It just keeps getting better and better...
 

Dropped my car off yesterday at Pristine Motorsports for the previously mentioned front rust repair.

Got a call today. Seems a PO has had a major hit in the font end and instead of repairing it properly, he really did a major hack job on it. You don't even want to know all the things he screwed up on the original rebuild. This is what eventually led to the rust, among other things.

Well, it turns out that I need to have my whole front end replaced from the struts forward. He has to basically pull off the entire area and heave it into the trash pile and weld on a new one. I think he called it the front clip. In addition to that, the previous repair job included a bad attempt at straightening both front struts, which were bent. These should have been replaced right then and there, but they weren't. I have to do that now.

What a mess. This is all going to cost me...are you ready for this...$3,700!:eek:

I know, I know. I should have had a PPI. It's water under the bridge now, so there's nothing I can do about it. I even did a Carfax and it checked out fine with no accidents (HA!)

The good thing (if there is one) is that Richard at Pristine says he can get the car back to the way it should be, and I trust him. He's done jobs of this magnitude before.

So now I wait.

I feel sick...http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/pukey.gif

-Scott

PPI before buying, $100. PPI after buying, $3700. I'm not familiar with your situation, so it is hard to know where you are coming from. The PO specifically repaired his car for a buyer like you. I realize the need to vent. I just hate to see your incident be used as an example for others to get a PPI. But it should. Now you have a car that is going to cost $4000 more the you paid for it, but be worth significantly less. I can't see any good that come from this and you should be concerned that the car can even be aligned correctly. Might be better to stop before you lose even more.

I can definitely serve as the example of what <I>not</I> to do.

As for the alignment, I've had the car for four months now and it's actually been aligned perfectly by Hergesheimers. It drives so straight that I can take my hand off the wheel for a mile and it doesn't even think about drifting. I found all this damage because I had been looking at some rust in the battery area and when I sent it in to be repaired, the truth reared it's ugly head.

I trust that Pristine can keep it aligned when they put on the new front end. I believe the piece being replaced is <I>ahead</I> of the front strut towers.

-Scott

Hey Scott, try and find a silver lining in this process if possible. Personally, if I needed a new front clip, I'd consider adding some fiberglass panels. Also, if the struts were bent, now is the time to replace them with something better or have them rebuilt if they are bilstein. Bilstein only charges an extra $10 to replace a bent strut shaft.

Another possibility is to think about buying a roller instead. If you have the time and inclination, you could take the best of your car and another roller and build something even better! Check out the classified section for roller possibilities.

Just trying to brainstorm for you, hope it all works out ok!

Thanks Brian.

-Scott

if you paid for the carfax, dont they have a guarantee that comes with it for the major stuff like accidents, i'm not sure what the deal is there but might be worth checking out

After repairs by a proper shop the car will be as good as new - after all it will have fresh metal rather than 20 year old street fatigued metal. It sounds like Pristine knows what they're doing - I wouldn't worry so much about the alignment - once the car is pulled on a frame machine it's going to be fine. If you keep the car another 5 years - that's only $800 a year to have a completely new front end. Not really a bad deal.

Just be careful of the "while I'm in there's" ;) That's what'll really get ya!

Pristine is a good shop.

Tough break, like you say. But they'll do a good job.

I would yank it and take ot to TRE. I bet they can do it cheaper. This is just a little more involved than a front pan replace....no??? I am not sure if an 84 cab is worth a "perfect repair". I would budget $4k take it to TRE, I bet he can do the repair and put in a racy suspension for that. I am sure Pristine is very good but it sounds like they are a high line repair place. This car is a driver not a museum piece. You just need it to look good from 10 feet, be safe and not eat up tires. Do you care if it wins concours!!! Ok you can do what ever you want :-))

I wonder where they will find a complete front section like that? I suppose a wrecking yard. Thats got to be expensive.

One good thing, I was wondering why the car was rusting like that. an 84 really should not do that. Now you know! If you have the change it will be really nice and you will be really happy driving it when it comes back. Imagine your confidence now.

Tough luck bud. Been there myself, I call my race car "Pandora"...

Carfax is a joke, save your money. When I sold one of my old Lexus, the Carfax showed no incidents. It had been crashed 3 times involving (amongst other things) replacement of 2 doors, hood, fenders and 3 wheels.

Clean history, .........right !

I've had similar bad experiences with Carfax...using one of my daily drivers as a "test" ( knowing it was involved in a near write-off accident).....which came up "clean"...

Yeah right.....

Wil

Hell you could knock that out yourself in your own garage with just a couple of beers! Or at least a couple of Gruppe B'ers could!:D
http://www.gruppeb.org/users/upload/images/DSCF0538.JPG
http://www.gruppeb.org/users/upload/images/DSCF0539.JPG
http://www.gruppeb.org/users/upload/images/DSCF0540.JPG
http://www.gruppeb.org/users/upload/images/DSCF0548.JPG

I would think about getting a second competent opinion if for no other reason to make it easier to shell out that dough.

didn't the bent struts and poor repair show up during the alignment?

I disagree. I was very interested in a car and was told NO accidents. I did a Carfax and it revealed an accident. All of a sudden I hear "Oh, yeah, that's right" from the seller.

It is merely one tool and not the be all end all of a car's history.

There is a frustration I have with Carfax. I have an '85 911 and cannot get a Carfax on it. I've tried several times over the years. There's no reason it should be unavailable....or is there????

same thing happened to me :( The front of my '74 is all jacked up, found the welded seam a month after I bought it. The good news is that my tub is so damaged that its allowed me to do all sorts of GruppeB experimentation on it :)

The point I ( and others) were mking about Carfax is that it may show up "clean" when it isn't....

Surely...if it shows up with a "prior"....then it gives you some useful information..

In other words, it'll help to show defects when none are expected....but not necessarily the other way around.

Wil

I'm getting a bit of flack from my wife about this. Understandably. I called Pristine and told them to put it back together so I could take it home. Looks like I'm going to have to save the cash for the job (instead of the 'ol plastic).

-Scott

hmm...I know how these things can end up. :cool:

That is my poitn with Carfax Wil. People think its the Holy Grail... If it shows something great but it might not. It certainly is NO substitute to a proper inspection. That's my point. A lot of people put way too mich reliance on it.

Case in point, my brother was buying a 2004 745iL recently. Carfax was perfectly clean. When inspecting the car, some overspray was noticed. To make long story short, car had been repaired (fender, hood, strut) and the carfax was clean...

No substitute for an inspection.

Take it up to Kevin at Automotive Innovations and Restorations and let him take a look.

Apparently not.....nor did they find all the rust. Makes ya wonder....:eek:

Does anyone have valid number for Kevin? I did a search and came up with a disconnected one.

-Scott

The number I have is 818 786 2181. If that's not working, send him an e-mail or PM (KevinP73). He posts pretty regularly, so he must be online a lot.

On the Carfax issue:
I think PAG and PCNA should take the point on this. Ford built far more cars in one year than the total production of all Porsche vehicles. Why can’t there be a data base with every car Porsche ever manufactured? I’ll bet someday all the governments require this from the auto manufacturers. Start now.

With today’s automatic search techniques, it shouldn’t be difficult to have every bit of public information about a particular VIN. That is what Carfax does. Porsche can combine this with their proprietary data base and offer it to owners free in a way where others can’t mine it.

There could be a provision for owners to correct misinformation and add current technical stuff such a color and equipment. Pelican, Early 911, PCA, R-Groupp, and many others have some info, why not additionally put it in one place.

Just think how valuable this would be to prospective buyers to easily research a Porsche’s provenance. Just think how hard this would be on the thieves and criminals trafficking in stolen cars and parts. Sellers would benefit from the provenance of the Porsche and higher sale price. Porsche would make more money because their cars can be purchased with more confidence.

This is one more area where Porsche can gain very valuable customer support with very little cost.

How many Pelicans have a copy of the original MSO and title sequence?
How many know all that has been done to your 911 prior to your ownership?
What if Scott had had easy and free access to his 911’s prior history?

Best,
Grady

Scott,

im very sorry to hear of the front clip, sorry to hear of the tension with the wife. no good can come of this......... but that black cab is yours, all yours, take the good with the bad, and the really bad, and if your like the rest of us, at the end of the day youll still be looking it at it before you go to bed.

one of the guys has a tag line that hits home for me "the porsche broke down again, oh yea!" something like that and i love it.

i have had my old girl for 10 yrs now, could never ever ever get the $ back i have put into her, but i am NOT

giving her up for nothing, EVER. and i am still looking at her before i go to bed....... as jacked up, and leaking oil as she is...... she mine.

anyone else with me?

Alex, your positive attitude always makes me smile...

ok,.... since no one chimed in i guess i have a freakishly odd love for me old girl (but i really really really doubt im the ONLY one)

scott glad to shed a lil positive light on this...... after you are done with this little hiccup, imagine how attached you will be to your cab later.......

if i could only apply this committment to a girl............. damn! hehehehe.

I paid the phone bill............. really.

Yes. Hide the plastic and do the cash.http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/loki5.gif I put a few things on plastic in 1996 when I was traveling in California for a year......

[SHOW_STUPIDITY]

It was always "I'm only here(California....you know.....Willow Springs, Sears Point, Laguna Seca, ButtonWillow, Gran Prix of Ensenada......) for a little while and I might not get another chance".

Custom shocks, fiberglass body parts, tranny rebuild plus mods, a few sets of tires, new set of wheels, track event entry fees(averaged 2+ events/month for 9 months), hotels, gas money......... My car had been paid off for 3 years at this point. It probably didn't help having done this right after a divorce that left me in some debt to start with anyway. I justified it as my therapy. Ain't rationalization great?

I expect to have it all paid off this year. :) Yes, I was very stupid. :( I now recommend a book by Dave Ramsey called "Financial Peace". He is against consumer debt except for a house. His method is working for me as it is more about emotion and behaviour than mathematics. This year I will be out of debt except for a house and I plan to keep it that way. Let your cash work for you instead of against you. If I want a new car I'll save up.

[/SHOW_STUPIDITY]

I wish I had been smarter.........

Good Advice Rob! I like Ramseys radio show - some times he gets a little "god fearin". If he would leave some of that out he would be great. I am sure he would not approve of the Porsche Drug :-))

You're not alone. I have an infatuation and devotion that probably borders on something unhealthy.

If I ever had kids, how would I explain why there are a hundred pictures of the car for every one of them? :eek:

I suspect that you would suddenly find that mini-Jack and BBII are in photos together quite a bit. :)

Scott - I like second opinions. If the car aligned properly, and it's safe to drive, I don't really see too much point in spending $4K to repair the damage. Just patch it with some POR-15 and drive it...

-Wayne

My wife would call me <I>obsessed</I> about my car. Jack, if only my wife would allow me to spend the kind of money you have on your beaut...

I went to work today and had a chance to forget my troubles for a bit::D

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1105691073.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1105691097.jpg

-Scott

You're not alone. I have an infatuation and devotion that probably borders on somethi
 

Jack,.... whew..... i was seriously getting concerned that no-one made a comment,.........


as chanced may have it, your comment makes complete and utter sense to me.

ALEXANDER: hi, my name is alexander and i am a porsche-a-holic!

GROUP: hhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii alexander,.....................

:)

Jungle jet?

ya know Scott....if we could get that whole "Take your body man to work day" thing going maybe we could work something out! Does your office go supersonic?

Supersonic? I wish, but not quite. It'll do at least .78 mach though which is about 525 mph.

Gives me a chance to get my mind off of big repair jobs.;)

-Scott