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- Porsche 911 Technical Forum (http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/)

- - DIY Skills (http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/892253-diy-skills.html)

Thanks for all the sage advice. It is greatly appreciated and will be firmly considered. I look forward to sharing my project with you when I hopefully undertake it within the next few years.

Welcome to the forum.

You learn to "tinker" by tinkering (as others have said). I got my start by building things with Tinkertoys, Lincoln logs, Erector sets, and of course LEGO. (My running joke as a mechanical engineer is that "I've been solid-modeling since I was three years old".) I can't tell you how many LEGO 911's I built as a kid (but it was a lot!).

I got into fixing cars based on necessity - I needed transportation and didn't have a lot of money. Subsequently my cheap cars broke and I had to fix them. My dad and uncle tinkered with cars and did pick up some skills there. My uncle owned a body shop for a while and I got to learn some good repair techniques at a young age.

I learned woodworking while in middle/high school. I picked up welding and machining during college while getting my engineering degree. I learned a lot during my first engineering internship and job after college. The company I worked for had several "old school" engineers, designed and built most of its own process equipment, and had its own on-site maintenance and machine shop. It's part of my nature to not ask others to do things that I can't do myself, and so I had to go learn a lot before asking others to assemble machinery that I designed.

Many years later, I work on my old 911 for fun (as I'm trapped behind a desk most of the time now).

I recommend posting your location and asking other local Pelicans if they would be willing to act as your "coach" for a few repairs. You'll get the hang of it.

Another thing to consider is not allowing the work to appear overwhelming. My first car was a 1964 Mercury Comet with a 260 V8. I bought it for $40 in primer when I was 16 with money I earned from a summer job. I had no tools, no skills, but a lot of enthusiasm.

Once I figured out that I could break the car down into systems, subsystems, and components, it didn't seem so overwhelming. The brakes didn't work well, so I had to figure out why. The braking system had several subsystems (master cylinder, front discs, rear drums, brake lines). The rear drums didn't work and were leaking fluid. The drum cylinder seals (components) were leaking. New cylinders were $10/each from J. C. Whitney or $3.00 for two rebuild kits (at 16 and poor you know which one I bought). I just fixed the brakes on a car!

I learned body work building kit cars (replicas are the PC term) and later welding and more body work restoring beat up 64 1/2 to 70 Mustangs. It is really all in your ability to isolate to the system and then component, simplifying the job and making it less overwhelming. For me it is a hobby that is a great balance to the mental challenges of my real job. It does often move from passion to obsession at times. Good luck and have fun!

I am the ultimate DIY. I have owned several 911 and have never backed down from any tasks. I will wrestle the 911 into submission with the information on this forum and others. I have other means of transportation so the Porsche can sit on the rack until the problem is solved. There is only one thing I cannot yet do: painting and bodywork. Everything else is fair game.

Don't buy a 911 and have it as your only means of transportation. It won't be.

With the desire to learn and a good attitude (sounds like you've probably got that) and some basic mechanical sensitivity (I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on that) you can, eventually, do anything you want to do. Don't be afraid to start small, even very small.

I am an engineer by profession and education and have been doing my own car work for about 20 years, but I didn't start doing my own car work until I was 19-20 or so, save for some really basic wrenching on my Fiat when I was in my mid teens - by temperament I am at least as much of an "art school person" as an "engineering school person" and I was happy to draw, read, etc. as a kid rather than tear stuff apart and (try) put it back together again. I was immersed in Formula SAE when I was in school, and a friend there arrived as a freshman not even knowing how to pull a spark plug on his car, and graduated four years later as chief engineer. Anything is possible!

Quote:

Originally Posted by kagangen (Post 8889526)

I look forward to sharing my project with you when I hopefully undertake it within the next few years.

The cardinal rule of DIY is to bite off what you can chew (some may disagree)
Otherwise, you never get started. Or you abort and never finish.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sugarwood (Post 8890755)

The cardinal rule of DIY is to bite off what you can chew (some may disagree)
Otherwise, you never get started. Or you abort and never finish.

One upside of "more than you can chew" is that you learn stuff for real when you get your tit in a wringer...........unless you choose to tap out.

What fun is that?

I began by taking everything in our house apart that I could get my hands on...at some point I realized i also had to put them back together. Personally I am nearly obsessed by how mechanical things work. I have never had any formal training other than shop class back in the 70's which I guess may have helped a little. When I decided to rebuild my engine there is NO WAY I'd have done it without this board's help and Wayne's Most Excellent Book...and Bentley Manual.
I think a passion to do it and ability to follow instructions are the main requirements. If you don't really enjoy the process you will probably have some issues...

The coolest part of auto restoration is all of the parts you accumulate over time. It seems that once you take it apart, when you put it back together you discover all the missed opportunities of the oems to save money by reducing the number of parts. I always have extra parts that take up space in the garage. Btw, wives tend to hate this part.

Poke around with your local PCA or other car club. Post here, go to a cars-and-coffee.

Along with this forum, finding another local enthusiast will be the best thing for doing car maintenance. Finding a friend who can lend tools, push pedals while you are under the car, and blast down roads when it is all working.

In the end, cars are a means to enjoy life, and life is best enjoyed with the people you meet along the way.

And being in the middle of a first-time motor rebuild myself, it's all about the journey, not the destination. :D

I don't think you need to go to school.

I worked for a Dentist in 9th grade. He was restoring a '50s VW Beetle convertible and doing a real nice job hanging panels and spraying them with lacquer in his garage.

So i asked him [Dr. Hal Dehaven] how he learned to spray and he said: "Matt if you can read, you can teach yourself just about anything" I never forgot that.

You should read and go to a junk yard and buy a rusty door, dented hood, etc and begin to practice in the real world. Buy a decent MIG welder and practice.

Good luck:)-Matt

Not too much I can add to the great comments above...except maybe to recommend that you learn how to diagnose problems prior to diving in. This will help you to avoid a tendency to keep throwing parts and money at a given issue without first truly knowing what's needed.

I own an 85.5 944 and a 2005 Saab 9-3, and work on both with a variety of tools and a low rise lift. I love working on (and driving) both cars and also find this to be very sound and efficient - in terms of both finances and time management.

But back to the importance of diagnostics...I speak from experience. Shortly after driving my 85.5 home, it developed an oil leak from the back of the cam tower. Turned out that I could have tightened a couple of bolts - but instead I dropped the engine and, despite the fact that the (low mileage) engine's various internal components were more or less pristine (well, maybe except the valve-guide seals), I went ahead and did a complete reseal. But I had a great time doing this, and the experience (and education) was priceless!

I'll also add the 101 Projects book - I discovered the book before the forum, though I worked on my daily driver cars before the 911.

One thing that has helped me out on two occasions is a mobile mechanic. I hate taking my car to a garage but there have been a couple of times when I got in just a little deep or didn't have the specialty tool to move forward. In some cities you may find a mechanic that works out of the back of a truck and will come to your house to help you out of a jam. They don't need to be Porsche mechanics but they probably have seen a similar problem to the one you're encountering or have a unique tool that you just don't have (or know existed).

The best thing is the sense of accomplishment when you've completed the job.

Also Jeff, to do a great restoration job [faster and easier] build a dolley to support your Porsche with its suspension removed. You need to remove it all to do it right but it's very enjoyable and easier in the long run this way. I would never do a Porsche resto w/o one of these, you can just see and work so much better down low and when you go to prime/paint the chassis it make painting a snap [especially the roof panel]

I think i have one of the simplest, cheapest-to-build rolling and pivoting [45 degree] dolley designs. It costs me about $130 to build. Need to buy a MIG though.

If you want i can take some pics..-Matt

If you have basic mechanical skills then you're ready to tackle the job. If not before you start on the Porsche resto; buy a crap car off of Craigslist, take it apart and put it back together. We'll be here to help you.......

This forum is awesome!!! I've learned more in 2 months that I ever thought I would know about P cars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gliding_serpent (Post 8889385)

Dave is right on the money. I am a bit of all three, but mostly 2.

An alternate version is: racing, driving, wrenching, polishing. Pick one.
- If racing buy a built race car and get ready to wrench, or pay a lot of money. Who am I kidding, it will be expensive either way. Swear under your breath at spec miata guys when they talk about how little their upkeep costs are.
- if driving, get the best car you can afford, and enjoy the odd DIY project. Other times give it to a pro as you just want to enjoy it and they can do it faster. (most people are this)
- if wrenching, buy a project and get ready for the time sink. When it is finished and "perfect", get bored and immediately sell. Find a new hopeless project. What else would you do with your time?
- if polishing, get an enclosed trailer so you can roll it off and on for those concourse shows. Get ready to put out big money for that "perfect car" or "perfect restoration."

My view:
- you need a daily driver that is not the 911.
- if you want one, buy the best one you can afford, because repairs and parts are not cheap. A car that is 10,000$ more, and the condition warrants it, could save you 20,000$ easy. Ask me how I know. Trust no one, and see the car yourself before buying. Watch the inspection if you can. Get a 911 pro to do it.
- if you rebuild cars and engines as a hobby/career, get a project and save money on the lower purchase price.
- If you want a track car, it is cheaper to buy one that is finished. Budget for a rebuild. They are selling it for a reason.
- don't be afraid to get your hands dirty, even if you are new to it. Just know your limits and read read read. I repeat, know your limits... the guy that says that "anyone can rebuild the transmission or engine themselves" generally forgets to mention that they have a full garage setup with lifts, engine tables, etc, etc plus tons of experience rebuilding other engines. Or a ton of free time, and they forget to tell you all the things they screwed up to get there, or that they are a mechanical engineer by trade. Oops, did I leave that part out?
- All DIY folks are liars! Whenever I finish a project I go "that was easy"and I immediately forget the time, cost, blood, sweat, and tears it took to get there. It is human nature. That is why women keep having children. If they remembered fully how tough it was, we would all have only one kid.
- DIY if you enjoy it, not out of need. I do what I can, but if I MUST do a project, I resent it, as does my wife when I am away from her and the young kids. I do what I can when I can, which keeps it fun.
- Rolling restorations are better for the soul. Too many projects, or too long off the road and you can get bogged down and end up selling it unfinished. Unless you like that kind of thing. For me, it I have a toy I want to use it, and that is my priority. DIY lets me enjoy it when the snow is on the ground.
- DIY is only cheaper if you have all of the tools, and your time is not money, or you make less that your mechanic. I DIY to relax and because I like to learn, not to save. Between you and I, I also do it because I am a touch ocd and figure that only a 911 specialist will put more love in it than I will.

+1 Well said - Spot on!

If you can hold a wrench and read you can restore your car...Wayne has done an amazing job at 'making the mistakes so you don't have to'!

I was 52 when I changed my first brake pads on my 86 911. Prior to that, I never really did anything mechanical to any vehicle. I've done lots of mechanical work to car wash equipment, self serve and tunnels. Sold the 86, purchased a 75 with a fuel distributor problem. Tony (boyt911sc) encouraged me to take the motor out to basically get acquainted with the car. I took the motor out then decided to strip the car down for complete window out respray. While its in the shop being painted, I'm starting to go thru the motor, little by little. My brother and my dad are betting I will never get it back together (they have little faith in my mechanical abilities). Their pessimism is what spurns me on. I've got all the manuals and do lots of reading but most importantly, I've got the expertise of so many skilled Pelicans that have helped and encouraged me, and for that, I am very thankful. I'm still very much a novice, but I'm learning, day by day. I've learned, don't let others set limits on your abilities. Perseverance is a powerful tool! Tim SmileWavy