ddubois

No real point to this thread, except to offer up some pics of my car and highlight the enhanced satisfaction of driving these cars after you have done the work yourself.
After a year of searching, I bought this 59k mileage California Black/Tan 1991 manual C2 Cabriolet last fall. I was looking for a solid/clean low mileage car that needed some TLC and would offer me a winter project. This car had been well taken care of externally, no history or evidence of damage, came with all of the manuals and original equipment (compressor, tools, gloves), and had a new top (rear window section), but was overdue for the typical 60k maintenance items. Not to mention the poor stereo additions such as the monster amp and 'science project' crossovers mounted in the luggage compartment. So I purchased the obligatory Companion's Guide, the revised Technical Guide, scoured the web for info, obtained the Workshop Manuals with the life saving schematics and set to work over the winter. I can't drive the car anyway as I live at 7,000 ft in the Utah mountains.
I did a lot, learned a lot, and made some of the classic errors such as the oil overfill, but now that it's back to 100% and the sun is out melting the snow the drive is all the better.

Project included:
- Replace all hood shocks
- Replace filters (air, oil, fuel)
- Replace engine and trans oil with Mobil1
- Replace coils, dist caps, rotors, ignition wires, spark plugs
- Replace distributor belt (it was in fact toast, which I knew when purchased)
- Adjust valves
- Clean air distributors and ISV (result of oil overfill, but glad I did it!)
- Built a diagnostic interface/connector and run DougB's software (fantastic!)
- Remove 20 lbs of aftermarket wiring and assorted stereo 'upgrade' crap
- Restored the Porsche alarm system to working condition.
- Lots of little things like door switch covers, seat back *****, missing fasteners, stripped valve cover studs, etc. as I went through the car.
- General detailing and obsessive cleaning while everything was apart

So now the car is back to stock, clean, 100% functional and runs like a top.
Total cost for parts was around $1,200. Total hours - don't ask, but I will say the bulk was spent cleaning up the 15 years of electrical mess others had made.

Potential projects for next winter:
- Replace suspension with H&R Sport and Bilstein HD. I'm torn on this one as I do like keeping things stock. I don't do any track, and our roads aren't the greatest, but I have to admit the lowered look is much better. Not to mention it looks like a fun project!
- Replace D90 rims with Cups. Again, the stock issue but I think there is an argument here for later year rims. I admit the D90 is not the best looking design, but it's not like I throw up every time I look at them.
There is a link to pics in my signature.
Oh, and thanks for all of the great info I found on this forum!

Marc Shaw

So where are the pics?

Marc

ddubois

--

Marc Shaw

Cool - I had noticed that but missed the fact that those were the pictures you were referring to.

Car looks great - was that the first time for Mobil 1 in the car? If so, any problems with leaks with the swap to fully synthetic?

Marc

ish3

The D90's may not make you lose your lunch, but the 17"Cup will definatly make you shoot your load!....LMAO

CraigC

Great looking car! Nice place to live! Spring is coming. Life is good!

ddubois

I don't know what oil was used before I bought the car, but my guess based on what came out is that it was not synthetic. There were no leaks before, and no leaks now that I can tell. I'm going to drive it a few hundred miles and drop the engine pan for a look.
BTW, I used 0W40 Mobil1

Doug