Previous Owner = IDIOT (Rant)

[andycook]

Just have to vent.....

After working diligently to get my car back on the road (engine swap & charging issues). I finally got to take her out for drive this week. After bringing it home and putting her to rest in the stable, I came to the conclusion I was doing her an injustice to drive her with the paint in the condition it is in.

So...I commence to start dismantling the car and prepping for a strip and paint. Got out the Haynes manual and started removing body panels.

I get to removing the lights, and guess what... Even though all the factory lights are in place, and the sockets are all fine, the PO, or some idiot in the ownership chain, had zip tied trailer clearance lights in the light housings for parking, directional lights. That's not all, they used speaker wire to do it!!! Speaker wire!!! Can you believe it?

I found the same thing on the rear lights, fog lights, and numerous splices on the H4's as well. Some people just do not deserve to own a Porsche. I understand budget constraints for some people (me included) calls for ingenuity at times, but outright hacking like this should be illegal!!!

Also, my "Red" SC is not "Red". It appears the cars original color was some sort of Gold. They did a fair job of color changing, until you remove the panels, rockers, bumpers etc. So much for trying to decide to keep it the original color or not! Looks like Black is in the future.

All said, I guess it is a good thing to notice it now while it is apart. And no, I did not have a PPI done before I bought it. I bought it as a project car, and expected some issues. I can deal with worn out parts, broken parts, etc...but backyard engineering like this just really irks me on a car like a Porsche.

At least it will be right when I am done!

Sorry to rant so long... just had to vent.

[84CAB]

Thats ridiculous. Every used piece of machinery I have ever owned the PO has done something nutty. I have never understood this type of thinking. If anything I own ever breaks I always try to "upgrade" the part. Heck, sometimes I'm happy when something goes out - it gives me an excuse!

[304065]

I'm willing to go out on a limb and submit that EVERY PO is a moron!

I have been chasing rust issues on the '66 the last couple of days. . . there are obvious areas where the prior owners in the 39-year history of this car should have acted to prevent rust from taking a foothold. . . but they didn't!

Electrical wiring is a big problem, too. A lot of folks don't take the time to read the wiring diagrams, and ask questions about what should go where. Also, the practice of using different-colored wires than the factory diagram when making permanent repairs. . . well, let's just say that Dante reserved a special circle of Hell for those who do that.

As far as the color goes, that's something that can be identified from the code before you buy the car. . . but it's the kind of thing that you learn from. My black '66 is actually Irish Green, and I knew that before I bought her. . . which was one of my reasons for jumping in, rust and all!

Good luck. Trailer lights. . .that's a new one for me.

[Wavey]

I think it's legal in Texas to shoot guys for that.

[andycook]

That's it....I'm moving to Texas!

[yelcab1]

You guys should lay off the cafeine.

[89911]

In defense, it must not be that bad of a paint job, if you are just discovering it now. How long have you owned it?

[rlh930]

Originally posted by john_cramer
A lot of folks don't take the time to read the wiring diagrams, and ask questions about what should go where. Also, the practice of using different-colored wires than the factory diagram when making permanent repairs. . .

Is there a source of green-with-blue-stripe, red-with-white-stripe, etc. wires in quantities small enough to be economical for repairs? If so I'd sure like to find out where I can get it. Admittedly, red and brown are easy to get and there is no excuse for not using them for power and ground.

[patkeefe]

So, you don't think the PO ordered it with the trailer towing package, I guess?

[mjshira]

better than finding rust!

trust me, I have had that fun experience.

[Zeke]

I'll go you one better. Phone wire for lights! Not on one of my Porsches, another project awhile back. That was just the beginning of the PO's crapy work discoveries. Since the car was not a 911, I'll leave it there, but I think I've seen it all.

Maybe the trailer lights wins the prize tho, now that I think about it.

[RallyJon]

Rust. Wiring. Most everything else. Yeah, POs suck. Except I get it from PO once removed, since my PO was a very nice doctor who likely didn't have a clue about all the issues. In my case it's the PPO who should have his dicking-with-911s license removed (with visegrips or a reciprocating saw, preferably) .

[Hugh R]

You say "Speaker wire" like its a bad thing? I've run some black and red 12 gauge on my A/C should I not have done that? Black is positive right? (just kidding).

[dvkk]

Originally posted by rlh930
Is there a source of green-with-blue-stripe, red-with-white-stripe, etc. wires in quantities small enough to be economical for repairs?

Go to any wrecking yard that has German cars. The colours of wires all conform to the German DIN standard. That means that the left headlight low beam wire on your Porsche is the same colour(s) as a Volkswagen.

[Ken911]

the stuff i have been finding with mine wasnt the po it was the shops they took it too. it was obvious from the reciepts that none of them had ever actually touched the car.

[asphaltgambler]

My deal: Purchased the car a few states away and PO had (has) much documentation to show. After flying in at the crack of dawn, running behind in an already tight return drive schedule the one thing we forgot was the folder of receipts. I remember looking at it and then setting it down as money, title, and other sale paperwork passed through everyones hands.

Realizing after we unpacked at home that forgot the folder, I phoned the PO to please send it to our address, he said no problem. Couple-o-weeks go by.......no folder. I emailed him twice; again I was ignored. Never received it and now feel like such a dumb-a$$ because I'm in the business and couldn't believe I left it behind, then the PO blowing me of. A$$ hole.

[350HP930]

My PO was nice enough to pay for the mods to my 930 but when I think about all the hack work his mechanic did to the car in order to add the andial enrichment unit, knock controller and K27 turbo it makes me cringe.

As if taking a ball peen hammer to my rear cooling tin in order to fit the turbo wasn't bad enough, over the years I discovered such wonderful things as missing wheel bearing spacers and a loose pressure plate bolt that was attempting to destroy my transmission housing.

Stuff like that makes me happy I do all my work myself.

[patkeefe]

350
Exactly why I do it all myself. If I don't know it, I learn, and I can be a fast learner. Then, I have no one to blame but myself.

Also, on a lighter note...as much as we say bad things about the PO's, we will all be PO's eventually. Generally, it's the PO's mechanic that is the hack, and there are a lot of Porsche 'experts' out there, and a lot of them think they're doing you a favor.

[FrayAdjacent911]

My PO... or POs were freaking morons. There is so much that was just cheaply and poorly done. The paint job... They painted over the hood seals and remnants of the carpet in the front trunk... they painted the aluminum door and window seals... They put a '74 passenger side fender on it, rigged the turn signal UPSIDE DOWN to the battery box...

It's going to be a bit of work to get her sorted. But it will get done!

[shrouded]

I found a good one recently. I don't think this was due to the PO, but instead to whoever did the "upgraded" speaker install.

One of the screws holding the rear hinge for the driver's door pocket lid was pulling out. It should be a simple job of tightening the screw, right?

Nope... it looks like whoever had the door panels off last had used a power tool to tighten the screw, and ruined the threads in the door, so there was nothing to screw into. A larger screw was tried, but it still wouldn't grip. The final solution? A roofing nail taking the door panel down, with a screw shoved in the hole next to the nail so you couldn't tell that a problem had occurred. *sigh*