944M3

My goal for this post is to share my experience and give back to the forum, which has been invaluable. I also hope to motivate someone else who has been thinking of working on a 951, or any car for that matter, when everyone else tells you that its crazy.

Having owned a '95 M3 and a 944 NA, I worked my way up to a decent tree shade mechanic. So decided to take the plunge on purchasing one of my childhood idols, a guards red 951. Being on a budget (aren't we all), I decided to look for the cheapest one I could find that was cosmetically decent. My goal was to do a mild restoration of the mechanics, which is something that's always been on my bucket list and motivated by watching way to many Wheeler Dealer episodes. I figured I would save a ton on labor costs, at least that's what I told myself. My logic was that if I purchased a good example between $7k-9k, it would still need some repair. So why not start at the bottom and refresh everything. In then end, I would have a well sorted car.

After only a few weeks of Craigslist diving, I came across a guards red 951 just under $5k. After talking to the owner, I learned the car had been sitting for about 10 yrs (last license plate sticker was 2004) most of the time in a garage. I decided to go see the car about 2hrs away.

Cosmetically the car was about a 5 out of 10. I could live with it. But once we opened the hood, it was a rusted mess. The car had definitely been sitting for a long time and definitely not in a garage the whole time. The dollar signs started flying through my mind and I quickly told the owner it wasn't for me. At that point he told me to make him an offer as he wanted the car gone. Made a lowball offer and he accepted. I had my idol, a guards red 951.

In case you aren't sure if I'm crazy yet, let me give you one more piece of information. When I purchased the car, I did not have a garage, just a driveway at my home. So I was literally going to restore this car under the tree shade.

Also keep in mind that I was a complete naive newbie working on 951s. I learned as I went, tackling every new issue with Google and Rennlist on my side.

After getting the car home on a flat bed, I set off on my first task, starting the car. Being an optimist, I figured I'd put in a good battery and fire it right up. Yeah, no. I won't bore you with the details but ended up buying a new fuel pump, fuel filter, and used DME (original was rusted). After that, the car fired right up!! But after 30 seconds I heard water hitting the pavement. It was leaking coolant, but it looked like oil too (oh-oh). Turned the car off immediately. But I was ecstatic, the engine ran.

At this point, I'm thinking I fix the leak, change the timing belt and I'm home free. Yeah, no. After some detective work, I find that the oil cooler housing seal was shot and allowing oil to mix with the coolant.

To make a long story short, as you can imagine one issue led to another and soon a simple job of fixing a coolant leak turned into pulling the engine!! The good news is that I've since moved to a new home WITH a garage. So I've started to put everything back together, in comfort.

As of now, the engine is back in the car with a new clutch kit and the transmission and driveshaft are attached. I now need to put in the hose kit and vacuum lines. And then everything else.

I've included some pictures of the carnage. If you ever wondered what the engine internals look like after sitting for 10 years, I have the pics. To be honest, not to bad once everything was cleaned up. But the head gasket was shot, along with the head studs. The cylinder head was also a wreck. Replaced it with a rebuilt one from Larts.

Below is a list of a few things. I'm sure I'm missing stuff. Feel free to ask questions or give advice. Note, I'm positive I've made mistakes here and there, and broke unwritten rules. But being on a tight budget and starting with no garage, I did the best I could. My goal is to have the car running by Xmas.

So far, its been a blast.

Thanks,
Juan

PS Don't ask me what I'm in for spend wise, I'm trying to forget.

***Things car came with
-LR manual boost controller
-Powerhaus k27/6 upgraded turbo and chip

***Things I did and/or bought and putting in:
-new stock fuel pump, filter and hoses (not fuel lines)
-rebuilt head
-new stock head studs
-new cam housing bolts
-many new bolts and nuts to replace rusted ones
-new belts
-all new oil seals and collars, including crankshaft rear seal
-new orings everywhere
-rebuilt water pump
-new Sachs clutch kit including all bearings
-new slave and master cylinder including clutch hose
-resurfaced flywheel
-LR Ultra engine mounts
-LR silicone master hose kit
-LR breather tank with 1' AOS hose upgrade
-LR cylinder head steam vent
-all new sensors (except for oil sender, it works)
-new slotted rotors and pads
-Tial .38 dual wastegate
-new reference/speed sensors
-oil pan gasket and bolts
-used DME
-sent injectors to be cleaned
-new sparkplug and wires

***Things I'm doing or need to complete
-cycling valve delete
-venturi delete
-rebuild wiring harness
-rebuild brake calipers
-refresh suspension including bushings

***Wish list
-PnP VEMS standalone. If the car runs with no issues I might invest in this
-CEP or LR fuel rail and hoses
-LR racing cat (no cat now)

***Not touching
-turbo, looks in good working order
-crankshaft bearings (hope I don't regret it)

mytrplseven

Great progress. I love the look of virgin aluminum. the engine work is a jewel.