Meet Anni….
I wanted to properly (and finally) introduce my Carrera 3.2. After purchasing her I have been plugging away on a few things that needed attention. It appears to me that she was not driven much for several years before I bought her, and that much of her maintenance was done “on the cheap.” Well no more!
For those who do not know, for 1989 Porsche offered a 25th Anniversary model to celebrate the silver anniversary. They made 500 world-wide, 200 convertibles and 300 coupes. Of the coupes, 240 were this silver (hence the license plate), and 60 were a unique metallic black. All have this silk grey interior. Everything in the 25th Anniversary package was cosmetic. Being a limited edition 911 that is pretty clean and straight, especially for never being restored, means she will always be worth something. That said, make no mistake she is a driver. She has 103k on the clock right now, has never had her heads off, up close she has stone chips on her nose, and few dents, etc. Her interior is all original, and still needs a good cleanup (coming next week I hope). I was looking for an air-cooled car, and wanted to “play” with it more than I can this one (because of it’s rarity). That said, having it the way I do now, I am not sure I will seek out another one to “play” with more. This car is just SO fun to drive and enjoy. My goal for this car is the get her in good working order, cleaned up, an not modified in ways that cannot be easily (bolt on) returned to stock when I eventually restore/rotisserie her.
The issues I have tacked with her so far have been;
- A/C was miserable and has been replaced with the RetroAir system, which has been amazing and which I am still tuning.
- Suspension needed help. I replaced the rear Torsion Bar bushings, Swaybar bushings, installed Bilstein HD’s all the way around, lowered her, got a proper alignment. The banana arm bushings will have to wait for an engine drop as their bolts car on TIGHT!
- I installed a triangulated front strut brace.
- Tires were shot and mismatched, I went to Conti DW’s (205Fr/225Rr)
- Car was pinging, Installed a Steve Wong Chip that is setup for M&K Headers & Exhaust, and 93 octane.
- Exhaust is a backyard cat bypass, Magnaflow muffler that was installed backyard style. My M&K Headers & 2-in/1-out exhaust are suppose to be here in 2 weeks.
- Shifting was sloppy, and then the shift bushing broke. I replaced the bushing, greased the linkage, swapped the leather-less stock shift knob for a 917 style knob.
- The black factory 4 spoke wheel (correct wheel, wrong color for this car) was swapped in favor of a Prototipo for now. It looks great, and I prefer Alcantara for my wheels so it may get swapped out again. Also want a 370mm, not easy to find.
- Car was over heating. I replaced both thermostats, replaced the engine oil cooler seals and cleaned that oil cooler up from the leaking seals, installed a new front oil cooler fan (Elephant Racing). Things seem to be working great now, no overheating.
- Car had 1 seized rear brake caliper and one of the pistons on one of the front calipers was seized. I had all 4 calipers rebuild, and put all new brake fluid in (obviously). New pads and rotors are coming soon, the current units are fine now but they are not the best quality parts.
- Installed a Brey-Krause Fire extinguisher mount and extinguisher "just in case."
- There were various strange electrical challenges. I installed the Retro Classic replacement fuse block. What a difference!
- Cleaned up the engine compartment.
- Installed the sound mat in the engine compartment that was MIA when I bought her.
- Engine fan and housing were cracked and started rubbing each other. I replaced it with the European Parts Solution (EPS) Aluminum fan and housing. DO NOT DO THIS! IT DOES NOT FIT, IS A POS PART THAT REQUIRES HOUSE OF MACHINGINT TO MAKE FIT CORRECTLY!!!!! Their customer service is even worse. I am seeking a good magnesium replacement unit now!
- Replaced all of the instrument light bulbs.
- Removed all of the window tint and replaced it with 3m Crystaline tint, including the windshield. Lighter colored tint, far less heat in the car, and better UV protection.
- Many other little things too.
I LOVE the car. I have to say getting her lowered and getting a proper alignment by someone who knows how to set these cars up has completely transformed the car. So much so it actually feels faster in a straight line on the freeway, and in the corners it is stunning. Once I get the RetroAir system dialed in, get the M&K exhaust in, and the interior cleaned up nicely I plan to drive the hell out of her. Since my 2001 996 Turbo has 42k miles on it, I may very well drive this one a lot more often.
Now for the pictures.
Her current state (will always be current).....
This is the first view I ever had of her. Saw her sitting here for many weeks at my mechanics, and she was "not for sale" when I took this. What's not to love about a silver 911?
An interior shot..
The Retro Classic fuse block installed.
Engine shot after its cleanup, but before the EPS Fan install.
A few more exteriors from her bath today.
