1979 SC (newbie) have I thought of everything

[3.0schotrod]

So, ive had the car a month, haven't driven it yet as ive been getting it ready, so far ive

1) Changed the oil for Pennzoil 20/50 with lots of zinc
2) Changed the plugs
3) Changed the air filter
4) Fixed the drivers door lock (...sort of)
5) Installed 3 point rear seat belt for my son and found a booster seat that fits (yeah)
6) Removed the rocker covers (I like the oldie look)
7) Checked the floor and other areas for rust, all good so far

Now, experienced SC owners might look at this list and smile, and be thinking, well he hasn't checked x, y and z

So, what things should I be checking, for instance

the fuel pump seems noisy, so im thinking I should have a spare, and a filter to with it, at least, even if I dont fit em (ok so I should just fit them...)

What else should I check ?

Fuel pump relay and wiring seems to be a favorite, what typically goes wrong, or can go wrong.

(oh, and I got my Magnus Walker urban outlaw decals on the sides...very important)

Thanks

[porwolf]

Congratulations from another '79SC owner. I bought the car in 1979 and it is still all original and has way under 100k miles! And my fuel pump, not the original one, is somewhat noisy also after the car had a 16 year hiatus. I also carry a spare fuel pump, just in case. And after the 16 years and the fuel tank filter needed changing.

[Oh Haha]

Great looking 911!

The only thing I would question is the choice of oil. I wasn't aware that Pennzoil offered an oil with high ZDDP for solid lifter camshafts. I use either Brad Penn or Valvoline VR1.

[puddy]

I can't add much other than cool car! Enjoy!! Oh and post more pics!!

[tirwin]

Welcome to the slippery slope! One minute you're replacing wiper blades and the next thing you know you have the engine sitting on your garage floor.

If you have good maintenance history, you've covered most of the basics. Drive it for a while. Find some locals to meet up with to get a frame of reference. I've had the opportunity to do drive someone else's car and they drove mine. At least you can stare and compare some things. It's a great way to get a feel for what should be on the to-do list. Take it from me, it is easy to read stuff on here and suddenly feel self-conscious about whether XYZ is working like it should.

[Bob Kontak]

I would buy $125 fuel pressure gauges, a $50 multi-meter and a $50 timing light.

Pop-off valve/pressure fed chain tensioners installed?

Vacuum leaks identified and corrected? This is probably the biggest annoyance of CIS and well worth the time to gain assurance and learn about your car.

Also, this thread points you to a lot of goodies worth knowing.

CIS Troubleshooting for Dummies

[McLaren-TAG]

Welcome. You'll find that list is sure to grow a lot, especially after you drive it. Clutch cables, shifter linkage, brake pads and bleed, ignition cap and rotor, lighting improvements... and the list goes on. You gotta put some skin in the game to get all that 911 fun goodness.

[3rd_gear_Ted]

If you replace your fuel pump, consider an in line fuel filter addition between the fuel tank outlet and the pump inlet. My 80 SC didn't have one and junk from inside the 35 yr old gas tank was an issue.

[DaveE]

You should check how it accelerates, shifts, corners, and brakes.

[kach22i]

Fuel accumulator and fuel filter could be done if not addressed for a while.

I like your Ronal wheels, would spray the inner part black with PlastiDip leaving the outer rim silver.

[3.0schotrod]

Hi all,

Thanks for the feedback, appreciate it, I think im on the same page as some of you

porwolf, is the fuel tank filter the one in the engine compartment on the left, coke can size ?

Bob Kontac, I have afuel pressure gage, timing light and multimeter and it already has pop off valve and solid chain tensioners fitted (previous owner called them 'Carrera upgrades'

McLaren, I already bought spare rotor cap and arm from Pelicanparts, just in case, as well as correct fan belt tool

3rd gear ted, good idea, thanks, donr that on other cars

kach22i, funny you should say that, I got the black porsche wheel paint 3 weeks ago to do the wheel centers black, just what I was thinking, although after taking the wheel center caps off, the wheels are growing on me as they are, we will see

Thanks all, keep em coming, this is intersting stuff

[3.0schotrod]

And Oh Haha

Will let you into a little controversial secret, I mixed oil

Pennzoil do 20W/50 with something like 1200ppm zinc (might be wrong on that one, cant remember) and they do GT Racing 25/50 which has something like 2600ppm zinc, both dino oil, so I mixed 5 liters of each.

Mixing 2 oils may be controversial, I used to work at an oil company, but im no expert, I just filled the containers way back then.

My thinking is that I now run 22/50 with maybe 1800 ppm zinc, cant do the math, and im sure its not that easy/logical. Open to feedback.

[Bill Douglas]

Nice car. Great color too.

All you need to do now is some driving - lots of driving.

Umm, what's that funny writing on the engine lid of the SC?

[DanielDudley]

Triple A card and a cell phone. Start driving

[Oh Haha]

Cool. Thanks for the oil info.

BTW-I like the wheels the silver color. Mine looked like that last year. This year they are completely different.

[Jdub]

Yeah, what is up with the Carrera script on your engine lid?

Open the door, and see if you get a loud click or similar. A critical fix is to clean and then grease the door limiting stay with the bump in it. Grease, then open and close the door, carefully watching the area around the stay to see if there are any cracks, etc. A reinforcement kit (available here) is key to getting ahead of what can be a heartbreaking tear and a LOT of fixing. Look into this.

Love the color and I like the wheels as well.

[3.0schotrod]

Yes it has Carrera on the deck lid, that was put there by the previous owner when he had the pop off valve and solid chain tensioners done, he called it the Carrera upgrade, I might leave it, will see.

The door did have the falling apart of the stay with some damage but ive managed to get it bolted up tight with big repair washers etc, will do for now.

It has had split headers, stainless by the looks of it. (2 'pipes' into rear silencer) and an engine re build, apparently 25,000 km ago, im getting all the paperwork at some point.

It has no 'air pump', and im wondering if it can be changed in terms of cam and ignition timing to 'Euro spec' ?

Havent checked the timing yet, guess I should.

Cell phone and AA card doesn't sound promising

Hope I don't need those (although I have one)

[80-911SC]

My 80 is a California car and has no air pump .. passes smog (last weekend) ...

I don't believe they had them .....

As far as the script on the rear its just missing the SUPER .....

everyone knows that's what SC stands for .......

Looks good .... follow the other advice ... grab the AAA a credit card and the cell phone

[RyanG]

AAA card? No need to join until you need them. Program their number into your cell phone and call them if you ever need a tow. Join on the spot, then ask for that tow or other service. I once found out that my AAA membership had lapsed after I called, and their customer service rep said joining right then and there was cool and after giving them my credit card number the rep asked for my location to dispatch the tow truck.

[kach22i]

FYI: This is what blacking out the just the center can do for homely phone dials.

BlackOut Rims