1978 SC Project..and an intro!

[rockabillyjay]

Hi guys

I've been lurking here for a while and figured I'd introduce myself..and my project.

My name is Jay..I'm 43 and live in Orange County Ca. Like so many my age, the Porsche bug bit hard during the BMX Freestyle boom of the 80's. It seemed the two were connected. I worked at a bike shop, and the entire family that owned it drove Porsches (Mom had a 77 911, Dad a 356, and son a 70 911). Since we all love pictures, here's one I had on my bedroom wall as a kid:



Fast forward many years later (after building custom motorcycles and Hot Rods for fun) and I move to California. I ended up on a TV show called Monster Garage. The build team I am on gets to build a Porsche! After all those years of loving Porsche but never owning one I get to work on one! Well..kind of work..if you consider making a 944 with gullwing doors and an air cannon work. Here is a pic of the 944..I'm sure the episode is online

( WARNING: picture may not be suitable for all audiences. Contains flame paint job and other nonsense)




I guess I did ok on the show, because after that Jesse James hired me to work at his West Coast Choppers building custom motorcycles. I worked there for 10 years. During that time a built a few bikes for myself, most notably this Panhead, photographed here by one Maurice Van Den Tillard AKA The Flying Dutchman (Here comes the Porsche connection! Also, I didn't want to take a picture with my bike..but Maurice made me take one. I acted like a goofball figuring they won't use it. Of course it ends up on the cover!)



So that brings us to my 1978 911 SC. I finally decide it is time to jump into the 911 game..just a prices go through the roof. Oh well..it's now or never! After annoying everyone in my phone with text after text asking newbie Porsche questions ( Sorry Maurice, Magnus, Jason, etc..!) I find this mess here in the classifieds:



After talking to the owner we agreed on a price, the money was sent and transportation from Nor Cal to OC was arranged. I must say the car was represented accurately and everything went smoothly..I knew just what I was getting into! I had it shipped to the AMAZING California Porsches in Costa Mesa.

California Porsches | Prime Porsches from Dry Southwest USA

Who have been my Porsche Yodas ( Thanks Jason, Leslie and Klay!). The project is moving right along, and I will update this as I go on (I've been posing most of the progress on my Instagram @rocakbilly_jay)..the end goal is a fun hot rod / outlaw/ bobber / whatever driver. I LOVE seeing all the restored examples, but I'm more of a custom guy. I figure hot rodding a 78 SC wont ruffle too many feathers, right?

Any way, thanks to all of you for your knowledge you share on this board. It is invaluable to guys like me! Thanks to our host for this board and for making it WAY too easy for me to get parts! Wish me luck!

[OsoMoore]

You're saving a car that desperately needs some love. If you do your own custom mods, as long as the SC spirit lives on, it can only be a good thing.

911SC WDP forever!

[Alan Lindquist]

Jay,
Welcome to the club. Looks like quite a project. Will be fun to follow. May I be the first to comment, "That'll rub out."

[Oh Haha]

Welcome to Pelican!!

Not sure if you plan to use the wheels or not but they would sell quickly, IMO.

Keep updating the work you do on the SC.

[Chris_chch]

Been following this on Instagram! Good to see there's going to be some more info here on Pelican. Looking forward to the updates!

[pete3799]

Congrats on your Porsche purchase.
Looking forward to your updates. No flames though........please.

[CCM911]

Looks like a fun project. As long as it looks nothing like the 944 abomination above, it should turn out pretty well for you.

Have fun!

[rockabillyjay]

Originally Posted by Oh Haha

Welcome to Pelican!!

Not sure if you plan to use the wheels or not but they would sell quickly, IMO.

Keep updating the work you do on the SC.

I wasn't planning on using them.

I picked up a set of fake Fuchs at the swap, but I'm not crazy about them or the sizing. They are 15 X 6 front, 15 X 7 in the rear and they just don't look right. I'm going to be changing to 16 X 7 & 16 X 8. May be Fuchs, Fake Fuchs or the 1552 outlaw wheels..I'm not sure yet.

Don't worry..no flames I promise! No way I'm driving around in a car that looks like Guy Fieri's shirt!

I had a few stickers made up for it..first one to translate wins absolutely nothing!

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[Larrybrook]

Don't laugh it's paid for?

[Targa4now]

This should be an interesting build to follow... Monster Garage / West Coast Choppers wrench hot rods an air cooled 911sc. The suspense is killing me already...

Welcome aboard Jay!

[gostraight]

welcome ! and I'm so following this!

[Craig_D]

That's awesome man. Hey, at least you know that 911 has no where to go but up!

Wasn't that Haro jumping the three Turbos? Loved that poster, and I too had the BMX bug in the 80's and coveted all things Porsche.

I'm also a fan of the flame bomber 944! Loved that episode. Gotta have fun in life, or someone else will do it for you.

Welcome buddy and good luck on the build. Looking forward to the posts.

Cheers,

- Craig_D

[Flieger]

I used to love Monster Garage in the first few seasons. I always wished I had those skills (and those tools!). That was the golf ball retreiver/shooter, no?

Welcome to Pelican.

[rockabillyjay]

Originally Posted by Larrybrook

Don't laugh it's paid for?

Correct!


Craig_D - That is Stu Thompson jumping the cars.. check out the movies "Joe Kid on a Stingray" and "Stompin' Stu" sometime..mandatory viewing for old school BMXers!

Flieger - That's the one..it picked up golf balls and shot them back at the golfers. It was a fun build..wish I had those Fuchs now!

Back to the car!

Here's a couple of pics of it..I've got some work to do!




I did some research and it seems my car came with every option available in 1978..black window trim, leather interior with sport seats, electric windows and mirrors, cruise control, AC..the works.

Since this is going to be a hot rod/bobber/thing the first order of business was to yank everything that doesn't make it go or stop.



Partial pile of stuff:



I don't have any history on the car, other that it came from Florida, and apparently was home to many, many, many hornets. I found nests EVERYWHERE!



My first rebuild was the pedal set. I got a new bushing kit from our host and went to town. That roll pin is the work of the devil. After no success with a BFH ( big f-n' hammer) I threw it in the mill..took about 2 seconds. I replaced the pin with a bolt and all is well.

\


Now that the pedals aren't frozen anymore, it's time to see if it will start and run. If you squirt starting fluid in the pop off it runs for a few, so that's a good sign, right?

(NOTE: Thats the key to my old 1959 El Camino on my "please start" tattoo..I may need to get it turned into a Porsche key now!)

[rockabillyjay]

Here's a short video of my car being brought back to life!

Some fresh gas, new fuel pump and filter and we have ignition!

See those vice grips? They are crimping off the fuel line that leaks like crazy! These hard plastic fuel lines are all brittle with age and have to be replaced...but hey, it runs!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxJNYqIw2xM

[Oh Haha]

COOl!! One step closer to driving it!

[rockabillyjay]

Boy, I have not kept up on this thread...if you follow me on Instagram (@rockabilly_jay) that's where most of the updates have been..sorry

I've gotton a ton done, but still much to do. The short version..it runs, drives and stops...and is WAY too much fun. Here's some random pics.

[ItzaMe]

Not bad!! Magnus there too, so dope haha

[gshiwota]

Awesome progress. I'm in OC too and look forward to seeing your car around here.

[jipster43]

Perfecto Garcia! (One of my favorite Oz quotes!)