How to get my 1975 Porsche 911 running again

[ksblonde]

I am new to the forum and the lucky new owner of a 1975 Porsche 911. I would like to know what I should do to get it running again? The car has not been running or driven since sometime during the mid 1980's. The car seems to be in good condition and was garaged during the time it has sat. I don't know much about it but want to learn and what to do with it.

[Dmitry at Pelican Parts]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Post some photos of it and our members will be able to let you know exactly what needs to be done to get it running. I'm also attaching a link to our site's DIY tech articles on the 911 so that you can get more familiar with the parts and procedures.

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

[zedsn]

Is there a reason the car was put away? The 2.7 motors were prone to broken head studs.

[ksblonde]

Originally Posted by zedsn

Is there a reason the car was put away? The 2.7 motors were prone to broken head studs.

My uncle just did not drive it much as I have been told by other family members and it was drivable before letting it sit in his garage. I know that it needs a new battery.

[ksblonde]

Originally Posted by Dmitry at Pelican Parts

Hello and welcome to the forum! Post some photos of it and our members will be able to let you know exactly what needs to be done to get it running. I'm also attaching a link to our site's DIY tech articles on the 911 so that you can get more familiar with the parts and procedures.

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

Thank you for the link!

[zedsn]

Did he drain the fuel out of the tank? If not you are going to have to clean out the tank and the lines as well. Your electric fuel pump is probably toast. Any problem with rodents in his garage? I would drain the old engine oil and fill with new and turn the motor over by hand and not by the starter after I put a little marvel mystery oil in each cylinder through the spark plug holes and let it sit overnight. These motors are expensive to fix. I am sure others will chime in but take your time and do it right the first time to bring that baby back to life.

[ksblonde]

Originally Posted by zedsn

Did he drain the fuel out of the tank? If not you are going to have to clean out the tank and the lines as well. Your electric fuel pump is probably toast. Any problem with rodents in his garage? I would drain the old engine oil and fill with new and turn the motor over by hand and not by the starter after I put a little marvel mystery oil in each cylinder through the spark plug holes and let it sit overnight. These motors are expensive to fix. I am sure others will chime in but take your time and do it right the first time to bring that baby back to life.

I will have to check to see if there is gas in the tank. I don't see any evidence of mice or anything in the garage or in the car and I am thankful of that I will definitely get these things done before trying to start it. Thank you.

[zedsn]

You can take out the fuel sending unit on top of the tank in the front trunk and stick a flashlight in there and take a look. Be careful not to break parts as they are expensive to replace.

[75 911s]

gunna need some pics! Congrats.

[HarryD]

Hopefully a great ride. congrats.

Hopefully there are no major issues.

Check this thread: Winter storage checklist?. You want to read post 21. Ignore the late Grady Clay at your own risk. Do a search. There is much on resurrecting stored cars.

[ksblonde]

There is no fuel in the tank and is dry. I am wanting to change the oil so I need to figure out how to jack the car up so I will have to look into that.

[zedsn]

Time to do some research and familiar yourself with your new toy. There are many threads on this forum to guide you through your present and future answers. If you have an owners manual you might want to look that over as well.

[chrismorse]

Congrats, you are going to have a "lot of fun" with the '75.
A car that has not been touched in30years is going to need a lot of work, not just it to run, but to make it safe and reliable.
Buy two fire extinguishers, a 5 pound for the shop and a 2/3 pounder for the car halon or equivalent,dry chemical is messy.
Look over the engine,particularly ALL of the fuel lines. Have someone watching the engine for leaks as you try the first start. I had one of the original lines under the car,(right under the left heat exchanger hot air dump), dripping gas!!! 1974 coupe.
Make sure the brakes work. At the least, you are going to need to do a thorough flush. If you are lucky the caliper pistons will not be rusted to death and all you will have to do is replace the 40 year old flex lines.
The tires are WAY past their usefull life span, plan on getting a new set before you do anything more than cruise down the street.
The front wheel bearings are going to need to be cleaned and packed.
Go through Wayne'sbook, read a lot of the threads about resurecting old cars.
Someone once said, " people learn from their mistakes, smart people learn from others mistakes".

Rummage through the glove box and frunk for service receipts, you may learn a lot about the car. See if the family has a service file on the car.

Old service manager,
Chris

[Mark Salvetti]

This should be fun! Follow Chris' advice.

Before you add any fuel, I would remove and inspect the filter screen in the tank. You can see it as a large hex fitting on the underside of the tank near the back. You may need to replace it depending on how it looks. You mentioned the tank is dry - is there any rust?

You shouldn't need to jack the car to change the oil. Drain plug in the middle of the underside of the engine, and then one on the oil tank by the right rear wheel. Be prepared for a significant volume, about 10 quarts total will come out. Try and measure the volume, and at this point just replace it with the same, you can't use the dipstick unless the engine is running and the oil is hot. If you fill to the dipstick cold and not running, you will seriously overfill. Not good.

These cars benefit from the anti-wear additives that are no longer in most oils. Best bets are Valvoline 20W-50 Racing oil (VR1), Mobil 1 15W-50, or Brad Penn. This first fill not that important, since once you get it running and nice and hot, I would change it again.

We'll walk you through this if you need the help.

Mark

[DRACO A5OG]

No need to raise her for an oil change



by one of our Lady Members

[boyt911sc]

Do not attempt to start the engine until you have completely done the fuel pressure tests. Trying to start this long abandoned vehicle without verifying the absence of fuel leak in the system is very risky. After adding sufficient oil into the tank, fuel pressure test is first and foremost. Add 2-3 gallon of fresh fuel into the empty tank. This is more than enough to do the tests. If this car still has the original CIS, turning the ignition switch @ ON position will make the FP run. This is a good time to check the control fuel pressures and fuel injectors (removed from the intake runners) in separate containers. It is mandatory that you use a pressure gauge kit for any fuel injection troubleshooting. Without one, you will be just guessing. Keep us posted.

Tony

[rwest]

Another item if you're not aware is that you check oil level when hot, if you fill it to level on the dipstick when it is cold, you will have a god awful oily mess after it warms up.

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by ksblonde

There is no fuel in the tank and is dry. I am wanting to change the oil so I need to figure out how to jack the car up so I will have to look into that.

This thread is very helpful. Check my comments on post #37.

Help on How to Jack Up all Four Tires at the same time