I wanted to deal with. And rust was the last thing I wanted to deal with, because of my limited garage space and lack of tools. Is this THE Porsche for me? That's a question I need to answer pretty soon... I'm leaning towards getting the belly pan fixed, and then making a decision after that.

Thanks again,

Dave

 

I'd get that widebody out in ontario! Guys had it for a while, could be ready to sell for 3, maybe 2.5...throw your motor/ trans/ and interior, and thats a driving porject!

 

Whatever happened to 'implied warranties'.........'seller representations'

Hey, I think the guidance given the OP is terrific.....BUT, if you buy something and its not what it was represented to be....then, thats a problem.

If it were me, I'd be camped out on the sellers freakin doorstep until I got some answers ! PERIOD.

There is a HUGE lawful difference between knowingly assuming someone elses problem and UNKNOWINGLY assuming someone elses problem.

Again.....I am assuming that responsible due diligence was done before the purchase and buyer asked probing questions. If so, as mentioned earlier, I'd be camping out on this guys doorstep like a debt collector.

Don't give up on your rights so quickly......sadly, people who give up on their rights (chalking it up as experience) gives these type sellers more lifeline. Do your ego and anyone else who deals with this guy a favor and excercise your rights. You may be very surprised at how it turns out. You might say its a fork in the road.......explore the other remedial options.

 

I have gone back to sellers and received some sort of token compensation. It costs nothing to pick up the phone.

However, I think you have the right focus on this project. It is not going to be too painful to mig in a belly pan, and if the car is straight, it should locate itself fairly well. There are no doubt some good guys nearby who could help or guide you with this project.

Are you on the Pelican forums ? A lot of 911 guys over there who would also be willing to help.

 

Sorry to hear of this!! I can understand air cooled cars getting harder to find, it's not just SoCal. There is a guy in Scottsdale, AZ who has made hundreds of thousands of dollars snapping up air cooled 911s and shipping them to Europe. Leaves guys like you screwed who must take the time to carefully save for your dream car only to see them bought in an instant and whisked away.

It can be difficult to even arrange for a PPI when somebody else steps in and buys the car sight-unseen.

 

[QUOTE=Shannon123;9669461]Whatever happened to 'implied warranties'.........'seller representations'

Hey, I think the guidance given the OP is terrific.....BUT, if you buy something and its not what it was represented to be....then, thats a problem.

If it were me, I'd be camped out on the sellers freakin doorstep until I got some answers ! PERIOD.

There is a HUGE lawful difference between knowingly assuming someone elses problem and UNKNOWINGLY assuming someone elses problem.

Again.....I am assuming that responsible due diligence was done before the purchase and buyer asked probing questions. If so, as mentioned earlier, I'd be camping out on this guys doorstep like a debt collector.

Don't give up on your rights so quickly......sadly, people who give up on their rights (chalking it up as experience) gives these type sellers more lifeline. Do your ego and anyone else who deals with this guy a favor and excercise your rights. You may be very surprised at how it turns out. You might say its a fork in the road.......explore the other remedial options.

if the car has had 20 owners as the OP mentions in his signature, its going to be fairly tough to prove any sort of malice on the sellers part.

 

Sorry to hear about this.

I would take it to a shop and have a "POST" PPI done as mark suggested. Good to have a clear understanding of the state of the car. If going over the whole car it turns out to be the pan and doors only (I would look really carefully at the rockers) then you can get solid doors from 20th street auto here in Phoenix they have a couple of good solid donors. A p shop would tell you who to use for the pan repair. When the pan is done you don't have to do the whole thing it can be taken back to solid panel and panel stitched and welded. The suspension will come off ( kinda is already) and the tank out, but the fenders and hood don't need to come off. I'd talk to the shop and strip everything down to the point where the repair can be made (still a roller or put it on on a refrigerator dolly) and let the pros refit and paint it bring it home and bolt it all back up. Yea you'll have to flatbed it back and fourth but give them the doors to paint and you can bolt it all back up at home and save the dismantle/assembly, you'll get a pro fit and finish. This is a common fix, not at all horrible even though having it hidden like this is reprehensible.

 

As Tony Robbins would say.......what we do in life is driven by pain / pleasure. If it were me, the PAIN related to questioning the seller is far less than the PLEASURE of possilby hearing him say.....'OK, let me see what we can work out."

 

i guess it doesn't hurt to ask the seller but i can't see him admitting to bondo'ing a suspension which could potentially kill someone.

 

I geuss it comes down to two things if the seller isn't willing to give some money back, or take the car back

1) do you want to spend the time and money fixing/ swapping the parts to a donor car

2) do you want to spend the time and money trying to fight the seller of the car

or if you don't want to do either, just trying to part it out. Me I'd confront the seller, prob even threaten legal action, but I'd rather spend the money I would have spent of legal recourse to buy a donor chasis or weld in a new pan and move foward