Long Hood - Front gap between wheel and fender seems off

[billg13]

Hi All,

I am just starting to look for a 70-73 long hood and have noticed in ads for some cars the proportions seem off. Hard to tell if the front suspension is sitting high or maybe the rear suspension is sagging which either raises the front or makes it appear that way.

Is this a common problem? Is this a sign of big (read costly) issues that I should run away from? Or is it a simple fix of replacing springs?



Here is an couple of examples:

[tdw28210]

Definitely riding high in front. And what size tires are those in front?

[Rodsrsr]

In both examples the rear looks normal, its the front that looks excessively high.

[Trackrash]

There are a couple of books out on How to Buy a 911. A little home work could save you a bundle in the long run. https://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/ksearch/pel_search_2016.cgi?command=DWsearch&LastVisited_input=911E&make=POR&description=Porsche+buyers+guide

BTW, 911s have torsion bar suspensions.

Also, if you list your location, there could be Pelicanites available to help. PCA is also a great resource.

[Tremelune]

Changing the ride in the rear is costly (~4hr). Changing the ride in the front is cheap (~1hr). If you do either, the car should ideally be aligned, corner balanced, and the headlights re-aimed.

No parts would necessarily need to be replaced. Some searching around here will give you lots of info. The tricky bit is "reindexing the rear torsion bars" and hopefully getting it right the first time (using angle calculators and hopefully weight numbers).

If the ride height is way off, the car probably hasn't been driven much recently. If a car hasn't been driven much recently...I always wonder what might be lurking when the miles start coming.

[billg13]

All thanks for the info. I will pick up one of the books suggested. Did I read somewhere the E model has a different suspension in the front, one that can auto adjust or self-level? I am currently living in Germany so lots of beautiful original cars here, though the exchange rate typically makes them prohibitively expensive.

Torsion bar suspension=no coil springs, I guess I never really thought about that. I am now going to burn my mechanical engineering diploma.

[Trackrash]

True, early 911s are unique in their design. But once understood they are one of the easiest and most rewarding cars to work on.

Yes most of the '69 to '71 "E" models had the Hydro-Pneumatic suspension. Almost all of those have been converted to standard shocks. That was some sort of self leveling strut inserts as an option.

The '68 to '73 "E" and "S" and some "T" models had MFI from the factory. Again many of those were converted to carbs.

Good luck with your search.

BTW, the main problem with these older 911s is rust. So beware.