Project Mickey Mouse - Build thread of 79 SC I bought on eBay

[Focker]

Well, I'm several years late to the party on documenting my build that is still very much in progress, but better late than never, right?

As background, I'm a CPA car enthusiast that has played around with cars but never a full rebuild. Always wanted an air-cooled 911 and had been keeping my eye out for quite some time.

The day is April 30, 2019. The last day of personal tax season. I take the train to work because I know as is tradition, I'll be having many, many cocktails this evening.

On the train I'm looking at various 911s on eBay and other sites. I click watch on a few, but don't pay much attention to which ones.

2PM rolls around and we've started having a few pre-drinks while we wait for a few stragglers to sign their tax returns. I get an alert from eBay - AUCTION ENDING SOON, DON'T LET IT GET AWAY!

Who am I to ignore the internet, right?? I open the page, see a red 911SC that has about 10 minutes left. It's at $22k and looks decent.

I bid $23k. I'm now the high bidder but confident I'll get sniped. I go about my business and get another ping - AUCTION ENDING SOON! I look and think cool! I'm winning! Then it's one minute left and panic sets in...I'm still winning....aaaaaaaannnnnd I bought a Porsche.

I look closer at the listing. '79 911SC, sitting since 2004, 110kms, original from Germany - not bad! Paint looks decent, window seals are shot, for sale by second owner who bought it from the estate.

I'm thinking I can change the fluids, do a tune up, get it safe, drive it for a year or so before starting on a restoration.

[Focker]

[Flojo]

Welcome to the slippery slope.

[redridge]

yeah, drive it.. get a feel for her. So when its time to refresh... you will know the difference it makes and will appreciate it even more when its done.

[evan9eleven]

Great start to the story so far! Looking forward to this one.

[Focker]

So picking up where we left off, I had now committed to buying a car that looked pretty good in pictures. I talked to the owner and he had other projects and decided not to go further with this one (insert bad omen here).

Now, how to get this thing home. Porsche was in North Carolina, I'm in Vancouver, BC roughly 5,000kms away.

I find a shipper who can get the car to Blaine where I can load it up and trailer it across the border and complete importing the car.

Being proactive I order parts from our host so I can do a tune-up, change all filters and replace some fuel injection o-rings.

Car is set to arrive within days of my 40th birthday and I'm psyched that I'll be driving this thing by summer.

The seller helps get the car loaded up in Carolina and it's on its way. Awesome!

The car gets delivered in May of 2019. I arrive easily 2 hours early to meet the truck driver in Blaine. Having been on an open trailer for 10 days, it's a bit dirty, but otherwise looks pretty good.

I start checking out the car and see the tires are all cracked and mismatched. I notice something else.

A smell.

No, not a smell. A nauseating mustard gas like stench that gives an immediate headache.

Turns out that the side window seals are badly cracked and leaking and clearly the door seals are leaking too.

The result is that at some point in the trip water got in the car and reconstituted the mixture of mouse urine and feces. The seats were spotted with mildew for good measure. Opening the door was absolute hell. The small tear in the headliner spilled mouse turds on to the floor.

Optimistically I say to myself, Self, we can clean this up and maybe make it safe to drive for early fall.

I get the car loaded on to my trailer and get across the border somewhat painlessly.

Next stop, car wash as the car is dirty and I want to really see what I've got. That and there was a bunch of dirt/mud around the muffler I wanted to power wash off. The previous owner told me this was a "dirt dobber" nest (whatever the f*ck those are) but that the mud wasps are all gone.

The Mud Wasp situation will play a key roll later in our story.

More to come....

[Quasimoto]

I like where this is going…

[Joe Bob]

Suspension first!

[1979-930]

I disagree. Interior first.
Make the car pleasant to set in and drive.
I did mechanics fist one time. All the power, suspension and brakes won’t make a turd not feel like a turd.
That’s my experience anyway.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dpmulvan]

Originally Posted by 1979-930

I disagree. Interior first.
Make the car pleasant to set in and drive.
I did mechanics fist one time. All the power, suspension and brakes won’t make a turd not feel like a turd.
That’s my experience anyway.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

He is sooooo far away from both interior and suspension he just doesn’t know it yet.

[Focker]

Because this thread is so long in the making, we are currently at May, 2019 in our story.

I should also add that this car was never going to be a daily driver, but rather a fun car to enjoy. My daily is an M3, so don't go feeling bad for me!

[Focker]

So, it is now late May 2019.

I snapped a few pictures as it came off the truck and after the car wash at my house.

[proporsche]

i am pouring myself another beer ..and i wait;-))) btw welcome the 911 jungle uah...i see some creature lived at the bottom of the engine

Ivan

[Focker]

I didn't take a picture, but when I went to check the plugs, there was lots of evidence of mouse activity, dirt/mud everywhere and the crank pulley was completely submerged in dirty mouse water.

The dream of a tune up and oil change getting this thing on the road was quickly evaporating.

I power wash the engine bay and drill a hole in the engine mount to allow the water to drain. Turns out the small drain hole was hopelessly plugged with the mud wasp nest that has the consistency of high strength concrete.

After reading the forums and acquiring enough knowledge to be dangerous, I take off one upper valve cover and find 2 broken head studs.

I head inside, pour myself a beer and come to grips with the fact the engine is getting dropped sooner rather than later.

I start looking the car over closer and closer and come to the realization that there isn't a hope in the world this thing is going to pass an out of Province inspection to be able to register it without a lot of mechanical work.

Knowing it needs paint, body and interior as well, tells me there is no point in spending time on mechanical only to strip it all down for paint and body.

[proporsche]

I have seen many 911s driven with 2 studs broken...your main concern i'd say, when was the last time the engine ran? regarding the fuel in the tank.....get it running clean up the engine..in Canada you do not need smog pump right or? If not remove the air injectors and the x mass tree to it plus the pump...it doesn't really look that bad have a patience ,dude you got a 911, be happy

Ivan

[LJ851]

^ Remember this thread is chronologically only in mid 2019 right now, the car has already come a very long way since then.

Looking forward to hearing this story, Focker !

[Solamar]

Yes, tuned in and ready for the next installment!

[Focker]

Unfortunately Ivan, that was 2 broken headstuds under one intake side. They weren't alone....

[Focker]

So with limited garage space, I figure I will start the rebuild by pulling the motor and transmission, pushing the car back to the driveway, tear down the motor for rebuild, then while it's at the machine shop start on prepping the body for paint and body.

Step 1, Jack up your car.

[Focker]

Oops, forgot to mention that with all the North Carolina salt air, the fan was seized to the shroud.