The journey draws to an end....

[richde]

Tomorrow, after "owning" an '84 since the middle of December, I will look upon it with my own eyes, touch those fenders that I've been dreaming about for months, and fondle it's various controls with my own hands and feet.

Going about it the hard way, buying a car in the States off of eBay (after PPI) and getting it shipped to Germany, a mere 8 months after I was shipped to Germany. I'm working for my Uncle (Sam) though, not available for sale on eBay or otherwise.

Got all the paperwork, various electronic devices, numerous butterflies in my stomach and even a spare DME relay as I'm waiting for the taxi to take me to the train station. After that it's a seven hour train ride to the port of Bremerhaven and a four hour drive home.

Wish me luck and photos of dirty car to follow.

[PatrickB]

Sounds like a very spirited fun drive home is in order!

ENJOY!

[ulrichd]

Rich,
I am curious how are the tough new German emission laws going to effect the older cars. Will they be excluded?

Ulrich

[herman maire]

Cool.... trip like that are the best.

Good luck and be sure to take plenty of pics.

[richde]

Originally Posted by ulrichd

Rich,
I am curious how are the tough new German emission laws going to effect the older cars. Will they be excluded?

Ulrich

I'm exempt, I have no idea how the TUV works.

[4flyboy]

Good luck Man waiting impatiently for photos here in Caifornia!

Scott

[azasadny]

Congrats! Take some pics and post them here!!

[williecoyote]

I wouldn't be able to stand it! Best of luck, and I hope your new car lives up to your expectations.

[richde]

Wow, I can't say that was the best idea, but it worked.

Here is a photo of the new addition along with my very dirty WRX in the garage.


This paint color has had me wondering for a long time. Looked at the (factory) paint code under the hood, and it's L9999? Been repainted, but apparently in the original color.

Lemme see, it's LOUD, with a Fabspeed 1-in-2-out muffler. Very mean at idle, engine braking, and full song.

Realized there is something to this "German car thing." 120 mph on the autobahn was rock steady, where my WRX would get to bouncing a little so I kept it to the max cruise control speed of 90. Which is pretty much the best way to get around, trying to set land speed records there just has you jumping on the brakes every two minutes because somebody pulled out going 80 to pass a truck.

Started right up, idled smooth, no uneven braking after hard braking from high speed, high effort, but no pulling to either side or premature lockup, no bouncy or loose feeling suspension.

Now for the bad:

I figure there's a vacuum leak to the brake booster because it sounds strangely like the turbo spooling up and down on my WRX, and it's coming from forward of the cabin. Not right at all. There's some roughness when the brakes are applied. I was prepared for brake maintenance, at least there's nothing wrong with the calipers, as far as I can tell. I wonder if those could have something to do with each other, but I doubt it. Possible wheel bearings?

Transmission, it's a 915. It was supposed to have been rebuilt two years ago, but it's pretty balky. I can't downshift from fifth to fourth, third to fourth is fine, just can't go backwards, fourth gear just seems to hide from me when I do not "follow ze procedure!" Tried blipping with double clutching, didn't matter. When down shifting, fourth was nowhere to be found. I'm going to change all the fluids, rebuild the shift linkage and go from there with a fresh start along with picking up religion to pray for my new toy to NOT have a dorked tranny.

The front spoiler was damaged on the driver's side. Pulled away from the body, but I think I might be able to engineer a cheap simple solution.

These cars are so hard to drive with the flywheel effect, or lack of same. First time I've ever had to think about blipping the throttle on up shifts.

Feels very solid though, steering wheel is like nothing I've ever felt outside of a kart. NOW I know what people were talking about when they talked about feedback through the wheel!


No owner's manual! What's the usual normal/cooler weather oil weight? Min of freezing and max of 90?

Is it normal to not be able to insert the gas nozzle far into the receptical like on most cars? It looks like there's two tubes, first I thought the tube was bent away, but it wasn't. Didn't fill up the trunk with gas either, that was an unpleasant scare, 400 miles from home with the low fuel light illuminated.

[Jack Olsen]

These cars are so hard to drive with the flywheel effect

What's the 'flywheel effect?' Is the car stalling?

[imaircooled]

Hey cool car. Hope you like it. How about some more pictures. I was born in Bremerhaven.

Good luck,
Chris

[richde]

Originally Posted by Jack Olsen

What's the 'flywheel effect?' Is the car stalling?

I mean the engine drops revs so quickly.

I suppose I've gotten used to a strange thing with the Impreza where it doesn't cut fuel right when you get off the throttle. It's to keep from getting an overly lean condition when going from WOT full boost, to closed throttle, full boost. You shift leisurely and it rev matches.

In the 911 you have to shift slow, but the revs drop off immediately. Just something to get used to.

[burgermeister]

Originally Posted by richde

I mean the engine drops revs so quickly.

I suppose I've gotten used to a strange thing with the Impreza where it doesn't cut fuel right when you get off the throttle. It's to keep from getting an overly lean condition when going from WOT full boost, to closed throttle, full boost. You shift leisurely and it rev matches.

In the 911 you have to shift slow, but the revs drop off immediately. Just something to get used to.

I'm still not used to it after 5500 miles. Is the official remedy double-clutching upshifts?? Pretty annoying feature I think. My old Firebird had a similar problem - I got used to keeping my foot on the gas (lightly of course) during shifts. But the engine took probably 2 seconds from idle to redline, so there was much room for error ... not so much in the 911.

I also can't insert the gas nozzle too far - if I do,it shuts off.

Sweet car, back in its Vaterland. Sunday mornings are good days for the Autobahn. I would expect you to make a visit or 100 to the Nurburgring. One of my dreams, will probably never happen for me, must live vicariously through others!

Good Luck!

[Jack Olsen]

I've driven a lot of 911s, and I'm still not clear on what's being described. Does the car stall if you don't get right back on the gas?

[williecoyote]

When putting fuel in the car, turn the gas nozzle around 180 degrees from the way you think it should go. It will be easier to add fuel this way.

[ruf-porsche]

Your'e station in the fatherland and couldn't find a PORSCHE 911 over there and had to import a smogged USA PORSCHE?

[Danny_Ocean]

Originally Posted by ruf-porsche

Your'e station in the fatherland and couldn't find a PORSCHE 911 over there and had to import a smogged USA PORSCHE?

They're typically in rougher shape over there (and more expensive).

[Mitch Leland]

Rich,

As far as the color of your paint is concerned, the L9999 as you apparently know is a Paint to Sample color by the original owner. I've gotten a Certificate of Authenticity from PNA and it was no help identifying the my L9999 color.

I have just reinstalled my engine and trans, but didn't mark the linkage coupler before removing. Bad move. Now I've been trying to find the "sweet" spot. I was real close, then made one more adjustment, but didn't tighten the clamp tight enough and it slipped. Had to start over, UGH... The point is that just a little movement one way or the other can really change the set up. One time I would have reverse, but no low, then visa versa... Be sure to either use masking tape and a magic marker to mark your starting point.

I think you'll be surprised once you change your shifter torque tube bushing and the nylon cup bushing at the end of your shifter. There's a lot of information on how to do this on this site. If you don't have a copy of Bentley's Repair Manual, get one...

Good luck,

[SCWDP911]

looks like a Ruby

[richde]

Originally Posted by Jack Olsen

I've driven a lot of 911s, and I'm still not clear on what's being described. Does the car stall if you don't get right back on the gas?

No stalling, just an unfamiliar characteristic of the engine, very different from my previous cars.

Originally Posted by ruf-porsche

Your'e station in the fatherland and couldn't find a PORSCHE 911 over there and had to import a smogged USA PORSCHE?

Check out the Euro-Dollar rates, there you will find your answer. The cheapest 911 I found was 11,500 euro and while it ran and shifted great, it was kinda rough on the inside. It happens to be a Euro model, so it's actually just making an extended visit, about three years, home before it returns to the States.

Originally Posted by Mitch Leland

Rich,

As far as the color of your paint is concerned, the L9999 as you apparently know is a Paint to Sample color by the original owner. I've gotten a Certificate of Authenticity from PNA and it was no help identifying the my L9999 color.

I have just reinstalled my engine and trans, but didn't mark the linkage coupler before removing. Bad move. Now I've been trying to find the "sweet" spot. I was real close, then made one more adjustment, but didn't tighten the clamp tight enough and it slipped. Had to start over, UGH... The point is that just a little movement one way or the other can really change the set up. One time I would have reverse, but no low, then visa versa... Be sure to either use masking tape and a magic marker to mark your starting point.

I think you'll be surprised once you change your shifter torque tube bushing and the nylon cup bushing at the end of your shifter. There's a lot of information on how to do this on this site. If you don't have a copy of Bentley's Repair Manual, get one...

Good luck,

Oh, so it's a custom color code. That explains EVERYTHING!

I'll start with the adjustment here: http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/911_shifting_improvements/911_shifting_improvements.htm
Sounds like an entertaining Saturday night.

Yes, when I get this thing operating to my liking, it'll see some 'ring action. It's gonna take some work. Sad thing is that my wish list has been blown out of the water by an expanding "need list."

Oil weight suggestions before I make my big PP order for Monday? Nevermind, it was in the Bentley Manual.

and it's got the dreaded one key for ignition, one for the doors, easier to rekey the ignition?