I am going to be eaten alive in this forum...

[tweezers74]

but here goes. I am a woman who wants to restore my dad's old 1973 911T targa. It isn't currently running and I don't know too much about cars. I know this is going to take several years but want to learn all about the 911T and cars in general. Any books I should read that will give me basics? I am a pretty smart chick and like this stuff in general and finally decided to get my hands dirty. I hope I can come here and ask questions even if they are dumb. I plan on visiting this forum as much as possible and reading about other projects.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. And I hope to learn a lot from all of you...

[scotricker]

No, you will be treated well here. We all start with lame questions, and learn from there. We welcome you and your project. bring on the questions!
Pics are usually good form when starting out introductions. Welcome.

[mholbrook38]

I don't think you will be eaten alive at all. You have come to the right place where there are plenty of knowledgeable folks who will not lead you astray.

You should know that you are going to get your hands dirty and this will likely take a long time. When you are done, you will have a far greater knowledge of cars in general and Porsche specifically.

It is always good to start off on the right foot with a few pictures of the car. Some history as you know it will help as well.

Welcome to our home.

[G50-Love]

got a big place to work in? is it heated?

define "restore" !!

[steely]

Nah, you'll get tons of help - but you must post a pic of the car.
And stand back to answer a flood of questions.

[Rodsrsr]

You'll only get eaten alive if you go on PARF. Welcome to the forum!

[Peter Zimmermann]

twee; you are facing a huge and expensive project. My book (The Used 911 Story - 8th Edition) will provide you with some basic history regarding 911s and the different models built thru 2005 (Amazon.com). Many other books are out there as well, but what you really want are a set of shop manuals, preferably Porsche factory manuals, that you will need to find used (eBay).

The manuals will be your single most important reference, and an independent repair shop in your area will become your best friend. To start, you must determine exactly what you have; there are different '73 Ts, and you need to know, for example, if the car has MFI (mechanical fuel injection) or CIS (continuous fuel injection) fuel injection. You also should know if the fuel injection has been removed, and replaced with carburetors. Does the car have a manual transmission or a Sportomatic? Has anyone retrofitted parts such as different timing chain tensioners or electronic ignition to the engine?

You must determine the condition of all of the car's systems (fuel, ignition, etc.) and then determine why the car doesn't run. Only then can you begin to create a budget and start making decisions regarding what you expect the car to be someday.

[g_vaxed]

No way... In fact, if you post your location I'm sure you will get several volunteers to help you help you get this done.

Good Luck!

[Winter]

Are you kidding? People here are going to LOVE you.

Post lots of pics! (of the car).

These cars are actually pretty simple, so you will be able to do much of the work yourself. For the times when you feel you are in over your head (even after all the excellent advice you will get here), offer up some burgers or pizza and beer, and I think you'll find that local Pelican's will be happy to come lend a hand.

While Peter is right, your project can be very expensive, cost can be greatly mitigated by doing most of the work yourself, and finding the parts you need used, right here on the classifieds. Regardless, you may be surprised and find the car doesn't need as much as you think to get it on the road. Perfection? well, that's another thing altogether.

Get a good set of metric tools to start with. That's key.

Good luck and welcome!

[tweezers74]

Wow! I love all this support already! Awesome! I do have the factory manuals. And I know this will be an expensive and long project but I am up for the challenge, both financially and physically! That is one of the reasons why I am doing it. If I can do this, I can do anything!

I live in AZ so I doubt it has much rust... or at least I hope. It didn't die, it was parked. At first in a garage and now outside but under a cover. My father divorced my mother and moved to Europe and left his toy at her house. He told me he would help me as much as he can. I asked him if he remembered if he emptied all the fluids before he parked it but he hasn't answered my e-mail yet. It has been parked for quite some time... like ten years. My dad said it ran well before it was parked so he says for me to try to replace the batteries and see if I can start it. I just don't want it to sit there for another ten years before somebody does something with it. I would love to pass it on to my boys. Enjoying it for several years for myself, of course!

I will post pictures as soon as I can. I think I have a lot of reading and learning to do first. Thanks for all the direction, Peter. I think those are all things I need to investigate. It will be my homework!

Thanks for all the support. It is nice to have specific areas to direct my research! You will see me often on this board then!

[Winter]

There are some pretty detailed threads here on how to wake up a 911 that has been "sleeping" for years. Do a search and start reading.

DO NOT just put in some batteries and try to start it. AZ is a nice dry location, so you may find that this is a matter of going slowly and following the correct steps to wake the car up without damaging it.

You can do this easily.

[jnewman]

I am new here too and I learned quickly: post pics of the car now and pics of the bits that you are working on so that these guys can help. This is the best forum out there, automotive or otherwise.

[kugelfischer]

Welcome and congratulations on starting the project. The pelican forums are a wealth of information and assistance. Don't hesitate to ask all of the questions you have. Most of us were in your position at one point or another and are more than happy to answer.
Post pictures of the car and the projects your working on. Folks tend to appreciate this.
Another great forum where you will find early 911 (65-73) specific info is here:
Early 911S Registry

Lots of great early car specialists over there and still a great crowd.

Cheers!

[Joe Bob]

The search function will bring up old threads involving waking a car up from a long sleep.

The ride you have inherited will need the oil dropped, tires changed, new batteries, brake fluid, filters and a number of other items before it will hit the road.

It has a dry sump oil system. If that term is alien to you, then you need do research and reading....there is also a secret hand shake involved in filling and checking the oil.....

You can also convert from dual batteries to one, though not all people do it......lot's to learn take your time. It's been ten years of sleep.

Oh BTW, the line "it ran when parked" is like hearing, "trust me" from a used car saleman.....

As to other forums, this one is a little less formal and sarcastic. Some tend to be extremely anal.....take it with a grain of salt.

Good Luck.

[tweezers74]

Ha ha, touche touche, Joe Bob. And I guess I do know more than I thought I did. I know what a dry sump oil system is. But so many things that I need to find out! So excited though. After getting all these great responses in such a short time. This is going to be fun!

[zippy_gg]

As Winter hinted DO NOT TRY TO START the car with all the old fluids (oil/gas, etc...) and also because you do not know yet if there are any mechanical blockages due to sitting for 10 years, and rodents nesting wherever they can.
I'd say to first remove the air box, and make sure you don't have any crap that could get into the engine. Perform good visual inspection, take lots of pix and post here with questions. Work slowly and carefully so you don't cause any damage.
If nothing stands out use a wrench on the engine pulley and slowly turn it over and feel any resistance that would keep you from completing a full revolution. Do this with no battery hooked up. If that goes well, it might be good news. Note that your old fan belt may not be up to the task. Pelican Parts will become your favorite source for parts.
You will need to remove all the old fuel and drain the engine oil (prepare for 11-12 quarts of sludge!).
These simple preliminary tasks alone will have you come here and ask many questions (especially the fuel part).
Welcome to the club! It is an addiction!

[sc_rufctr]

Welcome Ms Tweezers, Please post some pictures of your car.

One word of warning... This Porsche thing can take over your life really quickly.

[ronster]

Originally Posted by tweezers74

but here goes. I am a woman who wants to restore my dad's old 1973 911T targa. It isn't currently running and I don't know too much about cars. I know this is going to take several years but want to learn all about the 911T and cars in general. Any books I should read that will give me basics? I am a pretty smart chick and like this stuff in general and finally decided to get my hands dirty. I hope I can come here and ask questions even if they are dumb. I plan on visiting this forum as much as possible and reading about other projects.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. And I hope to learn a lot from all of you...

Stop! Stop! Do not pass go and do not do anything until you've read this book
Amazon.com: The Gold-Plated Porsche: How I Sank a Small Fortune into a Used Car, and Other Misadventures: Stephan Wilkinson: Books
It will prepare you for the journey you have ahead of you. This book will give you the best advice you can get BEFORE you start.

[5String43]

Eaten alive? Hardly. I'd think that instead, you'd be consumed by kindness, helpfulness and good wishes. A good bunch here. Welcome aboard. It's a terrific community.

First of all, as they say here, pictures of the car or it didn't happen.

As for the restoration - figure on a very steep learning curve as you learn a whole passel of new skills, a bunch of tools (guy stuff, that) and a whole lot of money. That part seems unavoidable. These things are not Model A's.

So dive in, have a ball, and best of luck.

Oh, and one final thing - welcome to the Club di Targa. Wonderful cars.

-Jon

[r_towle]

you will be fine.

Welcome to the club and start asking anything you need to know.

Rich