first post, need some info

[GTI0125]

need some help decoding a VIN # 9115400159 and the engine code is 9011061015R. The car is my uncle's and he says that the car is a 1975 911 Carrera with a '76 3.0 engine.

Any more help decoding what i have come across would be great.

[billyboy]

http://www.356a.com/index.htm This page may be some help although I tried with the number for the engine and came up blank. I don't think that there is an "R" in the engine number.

[GTI0125]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, i am going to have to look again in the morning and see if there is another number on the engine

[RickM]

A decoder shows the VIN is for a 1975 US 911 Carrera Coupe. Here's the decode: http://www.vehicleidentificationnumber.com/porsche_911.html


Sorry I don't have the Engine info.

[jstobo]

That is a casting number for the engine. The Engine type is on the flat area behind the fan and Serial # is on the side of the fan bracket. Get us those numbers and we can tell what type engine you have. As for the VIN it decodes as a follows
911=911(duh)
5=1975
4=Carrera US
0=Coupe
0159=sequential number of Manufacture.

[GTI0125]

I have gone and looked at the car and there are 2 rust spots. One on the roof by the sunroof drain and the other on the rear deck where the metal meets the fiberglass waletail. The engine starts yet the idle is very rough and it smokes till it gets warm. I am able to pick up the car really cheap and plan on making it an AutoX car.

Is there anything that i should be looking for in perticular b/c the engine was swapped? Or any glaring problems relating to either the 1975 Carrera or the 1976 3.0 engine?

This would be my first porsche, very excited to get my hands to it and get it running again (or is this just a pipe dream?)

[IROC]

If it is a 3.0 liter Carrera engine, then you're looking at a better engine that the 2.7 that was originally in the car. Both engines used the same fuel injection, etc., so the swap would have been simple and would not have altered the configuration of the car much (good for troubleshooting).

Look at the base of the fan housing on the passenger side of the engine for a "type" number. It will be a "911/XX" number (or possibly 930/XX for a 3.0 Carrera - I don't remember exactly). That will confirm which engine it is.

Good luck and have fun!

Mike

[Grady Clay]

Welcome to the Forum. You will find many experienced and like-minded experts here.

I concur with the VIN analysis.

If the engine is a ’76 Carrera 3.0 then it is type 930/02 (200 hp) and the same engine was available in ’77. The engine S/N will be of the form:
666XXXX for the ’76 or 667XXXX for the ’77.
6 = Unit type – 6 cyl.
6 = Engine type – Carrera 3.0
6 or 7 = Model year – 6 = 1976, 7 = 1977.
XXXX = Consecutive serial number.


Treat this just like the purchase of any 911 – do a through Pre Purchase Inspection (PPI). I don’t care how cheap, how good a deal, or how desirable it is. This is particularly true buying from a friend or relative. You want to know all the good and bad up front. Get an expert to look it over and check everything. 911s are expensive. You don’t want to find that out by getting into something unexpected.

This will make a great auto-X 911 that is still a pleasant driver, particularly with a 3.0.

Again, welcome to the Forum.

Best,
Grady

[GTI0125]

Plan is to get the car to a local Porsche mechanic asap and have a full PPI done to expose any and all problems.

The main thing that is worring me right now is the smoking while warming up. The 2 rust spots are small and easly fixed but the engine is my main concern.

It shifts and drives nice, other than a BAD idle. I remember riding in it the final drive before it was parked 2-3 years ago, and it was amazing. The car was in great runing order before it was parked so I hope that with a little work i can figure out the smoking and get it back into shape.

The interior is a mess but that is no big deal. And the stock wheels need to be refinished. The color is not the best (a brown color) and quite faded.

But as a first project car I think it will be perfect

[Grady Clay]

Let’s address the rust first because that can be most difficult to fix and affect your intended use. Look under the carpets, particularly around the pedals. Carefully remove the upholstery for the rear package tray (under the rear window) and the rear seat upholstery. Save everything in its original configuration – don’t bend it up and stack it in a cardboard box. Investigate under the battery and around the front suspension. Look at the bottom of the doors from the underside. Inspect around the jack points. Any sign of rust under the windshield and rear window gaskets?

The rust near the sunroof drain is probably from a blocked drain. Investigate where the water went when it couldn’t drain properly. Clean the drain. It isn’t uncommon to find a Lego or GI Joe found its way from the open sunroof to the drain.

The rust from the spoiler is from it rubbing while driving and then rusted when setting.

From your description I’m assuming NO crash damage repair.



On to the engine.
Treat the engine kinder and gentler than if it were a fresh rebuild. All the parts need to slowly “get friendly” with each other again. Push it too hard and you can break a ring or worse.

You will need to drain the old gasoline and install fresh with some appropriate cleaner. You may have to remove the fuel tank for cleaning. If the cleaner in the fuel doesn’t work, you will need to individually clean the nozzles, fuel distributor, accumulator and warm-up regulator. The fuel pump is a common failure. Once you get everything working, replace it if noisy.

A proper cylinder leak test and cranking compression test will tell much about the engine. Don’t expect it to be perfect until you can get some easy highway miles on it. Keep the sparkplugs associated with their original cylinders for reference. Check the sump and have the oil filter cut open.

You are going to want to start with some basic maintenance: new fuel, air & oil filters; new cap, rotor, points, wires, plug connectors & sparkplugs; Have the distributor run in on a tester; I would summarily replace the chain ramps and rebuild the chain tensioners. Don’t adjust the valves until you have some miles on it. The exception is if you are investigating improper cylinder leakage.

Almost certainly the master cylinder is failing (or will soon) from having sat. Replace it and the four rubber flex brake hoses. Cycle the pistons in the calipers and get fresh brake fluid everywhere. Inspect the pads for ware. You should lightly scuff the rotors and pads.

Drain the transmission and inspect the magnetic drain plug. Remove the shift plate on the bottom of the transmission and inspect inside. Fish around with a magnet on a stick. A flashlight bulb on the end of a want is good for inspection. Smell up in the transmission – any burned smell? Any sign of rust? Check the pivot nuts for proper torque and install a new gasket. Fill with fresh lube.



OK, Now for the fun stuff.
The most productive “go fast” is suspension and tires. There is a fairly standard set of suspension upgrades & maintenance. They include larger torsion bars, larger anti-sway bars, improved sway bar linkage and mounts, new shocks/struts, tie rods, ball joints, bearing suspension mounting, and adjustable rear suspension spring plates. With proper lowering, corner balance and alignment you have a different 911.

Generally wheels that are 1” wider will fit. The 16” Fuchs are the wheel of choice. Tire choice has a huge impact. Many have different tires & wheels for street and track.

I would leave the engine and transmission alone. If you have to be inside there for some reason then there are all sorts of other possibilities.

Some configuration questions:
Is there a front oil cooler system?
What exhaust is on the engine?
What is the type transmission (it’s on the bottom rib)?
What are the front brakes, steel or aluminum?


Good luck with everything.

We need to get you skilled with a digital camera, editing, IrfanView resizing and Pelican image posting.

Best,
Grady

BTW what is your name, where do you live?

[GTI0125]

Thanks for all of the feedback, keep it comming.

I have a maintence kit from Pelican on order and plan on getting the car to the local Porsche guru ASAP to get a better idea of what i have.

Don't worry there are pics comming, any ideas on a good place to host them? The server i am currently using is on the fritz (its my buddies).

Not sure about anymore details till i cen get the car in the air and see what is going on. The PO did a lot of work that either had no documentation or the documentation was lost. I hope that the "lost" documentation can be found but i am not holding my breath.

Looks like i am going to be getting real chummy with my mechanic

[Grady Clay]

Pelican offers an “Owner’s Gallery” where you can profile your car, including images. You can also post images on your Form posts. That is a great feature when trying to figure things out. You don’t have to have a separate host.

Much of this is DIY stuff. The Forum can help through almost any situation. Much is in the archives and reachable using the Search Function. Most maintain good relations with their mechanics for emergency back-up.

Best,
Grady

[GTI0125]

I have been spending a lot of time searching here and over at Rennlist. Everyone that has responded to my questions have been great. I have ordered a few books and fully intend to do a lot of the wrenching my self. All of the DIY walk throughs on this website are great and I have made note of a lot of them.