ribs

Yeah...I got the ground control front coilover kit w/400# springs and 30mm solid torsion bars. I must be crazy because this is going to be my daily driver, and after I lower it (I was planning on a 1.5" or so drop up front and a 1" drop out back with the eccentric ride height bolt at maximum so I can slam it more for track time/autox) it isn't going to be able to make it up the lip on my driveway at school...looks like I'm going to have to park it in the street. At least now I'll be able to use the stiffer settings on my konis. Anybody else have a set up like this? Opinions? I know the torsion bars are going to be a bitch to do, but since I haven't started bolting my car back together (I have to wait to get my oil pick-up tube o-ring...should be thursday?...I'm hoping that working 6 to 12 hours a day all this weekend and during the whole next week that I'll have the car running again before spring break, which is a week from friday) the fronts will be easy as I have the struts off (how do I get the top bolt off the strut off without a vice grip to hold the old shock?). The t-bars are going to be the death of me though...

I just thought you all would like to know whats up since I haven't been posting recently (I'm still waiting waaay too patiently for my modified oil pick up tube).

Eric

ribs,

Damn, the scope of your project just keeps increasing. What's next a full-interior replacement? Good Luck--I hope you get it all back together by Spring Break.

PS--Is that silver 951 still for sale <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

nickhance

The silver 951 was getting its belts changed and is still for sale last I talked with becky. I'm posting this because I want to buy this car.. plleeeeeeeeeasssssseeeeeee don't buy it before me ;-)


I plan on taking a trip down there this weekend and if the car is anywhere near as good as ribs described it, I'll probably be driving it home. I'm buying my first porsche!

If things go well, I should have updates by the weekend.

If anyone else was thinking of buying the car, can I con you out of it somehow? This 951 is _exactly_ what I've been looking for.....


ribs, I got your email... I'm at class right now, so I can't respond till I get home

Skip

[quote]Originally posted by ribs:
<strong>front coilover kit w/400# springs and 30mm solid torsion bars.... Anybody else have a set up like this?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Yup, exactly the same as mine. Love it! Not too harsh on the streets, but definitely a world of difference. Keep the shocks turned down on the street... it helps quite a bit. I also have the adjustable camber plates so I don't have to run the massive negative camber all the time.

[quote]<strong>I know the torsion bars are going to be a bitch to do, but since I haven't started bolting my car back together</strong><hr></blockquote>

Don't forget the amount of help already available on this:

<a href="http://www.tech-session.com/Paragon/Tech/944_tbar_main.htm" target="_blank">944 Torsion Bars</a>

[quote]<strong>(the fronts will be easy as I have the struts off (how do I get the top bolt off the strut off without a vice grip to hold the old shock?).</strong><hr></blockquote>

I thought you had air tools? Should be able to zip it right off. If the Konis are installed already, you should be able to get a small socket on the tube to hold it whilst using a deep offset wrench to turn the nut. If not the Konis, then you'll need an Allen socket.

All this in 2 weeks... Good Luck!

Eric

nickhance,

Ha, you are too late--I just wired her a deposit .

Actually, she never returned one of my calls--I figured to h*ll with it, she must not have been too interested in selling. Good Luck on the purchase, let us all know how the car is. <img src="graemlins/bigok.gif" border="0" alt="[thumbsup]" />

ribs

[quote]Originally posted by Skip:
<strong>
Yup, exactly the same as mine. Love it! Not too harsh on the streets, but definitely a world of difference. Keep the shocks turned down on the street... it helps quite a bit. I also have the adjustable camber plates so I don't have to run the massive negative camber all the time.</strong>

Good stuff! I'm glad to hear that it isn't too bad (I have heard from others that its not so bad either, and those are the maximum recommended spring rates for the koni sport single adjustables, so thats why I went with them). I'll be doing lots of tweaking with the fronts, but since the rears have to come off to be adjusted, do you have any recommendations for a good overall rear setting? I was going to get those camber plates, but I have reached the end of my budget (I had about $750 new $$$ to play with, payed around $500 some odd for the front coilovers/t-bars, and the rest of it is going towards my e-code cibies and a bunch of wiring stuff)...maybe after I get my tax return (maybe I should file my taxes now so I get my big return) I will do that with my next round of upgrades (I was considering either doing big reds, sway bars, strut brace, and camber plates, or bigger turbo, wastegate, custom chips, and a ghetto maf...I'm still up in the air on that one).

<strong>
Don't forget the amount of help already available on this:</strong>

Oh yeah...I looked over that procedure, and it doesn't sound as bad as people make it out to be. I'm going to have to set aside a whole day next week to do that (hopefully if I can get the front end all back together before that) and get a friend to help me.

<strong>
I thought you had air tools? Should be able to zip it right off. If the Konis are installed already, you should be able to get a small socket on the tube to hold it whilst using a deep offset wrench to turn the nut. If not the Konis, then you'll need an Allen socket.
</strong>

I just got done reading this a little while ago and went and used my impact wrench to pull the sucker off...than I remembered that spring compressors are probably used for something at this point, put the spring compressors on, and zipped the mother off. I haven't put the konis in yet, but while I am waiting for my new stuff to come in (and that o-ring for the oil pick up...that is what is holding me up) I took my tools in my house and decided to start working on stuff I have been putting off. I am going to start powdercoating stuff some time this week, too. I still need to buy an oven though.
<strong>
All this in 2 weeks... Good Luck!</strong><hr></blockquote>

I think I'll be able to pull it off. Thanks.

Eric, yeah, that is still for sale, and she just did the belts, too. I think nick wants it really bad. Hopefully I'll see him this weekend and he'll give me the case of beer he owes me (becks or St. Pauly's girl please )

Later, and thanks.

Skip

[quote]Originally posted by ribs:
<strong>...do you have any recommendations for a good overall rear setting?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Half stiff to start... then feel it out from there. Once you get a feel for it, you'll be able to tell if you need more or less. I rarely change mine, usually depends on the weather... but I use the rear sway and front shocks to dial in what I need.

[quote]<strong>...I'm going to have to set aside a whole day next week to do that</strong><hr></blockquote>

That might be a bit too optimistic... nothing to do with you... there's just a lot to do, and most first-timers report it takes a couple days to get it right.

[quote]<strong>...went and used my impact wrench to pull the sucker off...than I remembered that spring compressors are probably used for something at this point, put the spring compressors on</strong><hr></blockquote>

Yipes! I'll be sure to mention that little precursory tidbit in the future. I was ***uming you were clamped already.

Skip

nickhance

I really think I'll be a new porsche owner this weekend, if I can get paid for all the work I did last week.

Hopefully we can meet up, I just have to get a hold of that damn girl

I figure one message on the machine today, two tomorrow, etc and I might get the idea into her head.

nickhance

I just gave her a call and I don't think I'll be getting that car. She said the timing belt got messed up and theres no chance in hell I'm going to risk it with that car.

I may offer her $4500 for it if it doesn't seem to be too bad, but I'm not too enthusiastic. I'll probably just save my cash until I find another one.

Eric

nick,

What exactly went wrong with the timing belt(according to her)?

nickhance

She said that a bolt had come loose from the engine and chewed up the timing belt and balance belts (She didn't say balance belts, but I'm pretty sure thats what it was).

She said she turned the car on and it was making a "clicking" noise. She turned it off and looked under the car and saw one of the belts hanging down. She had it towed to the shop and they said it wasn't that bad.

I asked her to remember what the other parts that it would need are, maybe it isn't as bad as it seems.

The thing that really scared me was the fact that the bolt that came loose was able to come loose. (She said it was because it was improperly replaced when it was out before). This just indicates shoddy workmanship to me and I'm not sure if I want to trust the car.

I'll probably still go down to take a look at it if its out of the shop by the weekend, but I'm only going to pick it up if I can get a good deal on it. (My dad is a mechanic, so I'll be able to repair the engine and go over it with a fine toothed comb).

I'll post more or email you when I find out more information about it. (This happened a year ago with a near identical car.. I was scheduled to go take a test drive in the car and the timing belt blew out before I had a chance to check it out.)

Eric

nick,

That sucks(although maybe it is actually good that it happened to her and not you). Strange that the same thing has happened on 2 944s you were considering. Check it out anyways, but if she claims her boyfriend did the belt replacement with a B&M, run away as fast as you can. <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" /> <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[burnout]" />

Skip

Confuzed... you can't see the timing and balance shaft belts unless the cover is off. Could it be that the bolt was external to the T-belt area and chewed up one of the accessory belts (PS, Alt/AC)? Some folks who know little of the 944 could easily mistake the visible front belts for timing belts.

A bolt coming off inside the T-belt area and causing damage in there would not likely be characterized as "no big deal". Most of the bolts in the T-belt area have a very specific purpose and *could* cause catastrophic damage to the head.

Why not ask her for the shop name and number, then talk directly to them. Could even work a PPI into the deal since they seem to have the car already.

Good Luck!

my944

nickhance,

There are plenty of other 951s out there...take a step back and really look at the situation. Her boyfriend, who already proved his ignorance by bs-ing about the clutch, has been the person doing ALL of the mechanical work on the car. Just remember all of the nightmares that you have heard and read about on this forum. Even if you got it for $4500, it could be a money pit.

And also remember all of the great stories of fellow members passing on 1 car to get a sweet deal on their present 944.

Tread carefully and good luck with your choice.

Just my 2c.

Luke

Today i ordered distrubutor cap/rotor, plug wires, rod bearings, and adj. FPR, an oil pan gasket, and some other misc. crap. My car should be back together in now time!