Gents,

This is more for me than anything. A while back I asked if I should pick up a 964 cabrio with some issues. I gave a little background on myself, and substantially more on the car.

It's a CA/AZ/WA back to CA car with the same owner since 2005 ("PO"). Documentation of repairs etc is relatively spotty, but when I bought it the owner dug out a bunch of cool stuff (the original sales brochure), some history of work done (brakes, steering rack) and other odds and ends.

Car drives really well, but the interior was in pretty rough shape. I bought it with the homes of doing a slow and steady restoration and turn it into a DD-quality car.

Here is my original thread, dating back to early 2014: https://rennlist.com/forums/964-foru...ot-to-buy.html

Anyway, car has been bought and now I'm going to try and document it's restoration here. For people interested, that's great, for everyone else, just another thread to click past

So after it's first wash in probably sometime, let me introduce her:




First project, after vacuuming, shampooing carpet, etc. was to replace the two tail lights. One was cracked and took on water which caused the brakelight to go out.

Old tail lights (note the black in the back right):


New Tail lights:


Couple comments on installation:

1. The screw provided did not fit the previous hole. After trying for half an hour to use the new screw, I gave up and lubed the old one and it worked great.

2. The fitment is pretty poor. I don't know if after 25 years my car has settled, but there's a pretty significant gap where you would think a rubber gasket should go. They provide a rubber gasket around only the screw-side part of the tail light. I used the porsche rubbery-play-doh-seal stuff they gave me at Sonnen to create my own seal along the bottom. I put "my" gasket in, then pushed the assembly onto it before screwing. One of the tail lights did not come with any screw (albeit, it would probably be the wrong one anyway).

So far, not very impressed at all with Porsche OEM equip (at $300/side I expected at least the proper screw, or at least a screw, and perfect fitment). Hopefully uphill from here.

Next on my list is

- Fixing the passenger footwell heating tube:

Nasty cut:


- Figuring out why I only get hot air out of my vents (hoping it's just the mixing servo relay, which I bought but haven't installed)

- Oil, air, and fuel filter changes (all parts acquired already, including 15QT receptacle). Using 5-30 oil.

- Take out Whale Tail and fix metal mesh on the inside

- Regain functionality in door lock on passenger side

 

Can't wait to see more. Tell me more about the tail lights as I am about to order both of mine. I received the center reflector/light but haven't even taken out of the box yet. It is from Sonnen and I was going to get the left and right from them also...would you recommend I get them somewhere else?

 

No, the guys at Sonnen are awesome and cut me a great deal (ask for their internet pricing). What I got out of the box though looked more like something I would get at IKEA regarding fitment. You can actually see in the second picture, looking at the top of the left hand side there are these metal "teeth" that are pretty apparent looking at it which scream for some sort of gasket. They just hang out between the paint and the housing.

I didn't take the picture, but on the left hand side housing, the angled side juts out about 1cm and doesn't sit flush with the center reflector. My old housings sat perfectly, and the right side sat flush.

And they came directly from the factory sealed in those boxes you see sitting on my whale tail in the earlier picture.

 

I have some parts for a cab.

Parts thread

 

Also does anyone know if this is OEM or part of the non-functional ghetto blaster setup currently in my car. As FYI, I've ordered the radio delete.

 

not stock- not even close!

 

Those are ADS (Analogue and Digital Systems) components for the audio system. ADS was once known to be top of the line. The center amplifier provides signal to the four cross-overs (little boxes on either side). These are very decent components. Get em to work, not crap!

 

Your engine lid doesn't appear to line up with either of the rear wings - and the right-hand side light is higher that centre and left. Could this be evidence of some historical damage?

Could be the reason why the OEM lights don't fit in perfectly, I haven't heard anyone complain about this before.

 

I'll post a picture tonight. I took one yesterday that shows what I'm talking about. There definitely was a slight difference in the way they fit in there, but the previous (also OEM) lights fit in perfectly. And oddly enough, it's on the left side (where the engine lid and side panel appear to match very closely). The right side, where it definitely looks like they're some sagging, the fixture fits very well.

Carfax/PPI came back clean, so while I can't say for certain there wasn't something done I doubt anything major happened (particularly to the rear where the engine is, sounds like it'd be a salvage pretty quickly).

 

That's actually good to hear. I think I'm still going to go with the radio delete and maybe invest in a new system down the line (can I still use this ADS?). If I wasn't so busy yesterday I was going to rip those guys out. Glad I didn't just yet.

 

So clearly the engine lid isn't closing perfectly. Not sure if that's because my shocks are shot (they are, I've ordered the parts, but it's a real PIA to change; might be something for my mechanic) unequally or something. I still couldn't see anything that would lead me to believe there was an accident not properly repaired. Maybe I'll take a picture to share with some of you eagle eyed folks.

Re: lights

Left light jutting out:



Right side is better:



The "teeth" where I think there should be a gasket:



And where there was actually a gasket that only covered one edge:

 

And some engine compartment pics. I tried highlighting the only things that looked like they might be something out of place.




Welding of some sort that looks half-assed to me: Top left of the engine bay (by the struts):


Other side, same image:


More welding spots, here at the bottom left side:


The center reflector doesn't "run" with the upward curvature of the body. I.e. The distance at the end right and left side of the body panel to reflector is greater than at the center.

 

Took her out for a spin yesterday. Great fun. Still haven't fixed the passenger side door - might just lower the window and tell the wife to jump in Barbie style until I have a chance to look at it/take it in to a locksmith.

That said, when I walk by the rear wheel wells there's a ton of heat emanating from there. It got me somewhat worried that at temp, the thermostat wasn't circulating heat to the front of the car (during the PPI, oil cooler fan was an error code), but I read that the oil cooler fan is in the front passenger wheel well and if there's one thing that's blowing seriously hot engine air right into the cabin it's that (via the broken tube, pictured above).

My question is: Does the oil cooler blower blow the hot air into the cabin via that tube? I.e. I know everything is working fine because I'm getting max hot air into the cabin?

 

Order the original FULL rubber gaskets that completely surround the rear lights!!! They will keep the lights from falling out due to absorbing vibrations and keeping the screws from becoming untight and loosening. I came out one AM and found the rear light "hanging down" by the wires. Use a little rubber cement on the light side and coat the outside of the gaskets with glycerine (a completely water soluble slippery viscous liquid available at any pharmacy) and the units slide into place "with ease". Make sure you use the correct long screw to secure it.

 

What my guy over at Sonnen said:

The air hoses in that picture don’t connect to the oil cooler. Not sure what you are asking?

The picture you sent of the tail light look normal to me. in 1990 they stopped the gasket that went all the way around #16
Your car “if I remember right is a 1994” only uses #21 #22