Need some advise. Help???

markmaunz · 10-28-2004, 08:12 PM

My friend bought a wrecked 86 widebody car that had all the Turbo bells and whistles. He told me he bought it for the brakes and wheels and to sell the rest. When I saw the car, my immediate response is get that car on a frame machine as fast as you possibly can, paint it at Maako, (just kidding, did I spell maco right?) and and lets get her back on the road, FAST! It had hit a ditch in rain storm and from what he said, "bent every panel on the car". Well, after looking it over, i want to try to fix the car. Let me tell you why! The car is a clean 1986, 28,000 original miles! Engine and trans SO CLEAN, I'd eat off it. Interior so nice, looks factory. Numbers match. If you look under the car from the rear, you see a downward bow from both left to right, and from front to rear in a downward bow. Left rear quarter has a great dent, roof has issues when it busted windshield and rear window and tore up roof. My theory is cut roof out and weld in roof with sunroof, (or targa. Is that possible?) and straighten the rest or replace bodyparts like fenders and front hood, tail, paint the damn car and be proud like a new daddy! Options would be find a tub and switch everything over everthing or fix it! What would you do?? If you say fix the car, how much to pay if we have to buy the roof section that would be welded back in after the old is cut out??? A sun roof would be perfect. Would a targa go into a coupe space without serious issues?? I know the bodyman is important, but can it be done easily? Should it be fixed or find a tub? Cost is an issue, which would be cheaper? Thanks, Mark
PS Email mark to markmaunz@cs.com Grazzi!

astark · 10-29-2004, 02:49 AM

markmaunz

I'm relatively new to Pcars and others may have more insight, but... it seems to me that if you are comtimplating restoring the car the place to start is with the frame. I can't tell where you live, but I think you should try to find a body shop with a Celette bench. This will tell you how much the frame is bent. You can make a better decision (to restore or part out) when you have specific info. Series 900 has a bench do a search and you will get more info.

Good luck,
Alan

JackT · 10-29-2004, 03:42 AM

I would be careful. Most of us that get started on restoring a 911 cant leave well enough alone. Once you get into it, then you start the while you are in there. All of a sudden you have spent more than you could have bought a 911 in great condition.

JackT · 10-29-2004, 03:43 AM

Alan, Just curious, why do you have a test pipe with SSI's?

Hetmann · 10-29-2004, 06:54 AM

This project sounds expen$ive to me. I just finished restoring a straight car with no rust and it cost a fortune (with me doing a lot of the grunt work).

astark · 10-29-2004, 07:03 AM

Drew--

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I bought the car with the test pipe. The cat was removed, SSI's installed along with the Bursch.

Alan

erobinson · 10-29-2004, 07:56 PM

I would say go find a good tub. A good CHEAP tub.

Then you know how to assembly a pcar singlehandedly :P

Eli

erobinson · 10-29-2004, 08:12 PM

also, avoid the getting drawn into the while you are in there syndrome.

if the car is that clean and low miles then I would find a bare tub with straight tinwork (and clear title) and swap everything, fixing only what was very obviously worn out.

Eli

markmaunz · 10-29-2004, 09:14 PM

Eli, What an incredibly brilliant idea. Now comes the easy part, pls hlp me find a cheap straight tub with good title and perfct flairs. Pls help, anyone??? Mark

toolman · toolman's Garage

You could cut the flares off the wrecked car and weld them on to the "good tub". Everything else could be replaced.

markmaunz · 10-30-2004, 09:16 AM

Is there any other differences on the handleing and suspension aspect between an 82 sc and the factory 86 widebdy carerra?? What would you pull off of the wrecked 86 that would improve the 82 sc car? The engine trans and interior are a given. Would you swap wiring harness's, Torsion bars, (are there differences between the two?), suspension, someone said avoid the while your in there syndrome, so at which point do I say stop? Your input is very eye opening. Thanks, Mark
PS There is such a good audience here at pelican that I will open these questions up to the world at large.

erobinson · 10-31-2004, 08:13 AM

well, I would say if you want to be riding in a shorter amount of time, resist the urge to do things like major suspension upgrades, you can always upgrade it later. Of course I would go ahead and if starting from a bare tub do all of my paint, because it will always be nicer if you paint a bare tub and reassemble.

I guess what I am saying is to resist the thing where oyu replace things on principle.

In my experience in rebuilding wrecks (not porsches, others), finding a roller with control arms etc intact may not be a bad idea. Its funnny how things can get bent sometimes.

How badly is the pan bowed? Do you have pictures?

Eli