Great stuff then! I like the variety, style-wise. Content ain't half bad either. :p

Welcome, I've got a 1971 911S that was "updated" by a previous owner. Currently running fiberglass everything with IROC style front bumper, which I have grown to like just as much as the longhood.

Great pictures.

I'd say the 911 is a car that needs to be driven at the limit to be understood. :)

Since the car isn't running...I'm back to school.

http://i.imgur.com/NozTYgS.jpg

I know that in this time and age books aren't really a 'hot' thing but they actually complent nicely the ton of info that is available already online. All are different and worth the money spent. Surprisingly the most interesting one is the Karl Ludvigsen book which I was really hesitant to buy(because of the completely irrational prices).

Back to reading...

Kostas, the Bruce Anderson book & Wayne Dempsey are a must have!! Enjoy reading. I have them & browse them often!!

I am also interested in building a 911 library. All of Dempsey's books are great, I have the equivalents for a couple BMWs.

Welcome. If you ever tear into the engine, you should also have this workbook.

Mythos - welcome. The disease knows know boundary between brands. The shapes and sounds emanating from these older 911's are universally captivating. Enjoy the ride!

Finally...some actual progress on the car. The plan is to just fix the main issues that the car already has and with a healthy base focus on some proper on track driving. After that I hope I'll have clear idea of the performance of the car and what needs to be done but for now...just maintenance.

Here is the first order from Pelican:

http://i.imgur.com/the378n.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rTpgAGv.jpg

So basically it is a new fuel acc., fuel filter(car had a starting issue,I had a lot of great help in a separate thread)and new gaskets for the oil leaks.

http://i.imgur.com/jAKa5GK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/pIbVp2B.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fdzbdHN.jpg

Fuel accumulator and fuel filter was very straightforward and easy DIY(there is actually already a great article about it here) and with a bit of luck-since I didn't do correct diagnosis but more or less guessed the parts to change- the car is now running beautifully and the hot start issue disappeared.

Since I have only a couple -borrowed- hand tools here I'll do the gaskets in a good friends workshop and at the same time have a more thorough look on the condition of the car but it should be a quite simple procedure. I hope I will not find any...surprises since not only engine is feeling great(all power is there and when warm idles and runs smoothly) but supposedly had a recent top end rebuild.

nice Thread, subscribed....

Great thread. If you don't mind me asking, where did you get the RSR turbo model? It looks really high quality.

http://i.imgur.com/NozTYgS.jpg

Enjoyed your story and photos.

The RSR is an Autoart 1:18 model and it's a great high quality one. (I think they are not currently on sale but there are versions floating on ebay/shops).

Probably my favourite Porsche race car and race livery(together with Gulf 917s). Very difficult to do justice to the presence of the actual cars.

Cool. Thank you for the reply.

There has been some progress on the car. That resulted on some driving. Driving properly on track resulted on me not so happy on certain things. The result of that will probably be a constantly empty bank account and more updates on this thread...

But first things first. What I mainly did the first months of 2015 was to address the main problems the car had. Did the gaskets(you can see a couple of photos above), an oil change(10l of oil apparently cost more than all the parts posted above) and general standard maintenance. Engine is strong, car is running great and the leaks are greatly reduced(yet not completely sorted so there is 1-2 more points to hunt).
However what made a huge difference was working on the brake system. Three out of four calipers were seized, a completely knackered brake line and questionable pads were the culprit of the TERRIBLE brakes on my 911. Calipers rebuild, brand new discs all around and Carbotech XP10 with some fresh Motul RBF600 fluid and...total transformation!

With the car finally ready it was time for a proper shakedown on track. The first week of February agonizing thoughts were corssing my mind. Did I buy an old car that I can barely afford maintaining? How it's gonna feel driven actually hard for the first time? Is it gonna be any faster than Top Gear's Suzuki Liana?

http://i.imgur.com/IymMvat.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PCEceJb.jpg

The second Sunday of February all this thoughts went away. Since I hadn't driven my 'home' track for more than 3 or 4 years just being there with good friends and the car was more than enough. While the track(Megara circuit)is quite simple and not very...challenging as a layout it is a safe place to test and have a benchmark of how fast the car actually is.

Here is video from a couple of the last laps of the day:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9VuCFwy9wF8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Driving the car fast is such a great experience. It's not fast. Not modern car fast. But everything is manual. Everything requires effort. From proper braking to balancing the turn in to getting the right amount of angle vs speed in the exits. Even the straights with the tricky 915 gearbox keep you busy trying to nail moderatly quick upshifting and downshifting. You get out of the car and you feel like you actually did something. You feel like you drove well...(at least until you look the lap times). I clocked easily low 1:12 laps at the end of the day and the car as is could probably go to low 1:11.

Main things holding the car back:

- Suspension setup. You can't really see that in the video but the car has serious valving issues(undervalved). Except that the whole setup is a tad too...'oversteery' and I have a feeling, although I have no 911 experience, that it is too soft. Bigger torsion bars or coilovers and higher rates are probably something that can't be avoided.

- Front tires. The car has a quite used set of Toyo R888 mounted but the fronts are in considerably worse conditions than the rear. I'm contemplating trying 225s instead of 205s in the front.

- LSD. The car needs a diff. I so much want a proper one but I would be happy even with a mid-range Kaaz/OS Giken unit.

In general I have a feeling that with a sorted susp. setup and maybe a bit more tire this car could be driven quite fast as a 'momentum' car. (Right now the balance power/tire is more towards 'fun' than 'fast').

On the bright side...the car worked flawlessly and drove quite a few laps without skipping a beat. I have a feeling that I will destroy a gearbox at some point or I should accept how it works and live with it. The brakes were awesome(and since this is a short 'stop n go' track brakes get actually no chance to cool). Only praise for Carbotech's XP10-XP8 compounds. Driven them in multiple cars, always brilliant balance of max braking force, great modulation and a wide range of operating temps.

http://i.imgur.com/Te6IcHS.jpg

At the end of the day, after going through a full tank of gas and not managing to break anything I was so genuinely happy that you will never hear me complain about my choice. It was the moment I was taking the shot above that I fully got my head around it. I was at the track that I first fell in love with driving when I was 18 with a car I lusted over for years. Lap times,speed and cost weren't really that important. I was...happy.

This is why when a couple of weeks after I had to put the car in storage and fly away it felt so difficult. My last mountain drive was in weather conditions in tune with my mood. My mood of leaving the car and Athens away....

http://i.imgur.com/9gLE4RL.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/H0bllMj.jpg

Very nice thread, Mythos! And a very nice car you have bought for yourself.

I only have one comment. Crack open your wallet and buy yourself a Bentley Manual. It is world's better than the Haynes.

As a photography enthusiast myself, the shots in this thread are fantastic! And I'm extremely jealous of your 'ring experiences.

The Bentley manuals are a great asset to have, although the fact that your car is a bit of a hodge-podge of an earlier body and later engine/running gear may prove to be a challenge. We do carry the Bentley and Porsche Factory Workshop manuals (found here), and we have an extensive catalog of our own DIY technical articles (found here). Let me know if you need any help finding anything, always glad to help a fellow enthusiast!

I have a feeling that I will destroy a gearbox at some point or I should accept how it works and live with it.


nice thread!

I am thinking you have a 915 gearbox by the shifter and shift pattern. If you want the gearbox to last longer a slight pause to allow those antique synchros to work - more fingertips and less palm on the shift knob.
You may want to get a second job you are well onto the slippery slope

good luck !

Inspiring story and pictures! :eek:

Like you I just took the plunge on what I thought was unattainable, but I have a 930 in my garage that has been neglected and I'm starting the process of bringing her back to life!

Jealous of the ring pics!! Keep em' coming!:D

What kind of wheels are those? They don't look like any 15 inch fuchs i have seen.

Guys thanks for the nice words! Eventually the 911 will come with me at the 'Ring(although I cringe when I think what turn this project might take with the car here).

Thanks for the suggestions on the Bentley(the super-mix of parts on the car is the one thing keeping me from pulling the trigger).

Zack thanks for the offer, I'm pretty sure one of these days I'll bother you.

Being a couple of weeks without my Porsche it seamed fitting to do a small day trip to Stuttgart to get my fix. Unfortunately the moment I get close to the building the car guy inside me overpowers the photographer so photos are simple snapshots. The museum has been documented multiple times before and much better however since the collection is always on rotation maybe you catch a glimpse of something you haven't seen before...

http://i.imgur.com/fudCf3j.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Bmx4T3y.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/GvJeJ4s.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rDHnUku.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ZoiqHdK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/kOnjqqk.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/4xLhfXF.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/va1J9fP.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/vT8DCp4.jpg

and part II...

http://i.imgur.com/19Paw7k.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ikTvmVV.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/01747bM.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/iGF6TLL.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/JkIQ1If.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/m7OA0Os.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jgjfYjV.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/DKnphcq.jpg

Mythos,
Congrats on the new car I am looking forward to seeing your impression of the car when you take it round the ring.
I must confess to being infatuated about the ring. Where else can you drive flat out on a very long but narrow track with little or no run off. The combination of different vehicles (its a public toll road) bikes,cars, vans trucks buses etc means you have to be careful coming up on slower traffic yet always looking in the mirror to make sure you are not taking the racing line away from much faster traffic. If its growing in the mirror get out of the way.
My first trip there I felt very intimidated and I still feel intimidated. It is rare to do a full lap without a near miss or coming across an accident that just happened.
I cannot wait to go back.
Cheers
Bill

wow! great pics, I was there last year and in awe the whole time! :D
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1430397226.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1430397258.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1430397301.jpg

There has to be something wrong with you if you fly from Europe's biggest/best(?) track the 20+ km Nurburgring to Greece to drive the...2 km Megara Circuit. While I'll have to admit that there are many things wrong with me the one that you might also care is my "I haven't been behind the wheel of my 911" syndrome.

http://i.imgur.com/V7oKO9g.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/zirAkHH.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/eTPZMg6.jpg

So there I was. In my dirty old 911 under the Greek sun ready to enjoy a day on track without touching a camera(which apparently is a liberating feeling) with good friends around. However I must confess that -contrary to the whole 'feel good' vibe- I wasn't after just getting a taste of the car.

Staying 2000km away of your car leaves you plenty of time to go back to the limited track footage you have and look at those 20 laps you did(2 months back) over and over again. I wasn't happy with myself. So this Saturday I was on a...mission. Kill those front tires and finally learn what the car can actually do. Did I succeed on that?

http://i.imgur.com/p31pUhZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/E6q03oT.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/XVmi50p.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YmrwkVD.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6w3bCPc.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7GaJMF0.jpg

Yes and no. I killed those two front tires(in a quite impressive braking pirouette on the track's main straight). However I completely failed on the driving front. I'll have to admit that I did the common mistake of getting carried away and just having fun! Sliding here and there and pushing harder all over the place is much easier than focusing on the areas you want to improve and working them one by one.

While driving the car more often would help I still feel that the car doesn't reward clean driving. It might be fun but takes a lot of effort to complete a proper on the limit lap even in a relatively simple track as this. From braking and downshifting that you have to get around the 'mechanical handicap', to the vague turn in to the always slightly sliding exit out of the corners. I did the sections as fast as I wanted at least once, so the 'ideal time' is there, but if in a half day of 15-20 laps you can't put them in one real lap then something is wrong with the driver or the car(or both!).

Bullet points:
-Still not happy with the soft and oversteer-y susp. setup.
-Very happy with the Carbotechs and the 3.0 SC engine that keeps surprising me.
-Still wondering if the 915 gearbox is gonna explode any other lap.

Slightly wider front tires is the next move. Maybe a 'budget' LSD, although budget doesn't really exists in the world of Porsche aftermarket parts. Problem is I want to dig deeper because I have a strong feel that the car can be much better but I can't yet justify it. Not until I have a solid base lap time...

http://i.imgur.com/5doduQV.jpg

These were more or less my thoughts looking at the heat haze coming out of the aircooled engine at the end of the day. These are my thoughts today, two weeks after. But since in a couple of hours the whole craziness of the Nuburgring 24h starts all the decisions will have to wait for at least a weekend!

Welcome and congrats ! Great story but even better pictures !!! http://financehotela.com/yellow/images/83.gifhttp://loanwebfast.com/green/images/42.gif

Well I might not be able to drive my 911(since there are 4-5 countries seperating us)but that doesn't mean I can't get some satisfaction shooting a couple cool Porsche cars. Here is a small set of a super clean Carrera 3.0 we are using for an '80s Road Tour' package.

http://i.imgur.com/ybr4tkt.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YreBcTz.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/5zw4eqe.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HhrOtcZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/AWqLPZj.jpg

And some fresh stuff from today's Nurburgring Historic Trophy classic event(although one of the most impressive car was this dpmotorport SC/rsr replica hybrid parked in one of the spectating areas).

http://i.imgur.com/I3Yg1hh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/AvYMfqw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Kp32yKr.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PzuPRou.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rVo18Me.jpg

Photos don't do justice to this white beauty...(now I have to remove from my head the idea that I need to do the same to my SC)

Lovely images. Really nice.

Beautiful!!! Enjoy the Porsche life!

Awesome thread

I know you have more photos of the white DP car... you should really share them!

I am building a white one very similar :)

This is one of the things you HAVE to share. In my last trip back home had the opportunity to visit one of the nicest Porsche workshops I've ever seen. The fact that it is located in Greece -of all places- makes it even more impressive. Not only the workmanship in all stages of restorations I've seen was top notch but in every single corner there was a surprise. From the original red RS in the entrance, to the rare engines, to the race cars, or to the clean chassis hidden away waiting for the right build.

Hope the quick snaps do it some justice, enjoy:

http://i.imgur.com/k71p5iI.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/TZISP8J.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/7KWeq83.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/0CyVZtE.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/gjTZbXK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/lV6Bq5C.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/63MkyQP.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/PogwQL5.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MoTTI0V.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/37rWCVR.jpg

part 2 - more photos

http://i.imgur.com/HO9bttZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ExNdWCZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ebYf13r.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/uFvg8EI.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/IVPzoOn.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jLcaFCw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/K4B3qGE.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/byREYgC.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ZNWtho7.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/WmvKNz5.jpg


Definitely one of the most impressive spaces I've visited and again pictures only show small part of the impressive collection and were taken during a busy day while all lifts were being in use.

For those interested there is a website: PETRORETRO911 | Porsche restoration specialists. Authentic fully restored Porsche cars and car parts.

However if looking for rare parts or interested for special builds(or chassis) you should actually contact them directly since almost no info of available stock is online.

From the first day that I bought the car I was sort of dreaming that trip. The trip to the legendary Nurburgring. The return to Germany. In a way...the return home.

http://i.imgur.com/ME0Epke.jpg

But like all 'great plans' there was always a reason to postpone it. At first it's a quite long trip. Almost 2500 km if we trust Google. Especially for a 40 year old -race prepped/stripped- 911. The timing was never right and then I always wanted to combine it with a visit here, a museum there, some alpine passes. The months passed and I kept daydreaming about that 'ultimate roadtrip'.

And then one morning I woke up and I couldn't wait a single day more. I wanted my old rusty oil-leaking 911 here. So I jumped in a plane to Greece with the plan to drive the car straight from Athens to Germany.

As with all spontaneous decisions I had forgotten some minor details. Like the fact that in the last TD I did in May I had completely destroyed the front tires(and had barely any thread left in the left rear). While I sourced some wider 225/50 15 fronts to replace the 205/50 on the car I couldn't find a set of 235/50 15 rears that the car runs.

But that shouldn't be a problem in the middle of June, should it?

I re-planed the route to Athens-Patra(200km), then a ferry from Patra to Ancona(24h on the boat)and then a straight run from Ancona, Italy to Nurburg, Germany(1200km). Ambitious but do-able.

http://i.imgur.com/xxfTs06.jpg

Arriving to Patras port I started seeing some problems in my...solid(?) plan. You see I left Greece the hottest day of summer(up until that moment)and 200km was enough to get a good taste of the comfort level of the car on the highway. A stripped out 911 with a relatively straight flowing exhaust wasn't looking as ideal as I thought for the 14 hour highway run across Europe that I've planned. On the positive side I had a ton of room for my stuff....

http://i.imgur.com/UwhRmfd.jpg


After some small delays and 24 hours spent 'trapped' in a ship my 911 was ready for the big run.

http://i.imgur.com/uf6Nr1f.jpg

The delays meant that I'd have to do the biggest part of the trip during the night since now work commitments meant that there was no time for an overnight stop at a hotel. First couple of hours driving in Italy, with the open road ahead, towards a beautiful sunset were amazing...

http://i.imgur.com/d3evnzl.jpg

Driving into the night approaching Switzerland I started realizing that this wasn't exactly the dream roadtrip I had imagined. No stops to enjoy the view. Constantly fighting the urge to stop to take a cool photo here or there. Stops for fuel are combined with some stretching but most of them stayed as sort as possible. In half of them I wouldn't even turn the engine off.

http://i.imgur.com/baAtLvq.jpg

The most pleasant surprise is the car. Not only for holding together(which was never a given) but for also having a decent fuel consumption, lower than 10l/100km to be exact and decent ride quality on top. The novelty of the deep exhaust note though completely wears out. If someone offered me a stock part I'd probably install it on the spot. In the side of the road with hand tools.

http://i.imgur.com/ggDckLC.jpg

Approaching the middle of the trip going through kms and kms of tunnels you find yourself having some doubts. The relief doesn't come until you completely leave the Alps behind. Weather, even in summer, is tricky and having driven these parts in terrible weather I know that fog and rain are enough to turn that part of the trip into a miserable experience. I've added some oil for the first time in the trip. Partly because it was needed partly because of the small pools of oil the car left behind everytime it stopped for fuel.

http://i.imgur.com/ifJxu2S.jpg

Seeing the sunrise now almost in Germany is special. Driving is now a process done subconsciously. You realize that you are driving for almost 10 hours and 900 km straight from sunset to sunrise in a car that -for you- is special and that is triggering that emotional part of car ownership. You get refreshed. You want your old car to make it. You want to make it.

http://i.imgur.com/05tI8Mh.jpg

But then Germany decides to remind you that summer doesn't mean that much in these parts of the woods. Pouring rain makes an appearance and stays for the last 300 km. Visibility goes to zero. The decision to make the trip with rear tyres that have no thread left doesn't seam as smart anymore and speeds drop radically. On top of that you find out that your old early 911 isn't as waterproof as you thought. Water, fingers-deep, inside the cockpit makes the whole experience even more surrealistic. You are so close but these last few km feel almost impossible to cover.

And then...you are there. You turn off the 61. You see the signs. Nurburgring. You pass next to Brunnchen. You pass Pflanzgarten. You see industry pool testing. The rain almost stops. You even stop at the boulevard and take a 'tourist' photo to remind to yourself that the car actually made it there.

http://i.imgur.com/0zRWHZE.jpg

4 countries. 1400 km. More than 14 hours of straight driving with the 3.0 engine from the 1980 running almost non-stop for whole length of the trip without missing a beat. What more could you ask from a car?

(split because of the 10 image limit)

Well...I'll be honest much more. I didn't do all these kms to just take a photo with the Nurburgring on the background. I want to drive! A couple of hours of sleep and by 17:15 that the track opens for the public the weather has completely changed. Everything is dry and sun makes an appearance. A quick check at the car park and the traffic is minimal.

Good weather and no traffic is a clear signal that now is the time for that first lap. A quick check on the car and everything looks okay. You can't even tell that this car has done 1200 km straight only a couple of hours back. The rear tyres are long gone but I promise to myself that I'll take it easy.

A deep breath before the toll booth goes up and you go out.

http://i.imgur.com/1C8sw4u.jpg

I really have no words to describe the minutes after that. Whatever I'll write will not be enough to convey the experience. Driving the Nordschleife is always special. But driving it in a car that is unique for you adds an extra layer of satisfaction.

Lap times or speed aren't really relevant. You are driving your strange handling, manual, analog machine from another era in a track that is also so strange, dangerous, unique...in a way the Nurburgring and the 911 connect. Landmarks of an era long gone. None of the two would be build today. Too dangerous for the average consumer they'd say...

Never meet your heroes is bull ****. Let the car of your dreams meet the track(or the roads) of your dreams. The experience is literally priceless.

Hey Mythos, great thread, love the pics!! This maybe a long shot but do you happen to know who shot this image from The Ring? I'm trying to find a really high res version of it. Cheers!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1435548514.jpg

great write-up !

Porsche
 

Cool - Thanks for sharing.

This is what it's all about.

Thanks - Cheers - Olsen911
Tommy Olsen

Thanks guys. Here is also an incar video from my first Nurburgring lap with the car...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PO7kSiLdIcw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It is a very very conservative lap since basically I have no idea how the car would handle the quite demanding track. Still better than my random rumbling above...

P.S: Puddy unfortunately I have no idea other than the 'obvious'. It is a DP Motorsport car captured at the exit of Brunnchen II. Maybe contacting DP Motorsport directly could get you in touch with the owner of the car or the photographer that captured it.