Brad and his '73.5T

[Jim Sims]

Finally getting around to posting some images of the ‘73.5 911T my son and I rebuilt/restored. Rebuilt engine from the crank up (new cylinders, pistons, rebuilt heads, timing chains and sprockets, ground cams, etc) with upgrades: oil fed chain tensioners, turbo valve covers, SSI’s, etc. Restored fuel and electrical system (back to dual batteries) to OEM condition. Rebuilt transmission and shifter, rebuilt rear suspension and rebuilt most of front suspension and steering gear (upgrade to turbo tie rods, front axle support beam and one of the torsion bars had been bent by one of the car’s PO’s). Stripped old paint down to bare metal on exterior and completed rust repairs by welding in new sheet metal. Glass out paint job with color change (including engine compartment and front trunk area) - did it twice to get it right, new headliner and interior carpeting and vinyl (Mom mostly did these). Installed air conditioning and an OEM externally mounted oil cooler. Installed new speakers and wired for modern stereo system. Ted Robinson at German Precision plus Elgin Cams did our engine machine work. Numerous NLA used parts were obtained from Parts Heaven and 20th Street. Besides providing endless advice and information, generous loans of 911 specific tools and fixtures (many of his own devising) our “911 mentor”, David Gardner, did the body welding for us and supervised the engine disassembly and critical portions of the engine reassembly, corner balancing, and engine break in. I financed the project, did research and helped round up new and NLA used parts plus helped where I could. Much information was also obtained here on the Pelican 911 technical forum. However, Brad did 70% per cent of the work, including all the body work and painting it twice (he sprayed it both times) to get the paint good enough. He started at age 16 and finished when he was 19. Much to our amazement everything worked (engine doesn’t leak a drop of oil) when we started it up after three years. Brad put 500 miles on the engine and car around home and then we convoyed 1000 miles out to Davis, California, basically without incident (old starter solenoid hung due to heat for about 10 minutes at a stop in Lodi after a long hot afternoon run). Brad now has a Porsche of his own making and I have another 911 mechanic and enthusiast in the family who knows how to work hard and understands deferred gratification. All that plus many good memories of great times in the garage and out on the driveway. Cheers, Jim


Car before; how little we knew!


Engine before in the car; had a spun thrust bearing but still ran okay.


Filthy engine out of the car.


Brad getting down to bare metal.


Stored in neighbor's hobby car garage after first paint job.


Local Porsche guys helping Brad sand off the clear coat from the first paint job.


In the high school paint booth.


Finally good enough!


On trailer going home.

More in next message.

[Jim Sims]

Missing first picture.

[Jim Sims]

Brad and his 73.5T continued:


Left front before fender installation.


Rebuilt left rear suspension and fuel system restored to OEM configuration.


View of painted and restored engine compartment.

[img]
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads2/P8180163(2)R1075347770.jpg[/img]
Brad ready to install his engine and transmission.


Engine going in using Wilding Engineering jack mounted tilting bracket.


Transmission "nose" approaching tunnel.


Brad deep into the interior.


The rebuilt engine and added A/C.


Finished!


At new home in Davis.

Cheers, Jim

[HarryD]

Very nice!!

A dumb question though, where did you get the fuel filter? I thought they were NLA. I got an SC one and had to fab a bracket to fit.

[Tim Walsh]

is/was that sepia brown? It looks almost too light to be FT brown.

[surflvr911sc]

What a great father/son project! Beautiful car, Congrats to both of you!

[Jim Sims]

Another lost image:



Brad ready to install his engine/transmission.

[cowtown]

Jim, Brad swung by my place a few days ago. What a beautiful job you guys did. Pictures don't do it justice. A real "time capsule" car. And it sounds great too.

Colin

[Jim Sims]

Harry, We bought the fuel filter four years ago when they were still available; I haven't been able to find another one since. Maybe that was the last one!

Tim, the color when we purchased the car was a non-OEM gold put on poorly. The original color was almost like a Butterscotch.
Brad didn't like the original color so he changed to Porsche speed yellow.

Jim

[Tim Walsh]

AHh ok at least it's going from a nonporsche color to a porsche color.

[MotoSook]

Excellent Jim...I'm an enthusiast...can I be your son? I could use a financier for my project. Ok? Good! Hey Dad! Can you buy me a 3.6 for my car. I'll let you drive it now and then

Really...that is a great project. I hope to do the same with my kid(s)...

Brad: you are one lucky dude. I hope you know just how fortunate you are to have a pops like Jim and to have done this project with him.

[jyl]

That's a great story in pictures. I wish I'd done something like that when I was his age.

[makaio]

Very cool Jim!

[rickeolis]

Jim, very nice too see those pics! You haven't posted very much lately, and I had wondered if maybe you'd been away, but then I see these. Thanks for so many pics.

I have a question based on something I am looking at doing myself. The oil cooler mounted in the decklid, where did you guys get that? I am considering the same thing, if not placing elsewhere too.

That car looks so nice, and like mine, I like the cookie cutters- TTYL

[MotoSook]

Originally posted by rickeolis


I have a question based on something I am looking at doing myself. The oil cooler mounted in the decklid, where did you guys get that?

AC Condenser..not oil cooler

[Jim Sims]

That is an A/C condenser on the rear deck lid; the new improved version with many more tubes and fins plus o-ring sealed fittings from Performance Aire. The external oil cooler system is a '73 OEM system complete with the thermostat hanging off the tank and brass lines running forward under the right rocker panel. A SC trombone is mounted up front; recall that this car has the dual front battery boxes which make the Carrera type oil cooler (radiator type) hard to mount and get cooling air to. Cheers, Jim

[Zuff911]

I don't get to work on it too much out here but I do get a drive in every weekend. It's funny, I've driven quite a few Porsches. Including a 993 TT, but for some reason my 140 hp 911T feels so much sweeter. The destination is quite a machine, but I will never forget the journey. I have way more than just a car sitting in the garage. I have hundreds of hours getting to know my dad, hundreds of hours learning to work, hundreds of hours learning the details of Porsches, a hobby for the future, and hopfully the skills to do the same things with my future children. I really did luck out in the dad department.
Now I'm just waiting for my Dad to drive his car out here so we can tear up some back roads together.
-Brad

[rickeolis]

Nice job Brad- (I grew up in Los Alamos myself, graduated from LAHS in 1982)

Not having A\C I didn't realize that was the condensor!

I just got my project 911 running a couple of months ago, and am looking at paint real soon. Those pics are nice to see as the project went along. I can see you guys did a lot of nice work, congrats!

[trj911]

Looks great! Nice work! I hope to be able to do the same thing with my sons!

[cvfncrew]

Nice job guys reminds me of my Dad and I.