Carrera backdate!

[porschenut]

My ’86 Carrera has served me well (except for a $7,000 main wiring harness debacle), and it’s been a great car, but I could resist no longer! A couple of small areas of rust revealed themselves on the body, and the paint was bad enough to consider a full repaint, so the writing was on the wall. If I’m going to paint it anyway, I might as well do this right…backdate!

It’s going to be a Carrera RS quasi-clone, at least cosmetically. The plan is to keep the engine/tranny as they are for now, as the engine is still healthy and strong, and the 915 was rebuilt a couple years ago. I’ve already finished completely refurbishing the suspension, so body and interior are all that needs to be done.

The project plan:
1. Disassemble the car, but leave the engine/tranny in.
2. Delivery to body shop for panel fitment, prep and paint.
3. Reassemble

The engine will stay in, so the engine compartment will obviously stay black for now. The car will be repainted a different color, which will remain a secret until some time later (Hint: It won’t be a color ever offered on a 911). The trunk and wheel wells will be painted, however.

After discussing some ideas with the shop owner, who is a Porsche fanatic and has done similar projects for other clients, I decided to buy used steel fenders and long hood rather than use fiberglass ones or modified late-style fenders. I won’t lose any weight this way, but I think it will look better and be more durable for a street-driven car. The rear bumper and “duck lid” will be fiberglass, as will the front bumper. The front bumper will be an “S” style instead of the RS one with the provision for an oil cooler. I’m keeping the fender-mounted cooler only, as this car won’t be tracked and I don’t have any cooling issues.

My house is filled with car parts everywhere. If I were married, I’d never get away with this.

The body work is in progress, and the Getty Design fiberglass bits will arrive next week!

Here it is, just arrived at the media blaster, after 3 weekends of disassembly:

[porschenut]

And then it was delivered to the body shop:





And a week later, after the early hood and fenders were acquired and stripped. The fender was just laid on there for the picture:



A suitable used front bulkhead (meaning no rust) couldn't be obtained easily enough, so I decided to buy a NEW one. The old one was cut out, and the new one welded in:



Notice the bumper shock brackets were cut off, to allow the proper front bumper attachment:

[porschenut]

A few more:







Stay tuned! More updates as they happen...

[GaryR]

Nice! Please document how they fit the rear bumper. Are you changing/backdating your exhaust to a two-pipe out the middle configuration?

[Talewinds]

Jesus! What does a $7,000 wiring harness debacle consist of???

[teamfee3]

This is great. I have a black 86 and want to do the same thing except go for a no rear tail ST look. If you don't mind some rough cost nembers would be appreciated and a list of parts you bought.

[88 Club Sport]

Nice Dave, glad to see things are progressing well. Keep those pic's coming.

I assume this will also make it to the track again....right? If so, what seats/rollbar etc. are you going with?

[speedo]

Nice undertaking Dave...who is the shop? Media gets everywhere...I hope the engine compartment and air cleaner assembly were really well sealed off prior to the media blasting.You will still find media in the air cleaner...just clean things thoroughly before anybody restarts the engine. Be very carefull too...the media can hide in the recesses for the spark plugs/wires, and then when you pull the plugs...it can drop into the heads. I'm glad you replaced the front bulkhead with the correct one, rather than use a new fibreglass hood that allows use of the shorthood bulkhead. You going back to chrome on the car?
Keeps us posted.

Speedo

[porschenut]

Originally Posted by Talewinds

Jesus! What does a $7,000 wiring harness debacle consist of???

Well... in nice round numbers, about $1,500 in parts, including a new main wiring harness from Germany, about 60 hours labor spread out over 3 months, and about $1,500 in rental cars because this was my only car at the time. It was a big mess requiring engine drop and complete disassembly of the trunk and most of the interior. While the tranny was out, it got some new synchros and sleeves.

[porschenut]

Originally Posted by GaryR

Are you changing/backdating your exhaust to a two-pipe out the middle configuration?

Nope, I'm going to keep the 1-out GHL muffler that's on it for the time being. The real Carrera RS had a 1-out muffler too, so at least it will be correct. In a year or two I'll probably rebuild the engine and do some mods at that time, and it will most likely end up with a 2-in/2-out configuration.

[porschenut]

Originally Posted by 88 Club Sport

I assume this will also make it to the track again....right? If so, what seats/rollbar etc. are you going with?

Track?!? With gorgeous new paint? Of course, that's what I said about my 997 too, so I suppose one trip to HPR might be allowed at some point. Maybe I'll warm up to tracking it after I get a few scratches and rock chips.

But there will be no roll bar or harnesses. I'm going with repro early sport seats, perlon RS carpet, and an early steering wheel if I can figure out how to make it work with the Carrera steering shaft. Might need to modify it some and use a Momo adapter. I'm keeping the Carrera dash but otherwise trying to make it resemble a real RS, within a reasonable budget.

I'm going to the Hershey swap meet next month to do some shopping. Maybe it won't rain this year. It would also be fun to drive it out to Monterey in August.

[porschenut]

Originally Posted by speedo

Nice undertaking Dave...who is the shop? Media gets everywhere...I hope the engine compartment and air cleaner assembly were really well sealed off prior to the media blasting.You will still find media in the air cleaner...just clean things thoroughly before anybody restarts the engine. Be very carefull too...the media can hide in the recesses for the spark plugs/wires, and then when you pull the plugs...it can drop into the heads. I'm glad you replaced the front bulkhead with the correct one, rather than use a new fibreglass hood that allows use of the shorthood bulkhead. You going back to chrome on the car?
Keeps us posted.

The shop is Apex Autobody, and every time I go in there it seems like they're doing about as many restos as collision repairs. 426 Hemi Challenger, a 356, a VW Bus, 55 Chevy wagon, to name a few.

Yeah, chrome! Gotta do it RIGHT. I bought some chrome H4's and I'm picking up some chrome door handles at Dart tomorrow. The window trim will be sent out somewhere for chroming (or is it anodizing? That stuff is aluminum).

Thanks for the tip about the media. As far as I know, nothing special was done to keep it out of the air cleaner except keeping the filter on it. I'll stick a vacuum cleaner in it before starting 'er up.

[speedracer]

Cool, be sure to keep us updated on the progress. Can't wait to see it done.

[Joe Bob]

Let me know if you need graphics....

[B.A.M.]

I did the same with my 83. GT3RS orange. Looks like you are getting good advise and help.
Tom
Bamsport

[TRE Cup]

Serving Suggestion

Nice work happening on your car- have fun!

[w21055]

Sweet project. keep us posted with plenty of pics. I held back on my color until late in the build as well, can't wait to see how it turns out.
And Dave that black car is smoking.


Phillip

[B.A.M.]

Tom
Bamsport

[RichMink76]

Very cool stuff Dave. Taking it apart was the easy job, wait until you start putting it back together. That is when the fun starts.

[88 Club Sport]

Dave, show us a pic of the blue you were talking about on Saturday at Darties.