New owner needs help!

Porsche-poor · 10-21-2004, 11:43 AM

Just bought the car now I need help deciding where to begin. The dealer fixed the oil leaks at my mechanic and I had a new clutch put in while he was at it. Now the fun begins, try and get the wife to part with $$$ and fix up the rest. Thought I'd get some helpful hints on where to start.

Thanks, Dave

NY65912 · 10-21-2004, 11:56 AM

First welcome to the brotherhood Dave. The car looks very nice.

The first thing I would do is a full going over of the brakes, changing hoses OEM and every rubber suspension bushing.

An oil change is always a good thing especially if you don't know when the last one was done.

Clutch cable can't hurt. And of course a valve adjustment.

Cosmetics are all your call. For my money I go with a factory look..which keeps the classic appearance.

Just my .2¢

Good Luck and enjoy that car, take the wife for a spirted ride and she just might loosen up those purse strings, that's what I did and now my wife is turning into a bit of a P car junky.

Mike

gustav · 10-21-2004, 11:58 AM

What is your goal for the car? I'm pretty new at this too, but I think if it hasn't been done already a carrera chain tensioner is a good place to start. And of course the popoff valve if it hasn't been done already either.

Nice ride, great color.

Gus

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

Looks nice, drive it, enjoy it.

Porsche-poor · 10-21-2004, 12:24 PM

Thanks for the welcome. I looked over the records and a new cable was installed with the clutch. The tensioners and the pop off valve were already on the car. Looks like so far its rubber and bushings as well as removal of some non-functioning and after market wiring for the radio. I plan to keep and or restore the car to stock as much as possible.

Thanks, Dave

imcarthur · imcarthur's Garage

Start hoarding money. You'll need it for 'stuff'.

Welcome & enjoy.

Ian

Superman · 10-21-2004, 01:20 PM

Yep, that was my goal too, at first. Some of the best advice I got was to put gas and oil in it, and drive the pi$$ out of it for at least a year before I started making decisions about upgrades etc. So, I'm giving that advice to you.

As far as the wife goes, you're on your own there, buddy.

I will offer to be available for consultations, backyard engine drop parties, etc. We have a nice P-community here, so you'll get all the help and helping hands, that you require.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

Welcome.
First things to invest in: Baseline everything possible: Cap, rotor, wires, plugs, filters, fluids. Next, get 101 Porjects and Bentleys repair manual. Last, buy lots of hi-test fuel and drive the hound out of it. Get extra whitening toothpaste for the big grin on your face.

Porsche-poor · 10-22-2004, 07:04 AM

Thanks for all the reat advice. About the only thing that bothers me so far is the clutch. Seems to me to take for ever to get it off the floor and get moving. As of yet I refuse to go any where I might have to start from a hill. I have found that the rubber stop is missing from behind the clutch pedal. Had a friend drive it and his comment was that it felt that its being pushed over the edge. If I replace the stop will this help?

TMH · 10-22-2004, 08:25 AM

A 4 wheel alignment can do wonders for how a P-Car drives, if this has not recently been done. Of course, if you are going to start replacing the rubber suspension parts, then you want to wait to do the alignment.

Also, it is amazing what a difference a new cap and rotor can make. This is one of the cheapest ways to get additional smoothness and power into your motor, if the old ones have 10k or more miles on them.

Pretty car, BTW.

Good luck and have fun,
Tom

Gunter · Gunter's Garage

With a new clutch and new cable, it should feel like butter. Sounds like the clutch is not adjusted right. The SC's have a helper "C" spring on the release lever and there is a procedure to adjust properly. Get the Bentley manual and Wayne's 101 Projects to learn how it works. And yes, install the rubber stop on the floor board, it is part of the clutch release travel (about 1"at the cable end on the transmission) Cheers.

sfmlaw17 · 10-22-2004, 10:21 AM

Sounds like your clutch cable needs adjusting. It is amazing how much you can adjust those things, and easily too. I just rebuilt my pedal cluster last week and drove the car to the office on Monday without really making sure the clutch engaged where I liked it. It bothered me so much that I went home at lunch jacked up the car, adjusted the cable, dropped it, and drove back to work. All that in 15 minutes wearing a suit!

Buy 101 Projects, it explains in detail how to do this as well as a lot of other projects to start thinking about. Get familiar with the car first, then go crazy. It is a never-ending love affair.

Porsche-poor · 10-22-2004, 01:40 PM

Thanks again for all the great ideas. For now its off to a week long vacation then back to the real world and hard at it to pay for all the things that I want and or need to fix on the 911. I have the 101 book and a Haynes manual, I plan to take one or both with mee to read. I will probably be asking lots of questions of all of you.

Thanks, Dave

Glasgow 911SC · Glasgow 911SC's Garage

Great colour BTW

You could get rid of those all red rear lens' and send them to me

I'll send you my Euro amber ones in return.

RANDY P · RANDY P's Garage

8" or 9" fuchs in the rear. Then sell me the 6" in the front.

cvfncrew · cvfncrew's Garage

Nice car. I had the same color on a 1980 Targa. I have a set of floor mats that say Targa in the same color as the car let me know if you could use them.

Christian

Gunter · Gunter's Garage

Randy: I have a pair of black 16 x 6 Fuchs rims for sale because I went 7's & 8's. The 6's are not advertised until spring because I am closing down for winter. With black center caps, straight, minor scratches. Are they worth $300-, for the set?

Porsche-poor · 11-04-2004, 05:57 AM

Just got back form vacation. Thanks for all the great ideas on where to start. First I tend to like the wheels just like they are. Second thanks for the offer on the floor mats but the car has pretty good looking black ones to match the rest of the carpet. Third, the idea of changing out to Euro tail lights is one that I have been thinking about but it would not be fair to you Glasgow as the right rear is broken and I am wiating for it to blow off at high speed.

Thanks again.

Dave

Carl Bauer · Carl Bauer's Garage

I would think about replacing those Pirelli P7's. State of the art tires almost 30 years ago, I think they may have been making them up until the early 90's. They're probably over 15 years old.