New owner 1977 3.0 Widebody Project

[jferrante]

Well technically not in possession until Friday but got overly anxious and decided to make this thread now.
Started my search a few weeks back for an incomplete project to keep me busy during the winter and track offseason and was lucky enough to stumble on this relatively local example with an interior I couldn't pass up...

On to the specs:
1977 911S
3.0 engine out of a 1983 (SC I believe?) with oil fed chain tensioners and other upgrades (need to verify with the receipts)
Metal fenders
Original Tartan Plaid seats
Front mounted 930 oil cooler
Brand new fuel and brake lines and a laundry list of receipts from 2017
Cracked dash

I currently own a 996TT dedicated track car and have always wanted and been a fan of the air-cooled Porsches for the obvious reasons. I always enjoyed the RSR replicas, RUF themed and widebody hot rods people have put together over the years and am lucky enough to have the opportunity to build my own with what I think happens to be the best platform for my goals

On to pics:







and my 996TT for those that care


My goals are to not drag this project out for 5 years - I would like to have the shell in for paint over the winter and ready to drive by Spring/Summer next year.

Current high level approach from now until winter. (Open to ideas)
1. Drive the car for the next month or 2 to give the car a true shakedown and find out what it really needs - change all fluids etc.
2. Clean the interior up, assess options for cracked dash, sort any electrical issues, and begin acquiring parts in anticipation of full respray
3. Pending no large issues - pull the motor and refresh hoses, gaskets, and any other items that have not been addressed - assess head studs etc
4. Send the car out to be stripped and prepped for paint (leaning on Mexico Blue or other Blue's at this point)

These 2 cars are my primary references for ideas (really like the RUF wheels)

[bbturbo]

Big fan! That will be a lot of fun to get going. Enjoy the journey.

[Ryan H]

Is that rust or a wrap?

Looks fun!

[jferrante]

Originally Posted by Ryan H

Is that rust or a wrap?

Looks fun!

its surface rust - car was left outside for a few days after the previous owner was beginning to asses sources to cracks in the paint

[911SauCy]

That thing has wicked character, clearly the engine is very clean/fresh, nice find.

IHMO, toss that silly spoiler, toss an off-color deck lid on, and run it! The interior is sweet!

[QueWhy]

Nice find! I really dig that interior.

[jferrante]

Originally Posted by 911SauCy

That thing has wicked character, clearly the engine is very clean/fresh, nice find.

IHMO, toss that silly spoiler, toss an off-color deck lid on, and run it! The interior is sweet!

thanks I agree very unique character. the first plan is actually to find a duck tail so appreciate any leads....keeping this budget as possible so any leads to used are welcomed

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[charwood77]

that car looks sweet. use a metal brush to clean the flash rust off and hit it with a coat of clear.
garage is rad too! just don't drop any small bolts

[smokintr6]

that interior is so sweet!!! how could you paint it anything but green with the sweet green plaid!?!?!

Make it green again!

This company can refinish your dash:

Porsche Interior Restoration Leather Craftsman Classic 9 Leather

[jferrante]

Originally Posted by smokintr6

that interior is so sweet!!! how could you paint it anything but green with the sweet green plaid!?!?!

Make it green again!

This company can refinish your dash:

Porsche Interior Restoration Leather Craftsman Classic 9 Leather

thanks....there is some blue in the plaid that's why I thought it would be acceptable

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[Alansglide]

Congrats . Welcome to the 77 wide body club

[scottrx7tt]

awesome! when i was a kid, i had a green matchbox car just like this. That matchbox car IS the reason why i am a porsche enthusiast today. I kind of like the "patina" of your car. Interior looks pretty good.

[75 911s]

Very cool...and check out the POs house! I want the interior and the house! :-)

[Dmitry at Pelican Parts]

Congrats on the new ride! To help with your project, I'm attaching a link to our site's DIY tech articles. Please let us know if you have any questions!

Porsche 911 (1965-1989) Technical Articles - Pelican Parts

[jferrante]

Well she's home on the lift. No rust which is all I really care about. Some shotty body work but nothing that really worries me.
I need a few hoses in the engine bay and a new fuel relay if anyone has one part number 91161713101...here are some pics.





fender wells




What is the tire rubbing here? Oil or AC?

[fanaudical]

Congrats on the "new" car.

That's your oil cooler (two pics above).

[jferrante]

Originally Posted by fanaudical

Congrats on the "new" car.

That's your oil cooler (two pics above).

got it do you see the last pic that line that is rubbing that seems to go toward the gas tank?

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[Tremelune]

Fantastic starting point! I strongly agree with your high-level game plan of driving it for the next few months, then doing the Big Stuff over the winter. Since you're planning to paint and take apart the motor, you're unlikely to find anything terrifying, and you have a great chance to put some fearless miles on the car to see what it really needs and fix the fiddly bits without taking it off the road.

Drive it as you intend to drive it when it is completed and make note of how everything behaves. Does it have enough torque or is it worth putting real money into an engine build or swap? How do you feel about the 915 transmission? How much does AC mean to you? Noise/vibration/harshness? Originality?

Removing weight is great, but heavy stuff often serves a good purpose, depending on your intended use. How does the suspension honestly feel? Do you want a touch more motion control or a ton? Is it livable for longer drives in terms of ride quality? Many dream of a super light hotrod, and then don't drive it much because it rattles their teeth out and fatigues their ears after an hour. Some like it that way. Depends on the driver and very much the roads it will see. If I had a 996tt track car, I'd want something a lot more livable for the street. You're never ever going to come close in performance, but you won't need to for the car to be at least as fun.

If I were gonna spend the money to repaint a car, I'd paint it a unique color that has never yet been on an old 911...It's entirely subjective, of course. I like the interior plaid, but the cost to replace interior accents pales in terms of the cost to paint the car, so I wouldn't let it drive your decision too much. You gotta get paint right the first time. it's the most expensive thing to change.

In terms of bodywork, doing a short-hood car is cheaper than doing a long-hood car, but considering you're committed to a repaint...the difference isn't huge, and the final result is.

[Tremelune]

And that is the first photo I've seen of the shift coupler boot in-situ, so thanks for that! I'm about to do some work there on mine.

The rub mark is on your oil feed line. You don't want anything rubbing that. The smaller lines around the two oil lines I'm not familiar with, so I'm assuming AC...I thought those ran under the car from the factory, so...dunno.

[jferrante]

Originally Posted by Tremelune

And that is the first photo I've seen of the shift coupler boot in-situ, so thanks for that! I'm about to do some work there on mine.

The rub mark is on your oil feed line. You don't want anything rubbing that. The smaller lines around the two oil lines I'm not familiar with, so I'm assuming AC...I thought those ran under the car from the factory, so...dunno.

Thanks for the insights - need to confirm correct engine hose I am thinking it is #8 in this diagram just want to ensure I have what they are calling a "blower" motor. Sure looks it..
http://www.***********.com/porsche-parts/hardparts.php?dir=911-78-83&section=108-10