Don Carter

Thanks to a fellow Houston 928 owner, who let me know about a Craislist ad, I was able to buy several boxes parts from an 85, and allowed to pull any other parts I wanted off the car before it heads for the chopper. The car was in a trailer park full of interesting characters, but I survived and got a kick out of the local residents comments on the car. One kid in his early 20's, who had been hired to pull parts off the car, told me "everything is backwards" and that's why he couldn't get the doors off.

I spent about 4 hours this evening pulling parts and got some good stuff. There's so much it's going to take a while to sort through it all.

Some of what I got:

gas tank and straps
rear bumper, and cover
rear quarter glass
alternator
ac compressor
brake reservoir
coolant reservoir
passenger seat
heat sheilds
rear suspension
cruise computer
tool tray
rear sway bar
Steering wheel with no leather cover
timing belt covers
cracked pod
side marker lights
lots of bolts, pullies, and tons of other small items.

What I didn't pull:
Doors (someone stripped out the bolts. They have glass, motors, mirror but no latches or panels)
drivers seat (manual move gear was stripped so couldn't move it to get the front bolts out)
Full front suspension
Front brakes
front sway bar
steering rack
wiring harnesses (passenger side that goes through the fire wall)

The car is about an hour away, on the east side of Houston, so trying to decide if it's worth going back tomorrow and trying to get the front suspension, doors and maybe the driver's seat (leather in bad shape)

Any opinions on what's left and whether it's worth going back would be appreciated. Seems like it would be a real pain to ship doors and I'd have to drill out the bolts to remove them.

There's a few items I need, but I'll be listing most of this stuff here and maybe ebay once I have some time to clean it up and organize it.

SeanR

Window motors might be worth having around for when yours go out.

Man, that poor car. Is that a FEMA/New Orleans camp?

pcar928fan

Don,

I still need a drivers side tail light LENS (don't need any of the rest of that light though...just the lens) and I could use the drivers side rear fender liner...the FRONT one in that rear fender well... My cruise is not working on the '84, would be nice to fix that, but not sure what the problem is... controller/computer probably...

Don Carter

James,

No lenses on the tail lights. Got a liner or two, but not sure which wheel well's they came from yet. My cruise has been out for 15 years, so I may try this computer, but it probably has the same problem. Also got a cruise servo. I'll keep you posted...

Sean,

A FEMA camp would have been a step up from this place. It was hard to see a car the same color as mine in such bad shape. Story goes that some "mechanic" screwed it up by putting the timing belt on wrong. Current owner got it for $500 and has made about $5000 parting it out, but he's done, ready for it to go. Also, thanks for taking my call and for the advice. I did find that last bolt on the bumperettes, and they just fell off.

Landseer

License plate illumination fixtures.

Fan and wiper assy.s

The whole front suspension / spindles / a-arms / brakes --- fits the mid year cars and can be a great upgrade to the early ones, at least the brakes and spindles can.

CE panel if there. Consider collecting as many bosch-style connectors as possible --- the biatches cost money. Maybe some nice long wire runs --- great patches.

Doors are a pain. Pull the motors like Sean suggests, plus the locks --- they can be disassembled without the key.

Donald

Don:
Damn, you should have called me to ride shotgun. Is that over near the turning basin?

danglerb

How about a drill or hammer and chisel for the bolts with bad heads, or can't reach?

AC blower motor and rubs strips might be handy to have.

jon928se

Front suspension loks like it would be a real easy pull given the frame is on blocks, the engine is gone. Just undo the sway bar mount bolts, then the four rack mount bolts ad drop the rack, the lower A Arm bolts, then the upper A Arm nuts (under the hood! wot hood) and finally the thre 17mm nuts per side aon the inner wing that hold up the shock towers and the whole front suspension and steering will fall on the ground (keep you feet out of the way)

tmpusfugit

Don,

I visited this car a month + ago when it was just begining the process. I was interested in the transmission which he said was an LSD. Short story, it wasn't an LSD, so I left it, and all the rest of the stuff. I still have a full set of "stuff" from the '81 I scprapped, including doors, hood, gas tank, bumpers, full suspension, 5 speed, TT, clutch etc....so I was not psrticularily interested in adding to my scrap heap. Obviously the '85 parts are more desireable than '81. I don't know if the '85 has the manual transmission firewall, I could use that piece if it includes the clutch cyl mounting...would not be fun to cut out.

If you revisit the car and it has that piece please let me know. I will visit and attempt to salvage that chunk of car. (I understand that at some point Porsche standardized the body for both auto and manual transmissions, I just don't know if that was '85 or later)

Don Carter

Sounds like I should probably head back over, but may be to wiped out today. Could either go today or tomorrow.

Donald,

The car is in Baytown. Could have used your help but it was a last minute deal.

Jim,

Interesting that you've already been out to the car. Understand about having too many spare parts. I probably should have passed, but it was kindof fun and education since I've never had to go too deep on my car.

I'll email you a higher res version of that shot showing the firewall. Maybe you can zoom in and tell if it is the type you need.

Jon,

Didn't know if those 85 brakes would be of any value or not. Having an 86.5, they looked pretty small to me. I'll grab them if I go back, and maybe the supension although I 'd have to jack the car up more to drop the entire suspension.

Now to go unload the Yukon....

SeanR

Oh yea, the HVAC blower motor, grab it if it is still there.

Don Carter

The blower is still there...

I think all would agree I need this now:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...1754_200381754

tmpusfugit

Don, I think we all need to scrap out a 928, just for the learning experience!.

I don't really want to scrap them out but it certainly is a learning experience.....a lot of what I learned was "don't do that again" stuff. I learned all sorts of interesting things like the wiring harness weighs 43 pounds, there is over 200 pounds of sound deadner in an '81 5 speed, and some fastners in the car seem to be one use only...like the bolts that hold on the doors....and no matter how many tools you have Porsche will have one in the assemble you really need that you do not have a tool to fit. And I learned that Torx, 4x3, and Allen heads are not interchangeable, and PB Blaster and Kroil all have limitations and none are as good as they need be, and never ever buy a car from where it snows and they use salt on the roads....

Don Carter

Here are some shots of the parts. The only part I've cleaned up is the gas tank. Like I said, I'll be keeping a few items, and I don't have any prices in mind yet, but doesn't hurt to let me know if you see anything you need.

pcar928fan

Great work Don! If you can figure out if you have the front fender liner for the front passenger side fender well and the front fender liner for the rear drivers side fender well I would be interested in both of those things. Didn't see a drivers door sill plate and you already said no rear drivers side tail light lens...