Drove the car for a 25 mile round trip to work on Friday. Really enjoyable! Clutch is chattering a bit, likely due to idiot decision not to resurface the flywheel! (Yes, I know!)

Still having the warm start issue, gonna tackle that this week!

I need to STOP spending money Its an addiction!

 

With the warm start issue solved, I am moving onto to other things.

Managed to get me a nice later (82) exhaust system and some extra axles. My plan is to rebuild these axles and simply swap them out. I will then swap the exhaust. Need to get the heat shield and tips cleaned up and painted.

Then I move onto to the oil leaks and shifter linkage! I am into this car for around $4400 all told. But the entertainment value is priceless

 

Replaced coolant tank and all lines to charcoal canister. Also found I was missing my strap to hold the washer tank, luckily I had one on the shelf. Since I was short on time, I used metric rubber hose instead of the cloth covered hoses. Without pre-molded vac hoses, it was a tight fit getting the canister in without kinking a line.

For the coolant tank, I removed the washer fluid fill neck but not the fuel lines or air pump valve. I found that the old tank bottom hose was getting hung up on the canister hoses but a simple twist and turn got it out. The new tank fell right back in place. I sense that it is slightly smaller than the original.

ADDED BONUS- I must have had a small vacuum leak as the car actually runs better now that the canister lines are replaced. Never expected it but I love the improvement!

 

Did the axles this week. I had picked up a spare set so I could have them cleaned and rebuilt and simply swap them out.

As previously posted by other members the GKN Loebro kit has crappy clamps that won't hold the boot on tight enough. In fact, the axle boots that came off my car had not ripped or cracked, they simply slipped out beneath the clamp. DON'T USE these clamps. Get a "Band It" stainless strap from NAPA or similar and ratchet it tight using the special banding tool. This is the only way to go IMHO.

What a mess, used to do axles for a living but I can't ever recall doing a set without caps. To make matters worse, I didn't get enough axle gaskets!

Besides the mess, an easy job for those with a solvent sink.

 

Installed an original 80 (welded) exhaust today. Looks awesome and sounds right!!

Did my 79 have tip extensions or slip on tips? I see that PET shows them but I am unsure if the early cars had them

While I had the car in the air, I decided to check the shift coupling..... toast. Someone had used a metal spacer on one side to help firm it up. This job is going to make such a great improvement!!

 

Yes, that will make a HUGE difference. I've noticed a difference on each car I've done that to (3 of them) and all of mine still had the original bushings mostly intacts.

I'm surprised you could even find 1/R or 4/5 like that

 

Just pushed it all the way to one side or the other

I knew it was bad, just didn't expect it to be that bad!!

 

Great work as usual Guy!

Matt

 

Guy, your exhaust had slip over tips that are still available from Porsche. Was it difficult to modify the 80 exhaust to work on the 79. Great work as always!

 

Thanks Matt. It sounds odd but with each "improvement" the car is actually losing its character a little bit. I used to feel like I was pushing fate everytime I drove it

 

Thanks Doug! I will check that out.

Conversion was easy and a direct bolt on from the cat back. I had to replace the heat shield over the muffler as it was removed when they installed the Borla but I had everything from the 80, including the bolts and speed nuts. All hangers are the same. As you know, the original 78-79 muffler is hard to find

I got some original carpet from a low mile car, its dirty but MINT with retainers still intact! For those not following this project, I am not doing a typical resto but a sympathetic restoration to maintain its character. I love the look, feel and even the smell of originality. Car will get full paint at some point but the interior is coming along nice using original and used items. This stuff is awesome!

 

Subscribed. I wanna be like Guy when I grow up ;-)

 

I love the look, feel and even the smell of originality. Car will get full paint at some point but the interior is coming along nice using original and used items. This stuff is awesome![/QUOTE]

Really like what your doing Guy.

I know a great Painter whose been around for decades and is very reasonable.

Tiny nothing shop but car guys in the know take their babies to him.

That carpet is a great find btw.

Look forward to reading more.

Matt

 

Just read through the entire thread, great stuff, and I'm learning lots as my car had a warm start problem when I last had it running too. Not to mention all the rest! Would love to have a quarter of the know how.

 

Thank you! It is a never ending adventure!

I have logged a little over 200 miles since it has been resurrected. You can tell things are still getting "worked in". Going to track down by clutch shudder and see if I can smooth the idle out a little bit. It runs like a champ, have had it on I-95 at 65 mph, smooth as silk. Suspension is apparently original but it rides excellent!