Newbie questions containment thread. (See last page for latest question)
 

I recently purchased a 1986 coupe. It's in very nice condition, and I'll post a few pictures soon. I am looking forward to learning more about the car, and started this thread to corral the imminent battery of questions that will arise.

Considering this forum is a decade old, the archives are quite useful. Most questions will be answered by simply using Google, since odds are it's already been asked. But, sometimes I like to ask a question myself so that is answered by a human being in in real-time. A 2-way conversation is more dynamic process than finding the answer to a static question.

If you enjoy sharing your years of experience and knowledge with a newcomer, or just offering some words of encouragement for a small maintenance project, I look forward to hearing from you.

Post #1: Keep the 9x16 wheels and tires?
Post #16: Leather conditioner?
...

Here is my first question. The car needs 4 new tires. But....

I have 205/55/16 in the front, 245/45/16 in the back. This means the last owner bought Fuchs 9's and moved the 7's up front, and 9's in back, right? The car also came with original 6's that were in front. So, I have 6 wheels in total.

Should I keep the 9's? There is only one seller of 245/45/16 which is Bridgestone Potenza for $195/ea shipped. That will last me 5-6 years, right?

Who would sell the 9" Fuchs and revert back to running 6's and 7's? I am not a tire or oil purist, but this would give me more tire choices and a lower price point. Plus, I'd capture the value of the 9's before they become extinct? This would also clear some garage space by not having to store 2 spare wheels that I may never use.

No pictures means no car. I'd keep the 9s car just looks better. Good luck with it and come on where's the pictures.

welcome to the forum! as above, it's mandatory to post a pic when introducing yourself - we LOVE pics!!

7s and 9s is a very desirable look, I would leave the 6s in the garage and happily spend $195 a tyre for 245s - it is a Porsche after all

Continentals fit my 9s over here in the land of poor dentistry - surprised you can't get them stateside

Its also no guarantee that you have 9s in the back. Some folks use 245/45/16 on an 8 inch wheel.

So its possible you have 6, 7, and 8s.

I wouldn't get rid of the 6s if your 8/9s are knockoffs. Post a picture of the inside of the wheel if you are unsure.

Check out Michelin Classic, they have a tire in your rear specs:

SX MXX3 N2 | Michelin Classic

I am not an expert in anything, but I'm currently restoring a SWB car, and authenticity/originality are the overwhelming issues. I see other guys spending LARGE $$$ to re-convert a short hood back to a long hood, and to find the original engine, long since separated.

You didn't say whether your car was original and matching numbers (except for the wheels). While the SWB cars are gaining value right now, I expect that the mid-year cars will get 'jumped over' and the '78-'88 cars will become the next focus of enthusiasts. The SC and Carreras are just superior cars.

So, in sharing thoughts, and with an eye toward the future, I would suggest that, if your car is otherwise original and matching #s, I would keep everything that is original. The 9s look good, so roll with them for now and spend the extra few $$, but preserve the ability to go back and make it original and correct.

Again, I'm no expert on anything...

If they're original 9"s, you've got a very de$irable wheel and look on your car.
7's and 9's are the way to go.

They are Fuchs 9x16. I have the receipt from the seller. He paid a pretty penny.

The car is mostly original, but has a few changes including headers/SSI, cold air intake, radio, and tower bar.

In favor of keeping the 9x16, it seems to be a desirable update. The upside is that it looks better, and I'm respecting the previous owners intent. It also, saves me the hassle of selling the 9x16 wheels.

In the negatives column, keeping the 9's would mean having to make room to store the 6x16's, which increases clutter. Rear tires 9's are twice the cost of 7's. Very limited tire selection. Selling the 9's is tempting bc that would fund quite a bit of maintenance. If Bridgestone stopped making the RE-11 245/24/16, the value of the 9's would vanish overnight.

Tough call, but I appreciate all the feedback. Many more questions to follow.

nothing wrong with fitting 225 50 16's on your 9,s

+1

Pics next time I drive the car!

Didn't 225/50/16 come on the 7's? They also fit on the 9's? If I install stock 7's tires on 9's, does it defeat the purpose of having 9's? If I were to run 225/50/16 in the rear, would it make more sense to just sell the 9s and run 6's and 7's? If I keep the 9's, I will just get 245/45/16 for the full effect. I do appreciate your suggestion, b/c it provides another option if there were no more 245/45/16 being made.

This does make me curious about something: How would 7x16 fitted with 225/50/16 differ from 9x16 fitted with the same tire?

Go ahead and sell the 9's. They'll go in two minutes.
One word:
Don't.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

I love Nick's conviction. Ok, I'll keep the 9's ;-)

Next question: Leather conditioner. The interior is very good, and I'd like to keep it that way.
There is some light wear and dryness on the seat bolster that I'd like to halt.
I'd like to condition the entire interior.

It seems like Lexol and Leatherique are the top choices. Anyone have a strong opinion on this?
Can I use it to condition the door panels, dashboard, rear deck as well?

What about dying a small section of the worn seat bolster? What would do you use?

+1 on Leatherique products, amazing results

Hi sugarwood and welcome.
I recently put my car back on the road and I have 7 & 8 inch Fuchs on my car with RE 11s.
205/55/16 on the front and 245/45/16 on the-rear.
I like them so far.
They feel good in the wet too.

8s and 9s look very similar from the front.
Check the stamping on the back side to be sure.
Here is a pic of the stamping on my 8s.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1401155501.jpg

BTW... Where are the pics dude??!!

This is a sweet link with some really cool looking tires. Anybody know the performance specs or price?

For the original question. People have run 225/50 on 9's. Stretching the tires over the wider wheels provides 2 performance advantages.
1. Theoretically, stretching the tire will cause less sidewall flex which will improve the directness feeling during directional changes.
2. The wider track offered by the 7's and 9's will improve handling, even if wearing the same sized rubber.

But more importantly, the 7's and 9's improve the look of the car. 9's are ungodly rare and expensive. You're already there. Even if tires are no longer available, because they were original equipment on 930's and 930's are sky rocketing in value, the value of 9" Fuchs will always increase. And as 930's keep increasing in value, somebody will produce a tire for them. Even if it's a specialty, limited run tire. Look at the 9" and 11" x 15" RSR Fuchs. You can only get vintage racing tires to fit them, but they keep going up in value.

The rear flares on an SC or Carrera are very similar in contour to a 1973 Carrera RS. The RS, the Carreras of 74 - 76, and the Carrera 3.o of 76-77 were all offered with 8" rear Fuchs from the factory as an option. When the SC arrived with its rear flares, most were disappointed by the lack of wider rear wheels options. Not just for the option of wider rubber, but from an appearance standpoint.

Due to their offsets and widths, 9" Fuchs have a very similar frontspace as an 8" Fuchs, so they fill the rear fenders similarly. But the 9" Fuchs fill the fenders more. The outside lip of a 9" Fuchs is 8.3mm closer to the fender than an 8" Fuchs.

205's came on the 7's. I've kept them and not gone wider as these cars are hard enough to maneuver at low speed without going wider. 245' s run out of stock pretty often and become scarce. Then a tire company ,lately Bridgestone , runs off a batch. I don't see them becoming NLA any time soon. Car looks good with 8's in the rear ,really good with 9's and 245's. As for the clutter situation , can't help you there.

Performance specs should be very similar modern tires as they use their modern compounds in a period accurate tread. No one wants to go back to Model T tires that melt off the wheel. :eek:

Price I don't know.

I was putting away some of the OEM stuff the seller provided me with.
The seller gave me the original muffler but not the heat exchangers.

Does anyone know what this part is for?
Is it part of the airbox assembly or the exhaust?
http://i59.tinypic.com/hwh1n7.jpg

Is this airbox complete?
http://i58.tinypic.com/34j7u3r.jpg http://i58.tinypic.com/26051s1.jpg

I will probably toss this old Blau.
If he had saved the the OEM radio, I'd have reinstalled it.
http://i57.tinypic.com/t0g94g.jpg

Null

The extra 2 wheels are labelled 6Jx16. This means the 7's are up front.
When he originally retired the 6's, the seller kept the 205/55/16 for the 7's in front.
These 205's now need to be replaced due to age.

Should I stick with 205/55 or go with 225/50 on the 7's in front?

I will order 245/45 Toyo Proxes T1R for the 9's in the rear.

I'm 95% sure the top picture is the bracket that bolts to the motor and provides an anchor point for the band clamps on the muffler.

The band clamps wrap around that piece and then the muffler.

225/50 on the front is a very tight fit. To prevent rubbing, I'd stck with the 205/55.

Really? I didn't know they were THAT desirable. How desirable are they, in dollars?

+1

205 for the front as the wheels are 2 inches narrower than the rear ones, if you go with 225 and 245, the front tyres will be only 20mm narrower than the rears

Top pic. is muffler hanger as noted.

It bolts to the rear of the engine mount console.

= keep it.

Air box looks complete.

Cooper

Thank you for the tips on front tire size.
I will buy 205/55/16 for the fronts locally.
I ordered a pair of 245/45/16 Toyo Proxes T1R for the rear.

I noticed the brake fluid cap sensor has a frayed wire. I have some new spade connectors and will splice them on with some heat shrink tubing. This is a clueless electrical question but how exactly does the brake fluid sensor work? When the fluid is full, a buoy rises up into the switch in the cap, and presses into the connector. So, a full reservoir appears to close the circuit, and should mean the brake light is off. Yet my brake light is off, and the wire is disconnected. But, doesn't a disconnected wire mean the circuit is open? I'm wondering why my brake light isn't on with the open circuit.

http://i62.tinypic.com/28lz3p0.jpg

I found this in the glovebox. Temperature control?
It looks like A/C parts that were replaced, but saved.
Is they worth keeping for any reason?
http://i57.tinypic.com/v45ef9.jpg

Question about jacking the front of the car.
The Pelican photo says to jack by the "A-arms"

However, is the jack positioned under the thick diagonal arm
or that bolted assembly behind and to the left?

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...small/Pic4.JPG