Most of our work, these days, involves a fair amount of restoration. Even if we are only changing a timing belt and a water pump, all of the brackets, A/C pulley, and the hardware will get replaced with replated pieces. Why not? We send stuff out for plating in 50 pound buckets, we've got enough pieces to not have to get stuff plated for months, and it's a simple thing to do, for our clients.

And it makes what we do look better. Looking better and being better is a tough combination to beat!




We're doing the suspension, transmission, torque tube, clutch, etc (entire underside of the car) on an early Euro '78. "Early" like chassis number under #90. The transmission is #70. Early.....like a long torque tube shaft, with the short coupler and short clutch shaft. Early....like with transmission shocks (and all of the ones that have been recently fabricated for "restored cars" are wrong.) Early with sway bar down links with ***** and studs. Early, like with internal transmission parts I've never seen!

The car has a beautiful chassis, but the hardware, the fuel tank support, everything you can find, under the car, was significantly rusty. Significantly.

The client is a bit unique. He likes that the car is an early car, but doesn't really want to restore it to original....just not his deal. He wants it to appear original, but wants me to make it handle as good as I can make a 928 handle, with stock style pieces.

And he doesn't care about the appearance....he doesn't mind rust, he doesn't mind grime....he just wants the car to work, really well. And "work really well" means better than the original car worked.

This, I know how to do....in a big way.....except for the rust and the grime.

And unfortunately, leaving rust and grime "conflicts" with what I like to do. I'm the "if you are not willing to lick it, it has no business going back onto the car" guy.

So, we've come to a compromise. Since it was all very rusty, I can 'restore it", while making it handle like a giant slot car. Everything is getting plated, tumbled, powder coated, rebuilt, and well....modified.

Early 911's and other early 928's.....beware.

You are going to get into big trouble if you try to follow this car into corners. The middle of the corner and the exit are not going to be fun!


Really nice, very early Euro '78 with Pasha.





Pre-assembly, while I make magical things occur inside the transmission.



Original Pasha

Really original and really nice!

 

Do I spy a Magnus Walker sticker?

 

 

This is what my project goals were / are but some things I have no knowledge of.
I wanted slightly improved braking / steering / shifting / roadholding. What I finally campe up with:
- steering: fit new delrin bushings to mount the steering box to the frame
- braking: fit "S" front calipers
- shifting: fit delrin bushings in the rear coupler. Was planning for new shifter system but eventually put it on the wish list.
- new clutch discs and reconditioned flighwheel, intermediate and pressure plate
- roadholding: apart from good shocks and new bushings in the rear suspension I have no idea what to do.
Needless to say all moving parts were new or reconditioned (discs, brake calipers, brake master cylinder, steering box, clutch MC and slave)

And yes, I am less interested in new paintwork. The car just has to work well, and slightly better than originally intended. But I do love my Pascha (avatar), which was a big reason to choose for ths car.

So apart what seems to be obvious (new springs and shocks) in Gregs project I am really curious what he did to that car to give it better cornering. In my case, if it affects the ride, that is where I draw the line because of limitations to the inner frame of me and my wife.

So Greg, can you share some of your secrets?

 

Knowing Greg I can assume everything will either be factory or better than factory to say the least.

Easiest way for us to drastically improve handling (outside of reducing unsprung weight) is with better (newer) shocks and springs.

Later shorter S4 springs combined with gas struts will get the car sitting at a better height and increase handling capabilities. It will also allow the front ride height to be adjusted if shocks with adjustment collars are installed.

Rebuilt front suspension wishbones with cast rubber will aid a lot as much of the front spring rate comes from the cast bushings in the lower A arm, which many forget about.

Replacing all available rubber bushings in the rear suspension with new stock ones will make the car ride a lot better. Its almost shocking when you go from a car with original bushings to one with completely new ones.

Going to later larger sway bars will aid in handling as well depending on the owners driving style. A larger rear bar with a stock front will allow the car to lean more towards oversteer. A good thing in our case as our cars tend to understeer.

 

This particular client has primarily played with 911's, although his current focus is more towards the front engine cars. He's an accomplished club driver with, again, experience mostly in the early 911's. (Early 911's are generally stereotyped as lowered, with very little suspension travel, stiff, and have oversteer......which is probably pretty accurate.)

This particular 928 is going to be his "daily driver".....and I would normally be a bit concerned about making a 928 too stiff for some clients, it is doubtful that I can ever make a 928 as stiff as a lowered 911 (with any sort of suspension upgrade), so "overly stiff" this is not a concern with this client. And while I'm not convinced a 928 will ever oversteer like a 911, certainly part of the challenge is to "remove" as much of the understeer, from the 928, as possible.

Most of his cars run on very soft rubber, with lots of grip (track rated tries), and this will certainly be no exception. I'd imagine that we will increase the rear tire width and spread the track out, a bit, to take advantage of the huge amount of room available in the rear wheel wells, on an early 928.

I'm certainly making him a "magical" limited slip that will keep the rear of the car hooked up on corner entry, but not induce too much throttle understeer, on corner exit.

Front there, it's just selecting a spring rate and sway bar combination that you want to "start" with (there's a fair amount of different spring rates available, from Porsche.). Corner balance it, align it to take advantage of the sticky tires, and then go test and tune to satisfy the client's driving style.

 

Got to see the upskirt shots of this car in person today, while the LSD was being (re-) born. It's going to be a cool ride.

Has Magnus ridden in a stroker yet?

 

One step at a time.....need to be careful.

The "911 world" has cooled off some. If he rode in a stroker 928, I'm afraid the 911 world would suddenly be flooded with cars for sale, which might trigger a recession.

 

So happy to see this early 928 in the best hands with Magnus and Doc Brown!
Not too long ago, this old girl was headed toward being lost forever. I did the best I could to get her turned-around and on the right path.
Being a part of saving this early 928, and seeing it taken to the next level is what keeps me going. Rock on, Doc!


To think she looked like this just a few years ago!

 

Difficult to believe that is the same car!

 

Best 928 I've ever owned was a '78, #770. Miss him to this day.

 

Good gosh that thing is going to be one helluva driver when you get her back together. I can see the line of zeroes on the final bill in my dreams. This will no doubt be the benchmark of a proper "restomod" OB 928 for some of us to aspire to. I can see the restomod 928 taking off once this car hits the streets and the internet and people are reminded (or introduced) to how cool the 928 is. Awesome car.

 

I just randomly came across this post from the "Singer 928?" Thread from a few years ago...


I don't want a Singer 928.
But I would REALLY love to see
a full-on
no-holds-barred
no-expense-spared
top-to-bottom front-to-back side-to-side
completely and utterly revised
Greg Brown 928.


This maybe not a "front-to-back" but it sounds like the drivetrain and suspension are definately being handled. I'm curious as to what engine work is/will be done.

 

Yeah, so, that's my question as well.

Greg, you and I had a lively discussion a few weeks ago where I posited that a modern, no worries, coast-to-coast, daily driver 928 would need at the very least an update to a modern ECU and fuel system to avoid relying upon 50 year-old engineering and electronics. My proposed solution is to put an entire modern engine into the car, in the case of that discussion an LS.

What are the plans for this motor? Is it going to be rebuilt good as it can be using the original engineering and tech? Or is it being retrofitted with contemporary 'stuff' where feasible?

I'm not trying to twist your tail. I'm going to be retiring in a few years, and I'm planning on driving to every possible 928 event. I live in the Poconos, so Sharktoberfest and 3rd Coast are going to be significant emotional events. I want a "modern, no worries, coast-to-coast, daily driver 928". As an example: Last year I bought an '01 986 with 110k on the clock for $7,200 and drove it from Oklahoma to Pennsylvania without a hiccup. It's been my daughter's daily since. That's the level of reliability I'm talking about.

Based on our previous discussion, I don't think that level of reliability is achievable in a 928 for the price of that entire car; with the (possible) exception of doing a barebones DIY motor swap.

But, you know more about the guts of these things than I ever will, what's your take? How would you get a 928 to a 986 level of reliability?

 

Not to hijack this thread, Shawn, but, I had my GT given a 28 year maintenance update this spring and drove it Maine to Atlanta and back (2400 miles) and completely reliable even the AC. Averaged 20 mpg. Coast to coast is 2900 miles, so it is very realistic to have a reliable 928. Like any car, updated maintenance is key to reliability. Just my opinion..