Pictures from today. Rust questions!

Reg · 05:15 PM

Hi!

I went for a ride today, and got some pictures for you all to see.

First off the bad.....

There is some rotten holes as you can see.Up on the top right of the battery box, the metal has some pinholes and is not very solid. How does one fix that area??

Now the good...

...It looks a little better from 10 feet back.....

The passenger battery area is the worst spot on my car, and it also looks like the metal in the front middle are of my trunk has been repaired. Is that the front suspension pan?

I know rust is talked about as "evil" on these cars...but really most any car will have some spots on it once she is 30 yrs old right?

Does this make my car a rust bucket then?

I see one can buy new fenders, and other body panels , but what about the batery box and inner fender area that is bad on my car. Is that all fabrication? How do I get that fixed?

Thanks for looking.

cegerer · cegerer's Garage

Reg,

That is a VERY nice looking 70! -- Curt

Jim Smolka · 03-17-2002, 05:23 PM

Take a close look at the pan for a previous repair. The replacement piece starts at the front of the car and goes about half way back twds the middle of the gas tank. Also, the piece on top of the pan should have been replaced. I don't know if the early pan cover sheet metal is available. If the pan has not been replace, I would check to see if it is in good shape.

The part in the picture that is rusty looks like the old metal can be cut out and a new piece cut and welded in place.

And, nice looking early car

Reg · 05:44 PM

... I smile every time I get in, and every time I get out

I wondered about cutting metal out and patching pieces in , but if you start poking around the battery trays... where do you stop? The PO parked it and I think the batteries leaked bad, mostly on this side of the car. It came with new batteries, and the car was basically parked for 5 years.

She is riding high at the rear (25 3/4" )and I'd like to get that changed. I also have a set of bars from an S that will be going in, along with an alignment and corner balance when I can afford it.

I also have the trim and new winshield seals to come.

The car feels very tight, but is not very stable at high speed...maybe the toe is out.
]

I LOVE IT! rust and all

Reg · 03-17-2002, 05:46 PM

...the other side

Bill Douglas · 03-17-2002, 08:42 PM

Wow nice car.

Maybe put the car up on a hoist and look for any other bits of rust. Places like around the jack points, door striker panels etc are where to look. Then go to a rust removal/panel beater type place and get it fixed. Not much drama. These cars are made out of 1mm steel to there is plenty of metal to work with and no way the car will be weak or anything awful.

Have fun, Bill.

epbrown · 03-18-2002, 07:04 AM

It's a beautiful car - I especially like that color and the gold lettering! Go ahead and get some estimates on the rust repair - my rule is that it can't hurt to ask and you may be pleasantly surprised. Personally, I want to learn how to weld - it's a skill that pays off for people that love old cars.

Now, can I nitpick? The black trim around the front windshield, can replacing it with the proper chrome one be your next project? That sort of thing really bugs me.

More seriously (and the floor's open on this one), how do you like the 901 tranmission? I've always liked the early cars but always looked at models with the 915 tranny since I'm used to it. I'm curious what impressions are of the earlier ones.

Emanuel

Reg · 03-18-2002, 08:59 AM

Emanuel

I have the trim for both front and back windheilds!! It just has not been installed. My seals have shrunk in the corners and need to be replaced. My windshield has a small chip on the bottom that is barely visible... hope I can still use it.

Even if its broken , I was quoted $300 Cdn fund ($190 US) for a new green tinted unit...thought that was reasonable. Another $200 to 300 for the labour to re install both pieces.

I was actually wishing I had chrome lettering rather than the gold!

You cannot see the dent on my trunklid and the deep scratch on my front end that happened while my cars PO was using her for sawhorses!

Does anyone have any thoughts on what to use to clean up my aluminum windshield trim?

Thanks for all the comments!

Reg

Don Wohlfarth · 03-18-2002, 03:19 PM

Nice car.
Put the car on a lift or a couple jack stands and poke around the rusty area to see how much weak metal you find. Pay close attention to the front pan around the torsion bar mounts. Also check at the back of the car. The list is almost endless. Try and get a feel for how much rust you find before you start with estimates. When it goes into a body shop those guys start poking around so you want to have some idea of what a fair estimate will be.
Rust around the battery boxes is pretty common. When the front pan was replaced there's a good chance that the battery box was already showing some signs of rust.
Try and find someone in your area that is familar with older Porsche to help you when you go on your hunt for rust.

epbrown · 03-18-2002, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Reg

I was actually wishing I had chrome lettering rather than the gold!

Just goes to show how tastes vary - my dream early car is silver metallic with gold lettering.

Quote:

Does anyone have any thoughts on what to use to clean up my aluminum windshield trim?
[/B]

I'm at work right now, but I've got some stuff at home called Flitz or something-itz. I got it through the Roll-Royce Owners Club for doing up the radiator shell. Works great. I'll confirm the name when I get home from the office.

Emanuel

Reg · 03-19-2002, 04:05 PM

oooops !

Emanuel, as to the 901 transmission , at first I did not have much to say about it. I didnt like it.

The steering felt tight and nimble like a go cart, while the shifter was numb and rubbery like a tractor. The shifter on my '74 GMC feels more direct and has as short of throw as this one (after all the tranny is right below the shifter) but after my 600 miles of driving, I am getting to almost like it!

I think a regular layout would be better for autocrossing, but once you get on to it , shifting is not so bad. Dad took her for a drive and hit second instead of fourth on the day we drove her home from the shop.Needless to say he has not driven since!

This is a car I will be very selective on who I let drive. I guess these cars to be strong, but I know they can be expensive to repair. She better be nice looking, or own a 993!

So, in all the 901 is OK in my books. I am getting on with it and can shift it very well now. Downshifting into first is not an event I'd like to do too often. It seems to go ok, if done so at low revs and almost at a stop.

Is that a typical symptom of bad syncs , or is this something all of these transmissions dont like???

Thanks for any tidbits on this subject!

Reg

Bobboloo · Bobboloo's Garage

Since your redoing the windshield seals that is the spot where these cars are very prone to rust. You need to make a good examination of the bottom of the A pillars while the windshield is out and make the necessary repairs before you reinstall. Same goes for the C pillars and rear windshield.

Bobby
72' Coupe
72' Roadster Project

Reg · 03-20-2002, 04:04 AM

Thanks for the input Bobby

Now I wonder if I should just leave it until the fall, just in case I see some areas that need attention. I want to drive it this summer!

The car was stripped and restored in the late 80's, and it has seen some 25k miles since then. I'd hope that any probs were addressed then.

The car will be parked inside for the most part.

Hmmmmm

SeaDweller · 03-20-2002, 04:15 AM

Looking at that car _almost_ makes me think about backdating my SC!! Sacrilege, I know...

I'm facing a similar repair, from a battery overflow. I've been quoted around $1.5k for the repair. I also have a few other, very minor rust spots, and yes, even my galvanized car has a few minor rust spots.

I looked at another '78SC that was for sale locally, and it was 100% original (paint, everything). The price was right, so I thought maybe I'd buy it and drop my motor in it, as all it would suppossedly need was a repaint. I figured a repaint would be around $3K, and I wouldn't have to deal with the added time and expense of rust repair. I planned on selling my car as a roller when all was said and done, hoping to come within $1-$2K of breaking even.

While inspecting this SC, I found the same, very small rust areas in the _exact_ same places as mine! I can only assume that this is endemic to older Porsches, perhaps even limited to the '78 model year.

Don Wohlfarth · 03-20-2002, 04:47 AM

Emanuel, don't let a 901 sway you away from the perfect early car.
Reg, the reason your dad had a problem shifting is because he was unfamilar with the car or wasn't paying attention. 901's may have a slightly more rubbery feel against a 915 but only slightly if all the linkage is adjusted properly. When adjusted properly the 1-2 shift can almost be slammed into 2nd, something that can be difficult in a 915.

oldE · 03-20-2002, 04:53 AM

Reg,
Thanks for the look at your car. Like you, I bought an older car that needs some TLC. I have messed around with the ride height, it took a while but wasn't that hard (PO had it so low the stoves scraped) With the way roads are in NS you need the suspension travel!
I agree with you that the shift throws are long and 1 st is sometimes elusive in our 901s but since I do almost no urban driving, I like the old "racing style" shift pattern. I had the shifter out last winter to clean and relube the pivot. That helped a lot. Then, on the other hand I don't compete. The newer style box would be an advantage for short course work.
Enjoy!
Les

sessa · 03-20-2002, 07:12 AM

The 901 is one of those wonderfully quarkie things that after I got used to I love. It makes me fell like I'm at the race track all the time. First can be an anoyance when navigating the city but once out on the open road it's great. Besides it gives me a great excuse to not let my girlfriend try driving the car.

Oldporsche · 03-20-2002, 07:16 AM

I own a '70 E. One of the first lessons I learned in storing the car, was to remove the batteries.

I have done a front pan replacement. It wasn't hard. I used factory sheet metal pieces and the job went very well.

I learned that rust runs to the rear along the side seam of the lower sheet metal back to the rear mounts for the lower front "a" arms. Look there for holes and bubbles under the undercoating.

Some of these cars rust in weird places. I have found rust on the bottom of the car in the area of the rear foot wells. You might check it there also.

You will find the 901 transmission like a lot of Porsche things, has its own idiosyncrasies. Some you will like, others you wont.
I personally like it, however some days I wish I had a tiptronic too!

Good luck,
David Duffield

Reg · 03-20-2002, 08:24 AM

Funny how things change, eh?

Look at racecars now, with their paddle shifter sequential, and matching push button steering wheels.

I guess I am a little paranoid about the car after reading stories here on the board of missed shifts, and over revvvved engines with bent valves, and $10000 (canadian) dollar rebuilds!

I did not lile the shifter much at first, but I am getting used to it and can shift it smoothly now.

After owning two miatas over the years , I guess I was spoiled in that department.

JimNB · 03-20-2002, 08:48 AM

Reg,

The car looks great. You can buy replacment battery boxes from Restoration Design (and others I would assume).

I just did a complete ground up rebuild on mine and had a very simliar looking battery box area. The shop was able to patch weld it up no problem at all.

I would carefully check the floors under the carpet for any signs of deterioration. It is not uncommon for the dampness to set in under the soundproofing and slowly rot away the metal.

When I bought my car I thought I was ok, and then when I checked, a screwdriver would pucnh a hole through the floor easily so I ended up replacing all of the floors.

Your ride looks really nice. With 10 cm of the blessed white stuff on the way tomorrow, I am envious......