We're now just a few days from roadworthy, if all goes well and parts arrive on time. Final hit list of what is being/has been done:

- brakes at all four corners including calipers and some lines
- front wheel bearings
- tires
- fuel tank drained
- fuel pump
- oil change
- trans fluid change
- front ride height adjustment to Euro height (rear has been done)
- a few relays and fuses which had failed while sitting
- TLC from Dave, who is apparently a Porsche whisperer and got it running great while replacing exactly 0 engine parts

Planning for a Saturday pickup. It will have been a few days over 2 months since we retrieved the car, and I can't wait to get it back on the road.

There will be more to do this winter, but for now it'll be great to have it cruising around to really get to know it.

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Can't wait till you get the car back and get to enjoy it!

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So it's finally back and picked up from ButziGear after Dave broke his back working on it for a few months. Well over budget* and by no means done* but it is driveable and I'll cruise around in it for a bit to determine any additional needs.

I'll post the full hit list of what was done tomorrow, but it needed a lot.

Biggest remaining need is a trans rebuild, unfortunately, but this was not entirely unforeseen. It has all 5 gears and reverse, but every one (except reverse) is difficult to find and there's a significant whine. Once the 993 is sold, hopefully soon, it'll go under the knife again for that and a few other, less major but still necessary repairs.

The change to Euro ride height was MASSIVE aesthetically. After seeing the car the same way for 13 years I can't get over the difference.

But, it looks great and it's been amazing to have this part of my dad back again.

*neither of these are in any way Dave's fault, he did a phenomenal job and bent over backwards on this project. On a limited budget, he did an amazing job fighting age and neglect, the latter of which was far worse than we expected. Sneak peek example: the f@cking master cylinder corroded through and had a pinhole leak.

And now, obligatory photo dump from this afternoon:

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^ is the entire frunk on these cars a gas tank? FFS that receipt was a gut punch.

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^ most pretentious picture I've ever taken? Very possibly. No regrets.

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Is the entire frunk a gas tank...lol yes it is. 20 something gallons. But there good on gas 25-30mpg so you can go far.

Reading through this thread again... wow was I optimistic about what it would need to get back on the road. As promised, the final hit list is (to the best of my memory):

- fuel pump relay
- fuel pump and related ancillaries
- battery
- oil service
- trans fluid change
- new tires all around
- tie rods
- repack wheel bearings
- pads and rotors all around
- replace front calipers
- rebuild rear calipers
- replace a few brake hard lines
- replace master cylinder
- new air filter
- clean MAF
- thorough cleaning inside and out
- a few fuses and relays to restore power to the car
- reset front ride height
- alignment

And that gets us to functional. The ignition module is absurdly expensive so it got put on the back burner, but it is definitely annoying so it's towards the top of the to-do list. Trans linkage rebuild is right up there also.

Part of my hurry to get this car on the road, aside from the welcome distraction, was the Caffeine and Carburetors (our local cars and coffee, run 4x a year) show held today. They always pick random categories or marques to focus each show on, announced way in advance, and this time the feature categories were BMWs and legacy cars with a family history. Naturally given the story behind this car, and the odd coincidence in timing (they've never done legacy cars before as far as I know), I wanted to have this be the Targa's inaugural show in my stewardship. The trans didn't love the traffic getting in, but it made it there and made another air cooled friend. Definitely emotional for me to have it at the show, and it was a great time.

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And a few other air cooled cars from the show; there was a huge Porsche corral but I didn't take nearly enough photos.

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That's awesome. You did it. You made it there - and that's saying something. That's a good car if it made it there. A lot of work was done in short time and it seems you are in the game now. Your father would be proud for sure.

Nice.

Now don't make the irreversible mistake of selling that 993 cab

Appreciate the kind words! It means a lot.

It's gotta go so the other one can live, unfortunately. I wish I had the money, space, and time to keep both but I don't have any of the three right now.



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It's more valuable than the SC...

Coming from someone who was hanging off the edge of the earth (almost sold my SC after having back surgery and losing my job because of it...) you should dig deep and see what you can figure out.

Jus' sayin"

From a dollars and cents perspective, inarguably. It's a seriously cool car.

I was initially planning on keeping the 993 instead. The Carrera is just worth far more to me, in terms of family history, than it would be to anyone else. I couldn't stomach the idea of selling it. And I definitely do not have space or time for 4 cars, and won't for at least the next several years. 3 is already an expensive pain in the ass.

I'll keep the memories and stories of the slower, less valuable car and hand them, and the car, down to my eventual kids.

I guess I don't ultimately care about the actual value of my cars as long as I like them and they do what they're supposed to. It also reduces insurance, property tax (thanks, CT), and running costs to have a simpler car.

I certainly do appreciate the advice and input, but I'm happy and at peace with my choice. I'll miss the 993, but I won't regret it in the big picture of things.

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Quick status update on the car now that I've had it back on the road for a few months.

I got fed up with the brakes binding up after a few minutes every time it was driven, so I stretched the budget further and took it to a local shop to see what was going on. Apparently the linkage running from the pedal through the master to the servo was "completely out of whack," and some components were physically bent, so it required a refresh. The brakes work much better now; more pedal feel and no more binding so that's a nice change of pace.

I was hoping to get the shift linkage done at the same time but my budget couldn't stretch quite that far (estate still pending) so it's still semi-unusable. But at least it's safer now.

The still-to-be-done list is:

- shift linkage
- shocks all around
- ball joints
- tune up
- ebrake
- ignition module replacement
- brake warning light on for some reason despite a complete system rebuild

Not going to lie, that list is starting to look manageable... Seeing it typed out and short is a fairly good feeling.

And possibly, TBD pending how the linkage improves things:

- engine and trans mounts
- trans rebuild

After all of that, I'll be looking into headlights (unsure if I'll just go Euro or look for an attractive HID option, leaning HID or LED, but these ones are unusable/unsafe and need to go) and repairing the stereo and then it'll be done. Or something approximating done. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself.

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Looking great. You are doing right by this car and it appears your step-dad was correct in choosing you as the next care taker. I am sure the car is happy it gets to get out and play with other p-cars also. Great story

I'd prioritize getting the shift couplers properly adjusted -- my '86 targa's got 182k on its 915 transmission and it's never been cracked/rebuilt. Had some shifting issues when I first got it, but these were completely resolved after a 911 specialist properly adjusted the shift bushings -- easy to find and select all gears for the past 150k miles.

What's making you think that there are issues with your engine/tranny mounts? Noticable slop? -- believe mine were replaced 100k ago when I had a top end rebuild, but never noticed any issues with these -- that said, sloppy/bad mounts could exacerbate your shifting issue . .

On the headlights -- I replaced the poorly performing sealed beam headlights with drop-in h4 assemblies (I went with a used pair of cibies I picked up in the classified), installed high wattage bulbs and headlight relays and retained my sugar scoops. Whole thing cost me under $100 and I now have excellent lighting with sharp cut-offs. Could be a good solution to your lighting problem that could be easily "upgraded" to fancier HID/LED/etc. in the future (and drop-in h4 assemblies sell pretty quickly here too)

FWIW

Erbe,

Ha, agreed, I'm never done. There's a pair of 964 H-5's with rings, just popped up on the board. Might be a budget way of upgrading the look and halogens for the night. Highly recommend a relay kit regardless.

Love watching this car come back to the road....

Thank you for the kind words! It means a lot.


The shift linkage is definitely next on the list. Tbh when I dropped it off at the shop that was what it went in for, with "diagnose/fix the brakes also" thrown in. Once we got the labor quotes for both and had the brakes diagnosed it became an either/or situation so I went with the brakes because it's a safety issue.

I'm frankly not sure about the mounts, it may just be the slop in the linkage. The car felt looser when it was first on the road but a lot of it has settled in now and I doubt they'll be needed immediately. That, and the trans rebuild, are kind of pending until I get the linkage done and see how it shifts and sounds. The most recent shop said the trans may not need a rebuild and it may be fine after the linkage. Fingers crossed for my bank account's sake.

The headlights are out of alignment and dim as hell, but while the car isn't really useable I'm not driving it at night so it isn't an issue. I vastly prefer HIDs since I'm used to them from our daily driver cars, but I want to keep the aesthetics of the car classic. I've seen some HID and LED options behind textured lenses that keep the vintage look so that's what I'm leaning towards.


Thank you! It's been a fun project, but I can't wait until it's done and I can race around the city with it. It has fleeting moments when it's incredibly fun and I can't wait for it to be like that all the time once the shifting and suspension are sorted.



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hear you on modern hid/led lights -- that said, if you haven't driven with european e-code halogen lights before, you might be in for a BIG surprise -- they provide the same sharp cut-off and clearly defined beam as my other cars' HID and LED lights, but with a bit more brightness. I actually prefer my 911's euro h4 bulbs' output over the other cars' us spec HID and LED setups -- guess my point here is that drop-in H4s are a CHEAP upgrade that should be easy to resell if you don't like 'em. Properly aiming is key, of course, but I wouldn't waste time with the current sealed beams . .

You can pick up 7" H4 replacements for around 70$. order seals from our host. Use the bentley manual and replace the shifter bushings in an afternoon. Find loose change and memoribilia between the seats.

Great thread. Congrats on the car and condolences on the acquisition circumstance. You are doing a great job and will look back on your efforts with pride and will cherish the car and the memories of your dad that it stirs for a long time. Probably be a time or several when you look at it and say, "Thanks Dad".
Good advice has been offered about doing the bushings before plunging into a rebuild. You may be pleasantly surprised when near 40 year old crumbling bushings are replaced and the coupler is adjusted correctly. Based on mileage, I would suspect failing bushings rather than trashed internals. Definitely would be done with a rebuild so take the least costly approach first.

You've gone this far, so go the distance.

The brakes should feel great.
Most firm rock hard pedal feel of any car I've owned.

The 915 shifter works great,
and should not jam, balk, or grind at all.

Keep at it.