Jay Gratton

Brad,
Glad you got out of AA and I wish you luck at your new place. I am sure you could tell some stories on your way out of there. Stay in touch!

Turb-OH Brad

I don't mean to sidetrack your thread, but thanks! I am originally from Michigan, so I guess I never felt quite at home in Atlanta! My girlfriend and I just completed our move to the new apartment this weekend (of course, I had to check out Petit Le Mans while back in Atlanta for the weekend!)

People looked at me strangely in Atlanta anyway, because I rode a motorcycle year round. It's a bit more difficult to do that in Ohio, but I may well try anyway!

Turb-OH Brad

If you want stories, I've got stories! LOL. I'm only about half an hour from Mid-O, so if you are ever down there, I will swing down to the track and buy you a brew or two!

Matt Romanowski

Sorry you got run out like those before you. You tried though.

Now, can anyone help Mr. Zimmermann with a backpad!!????

Turb-OH Brad

I didn't exactly get "run out". I simply sat back and saw the fact that I was still selling parts after working there for over two years. There was nowhere "up" to go within the business and it was my time to move on. Unfortunately, people fall into roles, and cant get out of them. Were I to have stayed, I would always have been seen as "the young punk parts kid", even though my knowledge base has grown exponentially since I began in the industry. I would venture to guess that I know more about Porsche now than "the good doctor", though perhaps not if I was quizzed on my ability to memorize part numbers.

I was offered something better and took it. I don't hold ill will toward my former employer (as a company).
That being said, I am glad to have gone, and I am much happier in my new position.

I will poke around and see what I can come up with in the "backpad" arena. I may know someone who knows someone.

Peter Zimmermann

You mean, you mean...there might still be hope? For a backpad? Cool!

Jay Gratton

Thank you Infant Baby Jesus!

Peter Zimmermann

While waiting for that backpad, I took care of another problem. Found some rust perforations under the right rocker panel. Wire-brushed the heck out of everything, vacuumed away the mess, sprayed everything with Rustoleum "Rusty Metal Primer," made patterns with paper, found some galvanized tin roof flashing, got out my tin snips and cut pieces to fit.

Hand-formed the pieces, mixed enough Bondo to coat each piece (4 total) with a 1/8th" thick layer, and pushed them tightly into place. The Bondo grabbed on like no construction glue can, and after a couple hours I sprayed them with Permatex Rubberized Undercoating. Voila!

The front perfs weren't nearly as bad as the back ones, but I fixed them "while I was in there." Pics to follow...

Jay Gratton

And you want to sell this thing after all the work you have put in why?

Peter Zimmermann

Next project; get the car to a professional detailer and see if he can do better than I did with the existing paint. This will happen in the next couple of weeks, I met a detailer at the CA Challenge Zone 8 PCA event that I attended a couple of weeks ago. We'll see how that works out!

Peter Zimmermann

Well, I've been driving the black beast as often as time permits, and just when I thought it was safe to venture far from home (to the pro detailer), the car wouldn't start. No crank. I was aware that it felt, all along, like turning the ignition key was a chore, but I ignored that. Until this morning, when the car wouldn't crank.

I sat there thinking, and remembered that back in the day my shop had to replace a few 914/4 ignition switches because the plastic electrical section cracked. I figured that it was cheaper/easier than replacing the starter, so I set about removing the steering wheel, the under dash knee pad, the column switches...and disassembled the ignition switch. The plastic section was cracked as bad, perhaps worse, than any switch that I've ever seen.

The good news is that my favorite wholesaler has the part in stock, at a ridiculously cheap price, and the switch will ship out today. And I won't have to figure out how to squeeze the plastic back together and somehow secure it so it might hold the inner contacts in position. Whew!

Turb-OH Brad

yep, that'll do it. those ignition switches are notoriously crappy...er, cracky.

Matt Romanowski

There is something wrong in the new ignition switches. I can't remember what it was buy Chris Foley posted about it on 914world. His name over there is racerchris.

Jay Gratton

Great post Peter!

Peter Zimmermann

Thanks, Jay! Just remember, if all of a sudden you think that you're having to turn the ignition key too far in order to start the car, you just might have a cracked ignition switch!