Buying a 73' 911t! Help?

[JRust]

Hry guys i'm looking at buying a 73' 911t. Going to go check it out tommorow. Been in storage for quite a while. Indoors though
thankfully! What do I want to look for & where (rust)? Engine wise I'll just turn it over by hand. If I get it I figure on changing the oil to start then draining whatever fuel has been in there for the last 10 years. Can old fuel do any damage to the engine if I tried to start it with whats in there? The engine was tuned just before storage 10 years ago & ran great without leaking oil. What do you think is the potential problems with one sitting so long? Thanks in advance guys

[pwd72s]

Jamie...Monmouth did just vote to be no longer dry, right? I wonder what you've been sipping? This car could be a jewel or a piece of garbage...or anything in between. Do you have many years of P car experience? If not, I strongly suggest you consult someone who has. Someone beyond this board, who would charge you for his time. A book could be written about what you ask for in this single post. Matter of fact, books, many of them, have been written...Good luck, Paul

[Jim Sims]

Why do people just park cars and leave them for 10 years!

Look for rust on rockers (especially under any kind of deco trim), on bottom of doors, around front two battery boxes, on the pillar just behind the doors, back of front fenders where they attach to fins in front of doors and near the fuel filler flap. There may rust on the top of the oil tank up underneath the right rear fender.

Do not attempt to start with fuel in tank; drain and discard. After 10 years the fuel system will likely be a mess; it will need probably need to be taken apart piece by piece and cleaned. Rubber and plastic elements of the fuel lines may require replacement. Tank fuel filter screen should be checked and engine mounted fuel filter replaced.

Brake system will require at a minimum a flush and new brake fluid and probably replacement of the rubber sections of the lines.

Transmission will need to be drained and new lubrication oil installed (Swepco if it's a 915). I'm betting there's at least one bad synchro in the transmission.

10 year old tires should be replaced. New batteries (there's originally two) will be required.

Do you have the funds to do all of this? I'm predicting you'll spend $1000 the first month on parts and tools even if you do the work yourself. Then another $3000 to $5000 the rest of the first year.

I'd get a PPI done if you can have the car towed to a mechanic.
Don't pay too much. Good luck, Jim

[real550A]

Jamie, I agree with Paul. You can even do damage "just turning it over by hand". The rings and cylinder walls will be dry from sitting. If they're rusted, the rings will break with very little effort. Do your due dilligence before going very hard at this one. You may have a treasure here, or one to "run, not walk away from". Good Luck, and Have Fun! Mike

[Zeke]

A couple of months ago there was a thread about a fella who got himself a long time sitter. If you see your way to get this car, take it home w/o trying to start it and search for the thread I mentioned. There was plenty of info about what to do first and so on. Good luck.

Edit: Here's one I found: car has been in storage. Need help starting
And here's the one I was thinking of: back and have good news

[boyt911sc]

Jamie,
We really don't know how much you know about P-cars specially a car that has been stored for a decade. Many on this board will be helpful in many ways to assist you and make you aware of the experiences (good & bad).

If I were you, I would find somebody in your area who is knowledgeable about this car. And hopefully help you come to good decision. Just be aware that the car will need some investment ($$$$) just to have the car running. Since the car is not operable at the moment, there is more risk involve buying it.

Take your time. And if the price is right, go for it. Just my two-cents........

[stew]

hey if it turns out to be something you don't want to mess with let me know , i'm in hood river so i'm close too. i'm always looking.
bob stewart 541 - 490-3510

[dtw]

I think I can provide lots of pics that should point you in all the key areas.

Is it a Targa? Check out some of the pics on the basket case that I stripped:

Targa Basket Case

Coupe? I can tell you about coupes for days. Dozens upon dozens of pics to help you look here:

This is my long-term basket case '72T project, Mr. Hyde. It had rust everywhere. I had zero experience when I evaluated and purchased this car. Lots since then! - - -

Mr. Hyde

Here's some shots of my less-rusty '72T project, Jekyll. The rear rocker rust is common:

Dr. Jekyll

Here's a web page I did for Bill Wagnon. I inspected a car for him here in my hometown before he came out to buy it:

Bill Wagnon's Ride

Summary of key areas:
-windshield channel
-rearward of main longitudinals
-front suspension pan
-pedal box area of floor
-front and rear lockposts

Good luck! Remember the cardinal rule of 911 inspecting: don't try to justify a dog. There'll be a sweetheart down the road someday.

[nick-moss]

I'm just off to look at a '70 that has been stored for some years, so comparing notes afterwards may be interesting!

I have some experience about what to expect

[marc weintraub]

Ok... the long and short of it. I bought a car that had been sitting for well over 10 years in dry storage. The car itself was close to perfect but with all of the rubber rot you would expect on a car that was never touched. Original tires... blah, bla, blah. The batteries had been charged prior to having the car viewed and the facility that had the car started it every so often, but never enough to remember the last time they had done so.

Unbeleivably, with a little priming, the car started right up and ran without any smoke or problem. Found it to be quite amazing. I bought the car! I had the car brought to my mechanic and told him I wanted the engine and transmission steam cleaned and everything checked out. Long story short, the engine and transmission seals had all dried out and needed to be completely gone over and replaced. I replaced or refurbished every gasket, piece of rubber, bushing, bearing, etc because of dry rot. Not a cheap task, but now I have a car that is like new. Not sure if a "T" is worth putting that kind of money into, but only you know what you are willing to invest. I would go for an "E" or an "S" in the same situation, if you can find one!

Also, look at the car with respect to how much it will cost to bring it up to the shape you want it to be in. These cars are not cheap to fix, especially if you are not doing it yourself. You can drop 10-20k without batting an eye. Is this particular car worth putting that sum of money into when you can buy an "S" for the same money it would cost you to bring this car up to spec?

Just some things to think about when thinking about buying an early Porsche.

Thanks,

Marc
1973S
1971S
1998TurboS

[JRust]

Thanks for all the great tips guys. I don't need to have it running right now. I'll take some time & make sure I do things right. I'm honestly not much of a mechanic yet. I am learning but I'm sure any engine stuff will be done by my wrench. I'll let you guy's know if i get it & I'll post some pics.

[nostatic]

umm...how fat is your checkbook? Marc is right, you can easily be $10K into this car especially if your wrench does most of the work...and that's without consider paint/body/interior. At the end of the day you will have a car that likely won't even be worth close to that amount of money (depending on paint and interior). If you want to keep the car for a long time, I suppose that's OK, but unless you're getting the car for close to free, prepare your bank account and significant other for large and repeated outlays of $$$.

I think it is better to spend the money up front and get a better kept car rather than try and fix a "bargain". That strategy changes somewhat if you do all your own work and want a project. But if you just want a car to drive and enjoy, buy a good one instead of a project.

[warment]

Check the lower portions of the front fenders and the inner fender support pieces. The gas tank will need to be steam cleaned and recoated(or a new one installed). The brake system will probably need to be refurbished(stuck pistons in the calipers). Also check the rocker panels. Trust me...I have been where you are and have made some mistakes!

Expect to throw down some major money after the purchase to replace things! Trust me!

Bill

[HarryD]

I think most of the other folks have already told the story but still, like your 914, rust is a major issue.

Sorting out the mechanicals cost $$ but can be done and once done, like those 911+3's, they stay fixed.

However, have you thought that the purchase of this 9-eleben will cause you to be frowned upon by the 914 gang?

Will we be seeing you show JP how a 914 is supposed to be AutoX'ed this year?

[JRust]

Yes i think I will be trying some autoX this year. I've also decided not to buy that 911. Thanks for all the great tips! I will buy a 911 eventually I think. I do love my 914's though. So I will probably always have a 914. A 911 would be nice just so I can take all the kids for a ride at once