Here we go again! Zuffenhaus MS RSR project...

[eimkeith]

Originally Posted by al lkosmal

Keith,
oh yes!! that is very nice.

regards,
al

I appreciate that, Al!

[eimkeith]

and a quick update for today (taking most of the day off to get a break before this week's big push):

Spent some time harvesting backdate metal for the door tops; the RSR door panel leaves the top of the door exposed and the contours are significantly different between the '87 chassis and the '73 era doors.



(please ignore the poorly thought-out initial cut) I'm considering using more of the early door on the passenger side to simplify the positioning and cut-in.






And here is how she sits going into the week, after just over 60 hours of panel fitting. I still have yet to turn the welder on, and there are 7 more brackets/tabs that need to be spotweld-drilled and removed before I do so.




Here's the obligatory shot of the metal that has been cut out of the '87 so far to visually backdate the important areas on this project:



In addition to grafting in the donor panels, there is still fabrication to be done on the oil cooler/front latch panel and the left hand battery box areas. Then the RSR sway bar, ignition coil mounts, trailing arm mounts, and rear crossmember reinforcements can be installed. I hope to resolve all of these this week.

Finally, the tub will be seam sealed, the carbon body work re-installed and bonded to the sheemetal, and the hood pre-fit and drilled for the dry-break penetrations - then she's off to the mold shop for the second run of fender molds, and then off to paint!

[Mark Morrissey]

Subcribed... How the heck did I miss this cool thread?

[eimkeith]

Originally Posted by Mark Morrissey

Subcribed... How the heck did I miss this cool thread?

Hi Mark! I'll be talking about the cockpit, and more specifically the steering wheel in short order; feel free to chime in where appropriate when we get there!

[eimkeith]

OK, more backdate work on the doors - including finally breaking our door hinge pin puller and spending a part of the day on repair.

I realized that I should have made my donor panel for the driver's door more generous, and subsequently cut in another section:




Became smarter on the passenger side:

(donor door and passenger door)




some of the under structure has to be transferred over as well.



and here is the panel, fit and ready for welding in:



we'll be using early hinges as well, as there is a significant visual difference between the early and late hardware; the early hinges used pockets that the internal hex bolt heads fit into, whereas the later hinges used an external hex bolt with a washer base that sits atop the hinge, allowing for larger holes to aid in door alignment.



(early hinge in blue)

This is one of those things: once you've seen it, you see it. So we're addressing it.




And also, for no reason at all other than they arrived today, here is a picture of our new 18" Wheel Product. Check out the Fuchs-style soft lip on these things!:



The Zuchs aren't for this project; but I cannot wait to see what folks use them on!

[rennch]

Eimkeith, you can DEFINITELY post pics from Tapatalk. See?



Instead of writing a reply at the bottom, click the "+" icon to the left.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[eimkeith]

Like this?


keith.

(sent from my rotary dial phone.)

[eimkeith]

Thanks!


keith.

(sent from my rotary dial phone.)

[OffCamber00]

Thanks for taking the time to post some updates for us. Love the pic of the scrap pile. That tells it all.

[eimkeith]

my pleasure.

[preston_brown]

Why didn't you just use the whole early door, instead of sectioning off bits? Because the newer one is galvanized on the outer skin?

[eimkeith]

Several reasons; primarily to take advantage of the factory side impact protection and rust-free condition of the late door.
On top of that, rust-free early doors are precious now, should be saved for original cars in my opinion.
There are still plenty of rusted-out early doors available to provide donor metal for backdating, though!
(Don't throw any early stuff away.)


keith.

(sent from my rotary dial phone.)

[Rich Lambert]

Wow Keith, I just saw this thread and read the whole thing in one sitting. You guys are pretty talented. I had no idea so much time and work went into developing parts. It's interesting how you're using high tech tools to recreate '73 parts in 21st century materials.

Looking forward to seeing how the car turns out. Speaking of that...as I was reading the posts and watching the years slide by, I was wondering what you tell the "client" when he calls and says, "It's been 7.5 years...is my car done yet?".

[eimkeith]

Yes this one has been a big one; it's gone places neither we nor the client imagined it would, and has become a focus for me in particular in the last few years.

I believe we're in the home stretch on this project though: we now have clear build objectives, honed by the previous changes in scope and direction; we've completed the (multi-year) design work on most of the unique bits that are to be produced for this Mary Stuart recreation (most, not all. ); and we now have the benefit of partnership with a client who is in a position to make it happen and is just as enthusiastic about pushing the envelope on the old stuff while staying true to its spirit as we are.

Hindsight being what it is, some time could certainly have been saved if we initially set out to build the final iteration (even irrespective of the design activities) - for instance, the metal backdating I'm doing at the moment is the second round of such work; had we known that this project would require this level of detail consideration, this metal work would have been long completed. Likewise for other aspects of the project.

- then again, we like to see clients dialogue with their projects, it's the process of making the builds theirs and where the unique stuff comes from, I think.



keith.

(sent from my rotary dial phone.)

[eimkeith]

Passenger door finished and mounted.


keith.

(sent from my rotary dial phone.)

[eimkeith]

Originally Posted by eimkeith

we'll be using early hinges as well, as there is a significant visual difference between the early and late hardware; the early hinges used pockets that the internal hex bolt heads fit into, whereas the later hinges used an external hex bolt with a washer base that sits atop the hinge, allowing for larger holes to aid in door alignment.







(early hinge in blue)

So as a result of posting this, I've just been informed by folks more knowledgeable than I (folks that were intimate with 911s in 1973 ) that the bolt changeover to the external hex and non-recessed hinge actually occurred in mid-year '72. Therefore, being a '73, the hinges I removed would have been the correct hinge for the Mary Stuart RSR.



However, due to the MS being a factory prototype/development chassis, all manner of oddity could (and probably did) occur. Does anyone have historic photo reference tucked away of the Mary Stuart door jamb for the sake of accuracy?



Unless some photo evidence appears to the contrary, I'll be re-installing the original hinges tomorrow.



I must say, I'm pleased that the thread is now assisting the build

[eimkeith]

Both doors complete, mounted, and gaps set to factory spec. (4mm)








keith.

(sent from my rotary dial phone.)

[eimkeith]

Passenger door hinges replaced with correct ones this time.


keith.

(sent from my rotary dial phone.)

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Do you have a source for the correct triple square cheese head bolts? Can you still get them from Porsche? IIRC, there are two types, one with a knurled outside edge and one plain.

Originally Posted by eimkeith

we'll be using early hinges as well, as there is a significant visual difference between the early and late hardware; the early hinges used pockets that the internal hex bolt heads fit into, whereas the later hinges used an external hex bolt with a washer base that sits atop the hinge, allowing for larger holes to aid in door alignment.



(early hinge in blue)

This is one of those things: once you've seen it, you see it. So we're addressing it.

[eimkeith]

They aren't available from Porsche; we have a small stash of the squirreled away - I believe Ed Mayo has a source (he's the go to guy for vintage detail stuff if you didn't know. . )


keith.

(sent from my rotary dial phone.)