1969 911T Found in Barn Story

[Barrier]

Decision! Please Help.
I just bought a 1969 911T.
Car has been sitting for 23 years. The condition is not too bad. I have replaced the Windshield, side windows, and tires (cookie cutters I do have the original wheels). The car has 74k miles, I bought from the original owner. I even have the Warranty book. There is some rust where the Batteries were.
I am soaking the cylinders with penetrant before trying to turn it over. It was running 23 years ago when it was parked in a garage.
I don't know if I will have the time to do this project right. It might need a Motor, either rebuild or replacement. The interior is pretty good original.
Any Advice? What value will it have once it gets completed as a driver or weekend car?
Barrier

[Blanco]

pics?

[jkarolyi]

Congrats on your purchase, I love finding projects like these (I have too many of them as we speak!)

Unfortunately, the 1969 911T was a low point for 911 performance, only producing 110 horsepower. It was the only year you could get the low-power 2.0 T engine, in 1970 they upgraded it to 2.2 and 125 hp. All this really means to you is that the car will never be extremely valuable.

That said, you'll still have the bark of a Weber carbureted 911, something that has tremendous value. If the car is really a time capsule and the battery box rust is the only rust on it, then it is a worthwhile project.

Check around the front suspension mounting points under the battery boxes for rust...this can be dangerous to drive it like this. Do a search here for "stored engine" and you'll find a procedure for starting it. You might be surprised...it could be fine even after sitting that long! The gas tank will be rusty (get it boiled out, or a new one costs $250) and all rubber fuel lines will need to be replaced (fire hazard). Then do a search for reviving the brake system. A big project, but definitely do-able.

Sounds like a cool find, please post pictures!

[Barrier]

I will try and get some photos posted.
I am still not sure which way to go with this. Keep or Sell??
Does any body know how difficult welding is to repair battery box?
Can a regular arc welder work to weld in new or must a Mig be used?
Barrier

[Willem Fick]

If you can afford to, keep it! Even the Ts are great fun to drive, and you will never be sorry! I have a '70 T, which is undergoing extensive restoration at present. Even at only 125Hp it is still not exactly a slow car, and it handles like an absolute dream!

As for the battery box:

Rust can be a real issue on these cars, and it will be worth your while to give the car a proper inspection. If the battery boxes are rusted you are likely to find a rusted fuel tank pan, pan support, and even lateral braces.

It is the kind of job you can certainly takle at home if you are the DIY type (I did mine), but it can take a whole lot of time, depending on the extent of the damage!

The sheetmetal is too thin for arc welding, so MIG, TIG, or even oxy acetylene is highly recommended.

Cheers!

Willem

[Joeaksa]

Well worth keeping unless you want a "turn key" auto. While its not a powerful car that year its still a 911 and a lot better than most.

If you do not keep it then let us know so we can find a good home for it.

Joe A

[Zeke]

I don't know what jkarolyi is talking about. 356 Porsches aren't exactly muscle cars and yet they are quite coveted and valuable. No, your T is not the top of the line, but it is, after all, a Porsche 911.

The battery boxes are not big deal, but only an expert welder would attempt to weld in new ones with an arc welder. And again, it depends on the welder. A 110v "buzz box" in the hands of a less experienced welder would be extremely difficult to manage good looking welds.

I think if you follow proper procedures for resurrecting the car, it will run and be fun to drive. The entire braking and fuel systems need attention as well as some new tires. There is more than enough info here in the archives to search as you go along. You probably don't need to go into any extensive restoration procedures unless you want to.

If you don't like or want the car after you get it running, I'm sure someone else will jump at the chance to own it. Don't be ashamed of a 911T, especially an original one with only 70,000 mi.

[bigchillcar]

yup, what milt said..it's still a sports car that any enthusiast would love to put through its paces on pretty back country roads. enjoy the opportunity to resurrect a wonderful car..sounds like a keeper for sure.
ryan

[coolbeverage]

I kinda hate to ask this question and understand if you don't want to answer butttttt........what did you pay for your barn find? I only ask b/c I came across a very similar situation. I found a car local to me that had been under one of those car ports in someones backyard for 7+ years. I wanted to buy it but the guy threw it up on ebay and got way more for that car than I felt it was worth. Especially considering the guy who bought it bought it unseen. Plus at the same time I was also looking at a fully running and daily driven 70T for a little more than twice the amount of this nonrunning car. Thanks

[Zeke]

cool, the cars have a bottom line as parts cars. I don't know what the eBay car sold for, but 5000-7000 is not uncommon for a complete non-running car.

A complete and original early 911S, not running, would probably fetch north of 15,000.

[jluetjen]

As far as 's per $, I'd say that a '69T is a great option. It looks, sounds, handles and feels like a 911. For people looking at early T's, we won't compare them to 3.2's and the the later cars because they are just completely different animals from many different aspects. Compared to other early '70's sports cars (MG of all sorts, all the Triumphs, Fiats, Alfas, etc. etc) it's an awsome performing sports car. Compared to other 911's, they are relatively simple and affordable. I also suspect that they get better mileage then a lot of the later bigger engine models.

What? So they take a second or two longer in the 0-60 dash? In the global scheme of things that 2 seconds is nothing.

[BK911]

No brainer, restore it. Even if you can't recoup your money right away, wait a year or two. In the mean time you're cruising around in a pretty sweet ride.

Let's see some pics!!

This is the order I use when restoring a car:
1. Structural rust
2. Brakes
3. Suspension/steering
4. Engine
5. Cosmetics

[copper]

Nice to see a 69T rescued. I can speak to the fact that they are relatively easy to work on. Having no mechanical background, I started working on mine early last year. Now I am quite at ease dropping the engine, replacing the clutch, doing valves etc.

They are really fun cars, and in the cost department, repairs can be considerably less than the later cars due to their simplicity.

Congrats! Keep it, restore it. You'll love it.

Jim

[coolbeverage]

Copper. Your car is blood orange? Do you have a pic of that color? I have seen that color once but the car had some pretty good sun fade. I was considering a cross between brick red and signal orange and was thinking that color may be close. Thanks
Thanks for the info Zeke

[copper]

Zeke

It's the same as Tangerine. Porsche used the two color names at this time interchangeably. There are some photos posted in different threads, but I've got some good photos at home from our recent Pelican run. I'll upload them later.

Jim

[copper]

Here's a few pics





Jim

[coolbeverage]

Thanks. Very classy. I really like the autumn hues Porsche was using in this time period. I like this color orange b/c it lacks too much orange if you know what I mean. I have never like a full on orange, red or yellow on a car. Have never liked the signal orange, guards red, canary yellow, etc. But I do like colors like burnt oranges, ox blood, blood orange, etc.

[Barrier]

Here are some photos of this car. Still not sure I have time to refurbish.

[724doorE]

Well, those pics make it look to be a pretty decent pickup as a future driver. Providing there is not a bunch of rust underneath. If it really did sit for 23 years and was somewhat protected you may have gotten what most here would love to find, T or not. I'd keep it of course. And if you have to rebuild it, well, you have a reason to upgrade the power of that engine and could do so very easily.

Good luck and congrats!!!!

[copper]

Very nice find. Looks like you have a nice bit of work ahead of you. I have been working on mine since taking it over from my brother last year after 10+ years of storage. There was lots to do. But it's been a great learning experience and a lot of fun.

Nice to see a lot of the original parts are still in good shape. The steering wheel looks good, as do the guages, and the dash appears to be repairable with some work. My dash trim was still good, but the leather was shrunken. I replaced it with ease. Looks like you'll have a little more than that though.

Were the headlights changed? I could be wrong, but they look like later bezels.

Make sure you post pics of the progress!!

Jim