targa door reassembly - conquered at last!

Happy happy, joy joy!!!

Just got back from a celebratory drive through Topanga/Mullholland/Las Virgenes/PCH after spending the better part of the day reassembling the passenger side door on my 70 E Targa project car.

The window and vent wing reassembly process was not as bad as I expected, just a "puzzle" with lots of pieces. I NEVER would have figured it out without the 2 diagrams in the factory parts manual. Damn glad I paid the 2 bills for those books!

"Pictures at 11" as they say -- I took 20+ pics and hopefully they will be helpful to others undertaking this procedure. I will get them online tonight or tomorrow.

The car is running quite well, 300 miles on the rebuild now. Still smoking some but not nearly as much, so it seems like the rings are starting to get friendly w/ their neighbors. I can't wait until I can get it up in the powerband -- it is a real bear to try keep this car under 4K, right where the power comes on. Since there is not much under 3K (E cams) it makes for quite a bit of shifting. OK, I confess, I spun it up to ~5K a couple times, but I'm trying to wait a little longer.

The SSI's and sport muffler will go on soon, maybe this week. That will be cool.

I have a set of loaner black-centered 16x6 Fuchs on the car right now, as both sets of my wheels are at the shop. It is really weird how the car looks ten years newer -- kinda more SC-like -- just with the black wheels. I think the polished ones will go better on this car though, cuz it has so much chrome and bright trim in general. I haven't even washed it yet, come to think of it!

The car clearly needs some suspension work. I took it up to 80-90 and got scared. Nowhere near as "planted" as it should be. I can't even remember the last time it was aligned, and most of the bushings are original. I'll keep it under 70 (yah right!) until I can deal with that. Still torn between keeping the original swaybars or going to 22mm.

Oh, I also realized that my carpet (~12 years old) is not quite in as good condition as I had thought. I actually ran most of the pieces through the washing machine (delicate cycle) which got out a decade of dust and grime, but the various pieces are all faded to different degrees, and there are some spots. Looks like a carpet job is in the plans later this year.

Thanks as always for the many tips -- I never would have tackled these projects without this Pelican Board and the Rennlist!

Chris Campbell
70 911E Targa
73 914 2.0
http://www.nosubstitute.org




[This message has been edited by campbellcj (edited 09-02-2000).]

All very interesting Chris! I can imagine the restraint needed to keep that 'lil jewel below 4k. It'll all be worth it in the long run.
I've just been checking out your interesting web page (Jerry S's collection in your back yard? How wonderful/frustrating!)

In the interior resto section you mention replacing the original centre speaker with a modern Blaupunkt. I was thinking of doing this too as mine's blown anyway, but I want to keep it really stock. What did you come up with as a replacement that fits - with no mods? Does it sound 'acceptable' (as in can you hear it above the engine??)

Thanks!

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'72 911 TE

Thanks for the note Matt. Yes, it is very interesting and frustrating seeing the ~3 dozen rare Porsches from my office window every few days. Ditto re. keeping the revs down on my new engine, but it is getting pretty broken in now -- I put another 150 miles on it so far this weekend.

I haven't reinstalled the speaker or radio yet. I will post info & pics when I get to that point. No, the speaker won't fit exactly in the stock location but it will go in with a simple fabricated adaptor with no cutting/mods to the dash itself.

I doubt I will be able to hear it on the highway, but I don't really care that much...AM/FM only too, no CD, back to the 70's!

Here is a pic of the car as of sunset today (it has 'loaner' black Fuchs on it now, mine aren't ready yet). I have gotten a TON done on the car this weekend so far -- the rest of the interior and the rocker decos should go on tomorrow.



[This message has been edited by campbellcj (edited 09-03-2000).]

Oooooooooooh! I hope I am in first with this but that looks sooooo sweet.

And it will look even better with the polished wheels (my personal preference, especially on the older models).

The paint looks great and the silver trim etc looks absolutely beautiful. I can't remember from your site, but did you get them chromed/reanodised?

Cam

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Cameron Baudinet
1975 911S