928gt

Hey Livio,

Long time no speak - it's been some ten years since the 928OC get-togethers at The Outback. Hope you're keeping well. Am sorry to hear about the untimely demise of your shark. If you change your mind, I'd be happy to have you aboard mine.

Cheers,
Doug
89GT

Adamant1971

What the what? I can't believe it, you had done so much work on that motor. Any idea which fuel line or fitting failed? Or was it something else, like power steering?

928gt

We haven't heard back form Livio yet as to the cause, but I recall another (local) 928 that caught fire and burned to the ground becuase of the A/C refrigerant. The owner of this particualr vehicle never converted to R134a from R12 (freon) and instead was runnign some of the over-the-counter alternatives that are essentially butane. There was a small A/C leak, and I guess that with the car idling in place and the hood closed enough of the gas built up under the hood and somehow ignited.

Livio928

The common thought on the fire is that a fuel line burst. This is after I converted all of the soft lines to Greg Brown's uber Teflon lines. Until I get the official report I cannot confirm this and I don't want to scare anybody from purchasing those lines which looked like they were of outstanding quality. It could have been a leaking injector seal since the fire seams to have been localized below the intake.

The unfortunate part is that they wrote off the car before I could get a chance to have it re-appraised after all of the engine work. I changed every sensor (Hall, position, knock, TPS), new ignition wires, intake refresh c/w with intake spacers for my S/C unit that I was going to install and highlighted blue/black lettering in valve covers and intake, new piston rings, lapped cylinder walls, rod bearings, refurbished crank shaft, WP/TB, Porken tensioner, new colour coded (Blue to match the car) silicone hoses, Blue hose from hell in Master cyclinder replaced, oil pan spacer, OB oil pick up spider system, new heads, totally new bearings, cam chain refurb, 044 fuel pump upgrade, Hi torque new small starter motor, silicone wrapped wiring harness, Sharkvent, Han's updated Ott drop links, and a totally brand new 928 Motorsports 2 1/2" stainless steel exhaust system c/w 'X' pipe, new Kevlar clutch, clutch ball sockets, etc. A bunch of other things I can't even remember.

Lesson learned - get your vehicle appraised at various points in the work that is being done since it is too late if something happens before you get it re-appraised. Those that have seen my motor will realize how much time, money and effort I put into it.

Now I have to figure out how I will proceed. I think I will be purchasing the car back and will do the work again, but I don't want to lose another summer without a set of wheels to drive around in.

Livio928

Oh yeah,

I forgot to say that I changed every seal, condenser, and air dryer/receiver in the AC system. Just needed to get it re-charged so that was not the problem.

Livio928

Thanks for the offer Doug. I do really want to go, and I will take you up on the offer if I decide to make it. I will contact you as the event approaches. It is just so raw with what I am going through after all of the work I did that I am somewhat dejected. I do have a line on a replacement that I have put an offer on at least so I can have a set of wheels while I fix the Blue shark.

Just noticed your Avatar, and that is how I felt when my car was going up in smoke!

69gaugeman

There were tears on his text message when he texted me!

He was close to giving up SO many times , but I forced him to go on and complete it. We literally had it running so nice on the Thursday and the next time he drove on the Saturday "Woof!".....

I cried a little inside for him too.

I've had the oil plug drop out of a fresh engine I built many years ago on a datsun pickup truck.... The oil light was burned out... I was pretty bummed, as at the time I was an uber poor student...

Livio928

I have to give a big Shout out to Rod (69Gaugeman) for giving me the push and support I needed to get it as far as I did. He is right that there were numerous times when I wanted to take the car to a garage and have them complete it but Rod kept reminding me that we were so close and that when it was running there is no better feeling that I (with much help from Friends - Imre, Rod, Adam, Jason V, and many others) was able to get a pile of parts back together and actually running.

The engine was running BEAUTIFULLY and was pulling really hard. On my shake-down drive there was a HUGE smile on my face.

Well back to the old workbench to pick up the pieces, clean off the melted plastic and smoke and start again.

martinss

I'm so sorry to hear this Livio. After so much work too. Hopefully there is a 'silver lining' to be discovered somewhere in the future.

Livio928

If there is, I need to find a needle and use THAT thread.

I am in a deep negotiations with the insurance company just to buy it back. They are trying to tell me that is HAS to go to auction. I am refusing to hand over the ownership and told them I am prepared to pay FAIR market value and not some inflated price because everybody has to get their hands in on the deal.

The good thing is that they will pay me what it was last appraised at. The unfortunate thing is that I didn't get a chance to have it re-appraised since all of the work was done.

Moral of the story? Get your appraisals done DURING the work being done. They typically will make compensation for work as it is being conducted. Appraiser noticed how much work went into my engine and was also bummed because he realized it would be written off only because I didn't have it re-appraised since intial valuation 7 years ago.

the flyin' scotsman

Is there a spot for a guy out West to attend?

martinss

Of course Malcolm. Will you come in person or do you want us to live-stream a video from a dashcam to you

kmascotto

928gt

Only if you tell us how you managed to drive your shark around the GP circuit on the Île Notre-Dame!!!

I thought I was going to be one of only a handful of ordinary mortals that will have had the opportunity to drive around the GP circuit at an AMG VIP event before the F1 race in June. There goes my bragging opportunity down the toilet.

the flyin' scotsman

In person was the intent but the dashcam offer is interesting!