View Poll Results: would you like to see the 993 and 997 style hybrid body panels (page 12, 13) copied ?
yes, would like to see lightweight copies sold by GT Racing or other vendor.
76
61.29%
sounds cool, but not interested in doing this type of update.
48
38.71%
Voters: 124. You may not vote on this poll
a few upgrades for the 968....
08-07-2012, 06:52 PM
#198
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ok, the new turn signal lenses came in and the car is back in the paint shop getting the rest of it done, so just a few more days.... i still desire to do a new front bumper (next year maybe?) that will slope outward further as it goes down, like the Ruf valance does (photo below)....
i'm not sure i explained this well before, but the body work is porous,
so i rushed to get paint put on. but molds can be done later without disturbing the paint.
I have to say, that's by far the best looking fixed headlight conversion on a 968 I've ever seen. You did an amazing job of incorporating the 993-style lights without altering the beautiful 968 low fender line too much.... have you had any issues with aiming the headlights? I've heard this can be a challenge.
no. they're idiot proof. and the projectors look really good from wherever your point of view happens to be.... to set them, i marked a spot on the driveway with a spray bomb and then, on the garage doors with a pencil before removing the old lamps..... but, after the fenders were roughed in, i discovered none of this had been necessary. i spent probably about an hour lining them up with the garage (only the lamps don't exactly do that..... instead, they form a halo). but, also, keep in mind, the reflector/projector units have liquid levels at their bases, so getting them home vertically requires only a few minutes.... then, i had to correct their left/right orientation. fussing with that took a bit longer.
mostly, yes....
first, i took the old lamps out and cut out the excess sheet metal (on the skin and in front of the fender wells to make room for the new, Xenon lamp housings).... then i made many semi-fine cuts to the 993 sheetmetal.... some of these cuts run along along the perimeter, and other cuts run perpendicular to the eye sockets such that you are able to bend the 993 sheetmetal to conform to the 968.... then with the help of two hands and duct tape and sighting them in, John S. (my bodyman) tapped the spotwelds down after i gave the 'go (i think we got it and it might actually not suck)' signal. after a couple of 2nd degree burns, and a lot of cursing, the fenders were rough cut...
then i ran the grinder to bang out wherever the spotwelds were too high above the ground... then began with epoxy and finishing resins to fill the gaps. in all, the process was very straightforward at the beginning.....
but the final stages of prep work for painting took several attempts in the 'learning how to do stuff with half an effing clue' context... first laying down an extremely stable epoxy resin (Devcon)... then laminating thin layers of Evercoat finishing resin.... and finally, shaping the fenders.... this required rough sanding with 36 grit, cursing God.... adding more resin, taking most of it off, rough sanding, more resin, more rough sanding, etc.... about two, three, four weeks just to get them close....
then maybe another week of block sanding with 80, 150, and 220, finally, getting down to a narrow, 10 inch X 1 1/2 inch etching block.... then adding liquid polyester resin in thin layers and repeating... and repeating..... for days.... finally priming and blocksanding with 320/400 to get them really nice..... in all, about five weeks of hell getting the fenders to look right... and as close as i could get them to being mirror images of each other.
i like the way Ruf did this with the 991.
only that might be going a bit too far with one of our cars.
.
Last edited by odurandina; 08-08-2012 at 10:04 AM.
08-16-2012, 03:03 PM
#199
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hoping you like.
many more pics coming....
it's a good deal deeper blue than it appears. my camera just can't reproduce the color.
maybe i should do pics on a cloudy day instead.
.
many more pics coming....
it's a good deal deeper blue than it appears. my camera just can't reproduce the color.
maybe i should do pics on a cloudy day instead.
.
Last edited by odurandina; 10-21-2017 at 04:11 AM.
08-16-2012, 03:29 PM
#200
love it. Great job.
08-16-2012, 07:08 PM
#202
Intermediate
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That looks really good - and not a colour I'd initially go for. Wish I was near so I could drive over and kick it's tyres (as we say).
I admire your patience. I've been threatening to take the front bumper off mine for a while now to get a recent minor bump (not my fault) repaired and still haven't found the energy!!!
I admire your patience. I've been threatening to take the front bumper off mine for a while now to get a recent minor bump (not my fault) repaired and still haven't found the energy!!!
08-16-2012, 09:29 PM
#204
OkRider
Rennlist Member
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I've said it before and I'll say it again. 968 project of the year award. Job very well done. Your car looks awesome!
Doug
Doug
08-16-2012, 09:56 PM
#207
Rennlist Member
That's outstanding, and looks good too. Wow.
08-17-2012, 02:59 AM
#209
Bannana Shine
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I don't even know what to say. Amazing.
Can't wait to see it in person.
Bring it back down to Florida, it'll photograph better in the light down here. I'd be happy to shoot it for you.
But we need to find you some new wheels first.
Can't wait to see it in person.
Bring it back down to Florida, it'll photograph better in the light down here. I'd be happy to shoot it for you.
But we need to find you some new wheels first.
08-17-2012, 06:07 AM
#210
Track Day
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How does this gearset suit you, please ? I'm in the process of rebuilding my spare gearbox on my Turbocharged 968. I' ve chosen the 1.32 3rd and 0.97 4th to prevent too big a gap between 2nd and 3rd.
I chose to take the 996 GT2 gearing as an example and tried to get as near as possible. Of course the longer 5th and 6th is not ideal but the 'shortest' Diesel gearset Getrag produces ...
Would that be a wise choice in your opinion ?
Thanks !
Frank
Last edited by Dimma; 08-17-2012 at 08:30 AM.