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The 964 would be a great DD for New England, not nearly as insulated as new cars so you feel like your going faster even at somewhat reasonable speeds. Looking forward to seeing you wrap this up so you can enjoy it for the next few months.
Totally agree on the New England driving. Even the daily commute is a blast. I take the path lesser taken and drive through the Blue Hills Reservation most days (site of the oldest weather observatory in the US). At just 40 MPH, twisty turning roads like Chickatawbut and Wampatuck are a blast to drive. And driving through western Massachusetts and the lakes region up in New Hampshire is always worth the trip. Here are a few pics from the daily commute through the Blue Hills. I can't wait to have the car back on the road again!
Daily commute through the Blue Hills - Chickatawbut
I took the afternoon off yesterday and took a ride to the North Shore in the 993 to visit HMS Motorsports in Danvers MA. I’m down that rabbit hole again looking for proper seats for the 964. The plan was to test fit the Cobra Imolas (hoping the standard size would fit). After a quick stop at Santarpios Pizza for pizza and a beer, I was ready for the test fitting. I removed the passenger seat from the 993 before hand so I could see how the seat would actually fit in the car.
Im not sure who can fit in the standard size and Imola, but it’s not me. The Imola GT was adequate, but it’s a bit bigger than I’d like for the car. Then I happened to try the Cobra Nogaro. Wow! It fits my 6’4” frame perfectly, even in the shoulders. And the fit in the car is outstanding. They’re not FIA compliant, but for AX and DE these will do quite nicely. And they’re incredibly comfortable and easy to get in and out of the car. Kind of like a mix between the GT3 seats and the Pole Positions, but the Nogaros fit is tall guys! I think I’m sold. Interested to know if anyone else is running with these seats?
Big day today. After a few final hours of cleaning, vacuuming, and air gun blowing, repeat process, the car was finally ready for the final 2k paint. After all the weeks of preparation, I was a bit tentative about how this acrylic paint would apply. No worries! This paint is a cinch to work with. I applied two medium coats, laid on a wet final coat with no runs or drips whatsoever. Incredibly easy paint to work with, and the results were beyond my expectations. Here are a few preliminary photos. I will post some better photos when there’s some daylight. I would highly recommend this paint. And a hearty thanks to Bill Pfister at Eurotech who sourced the paint, and guided me through this odyssey. In addition to being a mechanic’s mechanic, he’s an incredible resource and always willing to lend advice, a hand, or even a tool. Thanks Bill!
Thanks Dean, I’m really excited about finding these seats! They fit like a glove, and suit the car IMHO. It’s great having HMS Motorsports in our backyard, with all the Cobra and OMP seats avaialble for test fitting.
Whoa! Paint come up great Also! Can't wait to see it with all the bits back inside
Man there is nowhere really in my town that supplies seats ect' I've been looking at some sparco evo2 but can't seem to find much info on fitting them. I'm guessing the cobras are quite pricey?
Good find on the Cobra. I’m a similar build but unfortunately I can not find a seat to try because I’m in Japan. Why not considering the Recaro Profi Xl as well?
How are you holding up in the Tillets on long drives?
Whoa! Paint come up great Also! Can't wait to see it with all the bits back inside
Man there is nowhere really in my town that supplies seats ect' I've been looking at some sparco evo2 but can't seem to find much info on fitting them. I'm guessing the cobras are quite pricey?
Thanks Dean. The Cobras are pretty reasonably priced. The Imola runs for $800 or so, the Nogaro is a bit spendier at $1,200. I also looked at the EVO II, but I was concerned the seats are a bit wide both for me and the car. No Sparco dealer within 1,000 miles from here incredibly. Recaro SPG XL’s are too big for me, and they’re quite large for the car. I think these Nogaros are going to work out nicely.
Good find on the Cobra. I’m a similar build but unfortunately I can not find a seat to try because I’m in Japan. Why not considering the Recaro Profi Xl as well?
How are you holding up in the Tillets on long drives?
pete
Thanks Pete, I’m really glad that I stumbled upon these Nogaros. I did consider the Profi SPG XL, but it’s a bit wide for me. The SPG XL is also a bit heavier, and a bit large for a 964 IMHO.
The Tillets are awesome. I’m sitting in the seat right now waiting for AX to start. They’re fine for two hour trips. The only trouble with the Tillets is getting in and out is a bit of chore. That’s why I’m opting for the Nogaros for the 964 which is more of a daily driver, for the moment.
Is Bride made in Japan? They look to be solid seats.
Bride is made here. The thing they only have one seat in extra large is the Stradia II Xl. Japanese generally have smaller hips so I can not fit at all in the standard bride seats. I haven’t been able to test fit an XL yet. A few problems for me one being that I really don’t want the logo. In fact I really don’t want the recaro logo either. Second- the back is silver.
I suppose i could dye the logo and paint the backs if the seat fits. I like that it reclines.
I was leaning towards the Profi Xl but it may be wide for me as well. I lust for the tillets..... the minimalism of them is what I like. One I find a good sports/touring seat I may have to get a tillett for track days.
Hopefully I can find some seats to try out when I head to Austin this summer. Meanwhile I’ll be paying attention to what you find.
Fantastic progress, I am in awe at the results on the paint job. I will ping you later for details. I also like your choice for seats, the Nogaro looks nice and appear to be more practical for street applications. I was looking at the GTS Classics, but the bottom bolsters seem a bit high and I am afraid it may make entry/exit a bit difficult. These Cobras may be the ticket. On a side note, I reworked a lot of electrical, removed the old friction tape that was unraveling, and I re-bundled the harnesses with new 3M friction tape. Tedious job but so rewarding when done.
Fantastic progress, I am in awe at the results on the paint job. I will ping you later for details. I also like your choice for seats, the Nogaro looks nice and appear to be more practical for street applications. I was looking at the GTS Classics, but the bottom bolsters seem a bit high and I am afraid it may make entry/exit a bit difficult. These Cobras may be the ticket. On a side note, I reworked a lot of electrical, removed the old friction tape that was unraveling, and I re-bundled the harnesses with new 3M friction tape. Tedious job but so rewarding when done.
LPMM,
Thanks for the nod on the paint job! The project definitely took longer than anticipated, but I’m very pleased with the results. The only problem now is that the interior looks better than the exterior!
The 3M friction tape works quite well, but it’s a bit wide. My purist mechanic reminded me that I should have used hockey tape which has a narrower width similar the OEM friction tape. In all events, after thrifty years of service with mice in the car, it’s nice to have a fresh wrap on the wiring.
Here’s a photo of the label of the 2K paint. It is from FillClean, and I can’t speak highly enough about this product. Easy to use, and great results. It was ordered through my shop and I’m not sure you can order this “over the counter”. It looks a bit like a medical prescription on the label, with Rx and all..
Thanks for the nod on the paint job! The project definitely took longer than anticipated, but I’m very pleased with the results. The only problem now is that the interior looks better than the exterior!
The 3M friction tape works quite well, but it’s a bit wide. My purist mechanic reminded me that I should have used hockey tape which has a narrower width similar the OEM friction tape. In all events, after thrifty years of service with mice in the car, it’s nice to have a fresh wrap on the wiring.
Here’s a photo of the label of the 2K paint. It is from FillClean, and I can’t speak highly enough about this product. Easy to use, and great results. It was ordered through my shop and I’m not sure you can order this “over the counter”. It looks a bit like a medical prescription on the label, with Rx and all..
2K Fill Clean special ordered Gran Prix White
Hockey tape is not good long terms IMO, I started using it but it eventually becomes really sticky and messy. Same goes with cheaper brands of friction tape, I did not like them either. I found that the 3M one is the best, it goes on very well and it is not a sticky mess to the touch. As for size, you can get the 3/4” width at Home Depot which is similar to OEM, I bought a case of 6 and went to town. Thanks for the info on the paint, much appreciated.