Saving a 73 from the crusher...

[Luccia at Pelican Parts]

Love this, Wayne! I'm going to be posting it up on our FB, Twitter, and Instagram so make sure to check it out! Thanks for sharing.

-Luccia

[wayner]

Originally Posted by wayner

I really wrestled with the battery box question.

In the end, I decided to leave them for the next owner as part of my retirement plan

(you know, for that day when an early car will sell for $100k even for a rusted out hulk, :-)

I thought that I was joking when I made this comment back in 2011

[keitho64]

Wayne

I just went through the thread, amazing job! Thank you for adding all the index links to make navigating the thread easier.

This is my favorite picture of your car, it has a sinister look!

[wayner]

Thanks!!

[wayner]

Updating my thread index to include "over the top oil line."


PAGE 1 - The find - Comparing hidden surprises to a car already apart (see parcel tray comparison at bottom of page).

PAGE 2 - Engine build sheet

PAGE 3 & 4 - Transmission build sheet

PAGE 7 - Door post repair

PAGE 9 (TOP)- The engine video

Page 9 (BOTTOM) - Rolling the fenders

PAGE 11 - RSR oil cooler duct

PAGE 14 - The 17 inch wheels

PAGE 16 - Before, during and after

PAGE 17 - Headliner install pictures Also, see post 370 on this pagefor a summary of installation steps and parts list

PAGE 18 - Some RSR history starting on post 350

PAGE 21 - Oil cooler lines
(Note, over the top oil line to get around headers - see post 457 on page 23

Page 23 - Windshield trim adjustment. (I also elaborated in this thread - Window seals and trim also, the windshield trim thread that I couldn't find just resurface so I'll add it here).

Page 23 - repairing rear Sway bar mounts with WEVO mount repairing rear Sway bar mounts with WEVO mount but I would do it this way if I had to do it again need sway bar ideas

PAGE 24 - Torsion tube stiffening This thread also shows pictures of real RSR bracing (along with 930 bracing)

PAGE 25 - The adventure home (planes trains and automobile...)

PAGE 26 - The Jack Olsen pose

PAGE 27 - Project Lessons learned

PAGE 28 - Interior and carpet installation

PAGE 29 - The car's 40th re-birthday party

The Dolly that I made to use to work on my car at home
Instead of buying a scissor lift where I always have to work on the car in the same spot, I made this stand that I can keep it on for the winter and roll in in the corner when I am not working on it. Here is the thread

Inspirational threads that got me started (from Mild to wild)

Jack Olsen's Black Beauty II - Black Beauty II

Chris' flat sided 73 - My '73 Hot Rod is Home!

Rob's ST Cafe racer - Robs 911ST Cafe' Racer

Reaper's 935 K3 build - Zuffenhaus 935 K3 Build for Fünf Gruppen


RUST repair threads

Fishcop's must read rust thread - http://forums.pelicanparts.com/paint-bodywork-discussion-forum/545166-restoration-my-69-911-a.html

Rockers and kidneys - 1967 911 restoration...becoming a T/R

This rescue thread is epic - 1968 912 junker reincarnation

My collection of rust pictures from other threads and other sources. Know where to look and what to expect.

Why windshield trim should be a regular maintenance item.

To "Glue" or-not-to "Glue!

Threads on upgrading or cleaning up cars that are already together
Now that my car is at the stage that it is at, I frequently refer to Jeremy's thread with lots of fantastic guidance on brake and suspension upgrades etc.
Well here she is -

Removing vapor canister from trunk

Although there are many suspension threads, I picked this one as a reference
'78 SC Elephant Racing Suspension Rebuild

A thread that I started when looking for opinions on selecting seats

Recaro Pole position thread

[wayner]

After my battery explosion, I washed the car out, and treated it. Somewhat discouraged, I pushed it to the back of the garage for the summer while I attended to other priorities. I hate myself for having done that

Gona dive in and get my car going again this weekend.

May do a Toronto road trip next week. I’m working there for 3 days, and it turns out that a long lost friend may meet me there on his bike trip that he is on.
Great opportunity to take him for a ride and give him a new experience. He has never been in one, let alone one like this.

(I’m paying forward what another friend gave to me way back when experiencing his 72 that got me into this long hood mess in the first place).


P.S.

My absolute best memory in the car so far was one night last fall approaching midnight.
By that time I had already been to Calabogie with my near spin, and had renewed confidence in the car since it didn’t fall apart

Confident in the car’s mechanicals I headed to Toronto for the week, and lost a rear wheel bearing 1/2 hr away from Mikes 914 shop, 3 hours in to a four hour drive. I left the car there and took the train the rest of the way.

On the way back I picked up my car, all better, and I don’t remember any of the 4 hr drive home except for the section of old Perth highway from the 401 to Westport.
It was a magical moment carving through the darkness, with low mist hanging in the flields, engine singing, the carbs gulping in cool mountain air in 3rd gear all the way, lifting only slightly while approaching even the tightest turns, and then accelerating through them emerging out the other side with constant grin as the car carved its way through, sitting absolutley flat in the turns. It was automotive perfection that not a single internet video can come close to.

After all my efforts and mixed emotions throughout this 911RSR journey, that is what I remember most. The mosport outing was a pale second in comparison, and that says a lot, because the Mosport coming out party for the car was a fantastic experience.

This drive will probably be futile, but I am going to try and recapture the experience once again. Whish me luck.

[911 tweaks]

hi wayne... bummer to read on the battery incident u just posted here & no use of the car this summer mostly...
I hope all is well... u did not share this experience about this in this thread...
so what was the "take away" from that experience...??
hope all is well...

[wayner]

Good idea. I will share it here

Here is what is left of the battery from its "better" side
I started this warning thread after the incident. DANGER! install volt meter now!!

Also, aside from new regulator, my rebuilt alternator going in for the trip






What I really learned from this though is that I can get an awful lot done when I throw a cover over my car

New rad and suspension in my wife's hotrod pickup truck
new door on garage, you know, a few little things like that

[wayner]

oh, and an entry level 148hp Subaru on skinny all season crappy street tires make for very a good DE car when your 911 blows up on the way to the track for your daughter's first big event. ( it's just slightly embarrassing )��

[video]

[911 tweaks]

thats awesome wayne... I like how u changed the music for when the subby was coming around... LOL...
glad all turned out ok...
hope your daughter has a different understanding/appreciation of what is involved in owning an old classic car... let alone it be a porsche...))
thx for the new thread...Ill watch in a bit...

[wayner]

Latest addition inspired by my passenger Michel.

As we worked our way out of traffic and into clean air where we could let the car stretch its legs a little bit, something was on my mind. No sooner did I think it, that Michael blurted out "don't pull a (insert name of driver here) !"

With all due respect, the incident he was referring to serves as a great reminder to any early 911 driver, to put on your 911 hat and remind yourself of all of the discipline that these cars demand when driving. Particularly the part about getting all the slowing down done in a straight line.

I behaved myself, although Michel was visibly uncomfortable with the new level of traction and performance that my wide tired car has compared to his stock early one.

Rather than picking from my list of backlogged projects myself, I've always relied on the car to tell me what it needs next. This time this unspoken idea came from my passenger. While leaving a lot of margin for safety, it occurred to me that if my passenger is this uncomfortable, my car needs something else.

As I watched his hands, I realized that with the RS door panels, there is nothing left for a passenger to hold on to, not so much for safety as for comfort. (RS door panels do not have arm rests so short of putting their hand in their pocket, they don't know what to do with it other than let it flail around uncomfortably), so when I got home, as an experiment I transferred the WEVO door handle from the driver's side door panel, to the passenger side A pillar.

It now feels perfectly natural to use, and is easily removable. The riv-nuts leave a nice finished surface when the handle is not installed. It will be perfect for me and my instructor at a Driver's Education Event.

RIV-nuts

[IMG]IMG_81841442154204.jpg[/IMG]

IMG_81881442154281.jpg


The handle comfortably in action.
It swivels for even more comfort. As my pal Randy said, "it looks like it was meant to be there."

(but if you don't like it it removes in less than a minute, leaving riv-nuts as the only evidence).
I think it is a must for any Driver's ed events.

I dub thee "the Michel mod"

[911T70]

It’s an honour to have that mod named after me, Wayne. I’m sure future passengers will appreciate it!

Recently, I realized that Wayne lives in the same city as me; I assumed he was in Toronto for some reason. I contacted him to ask carburetor questions because I remembered that he described similar problems to mine in this thread. He quickly answered along with an offer to take me for a ride. That was an offer that I couldn’t refuse and started to make a mental list of questions to ask as our cars are of a similar age. He came to pick me up at work during lunch time last Thursday and I heard him well before I saw his awesome 911 rolling towards me. I jumped in, shook his hand and he promptly handed me a pair of earplugs, which I didn’t use because I wanted to get the full 911 experience. We were stuck in traffic as we headed towards the freeway but as soon as he had space, he accelerated at a brutal rate as he weaved through traffic. We were soon on the on-ramp, still weaving from one lane to another while I was looking for something to hold onto, and I couldn’t help but think of the reporter in Minneapolis who was in the famous #277 911 when it crashed into a truck. She was quoted as saying ‘Why is this guy going so fast’ and that’s exactly what I was wondering. I had only met Wayne a few minutes ago and I assumed he knew how to drive his car but you never know. I thought I could feel the back of the 911 squirming sideways and I was really nervous it would slide out. That’s when I yelled ‘Don’t pull a (insert name of driver here) !"

Video: Magnus Walker Slid His 911 Into A Truck With A Reporter Inside

Wayne later assured me that we were nowhere near the limits of traction and that we weren’t going that fast. Being amongst much bigger vehicles, sitting so low in a much smaller, lighter car, without any safety features (such as airbags), I kept thinking “Man, it’s really gonna hurt if we crash’!

Wayne then got off the freeway and parked in a parking lot where he let me have a good look at this car and answered my numerous questions while I took a few photos. I had been in fast sports cars before, including a few 911s, but had never felt such acceleration and traction. Definitely an experience I won’t soon forget. It felt completely different than my stock 1970 911T. Amazing how an extra 150 hp, a stiffer suspension, much wider tires and probably a lot of other mods can transform a car.

[haycait911]

if you wanted to, it would be easy to find some plastic plugs that would fit the riv-nuts and make them almost invisible. some black truss or pan head machine screws would work well too.

[wayner]

Michel you make it sound like I was a madman.
Well, I'll agree that there was a lot going on in terms of an assault on your senses in a short time and I think the loud raw interior, exhaust that sounds louder inside than outside, the short gearing in these early cars, and those damned squeaky plastic suspension bushings makes everything seem more extreme with nothing to hold onto but your camera bag

(Seriously I really think the mod is a great idea with RS door panels).

One of the benefits I had that you did not, was that I knew what my next move was going to be much sooner than you did. I knew for instance that the bylaw officer in the other lane who gave us the thumbs up earlier, had picked a faster lane, and up ahead, he knew that I needed an opening and had created one.

What seemed like unpredictable weaving was me simply taking advantage of his offer when we caught up to him on that two lane on ramp and jumped in front so that we could accelerate onto the freeway in clean air. I appreciated his courtesy

At less than half the speed that I could have taken that on ramp, we had a pretty wide safety buffer as the other cars tiptoed around at much less than the recommended ramp speed posted, but I never want to put a passenger in danger. I always say that speed is relative to what is around you. Old small cars like these seem so much faster than the new more refined cars that make any speed feel slow.

In all seriousness though, I'm glad that you enjoyed the ride and really appreciate the pictures. I love the contrast in tire sizes in those pictures.
Next time it is your turn behind the wheel. I just want to warn you though that I make for a terrible passenger, even with a handle

[wayner]

Originally Posted by haycait911

if you wanted to, it would be easy to find some plastic plugs that would fit the riv-nuts and make them almost invisible. some black truss or pan head machine screws would work well too.

Excellent idea. I can see how well that would work

[wayner]

Interesting comparison when I go back to the first post where I included the other car I was considering. I like what I've created but I don't think the other would have been a bad choice either. Love the Ruf wheels Maybe I need one of each :-)

First time that I have done a side by side comparison

[911T70]

Yours is so much nicer. It's 'your 911'; one of a kind! I'll never forget the first time I heard it and then saw it appear a few seconds later - probably the coolest car I ever saw.

[puddy]

Your car looks awesome Wayne, I'm curious, why the silver stripes on the back and not the front, was the ducktail from another car?

[wayner]

Originally Posted by puddy

Your car looks awesome Wayne, I'm curious, why the silver stripes on the back and not the front?

Because it drives people nuts trying to figure it out

Originally Posted by 911T70

It's 'your 911';

Thanks for the compliments.

[911 tweaks]

hey wayne... have you thought of trying a different color scheme on the fuchs = black pedals, silver where you now have black and MAYBE make black the first "ring" as you come out from the inner most of the wheel... to me, there may be just a tad too much silver on the wheels...
again you have one of my most favorite cars in the world...
I would still take it as is if offered... ))) jmho... carry on...bob