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Yawn… Yet another 911R Clone build thread…
… and this one will even be painted Ivory White, but…
THIS ONE IS MINE!!! Welcome to my project. I have been threatening to start a build thread for this car for quite some time, so I am using the occasion of its 2nd anniversary since arriving in my garage to get it going. The long and short of it are as follows… What I started with was a 1968 912 that had already been converted over to a 911 vintage race car with a full (but poorly executed) cage, fuel cell, fire system, upgraded suspension, S-brakes up front, and a fresh 2.4L S-spec motor (with Webers) hiding in the back. Here is how it looked when I got it home: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264686201.jpg Fast forward 2 years, and this is where we are at: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264686253.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264686278.jpg So, needless to say, a lot has transpired and I have been busy. What I at first was calling a “conversion” slowly but surely drifted towards a full restoration as I dug in deeper and deeper. The usual things that are hard to ignore (rust, poorly done repairs, strange mods that can only be explained by its “race car” status, etc.) kept creeping up so I would dig in a little more, do a little more disassembly, and usually end up saying, “yikes!” I bought the car sight unseen, which was a big step for me. I am the kind of person that can spend 2 hours looking at a parts car candidate! I got as warm a feeling as I could before sealing the deal since the car was in Tennessee and I am in California. Was it what I was expecting? Not totally. Any regrets? Not really. It has been, and will continue to be, all worth it in the end. In the past, all my Porsches had been “tributes to originality”; the price for being a patient and thorough used Porsche buyer. Well, I was getting tired of that! Time to find one that was already so messed with that I would never have a tinge of regret as I cut and welded on it. My plan/goal for this car project has changed very little from my original intention, even with the shift to a full restoration. I wanted to build up an R-clone on a SWB chassis… LWB would not do. Not planning to go crazy on lightness for this project. The car will get a complete lightweight interior and have heat and a radio system. For the most part, all the R-ish exterior details will be present. I want it to be a fun street AND track car, and there will certainly be some autocrossing in its future. But when at a decision point, I tend to lean towards longevity and “streetability” for the best solution. This car will be a driver… Hope everyone enjoys following along! |
Flashback #1
I know most everybody loves pictures more than words, so I will try to not get too carried away with descriptions. I am a “the devil is in the details” sort of a person; like to think things through a lot, and have a real good memory, so sometimes TMI kicks in…
Like I said in the first post, I have had the car for 2 years. I tore into it pretty much right away, the first episode being to get it registered in California. Here it is stripped down and looking a bit more mild-mannered for the DMV: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264686483.jpg No problems there. I put about 100 miles on it searching for issues, giving friends and family rides, and then promptly started to take it apart. I sooo wanted just one track day in it, but the to-do list was just too long to make it safe enough. By July ’08 the engine was ready to come out: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264686512.jpg After a multi-month detour to address engine issues on my SC, I got back to it. This is when I starting finding more rust issues than I had anticipated and reality started to set in. Jack points missing, front pan and latch panel not so hot: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264686559.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264686586.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264686610.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264686630.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264686652.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264686710.jpg Metal work has been covered extensively here as of late, so I won’t drag everyone through all that stuff again. Suffice to say, I let TRE handle the front pan/latch panel and jack point issues. At the time, those were definitely out of my league. Up to now, that is the only time the car has left my garage. And, it may be the only time it EVER leaves during the project if I can get up the nerve to paint it myself… New pan welded in with prep underway: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264686831.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264686854.jpg Hmmm… It may take a few posts to get everyone caught up… |
Flashback #2 – Front End Work
Once the car was back, I continued with more disassembly and metal work to get the body pointed in the right direction. Sometime in the spring of last year, I decided to focus on getting the entire undercarriage repaired and sealed up. Admittedly, this had a lot to do with wanting to get something DONE on the car. I figured if I worked front to back, I could mix in a little assembly work as I went. Here is the front of the car in work:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687073.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687106.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687127.jpg That let me install the front suspension back on the car: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687155.jpg Up front, the car came with re-valved Bilsteins, 23mm torsion bars, S-brakes, and an aluminum cross bar. The a-arms were also not the stock ’68 versions. Aside from a lot of clean up work and throwing brake shields back into the mix, I put it all back together with new PolyBronze bushings, the collinear kit, and DOT-rated stainless steel brake lines. I ditched the long wheel studs, too… http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687191.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687211.jpg |
Flashback #3 – Working My Way Back
The floors went relatively quick. Lots of little issues to deal with (some rust spots, dents, lots of holes from harness tiedowns, etc.):
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687341.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687364.jpg I hope I don’t regret not replacing them. They had been worked on before and not repaired in the most elegant of ways. But, they are solid, and heck… it’s the bottom of the car and I am the one who spends most of the time looking at them! I have yet to spray the floor with undercoating, but at least it is all sealed up… |
Flashback #4 - Working on the Rear
More holes to fill, rust to address, and some enhancements to make. Just a lot of dirty, noisy, and messy work that takes time. Repeat after me… clean, cut, patch/plug/fit, weld, grind, clean, Metal Ready, POR-15… over and over until all the spots are ready for seam sealing and undercoating. Overkill? Maybe in some spots, but it’s the bottom of the car and I am going for longevity here..
Before Undercoating (lots of work to get to this point): http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687514.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687536.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687557.jpg And after: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687608.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687631.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687656.jpg |
Flashback #5 – Side Jobs
Sometimes I just needed a break from working on the body. Motors and transmissions are ALWAYS a nice distraction. The car arrived with a 2.4L S-Spec motor with Webers and “2 hours” on it. Nice place to start, I think. The tranny was the original ’68 912 box (902/02) with the stock A-F-M-S-X gear set in it.
Engine before, ala race car: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687775.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687797.jpg Engine after, ala street car: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687838.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687858.jpg Work involved: Had solid tensioners, those needed to go. Had the wrong alternator installed, that needed to go. Checked the cam timing since it was opened up, all good. Adjusted the valves, buttoned it up, installed the SSI’s and an M&K, wrestled the heater gear into place, and did some clean up. I never had the intention of making this motor look brand new… it may look a bit ratty compared to the “fresh” engine bay, but powder coating engine tin and re-plating hardware will have to come another day. Transmission before: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687900.jpg Transmission after (wow, what a change ;)): http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264687931.jpg Work involved: Just needed to tear it down to see what I had. Turned out to be bone stock and in very nice shape save the usual first gear issues. I changed out the S and X gears for V and ZA (to stretch it out at highway speeds), replaced the first gear components, ditched the 912 support bar setup, bought the gasket kit, and put it all back together. I have a hunch I may have to get back in there to address the differential. I am reading up on that issue now… |
Flashback #6 – Interior Seal Up
More of the same routine here. Lots of little spots that needed “the treatment”. Note the cage is totally gone, to be replaced by a bolt-in roll bar ala TRE. I removed anything that I wouldn’t be using (rear seat/upholstery brackets and the like). The ’68-style seat belt hard points remain, but will not be used. I kept the luggage tiedowns, too, just in case...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264688117.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264688142.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264688163.jpg Not much to look at at this point, but ready for the next step. I also cleaned up all the window/door jambs and sealed the window frames with POR-15. They were in surprisingly good shape, but I figured now was the time to bulletproof them in case I have a seal go bad someday. |
I think that gets us pretty well caught up…
I may have left out some pretty good gory details, but maybe some of them will come back around later as the thread progresses. I am crazy and actually keep track of the time I physically work on the car. By the end of 2009, I had racked up about 800 hours total, most of it in 2009 versus 2008. Sometimes I feel like I just work slow, other times it seems like I am doing all right. But what is there really to compare to since every project is different? All I know is there is no way I am going to try and account for all the time I spend thinking about the car, researching the next steps, or buying/selling parts!
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Some Installs
Since spraying the engine bay/torque tube area and the rear wheel wells at the beginning of this month, I have been able to do some of my favorite type of work… installs. First thing on the list was to get the rear suspension back on the car:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264688356.jpg This is a temporary install. The car came to me with 30mm rear torsion bars, Bilsteins, a Weltmeister sway bar, and worn out rubber bushings. I have already had it, meaning the stub axles, drive hubs, etc., all apart once to get rid of the long wheel studs and build up the parking brake parts. I am regretting not putting in new wheel bearings, but now that I have a press, I suspect it will all come apart again (off the car). For now I can at least roll it around if needed. The initial setup for the rear susp. will include the 30mm t-bars, PolyBronze bushings, the Bilsteins, adjustable SWB spring plates, and the sway bar. Next up was to get the harness back in the car: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264688405.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264688442.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264688472.jpg Felt real good to get that done! I didn’t button up the front portion yet, but everything from the area behind the pedal cluster back is where it is supposed to be. |
More installs…
With the harness installed, that means some more restored parts can go back on.
The oil tank: (I am NOT heading down the '72 oil tank road. That is one of the R-ish details I can live without... hats off to the folks that are patient enough to do that mod. This is the tank that came with the car and it will do fine. It is a '74-on style tank without the filter base/console.) http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264688582.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264688603.jpg (That install went fast because of A LOT of prep work. During the initial conversion to a 911, the oil tank install left a little to be desired. While I could live with the ratty oil filter/filler cut out, the “swiss cheese” around the 2 mounting bolts and the missing rubber bushings was not okay with me. Think patching/welding, re-drilling and fitting, parts searches, etc. Not a big deal, just one more thing that takes time to resolve.) The pedal cluster (trust me... looks great behind that floorboard ;)): http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264688646.jpg Some of the tunnel gear got stuffed back in there, too. Well, I think that should get folks interested. Lots of other goodies in the cabinets and more to come. Thanks for following along… |
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Nice project ! |
Nice! Keep the pictures coming... :cool:
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Great project.
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very nice. Love the detail for the undercarriage.
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Fantastic project!
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You have a lift....I dont like you...haha. That is going to be a really fun car. Thanks for the pictures!
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Was the pan really bad enough to replace?
How are the rockers? Love to see the early cars put right. Thanks for the look see. |
R_builder, I'm fairly certain that car used to be in my family. The pegasus and gulf decals were on the car when you bought it, right?
If that is the car, which I'm fairly certain it is, my mom actually vintage raced the car as a 912 for awhile. We then traded it locally for a 911 with imsa history, then I the car disappeared. I remember seeing the car on ebay a few years back. I'll try to dig up some pics to confirm it's identity. |
Very nice work. The amount of knowledge and skill on this board amazes me even after 6 years of being here. Nice lift and shop too!
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Excellent project - great pictures and story line - don't sweat TMI - we are all addicts for this kind of stuff! Keep the info coming.
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Hey Doug,
You are doing a hell of a job there. What kind of undercoating are you using and what seam sealer? Keep up the good work. Thanks |
Hey I wouldn't be Yawning! Great story and thanks for sharing
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To answer some questions...
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The seam seal is a FLAPS product... 3M's Dynatron. Comes in a caulking tube, ends up on your fingers (and the car). Right or wrong, that's what is on there; no going back now... Quote:
Silly me... you folks never get tired of this stuff (and neither do I). |
More work out back...
Spent a lot of time this week working in the engine bay. Here are some highlights:
- Installed the engine sound pad (911-556-891-01-M260 from our host) using 3M Super Weatherstrip and Gasket Glue. Buy 2 tubes... I used up one yellow tube, wished I had used black, so I bought black to finish up the edges. - Installed the engine bay perimeter seal. Thought it might put up a fight, but it took less than an hour to get it all in. New/soft rubber is refreshing to work with... - Installed OEM "Sport" motor mounts. - Started the fuel system build up (more on that later). Some pics: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264861483.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264861511.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264861530.jpg One other job that got done: A cool thing happens on the early cars when you decide to go with an upgraded ignition system and install an alternator w/ a built-in voltage regulator... there is not much stuff to mount on the LHS of the engine bay! The MSD and coil were the ones that came with the car and seemed like a good choice, so I kept them and made a custom panel to support them. Back when I was cleaning up the engine bay areas, I used a template I made from a 71 panel to help spot in the mounting holes, then moved to a template for the panel I wanted to make, and ultimately to a bare custom panel (1/16" thick alum sheet) that a buddy made for me since he had the material handy: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264861996.jpg Fit checked the bare panel: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264862081.jpg Looked okay, so I mounted the components: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264862130.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264862149.jpg and bolted it in place: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1264862182.jpg I will terminate and clean up all the wiring after the motor goes in and I can make sure I got it all right. |
Noice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Very NICE!!
Keep up the good work. I want a ride when done!!! Q |
subscribed
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nice
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Looks great Doug. I need to get my rear in gear so I can catch up!
-Dave. |
Well Done!
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Fuel System Coming Together at Last…
I worked on a few other little things this week, but mostly I was gathering up the last few bits needed for the fuel system and installing as much as I could on the car. The main components are as follows:
1. New SC-style CIS gas tank 2. Carrera fuel pump 3. Added a return line to the tunnel (from a 71T) 4. Generic in-line fuel filter 5. PMO fuel pressure regulator (FPR) 6. Generic 50 psi 5/16” ID rubber fuel line I think that means parts from all 911 generations from 65-89 are represented! Here is how it looks installed in the rear of the car: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265501015.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265501048.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265501085.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265501113.jpg And here is the stuff up front by the tank. The lines from the pump to the tunnel are always “fun”: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265501259.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265501284.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265501312.jpg One little detail I forgot to add to the car before I sealed up the front was the L-bracket that is used to support the top isolator on the factory fuel pump bracket. I decided to make a custom one using pipe strapping that hooks back to the aluminum cross member. Nice and tight fit, so it should do the trick: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265501372.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265501390.jpg On a side note, I decided to use rivnuts to hold the FPR in place and thought folks might like to see the install steps. There were already two holes on the rear cross member that were centered on the engine bay, but I had to open them up to work with the M6 rivnuts I bought: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265501634.jpg continued... |
Fuel System continued...
Here are the rivnuts and their installation tool:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265501961.jpg FWIW, I chose these rivnuts because of their ribbed shank and thin head height. They are cad-plated steel… Rivnut being set in place, and one done: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265501985.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265502001.jpg Two rivnuts and a custom aluminum L-bracket for the FPR. I installed the rivnuts “wet” with some black gasket goo just in case. Very solid mount. Saved the best for last... the tank: :D http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265502093.jpg New tank, modified by TRE, and painted/assembled by yours truly. Sorry guys, no through-the-hood filler on this R clone. Like I said for the '72 oil tank stuff, not going down that road... I am pretty much ready to install the gas tank, just going to hold off a little until I do some more work up front. It is nice to be able to stand where the tank usually sits... great access under the cowl. |
One less thing to worry about...
And this morning I took care of a nagging problem in the re-geared '68 902/02 tranny that will go in the car. For those of you that have gone through upgrading the simplified differential, you can relate with how nice it is to take this picture:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265502793.jpg MANY thanks to those on the site that documented this upgrade when they did it. Sure saved me a lot of time... That's all for today. Enjoy! |
nice & sanitary!
BTW - how much did that rivnut kit cost? and from where? |
Rivnut Source
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Installation Tool, M6, P/N 96349A764, $23.87 M6 Zinc-Plated Steel Rivnut 25 pack, P/N 95105A183, $8.82 I also grabbed some 97217A444 slotted body M6 rivnuts while I was at it... I figured they may work well on fiberglass if you back them up with a washer (assuming you can get to the backside). I am thinking license plate mounts, bumper braces, etc. Hope that helps. |
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Doug |
Busy Month...
Time flies! It took a while for a number of things to gel over the last month (making/painting brackets, laying out stuff and selecting parts, waiting for them to show up). You know the drill... let's see if I can get the thread caught up.
Fuel Tank Installed Spot all ready: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1267920247.jpg In place: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1267920295.jpg Some fit checking: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1267920363.jpg And bottomside hookups complete: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1267920403.jpg Went pretty smooth, just took some time to make sure it was positioned well before pinning it down. |
Looking great Doug.... I wish I could show that kind of progress on some of my projects. Congratulations!!!
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It should be easier to breath...
For some reason, the oil tank breather and the gas tank breather set-ups have taken me a LOT longer to sort out than I thought they would. So, I will do a bunch of pictures and try to articulate why I chose to do what I did.
First up, the oil tank breather... After way too much time searching, this is the tank I settled on. $80 for something like this seems real cheap to me, so this was a "buy" versus a "make". The part number for the tank is STF-5116: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1267924439.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1267924397.jpg In this case, size did matter to me (both overall and the fittings). I had a couple locations in mind for it in the engine bay (outboard of the RHS rear shock mount or on the RHS wall ahead of the oil tank). Both spots would be a tight fit and the ~1" ID hose coming off the oil tank is pretty big (for good reason, of course). I didn't want a bunch of adapter fittings in the set-up and my preference for the location was just ahead of the main oil tank on the RHS... wanted to use that factory S-hose if I could, too. So, the 5116 fit the bill regarding size and fitting location/size... what finally made it work for me was that it came with a -12 AN fitting on it. Just so happens the OD of the male threads on a -12 AN fitting are 1.0625"... nice for that 1" ID line! So, here are the parts that will get installed and the gear to pull it off: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1267924979.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1267925007.jpg (Like that donor bracket... license plate bracket from a trailer IIRC... should be able to get a couple parts out of that!) Here is where I want it to be: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1267925186.jpg Rivnuts to the rescue again: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1267925223.jpg Support bracket made, painted, and in place: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1267925290.jpg And everything installed: :D http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1267925333.jpg FYI, that S-hose is part number 911.107.393.01 (usually used to go from the oil tank to the RHS of a CIS air box). REALLY glad that is done. Options down the road would be to add lines from the breather tank to the carb air filters to burn off the oil fumes (hope I don't smell them in the car with the heater on like I have read about) or mod the -12 AN fitting if I get a leak where the S-hose hooks up to those threads. All possible since the tank was made of uncoated aluminum and I have a friend that is good with aluminum welding. Those were 2 other reasons I went with that tank... Hope that saves somebody some time! |
Loving the gas tank!
Phillip |
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