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Well - she's off! It was quite an ordeal. Started around 9:30 am and the car didn't arrive at the shop (10 miles away) until just before noon. The car's brakes had frozen and there was no way I wanted to start the engine and run the possible turpentine that is sitting in the tank through it and cause more problems in order to try and break it free -- so the towing company had to back off and return with another truck and some roller-skates -
Then it was a matter of angling the car out while trying not to let it slide into the 60s Corvette sitting next to it.
They got the car to the edge of the garage and then pulled her up onto the flatbed, moving it sideways while on the bed to even the load as much as possible.
But after many many years in that garage she was finally out - not even the wind of driving blew all of the dust off her but she's still pretty shiny.
And rolling into the shop - at long last to figure out what really is wrong. The last paperwork indicated low compression on three cylinders, she's leaking oil onto the manifold a'la Triangle of Death, and from the multiple timing chain failures in the past (Carerra tensioners already installed) my guess to the poor running is that a valve or guide was damaged during one of those instances. But NO cracked head studs. So I got that going for me, which is nice (theoretically).
THEN once the engine is sorted and new oil and fuel lines installed - a rebuild of the top and refinishing of the wheels.
Wish us luck!
Last edited by robokeith; 11-02-2016 at 01:28 PM.
Reason: Clarity, picture placement.
First report: Fuel tank is rusted so it has been removed and sent out for refinishing. Fuel pump sits low and likely has also collected rust so the recommendations is to replace that as well.
I've seen reproduction/replacement tanks for as low as $430 give or take but the OEM tank is around $1200. Around $600 or so to refurbish the tank the car was built with is worth it, I think -- but honestly I didn't give it much thought. I guess I just feel that you should stay with the original equipment wherever possible. Maybe that is not the right way to think about it these days but when my father restored a 914 when I was a kid that's how he went about it and I internalized that message.
Thank you! Holy crow, I just realized you also have a 77 targa in Sienna Metallic! How awesome. When was yours made? 3/77 here. I just got the COA, here's my car's list of optional equipment and some photos of the area where the tank sat. It looks to me like that galvanizing worked pretty darn well - but then again I don't think the car spent more than a handful of nights sleeping outside a garage.
Beautiful car. I rebuilt my 75 911S close to 19 years ago. This was pre-internet and quite an adventure. I used Bruce Anderson's book as a guide along with a lot of help and advice from a local Porsche shop. I too had excessive oil leaks prior to the rebuild. Worst where from the leaking oil return tubes raining oil all over the exhaust. Could be something to look at. I did split the cases and install time-certs and raceware studs. Only other changes where the exhaust to 74 style SSI and the addition of a fender mounted oil cooler.
I love the car and it has been pretty faithful given the usual old car electrical gremlins and little things like the shift coupler dissolving one afternoon.
Hope you enjoy it for years to come.
Terry Shugart
75 911S
Hey, sorry! I had taken the car to my mechanic and told him that I didn't even want it back before spring - for fear I'd be too tempted to drive it on salt-covered roads - so he has been taking his time. The car is running (after throwing a few fireballs out the pop-off valve while it was getting it's sea-legs back) and sounds good. My mechanic is a conservative guy and the car sounds good so he doesn't want to jump to any conclusions and just pull the engine. Checked the dwell and change the points but it still feels off. He hasn't addressed those leaks yet and wants to avoid cracking the case as the studs seem to be intact.
He feels like the car sounds absolutely great. Feels great revving - but when you get the car out on the road it just doesn't FEEL right yet. He's thinking that since it has basically sat (apart from a few runs over the years) since 1989 and was put away because of the smoking issue (which seems like triangle of death seals) that the poor feel could just be the fuel injection system suffering from all those years of inaction.
One interesting issue, going back to 1981 in the records, is that the car had lost its timing chains FOUR times (finally replaced with carrera tensioners in the late 90s) and had points done SIX times. Pretty weird and my bet is that its GOTTA need a top end job after having lost its chains THAT many times.
He is replacing the brakes so he can get it out on the road a bit more but once we have a better feel on the engine situation I'm going to have the fuchs and the top sent out for refurbishing.
If you want to use her this Spring/Summer, I would suggest you send th wheels out pronto and get the engine work underway. Having done a few of these in my recent years I can tell you this stuff always takes time and shops always seem to get backed up. I hate to see you lose the entire year.
Thanks. The work is underway, its just that he isn't in favor of a complete rebuild it its not necessary. I'm not either. Good point on the wheels. I'll get on that!
11-02-2016, 01:19 PM
